[Switchblade]

Hey, it's Revice! This is one of those shows where I think my overall opinion is a bit mixed. There are some aspects of it that I really loved and some that fell flat for me. I'll say from the start that I was absolutely sold on Ikki. I really liked the kind of responsible big brother energy that he brings to the show and I think the actor did a good job of making him come across as very likable.

Vice, on the other hand... I wasn't a big fan of Vice at first. I'm not sure I ever was, honestly. I've called him "Momotaros at Home" a few times now and I tend to stick by that. I'm not a wrestling fan, but I know just enough about it by cultural osmosis to know about the concept of producers trying to put someone over the top. I get a lot of those vibes from Vice. It often felt like the show was trying to force Vice's shtick down the audience's throats instead of letting him grow on us more gradually.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Best part of the premise, by far. I like that Ikki?s part of a healthy and supportive (and funny!) family unit. There?s a real weight to his abdication of heroism at the end, since we can see how much love he?s trying to protect at home. There?re dozens of shows where a Kamen Rider is balancing his Call To Heroism alongside a job, or sibling, or the intense demands of being a full-time prickly asshole that hates hot foods. But to see a Rider who both picks up arms in defense of his family, and then puts them back down in service to that family? fresh take! I like it!

So as far as Kamen Riders with parents and siblings go, Ikki manages to beat out the record set by V3 with his family surviving all the way through the first episode of his show.

The family vibe is one of my favorite parts of the show. It actually inspired me to go back and finish Ultraman R/B, which is another recent series where family relationships are a major part of the show and its story.