[Sh Ranger]

Gotcha!

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Originally Posted by Omnikaiser

Ichinose home is a revamped Revice home right ?

The street outside looks similar to Shiawase-Yu, but the inside looks more like Colorful.

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Originally Posted by Omnikaiser

Oh yeah and daaamn I didn't expect the mentor to die so quickly and in such a wild way. (well, that's a magic show so can't be sure he is dead but damn).

(Ryusoulger flashbacks)

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Originally Posted by Mesnick

And the final fight! After showing a reverse version of the remix (one rider transforms with two gimmicks), Gotchard transforms into his main form and a fight ensues. Anyone who has missed the martial arts of show riders should appreciate these kicks, footboards and grips! Hopefully they won't be forgotten in the future.

My only problem with this was the weird camera angle after Gotchard assumed his humanoid SteamHopper form, but I agree that the rest of the fight scene was awesome! I especially enjoyed the finisher where he jumps at the enemy as a grasshopper and then turns humanoid in midair to deliver the kick!

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Originally Posted by Mesnick

Yes, this is a much more standard episode than the pilot Geats, who took his uniqueness and unusualness. But how magical he is, how inventive in detail, attentive to characters, even as yet unimportant ones like mom or Kaijiki. Also, in the first episode of Geats there was another feature: the main character appeared only for the final battle, and then with a delay. While with Hotaro we spend all the time getting to know his character, dreams and hopes.

While I didn't mind the novelty of Ace being a mysterious protagonist, I'm glad that Houtarou is more conventional and easier to read. From the start, he tells us about his motivation to find his "Gotcha" in life and he seems to get along cheerfully with everybody, whether they're a student, teacher, or customer. He reminds me a lot of Gentarou in that way.

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Originally Posted by Mesnick

Renne, with his gloomy readiness to fulfill his duty, is clearly needed to contrast with the cheerful and optimistic hero. Obviously, alchemy for her is precisely a duty, not a pleasure. Hopefully hanging out with Hōtarō will teach her to enjoy magic. It should also be noted that for once we got a heroine who actively helps in the battle without needing armor. By the way, it is surprising that they almost immediately worked well with Hotaro in a duet, because usually these shows prefer to arrange misunderstandings between future partners.

Something I found surprising about their dynamic is how despite them being classmates and in their second year, they feel like strangers and yet, neither of them even address each other with the kun and san honorifics like you'd expect in the high school setting.

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Originally Posted by Zolda

Also didn't expect that Gotchard is actually the Rider name Houtarou gives to himself.

There's a lot of weird stuff happening to Houtarou in one day, but he's just like, "My name is Gotchard now". That's pretty bad*ss!

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Originally Posted by Zolda

And lastly, dang, Chemy?Story is a pure banger. That OP's chorus will be permanently carved in my brain. Back-On is the king of catchy, infectious melodies. The song's positive, optimistic, upbeat vibe is similar to Switch On! (Fourze's OP). Real?Eyez, we got a very strong contender for the best Reiwa OP here. Can't wait for the full song!

I'll need to hear ChemyStory a few more times to judge, but I already enjoy it more than RealEyez, liveDevil and Trust Last. The Reiwa OPs can sound kind of harsh and aggressive, except for ALMIGHTY, so I'm glad to have a return to the Heisei style upbeat energy once more!

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Originally Posted by DreadBringer

Ironically, I enjoy the non-Riders fight done by alchemists better than Gotchard's debut as SteamHopper lol, it's CGI but I think its more flashy and varied. I wonder if Hotaro will have a showcase in his physical abilities, in opposite to how fell he is compared to Rinne academical-wise, with Hotaro being described as a dumb jock.

The way Houtarou moved with such quick speed and reflexes on SteamLiner was pretty impressive for a human. He definitely seems like he has a lot of physical capability that will benefit him as Gotchard, so I guess he's kind of like a nerd and a jock at the same time.

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Originally Posted by DreadBringer

And as others said yeah, Rinne does remind of Yua. Her honor student traits is different from what I expect, the type to be overly strict to tell people to not run and completely no-nonsense to likely not make friends in not knowing Hotaro. She seems to be less strung outside of the school. Despite being the exposition to Hotaro, she doesn't know anything, like Riders.

Rinne's aloofness leaves a bad impression, but maybe we'll see a softer side when she opens up a little. At least, she acts professionally on the field and was nice enough to give a helping hand to Houtarou when he tripped. Apparently, she has a protagonist-like role, so I hope to see more likable traits soon.

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Originally Posted by Enppu

I'm thinking that the guy who gave the driver to Hotaro is probably his father. I wonder, if that's the case, how Hotaro will react upon the revelation, considering what he saw unfolding before his very eyes. I could be completely wrong, since Hotaro must know what his father looked like less than a decade ago, considering the family picture in their home, and I can't imagine his appearance having completely changed in that time.

Well, Fuga does have the look of an adventurer, who probably found more than he was looking for. But even if he changed his appearance using some kind of alche-magic, he should still be able to recognize his son. I guess it's possible with some weird explanation, but for now, it seems unlikely.