[DreamSword]

Desire VS Determination

or

A Lesson in Time Management

I am by no means an expert when it comes to the "Death Game" genre.

Sure, I've seen a few shows and movies that have done it, but I never really bothered to do any sort of deep dive into the death game as a literary device.

As such, the comparative review you're about to read isn't so much about how these two shows stack up in terms of the genre as a whole, but simply how they stack up against eachother, as they do have many common ideas.

What certainly helps in this regard is how both shows are also Tokusatsu, which, while they aren't the only toku shows to use this kind of backdrop, are still a part of something rare enough to make them both rather unique in terms of both genres that they're blending.

Which shows am I talking about? That would be 2022's' Kamen Rider Geats and 2020's' GARO: Versus Road. Both shows that take their established tokusatsu franchises and put them under the filter of not only Death Game stories, but videogames as well. With the bases set, let's break down how each story handles itself.

Action and Visual Flair

CGI. Some love it, some don't.

And where you yourself stand on the matter will largely determine how invested you are when it comes to the action of Kamen Rider Geats.

Because here's the thing: For a large part of its run, Geats isn't so much concerned with showcasing any sort of martial arts or technique in its fights and moreso in showing off how big and flashy it can make its digital effects.

Don't get me wrong, a really big and cool spectacle can certainly enhance a battle. I love me some Dragon Ball and Kamen Rider Zero-One, afterall. But when it comes down to it, the big effects bits are really all Geats has. Or even does. And that's a large part in why it's not engaging.

GARO: Versus Road meanwhile, is brought to us by some of the best in the business when it comes to stunts. The GARO franchise in general really excels when it comes to wire fights and stunt choreography, and Versus Road is no exception. Every fight is fast paced, well shot, and set to a very stylish backdrop to enhance the experience, especially in the later episodes.

Every fight in GARO VR is not only really cool in its own right, but is enhanced via the character work that they both feed into and off of. What it essentially comes down to is that Geats focuses on providing flash over substance, while VR manages to have a ton of flash while still providing great substance. And without the need to over-rely on energy shots and explosions going off everywhere. Thus, the latter ends up being way more appealing to me than the former.

So, you might be thinking that GARO takes this clean, right? Well, it would, if the fights were the only thing that was factored into the action bits. Because afterall, both shows also take inspiration from games, and thus that absolutely must be factored in here. Both primarily draw from videogames, with cybernetics very much being a part of the aesthetics, and games themselves are played during many an episode of both shows.

In which case, I will admit, Geats does have an edge here. Due to its higher episode count, it affords itself alot more time to having the contestants of the Desire Grand Prix play various different games such as hide 'n' seek, relay racing, and kick the can. Whereas Versus Road can only manage to get in tag and prop hunt. Both shows eventually just devolve into fights, but when it comes to sheer variety, Geats does win out here. So it largely depends on which you value more: CGI and games, or practical effects and fights. And it's something that could easily go either way depending on the person.

But in the end, this is about my personal tastes and what I found more engaging, and as such, I really have to give it to GARO VR. The fights are just that good, and the twelve episode run time lets me forgive it not exactly having many different games for the cast to play.

So yeah, the first point goes to GARO.

Music and Atmosphere

Every time I listen to Trust Last my eyes get heavier.

That's not some dig I just threw out to diss Kamen Rider Geats' musical score, mind you. That's actually true.

But it is true that I really did not jive with Trust Last, let alone Geats' musical score in general. I just find it all so boring. That's not just the song either, but the visuals that accompany the opening are very dull too.

Even ignoring that though, there are many times where I feel the music is misplaced. Such an example can actually be heard in the very first episode, where the score that accompanies Geats' premiere fight is one that sounds more like something you'd hear in a chase scene from a Buddy Cop movie rather than your standard tokusatsu battle.

This, along with other aspects that we'll get into as this review goes on, are why I feel like Geats really doesn't attempt to have any sort of atmosphere at all. There's no attempt at bringing me into this world, and while I could see some claiming it as brilliant due to plot reasons, I'd argue it makes things boring.

The theme song for GARO: Versus Road however, does a fantastic job at setting the mood for the kind of show you're in for, as is standard with the GARO franchise. Both the melody and visuals are just as haunting as they are striking, setting the stage for a more enclosed and dramatic story filled with intrigue and loss.

And all throughout the show, the atmosphere almost never feels misplaced, carrying those very same feelings through a majority of each episode and only changing where appropriate so as to not feel jarring. I say "almost" because Versus Road: Unrealistic Survival by JAM project serves as the ending theme for GARO VR, and while it in itself is a good song, it doesn't always play as the most opportune of times.

However, it at the very least serves very well as an insert song, especially during the final battle of the final episode. Whereas with Geats, Trust Last is practically the only insert song played throughout the entire show, with the others on Geats' soundtrack playing very rarely and at not very notable times. Trust Last could be described as alot of things, but a fight song, much less the song for the final battle? Maybe if your aim is to make it as boring as possible, sure. But it doesn't exactly make me feel engaged with the action.

The second point goes to Versus Road.

Plot, Messages, and Themes

How important is a message to a story?

I know that it's been a touchy subject over the years, especially with the increasing controversy over politics, but this is an honest question.

If a story doesn't have some moral or message that it wants to convey to its audience, does that mean that the tale in question is inherently weaker than one that does? And does having a message make it immediately smarter?

Some(including reviewers on this website), would say yes. A story being "about" something makes it much more intellectually stimulating and thus worth pursuing, and one that doesn't or is otherwise not "deep" is one that is inherently lesser as it doesn't challenge the viewer in any way.

And at first glance, that all sounds great, doesn't it? Constantly analyzing and thinking about what the writer means in everything they put into the story adds a layer that really makes one feel accomplished once they've finally put all the pieces together. And shows that you're willing to take tales a step farther than most. It's a way to have much more of a grasp on the art form than just blindly watching.

If you agree with that above paragraph, than congratulations, you're as pretentious as Kamen Rider Geats is.

See, here's the thing; when it comes to its plot, Geats starts off simple enough, but over time becomes more and more interested in condescending to its audience while preaching a message over anything else. As a result, both plot and characters suffer, with many an event taking place having no real natural flow to them, much less making any sort of coherent or thematic sense. Heck, it'll often times contradict itself with absolutely no self-awareness to achieve this.

For those curious, the message is one that dictates to its audience the best course of action when enjoying stories. Claiming that going into a story solely to see characters suffer is bad, and that includes indulging in and focusing on any sort of drama that might present itself. And it does this by showing how damaging such a mindset is when applied to reality or otherwise living people and delighting in their suffering. The most blatant showings of this is the character of Beroba, who never shuts up about the concept.

The problem here, which no one in the writer's' room seemed to at all caught, is that Kamen Rider Geats isn't real. It's not what happened in reality. The people in it weren't dragged around by anyone other than the writers or producers in and of themselves. If someone wants to focus in on the big explosions, or the drama, or the soundtrack while forgoing everything else, well, that's their right as the viewer, whether you as the creator like it or not. And frankly, such a mindset doesn't hurt anyone other than maybe the fragile egos of those who are terminally online ranting on social media.

Not helping things is that Geats is entirely hypocritical in how it presents its message too. It often portrays anyone who's enjoying the drama between the characters as wrong for doing so, while at the same time expecting you, the viewer, to indulge in said drama and care about everything going on. It's a show that wants you to be invested, only to turn around and shame you for investing into it. And at the point, why should I, as the viewer, waste my time? If I wanted a sermon, I'd go to one. If I wanted to be shamed for the way I partake in my media, I'd hop on social media. Geats doing what it does isn't smart, it's the equivalent of constantly saying that it shouldn't slap you, while slapping you.

Oh, and it also doesn't have any real idea of what the Showa era of Kamen Rider was actually like, so there's another flaw in its argument.

In contrast, we have GARO: Versus Road, a much "simpler" story whose overarching theme is about just how important having empathy and compassion are even in a world that seems to utterly lack it. It doesn't constantly introduce plot twists in order to be more "complex" like Geats does, and keeps everything about its plot very straight-forward and to the point. And it manages to achieve much greater success in both logical and emotional resonance due to its ability to stay focused on what matters. It doesn't reject its audience, it's not out to preach, it just wants to do its best to be entertaining and enthralling, and frankly, that's what should ultimately matter in the end, isn't it? If you listen to Geats, then no, because you'd be indulging in its drama and thus, bad.

Are there far less layers to Versus Road's' plot? Yes. Does that mean its execution is inherently worse off or "dumber" than that of Geats? No. And frankly, even if I weren't enthralled by the efforts put into VR's' storytelling, I'd still give it a leg up on the Kamen Rider if only because it at the very least isn't calling me an asshole for watching it.

Third point goes to GARO VR.

Characters

But now we get to the big one: How well thought out are the characters?

Well, as "layered" as the plot in Geats is, the characters certainly suffer for it. The biggest problem being there's very little in way of a journey for any of them.

Sure, they all technically have arcs, but when it comes to their own actions and interactions with eachother, many of them happen for little to no reason. Or sense. It was to the point that I refused to believe any of them were actually friends.

Let's take Michinaga, also known as Kamen Rider Buffa, as an example. A big thing with him is how his mind broke due to the murder of his best friend during one of the past DGPs. And this backstory ends up meaning next to nothing in the grand scheme of things due to the plot outright pushing it aside.

In one arc, there's a Jyamato(a grunt monster), which appears to take on the memories and mannerisms of Buffa's' old friend. And while at first it seems like Buffa is reflecting on himself through their interactions, by the end of the arc it's revealed that, no, Buffa was never "fooled" and was somehow using the Jyamato to his advantage. This denies Buffa any sort of showcasing of vulnerability and keeps him to his one note of being angry all the time.

And in the final arc, where a wish is granted to revive everyone who died in during the Desire Grand Prix, this would logically mean that Buffa's' friend would've been revived as well, but there's absolutely no mention of him. One great angle that Geats could've taken would be for Buffa to run into his old friend again, and thus be forced to think about weighing his own personal happiness(keeping the world as it is) vs the greater good(turning the world back, allegedly). But that's never explored because to do so would ruin the narrative that Keiwa's' wish to revive everyone was absolutely the worst thing to do.

To put it simply, the characters are merely tools for the plot, nothing more.

Meanwhile, with GARO: Versus Road, another advantage to keeping the plot more grounded and simple is that the characters get to be the primary thing pushing things forward. All of their arcs make sense, and all of the interactions and relations that characters share with one another feel very natural. And it makes the emotions strike all the harder as time goes on and events continue to unfold. Sure, some characters could've used a little more fleshing out, but there was not a single one of them I disliked or found boring. Even the crazy ones.

But, if you're looking for a very simple, very direct comparison, then I present to you a breakdown of the two characters that I feel that anyone who decides to watch both shows are going to compare, as they are rather similar if you're talking the surface level of them. So let's real quick have a compare and contrast of Keiwa from Geats and Kuon from Versus Road.

Again, on the surface, these two characters appear to be the exact same: A kind-hearted person dragged into the Death Game that sets out to hold true to their convictions while doing their best to subvert the terrible circumstances laid before them. Both have a loved one of whom they hold dear, and both undergo a mental break during the climax of the story before regaining their senses.

But the devil is in the details, and the two couldn't be executed any more differently. For Keiwa, the primary issue is that he's a wet blanket. And he never stops being one. For the many times he postures about being less trusting or standing for what he believes in, he's constantly pushed around by the plot or by other characters, never really having a full mind of his own. To the point that it's revealed that his wishes only come from wanting to do good by his sister, rather than any sort of inherent kindness or compassion of his own.

And to Geats' credit, while there is some foreshadowing on that later point, the issue is that Sara and Keiwa don't spend nearly enough meaningful time together on screen for me to buy it. Heck, a vast majority of Sara's' purpose in Geats is to prop up Neon, a different character entirely. Neither of these characters have their own agency, and it's mildly frustrating to say the least. Keiwa is always wrong and will always be wrong no matter what he says or does because the plot of the show he's in demands it.

For contrast there's Kuon, who actually does have his own agency as well as a fully realized arc ontop of that. While he is also manipulated in the story he comes from, the key difference is that he's actually shown to learn from the experience. When the big bad who turned him against his best friend, Hoshiai, rears her ugly head, what's his immediate response?

He makes it clear that he's not standing for any of this crap anymore. And he largely sticks by that conviction too. Heck, him refusing to give into the game, even during the final round, is the entire reason why he's able to become Garo. And this is despite the rather realistic mental break he experiences upon the loss of his best friend. Not to mention how much more I ended up feeling for Hoshiai over Sara due to how we actually get to see Kuon and Hoshiai share meaningful scenes together and interact as friends.

And finally, when it comes to wanting to portray friendship and compassion, I think it's rather telling that for all Geats' insistence that the main cast had become close, no one at all bothers to check on Keiwa when tragedy strikes his life. Whereas with Kuon, even many of the people who are supposed to be out to kill him can't help but feel sympathy at the absolutely cruel hand that Versus Road deals him and Hoshiai.

It's not even a contest. The final point goes to VR.

Final Thoughts

Look, if you've been reading this review at all, then it's easy to see who the victor is by now. But allow me to say some final things.

For as much complaining as I did about the internal structure of Kamen Rider Geats, my main problem with it, honestly, is that I just found it to be such an utterly boring show to sit through.

Nothing about it engaged me on any level. Heck, the show itself outright told me numerous times to not engage with it. As the show went on, it became more and more clear that the idea was to teach its viewers a lesson, rather than provide any of the things that general audiences tend to like in superhero stories.

And hey, if you want to argue that such an interpretation is ignorant on my part, by all means, go for it. Because afterall, Geats proved to be an incredibly popular show in terms of toy sales, ratings, and most viewers on social media. So clearly is must've done something right, even if I myself have basically no understanding as to what.

In total contrast, GARO: Versus Road proved to be rather unpopular with its target audience, with many fans of the franchise it comes from citing it as a disgrace for not being at all like other entries. I myself disagree with the notion, as I feel it shares many elements of the GARO shows that came before it, while still maintaining its own identity and being a rather enthralling story in its own right.

But in the end it doesn't matter who's "right" or "wrong" when it comes to personal tastes, despite what Geats might posture. If you love Kamen Rider Geats, that's fantastic. I'm glad you managed to find magic where I couldn't. If you hate Versus Road, sure, it's by no means a perfect show and it won't be for everyone; No story is. But at the end of the day, I found actual enjoyment in one show, and absolutely none in the other. And thus, I don't feel bad in giving my verdict.

The winner is GARO: Versus Road.