[Mesnick]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

Well, my favorite is Baku. Him getting swept up in the agent fantasy is exactly what makes him interesting to me.

I agree. Baku is an extremely charming protagonist. His absent-mindedness and desire to escape reality are portrayed as flaws, but that's precisely what brings the character to life. If last year viewers forgave Shouma for his reticence and avoidance of difficult conversations, then Baku deserves similar leniency. Yes, the roots of his shortcomings aren't as clearly illustrated as in Gavv, but they're still quite justified and understandable.
I think the main reason for such harsh criticism of Baku is the rift between the viewer and the protagonist. Many people don't like happy-go-lucky characters, but these characters, upon noticing something suspicious, begin to unravel the mystery that interests the audience. It's slow at times, but that's also a plus, because it makes the viewer feel smarter. But Baku simply ignores all the red flags, and that's annoying because the viewer would have behaved differently. To accept such behavior you need a top-down perspective, but that's not everyone's cup of tea.
Here I'll take this opportunity to compare Baku to my favorite Kamen Rider. Touma also accepted his assigned role as a hero, but the villain's words were enough to make him doubt the much less mysterious and more friendly organization. But the difference is that Touma is a writer and thinks accordingly, so he's subconsciously prepared for dastardly twists and plot complications. On the other hand, Baku knows how to be a hero in dreams and a loser in real life, so he wants to remain an agent. Plus, he hasn't yet had the time or opportunity to properly study CODE and Zero. Ironically, NOX, while calling for this, becomes the main obstacle, distracting Zeztz with Nightmares.
When I talk about Zero, I find myself thinking that his appearance prevents me from judging his actions clearly. My thoughts go something like this:
"Zero prioritizes the mission and is willing to sacrifice a lot for it. As expected for a robot. Oh, no, he's not..." So I think it will be easier for me to form a final opinion about him after getting to know his human form.