[Steel A Jeeg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Switchblade

Kuuga and Ryuki are both great shows, although I freely admit that I much prefer the former. I really love the early Heisei shows (that aren't Faiz) - Kuuga through Hibiki. They had a really unique feel to them that the later, more blatantly merchandise-driven shows have largely lacked. I love it when the show has a central mystery at its heart, something that both the characters and the viewers are trying to figure out at the same time. Kuuga and Agito both handled that really well.

As for Ryuki, it had a great set up, some cool designs, and one of my favorite Rider movies ever. I rewatched it last year and liked it even more than I did the first time around.

I like Faiz more once I already knew how it played out. Watching it a second time, I found myself enjoying some of the characters a lot more. Especially Kusaka. He's just such a LUNATIC. But it's got all of your Inoue cliches running at full force, and it doesn't work as a whole. I think it's funny that Faiz is labeled as the "dark" series, but Kuuga and Ryuki are both SO much darker. Ryuki's whole premise is dark, and the ending is just so bleak. Kuuga's is a little more ambiguous, but it really shows how hard being a hero can be on the main character.

One thing I do like about the more recent post-Decade seasons is that the heroes are HEROIC again. The shows feel more like superhero shows, with a main character that understands what being a good guy is all about.