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Originally Posted by Locke

Just watched the first episode of Daimajin Kanon.

Usually these non KR SS toku shows have measly budgets, at least from my experiences, so it blew me away how epic and movie like this opening episode was. I'm assuming they won't be able to afford to keep this up for the whole series but it is welcome here.

My only real issue is it is damn slow, the majority of the first episode was fanservice - no complaints from me and the sort of hipster cinematography you usually get in like indie romance flicks. Once again, no real complaints, but ain't this supposed to be toku?

Still, when the supernatural and the action does start, it's pretty great. The show does horror very well, there is some real creepy shit, but also the violence feels less fantastical than in your usual toku superhero show. People get hurt, badly here and people die.

Sadly though, on the other hand, the sparks, explosion and wirefu of toku superhero shows does a great job of creating comic book like action on a budget. I've gotten into drunken brawls outside of pubs that are more fantastical than the action included here. So for every time the action works, by feeling grounded, there is another time when you're wondering why two super powered beings fight so statically and boringly.

Daimajin Kanon had, at the time, the largest budget ever for a tokusatsu series. Given that it was made in 2010, that record likely still stands.

The thing to keep in mind about Kanon, though, is that if you're expecting an action-packed superhero show like Kamen Rider or Super Sentai, you're going to be disappointed. The show's main focus is, first and foremost, on the character interactions and Kanon's depression. There are still scenes with the Ipadada and Onbakes every episode, but a lot of them go by pretty quickly and they can often be interspersed with more scenes between Kanon and whoever she's interacting with during the current storyline. If you can't get past that, you probably won't like the show very much. If it works for you, though, you'll likely love the show.