[Kamen Rider Lucha]

Watching this episode, I got the sense that this series is going to be something special. Between this and Gaim, it seems like Toei is making a declaration of excellence this year.

In the same way that Gaim has everything I want from a Kamen Rider show (complex plotting, shady conspiracy, moral ambiguity, heroes that are forced to make tough choices, awesome one-on-one fights, intense melodrama), ToQger is poised to everything I want from a Sentai show (a straightforward clash between good and evil, intense relationships between characters, a measured balance of silliness and drama, stand alone episodes that focus on a different character each week, large scale action, baroque & Machiavellian villains, emphasis on family and teamwork, heavy/scary topics addressed with humor and levity).

2014 is shaping up to be a banner year for Super Hero Time.

(Of course it's still really early and things could go off the rails super quickly, but I'm feeling optimistic today. )



Now for some stray thoughts and speculation:

- I assume part of the series' narrative will be the ToQgers gradually assembling the missing pieces of their memories. I'm already interested in how they fill in the blanks because I have so many questions. Did the kids grow apart over the years? Did some of them stick together? Why are they all different ages if they're clearly shown as children together? There's lots of room for interesting stories if regaining memories is part of the show's structure.

- If they're all dead, I want the show to build to a point where, by the end of the series, we see flashbacks to the day each of them died. Could be incredibly poignant.

- I think it'd be interesting if they all died at different points in their lives, accounting for their age apparent discrepancies. Like, Kagura died as a teenager, Tokatti after graduating college, etc...

- ToQ 1 fighting on top of the train with the Shadow Line monster was one of the coolest action sequences in Sentai history.

- The dog-fighting trains more than make up for any lackluster Daikaiju fight sequences.

- Hikari is perhaps the dreamiest sentai dude in history. /swoon

- Kagura is the kind of character that could easily tip into annoying territory, but her imagination gimmick is so charming, and she's so cute, that I can't help but love her.

- "They treat line switching like a toy gimmick." -- Hilarious 4th wall breaking.

- Brilliant Exchange, on so many levels (and another beautiful translation by Over-Time):
Hikari: "He's older, but he hasn't changed at all. Right ends up dragging us along as usual."
Mio: "You haven't changed either, Hikari. Right tends to float off like a balloon, and we get pulled right along. But you keep us a little bit anchored."
Hikari: "Well, to be honest with you, I'm kind of afraid of heights, anyway. So flying too high doesn't suit me."