[Matrixbeast]

Jetman really was a different beast compared to more recent series.

I'm not sure how to properly word my feelings on the series. On the one hand, it was handled well. The characters weren't just pastiches of popular character archetypes. On the other, it clearly didn't have much idea of what to do with the characters. Ako and Raita suffered the most, as they rarely got to do much of anything. Kaori wasn't far behind as, despite being in the center of a love diamond, it seemed that was her only relevant point.

I understand that, with 5 main characters, something has to give, but even the two "Main" characters, Gai and Ryu, seem to get shafted. Unlike other shows, where the characters are fighting each other for screen time, it seemed the characters were fighting the love triangle so they could stay relevant.

So if there was one point of contention to bring up, it'd be, without a doubt, that love triangle. It took up so much time, characters (Notably Gai and Kaori) soon became defined not by their actions or any character arcs, but by the triangle. Inner conflicts stemmed not from Gai's abrasiveness, but because the triangle interfered again. That triangle ate up screen time and the story hardly advanced because of it. The characters didn't grow, no true feelings were actually revealed, it was just drama for drama's sake.

However, love wasn't a completely negative aspect. Ryu desperately holding onto Rie was something I greatly enjoyed. It was very much a tragic story arc and I loved how it progressed. I enjoyed Ryu breaking down mentally multiple times. It showed a growth in his character, ironically by having him suffer through the same issue multiple times. Ryu's problem wasn't magically fixed after the first encounter, and his learning to let go was a character arc that ran through the entire series.

For the others, it was adequate. Ako, unfortunately, didn't have much of a story. She got, like, 3 episodes to herself, and then she was just background noise. Raita didn't fare much better, but he made a note for himself by standing out. I found Raita focused episodes to be more fun and endearing, such as when his childhood crush returned for a visit.
Kaori...Kaori...For a character so central to the story, she didn't get to do much. By being defined by the love triangle, she never got much opportunity to grow. Her actions pertained to trying to get Ryu or stringing Gai along before she finally got into a solid relationship.

Speaking of, Gai was a character that took some time to like. Starting off nearly as unlikable as the villains before finally showing his heart and being a true hero. Gai constantly being at odds with Ryu early on was actually rather interesting. They worked together perfectly, but they were just as willing to choke each other out on a moment's notice. Gai's eventual respect for Ryu was also interesting in how it was applied, being very much in a "You were the best of us" manner.

For the villains, I felt they were all pretty good. Well, decent, rather. Radiguet was a decent main villain, and his brief time spent as a human before turning back was great. It's a shame he forgot about it in the span of 30 seconds and never brought it up again. He was insane and heartless, as any villain should be, but the problem was that it was taken too far. I understand his pride stopped him from getting the easy kills, but after a certain point, it's just kind of dumb how far he's willing to go just to make sure he was absolutely the one to kill the Jetman. Maria wasn't anything special, unfortunately. She didn't get to do much and only seemed to exist for Ryu and the final 4 episodes. Grey was an interesting beast. I liked him because of his mysterious tendencies and calm demeanor, and, surprisingly, grew to like him as the series went on and got to learn more of him. It was ironic that the robot was the most human of the bunch, and it made Grey just so much more interesting because of it. Tran/Tranza, despite being a major player, really wasn't much of a mover. He was a larger threat, yet he failed just as often as the others. He was just...There. Not doing anything truly major until he unveiled his own giant robot.

Outside of the characters, the story proper was...Well, kind of dull. I absolutely loved Ryu's breakdown, I found the power shift with the villains after Tran going through puberty to be interesting, and I found Gai's downfall after being rejected by Kaori to be rather moving. However, it seemed there were a lot of story elements, but no true over arcing story beyond "Good guys fighting bad guys," making it hard to actually care.

However, ultimately, I enjoyed Jetman. It was a decent series with some great and memorable characters.

From Ryu fighting to let go of Rie to Gai's death, Jetman was very much a series that followed the mentality of "Not all stories have a happy ending."

I think, if I were to rate it, it'd definitely go above Megaranger, but below Kakuranger.