[barnstenchfartface]

And...I'm done. Gaim is done.

Dang. That was...a blast. A lot of fun throughout, and all in all a very enjoyable series--I finished it in six days, which has to be some sort of record. Took me weeks to get through the last few series I've watched. That I couldn't stop watching this is a testament to how well it hooked me (also to the fact that I had nothing better to do, but eh, that's another topic).

But yeah. I think it was just really great. Even just superficially, the designs were great, ridiculous and a lot of fun, the effects were great, the transformations were great, the Drivers were fun, the soundtrack was great...But of course even beyond that I think it's a very solid series.

The plot was great. Every part of the story was interesting either because of some mystery that was being explored, some revelation or other, character progression and interactions...it made sense, it escalated well. I liked it a lot.

But I think I liked the characters most of all. Kaito may be my favorite Rider character of all time (Sorry, Kitaoka). His motives, his actions, his entire presence and arc. Extremely well done, well acted. I love the way the last few episodes shed a different light on his actions throughout the whole series. Truly a great character.

Then there's Mitchy. Truly a despicable asshole and an unlikable jerk, he is also one of the best written characters in the series as well as one of the most enjoyable. His descent arc is truly a thing of beauty, and I really can't help but feel that Urobuchi was doing with him what he meant to do in Aldnoah.Zero with the character of Slaine (since he left that project shortly after it started to work on Gaim. Mitchy and Slaine have extremely similar arcs, but Slaine's is just done rather poorly). Whether that is true or not, a villain arc done right is always great to see. Reading about him prior to watching the series I had come under the impression that his becoming a villain was some sort of twist, but of course, that was not the case. The process he took was long, steady, and a great pleasure to watch. When he fully revealed himself in episode 35, I couldn't do much but pump my fist at the sheer greatness of it all. That kick. Oh so good.

Kouta was a lot of fun. I don't think he's as great a character as Kaito or Mitchy, but he was still a great protagonist and a true Kamen Rider. The spirit of sacrifice and standing up against incredible odds was strong with this one, and I am satisfied with his arc.

Takatora is interesting. If I didn't know he was supposed to be one of the four main characters I'd think he was as much of a side character as you could be...well, even knowing, he still definitely is that. I've hardly ever seen a supposed protagonist who did so little.

Not to say I dislike him, though. Takatora is great. I just wish the show had had done more with him. The way he was treated by the movies was particularly atrocious...I suppose the show as a whole needed to keep him on the sidelines for Mitchy's sake.

Mai is there I guess. I will admit to not really caring much for her either way throughout the entire thing. She was just...a little boring.

As far as other characters go, the Incredible Ryouma is probably my favorite. A cold, crazy, arrogant bastard, and completely entertaining to the very end. So many great moments came about from this guy. "Yes. And I have no idea why you believed me." Completely fantastic.

Most of the rest of the supporting cast was pretty solid. It's unfortunate that so many Riders ended up playing bit roles in the grand scheme of things, but they were all pretty entertaining and fun to watch. Last episode deserves some praise for its Jonouchi moments--as short as they lasted. Oren was great, Zack was pretty cool. Minato was...not really utilized to her full potential, and Sid was a (very entertaining) jerk.

I dunno what to say about it really, coherently. Lots of thoughts buzzing in my mind. But as I keep mentioning, I liked it a lot. I liked a lot of things about it a lot. It was a great story with great characters and a great conclusion. It was great.

It's certainly my favorite series in the Kamen Rider franchise that I've seen, but I wouldn't say it's my favorite Kamen Rider series. It's just...so different, and didn't really operate the way I have come to expect them to. Comparing Gaim to the rest of the franchise...it's like comparing Kouganes to Koutas. It's like that. But I loved it.