[Matrixbeast]

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Originally Posted by SPLIT LIP

Honestly? I don't think so. And I actually slogged pretty far into Agito, got to like 47 or something.

Agito is one mystery painfully, unforgivingly, and needlessly stretched out over like 50 episodes. And unlike a good mystery, there's hardly any clues along the way. At least none that the audience can put together. It has so, so little substance. Episodes at a time will pass without anything actually happening.

And Souichi was a fucking horrid protagonist.

That's disheartening to hear. Bad mysteries can be a huge detriment because the audience is left sitting there until the show just tells us what is going on.

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Originally Posted by SPLIT LIP

Because it was that exact flavour of "dark" and "mature" the internet needed back when it came out. Think about it, it was liek 2000/2001, right? The internet was just expanding, subbed anime and tokau was just managing to be shared effectively, and American audiences were treated to a more "mature" version of their childhood shows. Kamen Rider was like Power Rangers except it had people die, it was less overtly gimmicky and colourful and far less campy. Much like those who believe the Japanese dubs of the UT are somehow far and away these great improvements over their American counterparts, Kamen Rider and Sentai were way more "advanced" than the weastern alternatives.

At least that's how I see it. And I mean, I was totally part of this mentality. I wasn't into Riders or Transformers (as much), but I was more than aware of how things were. It was like back then if it wasn't subtitled, it was "for kids." Meanwhile, a show like Gaim that is outwardly colourful, energetic and "kiddy" ends up far more sinister and mature as it reveals it's darker machinations. Yet Kuuga is supposedly "darker" because it has, like you said, a statistical lead in the death count.

Kuuga is a little weird in this regard. You can see hints towards a more mature story, but Godai is this constantly bubbly and upbeat guy that he makes sure a scene is lighthearted.
Yes, facade and all that, but until the finale, we never get to see his inner feelings (Until the complete beatdown on the Porcupine Grongi), so it doesn't really change much.
I guess since the Grongi rack up high death counts, it's counted as dark in the eyes of others, though...

However, I will give Kuuga this over other "Dark" series, both Toku and Anime alike. It isn't pretentious. It isn't filled with pseudo symbolism.

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Originally Posted by IXRollOutIX

Yes. I personally find Agito extremely overrated. But yes, personally, I think it's better than Kuuga overall. The ending is just as disappointing, though...

That feel when you realize the first Heisei series to have a decent ending is Blade...

Better than Kuuga? That's a step in the right direction, at least...

And that is terrifying to hear. I really don't want to sit through a second crappy anti-climax.

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Originally Posted by TheTakoTank

I think it could be interpreted that Godai did die and Ichijou is lied to everyone that he's alive to protect their smiles. At the very least I think that would have been an interesting way to end it.

But the series ends with Godai on a beach juggling for some arguing kids. So we know he's fine.
It would've been an interesting path to have him die, I'll agree, but that's not the ending we were given.

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Originally Posted by TheTakoTank

Also, Hibiki's pretty good. I'm almost done with it; I don't think the second half is as bad as people say, but there are problems with it. I'll be doing an overall review when I finish the show.

Hibiki does seem to get near universal praise, but the problem is the apparent blasphemous second half, which is making me hesitant.

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Originally Posted by TheTakoTank

I think the action was fine, even by today's standards, but you just need to remember that it's an old show. One of the things I like is that the bike is actually used a lot. Many other shows don't feel like they put the "rider" in Kamen Rider. The sequence when he kills the grasshopper grongi is one of my favorite scenes in the show.

I know it's an older show, which is why I'm not super critical. But too many of the fights boil down to simple punches, maybe a little grapple, before the finishing rider kick.
Dragon form is just a slap to the chest with the rod. Very straight forward. Just a straight swing with the rod. When Titan form's strategy of "Walk forward and tank hits" becomes interesting just because it provides a sense of variety, you might want to reconsider a new choreographer.

The bike fights were fine, and were new and exciting to me since current series so rarely did them. But it was only done 3-4 times in the series, so it didn't offer enough flavor to save the fighting as a whole.

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Originally Posted by TheTakoTank

I actually really liked that fight, really helped show that maybe Godai has become the monster. Not because he wants to, but because he has too. But that final battle is way better than Agito's. (Spoiler alert: because Agito didn't even have one)

That is one way to look at it, but it didn't really show it. Kuuga has always been primarily a fist fighter, so a bland fist fight doesn't convey him becoming a monster.
That and the fight scene was incredibly brief and mostly covered in a white filter on top of the heavy snowfall, making it difficult to even watch, anyway.

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Originally Posted by TheTakoTank

I think I like Kuuga because it's different, and I think it does it well, similarly to how Hibiki is also very different and very good.

I feel them trying to be different was a negative, but that's just me.

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Originally Posted by TheTakoTank

I think most of Godai's character is implied rather than shown, although it is hinted at. It feels like he learns how destructive Kuuga can be, as well as the pain the Grongi are causing, and he needs to learn to live with this power and control it. Much better imo than, say, Agito.

I really can't agree here. Godai learns the destructive force of Kuuga when he first achieves his rising forms, but beyond just taking fights to isolated areas, he doesn't seem to express concern over his growing power. We do get to see how he feels when he finally sees the pain the grongi are causing, but after that episode, he's back to his happy go lucky self. He really doesn't feel like a changed man. Same goes for the finale, when he resolves himself to use the black power (However, considering the following episode, it's hard to tell).
Even the doctor's final diagnosis of "His power is constantly growing" seems to have no effect on Godai, as he just thumbs up and leaves with a smile.