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Quote:

Originally Posted by Matrixbeast

Best New Show of 2015: Daredevil. Marvel really started their Netflix hero shows strong with this one. I loved almost every episode, and it was one hell of a ride from start to end.
...Oh, it doesn't count?

If it did then I'd just answer Jessica Jones and/or Krysten Ritter for everything.

Anyway, here's my list. I didn't watch much tokusatsu this year outside of the new shows; I had a really busy schedule and most of my free viewing time was spent on Western shows. I'm hoping next year will be better.

Best New Show of 2015: Ultraman X. Drive improved a lot in its second half, but X was solid from start to clip show to middle to clip show to finish (to clip show).

Best New-to-You Show of 2015: Ultraman Ginga S. Barely not a 2015 show by only a couple weeks, but I just got around to watching it this year. It's a fun show, even if the main actor can never shake his big, goofy "golly gee, I'm on television!" smile.

Best Rewatch of 2015: No rewatches this year, but I have a couple shows I've been wanting to see again.

Best Movie of 2015: Garo Gold Storm. Awkwardly watched after the follow-up series, but still pretty good.

Best Male Lead Character: Shinnosuke from Drive. I'm honestly surprised by how much I'm missing him, even as we hit the 25% mark on Ghost. That's probably a reflection on both what a good lead he was and how much I'm really not into Takeru.

Best Female Lead Character: Shelby from Dino Charge. I haven't been able to see past the midway point because of Viacom's streaming shenanigans, but she was really fun and likable in the episodes I did see. This should've been Rian from Garo, but she really needs to learn how to stop getting captured all the damn time.

Best Male Supporting Character: Chase from KR Drive. I didn't like him much when all he did was show up to pad out episodes, but I really grew to like him after he joined the good guys.

Best Female Supporting Character: Lt. Tachibana from Ultraman X, mainly off the strength of that Nexus episode.

Best Actor: Masahiro Inoue for his almost Shatnerian performance on Garo.

Best Actress: I was really impressed by Sakina Kuwae on Garo.

Biggest Toku Crush of 2015: Still tempted to say Krysten Ritter, but I'm going to stick to the genre and say Yukari Taki from Ginga S and the Robin Hood episode of Ghost.

Best Villain: Captain Nira from Drive. I cannot stress how much I loved this guy. He was as typically wacky and stupid as most of Drive's comic relief, but there is so much about the character that just worked: his personal connection to Shinnosuke, his persistence in torturing him, and the brief moment where you thought he was coming around only to launch into his most evil scheme yet. All of that made him a really captivating villain, even if - hell, especially since - he was just a regular guy and not a literal monster.

Best Returning Character: Ultraman Max using the human form of Kaito Touma. Not technically Kaito himself, but still a great cameo.

I'm skipping most of the production stuff because I have not been keeping up with who's been doing what this year.

Best Hero Suit Design: Ultraman X. Oh man, I love that suit so very much. It's already become one of my all-time favorites.

Best Monster Suit Design: Cyber Gomora.

Best Weapon: I grew increasingly fond of Mach's Zenrin Shooter as Drive progressed. That thing was just cool.

Best Vehicle/Mecha: Still the Trideron. This may be a lock for 2016, too, given it will be in at least one more movie.

Best Fight Scene: Drive's final battle with Heart.

Best Dramatic Scene: Also Drive's final battle with Heart. I didn't really get into Heart's character until near the end of the show, but by the time of his final confrontation with Shinnosuke I'd really grown to care about him and I found his death very moving.

Best Comedic Scene: Ultraman X's confrontation with Mu. I still think Max did the space cats better, but that episode was still weird and really funny.

Best Song: Ultraman X's theme song.

Best Piece of Merchandise: Thanks to Blade Raider, I actually got my first pieces of tokusatsu merchandise in the last couple years in the form of the Shodo vs. Kamen Rider figures. I like all four, but if I had to pick a favorite it would be V3.

Biggest Surprise of 2015: Drive's complete 180 at the halfway mark. I was ready to write the show off as the worst Rider series since Kiva, if not of all time, but the show really rallied and turned into something I was really looking forward to every week. I even still find myself missing it a little.

Single Worst Thing in 2015 Tokusatsu: Part of me wants to say Ninninger, but I honestly don't care enough about it or Super Sentai enough to be upset that it's kind of a dumb show. I think I'd have to say Garo - or more specifically the fact that 2015 was the year that Garo lost its luster for me. It's not that Gold Storm was bad, because it wasn't (especially compared to last year's Zero miniseries). And it's not like I'm not looking forward to what's coming in 2016. I've just reached the point where, after the last couple years, I don't see the title "Garo" and am still instantly excited or expecting something great. I know that I'll probably still like it, but it's a franchise that I no longer think of as innately great, and that sucks.