[MarsHottentot]

Okay so... I just finished Faiz. That was one hell of an experience. It was so bleak, it was hard to believe this was a kid's show. I can see why it's a love hate thing; my constitution is pretty good and even I was getting worn down by the final stretch.

Things I liked:
Most plot lines resolved.
Complex storyline gives questions with no easy answers.
Character's motivations are generally understandable., even as they evolve.
Great designs all around, excellent execution on the Riders.
WAKA. WAKA. WAKA.

Things I didn't like:
In presenting a more realistic Rider System in the sense that the gear needs to be removed from a case, put on and activated, my mind just filled this gap with the Orphenoch's just having a smoke while they waited.
Really sloppy filming and editing. There were shots (like Crane versus Lobster in downtown) where people are clearly seen going about their business even as this insane display occurs mere yards away. There were at least two instances of crew members getting left in the shot. Very sloppy.
The whole Orphenoch King consequence made no sense to me. The had to kill him because he was going to eat all of the Orphenoch but if they did, it didn't matter because the Orphenochs were all going to die anyway because they had evolved further than their bodies could handle?
The relentless suffering of just about everybody. Like I said, it was tough to watch sometimes!
The end was no end at all. The show runners knew that there wasn't going to be another season, right?
"TAKKUN! ORPHENOCH!!" Man, plausible time tricks just don't exist in Faiz.
Wonky CGI.
Being that the Orphenoch's are all monochromatic on the light scale, their zippers were far too visible on most of the costumes. Like, they didn't even try to hide them.

There was a lot of adult stuff in here, some of which I (and I can't believe I'm the one saying this) felt was not really appropriate for kids to be watching. The birth of the King would be enough to send some kids to therapy for months! Also, what the hell was up with the sexual assault / appeasement between Teruo and Yuka? How about the Police Scientist's kinked out torture lab (nice studs on the restraining harnesses, you perverts)? Murakami, Saeko and Smart Lady all had canker sores at some point (which I thought may have just been real but Murakami's was pretty clearly fake). Of course, there's Kusaka subliminal pot love.

I liked it. I don't love it, I doubt I'll ever watch it all again, but I'm glad I did. I might use this to convince my goth pals to watch KR!