[Xtreme RX]

I'm glad the first two-parter wasn't a sign of the overall quality of the show because I quite enjoyed the Ex-Aid 2 parter:

Episode 03 had a much more natural pace to it, and we got to see more of Sougo's regular life and how Tsukuyomi and Geiz impact it (in a very funny montage). Aside from that we get some nice character moments that slightly flesh out the characters. It was a good episode to slow things down, and the breadcrumbs for the actual Ex-Aid tribute was well set-up.

Now episode 04 was actually a very good tribute episode. It didn't mess with Ex-Aid's continuity badly, and we even got direct placement in the timeline with the reuse of footage from the actual season (it was nice to see Brave again, even if it was through stock footage). Hiro and Emu acted very much in-character, and they represented the themes and visual identity of the show very accurately. Unlike the Build arc, I actually felt like I was taken back to the year the original show took place. Using the same filming locations really helped with that.

The fight was great. I don't particularly like the design of Ex-Aid armour but I love that it mixed Zi-O's own motif in with the original Ex-Aid effects (the "HIT" and "CRITICAL FINISHER" images appearing in katakana). I also think it's cute that Sougo has his own take on the original Rider's catchphrase and finisher, much to the original's dismay. The way he broke the fourth wall during the Critical Time Break and used the split-screen slide as a literal projectile was absolutely hilarious.

Overall I really liked this episode. It did Ex-Aid justice while also moving its own story forward. Even the CGI robot fight looked pretty good this time around. Some of the explanations from the 0.5 episodes that people complained should have been in the show proper are actually being mentioned so I hope that is satisfying people. And nice Gentaro tease at the end there. It's just a shame the actor probably won't be in the next arc. Which also seems kind of weird. It looks primarily to be a Fourze tribute, so I really wonder what the Faiz portion will entail.

4.5 was great, basically telling us that the only difference between the A (Proper Timeline Rider's) and B (Post Zi-O timeline mess-up) versions of the character are that they aren't Rider's, and their personalities will stay the same. They show that off quite humorously with Hiro saying his signature line.

Hopefully the show keeps going up in quality from here!