[Fish Sandwich]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Ghost, just on a basic premise level, has a whole bunch of problems

First of all, as Tokunation's resident Ghost fanatic, I'd just like to thank you for really getting into the nitty-gritty of what about Ghost doesn't work for you in this post. A lot of criticism I see about Ghost is either too surface-level or too overblown to the point where it's hard for me to even process, so I appreciate you making a clear and compelling case as to what the show's fundamental problems are.

I do largely disagree, obviously. Onari is a character who's either going to click with you or he won't, but lumping Akari in with him? That's just mean! She was great. Everything about her that would've been annoying gets dropped almost immediately and she proceeds to spent the vast majority of the show being one of the most competent, active female leads Rider has ever had.

Speaking of active, I also have to stick up for my boy Takeru. I just don't see how him sitting around waiting for the Ganma to do evil things is any different from Emu waiting for someone with the Bugster Virus to be wheeled into CR. Sure, he doesn't have the charisma of Gentarou or the depth of someone like Eiji (fun fact: every show looks at least 10% crappier when compared to OOO!), but there's plenty going on with his character, and I think just like the show he stars in, Takeru gets a lot of heat for no good reason. He always felt like a very human lead to me, and I appreciated the drive he had. He has this strongly held belief in the value of every individual person's life that I don't think is quite like any other Rider hero, and it was cool how he always tried to reach out to people, to the point where his primary goal in opposing the Ganma isn't even about simply defeating them after a while.

The early done-in-one episodes were also something I always really appreciated. In my mind, the occasionally clunkiness of the hyper-compressed stories is no worse than the opposite problem of padding that can result from making them two-parters. The lack of breathing room makes them feel less natural, but the plots manage most of the same depth in only half the time, and the result is a really brisk first quarter that packs a lot in.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

I'm always curious about why people love art that doesn't completely work for me.

Anyways, I'll leave it at that for now. It's probably worth mentioning I made pretty much the cosmic opposite of this thread a few years back, if you want to check that out when you get done too.

I could probably do a slightly better job writing that now, and my actual view on Ghost is a lot more tempered than it probably seems like from it (there are absolutely some glaring issues with the show's writing), but I put just about everything positive I feel about Ghost in there, and nothing's really changed since.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

If I'm being honest, it's maybe the only thing that says "ghost"?

Actually, Ore Damashii was also partly inspired by a firefly, which have an association with spirits in Japan I'm not educated enough to properly explain off the top of my head. What I do know is that I love that Ghost managed to get a classic insect motif in there.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

A series that's "only" 49 episodes sounds like a vacation.

Oh, for sure. I do not envy your position as a recent fan trying to play catch up with finished series that have like half a dozen DVD/Blu-ray specials, major appearances in like four movies a pop, online-original content, and whatever other obscure stuff is out there. The worst part is, I think if you were a fan in Japan, it'd actually be even harder to track it all down.

I guarantee you'll love Kuuga, by the way, especially if you're actively looking for something different. Although maybe not as different as you'd think considering the first ever Heisei Rider show consisted almost entirely of two-parters. And come to think of it, having 11 forms probably would've seemed like a really transparent and gimmicky ploy to sell more merch back in 2000...

Maybe this franchise hasn't changed as much as we think it has.