[Sh Ranger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreamSword

Been watching Skyrider in my spare time, and am currently up to episode 19.

It's been fun, though I will say that, atleast so far, there's really not much to it that makes it stand out?

Maybe it's how Super-1 really spoiled me in these regards, but alot of Skyrider comes across as very "by the numbers" at the moment. The action is basic, the villain plots(with some exceptions) aren't as intense, and the supporting cast might as well not even exist.

There are definitely some good highlights though! The Penicillian episode was extremely hardcore and a ton of fun to watch, alot of the set design is pretty solid for the time period, and I consistently find Imata's' schtick funny.

Was also surprised to see the bike mechanic from Super-1 appear here as a coffee shop owner. He looks way different without the mustache and fisherman's' cap!

Oh, and the theme song is really catchy!

But yeah, that's the initial impressions so far. I'm still having fun with the show as a whole, but compared to the other bits of Showa I've seen so far, it's a bit on the weaker side.

Oh, I'm watching SkyRider as well. Only 8 episodes left. I haven't seen Super-1 yet so I can't compare, but I think it's generally a pretty decent season that functions as a revival of the franchise. Hiroshi is a lot more cheerful than most of his predecessors. Tani's okay as a mentor, but he's not as cool and helpful as Tachibana. The soundtrack is awesome!

I agree about the supporting cast though, if you've reached Episode 19 then you've already seen the last of Midori and Michi. Midori got it especially bad, being hospitalized for such a long time. There's another recurring character called Shigeru after Tama Shigeru from V3 and Jo Shigeru/Stronger, so Toei must've really liked that name.

SkyRider has my favorite Showa crossover episode ever which you'll see soon, but after that, the show kind of gets a little too goofy and I miss the way it used to be when it was more serious with only the occasional Tonda scene for levity. Honestly, it could've topped V3 as my favorite Showa season, but it's going to be lower on my ranking now.