[Kamen Rider Die]

Lots of fun comparisons so far between Gotchard and older Kamen Rider series! Fourze, Gaim, Ghost, Wizard, OOO, Double, Stronger... I'm not sure if it's a positive or negative that so many folks are finding bits of Kamen Rider DNA in the first episode of a non-anniversary season, but it's definitely happening. (Honestly, I think it's just natural for any new season of a 50+ year franchise. We have a vocabulary that's built from previous shows!) This morning, I figured out the previous series that this show's cast and setup most reminded me of:



Only child of a single working mother, trying to navigate high school and Kamen Rider action, all while attempting to discover their passion? And then they accidentally intersect with a secret monster-hunting organization that's existed for centuries? With a teenage girl as the prodigy that maybe wants more than what she's been expected to be?

It's Hibiki. Hotaro is Asumu, struggling to find something that excites him, but willing to throw himself into whatever comes his way. Rinne is Akira, the more capable colleague that is maybe starting to wonder what else is out there for her.

And that's perfect? A high school setting isn't unique to Kamen Rider, but the emphasis on self-discovery and trying out different possibilities in order to find your path? That is uniquely Hibiki. Making the main gimmick of the show alchemy, that's just the exact right metaphor for high school discovery: the way different classes and activities and friends and jobs and everything else somehow (hopefully) turns an aimless kid into a focused adult.

Significantly more excited about this show today!