Integration

Daikaijuman54 · 12-23-2023, 08:26 PM

Here we go again! Dang, this is going to be hard to choose...

Favorite New Show of 2023: I honestly can't decide between Ultraman Blazar and Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger, because both have been fantastic shows. Also, an honorable mention to Kamen Rider Geats being the best Reiwa Rider season so far (even though it was last year's show)!

Favorite New-to-You Show of 2023: This one could fit in the next category, but I'm going to say Sentika f8aba6 Jisariz. It was a unique short form series that had plenty of intrigue and creativity to it, alongside some fantastic suits! I'm looking forward to how it goes from here.

Favorite Movie, Miniseries, or Special of 2023: No competition, it's Godzilla Minus One. This is the best movie of 2023, and Shin Kamen Rider was quite high on my pick, but I just can't not put Godzilla here, especially since I went to see it twice! Easily one of my new favorite Godzilla Movies ever.

Favorite Rewatch of 2023: Kamen Rider Decade('s First Two Episodes courtesy of Toei's Youtube Channel). A strange pick, but I didn't have time for much this year (though I wanted to), but seeing the start of my very first completed Rider Season was a fun trip and made me happy to have gotten into the larger world of Tokusatsu.

Favorite Male Lead Character: Another tough pick, why do you do this to me? I have to pick between Gira, Gento, and Koichi. I'm honestly going to have to go with Hiruma Gento from Ultraman Blazar. It wasn't an easy pick, since Gira was a brilliant use of a "hot-blooded Red" character with a villain moniker, and Koichi was a fantastic character in Godzilla, but I think Gento won me over from being an older, more experienced person getting the role of Ultraman since he's a Captain, to his humbling of himself to his family, which gives him some nice moments with them. He has lots of heart and competence in his job that I can't help but enjoy.

Favorite Female Lead Character: Rita Kaniska. Best girl of King-Ohger. She goes out of her way to conduct an investigation for a trial, has an adorable side that fits well with her serious side, and she's just a great character.

Favorite Male Supporting Character: Kenji Noda from Godzilla Minus One. I can't pick between everyone from King-Ohger because I consider them all to be leads, but Noda here? I feel this guy was great, he was supportive, tried his best to conceive a plan, and cared about keeping everyone involved alive. His speech about life was especially impactful, given the movie's themes, so this man deserves his spot here.

Favorite Female Supporting Character: Anri from Ultraman Blazar (I genuinely don't know which to put Rita and her, so these could be interchangeable). Early on, it seemed there was going to be much more from Emi, but Anri's episodes, especially the music episode, solidified her place on this list. She's a great character, lively and competent, but with a lot of heart to it.

Favorite Villain: Hmmmmm... Kamejim? Strangely enough, I'm not putting Racles here, since I feel he's a special case in terms of "villain" that I think putting the next best candidate here works perfectly. Kamejim's manipulative, mysterious, and downright despicable, but in a Tokusatsu kind of charming way that makes it hard to not enjoy him as a villain.

Best King Award: Racles Hastee. No competition here. This man if phenomenal, he kept us guessing and made us utterly despise him (except me) and then delivers the most amazing twists and foreshadowing in the series.

Favorite Returning Past Character: Ultraman Z in New Generation Stars. Seeing our beloved goofball Ultra again was a delight and reacting with his superiors was even better!

Favorite Actor: Masato Yano for portraying Racles Hastee. The man had the air of a king the whole way and always felt like a threat while also hiding something more at many times.

Buuuuut... Masashi Ikeda was basically making Jeramie into Woz 2.0 and worked! I absolutely enjoy his charisma and energy, making him one of my favorite Extra Rangers in Sentai.

Favorite Actress: Yuzuki Hirakawa for portraying Rita Kaniska in King-Ohger. The very fact that she managed to make a serious character with a goofy side and feel consistent is quite a feat.

Honorable mention to Minami Hamabe for Shin Kamen Rider and Godzilla Minus One, she plays two very different characters and both of which were fantastic!

Favorite Writer: Like everyone else, Minato Takano did a fantastic job on King-Ohger!

Favorite Director: Kiyotaka Taguchi. As usual, Ultraman has some fantastic action, though Kin-Ohger's early episodes were a sight to behold, so points there. Also, an honorable mention to Takashi Yamazaki (who also wrote and did VFX) for Godzilla Minus One!

Favorite Suit Design: Hnnnnnnnnnnnngh! King-Ohger? Blazar? Gotchard? However... There's one suit that I think wins me over that DID debut this year, and that's Geats MK IX! This suit is beautiful, with the tails, the colors, and the overall look! Though, Jisariz is a strong contender here for its intricate and creative design, that's just a joy to look at, especially in action!

Favorite Weapon/Vehicle/Mecha: Earth Garon. I love this thing so much.

Favorite Fight Scene: Kamen Rider Geats vs Kamen Rider Tycoon. The two fighting while also using previous buckles against each other was a such a delight, I saw it twice!

Favorite Dramatic Scene: Godzilla's Atomic Ray and the aftermath. A close pick would have been Godzilla vs the Takao, where everything turns hopeless.

Favorite Comedic Scene: The imagined scenes for Gira's revival after he is presumed dead.

Biggest "WTF did I just watch?" Moment: The new Marubeni ad.

Favorite Song: Chemy X Story is very catchy and very fun, but I'm really into Bokura no Spectra, so it might just take the spot here.

Favorite Piece of Merchandise: Weeeeeell... The only piece of Toku merchandise I got this year (so far) was a sufobi figure of Ultraman Blazar.

Biggest Surprise of 2023: Godzilla Minus One playing in a theater near me.

Biggest Disappointment of 2023: The Shin Ultraman Blu-Ray release by Cleopatra Entertainment. 3 Rereleases later and it's STILL not good...

The Onari Memorial Award for Single Worst Thing in Tokusatsu, 2023 Edition: So many great people passed away this year... Jiro Dan... Kenpachiro Satsuma... My dad (the latter two on the same day)...

Most Anticipated Tokusatsu Project and/or Merch of 2024: Ultraman Arc sounds very intriguing, which is strange since it's just a name and possibly not even the main show, but I can't help but wonder...

Also, the next Godzilla Fes short film looks to be a good one!

12-23-2023, 08:26 PM	#10
Daikaijuman54 Kaiju or Hero? Join Date: Jan 2021 Location: Even I Don't Know Anymore. Posts: 1,456	Here we go again! Dang, this is going to be hard to choose... Favorite New Show of 2023: I honestly can't decide between Ultraman Blazar and Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger, because both have been fantastic shows. Also, an honorable mention to Kamen Rider Geats being the best Reiwa Rider season so far (even though it was last year's show)! Favorite New-to-You Show of 2023: This one could fit in the next category, but I'm going to say Sentika f8aba6 Jisariz. It was a unique short form series that had plenty of intrigue and creativity to it, alongside some fantastic suits! I'm looking forward to how it goes from here. Favorite Movie, Miniseries, or Special of 2023: No competition, it's Godzilla Minus One. This is the best movie of 2023, and Shin Kamen Rider was quite high on my pick, but I just can't not put Godzilla here, especially since I went to see it twice! Easily one of my new favorite Godzilla Movies ever. Favorite Rewatch of 2023: Kamen Rider Decade('s First Two Episodes courtesy of Toei's Youtube Channel). A strange pick, but I didn't have time for much this year (though I wanted to), but seeing the start of my very first completed Rider Season was a fun trip and made me happy to have gotten into the larger world of Tokusatsu. Favorite Male Lead Character: Another tough pick, why do you do this to me? I have to pick between Gira, Gento, and Koichi. I'm honestly going to have to go with Hiruma Gento from Ultraman Blazar. It wasn't an easy pick, since Gira was a brilliant use of a "hot-blooded Red" character with a villain moniker, and Koichi was a fantastic character in Godzilla, but I think Gento won me over from being an older, more experienced person getting the role of Ultraman since he's a Captain, to his humbling of himself to his family, which gives him some nice moments with them. He has lots of heart and competence in his job that I can't help but enjoy. Favorite Female Lead Character: Rita Kaniska. Best girl of King-Ohger. She goes out of her way to conduct an investigation for a trial, has an adorable side that fits well with her serious side, and she's just a great character. Favorite Male Supporting Character: Kenji Noda from Godzilla Minus One. I can't pick between everyone from King-Ohger because I consider them all to be leads, but Noda here? I feel this guy was great, he was supportive, tried his best to conceive a plan, and cared about keeping everyone involved alive. His speech about life was especially impactful, given the movie's themes, so this man deserves his spot here. Favorite Female Supporting Character: Anri from Ultraman Blazar (I genuinely don't know which to put Rita and her, so these could be interchangeable). Early on, it seemed there was going to be much more from Emi, but Anri's episodes, especially the music episode, solidified her place on this list. She's a great character, lively and competent, but with a lot of heart to it. Favorite Villain: Hmmmmm... Kamejim? Strangely enough, I'm not putting Racles here, since I feel he's a special case in terms of "villain" that I think putting the next best candidate here works perfectly. Kamejim's manipulative, mysterious, and downright despicable, but in a Tokusatsu kind of charming way that makes it hard to not enjoy him as a villain. Best King Award: Racles Hastee. No competition here. This man if phenomenal, he kept us guessing and made us utterly despise him (except me) and then delivers the most amazing twists and foreshadowing in the series. Favorite Returning Past Character: Ultraman Z in New Generation Stars. Seeing our beloved goofball Ultra again was a delight and reacting with his superiors was even better! Favorite Actor: Masato Yano for portraying Racles Hastee. The man had the air of a king the whole way and always felt like a threat while also hiding something more at many times. Buuuuut... Masashi Ikeda was basically making Jeramie into Woz 2.0 and worked! I absolutely enjoy his charisma and energy, making him one of my favorite Extra Rangers in Sentai. Favorite Actress: Yuzuki Hirakawa for portraying Rita Kaniska in King-Ohger. The very fact that she managed to make a serious character with a goofy side and feel consistent is quite a feat. Honorable mention to Minami Hamabe for Shin Kamen Rider and Godzilla Minus One, she plays two very different characters and both of which were fantastic! Favorite Writer: Like everyone else, Minato Takano did a fantastic job on King-Ohger! Favorite Director: Kiyotaka Taguchi. As usual, Ultraman has some fantastic action, though Kin-Ohger's early episodes were a sight to behold, so points there. Also, an honorable mention to Takashi Yamazaki (who also wrote and did VFX) for Godzilla Minus One! Favorite Suit Design: Hnnnnnnnnnnnngh! King-Ohger? Blazar? Gotchard? However... There's one suit that I think wins me over that DID debut this year, and that's Geats MK IX! This suit is beautiful, with the tails, the colors, and the overall look! Though, Jisariz is a strong contender here for its intricate and creative design, that's just a joy to look at, especially in action! Favorite Weapon/Vehicle/Mecha: Earth Garon. I love this thing so much. Favorite Fight Scene: Kamen Rider Geats vs Kamen Rider Tycoon. The two fighting while also using previous buckles against each other was a such a delight, I saw it twice! Favorite Dramatic Scene: Godzilla's Atomic Ray and the aftermath. A close pick would have been Godzilla vs the Takao, where everything turns hopeless. Favorite Comedic Scene: The imagined scenes for Gira's revival after he is presumed dead. Biggest "WTF did I just watch?" Moment: The new Marubeni ad. Favorite Song: Chemy X Story is very catchy and very fun, but I'm really into Bokura no Spectra, so it might just take the spot here. Favorite Piece of Merchandise: Weeeeeell... The only piece of Toku merchandise I got this year (so far) was a sufobi figure of Ultraman Blazar. Biggest Surprise of 2023: Godzilla Minus One playing in a theater near me. Biggest Disappointment of 2023: The Shin Ultraman Blu-Ray release by Cleopatra Entertainment. 3 Rereleases later and it's STILL not good... The Onari Memorial Award for Single Worst Thing in Tokusatsu, 2023 Edition: So many great people passed away this year... Jiro Dan... Kenpachiro Satsuma... My dad (the latter two on the same day)... Most Anticipated Tokusatsu Project and/or Merch of 2024: Ultraman Arc sounds very intriguing, which is strange since it's just a name and possibly not even the main show, but I can't help but wonder... Also, the next Godzilla Fes short film looks to be a good one! __________________ Project Aegis: Begin.