[DreadBringer]

Giving this a go due to the staff ensemble hype, the preparation that they have recorded 20+ episodes before airing including better work on the effects, either due to more budget or being more polished in that aspect.

Shoma ("show my") Stomach is a non-human lead Rider, and this isn't the first time in the franchise, as there were Takumi in Faiz who was an Orphnoch or Wataru in Kiva who was a half-Fangire..... ironically, Shoma IS created by Inoue.... the surname of his mother Michiru who married a Granute. Wonder if a human-Granute marriage descendants will have a difference with pure Granutes.

Shoma's flashbacks with Michiru shape him in the present where Michiru made him promise to not eat Dark Snacks, which means humans, making him the safe monster in Hajime Hiroi's eyes, also he feels weak due to his seeming failure to protect his mom, which is what makes him another goody-two-shoes lead Rider to try his hardest in protecting Hajime against Granute Hound, and also showing concern to the truck drivers.

After Ryuki mostly changes the Riders' henshin using items that can be carried anywhere, Gavv brings back the organic 'belt' that is part of the Riders' body, and Shoma lying on the beach also uses Agito reference. Shoma's stronger than normal humans even untransformed to be tougher than a speeding van, though he fares the same to monsters, where Shoma's unable to fight Granute Hound until he becomes Gavv.

Hanto Karakida is more upbeat than I expected, not as much as Shoma, but he's interacting with open curiousity to his subjects. Thought he'd be the super calm and collected type as the secondary Rider. Him investigating missing people incidents reminds me of Ryuki about Mirror Monsters eating people. If Shoma's an outsider, wonder if he'd be a human Rider that can highlight the contrast.

Seems that Hajime is a one-off, and next week the story repeats this one of someone finding Shoma, but this time, it's a recurring character, the female lead Sachika Amane. What'd make Shoma separate himself from Hajime, but not Sachika?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kiwami

I wouldn't say long time myself; the first episode of Geats was pretty darn great.

But compared to last year's endeavor - this was most definitely leagues ahead.

Well, the talk was about the "most Kamen Rider" episode... Geats definitely won't fit that, it'd be total opposite; Riders out for personal gain, main Rider with vague motive and agenda, boy scout that is rather jaded and cynical....

Geats is the most hated series for those expecting Kamen Rider values to be celebrated.