[Daikaijuman54]

Sclash Rider and the Snack Street Boys!

Righty-ho! So, I decided to rewatch this episode to better gauge my feelings on this show after my initial viewing a week prior, and... I think it'll be fun.

I said this exact thing with Gotchard in the early days, and while I really don't expect too much (particularly coming off Geats, which admittedly felt like the most cohesive and consistent Reiwa Rider), but I do believe the ingenuity of Gavv could give it a run for its buckles.

Now, Shouma, I like him. I'm on board with him. He seems like a fun and interesting protagonist this time around. The idea that he can make his own minions, which also give me a strong Heisei Phase 2 vibe with the helper merch, is a nice idea, though I admit I'm not the biggest fan of Belt Voices for this season, but the Gochizous did have some cute moments, like the one crying and the one becoming an angel after it gets eaten, but the utilization of them is probably the highlight for me about this theme's gimmick. The fact that they're consumables (pun intended) kind of gives the idea of a limited supply or time limit, similar to Ultraman, with Gavv and I'm all for that idea! From having to replenish his armor, to using attacks, I hope they play with this formula like the Core Medals, though if it's to the extent of the Chemy Cards, I'd probably still be fine with it.

The villains having the aura of drug dealers feels rather nostalgic like we've gone back to the Dopants and Lock Seed Dealers villains, which is nice after all the "World Ending Doomsday Planners" we've had for a while now (though, much like Gotchard, I don't think that will last), and boy was the action a blast! The chase sequence (enjoy them while they last), the fighting tactics, heck, the opening sequence of Shouma running through the door chamber (which I absolutely thought of Monsters Inc. and Yu-Gi-Oh!'s Millenium Puzzle Room) was a blast! Good stuff!

Now, I'll freely admit, the music, while catchy, is probably not my favorite, even the Opening feels rather plain (much like Gavv's design), not bad, just not something I'd put over the other Reiwa Riders. And as mentioned earlier, I'm not really into the Driver's Voice, but I do think the mechanics are neat, which may just be my Build love flowing through me.

Overall, I think it'll be fun to watch, so I'm sticking with it, will it dethrone Geats, or will it frustrate me like Revice? Only time will tell...

Next Episode: "I will take this Potato Chip and eat it." -Shouma