[Androzani84]

So here’s the non silly shortened version, near the end of this video.

And from the website, the jingle is supposed to be a pun on both the three users (Izu Zea Ark) and the lack of overlap in the circles on the belt (Is There Arc). There’s also at least three more finishers not shown in the episode: Rifle On Big Bang (which summons the Attache Shotgun), Bullet On Big Bang (which summons the ShotRiser) and Zero-Three Big Bang. The key switches between the finishers by pressing the button a different number of times.

Anyway, as for the episode, there’s probably subtle nepotism in that Kuroto named his new ultimate form Gashat “Hyper Genm Fumetsu”, as opposed to last time, which had the more general use “Hyper Muteki”.

Next time: Evolt and Misora return, Foundation X works with Vistamps, Eyecons and Ridewatches, Kuroto Jesus creates a Tokimeki Crisis sequel in which the mascot gets married, and Zein uses the Geats IX card to access the QB Buster 9 (which probably means that they’ll be releasing the Driver after that episode, since they’ll have shown off Decade-esque cards for Saber through Geats, giving an excuse to make them, and it wouldn’t make sense for him to have a Rainbow Gotchard card in-universe)

[AkibaSilver]

Maybe Outsiders was worth it, as part of Kuroto's latest 4th-stage contingency plan to be reborn yet again (No).

And yeah, it's bizarre how Outsiders wats to be this big extended web-series project, but equally seems incapable of committing to a cast for more than two installments. Maybe if there were consistent stakes to the sandbox to dump all the past toys into, or a reason for the constant churn, but after 5 / 7 episodes, it still doesn't feel like we're going anywhere. With Power Rangers kinda dying on its ass in recent weeks, there's been a lot of smug Kamen Rider elitist-posting, and Outsiders is useful in reminding me "Hang on, this is all designed to sell dollies to us at the end of the day".

Yes I will still be watching the Evolt episode, don't @ me.

[Kamen Rider Die]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Androzani84

(which probably means that they?ll be releasing the Driver after that episode, since they?ll have shown off Decade-esque cards for Saber through Geats, giving an excuse to make them, and it wouldn?t make sense for him to have a Rainbow Gotchard card in-universe)

I sort of can't see them ever releasing the Zein Driver in any recognizable DX form, because it contains tiny whirring blades as the main focus of it mechanism. I mean, you could skip that part and just have a reader for the cards, but then why even release it? It'd be like releasing a Desire Driver that only interacted with pictures of Raise Buckles.

Quote:

Originally Posted by AkibaSilver

Maybe if there were consistent stakes to the sandbox to dump all the past toys into, or a reason for the constant churn, but after 5 / 7 episodes, it still doesn't feel like we're going anywhere.

The part I laugh at the most -- in every single episode -- is during the Establishing Stakes recap section where they show off that one shot of the Orphnoch King staring out over the city. They keep reminding the viewer of a guy who hasn't shown up in new footage since October 2022, and never even did anything when he was on the show! That plot thread has never gone anywhere in almost two years! OUTSIDERS!

Quote:

Originally Posted by AkibaSilver

Yes I will still be watching the Evolt episode, don't @ me.

But, like, yeah: Misora's coming back, they already brought Nico back, and I don't quit shows, so we are going to ride this runaway train of disconnected narrative right off the goddamn cliff.

[Androzani84]

I kind of imagine a DX Zein Driver will treat the “destroy the cards” gimmick the same as the Zeronos Belt treated its disintegration gimmick: add in a sound, but the card remains intact for future use.

[Kamen Rider Die]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Androzani84

I kind of imagine a DX Zein Driver will treat the ?destroy the cards? gimmick the same as the Zeronos Belt treated its disintegration gimmick: add in a sound, but the card remains intact for future use.

Probably, but that just feels too disappointing to me to try to market.

[Switchblade]

My main takeaway from these last few pages is that I will never find myself on my deathbed regretting that I didn’t watch Outsiders.

[Enchilada645]

Zein would be horrible at Resident Evil. Just saying. Dude's been wasting way too many good cards too quickly.

That said, I think the most interesting thing that Outsiders has made me realize is just... how much of a unique existence Dan Kuoto is.

Like the thing is, it's never explicitly ever said and while there are flashbacks... just... how much is this Kuroto the Kuroto we've known up to this point?

Like, the original Kuroto has been dead ever since Maximum Mighty debuted. Every other Kuroto we've seen on screen since then is a data backup and even those wildly vary given the one we see in latter Ex-Aid vs. the one from the GoRider stuff. But you can't really say they're the same as the one from the beginning to middle of Ex-Aid because there's some quirks in their personalities compared to the original. We see the one in latter Ex-Aid sort of grow or progress in some ways. Then when all is said and done, he fully goes in Another Ending.

Yes the Ark brought back Kuroto but how much of that was the one from the latter half of Ex-Aid? He makes remarks regarding his past but how much is that him actually remembering it vs. him only having those memories implanted. And we get muddled even further because Gai manages to retrieve Kuroto's data but how much of that data is still intact from the last go?

It's interesting to think on, given no other character can really have this kind of odd growth/progression like Kuroto can with how he's set himself up.

[Kamen Rider Die]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Switchblade

My main takeaway from these last few pages is that I will never find myself on my deathbed regretting that I didn?t watch Outsiders.

I generally push back on assertions that a show is not worth watching. I've watched a few dozen Kamen Rider series, and there isn't a single one I regret watching. Even the shows with episodes that to this day make me angry to think about (Kabuto Episode 46, my eternal nemesis) are still shows that managed moments of artistry and beauty. None of them are worth avoiding, just because they might not be the best.

Outsiders, though. Boy.

It's just busted on a basic, nuts and bolts, How A Television Show Is Made level. Trying to defend Outsiders as a show -- with its numerous abandoned characters, premises, cliffhangers, storylines, etc., all due to its bonkers production format and scheduling -- is like trying to defend it if the audio wasn't synced up, or they left the lens on the camera. Can you still maybe enjoy a show like that, in isolated moments? Yeah, I guess, but that's really a You problem at that point. I willingly admit that my ability to find something to cling to in this show is more a testament to my mental and emotional shortcomings, than it's a testament to this show's hidden beauty.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Enchilada645

It's interesting to think on, given no other character can really have this kind of odd growth/progression like Kuroto can with how he's set himself up.

Like, this is sort of my point! Kuroto's story in Episode 5 is kind of breathtaking in its scope and nerve, trying to figure out a coherent view of a season-long villain that became a Legend Mascot. It sort of works! But it also feels tangential and accidental; the show backing into this story, rather than steering there over the last couple years. (Kuroto doesn't even show up in the last four episodes leading up to this goddamn development!)

[Androzani84]

I figured I had to put this somewhere.

[Enchilada645]

Adding to this, Outsiders looks to be ending with Episode 7 (who knows if we'll push this into a new spin-off series *shrugs*) and Episode 7 is to be released in December.