[Fish Sandwich]

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Originally Posted by DreamSword

Kamen Rider Geats is incredible.

In how absolutely boring it is.

It's definitely not going to be a show that's built to your tastes, as I understand them? None of the main cast are quite meant to be people you'd want to hang out with, and the whole game show theming means it's also deliberately emphasizing its artificial nature in a way that probably goes against the usual sense of atmosphere you tend to look for?

There's reasons it's doing all the stuff it does, of course, but based on all the opinions I've seen you express on these shows over the years, it's tough to imagine Geats will do much to win you over unless you really actively try to approach it on its own terms. Not that I want to presume too much. Feel free to tell me I'm way off-base and you actually meant it's boring because Ace is just way *too* likable and endearing way too fast!

[DreamSword]

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Originally Posted by Switchblade

It was a bold choice to make Ace a side character at the start of the show and focus more on Keiwa and Neon instead. I don't think it really worked, though, as I never got much of a sense of who Ace was as a character, Neon got sidelined in a way that looks really sad sandwiched between Sakura and Rinne, and Keiwa just plain sucks.

I'm currently nine episodes in, and I frankly don't give a crap about literally anyone in the cast.

And the main reason why is that this show decided to pull the same sort of storytelling technique that Build did(which I also didn't like): Shove a load of drama right upfront without letting the viewer know who in the heck anyone in the cast even is first.

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Originally Posted by Fish Sandwich

It's definitely not going to be a show that's built to your tastes, as I understand them? None of the main cast are quite meant to be people you'd want to hang out with, and the whole game show theming means it's also deliberately emphasizing its artificial nature in a way that probably goes against the usual sense of atmosphere you tend to look for?

I mean, you aren't wrong, but here's the thing:

At its core, this is a Death Game show. Most of the characters being awful and/or selfish people kinda comes with the territory, I get that.

But that doesn't mean you can't still have them be interesting or well developed, ya know? Like, Micchy from Gaim is a pretty trash dude, but I atleast got him to a degree, and his arc overall made sense and he atleast had his relationship with Kota going for him.

With the cast of Geats I just like don't care. At all.

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There's reasons it's doing all the stuff it does, of course, but based on all the opinions I've seen you express on these shows over the years, it's tough to imagine Geats will do much to win you over unless you really actively try to approach it on its own terms. Not that I want to presume too much. Feel free to tell me I'm way off-base and you actually meant it's boring because Ace is just way *too* likable and endearing way too fast!

To me Ace honestly just comes across as a poor man's' Haruto from Wizard.

And believe me, I'm doing my best to try and jive with whatever the show presents me. It's not like I'm trying to pretend this show is some deep examination of society/capitalism/the gaming industry or whatever.

I just don't understand the thought process of "here's a character's' entire life story upfront." Especially in a show with nearly 50 episodes to utilize. Like, call me a douchebag if you want, but, if I don't get to know a character even a little bit, I kinda just don't care. Every time a character in Geats makes some grand speech I just sorta roll my eyes because I know next to nothing about them other than the trauma they're currently dumping on me.

For comparison's' sake, I'm also currently watching GARO: Versus Road, which in the same span of time as Geats right now has managed to do way more in terms of literally everything. And that's including having characters who I'm interested in seeing the stories of.

[Mesnick]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Switchblade

It was a bold choice to make Ace a side character at the start of the show and focus more on Keiwa and Neon instead. I don't think it really worked, though, as I never got much of a sense of who Ace was as a character, Neon got sidelined in a way that looks really sad sandwiched between Sakura and Rinne, and Keiwa just plain sucks.

I would argue that Ace remained a side character, performing purely technical functions of the MC: get the most forms, be the strongest, defeat the main threat. In most dramatic conflicts, he always managed to find himself out of work.

[Sh Ranger]

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Originally Posted by Switchblade

Keiwa just plain sucks.

Haha, yeah.

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Originally Posted by Fish Sandwich

None of the main cast are quite meant to be people you'd want to hang out with

I mean, Win seems like he'd be a pretty chill dude to hang with after Ace inspired him to pursue his rockstar career once more. Too bad he gets his head blown off and then seldom appears after the second arc.

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Originally Posted by DreamSword

But that doesn't mean you can't still have them be interesting or well developed, ya know? Like, Micchy from Gaim is a pretty trash dude, but I atleast got him to a degree, and his arc overall made sense and he atleast had his relationship with Kota going for him.

Then how do you feel about Neon, who has the clear and honest desire of true love? Her situation is revealed as early as Episode 3, so it should be easier to relate to her struggle than any of the other main characters, by seeing what she lacks in her life and her motivation for joining DGP.

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Originally Posted by Mesnick

I would argue that Ace remained a side character, performing purely technical functions of the MC: get the most forms, be the strongest, defeat the main threat. In most dramatic conflicts, he always managed to find himself out of work.

I recall the first time Ace seriously functioned as a viewer perspective was at the end of the first arc, when he learned from Buffa about the importance of being reckless. And the last time was at the end of Desire Royale.

Congrats on your 2300th post!

[DreadBringer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fish Sandwich

It's definitely not going to be a show that's built to your tastes, as I understand them? None of the main cast are quite meant to be people you'd want to hang out with, and the whole game show theming means it's also deliberately emphasizing its artificial nature in a way that probably goes against the usual sense of atmosphere you tend to look for?

Guess it's expected for you to say this, as even you think something's off with Ikki heroism-wise unlike Hiromi in Revice, but though the first arc didn't show much yet, I always didn't like everyone (players) being lumped together as similarly awful (though yes Ace is Tendou/Tsukasa level in assholery and Michinaga is a major dickhead who'd become one of the villains for majority of the show). Yeah, this is what many Geats haters demonize the characters for and condemn the show for straying from Kamen Rider spirit by this, but having a desire shouldn't be inherently bad, one can both be a good person while wanting their dreams to come true, it's not an either/or situation. The DGP isn't like the Rider War where depraved people (at least on surface) are the ones deliberately chosen so they'd murder each other faster, where it just picks random humans to participate.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fish Sandwich

There's reasons it's doing all the stuff it does, of course, but based on all the opinions I've seen you express on these shows over the years, it's tough to imagine Geats will do much to win you over unless you really actively try to approach it on its own terms.

So you don't hate Geats eh, considering your opinion on Gaim (battle royale series produced by Takebe too, and I feel Geats is Gaim and Ex-Aid mixed, same writer and producer). And those who really love lighthearted shows such as Ghost, Saber, and Gotchard tend to hate shows like Geats (well you didn't hate dark shows but still). And about an irony, now you're not defending something unpopular, but the opposite in getting one that doesn't vibe with a popular show to 'follow the crowd' instead ~

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Originally Posted by DreamSword

And the main reason why is that this show decided to pull the same sort of storytelling technique that Build did(which I also didn't like): Shove a load of drama right upfront without letting the viewer know who in the heck anyone in the cast even is first.

Guess your thing is slower-paced stuff considering Kuuga and W. True too that Gaim and Ex-Aid had the beginning not setting up big things, which'd sit better with you, but for others, it can be the 'underwhelming' part of the show where they started to kick in in ep. 14 and 12 respectively. And that some can feel W rushed plot points at the finale due to mostly touching upon 2-parters throughout the whole show.

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Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

I mean, Win seems like he'd be a pretty chill dude to hang with after Ace inspired him to pursue his rockstar career once more. Too bad he gets his head blown off and then seldom appears after the second arc.

If even the worst kind of people can get redemption and become 'chill' later like Heure, then I guess what qualifies for "you'd want to hang out with" should be the ones that are good right off the bat. Win gleefully wanted to perform DGP's dirty work initially.

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Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

Then how do you feel about Neon, who has the clear and honest desire of true love? Her situation is revealed as early as Episode 3, so it should be easier to relate to her struggle than any of the other main characters, by seeing what she lacks in her life and her motivation for joining DGP.

The reception can be like this.

[Mesnick]

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Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

Congrats on your 2300th post!

Thanks.
I rewatched Revice: Mystery because the show was released in my native language. The translation itself is quite high quality, Hiromi’s phrase is translated even better than into English. But since the voice acting is single-voiced and female, some phrases sound faded (this is especially true for jingles, which do not stand out at all in tone or volume), while others sound like a parody. Overall, it's the same cool little detective story with a lot of fan service. I liked it, so I downloaded Taisen Z in the same voice acting.

[DreamSword]

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Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

Then how do you feel about Neon, who has the clear and honest desire of true love? Her situation is revealed as early as Episode 3, so it should be easier to relate to her struggle than any of the other main characters, by seeing what she lacks in her life and her motivation for joining DGP.

Unfortunately, "boo hoo I don't have a boyfriend" isn't at the top of my list of things that I find engaging. Especially since she has all the money in the world and could easily just buy her way out of most of her problems.

The only time I can recall just a setup working for me was in Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, and this show sure as heck ain't on that level right now.

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Originally Posted by DreadBringer

Guess your thing is slower-paced stuff considering Kuuga and W. True too that Gaim and Ex-Aid had the beginning not setting up big things, which'd sit better with you, but for others, it can be the 'underwhelming' part of the show where they started to kick in in ep. 14 and 12 respectively. And that some can feel W rushed plot points at the finale due to mostly touching upon 2-parters throughout the whole show.

It's less that I want a slow burn and more that I want there to be an actual journey like, at all.

[Mesnick]

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Originally Posted by DreamSword

Unfortunately, "boo hoo I don't have a boyfriend" isn't at the top of my list of things that I find engaging. Especially since she has all the money in the world and could easily just buy her way out of most of her problems.

I think Sh Ranger was referring to Neon's relationship with her mother. But I?ll talk about this a little later, when all the ins and outs are revealed. And, again, most children with tyrant parents are not popular bloggers. And the example of Britney Spears and other similar celebrities does not apply here, because they were initially made dependent on their family by contracts, which is not the case with Neon.

[Sh Ranger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreamSword

Unfortunately, "boo hoo I don't have a boyfriend" isn't at the top of my list of things that I find engaging. Especially since she has all the money in the world and could easily just buy her way out of most of her problems.

Money cannot buy love though and actually makes it harder for the wealthy and famous to find love, due to others seeing them as an asset, rather than a person. Furthermore, Neon's desire of true love isn't specifically romantic. Like Mesnick said above, she's in an abusive relationship with Irumi, who loves her but in a toxic unhealthy way that prioritizes Neon's security over her need for freedom and individuality. So Neon doesn't receive healthy familial, romantic or platonic love, which is why she's willing to risk her life to obtain it and why she values her connection with Sara, who actually treats her as a person. The recent movie, Smile 2, also talks about these themes.

[DreamSword]

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Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

Money cannot buy love though

Sure, but you know what it can buy? A plane ticket to the opposite end of the country. A new phone that doesn't have her mom's' tracker in it. A bodyguard that's better than the Johnny Test duo. The list goes on.

Getting rid of the abusive mother is a heck of a lot easier when you're loaded.

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Furthermore, Neon's desire of true love isn't specifically romantic.

She herself claims the opposite when she reveals her desire to Keiwa. And given that we've been spurned on the premise before(hi Accel movie), I'm not putting very much faith in it being anything other than a desire for romance.

But hey, if I'm wrong come the end of the show then I will gladly eat my words.