[XW1n5t0nX]

Have I mentioned that Carranger is driving me to insanity?

[Matrixbeast]

Quote:

Originally Posted by XW1n5t0nX

Have I mentioned that Carranger is driving me to insanity?

Bad. Stop that.

[Matrixbeast]

So...Zyuranger episode 2.
Stuff happens. That's about it.
Geki describes their backstory in the clunkiest way possible, and Bandora is still trying to kill those kids.
Doraskeleton spun his head around and trasported them...Somewhere...Man, I have no idea what the fuck.

The Tyrannosaurus, oh, excuse me, Tyrannozaurus comes to the rescue.

Not much to say about this as it's a direct follow up to the pilot, but good god that exposition was horrible.

[XW1n5t0nX]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matrixbeast

Stuff happens. That's about it.

Welcome to your complete watching experience of Zyuranger. Stuff just happens. Sure you get some small arcs...that last for fiveish episodes before ending. The only exceptions are the first ten episodes where they gather their equipment and the start of Burai's saga. But yeah, you'll be saying shit happens a lot. Unentertaining and boring shit.

[Matrixbeast]

Quote:

Originally Posted by XW1n5t0nX

Welcome to your complete watching experience of Zyuranger. Stuff just happens. Sure you get some small arcs...that last for fiveish episodes before ending. The only exceptions are the first ten episodes where they gather their equipment and the start of Burai's saga. But yeah, you'll be saying shit happens a lot. Unentertaining and boring shit.

Well, doesn't that fill me with a lot of hope...

Then again, I was told Kuuga was good, and that turned out to be the exact same description of un-entertaining and boring shit, so who knows at this point...

[XW1n5t0nX]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matrixbeast

Well, doesn't that fill me with a lot of hope...

Then again, I was told Kuuga was good, and that turned out to be the exact same description of un-entertaining and boring shit, so who knows at this point...

Yup.

Opinions are subjective anyways. Personally I consider Zyuranger the worst Sentai I've seen but I know a few people here sing its praises a lot. So its all up to how you feel. Do definitely be prepared for the one agreed issue: fucking filler upon filler of kid of the week episodes.

[Matrixbeast]

Quote:

Originally Posted by XW1n5t0nX

Yup.

Opinions are subjective anyways. Personally I consider Zyuranger the worst Sentai I've seen but I know a few people here sing its praises a lot. So its all up to how you feel. Do definitely be prepared for the one agreed issue: fucking filler upon filler of kid of the week episodes.

I could very well feel the same way as you about Zyuranger. These first two episodes were literally just stuff happening with nostalgic suits. So filler with annoying kids could very well break me as much as Kuuga did (Especially since good child actors are, and forever will be, a rarity).

I'm rather afraid, since Kuuga had a plot that moved so slowly I didn't realize it actually started until the late 20s, while you tell me that Zyu has a plot and arcs that pops up for about 5 episodes then disappears.

I'm not actually the kind of guy who prefers flashy action over a coherent and well told story (Or is willing to forgive a mediocre story because of it), but after being so drained and betrayed by Kuuga, all I could do was look at myself in the mirror and cry, so I chose a Sentai specifically because they tend to put more emphasis on high speed action.
So to hear Zyu is just as bad as Kuuga scares the shit out of me...

[XW1n5t0nX]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matrixbeast

I could very well feel the same way as you about Zyuranger. These first two episodes were literally just stuff happening with nostalgic suits. So filler with annoying kids could very well break me as much as Kuuga did (Especially since good child actors are, and forever will be, a rarity).

I'm rather afraid, since Kuuga had a plot that moved so slowly I didn't realize it actually started until the late 20s, while you tell me that Zyu has a plot and arcs that pops up for about 5 episodes then disappears.

I'm not actually the kind of guy who prefers flashy action over a coherent and well told story (Or is willing to forgive a mediocre story because of it), but after being so drained and betrayed by Kuuga, all I could do was look at myself in the mirror and cry, so I chose a Sentai specifically because they tend to put more emphasis on high speed action.
So to hear Zyu is just as bad as Kuuga scares the shit out of me...

Well Kuuga's slowness is deliberate. Rider in general focuses on being much more a cohesive and streamline story, such as actual dramas, this especially true Kuuga onwards. So with 50ish episodes and with being a mystery the slow speed is to be expected, and in for some (such as myself) is great. It gives you time to figure out stuff for yourself and rewards you every so often.

With Sentai though they don't go with that idea and utilize arcs to give your runs of plot before taking a break with filler. Sometimes it works and everything feels seamless. Zyuranger is pretty bad at this. Filler episodes outnumber the plot ones greatly and acting aside are just bad. The most entertaining one is probably where Mei just changes disguises along with that week's monster, sort of like in Gokaiger when Ahim used disguises to get the monster that was stealing love. But other than that they are boring and painful to sit through.

And when plot does show up it is in the shortest of bursts and isn't always great. The best is probably the early ones where you see the team gradually gaining their weapons, the mecha, and finally the ability to summon Daizyujin. Burai is initially interesting but gets tiring fast and come his confinement gets really stale. I'll admit the two episodes where they go into his demise are pretty nice and can be exhilarating. But we all know the outcome, so a lot of that intensity goes away. It's still pretty exhilarating, but not as much. Throw in barely developed characters and, well, you see where I'm going.

Do I think Zyuranger should be watched? To some degree yes just to see where PR came from, and if you're super into MMPR than yeah. But other than those reasons I truly believe you can skip it and not miss anything.

If you're wanting something with a lot more action and just an overall better show, I suggest Liveman (story and character based but moves along very nicely and supplies nice quick action. Hell I'll just say it, Live is one of the best Sentais period), Carranger (it is so entertaining that even if you don't find the action or plot to the speed you enjoy you'll still have some enjoyment), or Abaranger (for a lot of the same reasons as Carranger, but having seen it fully I can say it has one of the best stories and some of the best characters in Sentai). If you don't mind going raw, try Timeranger. And if you're like me and turn to Ebay for some shows, Hurricanger.

[Matrixbeast]

Quote:

Originally Posted by XW1n5t0nX

Well Kuuga's slowness is deliberate. Rider in general focuses on being much more a cohesive and streamline story, such as actual dramas, this especially true Kuuga onwards. So with 50ish episodes and with being a mystery the slow speed is to be expected, and in for some (such as myself) is great. It gives you time to figure out stuff for yourself and rewards you every so often.

I know it's deliberate, but I don't feel it's satisfying. The show will intentionally take a 90 degree turn whenever you think the plot and pacing are starting to move forward. It doesn't feel like it's telling a cohesive story, since pieces just don't fit together well. It honestly felt like someone frustrated with a puzzle who started mashing pieces together. Stories are brought up, and then we instantly drop them for 10 episodes for no real reason.
There was no flow to Kuuga, and the mystery is really nonexistent. I don't need shows to hand things on a silver platter just to make sure everyone is caught up, but for Kuuga, there is no sense of plot or resolution. Story lines just end.
I'm glad you could get a sense of satisfaction and reward from it, but to me, beyond trying to figure out the MOTW's game before the show spells it out, there was no real satisfaction.

Quote:

Originally Posted by XW1n5t0nX

With Sentai though they don't go with that idea and utilize arcs to give your runs of plot before taking a break with filler. Sometimes it works and everything feels seamless. Zyuranger is pretty bad at this. Filler episodes outnumber the plot ones greatly and acting aside are just bad. The most entertaining one is probably where Mei just changes disguises along with that week's monster, sort of like in Gokaiger when Ahim used disguises to get the monster that was stealing love. But other than that they are boring and painful to sit through.

I know, which is why I've always had a harder time watching Sentai over KR. Many of them feel like they're wasting time because they only came up with 20 episodes of plot, while others just don't fully commit to their ideas.

But Kuuga felt like it was just running in circles blaming the viewer for not getting it. Every time the plot would advance, it would hit a dead stop to focus on a menial story arc, and when they did tie stories together, it was handled so poorly that it was hard to really get invested in either.
For most Kamen Rider series I've watched, I've honestly felt the time out of suit was a lot more interesting than the action. But Kuuga couldn't pull off either. Godai was a total sponge (Except against the porcupine). He just smiled and wrote every ounce of bad news off. Yes, it was clear there was some kind of facade, but it never really came into play. He only truly got angry (Or showed his anger) twice, and the second time didn't amount to anything since he still used Ultimate without succumbing to hatred. The secondary characters were incredibly uninteresting and Ichijou couldn't save the series. The action quickly got stale as they didn't try anything new as the fights went on, while the sparse bike scenes, while nice, also can't make up for it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by XW1n5t0nX

Do I think Zyuranger should be watched? To some degree yes just to see where PR came from, and if you're super into MMPR than yeah. But other than those reasons I truly believe you can skip it and not miss anything.

I always went in to Zyu knowing that it wouldn't be jaw dropping, and I doubt that my toku knowledge wouldn't really be enriched by watching it. Honestly, nostalgia for the suits is the prime reason why I'm curious, which is actually a hindrance for the series (Which seems is not a good thing, since it's hindered by a great many other things).

Quote:

Originally Posted by XW1n5t0nX

If you're wanting something with a lot more action and just an overall better show, I suggest Liveman (story and character based but moves along very nicely and supplies nice quick action), Carranger (it is so entertaining that even if you don't find the action or plot to the speed you enjoy you'll still have some enjoyment), or Abaranger (for a lot of the same reasons as Carranger, but having seen it fully I can say it has one of the best stories and some of the best characters in Sentai). If you don't mind going raw, try Timeranger. And if you're like me and turn to Ebay for some shows, Hurricanger.

Really, I'm just looking for an entertaining show, which is why I strayed towards Sentai. Their desire to have a greater and broader appeal made me think they'd just have a more entertaining, if also more fluff, series.
After being told of Agito's shit ending, Hibiki's gawdawful second half, and Faiz just being one of the worst, there just doesn't seem to be much in KR to wipe away the stench of Kuuga right now.

[Dr Kain]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matrixbeast

Well, doesn't that fill me with a lot of hope...

Then again, I was told Kuuga was good, and that turned out to be the exact same description of un-entertaining and boring shit, so who knows at this point...

Don't believe XW, his opinion is wrong.

j/k

Seriously though, I think Zyuranger is one of the best Sentai series ever. There are things that do suck in the show (like the child of the week, but there is a reason for it), but I can turn on any Zyuranger episode and get far more enjoyment out of it than almost any other Sentai series. The story arcs are well done and a lot happens in them. The villains are developed in portions spread throughout the series, so it feels like they aren't developed at all until you start to actually think about the conversations they have had throughout the series when you are done. Not to mention every scene with Burai is nothing but awesomesauce. He never over stays his welcome as he only shows up when he needs to kick ass, and then leaves for a few more episodes at a time. It is nice and refreshing compared to the 6th rangers of today, who come in to kick ass and then 3 episodes later are getting their asses kicked just as much as the rest of the team. Oh yeah, and Geki, Burai, Goushi, and Mei got some really nice development. Sadly though, Dan and Boi not so much.