Not the best series but a good starting point.
I've been a on again off again week to week watcher of Kamen Rider since Wizard so I was very interested to see how the first series to be simulcasted in the west would go and I gotta say it's pretty good, though far from perfect. The secret Agent aesthetic early on is probably one of it's strongest points, it really succeeds in evoking stuff like James Bond without straight up copying it, giving it that Rider spin so to say. Though I honestly found the Rider and Kaijin suit design the be quite wanting this series, with only the base and final forms of Zeztz fitting my own tastes enough to make me want figures just based on the looks and all the others just coming off as an oddly colored collection of shapes, sometimes with a very entertaining characters inside. I think the cast is also pretty entertaining, the younger actors are a little rough at times but they mostly hit their marks and the veteran character actors they join have some really fun out there moments when they're allowed to cut loose. Plus, while it is used quite repetitively, the score is very solid and helps to sell moments that would otherwise feel a little weak ether due to the acting or story. Personally though, I feel like the writing really falls off after the big mid series reveal and because of that I'm kinda leaning towards this being my least favorite Takahashi Yuya Rider series, it just goes in a direction that really feels like it's ignoring a greater point it seemed to be building towards in favor of something that feels more generic and makes some of the leads look like fools to me as a more critical viewer. It's not terrible though, the final arc still has a few very good episodes, the action direction stays good throughout almost the entire series if a bit special effects relient for my taste and the finale left me feeling fairly satisfied and interested in seeing what My-th will have to offer. Overall, I think this show did it's job as a good introductory series for new fans that was neat enough for long time ones like myself, but that's really all it works as, this isn't a show I think I'll ever feel the pull to revisit.
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