A great Kamen Rider to start out with!
I watched Kamen Rider ZEZTZ live from Tokusatsu's simulcast stream for the past year, which also happens to be my first Kamen Rider I've had the pleasure of watching live from beginning to end. Essentially, the show follows the main protagonist, clumsy and unlucky Baku Yorozu, who when he sleeps, can infiltrate dreams as his alter-ego, the sly secret agent Seven who works for the top secret agency known as CODE -- or at least, that's how the show begins. ZEZTZ plays fast and loose with not only morality, but with reality and trust. Even after the infamous mid-series reveal, there's almost always more secrets that are built up to be unraveled, and betrayals from every side.
Is it the best Kamen Rider? Probably not, but it's still really good. Is it the best Kamen Rider to start out with? There's definitely a case that can be made in favor for it.
Pros:
> Probably the best part about ZEZTZ is how it's shot. All of the fights are super creative and plays a lot with the camera angles in a way that feels both epic and surreal. Hands down, ZEZTZ definitely has some of the best fights in the series.
> All of the three main Riders are great. Baku/ZEZTZ is a compelling protagonist that is worth rooting for, especially with his split between his endearing "real" self and his alter-ego Seven. NOX, in my opinion, is a very well-crafted anti-hero/anti-villain Rider reminiscent of a lot of Heisei-era Riders with a good character arc (albeit one that could've benefitted from more time) and a super fun presence in part due to his sheer determination. The tertiary Rider, Dawn/Sieg, is probably one of the best characters in the show. Not only does he has one of the best arcs, but he also is the reason of some of the show's best scenes in general. Every scene with Dawn is a delight to watch.
> Sans a few moments of delivery that are particularly off, the acting is very good in this show.
> I liked the mid-series reveal. It's pretty contentious, but to me, it was perfect for kick-starting the second half of the series.
> The soundtrack, although a tad repetitive, is very very good. I really like the insert songs!
> ZEZTZ starts off strong and sticks the landing. All of the characters are resolved in a very satisfying way.
> ZEZTZ is very good at setting up and paying off, especially with the various mysteries that are set up throughout the show. It's a great show to binge!
Cons:
> Personally, I felt the plot started to fall off after Case 34 and especially after Case 38 -- not enough to hamper my enjoyment of the show, but enough to be noticeable. It does recover, although a bit too late for my liking.
> Most of the side-characters are fun, but they do run into some issues. A lot of their progress -- specifically, Fujimi and Nasuka's in particular -- often feels undermined, and while Nem is a good character, she could have done a lot more in the grand scheme of things.
> CODE, as a whole, feels a tad too underexplored for my liking, and the world-building around CODE, the Capsems, and the Nightmares could have been executed better -- especially considering how Capsems are the gimmick of this series.
Is it the best Kamen Rider? Probably not, but it's still really good. Is it the best Kamen Rider to start out with? There's definitely a case that can be made in favor for it.
Pros:
> Probably the best part about ZEZTZ is how it's shot. All of the fights are super creative and plays a lot with the camera angles in a way that feels both epic and surreal. Hands down, ZEZTZ definitely has some of the best fights in the series.
> All of the three main Riders are great. Baku/ZEZTZ is a compelling protagonist that is worth rooting for, especially with his split between his endearing "real" self and his alter-ego Seven. NOX, in my opinion, is a very well-crafted anti-hero/anti-villain Rider reminiscent of a lot of Heisei-era Riders with a good character arc (albeit one that could've benefitted from more time) and a super fun presence in part due to his sheer determination. The tertiary Rider, Dawn/Sieg, is probably one of the best characters in the show. Not only does he has one of the best arcs, but he also is the reason of some of the show's best scenes in general. Every scene with Dawn is a delight to watch.
> Sans a few moments of delivery that are particularly off, the acting is very good in this show.
> I liked the mid-series reveal. It's pretty contentious, but to me, it was perfect for kick-starting the second half of the series.
> The soundtrack, although a tad repetitive, is very very good. I really like the insert songs!
> ZEZTZ starts off strong and sticks the landing. All of the characters are resolved in a very satisfying way.
> ZEZTZ is very good at setting up and paying off, especially with the various mysteries that are set up throughout the show. It's a great show to binge!
Cons:
> Personally, I felt the plot started to fall off after Case 34 and especially after Case 38 -- not enough to hamper my enjoyment of the show, but enough to be noticeable. It does recover, although a bit too late for my liking.
> Most of the side-characters are fun, but they do run into some issues. A lot of their progress -- specifically, Fujimi and Nasuka's in particular -- often feels undermined, and while Nem is a good character, she could have done a lot more in the grand scheme of things.
> CODE, as a whole, feels a tad too underexplored for my liking, and the world-building around CODE, the Capsems, and the Nightmares could have been executed better -- especially considering how Capsems are the gimmick of this series.
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