How is Gotchard so far?? | First Arc DISCUSSION

[@20stardust]

I’m truly enjoying it and look forward to every new episode. Also super excited for the next Legend episode.

[@caseymckenna7111]

So many valid points in this. I also think about it like this.. Gotchard is pop punk; Valvarad is old school punk. And that kinda spans back out into the show itself in its reception/presentation, when you think about it. Put that in your brain while watchin it, maybe. I’m loving it.

[@SK-yx7hm]

While geats was fantastic I do agree every once in awhile we need a palette cleanser season. This season isnt for us but a new generation of rider fans, we can just enjoy it too.

[@BattyWanderer]

So far it's really fun. Not all-timer material but I really like the characters' chemistry together, very good cast

[@afineegg1040]

I am watching Gotchard with a newer fan of Kamen Rider and he is really enjoying it! This isn't my first, but it is his. From the perspective of a longtime fan of the franchise it can feel like a less engaging Kamen Rider series but it's gotten him interested in the franchise in general and we're planning on watching more than just Gotchard now.

[@MonsterZeroLITE]

glad hes enjoying it, regardless what i believe

[@nerobiblios4086]

I think the reason people compare it to Fourze in a negative way is because Fourze already happened, ie it came first so Gotchard feels more like a retread, even if it has it's own quirks. It's not saying Fourze is bad, it's just saying Gotchard should do something to differentiate itself more.

[@wavewingman5993]

I also think Fourze had a stronger main cast. Gotchard does have a bit more serialized storytelling, an area where Fourze was very weak. But the tradeoff with Fourze is that, due to its strong cast, the lack of an overarching plot didn't feel like a downside. All of the Kamen Rider Club were such enjoyable characters that we didn't mind going for some ultimately inconsequential shenanigans with them. Gotchard's storyelling and cast are both...decent? Passable? Overall, it just seems to be circling the middle, not excelling in any particular area.

[@DragonStar524]

In comparison to the other Reiwa seasons, Gotchard feels very comfy. I enjoy this season.

[@ipacklunches]

I'm glad you gave it chance after your initial review!

[@thatman666]

My main problems with this season is that the writing feels it’s going bare minimum and every week a new form gets introduced but feels like an afterthought. *EDIT:* For those who liked Gotchard, good for you. But I'm still entitled to my criticism against it unless the 2nd Act and beyond changes everything.

[@ramdustincarandang7798]

This is because Toei didn't allow Hasegawa to let the show have dark elements.

[@Marcosatsu]

That was a mistranslation, darker elements weren’t planned from the start

[@ramdustincarandang7798]

@@Marcosatsu Right.

[@aidenbarr6433]

I kind of agree, I feel like that watching Gotchard is like watching Dragonball Z cause it every episode they get a new form just like Goku did. Gotchard needs to have more darker themes like Amazons or Black RX. I get it’s a Fourze inspired show but they should have some elements of dark themes. To me Geats had more dark themes cause of shooting and it just felt it had more stakes than Gotchard. The desire Grand Prix was more intense than the whole start of Gotchard. I also feel like they had so many riders in Geats they had to budget it down to make it feel less crowded with riders, which is okay for a series like Gotchard but it leaves Spanner being the only second rider.

[@REXZero00]

dark does not mean good also let wait

[@DragonStar524]

Gotchard is honestly something we needed. With the last 4 seasons having such HUGE stakes, it's good to dial it back and give us something more close to home

[@Dragonkid69]

Personally it does feel low stakes which we kinda needed after Geats Also in my opinion I’m glad the forms are introduced quickly instead of Drawn out Our protagonist is alot like Aruto Because he’s a younger rider who has to learn to be a kamen rider also alchemy as the series main gimmick is cool and unique

[@rayhayes7701]

Agreed all around

[@Holly-khore-levina]

Honestly this season's been a lot of fun so far for me. It's like a softer/cuter Fourze in a lot of respects, and episode-to-episode things have been reasonably engaging for the first "under a dozen" episodes. My only real nitpick is that a decent number of the suit debuts feel... for want of a better way to put it obligatory. Like a lot of the time it feels like they are just introduced to sell their merch, and then vanish just as quickly so we can get back to Steam-Hopper or just end the fight. And while it's far from the only season to have this problem it feels more noticeable than normal.

[@megatron2171]

Yeah its like BANDAI is the one who took over the production instead of actual producer from TOEI

[@Ceasar_Dragon]

I feel like Ichinose is a sort of allegory for the youthful optimism that many hold when they are young. Full of ideals and hopes for the future and what you want. On the other hand, Spanner is the oppisite. Cold, seems harsh but is grounded in reality with a point on realism. I sort of suspect that towards the end, Ichinose will be put through something to pull him into despair, corrupting his henshin potentially.

[@daun5view]

As I finally went to watch this, I found out that the new episode got subbed. Peak's back on the menu, y'all.

[@MrVentus1012]

So far, the weakest link is ironically the alchemy stuff. When it’s the slice of life stuff, it does become interesting.

[@megatron2171]

Its not bad, But i feel like they played it too safe, the MOTW was interesting at least, and kyoto arc is actually good. I really hope the show keeps improving

[@ramdustincarandang7798]

I hope so. This is Toei's fault for not allowing Hasegawa to add dark and serious elements to the show.

[@megatron2171]

​@@ramdustincarandang7798at this point, if hasegawa started adding dark elements its going to be a weird direction. I mean he can always write gotchard the way he wrote fourze at the time

[@mka.555]

I wonder with current perception of Gotchard...will it got the same condition as Hibiki or Gobuster where the shows got revamp or changed mid-season...

[@DragonxFlutter]

Zero-One: Awesome intro to the Reiwa Era. Saber: Honestly sabotaged by then-current world health events, resulting in a lesser show. Revice: Great up until the ending arcs and the end of Ikki’s story specifically. Geats: Back on track with an amazing show. Gotchard: Now that we’re a few weeks away from its TV finale, all I have to say is this………..they stretched the plot too thin, and it’s not even a good plot at that. Completely wasted those great suit designs on sub-par storytelling with sub-par characters. Fourze it is not.

[@rayhayes7701]

You lied to me so I’ll get you back in a children’s card game. Anyway I’m going to have agree with the statement of this doesn’t have to be great but it can still be fun and that’s what I take away from Gotchard. I keep saying this and I’ll keep saying this; Gotchard just needs to be a show and it doesn’t have to be a show that’s groundbreaking. I didn’t ask or need it to be groundbreaking I just want this to be a show. That is all. And even then I’m still finding things to enjoy about it and I still have questions about the plot points. Here are the list of questions I still want to know: Where is Rinne’s Dad? Is Spuna losing his memories every time he transforms into Valvrad? Who is Greyon? Why do The Dark Sisters want the Gotchardriver so badly? Why are the Alchemy Association members erasing people’s memories? And now I have a new question Who the heck is Kamen Rider Dread and what are Dark Chemy cards? All this questions I want to know and I’m going to get anywhere by not watching my cat curiosity is getting the better of me here man. And I don’t know about you but I’m not going to drop a Rider show just because of this random reason or that stupid reason ok. I’m in it for the long haul. And I haven’t hated a rider season yet the worst I said was indifferent and I want to keep it that way.

[@XenonRider7]

I dunno about great, but it is a fun watch.

[@BManX3X]

Fourze would not be looked on favorable if it was ongoing. The fact that fourze ended the way it did is why it got popular in the fandom. Let gotchard reach its end

[@Roler42]

I watched Fourze last year, and even then I took small breaks because a lot of the super basic slice-of-life elements were not hooking me in as much as I wanted them to. And I think it mostly was because of how laughably petty the monsters of the week and the horoscopes were, lol. "This Gentaro kid is so friendly it pisses me off, I'll use the power of the COSMOS to kill him!". It did thankfully grow on me by the time the second arc kick in, Gotchard is gonna meet the same fate as Fourze and Saber, it's gonna be seen as underrated.

[@Brandonweifu]

​@@Roler42"laughably petty".......I mean....majority of them are teenagers 😂

[@youtubecyan7061]

I feel like this is going to be the opposite of the thumbnail(I like gotchard)

[@youtubecyan7061]

damn I was wrong wild

[@x_angelkawaii3_x]

i really like gotchard it's fun and cute

[@rbrown4590]

Gotchard’s just okay so far. It’s plot and characters feel very run of the mill and kinda just feels like a rejected concept for a Neo Heisei season made in Reiwa. I can understand the comparisons with Fourze but I honestly found the characters in Fourze to be more interesting right off the bat. Maybe that’ll change in the 2nd half?

[@rbrown4590]

And tbh, I don’t really think Gotchard getting so much flak is a case of “slice of life Rider season bad, dark Rider season good” but more on how…basic the plot and characters are so far, especially Hotaro. He’s definitely more of your typical naive Rider MC so far and coming off of Geats and Revice he falls a little flat at first glance. I’m interested in seeing where they take Rinne and Sabimaru but they still need time to develop.

[@mediaguyzelkova5131]

The Kingohger theme song sums up my opinion very easy. It's Alright,It's alright!!! That's also my opinion on Kingohger.

[@ludoletono]

The suit reminds me of Rocket Knight from the Genesis

[@rjl310]

So, now that Gotchard is wrapping up: Easily, by FAR, my least favorite Reiwa KR series. I concept without much of a story. A story that barely goes anywhere. Zzzzzzzz.

[@benncourt]

What about Kamen rider legend?

[@Marcosatsu]

Marcosatsu has lied once again.

[@geeshep4836]

Kamen Rider Gotchard To Me So Far Both Gotchard And Those Chemy Cards Won't Stfu.

[@FireFury190]

Cancel this man for spreading misinformation.

[@rayhayes7701]

@@FireFury190I’ll handle this. I shall beat him in a card game!

[@kuroninjatv1141]

Gotchard is a good season, a lot of people just don’t get it yet

[@rayhayes7701]

Right

[@Blaze70007]

Well to me Hotaro reminds me of Gon from hunter x hunter being your typical mc while the rest of the cast is are unimaginably fleshed out but just like in The Chimera Ant arc where Gon is more fleshed out the same thing could happen to Hotaro.

[@FlameSubs]

Saber mentioned and I clapped

[@nunyabiddeness6544]

I really reject the idea that "rider is ONLY plot driven OR character driven", and that "Gotchard is character driven, and people dont like that". Some shows, like Gaim, Ex-Aid, and Build, are character AND plot driven, and thats why people hold up these seasons as some of the best. Early heisei was also character AND plot driven, like Kuuga and Agito. These were drama shows about characters struggling to survive against an onslaught of monsters with elaborate plotlines, but they were also about characters struggling to form bonds with each other and find hope in the relationships they had with each other. For every fight scene where Kuuga battles to save innocent civillians, theres a scene where Godai mediates fights between pre-schoolers or pulls out a neat trick to make a kid laugh. Geats was almost all tension and world ending plots and scheming and mystery, this i agree with, and it had very little character focus outside of maybe Nago. I feel like a lot of Reiwa seasons suffer from this issue where there is too much focus on story and not enough on characters. Mid-late stage neo-heisei was great at juggling both, but somewhere along the way it seems like KR seasons forgot how.

[@christianbotter3125]

As a viewer, I like Gotchard, but my main gripe is that how Ichinose is so normal and basic with zero character development while everyone around him and the stories around him is so much more interesting then himself. Also the fact the level Ichinose is own would have taken other riders around 20 or 30 episodes to get to the point but he just there and it just feel shoehorned in not like Gentaro.

[@KingKuron_]

As a new Kamen Rider fan, I have to say I am enjoying Gotchard! It, alongside Zero-One and OOO are the shows I've been finishing/watching consistently just because it seems to have more "fun" with the concepts and are more wacky, but still plays it relatively straight. My first show recommended to me was Geats, but I absolutely could NOT get into it. It was way too serious and I was not a fan of Ace. As where I am now, I think I get the vibe that it's better off for a veteran fan for seeing subversions or a darker/more serious storyline with no room to breathe.

[@aarcade6676]

idk, I'm a recent fan who watched geats as their first season and I absolutely loved it because of its dark tone and because ace is such a mean protagonist (while still being a fun guy)

[@m128alter2]

"Umm ackshually 👆🤓 Kamen Rider is for kids so it's ok to be lame, because lame it's fun! When tries to be serious it's bad 😠 Good is bad and bad is good, you must understand 🤓"

[@Marcosatsu]

That’s not what anyone is saying and you know it

[@Brandonweifu]

Sounds like some bullshit power ranger fans say to justify megaforce

[@dwaynewilson8919]

The main leading actors didn’t happen to be the best actors. The guest of the week storylines aren’t great. There’s barely any world building behind the academy. It’s like saber except there’s only one rider and two lower tier alchemist trying to help seal the chemy while the leader or higher up perhaps upper tier alchemist are doing nothing beside rogue non rider rival.

[@MonsterZeroLITE]

People can enjoy what they want but Gotchard is and was not it now that its ended fully, i dont hate or even necessarily dislike gotchard, but i can easily say its not a "Good season/show of Kamen Rider", its Wizard/Ghost 2 and somehow does worse than both combined in its story, structure, and format, and its a massive shame, only certain characters and their own arcs save Gotchard, nothing more or less

[@mat.e.5]

its alr, it’s trying too hard to be KR Build

[@freddi00]

Build is nothing like Gotchard wdym

[@JoJoseTv7]

The worst part of gotchard is the character always transform into a cg form and being a super childish man that wants to be friend of the chemis

[@Yonfuverse]

I wonder why? Maybe because his a teenager?? Duh...oh who also wants to befriend people? Gentaro from Fourze

[@JoJoseTv7]

@@Yonfuverse he is the goofy ahh good hero

[@Yonfuverse]

@@JoJoseTv7 Basically like Gotchard

[@JoJoseTv7]

@@Yonfuverse yeah I was wrong...as usual 😞

[@rameybutler-hm7nx]

Im not a fan of kamen pokemon.

[@donhillsmanii5906]

“Gotchard is really fun and great, actually “ 😂😂😂😂 Lol no it is not at all

[@Justifaiz_]

You are so lame lol

[@Scaevola9449]

Gotchard continues to prove me right in my assertion that Rider has been on a continuous downhill since Build. Sure, it's not as dogshit as Revice (yet) but it's pretty bad.

[@Brandonweifu]

I wasn't really a fan of the "merchandise rider to begin with (yeah I know,toy sales) but reiwa Era riders are just dialing it up even harder it feels,and not doing well with the story

[@akuraccoon]

I personally don’t think the show is mid I just think it’s straight up BAD i cannot stand the episodes and stopped watching arround episode 12 Like i feel there’s barely anything salvageable about the fist 12 episodes

[@Yonfuverse]

Then you would also consider the previous old hesei series bad as well.

[@Megaken-lw3ep]

Bold of you to say with that profile pic

[@cynicalfella]

I don't want to be that guy, But I watched the Trailer, I saw clips online and I saw other suits and I just didn't like it. It feels like every modern rider, An over designed Character who doesn't do anything new by anybody's standards

[@vedanthkamath]

Gotchaed was the worst kamen rider

[@Megaken-lw3ep]

You have never seen an episode of Skyrider in your life.