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Sep 16, 2019 11:13 PM
#1
Please put any potential spoilers behind a spoiler tag until the series has concluded airing. Episode 1 Thoughts: This was one of the strongest first episode for KR that I have seen in a long time. The obvious references to Asimov's robots are a plus. The introduction of a conspiracy (Daybreak incident) this early is great for keeping me interested. The direction of action sequence was really outstanding. The only complaint obviously is that Aruto's jokes were very cringe but that kinda is the point. Episode 2 Thoughts: Very strong follow-up episodes where we see a clear contrast between Aruto and Fuwa's background. I was surprised on how fast they moved into the flashbacks to establish the characters, even though it was kinda on the nose and very in your face exposition. The fact that they contrasted the two riders was really nice from a shot perspective. Also, Aruto not hiding the attacks is a smart move that might allow more collaboration between Hiden and AIMS in the open in the future. Episode 3 Thoughts: Still strong and not fully falling into the monster of the week formula. I liked that Aruto didn't do his cringe joke in this episode instead we got a cute imitation from Izu. We didn't get to learn more about Yua like the other two riders so I assume it's gonna be a slow drip for her background and motivation. Also, more conspiracy with Yua and her involvement with a shadowy figure that seems to be a fourth force separate from Hiden, AIMS (at least publicly) and MetsubouJinrai.net So far, the 3 first episodes are all extremely strong. Now I am afraid I am going to be disappointed if the rest of the series fizzle out or does not live up to my standard. :( |
m4rc0Sep 22, 2019 9:42 PM
bla bla bla The endless debate between fans and haters. At one point, after spending a lot of time on MAL, you just realize it's totally pointless.Niko-kun said: On MAL, everyone who has used the lame rating system becomes a critic and an intellectual by default, haven't you heard? |
Sep 21, 2019 5:42 PM
#2
Episode 4 Thoughts (watched TV asahi live): Wow I didn't think they would explore Daybreak incident this fast. The vice-president still refuses to cooperate so Aruto has to investigate with the help of Anna. Aruto also revealed his Rider form to Fuwa. We also get to see Fuwa no longer just shooting Humagear on sight and we got a piece of history on what happened that day (also exonerating the kid's father who was originally blamed for the incident). Aruto demonstrated really well to Fuwa that he is different and does not want to hide behind lies. Still going very strong but I am always afraid they will run out of plot if they keep at this pace... |
bla bla bla The endless debate between fans and haters. At one point, after spending a lot of time on MAL, you just realize it's totally pointless.Niko-kun said: On MAL, everyone who has used the lame rating system becomes a critic and an intellectual by default, haven't you heard? |
Sep 22, 2019 11:37 AM
#3
Quick thoughts so far: -love the general brisk pacing, episode 1 came out swinging and there's some big developments happening pretty quick - the AIMS duo getting their suits in episodes 2 and 3, some interpersonal intrigue, episode 4 having Aruto reveal himself to Isamu so soon, etc -most of the CG is great, but there's some iffy stuff like with the bus in episode 1, but for the most part quite impressive like the last few seasons -glad to have a true female secondary and very capable at that, Yua is straight-laced and tough without being obnoxious, and her battle in episode 3 was super badass -lots of great fight choreo in general -Aruto is an endearing lead, really compassionate and I like how they undercut his pun humour as pretty cringey, but in a wholesome way, I hate puns myself but Aruto's boisterous delivery really makes it -Episode 1 was such a dynamic opener, and Episode 3 had a layered look at robotics, Japanese pride, aging, etc in a really nuanced and potent way, can't wait to see how things develop down the line, episode 2 was also fun, just not as fresh in my memory Episode 4: -I kinda like this early conceit of Aruto just going around seeing HumaGears on the job, familiarizing himself with their roles, check up on how they're doing, etc, helps him learn about his own role as the CEO of Hiden, creating HumaGears and helping society along and such -now we got a story about some kid whose dad was blamed for the Daybreak Incident and feeling the burden of his dad's mistakes, Isamu bringing him along to search for the truth, sharing his frustration with the incident and all, thankfully the airs are cleared for the dad, and the boy doesn't have to carry that shame either, doesn't quite feel as personal as last week's episode, more about how it leads into the bigger plot, but still nice -more of the butting heads with Hiden's VP, Aruto as the young, honest new perspective trying to dig out some of the corporate skeletons in the closet So yeah, another solid episode, I prefer the odd-numbered ones so far, but still pretty consistently strong. I'm glad the pacing is fast, keeps things engaging, but yeah I too am a bit concerned about the long term, Ex-Aid also started out swinging pretty well but would get into some ruts later down the line, so even if the opening parts are good, hopefully Yuya Takahashi (?) can maintain it for the whole of the series this time, I'm sure we'll get lots of twists and big developments to keep things fresh, because my uncertainty about how it can still grow with like 45 more episodes-ish also has me excited about having no idea where things are headed with so much time left. Here's hoping it gets even better! |
Sep 22, 2019 10:01 PM
#4
Well, it's a strong start, that's for sure. Am I afraid it'll go stale with time? Well, all KR and Sentai do. We used to have a term here for that mid series lack of quality, but I don't remember right now (been a while since I discussed Toku, should have come to discuss LuPat which was great). After the big power up in the late 20's early thirties it normally gets a bit boring until it enters endgame. Thing is, this series has a really strong cast, and I think they'll grow on me even more. I'm in love with Yua and both Aruto and Isamu are godd characters and have a good rider-like personality. Izu is also great and it seems she'll be more than just an aide from the OP. The dynamic they have going on between the characters is also good. So I think the slump won't be as boring as most series. The villains still didn't show much, but I hope they end up being more interesting than they are so far. Interesting villains were one of the main reasons W and Drive were good. If we are lucky, the enemies will be interesting and we'll have enough plot and twists to make it a great series. |
Sep 29, 2019 1:17 PM
#5
Episode 5 Thoughts: They finally showed what their business model is and how the Humagear are configured when they sell them. I also liked that they actually showed the Humagear showing more self-awareness as in the previous episode it was hard to tell if they were simply programmed to be amicable vs in this episode clearly one of them showed signs of resistance against potential abuse from their owner. Of course, Jin and Horobi have a way to detect such change and immediately use that to cause carnage again. At this point it's clear Jin is a rogue Humagear who has reached self-awareness. They also explored the theme of creative work under the AI and how passion could still be the differentiating factor (until obviously the Humagears become fully sentient). Izu is showing more character development where she is looking for "passion" in the Humagear contract to understand what Aruto meant. Overall, I'm glad they are slowing down a bit on the plot as I was worried they are going through it too fast. Even though there isn't a lot of plot, there is so much theme and character development to unpack. This episode also had very lit fighting sequences and attacks with the flame. |
bla bla bla The endless debate between fans and haters. At one point, after spending a lot of time on MAL, you just realize it's totally pointless.Niko-kun said: On MAL, everyone who has used the lame rating system becomes a critic and an intellectual by default, haven't you heard? |
Sep 30, 2019 8:36 PM
#6
5 Too little Yua 2 episodes in a row... Yeah, I also got the vibe that Jin is a HumaGear that is "free". Possibily created by Horobi, hence the son part. I think the show is still ambiguous in defining how much agency the HG have. For one, most. For one, it seems they are fully self aware, but on the other hand they seem to lack initiative, with the exception of Izu. Maybe it's a combination of the robotic laws that are in their code anda sort of code with their purpose. For instance, Nigiro is a sushiman, so he makes sushi and related stuff. Also, it seems the level of agency might be related to the owner as well. That's why Izu shows more than others. Being an aide means she needs to do far more different tasks than a normal HG and bot her owners give her incentives to be proactive. But it's all theory. I'd like the show to go deeper on that, but I don't think it will. |
Oct 1, 2019 12:05 PM
#7
Episode 5: Man, poor Yua had so little to do this episode especially. :/ The stuff about Jin is interesting to think about though, and we're starting to see some compassion among HumaGears, bit of agency and such. Little bit about the sales of HumaGears and the Hiden VP thinking about the company's rep possibly being muddied if things had fallen through with the client this time, maybe we'll see some schemes from him later down the line with this whole campaign of Aruto seeing HumaGear in the workplace, helping the clientele and all. Nice bits about a mangaka reigniting his passion instead of slaving over others for his work, this feels leaning more on the traditional side after the sushi episode, but of course automation can and should probably exist alongside human jobs and all, just that this mangaka forsake his vision just so he could cash easy cheques, now it's about the moral integrity of the art itself. Loved some of the effects in this episode, like the manga panel stuff ofc, Burning Tiger is a decent looking form too. Still pretty good, glad they changed things a bit instead of directly trying to milk sympathy from the HumaGears again; the show is straddling this line of trying to make us feel like the HumaGears dying are on par with human mortality, but always just easily replace the affected HumaGear at the end a bit indifferently, so I hope it reconciles it later, because I want to buy into the idea they're presenting about HumaGear lives mattering, and Aruto finally preventing some deaths before they happen, but yeah, still gotta get there. I personally think the episodic tales are nice, but we need a bit more plot, I'm against the slowing down to this degree I guess, want a few more moving parts if we're going to have more of these kinds of episodes for a while longer. |
Oct 6, 2019 12:16 PM
#8
Episode 6 Thoughts: We got more character development this episode as always. I like that each episode so far has moved either (or both) in the plot or in characters. This one explored a bit more on the laws and regulations and show AIMS actually reinforcing the AI regulations. For obvious reasons there are ethical concerns about building HumaGears with the likeness of real humans. This particular case is a hard case as having this much similarity can make it harder for people to move on after their loved one's death. At least there is some progress at the end where only his daughter's voice is used to cheer him up instead of having a full-fledged HumaGear. I guess that's probably an acceptable middle ground to have for me. Jin getting reset by Horobi was interesting to see but a bit disappointing. It's likely that he will break free from Horobi's grasp eventually. It's just too soon right now. |
bla bla bla The endless debate between fans and haters. At one point, after spending a lot of time on MAL, you just realize it's totally pointless.Niko-kun said: On MAL, everyone who has used the lame rating system becomes a critic and an intellectual by default, haven't you heard? |
Oct 9, 2019 8:18 PM
#9
6 Yua got a new form, but still very little screen time... Kinda sad that they made 01 loose his flying form to Jin, who was a HG Horobi created as predicted Jin's actions and the preview give me the impression that not all HG can become Magia, only the ones that are close to become "awakened", having more agency. This probably mean Izu will be targeted in the future. I like how they're slowly building the world with HG in them. It's a show for kids, so they probably won't show HG being used for illegal ends like sex. Nor they'll show what this does to humans in terms of jobs (something we're facing right now IRL) and possibly anti HG movements. It would be a great setting for a more mature series... |
Oct 13, 2019 2:52 PM
#10
Episode 7 This episode was not as eventful but we get to see more and more obvious signs of the Humagear gaining sentience and have agency of their own. Yua is behaving more and more in a sinister fashion, which could be by itself a red herring. It's unclear here whether she is actually executing an agenda of her own separate from her mysterious boss. |
bla bla bla The endless debate between fans and haters. At one point, after spending a lot of time on MAL, you just realize it's totally pointless.Niko-kun said: On MAL, everyone who has used the lame rating system becomes a critic and an intellectual by default, haven't you heard? |
Oct 19, 2019 8:11 PM
#11
More catchup, been preoccupied lately. Episode 6: The structure of this one felt a bit different, didn't dig into the industry in question here (in this case, voice-acting) and problem solving involved as much, and felt a bit more passive yet is further digging at the empathy for HumaGears, correlating Jin's growing sentience and existential angle with parenthood and all. Yua's upgrade is also pretty solid looking, was surprised Jin took the Falcon progrise key to transform, but his suit is still quite cool. Maybe some retread ground a bit at this point it could've gone through with sooner perhaps, instead of re-raising the HumaGear mortality and compassion angle again, but it will still come around eventually. This episode wasn't quite that major, but still fun. Episode 7: This one was pretty plain, didn't seem like it had much to do with technology specifically, just a team being unwilling to give up on basketball even after constant failures and the HumaGear of the week dying and all. Clarified that Horobi is specifically recruiting HumaGears gaining sentience for his army, but the relevance isn't really apparent right now, just sort of the criteria for making them Magears I guess, but they turn into senseless monsters anyway, kinda strange. Yua acting sus though, wonder where that's going. |
Oct 20, 2019 12:38 PM
#12
Episode 8: Sounds like Horobi's plan is taking off, his reveal as being a HumaGear himself is interesting, the secrets about the Ark and who may have created Horobi will be fun to learn about. Nice seeing the trio finally band together a little bit now. Isamu in critical condition after STING DYSTOPIA (such a cool attack) and getting operated on by HumaGear I guess was to be expected for that sweet irony. Again the focus is steering away from the more personal dilemmas to the bigger plot, so I'm glad things are starting to take off. Also the stuff with the mechas is pretty major, but hope it doesn't get into Sentai territory too much going forward. |
Oct 20, 2019 1:03 PM
#13
Episode 8 Yeah, the Giga robot design is cool but it feels a bit out of place within typical KR. Then again this is the first Reiwa so maybe they want to switch up a bit. Other than that, the PLOT advanced a lot in this single episode. It seems as if it's reaching the end of an arc already. A bit worried about the next arc and whether they can maintain this dynamic again. |
bla bla bla The endless debate between fans and haters. At one point, after spending a lot of time on MAL, you just realize it's totally pointless.Niko-kun said: On MAL, everyone who has used the lame rating system becomes a critic and an intellectual by default, haven't you heard? |
Oct 27, 2019 9:44 PM
#14
Episode 9: Bit of a weird one, kind of passive. There was the moral impasse whether or not to keep the medical HumaGears running lest they go berserk, and they talk about possibly trying to have the remaining human medical staff show man's own ability to hold their own, then Aruto almost immediately decides to turn them back on under the pretenses of just shutting down the Gigar to prevent the signals from turning them berserk, I mean, wouldn't he be resolved to stop them anyway? I guess he wasn't sure if Horobi and Jin might try and turn them into Magear directly as well perhaps, maybe give a window of shut down to avoid the signals before going out to settle the job, but the way that conflict was structured played out in a strange way IMO. Pretty insane that they made a Progrise Key to make a Gigar equivalent you can just transform into as well, and so quickly, that's some crazy tech. Speaking of, Izu getting the surveillance footage of Yua's own spying is a bit spooky, I know Izu's innocent and all but those surveillance capabilities are nuts. Wonder if all the ridiculous tech will turn on its head in the episodes to come, because in the wrong hands, it could be very disastrous, so I wonder if and how they'll interrogate that. Looks like next week is back to more of Aruto's field work and public appearances and all, and Isamu looks to already be back in action, you'd think his injuries would provide a good excuse to give Yua some more action time, but who knows. |
Nov 7, 2019 4:35 PM
#15
8 and 9 Man, I know they fused KR with Metal Heroes when they restarted in Kuuga, but I wish they didn't bring the giant robots. 01 isn't the first nor wil be the last, but crappy CG and lame choreography ruins it for me. All in all, a good two parter. Didn't expect Horobi to be a HG as well. I really like how they're making Izu have more agency, but this means she might be a target later. And she's too precious. Yua seemed a bit out of character though. Then again it's still episode 9 so maybe she had that side as well. But I'd prefer if she did the same things but being less emotional. |
Nov 19, 2019 1:39 PM
#16
10 & 11: We got another familiar "Humagears lack humanity in creating art" kinda deal, but this one had a few turns. It was weird seeing Dodo guy go to the actor to learn how to evolve and gain more sentience or more of a soul by reciting lines with him and all, and it's all played completely serious. Also how the Humagear actor being replaced like usual has become such a passe thing now that they nonchalantly just have the rookie version show up on set right away doing his job by next episode. What's more interesting is how we've got more of Yua's mysterious motives being unveiled, with her even outright telling Isamu that she may betray him later without exactly revealing her intent, but we got this new corp ZAIA and Gai Amatsu joining the fray, I guess looking to make a monopoly and pressure Aruto into giving up Hiden Intelligence. How he knows about the disaster happening on set too is especially sus, maybe some threads connecting MetsubouJinrai and ZAIA, wonder what that may mean for Yua if she'll end up maybe assisting MetsubouJinrai or something, that's concerning, but then again, more likely she may learn about that connection and break it off because of it, but we'll see. The cliffhanger with Hiden Intel being raided because of the scandal with the actor is pretty major, I don't know what's going to come of that, but the juiciness of that ending was completely disrupted by the weird looking next episode preview, I have so many questions. |
Nov 25, 2019 8:22 PM
#17
12: Aruto's trying to cover his ass in getting to the bottom of who made Dodo boy, and prototype HumaGear detective Wazu is on it. Was interesting seeing Izu get reasonably suspicious of the credibility of Wazu as an old model and him seemingly goofing off and everything, though they didn't exactly dramatize it much like the viewer may have gotten too suspicious about how things could go the other way or the trail would go cold, Izu kind of made note of it in a brief moment of concern which Aruto immediately laughed off, thinking she's too stiff-minded. Wazu was pretty amusing himself though, was initially thrown off by the reveal about 5 versions of Dodo boy and that they mentioned he kept reviving or whatever I guess, but Metsuboujinrai just took the one model (?) that kept evolving and all. Both the hero and villain sides having some internal clashing here was quaint even if they were brief, I almost would've thought Dodo boy's coup would've really gotten somewhere in context, but the way this is framed, I think he might be wiped out by next episode. I got so sucked into the battle by the end that I was kinda bummed this ended on Aruto just getting the new transformation and that we have another 2 parter; the other times I've conveniently had to do catchup after being preoccupied, but now I have to wait to see the end of the current affairs for next week. Not sure what the ominous dialogue from Izu was about in the preview, she can't die just like that, so soon right? Would be a shame to lose her dynamic with Aruto since Aruto isn't completely buddy buddy with the AIMS duo yet, or maybe another character will be introduced soon to hone in the focus, ramp things up a bit. |
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