History YMMV / KamenRiderExAid

** "Ex-Aid has no OP", and variations thereof, based on the fact that the series has moved towards a ColdOpen and is instead playing its theme song "EXCITE" as an ending theme instead of as an opening.

* IAmNotShazam: The riders are easily labeled, but the forms are often mislabeled by fans as either the Gashat names or just the Rider names for Level 2. Form names tend to have a word taken from the base Gashat the rider uses to transform (''Action'' for Ex-Aid and Genm, ''Quest'' for Brave, ''Shooting'' for Snipe, and ''Bike'' for Kiriya) with the word "Gamer", followed by the level of said form. If a supplemental Gashat is added, a word from said Gashat's name is prefixed. For example, Kamen Rider Ex-Aid is the rider himself. His "chibi" form is called Action Gamer Level 1. His "regular" form is called Action Gamer Level 2. When he uses Gekitotsu Robots, he is called Robot Action Gamer Level 3. When he uses Shakariki Sports, he is called Sports Action Gamer Level 3. When he uses Ju Ju Burger, he is called Burger Action Gamer Level 4. When he uses Dragon Knight Hunter Z, he is called Hunter Action Gamer Level 5. When he uses Mighty Bros. XX, the chibi form is called Double Action Gamer X and the split regular forms are called Double Action Gamer XX-L and XX-R. Maximum Gamer Level 99 and Muteki Gamer avoid this naming convention.

*** Turns out it's M,[[spoiler: or more specifically, Parado.]]
** Considering Kiriya's habit of lying, one has to wonder if him acting goofy and casual with everything he does is an act to mask how he feels about [[spoiler: causing his friend's death.]] At times it almost feels forced when he laughs at other people. And when [[spoiler:he comes back from death and reveals that he's working with Masamune completely out of free will, has he turned a new leaf and chosen to truly become evil? Or has he gone under despair of seeing Emu not having stopped the Bugster Virus and decided Masamune was the only hope of possibly stopping it? Is he a double agent that's working with Masamune to benefit the heroes? Was he truly reprogrammed by Masamune and restored by Emu and is just putting up a front with Emu for something else? With [[ConsummateLiar Kiriya,]] it's difficult to know what's true.]]
*** Turns out [[spoiler: he hasn't changed at all and is doing it all to get the proto-Gashats back.]]

** Fan reaction to the writers [[spoiler: killing off Kiriya]] is divisive at best. Some fans supported their decision, as his character arc has already finished, while some other fans thought they did it too early. A third camp felt that they [[spoiler: killed off]] the wrong character. There's yet another camp, mainly of Japanese parents, who felt that [[spoiler: his death]] was at a very poorly timed episode since was aired on Christmas.
** Much like in ''[[Series/KamenRiderDouble Double]],'' the resurrection of [[spoiler: Poppy and Parado]] in the show's final episode has been met with mixed results by fans. Some say that bringing them back undermines the show's messages about mortality, while others don't have an issue with it due to them inevitably having to be brought back due to them showing up in ''[[TheMovie True Ending]]'', which takes place after the series finale. To be fair, they're video game characters...

* DracoInLeatherPants: Parado. He admits that his motive is revenge, wants to punish and commit genocide on humanity in a Creator/TaroYoko styled spectacle fighter with humans as the ''mooks'' with Kamen Rider Chronicle, and if a Bugster doesn't agree with his revenge, he will strangle and threaten them. But people treat him as a misunderstood AntiVillain who just wants to play with Emu and is justify his crimes which equal Dan's in scale. [[spoiler: While he does get redemption and join the heroes, it's less about him being misunderstood and more so out of Emu having to teach him that what he's doing is horrible and that he can't play with and murder humans who only have one life.]]

** Hiiro's habit of eating sweets [[spoiler: becomes this when episode 6 reveals that it is his way of remembering the promise he made to his girlfriend before she fully succumbed to her Bugster infection.]]
** Taiga's reactions to the ghosts in the haunted house attraction are pretty damn hilarious since nobody expected for someone like him to be scared of ghosts. As Kamen Rider Snipe Episode 0 reveals, [[spoiler:he and his friend Maki fought over the Gamer Driver and the result was Maki dying to Game Disease and stress from Taiga's actions. The reactions were likely less about Taiga being a wimp and more about him being reminded that he killed someone and the possibility they want revenge.]]
** Kuroto being joyful for becoming an "immortal" reminds some fans that [[spoiler:Kenzaki went insane after living 300 years as an immortal in the novel adaptation of ''Kamen Rider Blade''.]]

*** Gets even worse when you learn that [[spoiler: Kuroto Dan goal was actually to revive his mother. Parado isn't carrying on Kuroto's wish so much as he is twisting it maliciously]].

* FanonDiscontinuity: Due to the series having multiple endings depending on where you decide to stop watching it, some fans pretend that the series has ended at episode 45, or at most extended it to the ''True Ending'' and/or ''Heisei Generations Final'' movies, rather than accepting the ''Another Ending'' trilogy, where [[spoiler: Kuroto becoming a villain again and seemingly died for good at the end.]]

** [Insert Rider here] IS WEAKER THAN POPPY [[labelnote:Explanation]]As Riders within series are given official stats with no real regard for comparisons between each other, (eg., Series/KamenRiderFourze’s [[SuperMode Cosmic States]] being physically weaker than Series/KamenRiderKiva's base form), this results in a somewhat odd difference in powers between Riders. As a result, people make jokes about Riders in their final forms or being unstoppable in the show's story actually being utter weaklings, as they can't match up to Poppy's official stats.[[/labelnote]] The main variation of this is POPPY IS STRONGER THAN GOD[[note]]The god in question being Kamen Rider Gaim in Kiwami Arms.[[/note]]

** The revelations about Taiga's past have caused viewers to interpret him as either a JerkassWoobie or a self centered {{Sociopath}} who's entire reason for what he does including endangering innocent lives and trying to outright murder Ex-Aid amounts to either his ego being bruised or flat out [[GreenEyedMonster jealousy that other people got the job that "should" have been his.]] His dialogue and actions provide evidence for both.

** [Insert Rider here] IS WEAKER THAN POPPY [[labelnote:Explanation]]As Riders within series are given official stats with no real regard for comparisons between each other, (eg., [[SuperMode Cosmic States]] from Fourze being physically weaker than Kiva's base form), this results in a somewhat odd difference in powers between Riders. As a result, people make jokes about Riders in their final forms or being unstoppable in the show's story actually being utter weaklings, as they can't match up to Poppy's official stats.[[/labelnote]] The main variation of this is POPPY IS STRONGER THAN GOD[[note]]The god in question being Kamen Rider Gaim in Kiwami Arms.[[/note]]
* {{Moe}}: Burgermon's overall goofiness and attempts to go away so he doesn't hurt anybody just made him endearing to the eyes of fans. [[spoiler: It also makes Kuroto's murder of him all the more heartless.]]

* {{Narm}}: The sheer number of [[spoiler: villains with [[AGodAmI God Complexes]] that the series throws at the viewer.]] It's startling and unsettling with [[LateArrivalSpoiler Kuroto.]] It starts feeling like a bit of a rehash with [[spoiler: Masamune,]] and by the time you see [[spoiler: that Johnny Maxima's website declares its corporate philosophy as "I AM GOD" and hear him bellow that as Gamedeus Machina you probably won't be able to derive any meaning from that combination of words at all.]]

** The Burgermon incident is an example of TruthInTelevision concerning doctors needing to sometimes listen to their patients in an effort to treat them; as patients can sometimes have extenuating circumstances attached to their conditions that render standard treatment options ineffective. Case in point: [[spoiler: Taiga saw Burgermon as "just another Bugster," and as such was a danger to the latest patient]]. Because Emu listened to Tsukawa and used both his personal experiences alongside his medical knowledge, he was able to link [[spoiler: Burgermon's safety to Tsukawa's health, and find an (albeit accidental) alternative method to cure him of his Game Disease]].

* TheUntwist: [[spoiler:Emu has game disease.]] Pretty much everyone called that one, even those who had not seen the crossover.
* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter: Not so much a character, but Brave's Taddle Legacy arrived with little fanfare and showed very few of its abilities, though it's somewhat justified, since it showed up in the show's final arc and the plot couldn't make a lot of room to focus on it.

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: At the end of episode 23, Emu gets ahold of the Giri Giri Chambara Gashat after [[spoiler: Kuroto is killed off by Parad]]. Yet we never see Ex-Aid Chambara Gamer. To be fair, it's worth noting that there's been cases of this happening before (Den-O Vega Form, Gaim Jimber Melon Arms), but it's rather irritating since a), Emu ''had'' the gashat for this form for the rest of the show, whereas in those cases, the opportunity wasn't present for very long, and b), he continued to use level 3 forms after obtaining Maximum Mighty X.
* UncannyValley: Emu's face when [[spoiler: his Game Disease symptoms all emerge thanks to Kuroto]]. It's not pretty.

* UnpopularPopularCharacter: Kuroto Dan's absolutely hog-wild personality earned him a strong following among [[BaseBreakingCharacter a segment of the fandom]], and has secured him not only a return performance as Another OOO in an arc of Series/KamenRiderZiO but also an ''untransformed'' Figuarts, which is a rare occurrence to say the least. InUniverse however, he's considered by most if not all who encounter him to be an obnoxious and difficult to work with moron. It says something that [[Series/KamenRiderBuild Ryuga]], yes ''[[IdiotHero that]]'' [[IdiotHero Ryuga,]] thinks he's a complete idiot. Similarly, [[spoiler: The only reason Sougo [[FakeDefector "joins"]] him in the aforementioned arc to get an idea of how ''not'' to be a good ruler.]]
* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: The special effects in this series are very well done, especially compared to the lower-budget-than-usual effects of its [[Series/KamenRiderGhost predecessor]].

** ''True Ending'' kicks the effects up a few notches, with even greater choreography and encounters, with special mention going to [[spoiler: Hyper Muteki vs Gamedeus Machina, switching between a first-person view and destruction on an enormous scale, making it feel like a real FinalBoss of a video game.]]

** Kuroto Dan himself isn't immune to this either. [[spoiler: Had he chosen another dead rider other than Kazuma Kenzaki to disguise himself as in the ''Gorider'' mini-series, he would have won. However, because he chose Blade instead of, oh say, [[Series/KamenRiderRyuki Raia]] or [[Series/KamenRiderKabuto Punchhopper]], he ended up attracting the attention of the real Blade, who helped the other riders take Kuroto down...and because Kenzaki is the Joker Undead, any world Kenzaki enters without Undead in it will be destroyed, thus causing Kuroto's virtual world to fall to pieces[[note]]the real world is fine because Chalice is still present, but as Kuroto a), had himself count as a fake Undead, thus drawing Kenzaki's attention and b), didn't bring any of the Undeads from ''Blade'' as monsters to serve him, this triggered Blade's world destroying abilities[[/note]]]].

** Proving that the tree isn't far from where the apple fell, [[spoiler: Masamune Dan proves himself to be an even bigger idiot than his son - while his decision to revive Kiriya isn't this, he forgets that Kiriya is a ConsummateLiar - something Parado and even his own son knew and took advantage of at some point. If he had simply kept an eye on Kiriya, he probably could've prevented Emu from gaining Muteki Gamer after stealing the Hyper Muteki Gashat, but because he assumed that Kiriya really was loyal to him, he gives Kiriya the Hyper Muteki gashat as a reward...only for Kiriya to turn around and give it to Emu, thus giving Emu his GoldenSuperMode]].

** Burgermon doesn't fall too far behind. He ended up attacked on sight for being a Bugster before he could get away, sees the patient he infected as his father who he needs to protect (Thankfully, the feeling is mutual), and when he believes that he'll kill the patient if he sticks around for too long, he tries (and fails) to be evil and get himself killed. All this happened when he just wanted some burgers and to make his creator happy. [[spoiler: [[HopeSpot And once his creator's cured and Burgermon is complete without having to kill anyone,]] [[YankTheDogsChain he gets killed by Genm]] [[EvilIsPetty because he wasn't part of a game Kuroto created]], telling his creator to make more games and sacrificing himself in the process.]]

* {{Narm}}: The sheer number of [[spoiler: villains with [[AGodAmI God Complexes.]] That the series throws at the viewer.]] It's startling and unsettling with [[LateArrivalSpoiler Kuroto.]] It starts feeling like a bit of a rehash with [[spoiler: Masamune,]] and by the time you see [[spoiler: that Johnny Maxima's website declares its corporate philosophy as "I AM GOD" and hear him bellow that as Gamedeus Machina you probably won't be able to derive any meaning from that combination of words at all.]]
* RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap: Nico Saiba was originally a scrappy in the eyes of fans during her introduction in the series for being a bratty GamerChick who wants Taiga to beat Emu as a revenge from being defeated by him in a gaming tournament as a kid. However, fans began to warm up on her due to her decent CharacterDevelopment as well as her act of being Taiga's MoralityPet.

** Parado is pretty good at invoking this. He gets another example in #26, where he calls people out on hypocritically creating video game characters only to have someone they could beat up. ''Disney/WreckItRalph'' is a Disney movie about DesignatedVillain arguing against his role in the story. Basically, Parado is a twisted version of Ralph, who went to settle the debt with his creator instead of trying to prove himself as a hero.

** Taiga Hanaya, at least in the Japanese fandom, is easily the most popular of the main Riders. His EvilIsCool tendencies, his [[TallDarkAndSnarky good looks]] and his interesting backstory is generally cited as the reason.

** Genm is also ''very'' popular for his mysterious aura and general badassery. The reveal of him being [[spoiler:Kuroto]] only helped his popularity, with his psychotic true colors making him scarier for some. And now, we have his awesome ''and'' terrifying Zombie Gamer Form, easily one of the most awesome and best designed forms in the series.

** [[spoiler: Masamune Dan is even [[EvilerThanThou worse]] than his son, and is egotistical enough to claim himself as the true cause of events that transpired, seeing everyone as a byproduct of his company. But as Kamen Rider Cronus, he's undoubtably one of the coolest-looking riders in the series, and when he claims to be the rule of the world itself with his ability to bend time to his will, you've got very little reason to disagree with him.]]

* FoeYayShipping: Parado's obsession with Emu, and things like him smiling when he sees Emu returning to his old self, has some fans shipping them. [[spoiler: Although it enters ScrewYourself territory when it's revealed that Parado is Emu's Bugster. And from episode 40 onwards, they are [[HeelFaceTurn no longer foes.]]]]
* FanPreferredCouple: After the end of the series, Emu/Parado became the most popular pairing. It helps that [[spoiler: they have become friends for real since episode 40 after Parado’s HeelFaceTurn, and they are literally each other’s other half.]]
* FountainOfMemes: '''Kuroto Dan'''. The combination of being [[LargeHam incredibly hammy]] along with his god complex and all of the funny, exaggerated face expressions and actions that he made throughout the series not only made him this, but it also made him a [[EnsembleDarkhorse fan-favorite]] and arguably one of the most memetic characters ''in the entire franchise''.

* FoeYayShipping: Parado's obsession with Emu, and things like him smiling when he sees Emu returning to his old self, has some fans shipping them.
** [[spoiler: Although it enters ScrewYourself territory when it's revealed that Parado is Emu's Bugster.]]

** Genm/Kuroto is also ''very'' popular for his mysterious aura and general badassery. The reveal of him being Kuroto only helped his popularity, with his psychotic true colors making him scarier for some. And now, we have his awesome ''and'' terrifying Zombie Gamer Form, easily one of the most awesome and best designed forms in the series.

* EarWorm: The Gamer Driver calls, as is usual for the Kamen Rider Drivers.

** "Ex-Aid has no OP", and variations thereof, based on the fact that the series has moved towards a ColdOpen and is instead playing its opening theme over the closing part of each episode.
*** EXCITE is an ED!

* MoralEventHorizon:
** Once he's revealed to be evil, [[spoiler: Masamune]] slowly creeps towards the line until he's crossed it and things can only gets worse from there.

** As is par for the course, when the first details about this series came to light, complaints arose. Most of the negativity was in response to [[WhatTheHellCostumingDepartment Ex-Aid's suit design]]: Ex-Aid's AnimeHair, a neon color scheme, eyes that look like they came straight from an SD Gundam model kit and the SuperDeformed Level 1 forms. Those that aren't just badmouthing the design see it as an attempt to make the show more kid friendly, comparing it to similar attempts by the ''Franchise/MetalHeroes'' series (''Series/BRoboKabutack'' and ''Series/TetsuwanTanteiRobotack'') that led to the death of the franchise. The other side argues that regardless of content, ''Kamen Rider'' has ''always'' been marketed towards children and more lighthearted, "weirder" installments like ''Series/KamenRiderDenO'' and ''Series/KamenRiderFourze'' didn't negatively impact the franchise's survival. [[CashCowFranchise Especially not]] ''[[Series/KamenRiderDenO Den-O]]''. Of course, this is a full bait and switch just like ''Series/KamenRiderGaim'', that was about fruits and street dancing before transitioning into its much darker and mature story (which still had fruits, but way less street dancing).

* SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped:
** Secretary Hinata firmly deflates Emu's HeroWorship that has made him more reckless than usual by forcing him to realize that Dr. Hinata could not have saved Emu on his own, and that it took the teamwork of multiple specialists to save his life sixteen years ago. Bit of TruthInTelevision as most people tend to remember the face of something they enjoy or idolize, but in things like the medical field, there is more than one person that makes the process succeed.
** In regards to Emu's recent attitude of [[ThisIsSomethingHesGotToDoHimself trying to cure Secretary Hinata of his Bugster infection]], there is a point where a problem may become too much for one person to handle and one has to turn to others for help.
** The Burgermon incident is an example of TruthInTelevision concerning doctors needing to sometimes listen to their patients in an effort to treat them; as patients can sometimes have extenuating circumstances attached to their conditions that render standard treatment options ineffective. Case in point: [[spoiler: Taiga saw Burgermon as "just another Bugster," and as such was a danger to the latest patient]]. Because Emu listened to Tsukawa and used both his personal experiences alongside his medical knowledge, he was able to link [[spoiler: Burgermon's safety to Tsukawa's health, and find an (albeit accidental) alternative method to cure him of his Game Disease]].
** Doctors can't save everyone. They can do their best and for a while, everything seems like it'll be alright but then life throws a curveball and the patient dies. [[spoiler:Emu learned this lesson when Kuroto was killed by Parado after the man was no longer a threat to anyone. He weeps over the fact that he couldn't save Kuroto.]]
** The biggest, and arguably greatest theme in the show is that while there is a chance they can be saved and there comes a time they have to end, the lives of other people aren't something you decide on and never yours to control.

* InternetBackdraft:
** Japanese Twitter ''exploded'' on Christmas day [[spoiler:due to Lazer's death.]] It even got to the point where ''a 2 and a half year old'' grabbed his Gashacon Sparrow and told his dad that [[spoiler:''[[https://twitter.com/OfShangrila/status/812808615383822336 he was going to hunt Genm down to bring Lazer back]]''.]] What's worse, when Toei posted an image of [[spoiler:Lazer's actor's crank up]], they decided to add a hashtag that was floating around in the fanbase- this hashtag in question being [[spoiler:[=#WhyDidKiriyaDieSoEarly=]]]. Needless to say, [[http://news.nicovideo.jp/watch/nw2566569?news_ref=newsearch the fanbase wasn't pleased]], and Toei eventually had to apologize and delete the tweet.
** On a lesser note, the actor of Genm posted [[https://twitter.com/lespros_tetsuya/status/812801209811619840 a tweet saying "As expected, Zombie is cool! How's that, Genm's strong, isn't he?"]]. The fanbase responded with [[Series/KamenRiderBlade Blade memes]] and [[Series/KamenRiderGaim Gaim references]], among other things.

** The first few notes of the jingle when [[spoiler:Mighty Brothers XX]] activates sounds just a little too much like a sped-up version of "[[MightyMorphinPowerRangers Go Go Power Rangers]]".

** Thankfully subverted when Emu chooses to use the mysterious blank Gashat given to him by Parado. Parado, being [[EnigmaticMinion Parado]],[[spoiler: [[XanatosGambit was counting on Emu's genetic makeup to unlock the Gashat's power]] because he felt it would make the "game" more interesting.]]

** Kiriya Kujo. [[spoiler: His best friend Jungo is implied to have committed suicide after Kiriya informed him that he was infected with the Game Disease. It hit him so hard that it made him believe that telling the truth is a bad thing to do, since all he'll do is hurt people more. Once this bites him in the ass and nobody wants to trust him anymore, Kiriya decides to tell them everything he knows, but Parado's trickery causes everyone to lose trust in him, even Emu finds it difficult to trust him now. To rub it in further, he decides all he can do now is to say that he ''was'' lying, since there's no chance they will believe in anything he says anymore. After he finally regains the trust of the riders and a gaining a new friend in Emu, he gets tricked into crippling himself by Kuroto, after Kuroto's dad gives him crucial information about his son, forcing Kiriya to fight a battle that he had no hope of winning. In the end, after he's gotten exactly what he wanted, he loses his life and his powers are nothing more than a simple bike for the last friend he made.]]

* UnpopularPopularCharacter: Kuroto Dan's absolutely hog-wild personality earned him a strong following among [[BaseBreakingCharacter a segment of the fandom]], and has secured him not only a return performance as Another OOO in an arc of Series/KamenRiderZiO but also an ''untransformed'' Figuarts, which is a rare occurrence to say the least. InUniverse however, he's considered by most if not all who encounter him to be an obnoxious and difficult to work with moron. It says something that [[Series/KamenRiderBuild Ryuga]], yes ''[[IdiotHero that]]'' [[IdiotHero Ryuga,]] thinks he's a complete idiot. Similarly, [[spoiler: The only reason Sougo [[FakeDefector "joins"]] him in the aforementioned arc to get an idea of how ''not'' to be a good ruler.]]

* UnpopularPopularCharacter: Kuroto Dan's absolutely hog-wild personality earned him a strong following among [[BaseBreakingCharacter a segment of the fandom]], and has secured him not only a return performance as Another OOO in an arc of Series/KamenRiderZio but also an ''untransformed'' Figuarts, which is a rare occurrence to say the least. InUniverse however, he's considered by most if not all who encounter him to be an obnoxious and difficult to work with moron. It says something that [[Series/KamenRiderBuild Ryuga]], yes ''[[IdiotHero that]]'' [[IdiotHero Ryuga,]] thinks he's a complete idiot. Similarly, [[spoiler: The only reason Sougo [[FakeDefector "joins"]] him in the aforementioned arc to get an idea of how ''not'' to be a good ruler.]]