Reviews Series / KamenRiderBuild

Series A must watch series

I have to admit, this series stayed true to the producer's expectations in bringing the Kamen Rider series to its original roots. In addition to have the Riders undergo experimentation to use their belts, and humans being forced to become monsters against their will, and taking the season to a darker route.

The whole Cosmic Horror Story thing is like Gaim all over again, but taken to ridiculous extremes. But, the only main difference that Gaim has the whole world being an Alien Kudzu devouring humanity, while Build deals with a Big Bad Omnicidal Maniac from a distant planet that destroyed Mars and plans to do the same to Earth, to the point toying with the people he's working for to further his agenda.

If you want a series in Kamen Rider that has lots of action next to other previous ones, I suggest watching Build.

Series It would've been perfect if not for certain arc

I'll try to be as spoiler-free as possible but some things are hinted.

Pros :

• Fast paced series with nearly no filler.
• Serious theme, likable useful cast.
• When things get good it gets really good, top notch performance from the actors.
• The characters are really mature or grow up to be one. For example, Kazumi refrain from fighting Sento when he knows he simply lost control of himself, or Banjou not getting angry when he realized he was being fooled.
• The humor, and the recap. If nothing else this season is worth watching for the recap alone.
• Transteam gun henshin jingle. Too bad it was only used in early episodes.
• Sawa. Revealing too much would be a spoiler.
• The opening. I used to hate the opening for the earlier episodes since it took a very long time to change, but once it hit the third story arc it just keep updated and gets better and better.
• The heavy political themes. It might as well be Kamen Rider : Politics.
• The conclusion and wrapping the series, double as a Book-Ends. It really is genius.

Cons :

• It comes of as too fast paced sometimes.
• Too many forms with a few remarkable ones. The original Cross-Z barely appear for some episodes, and he get another upgrade form near the end that only appeared once.
• It is still cater to the children audiences. For example :
  • It opens with realistic war scene... then it changes to the Hokuto three crows appeared as comical villain.
  • There's a serious, cold mercenary appeared... he then turned out to be Miitan fanboy.
  • Sento got a realistic PTSD...which only last for one episode (though it is mentioned to be one week in universe).
• A certain dramatic death is prolonged by long dramatic talk.
• The toyetic design. For example : the so called ultimate driver from mars...turned out having an Ode to The Joy jingles. There's also the funny sound for Rabbit Rabbit and Tank Tank
• Misora. Aside from being bottle purifier and being Vernage's host she wasn't that useful. She often cried too much instead of helping out, compared to Sawa.
• There are some weird plot.
  • So Ryuga still hold a grudge against Gentoku for killing his girlfriend, yet episodes earlier he still willing to work with him because he would be freed from being fugitive?
  • Gentoku clothes scene that comes out from nowhere.
  • The ten lost bottle arc. There's too many convenient and stupid explanations as to why things happened.

I put it on par with Drive, a show that I got a mixed feelings yet had some of the most awesome moments. The Black Hazard debut is definitely one of the most chilling moment in the entire Kamen Rider series.