W Series Discussion (no Forever movie talk)

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W Series Discussion (no Forever movie talk)

Post by Phoenix512 »

W for me was one of the best Kamen Riders in years. It had a good cast of characters with interesting villains and monsters.

Shoutarou, the man was just half a man until he became a full man but was still really half a man in the end. Philip, a dead person with no memories of his past who was sheltered in the beginning but slowly became more confident in himself and learn to love the city of Fuuto and its people especially Shoutarou. Akiko, an annoying girl who hits people with slippers when doing something that she disagrees with to a caring and mature woman who still hits people with slippers. Terui, a cop who was obsess with revenge for his family who eventually learn compassion towards the enemy and not get caught in revenge.

The Sonozaki family may seem an evil and selfish family but they were really fractured for a very long time ever since Philip died the first time. Ryuubee gave up on his family and focus on the Gaia Impact which had profound effects on the surviving members. Shroud didn't like the way Ryuubee was using Philip and eventually ended up covering up her face. She decides to take revenge on Ryuubee in order to save Philip but she was lost along the way and didn't care about the lives lost towards her goal. She realized that she lost a part of her humanity and was forgiven by Terui and Philip. She got her wish in the end when Shoutarou was able to give Philip a smile in the very end.

Saeko was the oldest sister who really had nothing but her pride to beat out Wakana. Some people may say that Saeko became less interesting when she has father issues but so what. It makes her a real person instead of some crazy woman who wants to take over the world. Her men throughout the series showed how much control Saeko was losing. With Kirihiko, she had all the control. With Isaka, she gave up some of that control. Finally with Kazu, she had none. Her death was sad that she got nothing in very end and even ended up saving the sister she hated for all her life.

Wakana was shown in the beginning as a two-faced person. She was the Healing Princess in the public but in private, she was a snob. She wasn't interested in the family business or wanted to be a part of it. Her growing relationship with Philip made her want to leave the family for good but she ended up running the family business in the end. She couldn't stand the screams of the Earth which made her able to do terrible things. Regardless of what she was going to do, she was forgiven by Philip which in return, she gave up her life to restore Philip. With that act, she became the Healing Princess.

In the end, W is really about the bond between Shoutarou and Philip and how it grows throughout the series. It was truly enjoyable from start to end. If I rank Heisei KR series, there would be a tie between Blade and W. They are 1 and 1a. Looks like OOO has some work to do but I shouldn't be saying that since it's not fair to OOO at all.

For now, count up your sins.
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Re: W Series Discussion (no Forever movie talk)

Post by lonegamer7 »

Let me say this to start!

...I totally cried and cheered.

W is the FIRST KR show that I've ever followed seriously from start till finish. Especially the growth of the characters as the story progressed. Phoenix pretty much hit the notes on the main four protagonists and antagonists (if one can call Well Intentions Extremists favorable). From the concept of family, to what "hard-boiled" meant, to finally Growing The Beard (or Wearing The Hat in Shou's case), it was wonderful to see how they reacted and changed.
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Re: W Series Discussion (no Forever movie talk)

Post by xshinox »

lonegamer7 wrote:Let me say this to start!

...I totally cried and cheered.

W is the FIRST KR show that I've ever followed seriously from start till finish.
this. i love Kamen Rider W. its too bad it ended. it had good riders and good henshin devices. the characters were cool especially shoutaro and his style of fashion. man i want to dress like him someday but thats going to cost $$$ for those clothes
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Re: W Series Discussion (no Forever movie talk)

Post by [kuronogantzryu] »

Shotaro and Philip bond like something I've never seen before. They really depend on each other and can't fully function w/o one another; I guess that's the meaning of true friendship (or Yaoi).

I really do wish that many other characters had more of a supporting role in the series, from start to finish, like Kirihiko or Sokichi, and it's a shame they got offed early on.
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Re: W Series Discussion (no Forever movie talk)

Post by Anime_freek22 »

I feel it was all summed up in this line:
Phoenix512 wrote:If I rank Heisei KR series, there would be a tie between Blade and W. They are 1 and 1a.
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Re: W Series Discussion (no Forever movie talk)

Post by DrinkItDown »

Anime_freek22 wrote:I feel it was all summed up in this line:
Phoenix512 wrote:If I rank Heisei KR series, there would be a tie between Blade and W. They are 1 and 1a.
Agreed. That line sums it up perfectly. W is the best KR series since Blade. No, and I mean NO KR series has had an ending arc that powerful since Blade. Although the main difference is that Blade's ending was much more bittersweet than W's, which, while it had a sacrifice, was more of a happy ending.
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Re: W Series Discussion (no Forever movie talk)

Post by Joe_Mello »

So is everybody essentially saying "W is my favorite series, except for my favorite series"?

W is my favorite series, except for nothing.
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Re: W Series Discussion (no Forever movie talk)

Post by Nexus_Schwarz »

W has been one of the best Riders to date, and it indeed ties with Blade in epic endings.

Recently I started comparing this series to Gurren Lagann. Philip was Simon, the one who had the power, and Shoutarou was Kamina, encouraging Philip to use this power for the sake of kicking ass.

Even though Philip was technically dead (not unlike Kamina) so it's a bit of role reversal.

Wakana was Nia initially for being "fellow princesses" (one was a made-up title while the other was temporary before being disowned), then they eventually were forced to become evil but still supported the main characters. And in the end, they both sacrificed each other for the sake of their loved ones (a brother in Philip and a lover in Simon).

The series' development is also much like GL in that it lured you in with its false sense of security, mostly being laughs until near the endgame where it throws all of your logic towards the series out the window, complete with a different endgame boss than initially thought!

Off that tangent, I'm glad that W made up for the failure that was Decade and then some. It at first got me with the comedy and the series grew much like Philip did into a proper human being.

I know we can't expect OOOs to be just as good, but I'll definitely tag along for that Ride too.
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Re: W Series Discussion (no Forever movie talk)

Post by Catastrophe »

I went into this massivly hyped up. Who knows why? Perhaps it was the bad taste Decade was leaving in my mouth. I still have that first 1 minute long promo in my folder with my W eps, just because it was that good. The problem was, I didn't really get into W until about episode 6, when there was that epic sea battle against the giant Anomalocaris and LunaTrigger W kicks the crap out of him. Then I thought back, Giant Bike chase in episode 2, fight on the top of a moving bus on episode 3, this series was pulling out all the stops.

To be honest, I think W was the kick in the pants that the hesei rider series needed. It shows what can be accomplished plot wise with a) A small, core set of developed chatacters and b) what happens when you develop the villains from the start of the series rather than towards the middle/end which had been the case in the past. It also shows that you don't need as many main riders as a sentai team, with just two in this case being ample.

I'm really going to miss W, more so than any other series that has ended to date.
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Re: W Series Discussion (no Forever movie talk)

Post by Kamen Rider Raven »

With everyone talking about how W is the best series since Blade, I really need to watch Blade. If it's anything like W, I'm going to like it.

I don't think I can add too much to this that hasn't been said already. Decade left me with a sour taste in my mouth and I was afraid that W was going to be just like Decade. Now, Decade wasn't terrible, but it left me wanting more.

You can really tell that they cared about this series. They seemed to have gone through great pains to make sure there aren't any gaping plotholes. Plus there's the fact that they made sure that the movies have a place in canon, again something that Decade really didn't try to do.

All in all, I'm very sad that this show is over. But I'm so glad that it ended on a high note.
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Re: W Series Discussion (no Forever movie talk)

Post by DrinkItDown »

Kamen Rider Raven wrote:With everyone talking about how W is the best series since Blade, I really need to watch Blade. If it's anything like W, I'm going to like it.
The thing you have to remember about Blade is that it will take like 10 or 15 episodes to find it's groove, it starts out kind of slow. Stick it out. After that, its fantastic.
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Re: W Series Discussion (no Forever movie talk)

Post by Kilowog »

In the course of a decade *no, not you "pinky" (stares at Kamen Rider Decade funny, lol)* I've watched through all of the HEISEI series, short of Kuuga. Out of all I admit, W was VERY well rounded. Just....don't make me choose between it and my other favorites; 555, Blade, Kabuto, Den-O, Kiva. Just, don't :-P

I completely agree with you Phoenix in your statement. Everybody went through so many changes it was at the point for me in I had so many favorite characters, good and bad.

I'm looking forward to seeing Kamen Rider OOO, for it has some big shoes to fill with Kamen Rider W's departure.

My thanks goes to everyone here who fansubbed W and in helping making this year a wonderful one.
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Re: W Series Discussion (no Forever movie talk)

Post by Aeikozz »

W was aight. I felt it was a bit gimmicky, Accept for like the last 7 episodes. Kinda mad we didn't get the endless army that comes out of no where to attack the main rider, but heck this series wasn't bad. I'd say about number 4, with 1Kabuto, 2Decade, and 3Faiz being alot better.

I do like the monster designs in this one. It seems they were alot more hilarious to watch.

The Decade/W little Epic going on the past year and half managed to grab alot of my friends into watching Kamen Rider. I wonder if it did the same thing in japan.
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Re: W Series Discussion (no Forever movie talk)

Post by Chariot »

W's ending might be a in tie with Blade's ending, but I really don't think it ties with Blade as a series. It was much better than Blade.

I'm gonna go ahead and say that, for me, W rose to the top of my favorites list, pushing Agito down to 2nd and Hibiki to 3rd.

The whole thing was stylish and fun, and I loved how character development and the main arc was weaved into every little 2 episode arc.

Also, I felt like the group seemed a whole lot closer to each other than in previous series. Which makes sense, since they live together (except Terui). The focus was definitely on Shoutarou's and Philip's partnership, but you can see the whole Narumi Detective Agency + Terui develop as a family.

Great great Rider series, terrific way to start of the new decade. Never going to forget W.
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Re: W Series Discussion (no Forever movie talk)

Post by Ghost23 »

Wow That was a pretty good ending, ever since Kabuto, most of the endings to the stories felt kind of rushed and not really fleshed out. But its nice to see them actually taking the time on this one. There is 1 thing that I didn't like, is it just me or does anyone felt like nails on a chalk board when hearing Akiko screeching? *shiver*
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