What's the problem with Ghost?

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lennyhouston16
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What's the problem with Ghost?

Post by lennyhouston16 »

So I've been thinking about this topic for a while (I specifically waited to until the show was properly over) but I think the biggest problem with Ghost is the Demia plot which is mostly written by Mouri and Hasegawa. As a writer, I know what it's like working on a project and working with others can either make a show a disaster or improve it quite a bit. It's usually the former and I think that's what happened to Fukuda (the main writer) while doing this show.

To me, the first arc (mostly written by him) is nicely written and almost flawless. After that, he writes on and off until Makoto gets the Deep Specter eyecon and that's where I think he wanted to move into the final arc. However, due to having to fill up a certain amount of episodes and include a final form (which I think should've been Grateful) Fukuda may have ran into wall on where to go. He knew how he wanted this to end but didn't know how to fill in the gap. Hence, Mouri and Hasegawa incorporated the Demia plot to fill in such gaps. Looking back at the episodes, Demia was hinted throughout but never came into play until Fukuda became absent in the 30s.

It even leads me to think that Fukuda doesn't care for Mugen either. It's an OP form that doesn't encompass that power of the luminaries. While I do understand, that Mugen is suppose be like some representative of humanity's infinite potential, I think Grateful did the job pretty well but of course toy sales call for a new product around the 30s. On that note, I do blame some of the flaws on toy sales since that had to be incorporated.

Back on topic, I felt like the Demia plot was unnecessary and we could've ultimately reached the conclusion we had without it. Most of us were wondering what it was for the first half of the show. It was like the writers didn't know what to do with it. It sounded cool but ultimately failed in execution.

Last note about the writers, I felt Mouri was a decent secondary writer to this (as he is with most shows and movies) but I wasn't a big fan of Hasegawa's writing and after doing research on him and finding out he's written quite a few of the episodes I don't like in Drive, Fourze, and W; I really don't want him to write for a while if at all.

This is just my speculations on the matter. I'm one of the few people that actually like Ghost but I will admit it is hugely flawed by all this. What do you guys think?
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Re: What's the problem with Ghost?

Post by Catastrophe »

Hasegawa only wrote TV specials for Drive though right? I thought Sanjo did all of Drive because he's a brilliant madman.

I don't think Ghost is bad per say. It's definitely one of the weaker entries. Large, bloated supporting cast that don't really do anything. Can't think of any really awesome moments and any comedy that's done well.

They really need to sort out the form shit though. I get that they need to sell toys but this was ridiculous.
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Re: What's the problem with Ghost?

Post by Go-On Macaroni »

Catastrophe wrote:Hasegawa only wrote TV specials for Drive though right? I thought Sanjo did all of Drive because he's a brilliant madman.
Sanjo wrote all of Kyoryuger but, Drive had other writers such as Hasegawa and Junko Komura on both the side specials and the main series as well. (Nobuhiro Mouri wrote episode 48 (Ghost's case) but before that, his only Drive contribution was KR Yongou).
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Re: What's the problem with Ghost?

Post by Catastrophe »

My bad. I remember he did write all of something.
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Re: What's the problem with Ghost?

Post by lennyhouston16 »

Catastrophe wrote:They really need to sort out the form shit though. I get that they need to sell toys but this was ridiculous.
I totally agree. I feel like Toei is so focused on selling toys now that it's starting to get in the way of the writer's creative process. I know it would hinder me to try to progress my plot while having to keep in mind "promote a new toy" by x episode. I feel like the past few seasons of Kamen Rider and Super Sentai have suffered a little from that.
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Re: What's the problem with Ghost?

Post by Kuchiri »

I believe I read somewhere they create the prototype and main story of the toys like two years in advance? So both Grapefruit and Rainbow Bright was in the picture in the original brainstorm of the show. What I believe actually held this show up was probably error in communication between the writers. There was a lot unexplained that was attempted to be explained and a lot that wasn't. Like the Great Eye and things of that nature. The first arc up to Kanon being revived was so good because most things were cut and dry. Then... there was the whole thing about Kanon... What happened to her body? I mean it was explained that most of the characters in the series that were in those pods had eyecon forms that created their other bodies. So why couldn't Kanon create hers, and why was it such a big friggin deal that Takeru had to waste his first wish to bring her fully to Earth?

So many dumb questions that the answers probably got lost in communication.
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Re: What's the problem with Ghost?

Post by ViRGE »

For Kanon, I think the implication there was that her body did not survive. She perished due to the harsh atmosphere of the Ganma world and somehow ended up stuck in an eyecon. Which is still a bit confusing, because no one else seems to have been stuck in an eyecon; they were merely used as avatars.
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Re: What's the problem with Ghost?

Post by Go-On Macaroni »

Kuchiri wrote:why was it such a big friggin deal that Takeru had to waste his first wish to bring her fully to Earth?
He didn't have to use his wish to save Kanon but he did it to help his friend out who was suffering; being selfless in all the right ways, it added to Takeru's character and helped to show that he's not gonna stand around while other people are hurt or in danger. I likely would've thought much lesser of Takeru if he just used it on himself and just left Makoto to wallow in his own sorrows; that's not a hero character I want to see now or ever.
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