I Sometimes Enjoy New School Kamen Rider Better Than New School Super Sentai

I would dare say that I can't enjoy everything equally. It's like I like Japanese music better than Korean music while liking Korean food better than Japanese food. I think the same has been with me, Super Sentai and Kamen Rider. I could still enjoy new school Super Sentai but not as much as the old school (for reasons like the quality of action scenes) all the while I think new school Kamen Rider is better. Okay, I admit, I was guilty of not really checking out much of the 2000s era until some life-changing scenarios such as I felt the need to take a vacation from Super Sentai or the moment the digital age got more advanced made me realized what I just missed. Then I watched more new school Kamen Rider.

Lately, it's safe to say that I like newer Kamen Rider over newer Super Sentai for personal reasons. Sure, Kyuranger can be loads of fun but I got suckered into the medical dramas in Kamen Rider EX-AID and the darker atmosphere of Kamen Rider Build. I didn't want to admit it but I don't think all Super Sentai is created equally. I don't even think Super Sentai and Kamen Rider are created equally either. It's like I don't think all Japanese aesthetics are created equally. I even think the Showa era of Kamen Rider can come out dull and boring maybe except for Kamen Rider Black and even the blockbuster failure Kamen Rider Black RX enters into it. Not every entry of the Heisei era has been good but most of them have been pleasing. Heck, I'm even having a soft spot for Kamen Rider Faiz's heavy depressing drama and Kamen Rider Fourze's wacky, out of this world action which doesn't feel like it's just for children.

So what caused me to end up preferring new school Kamen Rider more than the new school Super Sentai series while liking both? I think newer Kamen Rider has been more "mature" even with all the kiddie humor it tends to inject later in its run. Take Fourze for example. Sure, the show has a lot of wacky humor with Gentaro's "It's Space Time!" running gag but it has plenty of life lessons for teenagers watching it. I can't get over the developments both Mio and Shun had in the series. Then there's also Kamen Rider W with some really good writing in contrast to Goseiger. I think W's success caused Toei to allow its writer Riku Sanjo to give a shot with Kyoryuger and one of my favorite seasons namely Kamen Rider Drive. Drive as a show wasn't all that serious but I do find it to be more appealing than Ninninger for my taste.

I just thought about how Build ended and Kamen Rider Zi-O came. What happened next is that I ended up liking Zi-O better than Lupinranger vs. Patranger or even Ryusoulger as of late. I used to have the fear that Zi-O may end up becoming the Megafail of Kamen Rider which it didn't. Sure, there are some low-tier episodes (and even the best Super Sentai suffers from it) but it's been a good ride overall. It even managed to redeem Kamen Rider Decade by making him more relevant than he was originally planned. I even think the build-up of the nostalgia arcs and the guest Kamen Riders can be entertaining in their own ways. Sure, I'm still watching Ryusoulger but I just can't wait to see Zi-O have a definite conclusion and I'm more excited for the first Reiwa Rider than any upcoming Ryusoulger episodes for that matter.

Then again, isn't it just my preferences tend to be shifting too much?! I would dare say yes considering I used to like Super Sentai better back then! Right now, it's a different scenario then and a different scenario now. Yet I can still enjoy both each to their own while accepting neither is perfect, they will have their setbacks yet what's important is to continue pursuing change while taking note of what mistakes need to be corrected later on.