I was rather fond of the episode too, personaly. What suprised me is how much DISLIKE it is getting various places, with it being called unoriginal trash and the worst opening episode of a Rider season.
Anyway, there's also a strong Madoka vibe coming off the episode too for me. First, there's the opening scene with the Fruit Rider War. Second, there's when Blonde!Umi shows up during the first fight and gives the ominous speech of ominousness ending with "Until you die the world in your color" or such. The single best detail of that scene for me is when Kouta says "If that's what it takes to protect you", Blonde!Umi has an expression that is the pure, undiluted version of "Dear god, you are an idiot."
In an interview, Urobochi said the first two episodes are supposed to be more stereotypical Rider plot to set people up for the big twist in Episode 3, where the story will kick in truly. Mind you, anyone who knows Urobochi and the infamousness of Episode 3 in several of his series is expecting this, so I'm half tempted to expect nothing major will occur in episode three, and a clever man would put the poison into his own goblet, because he would know that only a great fool would reach for what he was given...
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Anyway, there's also a strong Madoka vibe coming off the episode too for me. First, there's the opening scene with the Fruit Rider War. Second, there's when Blonde!Umi shows up during the first fight and gives the ominous speech of ominousness ending with "Until you die the world in your color" or such. The single best detail of that scene for me is when Kouta says "If that's what it takes to protect you", Blonde!Umi has an expression that is the pure, undiluted version of "Dear god, you are an idiot."
In an interview, Urobochi said the first two episodes are supposed to be more stereotypical Rider plot to set people up for the big twist in Episode 3, where the story will kick in truly. Mind you, anyone who knows Urobochi and the infamousness of Episode 3 in several of his series is expecting this, so I'm half tempted to expect nothing major will occur in episode three, and a clever man would put the poison into his own goblet, because he would know that only a great fool would reach for what he was given...