So I've decided to watch the premiere of every KR and Metal Hero show to get a taste of them, so I've decided to go through them in air date order... and because this wasn't long enough I'm rewatching the Sentai premieres too. I'll give my impression of those 1st epis here.

It's gonna be super inconsistent, but we'll see how this goes...

Kamen Rider- Had a lot of stuff to get through, and I think the plot of Hongou needing to prove his innocence feels really tacked on, but wasn't bad by any means (besides the usual low-budget stuff.) Most surprising thing is the lack of masks on the villains.

KR v3- Didn't like this one as much. Felt it couldn't decide if it wanted to be a sequel or spinoff. At least the minions have masks now!

KR X- Easily the best one so far. Followed the KR formula pretty well, but set things up MUCH better, and the main hero is pretty interesting. The MOTW in this episode was of much better quality. Everything felt polished.

KR Amazon- The first three feel very similar, while this one gives us something completely different with a jungle boy protagonist... even if the plot structure is similar. Very solid, and I love the choice of the opening being a ways into the episode. Very cinematic.

KR Stronger- This one just... told you the backstory in the opening and gave you an early episode plot kinda. It felt extra as heck; much cheesier than the others of the time. I had fun, but I don't know if I could take a whole show of it. Enjoyed the rare hotel location.

Gorenger- It really combines the darker plots of the early riders with Stronger's goofiness in the best of ways. Everyone gets shown off, it sets up an early arc, and manages to have a small, easy plot to show them off. Simple and great.

JAKQ- Some weirdness in this one, kind of bounces around a bit. Too short of scenes in some places, too long in others. Not bad, but didn't do as good of a job as Gorenger.

Battle Fever- I still really like this premiere. Focusing on Diane for it is weird, but it launches into the plot nice and snappy, while still giving a baseline for everyone's personalities... except maybe Cossack. Riding a horse isn't a personality.

Skyrider- This was one of the better KR premieres. It was similar to the very first one, but it made adjustments where needed and told the general story better than the fractured Kamen Rider 1971 did. Villain designs still lag behind Sentai's though.

Denziman- This has been one of my favorite premieres since I saw it, and for good reason. Introduces everyone well, has a revenge subplot, never drags, and just nails what a Sentai opener should be.

KR Super-1- Another premiere I really liked. I like how the villains think they're doing evil for a good end. It sets up a revenge against the MOTW for next episode, and is just more clever than similar KR premieres with the usual tropes.

Sun Vulcan- Some weird things I didn't notice before (the future Battle Royal theme playing for example), but it's not bad overall. It doesn't get us a great idea of the cast, but it had a lot to get through and was pretty fun/action-packed.

Goggle V- Kind of a stock Sentai premiere, but I think it's fun. Couple minor issues such as "How is Kijima one of the five most qualified in an extensive database?", but again, not a bad premiere. I especially like the beginning in the abandoned mountain castle.

SS Gavan- Very simple. Makuu, space pirates, appear on Earth and Gavan is sent to get rid of them. Simple, executed well. It nails the little details like Hunter Killer being a traitor or Gavan's mom being from Earth. The Makuu Space is also weirdly beautiful at times.

Dynaman- While other premieres go pretty fast, this one just blazes through... and it's too fast. Almost all of it is fights, you don't get a sense for anyone's personalities, and it's just... not that good. The one really good thing is that it starts Megiddo's arc.

SS Sharivan- I know I praised Gavan's premiere for just going into it, but that's my problem here. It jumped into it... too much. The villains were introduced in a lackluster way initially, Sharivan starts out on patrol and we only get the introduction in flashback. Too much.

Bioman- This one manages to both be laid out in an interesting way, subverts multiple Sentai tropes, and manages to have a lot of action still. It's surprisingly good how well it's done, and I dare say it's another one of Sentai's best, especially when considering the then norm.

SS Shaider- Easily the best SS premiere. Actually gave some buildup for heroes and villains alike. The villains are weird in a good way, and it felt really fresh despite being the final part of a trilogy.

Changeman- This is how you do an action-heavy premiere. Only issue I have is that it's unclear if they were chosen for their skills or if because they were the only ones left. In any case, the show doesn't dwell on it.

Juspion- A really weird premiere for what seems to be a very original show. I loved the adventure aspect of it, but a lot of things feel unclear to me, so I can only hope seeing more would elaborate on some things. It felt stuffed, with a lot of things throw in (which is good.)

Flashman- An odd premiere that I neither gives the full story nor has a mecha fight. It rather sets up to explain the plot later. Not one of the best, but not one of the worst either.

Spielvan- Man, this really just does the plot structure of Flashman's premiere and does it better. There's more going on, it hints at the full plot better, and was just... really, really good. Maybe it's that Machiko Soga magic.

Maskman- I'm of two minds with this one. On one hand, it tells us nothing about any of the characters besides Takeru's/Mio's relationship, and that's kind of shown in a weird way. But, it does set up the opening arc and paces itself well. And man do I love those suits.

Metalder- Unlike the previous premieres which kept some elements to explain later, this one gives you more or less everything. It's a rather complex premiere for a rather complex show, ending with Metalder losing but in a way which makes sense. I really, really liked this one.

KR Black- Man, toku wasn't happy in '87. One of the better KR premieres. Found a balance of giving info vs holding onto stuff for later. They managed to update KR pretty well, and make it more in line with the then current shows while still being KR.

Jiraiya- Pretty fun, especially after the previous series. Enjoyable enough and the hero plays his role perfectly. Some of the World Ninja outfits were a little low budget feeling, but I can forgive that.

Liveman- The first part of what is a two part premiere. The best thing of Liveman is the connection the heroes have with the villains, and it's on full display here. Not a stellar premiere, but for as many problems as I have with Liveman, the premiere isn't one of them.

KR Black RX- This is basically "what if KR Black became a Space Sheriff". It wasn't bad, but a bit of a departure. Still, I think the odd idea was done pretty well until there's this confusing scene near the end. I'll give it props until then though,

Jiban- Another premiere that starts with a basic episode plot and giving more info in the second episode. It's interesting that the heroes are the tech side with the villains being bio based. Feels unique to me, as is the elementary school age "boss."

Turboranger- Continuing the streak of weird premieres, we get one involving a weird mix of a team being given sudden responsibility, and still needing to earn those powers. I like the generals being there and having an early fight with the team, though, giving them a goal.

Winspector- For a case-by-case show this was a really good premiere where everyone got some time to shine. It was basically one long action scene, but I can deal with that since there is this lack of long-term storytelling and it was varied enough.

Fiveman- Man, I just freaking love this premiere. The set-up, the execution, the drama of it all, the cliffhanger... it's all so good. Too bad the show doesn't maintain this quality, but this episode is always here. Best Sentai premiere period IMO.

Solbrain- This was basically Winspector's premiere but with a darker and more sci-fi plot. The robot member of the team weirdly did not make an appearance in this episode, but I figure he'll be around in episode 2.

Jetman- Another lovely premiere that also has an element of tragedy, but there's less build up as well as a team that isn't fully together by the end. Instead there's a better balance of the action than, say, Liveman's premiere, but the emotional stuff isn't as good as Fiveman's.

Exceedraft- Well, this is going to sound like a repeat of my thoughts on the Solbrain premiere as it was another action-heavy episode that closely resembled the Winspector premiere but darker. I like the team, I like the new elements, something felt off but I dunno what.

Zyuranger- I have a soft spot for this premiere. Both the best and worst thing is that it focuses on Bandora more than the actual team, so nobody is properly introduced and things are kinda weird, but I enjoy it all the same. Lots of fun.

Janperson- By not having Janperson appear until halfway through, we avoided the repetition seen in previous MH openings. On top of this, Janperson gets to kick ass since the drama is given to civilian characters. They have refined this style of opening here.

Dairanger- This premiere goes through a lot quickly, and I overall have mixed feelings on it. Don't think the To Be Continued aspect is handled as well as in Fiveman, feels tacked on.

Blue SWAT- Woah, this premiere was really badass. Like the team dynamic, good amount of banter. I'm really surprised they got away with one specific moment I won't spoil, but the villains' threat level is set right away.

Kakuranger- A bit weird in terms of tone, enjoyable enough. I actually really like the narrator of this series though he's (understandably) in a lot of this episode.

B-Fighter- What a shift in tone from the previous series, especially Blue SWAT. Reminded me of a Space Sheriff premiere but more fantastical. The MOTW's design was so good I didn't realize it was a MOTW at first.

Ohranger- This episode really succeeds in making both the heroes and villains seem capable. Tons of action, really exciting, gets the desperation across. Another great one.

BF Kabuto- A more mediocre premiere. Felt like they were trying to fill out time towards the middle instead of giving a longer initial buildup. Like the designs, but parts of it feel a little cheap compared to the first B-Fighter.

Carranger- Another great premiere. Love Carranger and this premiere sets the tone well. Somehow manages to introduce everything except the mecha and not feel rushed.

Megaranger- Another great premiere that's broadly similar to Carranger's but with a more intense feeling. Ending kind of... just happens but I guess it's good for making you want to see more, even if not fully satisfying. The team has to grow and this premiere shows that.

Gingaman- I appreciate what they went for here, even if I have some small issues with it. One of the more memorable premieres, and they fit a lot in without it feeling overly rushed. A good display of Kobayashi's talents.

GoGoV- The technical work in this premiere is nothing short of amazing. I absolutely love GoGoV, and this premiere really does the show justice.

KR Kuuga- How fitting the first Heisei Rider MOTW is spider-themed. I like how they built some mystery, but the premiere leaves things rather open-ended. I figure the MOTW isn't done, which means it ends in the middle of a fight. Kinda weird.

Timeranger- While not as bad as Dynaman's in this regard, the premiere falls into going too fast. It's rather complex and I would've preferred to see it take a slower approach. Though the 2nd episode does help/fix a lot in this regard.

KR Agito- I really liked this one. Good amount of build-up, and expectation subversion. Ended on a better cliffhanger than Kuuga's. I think this is the first premiere that didn't play the opening, which is something I have mixed feelings on.

Gaoranger- This one follows the GoGoV structure, but without the impressive miniature work. We get brief hints of our heroes and villains and gives enough background info that it isn't too confusing. It's pretty good at its job.

KR Ryuki- Thought there was a bit too much build-up in this one. The episode didn't exactly make me like Shinji and the MOTW was just a spider. Like the mirror concept though and the idea of the hero being Peter Parker-like.

Hurricaneger- This premiere has grown on me the more times I've seen it. Unlike before, this team is the last resort, but they're still ninjas and not pushovers. And the episode ends with a cool hero/general staredown I'd like to see done more often. Solid all around.

KR 555- Maybe it's because I have a different idea of 555 in my mind compared to Ryuki, but the amount of build up here wasn't as bad. Really interesting that we more follow what appears to be a villain rather than the hero. Intrigued by this one.

Abaranger- I find this one to be quite original and fun. Kind of ends on a bit of a weird note similar to Kuuga, but it's not a major problem. Introduces the characters excellently, though only one villain is seen.

KR Blade- This one is a middle of the road KR premiere IMO. I didn't see anything too stand-out, but I can't think of any problems. Love the card theme, but some elements felt a little generic.

Dekaranger- They really don't help make Ban easier to swallow in this one, huh? Weird for Deka to begin on a two-parter, but the episode itself is rather solid.

KR Hibiki- I'm really into media sound design so I kinda loved this one. Love the feel, love the mentor nature of the hero. Slow but not boring. The beginning bike scene is fantastic.

Magiranger- I'm not actually that big of a fan of this premiere. It simultaneously jumps into the action too quick while not ending in a satisfying spot, leaving it just feeling awkward. It tries to do too much when it needed to commit to one type of opening style.

KR Kabuto- Another premiere I wasn't high on. I dunno, felt like it couldn't pick a direction and similarly ended up being a meh episode.

Boukenger- Starting in media res really works for Boukenger due to its nature. All we get is a quick bit of exposition and then we get a quick adventure and small arc for Masumi. We get the team members' quirks and it's overall solid, nothing spectacular.

KR Den-O- This one was really fun. Nothing amazing, but was (ahem) on the right track after Kabuto's premiere felt really mixed to me. Didn't make me really excited to see more, but I enjoyed the episode itself.

Gekiranger- A really great premiere. If I have any criticism it's with not seeing enough Ran and Retsu. A good amount of exposition, but with enough action that it wasn't boring. And that fight choreography! It's great from the start!

KR Kiva- Overall pretty interesting. I'm not sure why there's the time split and I'm not sold on the protag (Kabuto and Den-O seem to do the goofy protag better), but otherwise it was good. Side note: why is it 'Kiva' not 'Kiba'?

Go-onger- A lot of action in this one. Pretty fun overall though. The... weirdly complicated lore of Go-onger isn't thrust on the viewer, and I do like Hant and Gunpei being introduced but not added until the following episode.

KR Decade- This one succeeds in keeping the viewer just as confused as the main characters, for better or worse. I'm mentally scratching my head still, but I can see how the plot would be cool if you've seen the previous nine shows.

Shinkenger- Another basic premiere, but excels at setting the characters and the mission... which is what a premiere should be doing. The mecha fight feels superfluous, and with the (really cool) lone Shinken Red fight at the beginning makes this one pretty action heavy.

KR W- The beginning left me rather confused, but the stuff that wasn't confusing was super interesting. I'm into mysteries, so in general I found this one a lot of fun. Villains seem intriguing.

Goseiger- I really like this one. Good Nozomu focus, which is a plus, and the unique team dynamics are shown off well. More of a cliffhanger ending in this one, another positive. It's simultaneously pretty standard but yet fresh.

KR OOO- I LOVE the four villain "general" designs. The "middle" (I guess) organization feels a little redundant coming off W, but they probably differentiate themselves with time. Ankh seems interesting, but I feel I can see the story beats coming (not a huge deal.)

Gokaiger- Pretty fun and original. Good mix of everything, and the Snack Safari gets a shout-out (though I'm more of a Snack Gon fan... not like it's still standing.) Pretty much my feelings on this premiere match my Gokaiger opinions (heroes are good and fun, villains suck.)

KR Fourze- The cinematography in this is pretty stellar. I really liked it, was also a blast. I audibly laughed multiple times.

Go-Busters- Another action-heavy premiere. I really, really like the first half, but I feel the first battle runs a little long, and I wish it was balanced better. (Second episode does fix this pacing issue though, in typical Kobayashi fashion.)

KR Wizard- Pretty stock premiere, didn't see anything too stand-out besides how great Wizard's fighting style is. Some parts felt a bit like plot holes, but I'm not sure if they are or not.

Kyoryuger- Not a big fan of this one. The Daigo focus is too present, right from the start (not that we don't get glimpses of the others here.) It just kinda... moves.

KR Gaim- After Wizard felt rather safe, this one was more... out there. The combination of Sengoku era, fruit, and street dancing is an odd one. Overall, the premiere was kinda average despite some original things. The fact Urobuchi usually does anime felt obvious here.

ToQger- Here's how you do an, ahem, express premiere while still getting everything either explained or foreshadowed for next time. Yes, there's a lot of Right, but I feel I know the rest better in this episode than I did through Kyoryuger's premiere. Also really funny.

KR Drive- If the goal was to keep the viewer as confused as the MC, I guess they succeeded. The tone of this one was weird, but I'm interested in the crime drama angle and I could see this series finding its groove in the next episode or so.

Ninninger- This premiere is pretty good. Get a good sense of everyone, though not as naturally as in Shinkenger. Feels a little like an early 80s premiere with the plot beats, but that's not a bad thing.

KR Ghost- Enjoyable. Putting in a second battle (with a random location change for no reason) is my only real gripe. The tone of everything was a little weird, but the episode itself was otherwise good.

Zyuohger- Great pacing in this. While the zyuman scenes are kinda bare-bones, it's a great showing for Yamato who comes off as super likable. Villains are a little stock, but I like their concept.

KR Ex-Aid- Similar to Ghost with the weird tonal balance, but not as egregious here. I noticed they really liked this one "zwing" sound effect. Nothing really stood out to me with this one.

Kyuranger- Not one of the better ones. Feels like they crammed two episodes into one so they could have the mech in episode 1 when they should've split the Garu plot into episode 2. I like the idea of it, it mostly falters in execution.

KR Build- Great mix of drama and goofiness. It feels like a lot happened, but the episode didn't feel rushed. Best KR premiere since... I dunno... KR Fourze?

Lupinranger vs Patoranger- This is a fantastic premiere. We get a good look at the Lupinrangers individually and how they operate as a team. The fight scenes are splendid and unique. The cops get enough focus for an episode they appear transformed in for 10 seconds. So good.

KR Zi-O- This one was pretty enjoyable. I like the overall plot. Kind of ended on a weird note and some scenes are a little off (in a way that's hard to describe), but I was entertained by it.

Ryusoulger- Man, remember when Ryusoulger had some major flair to it? This is a fantastic premiere that, while Koh-heavy, tells a great start to the tale. Lots of drama, lots of humor, all done in an interesting way.

KR Zero-One- I thought this was a blast. High-energy, Aruto is likable (he was a little much this episode, but there's no doubt he's going to get calmer.) I like the idea for the villains, and even though the supporting characters had brief moments, they were developmental.

Kiramager - Bringing this thread back. The first episode is kind of weird since it benefits a lot from Episode Zero being a thing IMO, given the otherwise minimal detail on a lot of the cast. If you factor E0 in though, it's pretty good, mostly for the creative aspects.