As a fan of both Super Sentai and Power Rangers (two things which are radically different, in the same way that Olive Garden is different from Italian cuisine), I often find that people assume that I’m also a fan of the Kamen Rider series. To be honest, my K.R. knowledge is pretty limited (I’ve seen the Super Sentai crossover movies, bits and pieces of Kamen Rider Decade and the execrable American adaptation), and I haven’t found any great motivation to do anything about that. Theoretically, it’s right up my alley, featuring cool super-heroes with cool powers, with a similar helmet-and-battle-suit motif to that of Super Sentai, with a heaping helping of cool motorcycles as well. For some reason, though, nothing compels me to add Kamen Rider to my pile of things to read/watch/experience. It’s not as though the series has been spoiled by over-recommendation (which is the reason why I have no impetus to watch ‘Breaking Bad’) or even that it’s alienating to me (though the bug motif can be troublesome.) I honestly don’t know WHY a series so clearly tailored to the interests of nerds like me fails to set off my ‘must-read’ sensors, which in turn begs a query…
The MS-QOTD (pronounced, as always, “misquoted”) is, admittedly, kind of intrigued by the new Rider’s fruit salad motif (which I want to stress is not a metaphor), asking: What bits of pop culture SHOULD be right in your wheelhouse, but still somehow fail to interest you?
13 Comments
I should like mma/ufc, but I am not a big fan.
I don’t know why people assume liking Sentai should mean you would also like Kamen Rider. They are similar in some ways to be sure, but you could argue that Archie and Batman are similar in that they are both comics. I do enjoy Kamen Rider, but not quite as much as I do Super Sentai, and not every series appeals to me.
I was never a big fan of the Dragonlance setting novels. There were a few books I enjoyed, but overall it simply failed to hold my interest, which was surprising since I usually can’t get enough of that sort of fantasy setting.
I really couldn’t stand “Transformers: Robots in Disguise” (the series between ‘Beast Machines’ and ‘Armada’). Almost every other incarnation of Transformers appeals to me in some way. Heck, even the movies are enjoyable to some degree (focus only on the robots and ignore the humans and the flimsy plot), and I can surprisingly even find amusement in KISS Players, but RiD just doesn’t interest me at all.
And I’m really surprised I didn’t care for “K-9”. You’d think if I enjoyed Sarah Jane Adventures, K-9 wouldn’t be that far of a stretch. But it just didn’t hold my interest at all, having only watched it simply to say I’ve watched it.
Game of Thrones, it’s right up my alley as a fan of all things SF/F. But I have no interest in reading or watching it. My whole family has or is reading it and watching the series but I leave the room everytime it comes on.
Scott Pilgrim, as an offical card carrying retro gaming geek and indy comic fan I feel I should be into it but it just doesn’t grab me.
I love the X-Men, but boy do I hate when they time travel. Apparently my hate for time travel beats out my love of the X-Men.
I’m a big fan of the Dresden Files, and urban fantasy in general, but I cannot stand Buffy: The Vampire Slayer. In general it boils down to issues with Whedon’s writing style, but the basic idea is great and filled with ideas I can really get behind, just the execution irks me.
After all this year, I am still getting tempted to give “Lost” a chance, but I am afraid it won’t live up to the tons of recommendations I have received. Also, I’ve been trying to get into the “Game of Thrones” bandwagon, but something always ends up pushing me away from it.
Battlestar Galactica, by all accounts it should be the sort of thing I love to the point of obsession. Yet, I just can’t get up any interest…
I’ve tried and failed three times to get through David Tennant’s run as the Doctor, and gave up on the series after that. I dunno, man. It just isn’t for me.
Great post n all dude, but watch Kamen Rider. :P
Start with W. Then watch OOO’s. Then go nuts.
There are a few comic properties like that for me.
Astro City
Ex Machina
100 Bullets
I have an abiding love of adult focused quality story telling, but I can’t bring myself to put in the effort to acquire and read those books. (Which is sad because they sit on the shelves of the local library even.) Can’t really explain it.
I second Game of Thrones too. I’ve watched a couple episodes with friends who are deeeeeeep into GoT novels, show, etc. But I’m just mildly bored by the whole thing. If I put in the effort I’m sure I could get into it, and everyone says I would, but I just don’t. Hmmph?
I often find that once a concept or theme by which a show is based becomes a “bandwagon” or “solidified fan based” that is when that show teeters off of interest valley. The mainstream or quasi-mainstream can be enough to garner disapproval even on a sub conscience level
There are plenty of shows that I was dragged kicking and screaming into and then wondered why I did not watch earlier (revamped BattleStar Galactica, Beast Wars Transformers, Buffy the Vampire Slayer an so on.).
Mathew I even remember that you were not drawn to The Venture Bros. for this very reason although I could be mistaken.
But if i were to give a more concurrent example myself excluding the reasons mentioned. I would have to say anime that is based on middle earth themes, with dungeons and dragons. For some reason it puts me to sleep, boring!!!!!
The Middleman TV series.
It has everything I love : talking gorilla mobsters, aliens, dimensional hi-jinks, like Men in Black as a series, but I just can’t get into it.