Black Bolt/White Flare - Opinions on Gen 5

With Black Bolt and White Flare being announced and containing AR/SAR cards for every Gen 5 Pokémon, we've never seen a set as ambitious as this. Being the next generation to get a full, 151-style showcase, I'm curious of what everyone's thoughts on the generation are.

First, let me be clear the set looks and sounds incredible. I don't believe there's any arguing that. The new rarity looks sleek and the volume of fantastic art we're getting is next level. But as someone who grew up with Gen 1/2 and continued playing each generation at release, Black/White have always felt like the (no pun intended) black sheep of the franchise.

When I think ahead to Black Bolt/White Flare and its unannounced English counterpart, a few things are top of mind for me when thinking back on the games:

• Getting 150 brand new Pokémon and being locked out of older ones was a bold choice, but one that I remember turning off a lot of players.
• Gen 5 was the first that leaned in hard on mons based on inanimate objects. Trubbish line, Vannilite line, Litwick line, etc. I remember these designs being fairly controversial in 2012, though they've aged well as Pokémon has continued in this direction.
• With so many new mons, there are a lot that feel like carbon copies of others. Mons like the Roggenrola line, Woobat line, Sawk/Throh, and Audino all felt particularly derivative to me alongside recurring staples like regional birds and rodents (sorry if I just blasted one of your favorites). On the flip side, so much roster space allowed for some really bold designs that felt unique like Reuniclus and Scrafty.
• Even today, I struggle identifying a Gen 5 mon that has risen to being among the franchise's most popular. Reshiram/Zekrom are a strong pair of legendaries we see often, but otherwise? Zoroark? Chandelure?
• However, Gen 5 characters are wildly popular (best story in the franchise will do that). N, Rosa, Hilda, Ghetsis, Skyla, Iris, Elesa, Colress, etc are all ones who frequently pop up.

So I'd love to know what everyone's thoughts/impressions of Gen 5 are. Was it formative? The blank spot in your Poke-history? What Pokemon stand out? Are you hyped for BB/WF or is it a pass? Would love to know how the broader community views Gen 5.