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MASKED RIDER RYUKI EPISODE 3
https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/ryuki/ryuki03a.png God, it must suck to be Ren at this point in the show. I imagine he's been at this for a bit, partnering with Yui to save people from monsters. But in walks Shinji, falling ass-backwards into this volatile situation, and he's blowing up monsters that had Knight on the ropes, pulling Yui's focus, making demands, and basically establishing himself as The Real Protagonist. How demoralizing must that be, to feel so overshadowed and disregarded? How much would you loathe and resent Shinji's effortless charm, selfless heroism, demigod-like locks, and impenetrable plot armor? Just think about it. God, it must be humiliating and infuriating, all at once. Anway, not what I really wanted to talk about from this one. Just a thought I had rattling around. This was a good post-premiere episode. A little slow, a little exposition-y, but with some fun snap to it. The opening Ryuki/Knight fight was excellent. Trick Vent was awesome, and had a killer mix of practical and special effects. The first part, where the one Knight steps out from behind the other Knight, they shot that flawlessly. (The one shot where you can see the taped-on squib real prominent on Ryuki's chest, a little less laudable!) It's a well-choreographed fight, showing how Knight's experience is more valuable than Ryuki's raw power, and another way the show is focused on building out Ryuki as a hero. Despite what second-paragraph Kamen Rider Die might've said (that guy is the worst), things don't come that easy to Shinji, and he learns through this episode how to be a better monster-exploder thanks to the beating Knight handed him. It's nice to see that dramatized. Shinji has to fight smarter, not harder, to win against the monsters, and that feels sort-of rare in Kamen Rider? I'd like to see it more often, I guess. Speaking of monsters, I really dig the Mirror World setup for the monsters. I think that's a solid hook, the way the monsters are there, but not there. How they can interact with you, but you can't with them. It's a bit modern-day Doctor Who, the way things like reflections are weaponized, how the everyday becomes otherworldly. That's a fun kids-show conceit. It's nice to see more of an emphasis on suits this episode, moving away from the premiere's CG spider. The CG in this series so far, uh... you know, they're trying real hard. Like, the Mirrormovers or whatever, the ride machines, those things look great on set. They look like five pounds of boiled ass during the launch sequence. The computer effects, they do those designs, like, negative favors. Also, man, for how little transporting they do, the show seems in love with Riders getting up out of them. It's like they move about six feet, then it's a half-minute of them slowly being disengaged. Could be wrong, but this feels like the first shot in a war to minimize the riding in Kamen Rider. Plot-wise, yeah, a bit of exposition in this one, not much else that was memorable. (Pacing for this one is weird, in that it's very fight heavy coming off of the premiere with not a lot of dialogue scenes of any weight. Only really realized that in retrospect.) Yui's brother Shiro shows up to Freddy Foreshadowing a vague warning/threat about destroying other Riders, and Yui tells us how she could detect mirror monsters as a kid and that Shiro (maybe?) created the Card Decks. It's not pivotal information, and there's not a lot Yui can do to really ground it emotionally at this point (we just met her!), but the show doesn't overly dwell on it. Mostly, it's nice to not have to see Shiro in a reflective surface for twelve episodes before someone finally tells us who he is. Like the motivation and thematic stuff from the first story, it's nice to lock this down before it gets irritating. So, a solid enough episode. Hit the beats, really delivered on the action, but maybe not enough character interaction for my tastes. https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/ryuki/ryuki03b.png |
So, it has begun. *gets out popcorn from microwave*
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The first "Tatakae!" You'll hear that word quite a bit! I forgot to mention in my first post, but Reiko kicks ass. She's one of my favorite girls in KR.
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OK here we go for the first episodes....BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE! And wow you immediately like Shinji from the beginning....he's kind of quite overlooked among the Rider protagonists.
I want to say that, though Shinji gets the spotlight of his kindness and heroism that he wants to become a Rider to protect people from monsters knowing the reasons between disappearence, I also have to give it to Yui too in this department. Keep in mind this is all when Shinji is a stranger to her, but it's implied maybe she's the one who instructs Ren to take the unconscious Shinji to Atori (her home practically, probably Ren would leave him there otherwise), tried to give him a comfortable and warm atmosphere there (like those smiles), explaining everything necessary she can, and tries to make sure he's safe before leaving even by defying her close friend (Ren); even with him insisting to take on Dragreder, she reminds if Dragreder attacks first, insisting 100% he's safe. Then she didn't really mind to smash the window to save him (or probably just to prevent Ren doing morally questionable things, but then again it still gives her tremendous moral compass points). She gives that much to a stranger, in contrast to...well...her 13 Riders self... I'd like to know what she thinks about Shinji after becoming Rider ("most people wouldn't do that, I'm sure he's..."), but Ren cockblocks that... Also even if Ren is totally a douche next to her, did Ren even realize that he unknowingly helps Shinji out? He asked if he didn't make a contract with a monster yet, told him that even as a Rider he can't last forever in Mirror World, and that he only can return in the place where he entered Mirror World before, and running over to him after he returns. Ryuki is totally a horror. Many have died to a monster throughout the episodes. Being a Rider totally sucks in this world. Stay in Blank form, you are totally powerless. Make a contract with a monster, you're strong enough to fight, but you're in constant threat to your monster who'll eat you if you don't fulfill its requirements. Though I feel that, being a Rider actually can extend your survival in Mirror Monster world at least before more psychotic Riders appear. because you can detect monster presences, henshin and fight back, and even in Blank Form, you can at least escape when being pulled there. I have to wonder how tf Yui and Ren took the unconscious Shinji to Atori tho... His bike seems to only fit with 2 people, and carrying unconscious person as extra?? Quote:
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I'm looking forward to seeing your thoughts on this one. Ryuki was a show that I wasn't too hot on the first time through, but after the second watch it rose a lot in my opinion. It's a good show and in many ways it was the first show that really created a lot of the elements that later Heisei Rider series would adopt.
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I don't think I've mentioned this yet in these threads, but Ryuki was the show I burned through start to finish in a couple weeks while catching up on OOO (which was around halfway through airing at the time), so I consider it my "first" Rider series just as much, if not more. I'll tell you upfront, I adore Ryuki. There's no way I could watch this show and not become immediately hooked on the franchise. Those first episodes in particular are definitely real strong, especially in how they establish Shinji's character.
Going back to Kuuga, Rider shows tend to do this thing where the hero gets to define their mission statement in the second episode, and the way Ryuki does it is wonderful. I love just how active Shinji is in making the choice to become a Rider. He's made more than aware of the danger he's getting into, but he ultimately refuses to walk away from the chance to save people from the Mirror Monsters. It's such a great way to build the audience's respect for his character, who initially seems like nothing but a goofball. One other thing about it I've been telling myself I have to bring up to you if you didn't catch was the specific way Shinji realizes why he can't walk away: Reiko's dialogue about how many people are affected when just one person disappears. That line hangs over the series in ways you won't be able to realize yet, and is something that sticks out a lot more on a rewatch. Something to keep in mind going forward. Or backward, really. Simply framing the stakes of losing a life on such a personal level is just plain neat in its own right, and may or may not make an interesting contrast with the way Kuuga and Agito handled monster casualties? Also, some other thoughts I can't think of a way to connect to each other: - Yes, the designs are great! One particularly cool touch is that elements of the traditional Rider head were spread out among the main Riders, such as Ryuki getting the big bug eyes. The cool thing about that, in turn, is that it visually informs you about the characters' personalities. Riders in Ryuki by and large only have visors, so Ryuki's huge eyes, which are straight up bulging, fit the image of a naive, wide-eyed idealist. He looks a bit friendlier and more heroic. Meanwhile, Knight actually has eyes on his helmet design too, but they're small, and hide so deep within the visor, I straight up didn't notice them for like a dozen episodes back when I watched the show. Which is simultaneously a great contrast, the mystery man with a lot of layers, but also something that implies there's maybe more similarities between the two than there might appear at a glance. Oh, and the suits look cool or whatever, I guess. Yeah, that too. - That CG spider is rough, but I believe it's literally the very first ever instance of Kamen Rider doing an all-CG, big ol' monster like that, so it represents an important step forward for what they could pull off with the special effects, and as such it makes sense they'd want to show that off right in the premiere. I mean, Ryuki and Knight's personal monsters ain't exactly done practically. - One quick thing about the Mirror World scenes. Don't underestimate the importance of that ambient sound! It lends an eerie, otherworldy emptiness to the location, while practically serving to always let the viewer know where they are. It's especially neat whenever the show is cutting back and forth between it and the normal world. |
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Yui is 100% the brains of this outfit. Nothing about Ren tells me he'd be safe running things solo. Also, minor thing. While spoiler text works on the boards, it, uh, it doesn't carry over to notification emails I get. Like, at all. So, uh, maybe we cool it on spoiler text? Thanks! Quote:
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Tell me that them portraying Dragreder like this would not make Ryuki 20% better. |
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