|
Community Links |
Members List |
Search Forums |
Advanced Search |
Go to Page... |
|
Thread Tools |
06-25-2022, 08:35 PM | #161 |
The Immortal King Tasty
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Every diner you've ever been to.
Posts: 3,833
|
Quote:
Anyways, I love this episode for how perfectly it emphasizes itself as the THE first multi-part story in Zero-One. It'd be one thing after half a dozen episodes for things to not wrap up more-or-less cleanly by the end, but they straight up end this one on Fuwa getting exploded by the main bad guy after he finally steps into the spotlight. Just, immediately, Kamen Rider Horobi feels like a huge deal. I straight up love this guy, by the way? I don't know how much I'll end up gushing about him in this thread, but for now, just focusing on him as a Rider, it was so dang cool knowing Takaiwa was still playing a big role even after stepping down from the protagonist spot after Zi-O. I'd imagine I'm not the only one who sort of felt like it just wouldn't be Kamen Rider without the guy, so this made that transition a lot smoother, while also giving him a chance to demonstrate his talent with a very different kind of character. I've always felt Kabuto was actually one of the roles that most demonstrated Takaiwa's skill as a suit actor? Most people probably jump to Den-O, but I think its the subtlety of a character like Tendou that lets him shine most. I praise guys like Eitoku and Kousuke Asai for being hugely expressive in their own right, but if I had to think of something about Takaiwa that I geuninely can't imagine any other suit actor will ever match, it'd be the minimalism of Kabuto. How with the least possible amount of movement, he could still excellently convey a properly defined personality just in how carried himself. Kamen Rider Horobi gave him a chance to really showcase that aspect of his style again, and that made it a total delight to watch that character in any scene he was in. (Also I very specifically love the shape of those eyes on the suit. They're so weirdly elongated and creepy and utterly unique and I was fascinated by them before the show even started.) ...Not that any of this talk about Horobi helps to refute the idea the climax of this episode is all that's worth discussing, which is ordinarily the kind of thing I would try to refute, given the chance. Uh... let's see here... well, the start of this one *does* reveal that Aruto was born on May 1st, which is the same day the Reiwa era started, naturally. It's a bit on the nose, but considering they also called the show Zero-One, that's only fitting. It's really cute how committed they were to this guy heralding the new era. (Also some more weirdly noncommittal To Sell Toys stuff this week, with the sudden focus on Izu having the obligatory Progrise Key holder thing that came out around that time. Just look at *all* those Keys it holds! That was kind of the same "genre" of merch of the big Ride Watch tower you always saw in Zi-O, and the Pandora Panels that were rather prominent in Build, so that should give you a good idea of how much of a downgrade this is. To be fair, you also see that design worked into other places like the MetsubouJinrai hideout, but I believe this is the one and only time they did this odd showcase with Izu. Horobi using the Amazing Hercules Key is a much more a natural result of this, as that Key came bundled with the holder. Don't expect that to become any sort of signature piece of gear for the guy either, but, you know, he uses it more than Fuwa uses the Attache Calibur at least.)
__________________
|
06-25-2022, 08:47 PM | #162 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 6,159
|
Quote:
Just, immediately, Kamen Rider Horobi feels like a huge deal. I straight up love this guy, by the way? I don't know how much I'll end up gushing about him in this thread, but for now, just focusing on him as a Rider, it was so dang cool knowing Takaiwa was still playing a big role even after stepping down from the protagonist spot after Zi-O. I'd imagine I'm not the only one who sort of felt like it just wouldn't be Kamen Rider without the guy, so this made that transition a lot smoother, while also giving him a chance to demonstrate his talent with a very different kind of character. I've always felt Kabuto was actually one of the roles that most demonstrated Takaiwa's skill as a suit actor? Most people probably jump to Den-O, but I think its the subtlety of a character like Tendou that lets him shine most. I praise guys like Eitoku and Kousuke Asai for being hugely expressive in their own right, but if I had to think of something about Takaiwa that I geuninely can't imagine any other suit actor will ever match, it'd be the minimalism of Kabuto. How with the least possible amount of movement, he could still excellently convey a properly defined personality just in how carried himself. Kamen Rider Horobi gave him a chance to really showcase that aspect of his style again, and that made it a total delight to watch that character in any scene he was in. (Also I very specifically love the shape of those eyes on the suit. They're so weirdly elongated and creepy and utterly unique and I was fascinated by them before the show even started.)
Or, the actor, is maybe what I mean. I find the MetsubouJinrai leader to be a distractingly uncharismatic presence, honestly. Most of his scenes have - not to keep comparing him to Genm, but - missed either the beneficent charm of early Kuroto, or the unhinged lunacy of late Kuroto. This guy's just there, and I don't find him nearly as appealing as either one of his weirdo underlings. There's more to him this time (I was pretty dialed in when he theatrically declared war on all of humanity to Fuwa's sputtering face), but I don't feel like the actor has figured out a way in to this guy yet in-person. Does an okay job on VO, though! Ha ha, it's pretty dopey! Not exactly leaping to the top of my To Buy list, despite Izu's showmanship and the very fun Use Three Suits tactics.
__________________
Currently working on: Go-Busters is next! Archive of previous shows on KamenRiderDie.com! |
06-25-2022, 10:42 PM | #163 |
Precure enthusiast
Join Date: Dec 2021
Location: Amongst the Cosmos
Posts: 304
|
Ep 8!
- It's the obligatory "Buy that damn mech!" 2 parter! I guess the Time Mazines sold pretty well? Absolutely giggled when the Gigars's function to mass-calm down raging Humagears showed up when I first watched this episode, and said "I give 5 minutes before theyre used for evil." -Mashiro-chan suggesting a brain scan for Fuwa is so funny. When are we getting an episode where we drag Fuwa to a Humagear-led therapy session. -Hmmm, is Singularity really such a bad thing? Is thinking like a human really such a mark of being " dangerous and incomprehensible" to humanity? Take Mashiro-chan for example. There a multitude of biases in the medicial field that prevent people from getting their proper diagnosises for their ailments, and those people get ill and potenially die as a result for lack of care. AI and other tech, from what they learn, will retain that sense of bias from their developers, but if they could surpass that and make their own calls....Doesn't it have an equal chance of being helpful than it does being scary? If "surpassing humanity's comprehension" is such a issue, is destruction really the only way? Wouldn't be more helpful to observe Humagears who approach/obtain Singularity to better understand them and determine what they can contribute than hitting the "turn to scrap metal" button at the slightest hint of an awakening? -.....It seemed like one of those "spoilers" that you naturally come across as you pass within fandom (like Fruit Jesus/bench jokes or a suspiciously high amount of fanart drawing Takkun as a wolf), so I gotta ask the folks who were watching the show live: was MJBR being Humagears a shock to anyone? It seems like more for the characters to know/ info mentioned a press conference or something... -Sting Dystopia is such a goregous finisher, love how it looks in this episode! Even if you're not sold on Horobi as a character just yet, his debut fight is so well-executed to establish him as a powerful threat! (Love the exchange that more or less went like "Fuwa: You took everything from me!! Horobi: I dont even know who you are...") -Aruto and Fuwa's argument about Humagears going in circles due to how emotionally fueled their arguments are....I think this episode could be seen as the first proper "push" aganist Aruto's idealogy? Aruto's been operating on the idea that the Humagears aren't really to blame for going berserk, since it's all due MJBR's hacking to blame, but it turns out they're Humagears as well?! Why would a Humagear, created to do their work with excellence to support the humans in their field, now look upon humanity with scorn and digust? (Of course, we can't Aruto's thoughts on the matter bc the characters are too busy, but it's so pleasant that Horobi represents a proper challenge to Aruto's current ideals.) |
06-25-2022, 10:55 PM | #164 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 6,159
|
Quote:
Hmmm, is Singularity really such a bad thing? Is thinking like a human really such a mark of being " dangerous and incomprehensible" to humanity? Take Mashiro-chan for example. There a multitude of biases in the medicial field that prevent people from getting their proper diagnosises for their ailments, and those people get ill and potenially die as a result for lack of care. AI and other tech, from what they learn, will retain that sense of bias from their developers, but if they could surpass that and make their own calls....Doesn't it have an equal chance of being helpful than it does being scary? If "surpassing humanity's comprehension" is such a issue, is destruction really the only way? Wouldn't be more helpful to observe Humagears who approach/obtain Singularity to better understand them and determine what they can contribute than hitting the "turn to scrap metal" button at the slightest hint of an awakening?
But, yeah, this show is definitely trying to talk about... I was going to get into this later, but let's do it now. This show is trying to talk about parenthood, and how scary it can be, but also how beautiful it can be. You bring life into this world (or adopt life), and you become responsible for what it might turn into. You can guide it, steer it, punish it, reward it, but it's going to turn into something you can't really control. All you can do is hope that you've created something good, instead of something that's going to hurt people. The discussion about that, raising someone and hoping they'll surpass you -- even if by surpassing you, they become something you don't understand -- is pretty much what this show's being talking about since Episode 1.
__________________
Currently working on: Go-Busters is next! Archive of previous shows on KamenRiderDie.com! |
06-25-2022, 10:55 PM | #165 |
Showa Girl
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 9,064
|
Quote:
-.....It seemed like one of those "spoilers" that you naturally come across as you pass within fandom (like Fruit Jesus/bench jokes or a suspiciously high amount of fanart drawing Takkun as a wolf), so I gotta ask the folks who were watching the show live: was MJBR being Humagears a shock to anyone? It seems like more for the characters to know/ info mentioned a press conference or something...
Not necessarily bad or anything, just always found it a little odd
__________________
|
06-25-2022, 11:22 PM | #166 |
Veteran Member
Join Date: Jan 2020
Posts: 1,096
|
Humagears in the medical field seems like such an obviously beneficial thing but of course Fuwa is all "how dare you let these robots try to give me a health check up!"
Mecha sure do make a habit of showing up in Rider shows. Kamen Rider Horobi! Like, as far as evil Rider debuts go, this one definitely leaves an impact (and I'm not just talking about Sting Dystopia). Like the suit is so sinister and Horobi fights with such finesse and pure, raw, power that he really raises the bar that the heroes have to match. And he utterly wrecks Fuwa which has a lasting effect/consequences which is cool for a Rider fight. And it's also just really neat to have "Mr. Kamen Rider" himself playing a major villain Rider opposing the hero of a new generation. Like just so much going into that on a Meta level. I also find it funny that Eitoku had such a history of playing the secondary or supporting Rider to Taikawa's Main Rider and that dynamic is actually revisited here with Horobi and Jin. Well, that was a pretty horrifying robot laugh. Quote:
Sure, but what I dislike is that the end result is most of the Humagear dilemmas not really getting conclusions. Like, what would the humans have decided if Kobe had pleaded for leniency and Jin hadn't shown up and caused his eventual resetting? How would Aruto have argued for Kobe's right to improve? What would Fuwa have done to prevent Kobe exceeding his programming? How would the kids have reacted? MetsubouJinrai spares the story from having to answer any of that, which bums me out.
Quote:
It's strange to me that this was a twist yeah. Like, "robot revolution led by robots" is the obvious set-up; and "robot revolution led by humans" is... much more specific and a curveball especially for this demographic, so you'd think this kind of twist would be for the opposite! I think at the time my reaction was something like "oh, that's it?"
Not necessarily bad or anything, just always found it a little odd |
06-25-2022, 11:34 PM | #167 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 6,159
|
Quote:
Oh, sure. There's alway some little epilogue that lets us know how everyone made out. Seiji and his Humalexa, or Kobe and his reboot; it's always at least addressed. My main thing is that the harder question of the episode is usually abandoned because MetsubouJinrai creates a circumstance where the problem is detonated.
__________________
Currently working on: Go-Busters is next! Archive of previous shows on KamenRiderDie.com! |
06-26-2022, 12:54 AM | #168 |
I have a problematic type
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 10,432
|
Quote:
Or, the actor, is maybe what I mean. I find the MetsubouJinrai leader to be a distractingly uncharismatic presence, honestly. Most of his scenes have - not to keep comparing him to Genm, but - missed either the beneficent charm of early Kuroto, or the unhinged lunacy of late Kuroto. This guy's just there, and I don't find him nearly as appealing as either one of his weirdo underlings. There's more to him this time (I was pretty dialed in when he theatrically declared war on all of humanity to Fuwa's sputtering face), but I don't feel like the actor has figured out a way in to this guy yet in-person. Does an okay job on VO, though!
|
06-26-2022, 02:55 AM | #169 |
Veteran Member
Join Date: May 2019
Posts: 2,555
|
Not much to say about this episode. But I can say stuff about the things in the episode.
First off, I’ll begin my secondary feature of sharing contemporary Facebook memes (one page in particular, started out in this period and was heavily prominent in making hem). His one not only got someone to note that it’s probably good Aruto didn’t find success as a comedian, and sparked an argument over how to spell “Magia”, despite it being written on the Zetsumerisekeys in the Latin alphabet. And now for the hypothetical forms using this episodes key debuts. Progrise: Dangerous Warning! Sting Scorpion! Stung with fear by the power claws. And now I can show off the Forceriser, despite it not coming out until two weeks after this episode aired (Reiwa set a standard for ‘evil’ transformation items either being released 7 weeks after their debut, or via P-Bandai. Progrise: Arai, Tsuyoi, Katai! (Rough, Strong, Hard!) Amazing Hercules! With mighty horn-like pincers that flip the opponent helpless. And this key got reused as YOUR boi, Gashat, Gachon, Gachan! LevelUpping Ex-Aid! Saving patients on the first try. And finally, I’m going to show off my favourite weapon from this show (mainly due to the voice acting and sounds being a lot more refined than the previous two Attache weapons and later ones just not being that interesting) And before COPPA arbitrarily declared this video for kids, it had this gem of a comment. Attach? case opens to release the never missing bow and arrow. Kuuga: Am I a joke to you? Imperial stormtrooper: We’ll take 8 million. |
06-26-2022, 09:48 AM | #170 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 6,159
|
Quote:
My subs have it as "Magear", which I always liked as a literally dehumanized Humagear. Happy to start using Magia if that's the official term.
__________________
Currently working on: Go-Busters is next! Archive of previous shows on KamenRiderDie.com! |
|
TokuNation News & Rumors |
Ultraman X Avengers |
Memorial Edition GoPhone Announced |
Kakuranger: 30 Years After |
ToyRise RyuKenDo |
Alternative Cut of "Day Of The Dumpster" Released |
All times are GMT -5. The time now is 11:54 AM.
|