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07-16-2020, 03:25 AM | #81 |
The Immortal King Tasty
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This may or may not cheer you up Die, but...
Learning Ondul the Easy WEEEEEEI! (#2) While the second episode had plenty of Ondul goodness in it, I think we'll keep this course on a fairly elementary level and skip right ahead to the memetic lines from episode 3, which are once again among the show's absolute most quoted. Although now that he's become a major figure in the story, I will mention here that (<::V::>) is the emoticon of choice for Kamen Rider Chalice. It's a little abstract, I know. Rest assured Hajime will get his time in the spotlight of these lessons soon enough. For now though, Kenjaki and Dadi are back at it again with a one-two punch of greatness. Tachibana's declaration of the negative effects the Rider System has is meant to be another in a series of dramatic revelations that keep the viewer guessing, but unfortunately, not a lot of people were taking Blade all too seriously this early on. I presume that's why, despite Tachibana's delivery only being mildly slurred (ore no karada wa boro boro da! -> odenokaradawabodobododa!), it's one of the most commonly memed lines from the entire show, simply for being hard to take seriously and also just plain fun to reference at every given opportunity. Even the bumpers for the Super Hero Time block Kamen Rider airs in with Super Sentai made a joke out of it, with Tachibana telling viewers that if they don't watch next time too, his body will fall apart! Meanwhile, Kenzaki's reaction to this bomb being dropped (uso da sonna koto! -> uzodadondokodo-n!) is legendary in its own right for coming off as more hilariously over the top than actually dramatic. Once again, Kenzaki shows why he's the prince, as the line becomes less and less comprehensible with every syllable. This is another one where people legitimately had trouble figuring out what was being said. It's also my personal favorite phrase in all of Ondul! Worth noting is that the snowy mountain this scene takes place in was even dubbed Mt. Dondoko by fans in honor of the line. That concludes today's lesson, but those looking to review the material on their own time can feel free to use this video of the scene in question that has nearly 3 million views. https://youtu.be/YP5XpwToSH8
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07-16-2020, 10:19 AM | #82 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
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Quote:
Like, CHAIRMAN made some shitty belts in a hurry that are maybe killing them? I'm not convinced, but okay, sure! Definitely something that's worth exploring over the course of this series. But, it's a data point in an episode that (again!) feels overstuffed with data points. It's also the second episode (out of three) that has a Tachibana-related climax where Everything You Knew About _______ Is Wrong. And the individual exposition scenes don't really do anything interesting with conveying the information. It's just there. (Minor props to Hajime's snowy flashback, and the way it transitions back to his dungeon. It's a good idea that falters slightly with the effects work. It's cool until it's sort-of funny.) So, yeah, not mad at the ticking clock, mad (well, unimpressed) at the execution. i like the snow in these episodes that was a fun visual
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07-16-2020, 12:29 PM | #83 |
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Location: Chicago, IL
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Midway through Episode 04 (it's very good, I figured out how they're pacing this and why it's driving me a little crazy) and, just... this:
Hello, most ridiculous thing I've maybe ever seen in a Kamen Rider show.
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07-16-2020, 01:00 PM | #84 |
The Immortal King Tasty
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Well at least we agree on something then.
Also, feel free to tell me to stop! My intent with this idea was not to torture you! Well, Tachibana eating a puzzle piece certainly is an absurd idea.
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07-16-2020, 01:06 PM | #85 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
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Quote:
Quote:
I mean, I don't think he really ate it, no. That's... he's a grown man, and that sounds psychotic. I would expect him to have it on him somewhere, similar to Kusaka's totemic picture of Mari from Faiz. I really do love how that thing, it's not literally about him being a weirdo? It's a metaphor for his inability to accept his own mortality? Buuuuuuut that's what I'm writing about in another tab!
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07-16-2020, 01:45 PM | #86 |
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Man, this reminded me about how much of a hard time I had with Blade's early-show. It put me off so badly, I actually had to drop it the first time I tried to watch it a few years ago. This feels strange to say considering So Many Things Happened, but it's just so... boring. The way they drop all these plot points and establish all the connection between these characters felt very perfunctory for some reason. Also, personal toyetic taste and all, but coming off Ryuki and Faiz, the suit design and weapon in this show are comparatively very underwhelming; there's not a single thing from here that I'd love to own.
Then I gave it another go this year, and I actually quite liked it in the end! It's hard to connect with the characters at first (Kenzaki in particular felt a bit too bland and it typically took me longer to vibe with a main character who's already a Rider since the beginning), but they grew on me once everything slowed down a bit. I don't have as much things I'm excited about and eager to discuss on Blade compared to Ryuki, Faiz, or Hibiki, but hopefully more Blade stans will come along and shower this thread with the love the series deserves~ |
07-16-2020, 01:57 PM | #87 |
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KAMEN RIDER BLADE EPISODE 04
This time on Kamen Rider Blade: Kenzaki makes two friends! Chalice beats the Moth Monster, then beats up Blade! CHAIRMAN of the BOARD goes up in flames! And Tachibana eats a puzzle piece as a metaphor for humanity's fear of death! Normally, how you'd break a story on Kamen Rider is to have some new information be learned by the cast, then spend some time having them react to that information. Like, Mari and Keitaro learn that Takumi is an Orphnoch at the beginning of an episode, and then we spend the rest of an episode seeing them try to process it. Cause and effect. There's plot, and then there's how plot changes and grows our characters. Storytelling 101. It's not that Blade doesn't do that, it's that they do too much of it, and it creates whole episodes devoted to each half. We don't get an episode where new information is learned and the cast reacts to it, we get an entire episode where the cast learns four different things, and then an entire episode where the cast reacts to all of that information. It creates a lopsided viewing experience for me, where odd-numbered episodes are a rush of context-less data, and the even-numbered episodes are deep, compelling drama. It's... I don't know if it's a great way to tell a season-long story? This episode works out great, though. Really enjoyed what it was doing for each character. Tachibana came out the best, mostly because I wasn't really able to get a read on him before. Here, he comes across as a man who is so terrified of his story ending that he's willing to destroy everything he's worked for in order to avoid it. There's a bizarre vulnerability that I really connected with, a view of a man who can't comprehend his own mortality. That whole thing with the puzzle piece... I mean, it's a hilarious line in a vacuum, but it's a great scene in context. It's someone who can't fathom something ending, so he'd rather render it useless and look like a fool. It takes his exposition from last episode, his confession to Kenzaki, and it makes it specific, personal. It's not just a hero trying to survive, it's Tachibana being terrified of his impending demise. It makes his tragedy both aggravating and lamentable, someone who can't see past their own fears. Which is a great segue into talking about Kenzaki, who shows some really fun shades in this story. He starts off just awful, but in a very captivating way. He's like Tachibana, trying to refocus every other problem as secondary to his pain, his fear, what he's going through. I like how the show lets him be selfish for a minute, lets him be unlikeable. (I mean, Hirose is really going through something, and Kenzaki is just oblivious to it!) It's some electrifying acting when he gets indignant at Hirose for calling him out for letting his belief in Tachibana overshadow the facts of the situation. He's a guy that maybe doesn't think a lot of himself, but he's got a temper and an ego that's not going to let him get run down by someone else. It's a nice way the show keeps his self-doubt from becoming self-pity, you know? He can be a bundle of anger and doubt, and it's going to bubble up in weird, fascinating ways. (He don't get along with Hajime at all!) But then there's this beautiful, beautiful scene Kenzaki has with Kotaro, in the Feelings Field. It's Kenzaki sitting outside, trying to get his head around the fact that he could die being Kamen Rider Blade. He tries to psych himself up, paint it as Heroic and Cool. A heroic demise, fighting to save the world from the Undead! But Kotaro is aghast. Kenzaki is his friend, and he wants him to stick around. Plus, who the hell knows if Tachibana's even honest, or right? And there's this excitement on Kenzaki's face, a smile as big and broad as anything. Kotaro cares about him. Kotaro's his friend. It's so pure, that scene. It's not just a Rider that desperately needs the support of the people in his life, but one who understands how necessary and special that support is. It's not someone who needs to be convinced that they're a good person, or that they need people in their life. It's someone who knows what they want, and appreciates it when it's given to them. It's earnest, and adorable, and it made me love this show even more. Even the exposition was a huge step up from last time. The Hirose stuff, with her first meeting with CHAIRMAN of the BOARD, and the stuff with her dad, it was exactly the kind of exposition I want to see. It's not just filling in backstory, it's giving Hirose stuff to process. She's put all of her trust in these heroic men, and now she doesn't know if they're worth her faith. CHAIRMAN talks a good game about trying to save the world, but when she considers it alongside her dad's definitely not troubling desire to save his wife at all costs, and Tachibana's desperate struggle to just live more (sorry Gaim), she's beginning to see that a lot of what she viewed as a heroic dedication to humanity's betterment was maybe just reckless men scared of the loss that comes with mortality. And that, man, maybe my favorite thing about this episode? There's a thematic heft to it, where three full threads of the narrative are dealing with the same ideas, the same consequences. It's an episode about something, exploring a theme. It's about what fear of death drives us to do, how it warps our morality and goals. How we process losing people, but also how we process the idea that our story might end at some point, and what we'd sacrifice to keep that from happening for just a little while longer. I love when a show makes time for that, themes, instead of pouring on more info and monologues and backstory. It moves us from people learning information, to how that information shapes them as characters, how it illuminates merits and flaws. Also, there's some Rider action! It's only a little bit, but I liked the brawl at the end. I don't have much of a sense of Blade's fighting style yet, other than Bad At It, but I enjoyed Chalice's strategy of using Blade to suss out Moth Monster's weak point, and then instantly murder it. It's a great look into how unimpressed Chalice is with Blade, how irrelevant he finds him. Is... is there anyone in this show who thinks Kenzaki has what it takes? Besides me, I mean. Next time on Kamen Rider Blade: Amane's sick! Chalice is being watched! And Garren is no help to anyone, as per goddamn usual!
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07-16-2020, 01:59 PM | #88 |
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Not even Chalice, though?!
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07-16-2020, 02:04 PM | #89 |
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Huh this... actually gives me something to say for once! It's not often that the main character is my favorite in like, any show I've seen, but Blade here is an exception. Without getting into spoiler territory, I think the main thing I like about Kenzaki is that he doesn't take anyone's' crap. There's one scene between him and Hajime that really showcases that(which I loved), but I don't think it's happened quite yet? But yeah, having a hero who stands tall with his convictions and doesn't let people treat him like crap was really refreshing, considering this aired during a time where alot of heroes I'd seen were super passive.
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07-16-2020, 02:12 PM | #90 |
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Quote:
Huh this... actually gives me something to say for once! It's not often that the main character is my favorite in like, any show I've seen, but Blade here is an exception. Without getting into spoiler territory, I think the main thing I like about Kenzaki is that he doesn't take anyone's' crap. There's one scene between him and Hajime that really showcases that(which I loved), but I don't think it's happened quite yet? But yeah, having a hero who stands tall with his convictions and doesn't let people treat him like crap was really refreshing, considering this aired during a time where alot of heroes I'd seen were super passive.
I like it on Kenzaki because he always knows that he screwed up, when he gets into an argument. He knows he pushed Hirose away, which is why he tries to reframe things around what he's going through. He's trying to excuse his bad behavior, because he knows he behaved badly. But, at his core, he's someone who feels strongly, and he won't let his own fears or doubts stop him from doing what he thinks is right. It's a very heroic attribute! But still probably not an easy dude to be friends with!
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