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04-10-2021, 05:51 PM | #701 |
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It's so nice to see the Momo and Ryotaro stuff get back on track. Den-O is at its best when it forgets about the big time shenigins, and its best when it remembers the characters at the centre of this. Ryotaro, the Imagin, Yuuto, they're still popular characters today for a reason.
Do you want to hear real quick what the second top image almost was? Quote:
And then, after they make up, Momo reminds Ryotaro that Ryotaro's bad luck will probably get him killed way before the Imagin disappear, and this show proves that it can do whatever it sets its mind to.
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04-11-2021, 08:06 AM | #702 |
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Commented on this part late due to being unable to access Tokunation server before. Btw how about the part where characters are acted differently from Shouko's? (I mean if they aren't energetic genki type).
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I mean, she's not rude to Urataros. He's specifically trying to flirt with her (because: Urataros) and she's not interested. The joke isn't that she's mean to him; the joke is that she doesn't seem to notice his flirting because she's already crushing on Yuuto/Deneb and Ura can't handle being rejected.
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There are so many problems with the way this story is told after that. Quote:
Second, the conundrum Ryotaro has (use the Imagin to destroy their own future or save their future by dooming humanity) is unbelievably cliched and not terribly compelling. Are we expecting Ryotaro to ride a magical time train with his good friends while all of humanity is obliterated by an army of imagination monsters? Is that supposed to be a realistic decision he has to make? I don’t want to make a Kobayashi Maru joke here, because it’s not just something that crops up in her stories. It’s baked into the formula of Kamen Rider. Kamen Rider is, for fifty years now, about using evil to fight for good. That usually necessitates a story where the hero deals with the possibility that defeating evil will leave him with nothing to fight with. It’s to this show’s credit that it’s not power that Ryotaro will lose but friendship, but this is still a disappointingly standard plot point (that it is tough to ever make work) with two startlingly unequal scenarios for the hero to choose from.
And how do you expect Ryotaro to ride a magical time train with his friends? Ryotaro still wants to fight, not letting humanity be doomed, still on the topic of Ryotaro being stronger., that the continuation is Ryotaro trying to handle things alone without risking the lives of the Taros Imagins. This is also similar to how Ryotaro responds to Yuuto fighting as Zeronos, in contrast to Kintaros (where you talked about it being Ryotaro's personality taken to the extremes), Ryotaro is really against sacrifice. He flips out of the possibility of the Taros Imagins just throwing their life without a second thought going down fighting. I think that the impossible decision dliemma is interesting here, figuring out what can Ryotaro do to give both of the choices good outcome, however... Quote:
Third, in typical Impossible Decision fashion, the hero opts to make no choice, and so we get a long-ass fight scene of Ryotaro getting beaten up. He won’t fight with the powers of the Imagin, but he can’t survive without them. It’s a non-solution that’s especially bizarre because it’s not like Ryotaro stopped fighting, he just stopped fighting with his friends. It doesn’t make any sense. It’s a decision that’s impossible to understand (he’s more or less opting for suicide?!) and leads to literally everyone on the show yelling at him to explain himself. It’s meant to be frustrating, but it is such prolonged frustration that I wanted to turn the episode off.
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-Even Kai is lame in this one! His whole standoff with Ryotaro is shot in a really mediocre fashion (check how shaky the camera move is as Kai enters the frame), and his taunts are just generic Sneering Villain bullshit. There’s no spark to his role in this story. Everything but that one Yuuto/Deneb scene let me down!
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04-11-2021, 11:02 AM | #703 |
Standing By
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I fondly recall the emotional scene with Ryoutarou, Momotaros and the atmospheric lava lamp, which could be symbolic for the heat between them. Even if the time nonsense is still just time nonsense, this episode does a great job and establishing once more the connection between the two co-protagonists and the thing this show never fails at. It's fitting though, that Den-O keeps coming back since everybody remembers him.
The moral of protecting the present first and worrying about the future later is something I've also seen in Wizard and Kobayashi's previous time travel show, Mirai Sentai Timeranger. You can try and protect the future, but if you don't protect the present, there won't be a future.
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心 と 刃 Last edited by Sh Ranger; 04-11-2021 at 11:11 AM.. Reason: typo |
04-11-2021, 01:44 PM | #704 |
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The moral of protecting the present first and worrying about the future later is something I've also seen in Wizard and Kobayashi's previous time travel show, Mirai Sentai Timeranger. You can try and protect the future, but if you don't protect the present, there won't be a future.
Definitely a program that's trying to talk about not dwelling on the past or overinvesting in the future!
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04-11-2021, 02:49 PM | #705 |
I have a problematic type
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This was a really good episode with some great emotional elements and a good showcase for the show's different suits. It's a good emotional climax for the team leading into the final arcs, as well. There's some excellent striking visuals, especially in the Momotaros v. Ryotaro section. All around, a really good episode and I have no idea why every single second of it felt completely unfamiliar to me. I didn't remember anything about this episode and that's really weird, given how good it is and how I know I've already seen it twice.
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04-11-2021, 05:37 PM | #706 |
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Well, this was exactly what I meant, praising a character for being excessively energetic, but giving others hard time for not being that loud and broad type. I mean, of course it's completely valid to praise Shouko's acting and thinking that the chemistry between someone can be better than others, but this comment seems like being unable to tolerate difference; forcing anyone (albeit Airi isn't in despair and had a good reason to be excitable like that...) to don that enthusiastic and hyper behavior, that if not being morally grey or black, it's the only way for you to have a worth, otherwise people who don't act like that are "lifeless" or such.
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KAMEN RIDER DEN-O EPISODE 44 - “RESOLUTION OF A SINGLE-ACTION”
The fact that this episode kicks off with Momo and Ryotaro getting into a shouting match about Momo’s secrecy and Ryotaro’s martyrdom is extraordinarily refreshing, a total palette-cleanser from the previous chapter. Like, last episode left a cloud of frustration and resentment hanging over everything, but this episode quickly grounds its emotional stakes: Ryotaro can’t stand by and let people sacrifice themselves, let alone be complicit in the act. It’s frustrating to him to have to explain all this to Momo. The fact that Momo still sees this all as just some chance to knock around heads, and to see Momo treat his own life so casually, it’s disgusting to Ryotaro. Well for Ryotaro, I guess I've talked before about how people use the misguided definition of hero as simply someone who saves other's lives and/or put their live at risk for others, but Ryotaro here... he's an ideal hero, but his approach is also a complete opposite to that norm people hold on, that he's really against people sacrificing themselves, especially as it's unnecessary, you die just accomplishing that 1 heroic deed, then you can't do anymore. Ryotaro prefers to let others alive, so they can keep doing heroic deeds. This is also seen before when Yuuto continues fighting as Zeronos. Quote:
The thing is, that’s not even close to what Momo’s talking about.
My absolute favorite choice this episode made is to have Ryotaro be completely in the wrong. This story ends up being a sequel to the Return Of Zeronos story, where Ryotaro is fine with his own self-sacrifice, but he refuses to let others make that same decision. It’s his heroism turning him into a martyr, where he can’t allow people their own chances for heroism. Back in that Zeronos story, Ryotaro needed to trust in Yuuto enough to know that he was fighting as Zeronos with his eyes open, and doing it for the right reasons. It’s the same thing he needs to understand about Momo in this story. One of Ryotaro’s biggest flaws as a hero is that he’s oftentimes unable to see the heroes inside other people. His need to protect others makes him see them as fragile, keeps him from letting them protect themselves. He cares so much about his friends that that feeling is amplified, where he’ll make terrible, selfish choices to keep them from danger. It’s the sort of well-established character trait that really pulls this episode together and keeps it from feeling as cruel and adversarial as last time. But it’s Momo’s side of things that makes this episode more than just a Ryotaro Needs To Learn To Let Go retread. We’ve seen Momo as a good friend to Ryotaro, as a concerned boss to the other Imagin, and as an unstoppable fighter. What we’ve maybe never seen him be is a hero. The entire fight scene between Ryotaro and Momotaros was absolutely epic. It’s pure emotion conveyed through an action sequence. Both characters are trying to explain how resolute they are in their decision-making. Momo is going to fight the Imagin, and Ryotaro will never allow it. It’s a total stalemate, with Momo kicking the crap out of Ryotaro for about seven straight hours (I did not check the clock, bit of a ballpark) and Ryotaro refusing to accept defeat. They are both pushing each other as hard as they can, and neither one is willing to give an inch. So they just stop pushing. Ryotaro breaks down. He tells Momo that he can’t stop fighting to destroy the Imagin’s timeline, which would destroy his friends on the DenLiner, but he also can’t let them be a part of that. What Ryotaro’s doing is tragic, and it’d become impossibly tragic if had to use his friends in their own destruction. He feels guilty and responsible and it’s crippling him. He sees his friends as something to protect, and he’s letting them down, no matter what he chooses. But his friends aren’t just something to protect. They're people(-ish), and they’re becoming heroes of their own. Momo tells Ryotaro that he’s not just mad that Ryotaro won’t let him fight; he’s mad because Ryotaro won’t give him the chance to protect people. Ryotaro has changed the Imagin, acting as a beacon to lead them into the light. He’s taken imagination monsters from the end of time and, through friendship, made them want to be heroes. Momo’s mad, just like Yuuto was, at the hypocrisy of Ryotaro to deny them the chance to help people. I still stand by the previous poor decision of Ryotaro's attempt to be heroic, that being stuck on Plat Form, but I still see Ryotaro's act here as the continuation of Ryotaro getting stronger plot (Momo said it himself to not get cocky just because of being stronger), that Ryotaro wants to fight threats alone, not sacrificing himself, and I'd like if Ryotaro makes use of Liner Form to do that (I think the sword is only radio, not Imagins taking part on battle and risking their live by possessing). Also, about Ryotaro not seeing heroes inside other people, I don't think that it had correlations of others being fragile (remember, it's Ryotaro the loser who is fragile), but as Ryotaro is the most morally upright, I guess Ryotaro sets up too high of a standard of heroism, like those who are grey shouldn't partake the way the morally white like Ryotaro can (well, Ryotaro's moral does take the good part of the adventure like breaking the "rule" of protecting the flow of time by helping the contract holder in the past), which, well, personally I would also say that grey part of someone can't be overlooked and make them lumped together with ideal toku hero like Ryotaro and that they should improve themselves, but doesn't mean that they can't be any use in saving the day even if like, they only cover the fighting monsters part, I think instead of others being fragile, it's more about Ryotaro thinking in terms of black-and-white; even the slightest gray to him is immediately treated as black at the earliest opportunity. Also, the thing about Zeronos, it's not merely fighting for the right reasons, but there are other aspects as the worldview, methods, etc. Zeronos is pragmatic hero, that he can stoop into dirty tactics to get the job done, though Ryotaro should also let himself partake, which is by trusting him enough. Momotaros, as this episode summed up, still a violent misfit that wants to take part in battle due to enjoying fighting too, so never seeing him as a hero (well, Momotaros is an anti-hero for fighting against evil but having several negative qualities, and that is still a subset of hero albeit morally grey) is brought up in the episode too. As previously has shown, Momo cares about Ryotaro a lot after a rough start, and I would see him as less concerned about the other Imagins compared to Ryotaro (I still see relationships with less conflict as the closer one, albeit of course there are exceptions, for this one, well Momo's main concern is Ryotaro, and he can see other Imagins as competition for taking care of Ryotaro, and he had almost no conflict with Ryotaro after Momo fully cares for him), but about being heroic, what they should do (except for Kin, but as you said he resorts to self-sacrifice at any opportunity, he really needs to learn about Ryotaro's outburst here about not sacrificing) is care for more than only what's close to them, like only between the Taros Imagins group, or Airi for Ryutaros. They should care for people less related to them, like the strangers, as heroes are about taking care of them. Quote:
It leads to an incredibly sweet ending fight that works on a couple levels. On an emotional one, it’s this intensely cathartic battle with every single Form getting some licks in on the Armadillo Imagin, every DenLiner Imagin feeling seen by Ryotaro. On a tokusatsu level, it’s a great late-stage showcase for how good these suits are. We’re nearing the end of the show, which usually means signs and warnings that Your Form Must Be This Powerful To Ride. So a final fight scene for all these early suits is really nice to get. (Ghost did a quick story for all of its abandoned early-days Forms near the end of its run, which I hope I enjoyed as much as I did this one. I don’t remember!)
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Overall, this was everything I thought the last episode was lacking. It drilled the story into being a fight between Momo and Ryotaro. It made Ryotaro’s argument simultaneously relatable and irrational. It let Ryotaro be wrong. And it grew Momo’s character in a surprising, organic way.
Well of course, getting help from others isn't only about your life being saved, Airi doing this stuff is crucial too, as there are many life problems than just being put in life or death situation. Though this is a contrasting view from your reception where Airi and Hana first met (it could've been a good domestic scene but is hampered by Milk Dipper setting which is infested by Airimirers - and there are no Airimirers bugging that scene actually!)
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04-11-2021, 05:52 PM | #707 |
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Well, this was exactly what I meant, praising a character for being excessively energetic, but giving others hard time for not being that loud and broad type. I mean, of course it's completely valid to praise Shouko's acting and thinking that the chemistry between someone can be better than others, but this comment seems like being unable to tolerate difference; forcing anyone (albeit Airi isn't in despair and had a good reason to be excitable like that...) to don that enthusiastic and hyper behavior, that if not being morally grey or black, it's the only way for you to have a worth, otherwise people who don't act like that are "lifeless" or such.
I didn't mean it was literally lacking something, like a conclusion. I was more referring to 44 feeling true to the characters and emotionally relatable in a way that 43 wasn't. To me, 44 was easy to enjoy in a way that 43 wasn't.
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04-11-2021, 11:10 PM | #708 |
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KAMEN RIDER DEN-O HYPER BATTLE VIDEO - "SINGING, DANCING, BIG TRAINING!!”
This was an exquisite disappointment. I mean, the gold standard for HBVs (at least for the shows I've watched) are Faiz and Build. Faiz is legendarily bonkers, rendering the themes of the show in a musical fever dream. Build is absurdism hiding a beating heart, taking a random piece of tie-in media to talk about toxic male role models and media's tendency to favor paternal narratives over maternal ones. Those two massively exceeded what I expected, in ways that maybe colored my expectations for this one. Like, I really thought this one would try and do something fascinating, and it did, but not at all in the way I was hoping for. I thought we'd get some intriguingly brief look at emotional well-being, or the ability to draw strength out of tragedy. Instead, we got a workout video? It's seriously just a ten-minute workout video featuring the characters of Den-O. There's a fight scene at the end, where Ryotaro puts his exercise lessons into practice, but there's just about zero story here. Ryotaro wants to get stronger, tons of working out, Ryotaro defeats three returning Imagin. There isn't really an arc so much as there's cause and effect. Narratively, it's nowhere, and there's nothing happening in it to talk about. But conceptually, I find it absolutely fascinating. In a lot of ways, Den-O is a series about self-care. It's incredibly internal, focusing a lot of the storytelling on how we live with ourselves (not to give away the Series Recap post for next week), and that topic is filtered through Ryotaro and the Imagin. So taking the HBV and turning the emotional self-care into physical self-care, making the lessons about physical fitness instead of mental fitness, I think that's a really cool idea. It's not, y'know, a compelling story (I will not be taking Ryotaro's advice and watching this video again, probably ever), but it's a completely worthwhile idea that's largely supported by the series' themes. So, yeah, not really much here to talk about (I ate pizza and watched Wrestlemania with a roommate tonight; I am not doing calisthenics), but a pretty neat concept that I applaud the creators for attempting. THE BAGGAGE CAR -Deneb shows up but Yuuto doesn't, which communicates to me that the show absolutely knows which part of the Deneb/Yuuto team is paying the bills. -Sieg's appearance... was it just because of the movie? It's so totally random to have a two-episode character pop back up for a scene that I've got to assume the producers thought it'd help if they had a movie character show up. I don't know. It's a great surprise, but it's insane that Sieg's first post-movie appearance was in the HBV. (Unless I'm forgetting him showing up again in the show? I assume he'll be somewhere in the next few episodes.)
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04-12-2021, 02:08 AM | #709 |
take me to space
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HBVs having any narrative heft is definitely the exception rather than the norm. I think KumaTelevi really spoiled you!
That said, if you ever need some encouragement to get in shape, just plug in this video and you too can one day be as capable as Den-O (Is that a good thing...?)! |
04-12-2021, 09:59 AM | #710 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
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But, yeah, Phase 1 didn't really seem to know what to do with the format of the HBV yet. A ton of recap stuff, and maybe a couple good jokes, and a fight. That's about all you got. Phase 2 would start to play around with DVD technology to create quizzes and branching narratives, before abandoning that to mostly focus on new suits that could be sold down the line (or packed-in; not sure how that works) while building in a bit more story to sell those new suits.
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