|
Community Links |
Members List |
Search Forums |
Advanced Search |
Go to Page... |
|
Thread Tools |
01-08-2021, 07:44 AM | #531 |
Veteran Member
Join Date: Jan 2020
Posts: 1,290
|
Boy, I wanted to gave screencaps of this, but again, based on the sub mistakes. Break.. the.. TOKU?! (Self-depreciation of the genre to the max)
Quote:
KAMEN RIDER KABUTO - EPISODE 29
Above and beyond the decades of shows set in restaurants and cafes (and adjacent to donut trucks), the idea of cooking being a reflection of the goodness of a soul, that’s pretty prominent? Shouichi from Agito springs to mind, but Tendou is quickly displacing him as my main example of A Kamen Rider Who Cooks. It makes sense to have a cooking Kamen Rider. It’s a great shorthand for a lot of things about the character. It’s a skill that requires training to excel at, but is also largely considered an art that needs an innate talent. It’s about mindfulness and control, but still needs passion, desire. More than anything, it’s about providing for others, working hard to make other people happy. Of all of the occupations a main character can have, being a chef or a cook… those are maybe the most Kamen Rider to me? Quote:
So to have a story that asks if those skills could ever be twisted to evil, to be used in pursuit of control over others? Yes. Yes, a hundred times. There are parts of this episode that scream for the novelty-oriented Canon But Not Really shrug of the wilder HBVs, but the theme of good versus evil, of compassion versus selfishness, of heartfelt sacrifice versus eternal dominance… yeah, this is fully a Kamen Rider episode to me.
Quote:
It’s a funny one, and we’ll get to that, but it’s also so dialed-in to the dramatic side of its jokes. There’re a ton of long takes in this one, these shots that just keep going and going. It allows the jokes to play, but also allows the scenes to feel grounded, to let the reactions feel genuine. The idea of The Dark Chef needing to prove his greatness is completely in-theme for Kabuto as a show, despite the wackiness of the premise. The long takes keep his menace from being washed out with gags, so his appearances feel tense, unpredictable. The food prep scenes, the tryouts for Kagami Outrageous, Tadokoro's soba thing… it’s all longer takes than you’d think, considering how often quick cuts amplify the humor. But that’s not what the production team does here. Everything spreads out a little more, blending humor with menace with foreboding with excitement. It’s a pretty good dish!
Quote:
And, yeah, a hilarious episode. The idea of just going all-in on Iron Chef But Kamen Rider… again, it sounds like an HBV, but every step of the story makes that idea totally logical. The random appearance of the Dark Knife (subtitles on this episode start off calling it the Dark Knife, then The Dark Chef calls it the Black Knife, but I like Dark Knife better) in the beginning feels like a curse is put on the show, drawing everyone into this insane world where battles are conducted in the language of flavor. But so much of this show is built around honoring the power of cooking (one of Tendou and Hiyori’s most memorable arguments was resolved with flavor!) that it’s inevitable that Tendou would feel personally invested in it.
Quote:
But, god, every joke in this thing lands, no matter how large or small. Right from the jump, Kagami is pointedly musing to Tendou if Hyper Kabuto will be a non-weird Rider for once, and Tendou’s like Yes Gatack It Sure Would Be Nice If We Had A Non-Weird Rider For A Change. It’s a sort of casual rivalry that I’m glad to see the show still has a look towards, where Tendou will tolerate some gentle ribbing from Kagami, but there is a limit. That joke… again, it’s this really long take that keeps it from going overboard, and it’s paced like two people are just talking. It’s a joke that isn’t trying to make itself bigger than it needs to be, while still leaving nothing on the table. Precisely targeted laughs in this one.
Quote:
Honestly, nothing that’s really a bum note here? You could argue that the Worm battle is tacked on (it comes out of nowhere, and the show cuts away from it super fast), but it still includes a three-Rider fight with a killer Kabuto finish. And it tosses in Hyper Kabuto to lurk menacingly at the edges. And Kagami sees Tsurugi go into a full-on Worm Tantrum, which is a pretty big action-y cliffhanger for an episode that eschews Rider stuff for over two-thirds of its run-time. It’s maybe inelegantly added to the recipe, but it makes for some welcome closing notes.
Quote:
A QUESTION
One of the funniest bits in this episode is maybe the most vestigial. It’s when Tsurugi proudly shows off his first paycheck to Jiiya… for 73 yen. At the low amount, Tsurugi boasts that it’s because he is terrible at his job, and he has now Won At Penalties. (There is a tiny drop-in sound effect in 28 of Tsurugi slinging his carrying case around, smashing the bowls inside, so this plot point tracks!) Jiiya is, classically, overcome with pride for Tsurugi, and it’s adorable. It’s nice to see Tsurugi expanding his excellence to include being the worst at things (watch out Kageyama, I guess), which is maybe more his wheelhouse than he comprehends. What’s something you’re reliably terrible at? (For me, it’s mistyping the word “episode”. Every time! Every single time! I can’t make my fingers type that word correctly!)
__________________
The most complete non-wiki encyclopedias for Kamen Rider series (currently only found Ryuki and OOO's). Last edited by DreadBringer; 01-08-2021 at 07:49 AM.. |
01-08-2021, 11:57 AM | #532 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 6,159
|
Good catch! Pretty appropriate for that episode.
__________________
Currently working on: Go-Busters is next! Archive of previous shows on KamenRiderDie.com! |
01-08-2021, 03:21 PM | #533 |
Veteran Member
Join Date: Jan 2020
Posts: 1,290
|
Quote:
KAMEN RIDER KABUTO - EPISODE 30
Oh, man, INOUE FOREVER. There’s something about his episodes… I think I said in another thread that he’s a dude who always swings hard at an idea. If it’s one he doesn’t fully connect with, it goes foul, sometimes infuriatingly so. But when he connects with an idea, really gets ahold of it, it is exceptional. This is… it’s maybe not the best Kabuto episode yet, but it is so quintessentially Kabuto, so true to the soul of this show, that it makes other episodes look like pig food. Quote:
Like, I think The Dark Chef is maybe the best villain this show could ever have? I know there’s a Dark Kabuto coming up (I’ve got an unopened SHODO figure that attests to it), but no matter who that ends up being, I can’t see how they could be a better foil to Tendou than this story had. The idea of someone who values excellence because he can take it for himself, someone who’d drain great people of their skills, someone who humbles great people for his own pleasure, the very idea of excellence being a zero-sum game… all of that stuff is antithetical to Tendou’s worldview. Tendou envisions a world of Objectivist wonders, where geniuses of all stripes follow their muses into realms of achievement that render the world a better place. The Dark Chef covets the skills of others so that he can control the future, lock the world into his desires and goals.
Quote:
(I’ll say this as a knock against this episode, though: the sound design is oppressive. For all that the last episode seemed to let the jokes land on their own, this one has a wacky sound effect for literally every movement and line of dialogue. It’s suffocating. I’m in love with this episode, and can forgive a lot because of how brilliantly it’s approaching its themes, but it was absolutely getting on my nerves. Much like Tendou had to learn in order to defeat The Dark Chef, sometimes the best flavors are simple. The sound design doesn’t irreparably harm the episode or anything, but it does hamstring a couple jokes by overemphasizing the humor.)
Quote:
Quote:
A QUESTION
Yes, I absolutely am going to talk about Jiiya’s heretofore unrevealed older twin brother, the master chef Hiiya. He’s a great, bonkers twist on the Old Master character, treating cooking as a bloodsport, a crucible that destroys souls. There is a graveyard outside his house where failures are buried. He’s amazing, and I love that he exists. He’s doubly great because he’s played by the same actor as Jiiya (obviously), and the tones of the two characters are wildly divergent. Jiiya is trembling, gentle. Hiiya is implacable, confrontational. The actor kills in both roles. As of Episode 30, who’s your favorite actor (not character) on the show? Quote:
So these were the episodes that I referred to as the peak silliness of the show. You can see why, I suppose.
They are also the two episodes of the entire franchise that I loathe the most. It feels like an entirely different show. A really bad one. Like if these had been the first episodes of Kamen Rider I had ever seen, I would have assumed the entire franchise was a massive dumpster fire and never taken a second look at it again. So I find the perspective of those of you who did like it to be rather interesting. I'm glad not everyone suffered watching these episode. I was not so lucky.
__________________
The most complete non-wiki encyclopedias for Kamen Rider series (currently only found Ryuki and OOO's). |
01-08-2021, 05:34 PM | #534 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 6,159
|
Quote:
And as you talk about defeating someone in art makes it pointless about creating art in the first place; this is also an important thing that has to be taken note about artists, you shouldn't refuse to take criticism or supplant your ego to learn from others, refusal to admit flaws and learn from his mistakes keeps from progressing.
__________________
Currently working on: Go-Busters is next! Archive of previous shows on KamenRiderDie.com! |
01-08-2021, 07:17 PM | #535 |
The Immortal King Tasty
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Every diner you've ever been to.
Posts: 3,833
|
Definitely not my favorite episode of Kabuto (the lack of Hiyori is a major handicap, admittedly), but I did come out of this two-parter with a newfound appreciation for its absurdist sensibilities. Not sure I have anything as insightful to say about this one as Die, though? Comparisons to martial arts films are apt, for sure. The deliberate overabundance of as many schlocky tropes as they could fit in is something I can't hate. When a show gets to do an episode playing with ideas from some completely different genre like this, I often find it's a good time, and that's because it's often apparent how much of a good time the people making it were having just cutting loose and doing something wild. That's totally the case here, as, despite Kagami's best efforts to keep things on track, this series could not be any less interested in being a hero tokusatsu right now. In a way, it's a characteristically run of bad luck for the guy. Kagami has to babysit Tsurugi and grapple with the complex dramatic question of how to deal with a monster who doesn't know he's a monster, and meanwhile, everybody else gets to kick back and relax being a part of this ridiculous cooking showdown plot. It's a good thing it's so fitting for Kagami's character, or else I'd feel it's more of a shame he wasn't more involved in a storyline that gave so many characters so much fun material to work with. You get to see different sides to a lot of Kabuto's usual faces here, and the episode knocks all that out of the park. Tadokoro's secret history as part of a great lineage of soba chefs is a highlight, and is a heck of a way to give him his first scene with Tendou, to say the least. But I think Tendou himself was what really surprised me here. The comical nature of this story lets him be a lot looser with his feelings in places, lending a lot of variety to the performance you don't always get from the guy. I was very impressed by Hiro Mizushima's acting in this one, from obvious big emotional swings like his horrific realization Juka doesn't like the meal he just made, to more subtle bits like the gradual escalation of him getting fed up with his new mentor in the art of cooking. That's maybe one of the most easily commendable things about these episodes, even – just getting to see Tendou dealing with something he's openly passionate about. He's still thoroughly Tendou, all the same, so I imagine the crowd that can't stand him at all won't be won over or anything, but it's a bit of a different angle on that same personality that was fun to see. Visually speaking, the direction is still quite good. I see what Die is saying about the aggressive nature of the way the gags are emphasized, but I'd argue it's a deliberate choice to highlight the mounting levels of wackiness at play. Like, I think the goal was to make this one so nuts that part one looks sane by comparison, and I'd say mission accomplished on that front. Ethereal glows all over the place; that same running gag with the cheap looking halos above people's heads when they eat the Dark Chef's food, but it happens like twice as many times; and yes, more sound effects than you shake a stick at. It honestly didn't even register with me until reading Die's post, because it strikes me as such a natural fit for the exaggerated style the episode aims for. Kabuto apparently made a conscious effort to inject as much humor as possible to counter its inherently grim premise and setting to begin with, so if an episode comes along that wants to be 90% kabuki sounds for the heck of it, I mean, I'm not going to question it. You go right ahead with your nonsense farce about dueling chefs, Kabuto, I won't stop you! That's about the sum of it, at the end of the day, I suppose. This two-parter is the sort that's all about being experimental and pushing the limits of what a Kamen Rider episode can even do, and in that sense I legitimately respect it for being so outside the box. Whether or not it's any good is almost secondary at that point, but, fortunately, I can see the argument that this is a high point of sorts for the show rather than a low one. Not for everybody, and, for me at least, no wacky Inoue episode 30 will ever top Taiyaki Master from Blade (the best food-centric filler plot), but if you're open to this bizarre tale of legendary kitchen knives and epic cooking battles, it can be a rather amusing ride.
__________________
|
01-08-2021, 09:45 PM | #536 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 6,159
|
Quote:
In a way, it's a characteristically run of bad luck for the guy. Kagami has to babysit Tsurugi and grapple with the complex dramatic question of how to deal with a monster who doesn't know he's a monster, and meanwhile, everybody else gets to kick back and relax being a part of this ridiculous cooking showdown plot. It's a good thing it's so fitting for Kagami's character, or else I'd feel it's more of a shame he wasn't more involved in a storyline that gave so many characters so much fun material to work with.
He treats the emergence of the soba chef, coupled with the reveal that it's Tadokoro's brother, like a Worm just showed up. Him wheeling backwards, smacking into the door, desperate to escape this new information... it's definitely the one thing I can remember laughing out loud at in this episode. (I'm pretty sure I found other stuff funny, but I'm certain I laughed at this.)
__________________
Currently working on: Go-Busters is next! Archive of previous shows on KamenRiderDie.com! Last edited by Kamen Rider Die; 03-06-2022 at 12:23 AM.. |
01-08-2021, 11:15 PM | #537 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 6,159
|
KAMEN RIDER KABUTO - EPISODE 31
An episode full of questions, all asked to varying degrees of anticipation. The one I was the most interested in was Are There Good Worms, and the episode really finds itself when it's digging into that idea. Now that Kagami has it confirmed by Jiiya that Tsurugi is a Worm who thinks he's an idiot man (and that confirmation is almost withheld by Jiiya escaping on a conveniently-placed bicycle, before realizing the kickstand is down and he is not moving), there's more skepticism than normal to Tsurugi's heroism. He's seen first-hand that Worms can be redeemed, so maybe Tsurugi just needs to be supported? Befriended? It leads to the best parts of this episode for me, where Kagami's Very Big Feelings see him trying to break the reality of the situation to Tsurugi, and being thwarted by Tsurugi's unshakable belief that Kagami just wants to be his friend. It's a great escalation through the episode, with Tsurugi's heartfelt exposition drawing the two men closer together, and Kagami's growing frustration at being The Smart One in an exchange keeping him from seeing Tsurugi for the monster he appears to be. Like, this is an episode where Kagami is the one dealing with an oblivious Rider, and it's such a fun idea. Taking that idea and then saying, wait, Are There Good Worms around it, spinning Kagami's confusion out to a larger reexamination of the show's central threat... I think that's a debate that has merit? It helps that it's an ideological struggle between Kagami's Very Big Feelings and Tendou's self-righteous certainty; optimism versus pragmatism. To Tendou, the Worms are a pestilence, a swarming race of monsters. He'll take them out, because he knows that, given the chance, they'd take him out. To Kagami, he's experienced the battle within Worms, seen them act with humility, nobility, kindness. If a Worm can take a human's memories, couldn't they also take their empathy? Their soul? Isn't there room to question whether or not they all deserve to die? It's a question that's fun to explore, and then the episode finds a thrilling high gear once it brings Hiyori into that debate. So, I'm told that Hiyori and Tendou are siblings. There's not really a lot of speculation I can offer on that storyline now. The why and how of it are yet to be determined, but I'm not loving it as a story move. It requires a lot of convoluted trickery to have two adults who just met a few months ago be secret siblings, and I'm not sure it's going to feel more fulfilling to me than their previous friendship. Between knowing the endpoint of this one and not being too excited to get there, the developments with childhood photos and all that... mostly didn't work for me. But Hiyori as a Worm?! Very excited to see that plotline develop. Not only does it bring Hiyori further into the series-long Worm plot, but it also immediately confronts Tendou with a counterpoint to his Kill All Worms policy. It makes the person he values most (besides Juka or Jiiya) into the enemy he's vowed to destroy. Knowing that Hiyori won't be on the show much due to illness dampens my enthusiasm somewhat (once again), but it's a helluva twist for the end of the episode. This one... it's a lot of setup, maybe? It's very much an episode that is foregrounding the mysteries, trying to get them some momentum. It does it fairly well, with crisp action (it's never not fun to see Riders wreck a ton of unmolted Worms), tantalizing ambiguity (Kagami makes some rare good points), and hilarious Tsurugi idiocy (his reassurance to Kagami that they are now best friends is adorably dumb). Way more of a focus on plot stuff this episode, but still a delightful experience. A QUESTION I cannot say enough good things about Tsurugi and Kagami's friendship. It makes Kagami into the Tendou of the friendship, and it's endlessly charming. Tsurugi is way more than a handful, but it's hard to look down on his enthusiasm. If you had to befriend one member of the Kabuto cast, who would it be and why?
__________________
Currently working on: Go-Busters is next! Archive of previous shows on KamenRiderDie.com! Last edited by Kamen Rider Die; 08-31-2023 at 12:38 PM.. |
01-09-2021, 02:35 AM | #538 |
I have a problematic type
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 10,410
|
This is a hard one to talk about since so much of it is setting up questions that I already know that answer to from having seen the show before. I'll have a lot more to say tomorrow after we get to part two of this story. I will comment that I like how we have some parallel narrative going on with Tsurugi and Hiyori here; the show ties those threads together very nicely.
Also, Tsurugi has no idea how food works and things "udon" must be African somehow. Never change, you sweet summer child. |
01-09-2021, 03:47 AM | #539 |
Veteran Member
Join Date: May 2019
Posts: 2,547
|
This is another episode where my reaction can be summed up by the comment I posted online.
Quote:
Ah, so that’s why Hiyori hates Kabuto so much
|
01-09-2021, 06:56 AM | #540 |
Veteran Member
Join Date: Jan 2020
Posts: 1,290
|
Quote:
KAMEN RIDER KABUTO - EPISODE 31
The one I was the most interested in was Are There Good Worms, and the episode really finds itself when it’s digging into that idea. Now that Kagami has it confirmed by Jiiya that Tsurugi is a Worm who thinks he’s an idiot man (and that confirmation is almost withheld by Jiiya escaping on a conveniently-placed bicycle, before realizing the kickstand is down and he is not moving), there’s more skepticism than normal to Tsurugi’s heroism. He’s seen first-hand that Worms can be redeemed, so maybe Tsurugi just needs to be supported? Befriended? A good number of other Worms boasts about living that human's memories, but Tsurugi is the only case of this, where the real Tsurugi dies, and Scorpio Worm became completely Tsurugi. Kagami and Tsurugi also relates from how they have similarities too, where both lost their siblings due to Worms. It seems that not only Misaki that has gone through Tsurugi, but Kagami too here, that Tsurugi also thinks defeating all Worms is also avenging Ryou for Kagami's sake. Usually Tsurugi backs up what he's talking, but this is pure big talk for him (Most Kabuto Riders are godly at every possible skill except being humble, so that'd include babysitting for Tsurugi previously. At one point Tendou's grandma taught him to look down on friendship and emotions though..) most in quoting Jiiya that friendship is the biggest treasure, when this is someone who is an elitist that wouldn't associate himself with "peasants" due to his royal heritage. Being at the top of friendship? I wonder if for Tsurugi, it's by providing the best as he can to those he considers a friend (but only for those few he'd like to befriend). Quote:
So, I’m told that Hiyori and Tendou are siblings. There’s not really a lot of speculation I can offer on that storyline now. The why and how of it are yet to be determined, but I’m not loving it as a story move. It requires a lot of convoluted trickery to have two adults who just met a few months ago be secret siblings, and I’m not sure it’s going to feel more fulfilling to me than their previous friendship. Between knowing the endpoint of this one and not being too excited to get there, the developments with childhood photos and all that… mostly didn’t work for me.
Quote:
But Hiyori as a Worm?! Very excited to see that plotline develop. Not only does it bring Hiyori further into the series-long Worm plot, but it also immediately confronts Tendou with a counterpoint to his Kill All Worms policy. It makes the person he values most (besides Juka or Jiiya) into the enemy he’s vowed to destroy. Knowing that Hiyori won’t be on the show much due to illness dampens my enthusiasm somewhat (once again), but it’s a helluva twist for the end of the episode.
Quote:
A QUESTION
I cannot say enough good things about Tsurugi and Kagami’s friendship. It makes Kagami into the Tendou of the friendship, and it’s endlessly charming. Tsurugi is way more than a handful, but it’s hard to look down on his enthusiasm. If you had to befriend one member of the Kabuto cast, who would it be and why?
__________________
The most complete non-wiki encyclopedias for Kamen Rider series (currently only found Ryuki and OOO's). Last edited by DreadBringer; 01-09-2021 at 07:00 AM.. |
|
TokuNation News & Rumors |
Figuarts/Seihou GRIDMAN |
SH Figuarts BoonBoomger Red |
Hasbro Licenses Power Rangers Toys to Playmates Toys |
Discotek Media Licenses Mobile Cop Jiban |
What's going on with CSM? |
All times are GMT -5. The time now is 09:20 PM.
|