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10-07-2020, 01:10 AM | #191 |
I have a problematic type
Join Date: Jan 2012
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This is a really good one, yeah. Having another suit actor to consistently fight against does make for some better action scenes than the giant CGI monsters. I really love how feral the insane Douji is, not only tearing apart his own partner and child, but also jumping into an episode of Kamen Rider Danki to mess up the fight scene that was happening there, too. The Douji and Hime monster suits are really weird and not always that good looking, but goddamn if they don't sell the ferocity of the crazed one. The bridge and abandoned building fights with Ibuki were also really good.
So we see Danki for the first time this episode. He's the first of the minor Oni that we'll be seeing. We will see him again, but he's not signing up as the show's third main Oni. This is another cool piece of world-building that the show does. Like with Zanki - the injured guy from several episodes ago - we get the sense here that there are a lot of other Oni going around exterminating monsters. This time we got to see instead of hear about it over the phone. I think it's a nice touch and I like that Danki has his own fighting style that makes him distinct from Hibiki, even though he's a fellow drummer. Glad you recognized Shingo Kawaguchi. He will, indeed, be back for Wizard. For now, this isn't the last we're going to see of him. As the trailer for the next episode implies, he does have a connection to part of our existing cast. |
10-07-2020, 01:41 AM | #192 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 6,159
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This is a really good one, yeah. Having another suit actor to consistently fight against does make for some better action scenes than the giant CGI monsters. I really love how feral the insane Douji is, not only tearing apart his own partner and child, but also jumping into an episode of Kamen Rider Danki to mess up the fight scene that was happening there, too. The Douji and Hime monster suits are really weird and not always that good looking, but goddamn if they don't sell the ferocity of the crazed one. The bridge and abandoned building fights with Ibuki were also really good.
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So we see Danki for the first time this episode. He's the first of the minor Oni that we'll be seeing. We will see him again, but he's not signing up as the show's third main Oni. This is another cool piece of world-building that the show does. Like with Zanki - the injured guy from several episodes ago - we get the sense here that there are a lot of other Oni going around exterminating monsters. This time we got to see instead of hear about it over the phone. I think it's a nice touch and I like that Danki has his own fighting style that makes him distinct from Hibiki, even though he's a fellow drummer.
Yeah, one of the downsides of trying to figure out where I knew him from was finding out what his character name was on Hibiki, and I was like Boy That Sounds A Little Familiar. Nothing beyond that, really, so I don't have any clue what his deal is yet. And, honestly, it was pretty clear he was going to end up being someone, even before I saw the next episode teaser. He was too clearly framed to just be a random nobody. Like, he was shot to tell you Remember This Face. And I eventually did!
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10-07-2020, 01:57 AM | #193 |
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And we’re back with my usual stuff.
Like I said last time, I forgot to talk about the new villain that appears in episode 11, mostly because they barely registered when I watched the series. It’s basically the Hime actress in a Kuroko (the guys in Oabuki plays who handle the special effects) costume, who the Wiki refers to as “Black Clone” since she doesn’t have a canonical name and she’s in the same mould as the Hime. And then there’s Danki (etymology: shorthand for Dangan no Oni [Bullet Demon, which makes me wonder how he came up with that name, based on later revelations]). He’s played by Hibiki’s suit actor Makoto Ito, which surprisingly, does not net him a larger role. We’re still a few episodes away from the minor Oni with the most appearances outside the main group. And as for Shingo Kawuchi’s new character? He’s not entirely out of the blue. I’ll just say that he was name dropped a few episodes back. In one of the photos I posted for that episode. |
10-07-2020, 09:28 AM | #194 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 6,159
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Quote:
And we’re back with my usual stuff.
Like I said last time, I forgot to talk about the new villain that appears in episode 11, mostly because they barely registered when I watched the series. It’s basically the Hime actress in a Kuroko (the guys in Oabuki plays who handle the special effects) costume, who the Wiki refers to as “Black Clone” since she doesn’t have a canonical name and she’s in the same mould as the Hime. And then there’s Danki (etymology: shorthand for Dangan no Oni [Bullet Demon, which makes me wonder how he came up with that name, based on later revelations]). He’s played by Hibiki’s suit actor Makoto Ito, which surprisingly, does not net him a larger role. We’re still a few episodes away from the minor Oni with the most appearances outside the main group. And as for Shingo Kawuchi’s new character? He’s not entirely out of the blue. I’ll just say that he was name dropped a few episodes back. In one of the photos I posted for that episode.
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10-07-2020, 12:15 PM | #195 |
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It’s just, I don’t know that what I want out of a Hibiki/Asumu plot is Nearly The Exact Same Thing Happened To Hibiki When He Was A Kid. I find that sort of parallel cheap, and dull. It lacks the cleverness of the better comparisons, something this episode actually has for a different part of Asumu’s story!
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It hurts Asumu though unintentionally... and passing it off as comedy... it's the "disregard of the hurt's feelings that they don't matter for the comedic or entertainment value in those behaviours" mindset I fear.
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10-07-2020, 12:45 PM | #196 |
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Join Date: May 2019
Posts: 2,546
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O̶n̶e̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶m̶y̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶m̶e̶r̶ ̶c̶l̶a̶s̶s̶m̶a̶t̶e̶s̶ ̶w̶e̶r̶e̶ ̶t̶r̶y̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶m̶a̶k̶e̶ ̶a̶ ̶K̶a̶m̶e̶n̶ ̶R̶i̶d̶e̶r̶ ̶s̶e̶r̶i̶e̶s̶ ̶a̶b̶o̶u̶t̶ ̶o̶r̶i̶g̶a̶m̶i̶,̶ ̶a̶s̶ ̶h̶e̶ ̶h̶a̶s̶ ̶a̶ ̶p̶a̶s̶s̶i̶o̶n̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶o̶r̶i̶g̶a̶m̶i̶.̶.̶.̶.̶ ̶w̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶i̶f̶ ̶H̶i̶b̶i̶k̶i̶ ̶a̶l̶r̶e̶a̶d̶y̶ ̶w̶e̶n̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶p̶a̶t̶h̶?̶ But origami is made from paper! They're so fragile! They break easily, especially on the watery environment the Oni sometimes fight. Ps, Die, remember the name “Shinkenger”. It’ll be important 4 threads from now. |
10-07-2020, 06:34 PM | #197 |
The Immortal King Tasty
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Every diner you've ever been to.
Posts: 3,833
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Okay, got a little behind on this thead! Lemme just power through these real quick:
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KAMEN RIDER HIBIKI VOLUME 11 - “ENGULFING WALLS”
*snip* Hey, let’s talk about the brand new player in the Makamou side of things: Clockamou, the timepiece-accessorized overseer that’s skulking around and powering-up the mooks. Clockamou is an interesting addition. The monster plots had gotten a little formulaic, so having someone besides the Douji, the Hime, and a CGI monster to contend with, I’m all for. Its appearance immediately pays dividends, turning the one-hit chumps that are barely a speedbump for Hibiki into formidable threats. It’s something this show has badly needed. I usually don’t care that much for the Hibiki Drums A Computer Monster Into Oblivion parts of the stories, so anything that allows the people in monster costumes to get a little bit more screentime is a positive as far as I’m concerned. Just the little bit extra they get here is one of the strongest cliffhangers this show has had yet, with Hibiki getting just handled by the upgraded Douji and Hime. It’s a visceral threat that is worth a dozen semi-weightless CGI monsters. Very into these two being more formidable, and very into finding more about Clockamou’s strategies. (Or “schemes”, as the text over the scene calls out.) Quote:
KAMEN RIDER HIBIKI VOLUME 12 - “SECRETS REVEALED”
*snip* The big thing is the Makamou in this episode, which… look, I get budgets. I get the technology of the time. I get that not every monster in a series can be the best. But holy shit did the giant slug in this story look unforgivably janky. The camerawork that gets used to make it seem massive is laughably cheesy, while the puppet head has a level of sophistication approaching, but not touching, Mystery Science Theatre 3000. It’s bad. I’m sure someone out there will defend it as So Bad It’s Good, or call it “charming” for its deficiencies, but, no. No. This monster looks like garbage, and it’s shot in a way that makes it hot garbage. Ridiculously lame finale to this story’s monster plot, all the more glaring for how great everything ahead of it was. To be a bit more serious, though, I honestly do find the giant monster showdowns one of the most interesting parts of the show. They just fit so much more with Hibiki's identity as a series than the more typical hero tokusatsu fare with the Douji/Hime in each story, and the effects are like... I mean, we're probably never going to come to a real understanding on this, but I'd probably like them less if they were better? I have to imagine this one was particularly rough for you; those floppy pool noodle antennae are aggressively Showa. Quote:
KAMEN RIDER HIBIKI VOLUME 13 - “CHAOTIC AFFAIRS”
*snip* And, yeah, speaking of overworked underlings, the Deranged Douji! Pretty great! I’ve been hoping for more suit-on-suit action, and boy did this episode deliver. We got to see the Douji mutilate the Hime, destroy two other Douji and Hime, attack Danki (who looks to be wearing Ibuki’s undersuit and mask with Hibiki’s straps), and have a thrilling brawl with Ibuki. It’s, hands down, the best fight this show has had. It’s great at keeping some balance to the sides, where the Douji never feels unstoppable, and Ibuki can get the occasional shot in. If it’d been two minutes of Ibuki getting demolished, it’d’ve been not that fun to watch. Having it go a little back and forth, while still letting the Douji get most of the offense in, really helped make for a tense battle. My favorite fight yet on this show.
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10-07-2020, 09:46 PM | #198 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 6,159
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Well yeah that's the way, it's still, the part that I talked about before of role model being outwardly perfect sets up too much expectations for the "protege", giving insecurities, the solution is to let them know that the role model isn't perfect as you made them out to be and approach them in a more realistic manner, which is well for here, used to have flaws similar to Asumu himself.
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(I will definitely not remember it. I won't even remember the name of the Kamen Rider from this show by the time I'm on Den-O. Please remind me when we come to the appropriate time.) Quote:
I find the whole black robes and silly staff a bit hard to take seriously, if I'm being honest? Or heck, really anything about their shtick is that way for me. It makes me feel a bit disconnected from the show, because it's clearly shooting for creepy, but feeding the monsters of the week sea urchins or whatever, I don't know, just not my style I guess.
I knew that when I was criticizing it. I'm like, This Thing Is Indefensible OH RIGHT Fish. Quote:
To be a bit more serious, though, I honestly do find the giant monster showdowns one of the most interesting parts of the show. They just fit so much more with Hibiki's identity as a series than the more typical hero tokusatsu fare with the Douji/Hime in each story, and the effects are like... I mean, we're probably never going to come to a real understanding on this, but I'd probably like them less if they were better? I have to imagine this one was particularly rough for you; those floppy pool noodle antennae are aggressively Showa.
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10-07-2020, 11:55 PM | #199 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
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Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 6,159
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KAMEN RIDER HIBIKI VOLUME 14 - "DEVOURING DOUJI"
"Want you to take me to the H Take me to the O Want you to take me to the S Take me to the P Want you to take me to the I-T-A-L Want you to take me to the hospital" -The Faint, "Take Me To The Hospital" I think this was a really strong Kamen Rider episode, but maybe not a great Kamen Rider Hibiki episode. As much stronger as the monster plots have gotten (and this one's great!), this is the episode where it felt like it was happening at the expense of the Asumu stuff, a.k.a. Everything That Makes Hibiki Hibiki. Like, I don't enjoy chiding this show for having merely a really fun plot where two superheroes and their support staff team up to defeat a rampaging monster. That's a thing that not every Kamen Rider manages! That shit is not a gimme! But all of that emphasis on a tight, compelling monster hunt left the Asumu stuff feeling... vestigial. Like an appendix. Oh! It's a metaphor! The Asumu plot wasn't bad, but it felt, for maybe the first time, like it wasn't worth spending time on during this episode. Even the episodes where Asumu was freaking out over his ineffectiveness at least felt like they belonged on this show. I mean, they didn't feel cohesive, but they felt like something that deserved to be on this show. The whole thing with Asumu In The Hospital, I don't know. It never felt that vital to me? Asumu got sick, and then he got better. It's got a few nice moments in it (AsuMum and Hitomi talking about Hitomi outgrowing drama club was sweet, take that, actors), but there's really no tension to anything that happens. No one really learned anything, or demonstrated some new insight to their character. God, maybe it was bad? Or, not bad, but... unnecessary? It's something for Asumu to do, at a time where the show seems steadfast in keeping Asumu as far away from Hibiki as possible. And, okay, that's probably intentional. This is the episode where half the cast tells Hibiki to just ask Asumu to be your apprentice already, god, so having Hibiki neglect/ignore Asumu for a few episodes feeds into that plot. But the practical effect is that it feels like Asumu is in that Kamen Rider Narrative Penalty Box, where a series just backburners a character for a bunch of episodes. Normally, it's just slightly irritating (depending on how much you want to watch the women in the cast!), but here, it's the co-lead of the show. I don't need Asumu to be going on missions or anything, but I need his plots to feel as vital to the storytelling as Hibiki's. I just wasn't getting that out of his side of the story this time out. Of course, Asumu's side of the episode had one other thing, his meet-cute with the Mysterious Patient who had a cool Guitar Theme and a Very Admirable Sense Of Rugged Compassion and probably looked like Asumu's dad and look it's Zanki. Maybe it's another Oni, but I feel confident in saying It's Definitely Zanki. He's pretty cool in this one, and I especially love how almost star-struck Asumu gets when they have their hallway conversation. Asumu really needs a dad! I grew up without a dad, too, man! I get it! You're looking for father figures everywhere! Don't be so thirsty, though, my dude! Be cool about this! Speaking of Asumu's surrogate father, great episode for ol' Hibiki. Seeing him team up with Ibuki and Akira was very fun. They have a natural rhythm, and an almost psychic bond when it comes to coordinating their attacks. Everyone knows what to do, and they execute perfectly. Not a lot of weird turns to this one (Ichiro nails that this is an experiment that either went Super Right or Super Wrong, but there's no special thing that needs doing to defeat it), and the fact that everyone's so professional means that there's very little drama to get into, but the fights and action were engrossing. This was a super-watchable episode of monster hunting, and on that level it's a success. But, y'know, the monster hunting is not what hooked me on Hibiki. It's great that they've fixed that side of the show, but I wish it didn't feel like it came at the expense of the Asumu moments. He's here, and he's doing things, but it isn't clicking like it used to. I'd love for this show to recapture some of that early spark and keep delivering entertaining action. I hope that isn't asking too much!
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10-08-2020, 01:13 AM | #200 |
I have a problematic type
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 10,410
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Yeah, that was Zanki. Not even going to pretend. He's played by an actor named Kenji Matsuda, who has a pretty good track record with both action movies and tokusatsu. He'll be back after this as a regular on Kiva, too, and he had a big role in the second Garo series. He's one of my favorite tokusatsu actors; even in just two short scenes here he radiates cool.
I totally get you on Asumu feeling shortchanged this time. It's not like he didn't have some story, but the big focus here is on the monster fight and he's just not part of that. It's also pretty obvious that the show is using his story as a way to introduce Todoyama and Zanki, which makes Asumu feel even more sidelined. |
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