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09-29-2020, 10:26 PM | #91 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
Join Date: Aug 2019
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KAMEN RIDER HIBIKI VOLUME 6 - "BEATING SOUL"
"Time and transition is a wave that will put you overboard Where the darkness is a bed and you can sleep 'Til someone tells you that they know you and they do" -Superchunk, "My Gap Feels Weird" I keep forgetting to mention it, so, apropos of nothing, let me talk about how much I love the end credits. I mean, the song alone. "Hit the beat! Keep yoooouuuurrr beat!" It's this very lovely song about a boy on a journey to being a man, and how he needs to believe in himself, how he needs to find a path and a passion and a purpose... and the whole thing is Asumu literally following the lead of Hibiki. It's so perfect a distillation of this series' strengths and themes. And to have it all be with these little pop-ins from the other cast members, the serenity of it all... I can't think of a stronger way to end an episode of this exceptionally kind and generous show. It frames everything that happens as important not because of Hibiki's heroics, but because of Hibiki's example. Defeating a monster isn't cool, being respected by people is cool. (Defeating a monster is a little cool, objectively.) Asumu isn't awed by Hibiki as an Oni, he's awed by Hibiki as a strong, confident man that is surrounded by people who care about him. These lessons that Asumu's learning, it isn't making him a Kamen Rider, it's making him a man. It's another unique thing the series does. It's taking the subtext of every single Kamen Rider show, and making it text. Like, every Kamen Rider series is trying to instill lessons to the children watching at home. (And the impressionable adults talking about Kamen Rider on the internet.) It's trying to teach them empathy, confidence, integrity, determination, compassion, and how to throw a belt and cell phone to someone who is about to be mauled by a monster. (That one doesn't get called on a lot in adulthood, but it's a good skill to know you've got.) It usually couches those things in allegory, where a superhero has to demonstrate some life lesson to find a way to defeat a monster. OOO needs to believe in himself. Snipe needs to have integrity. Garren needs to acknowledge the existence and interior life of someone other than himself. It's always some weirdly flawed adult who has to show a kind of growth that a child can apply to their own lives. (Real quick: I love those characters. I love those shows. It's not a bad way to tell a story that way, but it is a typical way.) What Hibiki does is say, Look. If we need to have a Kamen Rider show kids how to become responsible adults, let's just make a series about a Kamen Rider showing a kid how to become a responsible adult. That's it, that's the mission statement. As a result, we don't need to have Hibiki falling apart emotionally or acting childishly. We can have Asumu get freaked out by a challenge he feels unprepared for, let him feel unprepared, let him look for an escape, and then just have Hibiki say What Do You Think "Pretty Well-Trained" Means? It doesn't have to be a grown man figuring out that success doesn't come easy. It can be a grown man saying to a child I Am Only Successful Because I Worked Hard At It. I like that approach. I like that this is a show where Hibiki isn't variously competent/mature, as the plot demands. Asumu's the one who gets to freak out, worry, be needy, make bad decisions, because he's a kid. Hibiki gets to be a weird adult, but he's still someone who I'm not afraid to leave on his own. (Tachibana!) This was a solid episode, made up of a bunch of very cute scenes (all of the stuff with Ibuki getting dissed by Ichiro because Ibuki's hot for Kasumi, all of the stuff with Ibuki just assuming Asumu is Hibiki's apprentice, all of the stuff with Ibuki) that are laser-focused on creating a space for Asumu to, even if he doesn't feel confident in his chances on the exam, he can feel confident in trying to feel confident. He can keep studying because he sees from Hibiki that getting knocked down isn't the end, and that proper training can give you the confidence to face insurmountable odds. Success isn't guaranteed, but neither is failure.
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09-30-2020, 12:07 AM | #92 |
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Quote:
KAMEN RIDER HIBIKI VOLUME 4 - “RUNNING ICHIRO”
First off, a couple corrections, based on what I gleaned from this (really great!) episode. So, before, I said that Hibiki was calling back to “the temple”, when he’s really been calling back to “a restaurant”. I was thinking of Phase 2 Heisei shows, where there might be a variety of places that acted as the team’s meeting place, instead of Phase 1 Heisei, where it is Always Restaurants. Quote:
Yeah, boy, not sure if the non-monster stuff is that good (possible!), or the monster stuff is that dull (more possible!), but the end of these Hibiki episodes is the point where I’m not that engaged.
But! As usual, I don’t really care about the monster stuff because everything else is great. Literally everything! Quote:
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And, yes, of course he’s Kasumi and Hinaka’s father, but I assume we all knew that when he saved that kid in front of the book store. (I do love that it’s the Low Rent version of Hibiki’s ferry save. I really hope we get progressively lower-stakes versions of that save, until Asumu is diving in to save a duckling from being hit by an out-of-control goose on rollerskates.)
Oh yeah fair enough, the way the charming is worded feels like just compensation to me here..
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09-30-2020, 12:22 AM | #93 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 6,159
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Quote:
Where there are some people who appeals to the settings in Phase 1, where it's just some small apartment compared to Phase 2 where it's large HQs, because of it being sort of homely how the characters just lived together, gives the feeling that these are still just regular people.
Home office Restaurant Space clubhouse A living room, basically (technically a showroom, but come on) Non-space clubhouse Legit office A supervillain's underground lair, basically, but by accident Legit office Restaurant/A supervillain's underground lair, basically, but on purpose And I haven't watched Zi-O yet. There are a few more "official" spaces that characters congregate, but most of them are very casual, home-y spaces. They don't feel more impersonal to me than Phase 1 settings have been. (Also, I'm just teasing about these shows all being in restaurants. It's 60% so far, which isn't that crazy.) Quote:
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They got flustered! They're not well-trained!
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09-30-2020, 12:49 AM | #94 |
I have a problematic type
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 10,427
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Okay, so first and foremost: Asumu is incredibly lucky that he doesn't get his bike stolen, given how often he just leaves it lying around to go off with someone from Takeshi. That's two episodes in a row now.
We get a lot more Ibuki in this episode - not a proper fight yet, but he's officially part of the cast now (I don't think that's saying too much, given he's pulled a Mutsuki and been in both the opening and closing credits since day one). I can't say that he's my favorite character on the show, but I do like him a lot as the secondary Oni. A big part of that is because of his personality. After several seasons in a row of antagonism between the main and secondary Riders, we have a show where the two are friends who just get along with each other. That's one of the things that I find so refreshing about Hibiki: everyone gets along and the show isn't driven primarily by interpersonal conflict. It's a nice change of pace. |
09-30-2020, 12:58 AM | #95 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 6,159
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We get a lot more Ibuki in this episode - not a proper fight yet, but he's officially part of the cast now (I don't think that's saying too much, given he's pulled a Mutsuki and been in both the opening and closing credits since day one). I can't say that he's my favorite character on the show, but I do like him a lot as the secondary Oni. A big part of that is because of his personality. After several seasons in a row of antagonism between the main and secondary Riders, we have a show where the two are friends who just get along with each other. That's one of the things that I find so refreshing about Hibiki: everyone gets along and the show isn't driven primarily by interpersonal conflict. It's a nice change of pace.
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09-30-2020, 02:46 AM | #96 |
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I’ll mention here that when I watched the series, Ibuki barely registered on my radar, even after I got hooked by the second half. But apparently, according to the wiki, he has the second clearest arc out of the non-Asumu characters. I’ll just see how much he registers on your radar after this episode.
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09-30-2020, 04:52 AM | #97 |
Showa Girl
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 9,064
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And unfortunately people can be turned off from Phase 1 merely just by bad CGI, ignoring anything else that is on the show. But actually Kamen Rider's CGI is equally poor in each era, like seen in Ghost and Build's opening, for those giant stuffs. Though still, don't underestimate Drum Solo, it's smacking monsters over and over with battering weapon! I'm a bit confused here, you say everything else is great... but wouldn't care if the whole show was just Asumu worrying about his future?
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09-30-2020, 05:26 AM | #98 |
The Immortal King Tasty
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Every diner you've ever been to.
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I think Ibuki is sort of my stealth favorite Hibiki character? He's not someone that I get particularly fired up about, but I just kinda feel happy when he's onscreen. Switchblade put it pretty well. I think the show knew what it was doing having his first scene be that chance encounter with Asumu's mom, too. That sort of feeling of "I met the nicest young man the other day. And so handsome too!" is pretty much the absolute core of his character. He's just a real swell dude.
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09-30-2020, 08:41 AM | #99 |
Standing By
Join Date: Feb 2020
Location: USA
Posts: 2,108
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I keep forgetting to mention it, so, apropos of nothing, let me talk about how much I love the end credits.
I mean, the song alone. "Hit the beat! Keep yoooouuuurrr beat!" It’s this very lovely song about a boy on a journey to being a man, and how he needs to believe in himself, how he needs to find a path and a passion and a purpose… and the whole thing is Asumu literally following the lead of Hibiki. It’s so perfect a distillation of this series’ strengths and themes. And to have it all be with these little pop-ins from the other cast members, the serenity of it all… I can’t think of a stronger way to end an episode of this exceptionally kind and generous show. It frames everything that happens as important not because of Hibiki’s heroics, but because of Hibiki’s example. Defeating a monster isn’t cool, being respected by people is cool. (Defeating a monster is a little cool, objectively.) Asumu isn’t awed by Hibiki as an Oni, he’s awed by Hibiki as a strong, confident man that is surrounded by people who care about him. These lessons that Asumu’s learning, it isn’t making him a Kamen Rider, it’s making him a man. Hibiki moving past his failure and defeating the Bakegani is the start of their mentor and pupil dynamic which will be instrumental (haha) in Shounen's development to accomplishing his internal goal, by seeing how Hibiki and the Oni react to adversity and what it really means to be a man. Considering Shounen's reaction to his classmate calling him a "man among men", I think you're right. It just happens that Hibiki is the most macho guy he knows recently and that results in an association between man and Oni. He thinks the best way to be a man is to be an Oni. In reality, you need to be a man, you need to train, to be an Oni, not the other way around. Shounen Yo is my favorite ending theme of the Heisei Era, not that there's much choice. I complain about the lack of ending theme in Lupinranger VS Patranger so I'm glad Saber's compensating me for that. Going back to Hibiki, it's interesting how the emotion changes depending on the setting. Sometimes the other characters are happy and having fun and then it's more melancholy with them sitting idly looking glum. I'm not sure if that's supposed to be relevant to the tone of the episode or something else. What's your take? Quote:
I think Ibuki is sort of my stealth favorite Hibiki character? He's not someone that I get particularly fired up about, but I just kinda feel happy when he's onscreen. Switchblade put it pretty well. I think the show knew what it was doing having his first scene be that chance encounter with Asumu's mom, too. That sort of feeling of "I met the nicest young man the other day. And so handsome too!" is pretty much the absolute core of his character. He's just a real swell dude.
EDIT: 200th post, yay!
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心 と 刃 Last edited by Sh Ranger; 09-30-2020 at 09:02 AM.. |
09-30-2020, 10:01 AM | #100 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 6,159
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Quote:
I’ll mention here that when I watched the series, Ibuki barely registered on my radar, even after I got hooked by the second half. But apparently, according to the wiki, he has the second clearest arc out of the non-Asumu characters. I’ll just see how much he registers on your radar after this episode.
Quote:
I think Ibuki is sort of my stealth favorite Hibiki character? He's not someone that I get particularly fired up about, but I just kinda feel happy when he's onscreen. Switchblade put it pretty well. I think the show knew what it was doing having his first scene be that chance encounter with Asumu's mom, too. That sort of feeling of "I met the nicest young man the other day. And so handsome too!" is pretty much the absolute core of his character. He's just a real swell dude.
Quote:
I think that's why this show works. There are usually two kinds of protagonist; those you can relate to and those you can idolize. But this show has both and through their interactions, it feels like Hibiki is personally delivering the moral to viewers using Shounen as our perspective. It's the same thing I praise Lupinranger VS Patranger for with the two Red Rangers and the moral that conflict isn't always black and white. Shounen idolizes Hibiki as this really cool guy and feels inadequate by comparison but that's only due to Hibiki being older and more experienced while Shounen is just trying to live too fast.
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Shounen Yo is my favorite ending theme of the Heisei Era, not that there's much choice. I complain about the lack of ending theme in Lupinranger VS Patranger so I'm glad Saber's compensating me for that. Going back to Hibiki, it's interesting how the emotion changes depending on the setting. Sometimes the other characters are happy and having fun and then it's more melancholy with them sitting idly looking glum. I'm not sure if that's supposed to be relevant to the tone of the episode or something else. What's your take?
Quote:
Sometimes, Ibuki feels more like the Primary Rider than Hibiki, but only when he's in focus. At 19 years old, a more conventional protagonist age, he's the youngest active Oni in the Kanto region, he has a bike, he's more willing to embrace his role as a mentor and has my favorite fight scene and arc in the show which I look forward to mentioning later.
Congrats!
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