|
Community Links |
Members List |
Search Forums |
Advanced Search |
Go to Page... |
|
Thread Tools |
10-01-2020, 10:32 AM | #111 |
Veteran Member
Join Date: Jan 2020
Posts: 1,290
|
Quote:
KAMEN RIDER HIBIKI VOLUME 6 - “BEATING SOUL”
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. Quote:
Quote:
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.
Hibiki is surely the mentor archetype in this series, the character that is better skilled and more experienced than their student and they're passing those traits on to the student. Their role is to introduce a new skill or sharpen the current skills of their student. T̶h̶e̶s̶e̶ ̶k̶i̶n̶d̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶c̶h̶a̶r̶a̶c̶t̶e̶r̶s̶ ̶o̶c̶c̶a̶s̶s̶i̶o̶n̶a̶l̶l̶y̶ ̶a̶r̶e̶ ̶k̶i̶l̶l̶e̶d̶ ̶o̶f̶f̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶v̶a̶r̶i̶o̶u̶s̶ ̶m̶e̶d̶i̶a̶s̶.̶ But with Hibiki never falling apart, he can set the bar for becoming responsible a bit too high, it can potentially make those under his wing end up with inferiority complexes and/or serious envy when they can't measure up. Quote:
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!)
Uh no, no offense but don't throw those terms randomly. Hibiki is heroic because his actions benefit the people around him; like saving them from Makamou. What is the benefit Asumu's actions for people? It's his personal struggle to overcome. It's a journey yeah, but heroic isn't the word to describe it; heroic is doing actions that benefit the society around you. Asumu's is protagonistic tale, but as said in Faiz thread, role =/= alignment, protagonist just means main character, the viewpoint, which Asumu is.
__________________
The most complete non-wiki encyclopedias for Kamen Rider series (currently only found Ryuki and OOO's). |
10-01-2020, 10:48 AM | #112 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 6,159
|
Quote:
Quote:
Hibiki's presented as extremely cool, but that I'm Pretty Well-Trained catchphrase frames his actions as attainable with hard work. I think that's important! Quote:
Uh no, no offense but don't throw those terms randomly. Hibiki is heroic because his actions benefit the people around him; like saving them from Makamou. What is the benefit Asumu's actions for people? It's his personal struggle to overcome. It's a journey yeah, but heroic isn't the word to describe it; heroic is doing actions that benefit the society around you. Asumu's is protagonistic tale, but as said in Faiz thread, role =/= alignment, protagonist just means main character, the viewpoint, which Asumu is.
And, not to get ahead, but 7 is all about how something as personal as Asumu getting into his choice of high school makes so many people happy, and has an impact beyond Asumu's life. We All Succeed Or Fail Together is a pretty common theme in Kamen Rider stories.
__________________
Currently working on: Go-Busters is next! Archive of previous shows on KamenRiderDie.com! |
10-01-2020, 03:24 PM | #113 |
Veteran Member
Join Date: Jan 2020
Posts: 1,290
|
Finally catching up!
Quote:
KAMEN RIDER HIBIKI VOLUME 7 - “EXHALING ONI”
Like, this thing is not without its pleasures. It’s fun to see Asumu succeed in his exams, even if I’m not sure this was a show that was going to see this kid study hard and fail to get into Jounan. The conversation Asumu has with Hinaka is very cute, with her both encouraging him to reach for the dream of being like Hibiki, while also chiding him for assuming that just anyone could be like Hibiki. So much of the Asumu/Hibiki stuff in this one is Hibiki training and Asumu trying to reach him, and… I mean, this is what I’m referring to when I struggle to talk about this first part of the story. Quote:
Quote:
And, hey, Ibuki! Love that suit. Love it. I think I prefer it to Hibiki’s? I’m a fan of the pipes coming around the shoulders and torso, and up into the collar. I love his Trumpet Gun or whatever. I like his jazzy Henshin music. He’s a fun looking character, and I like the differences between his fighting style (ranged, quick) and Hibiki’s (close, powerful). It’s real interesting the way the musical styles and instruments get spun out into approaches to combat. Can’t wait to see more of Ibuki in action!
Quote:
Agree to disagree, I guess. I think Asumu's struggles, and the way he overcomes them, are heroic. It's everyday heroism, when we find some inner strength to be a better version of ourselves, to live up to the hopes of ourselves and others.
And, not to get ahead, but 7 is all about how something as personal as Asumu getting into his choice of high school makes so many people happy, and has an impact beyond Asumu's life. We All Succeed Or Fail Together is a pretty common theme in Kamen Rider stories.
__________________
The most complete non-wiki encyclopedias for Kamen Rider series (currently only found Ryuki and OOO's). |
10-01-2020, 04:49 PM | #114 |
I have a problematic type
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 10,410
|
Quote:
And Akira. I don’t have a lot to say about her in the first half. She’s there and she’s basically a female Asumu who’s a little further along in the “get an older man to show me his tricks” goal in life. I have a more positive opinion of her once the second half of the show rolls around.
|
10-01-2020, 05:16 PM | #115 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 6,159
|
Quote:
A Hibiki/Godai Taiko/Stomp team-up is definitely a missed opportunity. At least we can dream of it!
__________________
Currently working on: Go-Busters is next! Archive of previous shows on KamenRiderDie.com! |
10-01-2020, 08:52 PM | #116 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 6,159
|
KILLING ME.
__________________
Currently working on: Go-Busters is next! Archive of previous shows on KamenRiderDie.com! Last edited by Kamen Rider Die; 08-17-2023 at 12:55 PM.. |
10-01-2020, 10:14 PM | #117 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 6,159
|
KAMEN RIDER HIBIKI VOLUME 8 - "HOWLING WIND"
"I don't want to sound trite but you were perfect The way you look could seriously make nature dysmorphic I wish that you would kiss me 'til the point of paralysis The way I flail my arms in front of you, it just embarrasses" -Los Campesinos!, "Heart Swells/Pacific Daylight Time" I mean, if you're going to do a story about growing up, you're going to have to do a story about young love, right? And, I don't know, maybe "young love" is putting too much pressure on two kids who are so very cute together. Akira's overly harsh with Asumu, he mopes for a little bit, he apologizes, she forgives him, cue Shounen Yo. It's maybe reading too much into a cute little story. But, man, these two kids! They got chemistry! And it's all the most adorably awkward interactions, with him all bashful and her all curt. The more this show pivots into non-monster-fighting places, the more engaged I am, and this plot is no exception. The way these two actors keep facades of annoyance and shame at the forefront as clearly raging hormones are causing brand-new synapses to fire in their adolescent brains... I love it. It's, hand-to-god, my favorite thing on this show right now. Akirasumu forever. One of my favorite things about the Akirasumu stuff in this episode is how it never disrespects Akira's viewpoint, even as it chides here for sort-of being an asshole about the situation. This is an episode about recognizing that this whole world isn't your story, and sometimes you need to take a backseat. Asamu has trudged all over a mountain because he wants to see Hibiki, worrying his mother; putting his life in jeopardy for monster reasons; putting his life in jeopardy for non-monster, being-trapped-on-a-mountain-in-the-dark reasons; and potentially distracting Akira and Ibuki when they're trying to find a monster. He's being a little selfish here. But as Hibiki puts it, he's not trying to be selfish, which means that he doesn't need to be so down about his screw-up. Like Hibiki's doing by sitting at camp so Ibuki can go fight, Asamu needs to learn when he can do the most good by not being a drain on others. It's good to be aware of when you can support others, and it's okay to address their needs instead of your own. It's that thing on the train again, with Akira in this episode. He was so blinded by what he needed that he never thought about what he was costing others, which is what drove Akira so crazy. It's nice that the show never really treats Akira's comments as inaccurate, letting the story be more about her losing her temper than her being cruel. Ibuki calls her out for being too forceful in her criticisms, but he never tells her that she's out of place in reprimanding Asumu. Hibiki tells Asumu not to beat himself up for a well-intentioned screw-up, but makes it clear he did screw up. I much prefer a story about two people who are trying to figure out how to talk to each other, rather than some angry person being cruel to some unfortunate soul. Here, Asumu has it coming, but Akira's still too aggressive about it. They could learn something from Hibiki and Ibuki, who have a harmonious (word play!) partnership on lock. It's another fun subversion of the typical Kamen Rider formula, with Hibiki deferring to Ibuki's expertise (he is the one who's supposed to take out flyers) and hanging back at base camp to drink some tea. It allows for a little bit more world building, as Hibiki clarifies things that have been pretty well hinted at. (Mostly that their group is called Takeshi, there are a bunch of Oni running around Japan fighting Makamou, and a MYSTERIOUS PHOTOGRAPH.) Between that little scene and the one with Ibuki and Asumu, it's a good episode for filling in the blanks of how the Oni work. (It's a lot more helpful than Hinaka's nonsense for last episode!) There's a real egalitarian structure to the organization, where saying things like Primary or Secondary basically misses the point of an episode like this. Ibuki doesn't need to ask Hibiki's permission to go do his job, and Hibiki never feels guilty about not fighting alongside him. The best way Hibiki can support Ibuki is to stay out of his way and let him concentrate on the task at hand. It doesn't need to be about Hibiki. And, man, not a big couple episodes for Hibiki! He's great in the small scenes he has (the way he immediately clocks the sparks between Akira and Asumu!), but this one especially is just a vehicle for Ibuki awesomeness (like a killer fight and finish that I never even touched on, typical Kamen Rider Die) and Akirasumu shippers. Pretty great on both counts!
__________________
Currently working on: Go-Busters is next! Archive of previous shows on KamenRiderDie.com! Last edited by Kamen Rider Die; 08-17-2023 at 12:57 PM.. |
10-02-2020, 01:16 AM | #118 |
Ex-Weather Three leader
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 10,508
|
Okay, fun fact time. The onis have a specific naming convention going for them.
1. All oni names consist of a word that describes their characteristic and end with the "-ki" suffix, the onyomi style of reading oni(鬼). In the case of Hibiki, it is a combination of hibiki(響き, which means echo) and the -ki suffix. Ibuki also follows the same style of naming convention. 2. If a word that ends with "-ki" is being used to describe the oni, the last syllable is ignored and omitted to avoid redundancies, which is why Hibiki is not called Hibikiki and Ibuki is not called Ibukiki. 3. If the word does not end with "-ki" no omittance is required and simply added together. An example of this is the name Zanki that was mentioned in episode 5 simply being a combination of zan(斬), which means to slash or cut down, and "-ki".
__________________
Last edited by Sunred; 10-02-2020 at 01:23 AM.. |
10-02-2020, 02:48 AM | #119 |
Veteran Member
Join Date: May 2019
Posts: 2,547
|
You may have noticed that Akira has a silver version of Ibuki’s whistle. So I’ll take the time to mention that another thing that separates percussion Oni like Hibiki from brass Oni like Ibuki is their choice of transformation device, with the former favouring the tuning fork and the latter going for the whistles. Behind the scenes, it saves them a lot of money on new transformation devices for everyone, which is great from a prop point-of-view. From a toy-seller’s, not so much, especially when your sister Series is doing well with variations on the same devices https://youtu.be/6ExcBuLZhRc
|
10-02-2020, 04:44 AM | #120 |
The Immortal King Tasty
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Every diner you've ever been to.
Posts: 3,833
|
I guess every post I make from this point is going to end up being me realizing more things I love about Ibuki, but, uh, the whole wind shtick? It only just occurred to me how classic Kamen Rider that is, and that's on top of already having a bike and everything.
I also remember always really loving Akira and their whole dynamic together, and I'm quickly seeing why again. Ibuki and her together are characters that do a lot to inform you about the world of the show by their mere existence. It's a glimpse into what a "typical" Oni in his prime might be like that goes to prove how much of an oddball Hibiki kinda is, especially taking into account his relationship with Asumu. Ibuki does exactly what a good secondary Rider is supposed to, in that he contrasts the main Rider in both design and role in the narrative, but he goes about it in such a different way than usual, which is very much this show. And speaking of unusual things, pretty bold of Hibiki to not have Hibiki transform at all for two episodes in a row!
__________________
|
|
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 08:01 PM.
|