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06-10-2019, 09:55 PM | #15381 |
I have a problematic type
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 10,426
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It does, yeah. That's part of why I recommend it as a stopping point. Not only do you avoid the Inoue dreck, but it ends on a reasonably content note.
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06-10-2019, 09:59 PM | #15382 |
The Immortal King Tasty
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Every diner you've ever been to.
Posts: 3,833
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Ryuki 9-10:
Another trip into the Inoue Zone as Zolda's introductory arc more or less wraps up. I'd be lying if I said these episodes are anything other than quite good. Everything ties together in a really solid way, leaving Kitaoka as a character with enough layers and likability that anyone would want to see more of him. There's also a lot of great humor here, which is something I find Inoue actually excels at writing, to the point it's almost a shame melodrama seems to be his preferred style. There's a few tasteful hints of that toward the end here, but the emphasis is definitely on delivering a straightforward, fun story. I'll probably say the exact opposite of this about Den-O quite a bit during these posts, but one of the things about Ryuki is that even though it has that darker edge to its setting and a lot of pretty macabre plot developments, and I think that's the way people tend to look at it, there is a lighter side to it, and that's often what I find myself thinking about looking back on the show. The ORE Journal crew in particular adds a lot to a series that I think would've been too serious for its own good without them. Also, I forgot just how much damage Zolda's Final Vent actually does. It's no wonder he barely gets to use it. Den-O 9-10: You know, I think I might've lied about burning out on Den-O before Zeronos showed up. I had the weirdest feeling during a certain scene in episode 9 where I suddenly realized I felt bored, but like, bored 7 or 8 years ago. And now I'm pretty sure I actually quit around here for a bit and it was basically Ryutaros that got me loving the show. We'll get to him though. The point is, it seems strange to me that I would've felt that way when these episodes do a huge amount to mix up the formula a bit. Having Kintaros essentially be a Monster of the Week who happens to have impeccable manners and a strong sense of honor is a great idea, and considering the kind of company Ryoutarou has been keeping up to this point, he's probably one of the nicest characters in the whole show. It's hard not to love the guy the way he's portrayed here, and that means these episodes did their job perfectly. While also making time to flesh out Hana, which is a nice bonus. Oh, and just to get a head start on that saying the opposite about Den-O thing, I love how despite being a pretty wacky hero, they always make Den-O look legitimately cool in battle. From the way he puts the Den-Gasher together to his finishing moves, there's a lot of oomph to the way he fights that didn't have to be there. But it is, and the show is better for it. OOO 9-10: Alright, so, I've been doing a crap job so far actually describing why this show is so good due to how overwhelming it all is, but I recently realized I'm an idiot, and the perfect way to compartmentalize my thoughts has actually been staring me in the face literally since the second episode. So without further ado, here's three thoughts I had about what I saw this time, on Kamen Rider OOO. Firstly, the supporting cast in this show is extremely well-defined. In a show about desire, even a character like Satonaka, who's essentially a total enigma, feels like she has some aspirations in life, and that adds tons of believability to things. I mean, what's more human and relatable than having a dream? It's a fairly large cast, and none of the characters quite gel together into homogeneous groups that can share traits while giving off the illusion of being individuals, so managing them all is an impressive feat. Yet, OOO pulls this off, and already by this point, I can tell you Gotou is clearly not satisfied with his position in life, I can tell you the newly introduced Maki is maybe a bit too obsessed with endings, heck, I can even tell you Uva mostly just wants what's his, or that Gamel just wants to do whatever, and they're bad guys. Even in Kamen Rider, you can totally get away with giving them no personality, but OOO, showing off as always, comes right out of the gate with four of them, and they all have their own thing going on. Secondly, Eiji is probably one of the best Rider protagonists ever? I don't like making bold claims like that (I even softened it by saying "one of"!), but this guy would stand out as a unique and multi-faceted hero compared to just about anyone, even outside the narrow realm of tokusatsu. He flips so many conventions on their heads while still somehow landing back at being an easily likable, charming lead. He's extremely nice, caring, and selfless, yet utterly lacks the usual naivete associated with that, because he's also extremely world-weary and more than a bit shell shocked. He's simple in his thoughts and actions most of the time, but whenever someone tries to take advantage of him, he takes advantage right back. He's driven to do anything to save everyone he can, but the show is more than willing to explore the downsides to that attitude. To this day, there just aren't any Rider leads quite like him. And thirdly, this arc is a straight up masterpiece. It's all the best elements of OOO out in full force. Creative action scenes tying together a story that goes very in-depth on its topic of choice, which in this case, is finally opening up about the kind of experiences Eiji has had in life. So you can probably guess why I felt inspired to write all that up there. While all this is happening, of course, we still have time for a ton of other stuff, including Gotou coming into focus in a really cool way as we see him put in a position where he has to protect a bunch of people from Yummies for a bit with nothing more than a handgun and his own wits. All because he wanted to ask Dr. Maki about his idea for a system to let a regular person use Medals. So, essentially, the show underscores Gotou's desire for more power by showing you firsthand how much effort he has to put in to do a fraction of what OOO can accomplish. Are you guys getting how tight this show's writing is yet? Do I even need to explain this? These are two extremely memorable episodes, with some of the best moments in a show filled to the brim with best moments.
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06-10-2019, 11:15 PM | #15383 |
Stronger Than You
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: nyet
Posts: 25,327
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There's the reason why I just love Eiji as a character so much. He's charming, but he's not perfect. He's a goof, but he's not dumb. He's strong, but he's not invincible. Like, there's so much to Eiji that one of his best traits is merely how human he is. There are really moments where you feel he's just caught in something bigger, and he's doing all he can merely to help as much as he can.
Anyway, more of Kabuto, and wow, Kagami really gets shit on. Has to go through the trauma of losing his brother again, is basically on the border of losing his job (By the way, how bad is the economy that Kagami works for a secret government organization and he still needs too jobs?), and Tendou is just emitting constant smug towards him nonstop, all the while, his coworker is just being the biggest bitch possible. Like, wow. I know Hiyori was unaware of what happened to make him so depressed, but jesus. I know she has her own traumas and stuff, but how, in a show featuring a character literally as smug as Tsukasa, she comes off as the most unlikeable? Speaking of, I feel Tendou isn't as bad as Tsukasa because he hides his higher than thou personality towards characters he likes, acting like a confidant everyman towards Hiyori to win her over. Meanwhile, Tsukasa acts like an asshole to everyone, and everyone loves him for it. It always feels like Kagami is going "WHAT THE FUCK, TENDOU!?" to him as he just walks on by. It helps create a balance knowing the real MC is just as annoyed by him
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06-11-2019, 08:07 PM | #15384 |
The Immortal King Tasty
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Every diner you've ever been to.
Posts: 3,833
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Ryuki 11-12:
After getting beat up particularly bad, Ren gets an oddly specific case of memory loss that provides a convenient opportunity to finally delve into his backstory, and by extension, the backstory of the series as a whole. I can't make that premise sound anything but arbitrary, but like I've said about Ryuki before, I find this is a much more engaging way to go about exposition than just telling us plot points in a straightforward manner. The things the viewer wonders about Ren become mysteries to him too, so we're kind of on the same page as he retraces his steps. The end result is a really solid set of episodes, and if nothing else it's worth it to find out that apparently, Ren has ticked off basically every random goon in Japan in his spare time. The show is also safely back in Kobayashi's hands, so Shinji gets to do cool hero things like faking out a monster who knocks his gear away when he summons it by deliberately summoning a piece of gear simply to use as a distraction. Almost like he's actually clever or something. Den-O 11-12: We've traded one guest writer for another as Shouji Yonemura takes over for an arc. Now, he's nowhere near the troublemaker Inoue is, so there's not much need to discuss how much his vision or whatever lines up with the series. This is a perfectly good if unremarkable pair of episodes. The story is perhaps a bit on the sappy side, but that's not too far off from how Den-O usually rolls anyway, and in terms of further endearing me to Kintaros, it does its job wonderfully. Although it's definitely a good thing Den-O's world operates on cartoon logic, because otherwise he would've straight up murdered a guy before the theme song even plays. OOO 11-12: Meanwhile, in the future, which is also the past now, Shouji Yonemura decides to write an arc of OOO at the exact same spot, in terms of episode numbers. Firstly, it's pretty much indistinguishable from the episodes Kobayashi has written so far, which is just about the highest praise I can think of. Those episodes of Den-O were good, but I still feel like a few things were off in places. Here? I'm trying to be as nitpicky as possible and I've got nothing. I guess it's not as good as the last arc? But, how could it be? Secondly, it doesn't just exist to be pointless filler until the real writer gets back, because the story here gives a major amount of focus to Gotou for the first time, forming a pretty pivotal chapter in his character arc as he learns some truths about both himself and Eiji. It's a great plot driven by characters that, as always, have very strong personalities and clearly defined goals in life. And thirdly, I can't think of a third thing, so I probably won't actually be using this format every time if I don't need to.
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06-12-2019, 12:48 AM | #15385 |
Stronger Than You
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: nyet
Posts: 25,327
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Wow, these episodes with Daisuke in Kabuto are surreal. Whenever he's on screen (And not in a fight), it honestly feels like a different show
Also, it's kind of funny how much Kagami gets shit on. Typically, the bar/hangout for the main character is the one place where they can relax. Here, Hiyori hates him, Tendou is mocking him (Well, in the past few episodes, he's been cold to establish they're not friends), and Kagami is just trying to be friendly with everyone. Meanwhile, he was forced to pick between being TheBee or sticking with Tendou's side, he's being hounded because everyone who can transform outside of TheBee doesn't want to join ZECT and somehow it's his fault, and it seems the only person who acts decent towards him is Juka. Kagami has nerves of steel and a heart of gold. I love him~
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06-12-2019, 05:29 AM | #15386 |
Showa Girl
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 9,064
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4 episodes into post-retool Hibiki and... wow. That armed saber 2-parter was the most Inoue of episodes. And I mean that in some of the worst ways.
All of Inoue's characters that try to be over the top and larger than life, to me, come across as just really annoying and aggravating; and the guy who made the armed saber is really no exception. It completely goes against the tone previously set and it really doesn't help that the main cast now feels a lot more flanderised. Also, basically no Asumu in this episode. I know it's supposed to focus on Hibiki's development since it's his powerup - though, lol, we saw no development from him and learned nothing about him - but it just feels so empty without the 'secret protagonist'. 30/31 weren't fantastic and Kiriya is annoying; but it's nothing compared to how unbearable and out of place 32/33 here was. This is not a good sign. |
06-12-2019, 11:14 AM | #15387 |
Warrior of Delusions!
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Wait, you dont know either?
Posts: 5,826
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Blade, episode 12. What a sad ending to Hajime's little plot line, something I'm really not used to in Rider. It almost feels a little out of left-field, but it's not too farfetched that Jin would be really salty at his boat going up in flames. Meanwhile, Tachibana is both an idiot and a dick. Nothing different to the last couple of episodes, really.
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06-12-2019, 05:02 PM | #15388 |
I have a problematic type
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 10,426
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Quote:
4 episodes into post-retool Hibiki and... wow. That armed saber 2-parter was the most Inoue of episodes. And I mean that in some of the worst ways.
All of Inoue's characters that try to be over the top and larger than life, to me, come across as just really annoying and aggravating; and the guy who made the armed saber is really no exception. It completely goes against the tone previously set and it really doesn't help that the main cast now feels a lot more flanderised. Also, basically no Asumu in this episode. I know it's supposed to focus on Hibiki's development since it's his powerup - though, lol, we saw no development from him and learned nothing about him - but it just feels so empty without the 'secret protagonist'. 30/31 weren't fantastic and Kiriya is annoying; but it's nothing compared to how unbearable and out of place 32/33 here was. This is not a good sign. Personally, I finished my own Hibiki rewatch at 29 last night and I intend to rewatch Daimajin Kanon next, since it’s basically Hibiki 2. |
06-12-2019, 09:26 PM | #15389 |
The Immortal King Tasty
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Every diner you've ever been to.
Posts: 3,833
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Ryuki 13-14:
This show is kicking into gear at this point, if it wasn't before. With all the groundwork laid down, the show is free to start moving forward, which means Riders, Riders, and at least one more Rider. Even now, I don't think any other multi-Rider show quite captures the same feeling of excitement as whenever a Rider makes his debut in Ryuki. Kabuto probably comes closest with some of its earlier introductions like TheBee, but in Ryuki, you really get this feeling that all of these guys have a chance to be on the same "level", so to speak. Sure, they might end up being a Scissors who barely hangs in there for one arc, but they might also end up hanging around for the rest of the show, effectively becoming a main character. You can't tell until it happens, and that's the suspense of it all. And if you're really cool, you end up being Raia. I love this guy so much, and even seeing just his first couple episodes is a lightning bolt reminder why. He's purpose-built to maximize the potential of the lead characters. I'm pretty sure no one's even said his name yet and he's already had more effect on Ren than anybody in the show not named Kanzaki. Heck, he hasn't even met Shinji yet, but he's a little preoccupied anyway thanks to Kitaoka deliberately tricking him into thinking he killed Zolda. The development for Shinji here is really great, and you get to see firsthand how much this utterly breaks him. It's the kind of very human writing that Kobayashi excels at, and his reaction when the ruse is revealed is one of the most memorable moments of the show for me. Ren also shows some growth, illustrated wonderfully by two bookending scenes of everyone having dinner together. Not that he's any less frosty, mind you. Den-O 13-14: Yeah, Ryutaros definitely makes this show for me. Among other things, but still, these episodes are without a doubt some of the strongest of the show to this point. They actually touch on the overarching plot a little, the pacing is tight, and the formula gets some twists here or there to keep things feeling fresh. Namely that Gun Form shows up right there in the first half, robbing Sword Form of an appearance for a second episode in a row (which the show is more than happy to work into the humor), and also perfectly fitting Ryutaros' personality. Like, I don't think the one who's essentially a 7-year-old on a permanent sugar high has the patience to wait that extra week. Nor does he have any sense of self-control whatsoever. Or a functional moral compass. But hey, at least he likes puppies. That's exactly what's so great about him though. The Taros are all perfectly geared to play off one another, so I guess thinking about it, it's only natural this would be the point where the show takes off. The slow buildup definitely wasn't a mistake, though. Despite arguably throwing off the pacing, I think without those single arcs in-between each Imagin's debut, it wouldn't actually feel like there was a status quo being shaken up when the next one shows debuts. As a good example of the benefits of this, there's a scene towards the end here where Momotaros, Urataros, and Kintaros all agree to put aside their differences to try and kick Ryutaros out of Ryoutarou, even though they all kind of hate each other. As you'd expect from Den-O, it's pretty hilarious, but if Kintaros had only joined the crew a week ago, it simply wouldn't land the same way. Oh, and as a minor aside, there's a part in 14 where Takeru Satoh goes to pick up a dog and it jumps out of the way of his arms with such perfect timing that's it actually funnier than any of the actual gags in the episode. OOO 13-14: Firstly, this episode continues Gotou's gradually journey to learning humility while also contrasting his excessive pride against Ankh's excessive temper. I probably don't even need to tell you at this point the episodes are good. Gotou's arc is a highlight of the series for how it subverts expectations (back in 2010 being having a huge chip on your shoulder and a grudge against the main character was a surefire way to get yourself a Rider belt by the halfway mark), and Ankh similarly gets to remind everyone he legitimately is a villain working with the good guys only because it's convenient for him, with an attitude problem that goes well beyond simply frowning a lot. Secondly, there's some impressive suit acting all over Kamen Rider, but the amount of personality Ankh conveys through his body language when he's literally an arm is seriously impressive. Thirdly, Candroids are the bomb. I still haven't pinpointed exactly why they feel so much better than comparable merchandising ploys in other shows from around the same time, but something about the way they're used to help move the plots along feels so natural when it really shouldn't at all.
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06-13-2019, 08:38 PM | #15390 |
The Immortal King Tasty
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Every diner you've ever been to.
Posts: 3,833
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Ryuki 15-16:
Another trip into the Inoue Zone brings us a new Rider who thinks he's as cool as Raia, but is really just some boring Gai. I think he's my least favorite Rider in the show, but that's mostly by default. Like everyone in Ryuki, he at least looks cool, and his character is the kind that's fun to hate, even if he's already about to have major competition in that department. Everything I said about Inoue's version of this show from his last set of episodes still applies here. Shinji is way more ineffectual than usual (which is fine because the story here isn't focused on him), the comedy is really strong, and I've also noticed the ORE Journal crew seems to get more attention when he's writing, so I definitely can't complain. He also handles Raia really well here, even if I can't help but find it weird how his idea of stopping the Rider War currently amounts to stalking Ren everywhere he goes. As with some of the other plot points in Ryuki so far, it's a little... bold, to put it politely, but the development Ren gets as a result of it is more than worth the slightly odd setup. My boy Tezuka also gets to finally meet Shinji here, forming one of the most legendary teams in all of Kamen Rider as far as I'm concerned. Also, and I preemptively apologize for still being hung up on this, but I can't help but comment on how amazingly Inoue builds the chemistry between Raia and Gai during their first meeting here. You can just feel the tension as they barely acknowledge one another's presence. It really is love at first sight. Den-O 15-16: These episodes blew me away. As far as raw comedy is concerned, this is Den-O firing on all cylinders. The plot of a hostage scenario gone horribly off the rails is supremely compelling, and all the more so because it's not immediately clear what it has to do with the Imagin running amok. That's treated like a subplot for a huge chunk of the first episode, which on top of mixing up the formula significantly, further calls to attention how completely absurd everything happening is. If you wanna know what's so hilarious about Den-O, this is one to watch. Nearly every single character in the show gets a chance to shine, too. It's an extremely impressive script all around, once again from Shouji Yonemura, although what I didn't notice back in episodes 11 and 12 is that Kobayashi is still credited with dialogue editing. It really goes to show how crucial her voice is to Den-O. So crucial, in fact, that these are actually the very last episodes by a guest writer. Yes, there were only four. OOO 15-16: Firstly, this is the now obligatory "season finale" arc Rider generally does now before going on break for New Year's, which means it's total madness. You've got all the villains trying to play one another, our heroes getting into fights, GataKiriBa making it's second and final appearance (it will be missed), a big CGI monster to go with that last thing, and somehow there's still time for Kamen Rider Birth's debut in there. And that's still not everything that happens! Secondly, on the subject of villains, the Greed are to Rider baddies what Eiji is to Rider leads. They're like a million times more interesting than everyone else, and especially after guys like Evolt wore out their welcome for me, I find it easy to appreciate how much they have going on. Four villains, with four subtly different motivations, with four hugely different methods, with four wildly different kinds of Monsters of the Week, just so it's literally impossible to be bored watching this show. And thirdly, it's always great seeing how much use the Ride Vendors get. Not only is it genius to have the hobo Rider rent a bike instead of owning one, the way they work means everyone's driving around on them constantly. Like I said about Blade, it's not all that uncommon for Heisei Rider shows to pretend everywhere is within walking distance of everywhere else, so it's nice whenever they don't.
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