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09-28-2020, 09:28 PM | #81 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
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KAMEN RIDER HIBIKI VOLUME 5 - "MELTING SEA"
"I better ace that interview I better ace that interview I should tell them that I'm not afraid to die I better ace that interview" -Mitski, "My Body's Made Of Crushed Little Stars" Literally everything in this episode about a superhero trying to find and defeat a giant crab is spinning around one teenager having anxiety about his exams, and I love it. Like, man, man. Basing so much of this one episode on how stressed Asumu is, such a great idea. It's to the show's credit that it never feels like you're missing out on something, by following Asumu around. It's as captivating to watch as any (two-move!) Hibiki fight scene. It's a plot that doesn't need a single supernatural thing to happen in it, because it's already epic. That's... I think that's the secret to why so much of Hibiki works so well. The monster stuff, the Hibiki parts of Kamen Rider Hibiki, are all downplayed, made mundane. It's funny and relatable to see Hibiki and Kasumi going through their routines, treating monster extermination like a sales call for a small business. But then the teen drama is made mythic by its dominance of screentime, with Asumu's anxiety feeling as apocalyptic as any giant crab attack. This is a show that makes the heroic stuff look boring, and the boring stuff look heroic. Just a fantastic idea. The Asumu plot, on its own, is nicely open-ended. After a brief (episode-highlight) meeting with Hibiki, Asumu feels confident in his upcoming exams. Except he's not. He's completely terrified that he's not good enough, that he's stupidly put all of his eggs in one basket, that he's going to embarrass himself, that he has no other options. It's a plot that's bubbling under the whole time, likely to explode in the next episode. Asumu seems frantic to tell someone, anyone, that he feels underwater, but the words never come out. It's like he's taking the wrong lessons from Hibiki. He sees an upbeat, successful loner who preaches self-confidence, and decides that that's all he needs to do to succeed. Just believe in yourself, and you'll win! But that's not nearly the whole story to Hibiki. He's had years of training, and a support system that keeps him in strategies and disc animals. Hibiki succeeds because of all of the people that he can depend on, not because he can breathe purple flames. (Not to discount the purple flames! Actually a pretty big factor in Hibiki's successes!) But the interactions that Asumu's had with Hibiki keep him from understanding how much of a loner Hibiki isn't. I mean, even Hibiki isn't clear on how much he needs people, so it's a fair thing for Asumu to miss. In the same way that Asumu is trying to tamp down his anxiety, and failing, Hibiki's trying to act all nonchalant about a kid he clearly sees as having the potential for greatness, and failing. Ichiro doesn't miss it for a second, but he's nice enough to (I assume) let Hibiki start to figure out on his own that he wants to take Asumu under his wing. He's trying to be respectful of Asumu, let him live his life, but these two need that mentor/apprentice relationship like crabs need to grow to the size of a studio apartment. And, on the topic of the monster plot of the TV series where a superhero fights monsters... some good, some bad. I liked the rhythm of the search, as usual (it's that Kuuga thing of We Need To Show You Every Single Step In Detail, but padded out with great dialogue and relaxing outdoorsiness), but the fight against the Hime, come on. It's literally just some distractions by the disc animals, and then two moves by Hibiki. Come on! Give me a little bit more meat on that bone, show. The giant crab is... not my thing, but it's fine for the few seconds it's onscreen. Not really worth talking about. (Similarly, I don't really care to talk about Zanki or Ibuki yet. It's cool that they just mentioned them, like other traveling salesmen for Team Hibiki Bar and Grill, but there's really nothing more than that to dig into. I'm excited to meet them, though! Although I assume I already did, judging by that parking lot scene with Asumu's mom!) It's almost dumb how invested I am in Asumu's anxiety about getting into the right high school. If they'd never even had Hibiki suit up to fight a monster this episode, I don't think I'd've noticed or cared. It just feels so epic, Asumu's journey. I'm 100% in his corner.
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09-28-2020, 10:07 PM | #82 |
I have a problematic type
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(Similarly, I don’t really care to talk about Zanki or Ibuki yet. It’s cool that they just mentioned them, like other travelling salesmen for Team Hibiki Bar and Grill, but there’s really nothing more than that to dig into. I’m excited to meet them, though! Although I assume I already did, judging by that parking lot scene with Asumu’s mom!)
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It’s almost dumb how invested I am in Asumu’s anxiety about getting into the right high school. If they’d never even had Hibiki suit up to fight a monster this episode, I don’t think I’d’ve noticed or cared. It just feels so epic, Asumu's journey. I’m 100% in his corner.
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09-28-2020, 10:27 PM | #83 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
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You met one of them, yeah (and got another mention that Oni remind Asumu's mom of her estranged husband). These aren't the last Oni that get mentioned, too - one of the cool world-building things this show does is that there are lots of other Oni active in Japan. Some of them become regulars on the show, some aren't even seen. It really helps sell the idea that this is a large organization, though, and not just a handful of people hanging out in a restaurant (I will revisit this idea from the other direction when we get to Kiva).
I think my favorite aspect is how, to this point, we don't really know exactly how stressed Asumu is, or what he wants. He's obviously having a lot of internal conflict about his upcoming exams and his plans for the future, but it's all kept internal. Does he want to excel at Jounan? Would he rather follow in Hibiki's footsteps? (The first thing I want to talk about in the next episode post is the end credits.) Is he scared of failure, or second-guessing his choices? Should he be supported, or is this fate telling him to choose a different path? It's crazy open to interpretation, which makes for a fun experience in following his story.
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09-29-2020, 01:04 AM | #84 |
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KAMEN RIDER HIBIKI VOLUME 2 - “HOWLING SPIDER”
Plot-wise, there’s a monster, Hibiki finds it, and kills it. Asumu is there to chase Hibiki around and gawk at the superheroic action, but he doesn’t really do much. No one else really gets much of a look in. (There’s another call back to the temple, which we’ll get to in a minute, but it doesn’t have a ton of bearing on the plot outside a little piece of exposition.) There isn’t… I can’t really think of any big reveals or key pieces of info. (Hibiki is a Kamen Rider! Also named Hibiki, one would assume!) It’s a solid, if unexceptional episode of superheroic action. The monster fight is sort-of dull (White Spider gets eaten by the Spider House, which executes a sort-of cheesy CGI chase against Hibiki for the action component of the episode), and it’s mostly characters walking around or eating. Quote:
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It… I mean, we’re only on the second episode, it’s a little early to be talking about the themes of the show. But, like, one of them has to be The Power Of Music or what are we even doing here. (Hibiki literally defeats the monster with drumming!) Music is the way this show is communicating, more than images or dialogue.
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Like, I get the backstory of the series' genesis, but it's definitely a Kamen Rider series. Specifically, it is very very Kuuga. The template is just Family Comedy, rather than Cop Drama.
There're Kamen Rider trappings they're not really doing (no "Henshin!", no belt/driver, how often Hibiki takes his helmet off, no bike), but the storytelling is 100% Kamen Rider.
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09-29-2020, 01:56 AM | #85 |
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Well, I said I’d be here when there was a debut and I am a man of my word.
I was rewatching this episode yesterday to find out how to refer to a character without spoiling later developments and I discovered this as the first thing of note. An Easter egg for the first series where Taketera was the main producer (for those who are wondering it was Gekisou Sentai Carranger. It’s supposedly a popular series, but most of the opinions I’ve seen of it are negative. As is mine. But that’s not the point) And then there’s the guy on the bike. I won’t say who he is, just that he has a real name and that he’s been added to the credits. He’s played by Jyoji Shibue, who had recently come off a year as the male lead in the live-action Sailor Moon (the one that had Scissors Undead from the last season as one of the villains) And in addition to Zanki (which is shorthand for ZANgeKi no onI, literally Slashing Demon), we also have a name drop for the guy who Hibiki talks to over the phone with about him. That doesn’t just happen. And finally, I’ll mention that Shibue has been fairly active in Kamen Rider video games the last few years. The only reason he’s not in Zi-O is that Super Sentai poached him to guest star as, fittingly enough, a Hibiki-esque character. Last edited by Androzani84; 10-19-2020 at 10:59 AM.. |
09-29-2020, 08:17 AM | #86 |
Standing By
Join Date: Feb 2020
Location: USA
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Literally everything in this episode about a superhero trying to find and defeat a giant crab is spinning around one teenager having anxiety about his exams, and I love it.
Like, man, man. Basing so much of this one episode on how stressed Asumu is, such a great idea. It’s to the show’s credit that it never feels like you’re missing out on something, by following Asumu around. It’s as captivating to watch as any (two-move!) Hibiki fight scene. It’s a plot that doesn’t need a single supernatural thing to happen in it, because it’s already epic. That’s… I think that’s the secret to why so much of Hibiki works so well. The monster stuff, the Hibiki parts of Kamen Rider Hibiki, are all downplayed, made mundane. It’s funny and relatable to see Hibiki and Kasumi going through their routines, treating monster extermination like a sales call for a small business. But then the teen drama is made mythic by its dominance of screentime, with Asumu’s anxiety feeling as apocalyptic as any giant crab attack. This is a show that makes the heroic stuff look boring, and the boring stuff look heroic. Just a fantastic idea. The Asumu plot, on its own, is nicely open-ended. After a brief (episode-highlight) meeting with Hibiki, Asumu feels confident in his upcoming exams. Except he’s not. He’s completely terrified that he’s not good enough, that he’s stupidly put all of his eggs in one basket, that he’s going to embarrass himself, that he has no other options. It’s a plot that’s bubbling under the whole time, likely to explode in the next episode. Asumu seems frantic to tell someone, anyone, that he feels underwater, but the words never come out. It’s like he’s taking the wrong lessons from Hibiki. He sees an upbeat, successful loner who preaches self-confidence, and decides that that’s all he needs to do to succeed. Just believe in yourself, and you’ll win! But that’s not nearly the whole story to Hibiki. He’s had years of training, and a support system that keeps him in strategies and disc animals. Hibiki succeeds because of all of the people that he can depend on, not because he can breathe purple flames. (Not to discount the purple flames! Actually a pretty big factor in Hibiki’s successes!) But the interactions that Asumu’s had with Hibiki keep him from understanding how much of a loner Hibiki isn’t. I mean, even Hibiki isn’t clear on how much he needs people, so it’s a fair thing for Asumu to miss. In the same way that Asumu is trying to tamp down his anxiety, and failing, Hibiki’s trying to act all nonchalant about a kid he clearly sees as having the potential for greatness, and failing. Ichiro doesn’t miss it for a second, but he’s nice enough to (I assume) let Hibiki start to figure out on his own that he wants to take Asumu under his wing. He’s trying to be respectful of Asumu, let him live his life, but these two need that mentor/apprentice relationship like crabs need to grow to the size of a studio apartment. And, on the topic of the monster plot of the TV series where a superhero fights monsters… some good, some bad. I liked the rhythm of the search, as usual (it’s that Kuuga thing of We Need To Show You Every Single Step In Detail, but padded out with great dialogue and relaxing outdoorsiness), but the fight against the Hime, come on. It’s literally just some distractions by the disc animals, and then two moves by Hibiki. Come on! Give me a little bit more meat on that bone, show. The giant crab is… not my thing, but it’s fine for the few seconds it’s onscreen. Not really worth talking about. (Similarly, I don’t really care to talk about Zanki or Ibuki yet. It’s cool that they just mentioned them, like other travelling salesmen for Team Hibiki Bar and Grill, but there’s really nothing more than that to dig into. I’m excited to meet them, though! Although I assume I already did, judging by that parking lot scene with Asumu’s mom!) It’s almost dumb how invested I am in Asumu’s anxiety about getting into the right high school. If they’d never even had Hibiki suit up to fight a monster this episode, I don’t think I’d’ve noticed or cared. It just feels so epic, Asumu's journey. I’m 100% in his corner. Percussion Oni handle land types, Wind Oni handle sky types and String Oni handle sea types. However, with a good strategy, any Oni can substitute. Zanki's injury meant Hibiki had to be dispatched instead and as you saw, he didn't really have a good plan to counter the corrosive slime which resulted in his first onscreen defeat. He lost cause he was unprepared. This is a parallel to Shounen feeling unprepared for his entry exams. It's like Hibiki's battles are a dramatization of Shounen's normal human problems.
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09-29-2020, 09:45 AM | #87 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
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Oh please, I mean it. The entire series was based on Onigeki Hibiki, a story by Shotaro Ishinomori. Instead of deciding to adapt said story into a Kamen Rider series, Toei had created a new Kamen Rider series... and also, this series got retooled due to business and toy viewpoint. It truly is meant to be a radical departure from the standard Rider formula in order to shake up things in response to the declining ratings and sales of the franchise, and well, it really wasn't supposed to be a Kamen Rider at first.
Like, if I start making a pizza, and halfway through I make a calzone out of the same ingredients, is it always and forever a pizza? Is it a calzone in name only? Or did I make enough of a conscious decision to change it so that it could be considered a different thing now? Quote:
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Zanki's injury meant Hibiki had to be dispatched instead and as you saw, he didn't really have a good plan to counter the corrosive slime which resulted in his first onscreen defeat. He lost cause he was unprepared. This is a parallel to Shounen feeling unprepared for his entry exams. It's like Hibiki's battles are a dramatization of Shounen's normal human problems.
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09-29-2020, 03:27 PM | #88 |
The Immortal King Tasty
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I don't have a whole lot to contribute about episode 5, especially since Sh Ranger mentioned how nicely the A/B plots parallel one another; but being the trivia hound that I am, I was watching an interview with Shigeki Hosokawa (Hibiki's actor) from the show's DVD releases, and he called attention to something about the first two episodes I thought would be fun to share:
Yakushima is famous for raining like crazy. It was almost pure luck they got to shoot in the weather they did, and knowing this in addition to everything else about those episodes, I'm starting to think the hypothetical version of Takatera I wrote in my first post here wasn't nearly as crazy as the real deal is. Like he seriously dragged the whole crew out to this island just because it looks pretty.
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09-29-2020, 04:11 PM | #89 |
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KAMEN RIDER HIBIKI VOLUME 3 - “FADING VOICES”
It’s a really solid episode, if only in how much it drills into the reality of Asumu and Hibiki’s day-to-day. Asumu is working hard to get into Jounan, but he keeps dreaming of the forests and adventures of Hibiki. His friends are executing on their plans, preparing for their futures, but Asumu’s future has never seemed more in flux. All of the stresses of studying and exam prep feel like a distraction to him now, something that used to be important before he saw a wider, weirder world. Why do all of that hard work when he could be out adventuring like Hibiki? The other half is spent charting Asumu’s newfound desire to be a Kamen Rider (mmmaybe?), and the way his old dream seems diminished by comparison. It’s not really a funny plotline, but it’s still pretty goddamn charming. Asumu’s a kid that’s easy to root for, with an optimistic attitude that never seems too sunny, too grating. He’s excited, but not excitable. I’m totally into the show spending as much time as it wants showing me what this kid wants and what he’s willing to do to get it. Quote:
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Not to ruin it but this is something that happened in various, probably almost all series too.
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09-29-2020, 08:54 PM | #90 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
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Yeah, but that's also Asumu's name, which gets us back to the Hirose problem from Blade, so I think I'm just going to call her AsuMum. Settled!
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