|
Community Links |
Members List |
Search Forums |
Advanced Search |
Go to Page... |
|
Thread Tools |
03-21-2021, 06:49 AM | #11 |
Veteran Member
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 1,270
|
Great episode, especially the scene where Touma converses with the kid.
|
03-21-2021, 11:44 AM | #12 |
Veteran Member
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 3,519
|
How long will Rintaro return to Touma's side!? IT'S BEEN LIKE.... TOO LONG!!!!
|
03-21-2021, 11:51 AM | #13 |
Yodonna oshi
Join Date: Jan 2021
Posts: 748
|
Optional boss battles are the worst.
|
03-21-2021, 12:27 PM | #14 |
The Immortal King Tasty
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Every diner you've ever been to.
Posts: 3,833
|
Not quite perfect, but a really darn good episode all the same.
I think it's mostly Legeiel getting blown up that bugs me? There's a pretty easy argument to be made that this is trimming the fat, so to speak, and thus actually a good thing, but for me, I don't know. The Megid trio have kind of been in this perpetual state of ~almost~ being compelling characters, so it felt a tiny bit frustrating to see another tease of one of them taking that next step before having it quickly ripped away. This episode doesn't work that well as the final showdown with a longstanding villain because, frankly, this show's use of its "main" antagonists has always been something it struggles with. But gosh, that's not such a big deal, is it? How upset can I really be about the details when the fundamentals of this episode are still so good? This is probably a case where I feel more inclined to nitpick anything that wasn't exactly what I hoped for specifically because I went in expecting something great, and it's not like I didn't get that. This is an episode where Touma wins the day by hugging a bone dragon and then shedding a tear for its sorrow. Could it be ANY more obvious this is a show made by the Ghost people? That whole first paragraph I wrote can shove it; this episode is awesome! One thing I've been praising Primitive Dragon for since its debut is how successfully it's managed to differentiate itself from the increasingly large pile of mid-season berserker forms main Riders are getting, and Elemental Primitive Dragon is the pinnacle of that. Touma didn't just vaguely get used to the power; he didn't build a new heroic identity over top of past sins; nor did he overwrite the bad to replace it with something good. Instead of any of that, Touma simply reached out and made friends with what seemed like little more than a monster, and that's just plain cool. Elemental Primitive Dragon is a suit I straight up do not like the look of, from the moment I first saw pictures of it, and I can also guarantee you I will end up loving it, because I love everything it's doing so much. That garish clash of colors is the big obvious problem, right? But it's also the perfect choice to communicate that Elemental Dragon is not about controlling Primitive's power, but working alongside it, hence the handshake visual on the chest that's basically the most brilliant thing ever. (Saber even spends a good amount of the stock footage transformation meaningfully holding his hand to his heart before getting to the usual fancy sword moves, which is yet one more touch I adored.) See, the whole idea with Primitive Dragon, which is reflected in both the form itself, and the Ride Book, is that it had these big hollow spaces waiting to be filled by something, and having the thing that does the trick just be, like, a buddy? I don't have enough good words for that. This episode was another in a long line of stellar showings for Touma as a hero, and a very solid conclusion to an arc that's been such a delight for me. Major bonus points for having Touma deliver his motivational speech in the form of a story, too! Sakamoto's direction brings a lot of energy to the table as usual. He's always had a super distinctive style, from the way he loves to tilt the camera, to the wire-work, to the insistence on getting the actors involved in the action even here, with perfect dramatic timing as everyone hopelessly attempts to hold off Legeiel leading to Touma's big moment. There's a restraint to the scenes with Touma and the boy that makes for a nice contrast, with the final one being notably still, and just, overall peaceful, I guess? It sticks out very nicely in an episode by a director who clearly loves his action, and of course, that results in one heck of an introduction for Elemental Primitive Dragon, with a lot of very fast, very acrobatic movements that are well cut together, which is extra impressive when the focus of its abilities is clearly meant to be the fancy CG attack effects. Although I think my favorite bit of stunt choreography in the whole episode was regular Primitive immediately jumping straight onto Legeiel, which was very appropriately wild. Again, real good episode! Kinda forgot most of the things that bothered me already as I was writing this, even! There are plenty of "small" moments I haven't even touched on, like Tassel's brief but significant appearance, or Rintarou's own cool hero moment, but rest assured, all that stuff was very cool too. It'll be interesting to see where the show goes from here, now that one of the biggest driving forces behind the plot for the past month or two is resolved. Not that there aren't many of those at any given time, I mean. (I wonder if Touma is still somehow managing to keep making his deadlines in all of this...)
__________________
|
03-21-2021, 12:46 PM | #15 |
Member
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 320
|
Quote:
(I wonder if Touma is still somehow managing to keep making his deadlines in all of this...)
__________________
|
03-21-2021, 06:13 PM | #16 |
Reiei
Join Date: Sep 2018
Posts: 3,691
|
Next episode seems to have the editor lady/Yeti Megid girl appear. So, maybe they'll touch up on that real quick.
|
03-21-2021, 06:34 PM | #17 |
Showa Girl
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 9,064
|
Man, Saber has just been killing it lately! "Protagonist controls the uncontrollable power by befriending it" is a Toku staple, an absolute classic; and hell if I don't love it here as well. I think this is the big oomph the show was missing for me, and the fact its themes are now in absolute full force is making me fall in love all over again even though I've never truly disliked this show. Awesome episode!
__________________
|
03-21-2021, 08:51 PM | #18 |
Kaiju or Hero?
Join Date: Jan 2021
Location: Even I Don't Know Anymore.
Posts: 1,397
|
ORE... SAJOU!!! And I'm back with a double feature.
So I caught up (since I was unable to see last week's episode) and, just wow. I am honestly really impressed with Saber, since I thought from the first episode, it would have just been a simple, average Rider show, but boy has it been just getting better and better. Kento going full-on Homura out here, and the vivid depictions of the futures he's seen, were something I didn't expect them to go into that much detail, and the visual with him preventing the world's destruction was absolutely magnificent. As a matter of fact, the OST and fight scenes have been improving as well, the former usually isn't anything too spectacular or just blends into the background (though, Build and Ex-Aid are among some of my favorites) the latter may just be my favorites among all of the shows I've seen so far. And as we've expected, Tassel playing a major role in the story, AND the lore. I was expecting the Megiddo to have some connection to the first swordsmen and Master Logos, who's as I thought, the guy pulling the stings or at least taking advantage of the situation, either way, really liked the Legiel fight and how they don't do a cliched "somehow Touma has the power to free people from whatever turned him evil" it made for a nice conclusion. Though I still think Elemental Dragon's color scheme should have had more of Primitive's color scheme or something that blend better. (Edit) And Touma using his Novelist talents was a joy to see this episode (I consider how he befriended the Primitive Dragon child as such) with those really wonderful visuals, making this episode an absolute delight. Anyway, next week: Ren reunites with Kento (and probably gets benched alongside Slash) and Master Logos makes his move. |
03-21-2021, 09:31 PM | #19 |
Fangirl-Type Humagear
Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: Massachusetts, USA
Posts: 703
|
Like everyone's saying, yeah, really solid episode. With Touma's catchphrase being "I'm the one who decides how this story ends!" it was really great to see him actually literally change the ending to a story.
And Legiel had more depth in that one fight than he's had in the whole rest of the series. It's a shame they killed him off, him remembering being human could've been the start of a great subplot and character arc, but I guess Saber has almost too many of those to juggle already. The Megido generals make me sad, because I've really liked all the personality and backstory they've gotten, but the show seems determined to waste their potential. I hope soon Touma asks Yuri if he knows Tassel.
__________________
The mask you wear by choice shows more about you than the face you were given by chance. |
03-21-2021, 09:38 PM | #20 |
Junior Member
Join Date: Dec 2020
Location: Wonder World
Posts: 150
|
Eh... did I miss it or Saber doesn't have insert song?
|
|
All times are GMT -5. The time now is 10:39 PM.
|