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04-05-2020, 04:52 PM | #291 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 6,159
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MASKED RIDER RYUKI EPISODE 25
This one... it's not that good. It's maybe even bad? I'm straining to think of something that worked in this episode, but between anticlimaxes, obvious turns, and general sense of What Is This For, this was a disappointingly weak outing. Like, great cliffhanger from last episode. Shiro has dissolved the Riders' contracts, robbing them of their powers and setting their monsters loose to try and kill them. Bad news for our heroes! What dastardly scheme could Shiro have in mind that would cause such a massive HA HA just kidding he wants Ren and Shinji to go visit Yui at the beach because she's sad. That's... that's it?! They show up, a monster chases them into a building (where they just leave Yui on the beach?), Shiro says Everything's Going To Be Okay, and then they get their powers back, no one gets hurt. Wh... WHAT WAS THE POINT OF THIS?! There was no other way to have Shiro talk to Yui? He's popped in for cryptic chats a half-dozen times without imperiling a Rider to do it, why does he need to threaten to kill Shinji and Ren this time? It's like pointing a gun at someone to get them to say hello. Seems like an unnecessary escalation! Definitely doesn't warrant that level of terror! It's a total bummer, that a cliffhanger with so much potential was in service of nothing, narratively. Yui feels a little better despite zero new information (it's literally just Shiro telling her to feel better!), Shinji re-emphasises his commitment to helping Riders as people, and Ren... is there, too? It's a bafflingly hollow part of the story. Accomplishes nothing, in service of nothing. Weird and frustrating. The Asakura stuff is not any better, but for different reasons. As Asakura tells Reiko his tragic backstory, how he tried to save his little brother from a fire, he's so earnest and sad. Which, of course, means he's 1000% lying. It's so obvious that it's funny at first, then dull and predictable afterwards. It means that every single scene of Reiko and Shinji planning out Asakura's redemption makes them look like idiots. It's so clear he's lying, for so long in this episode, that it's weird that no one even entertains the possibility that he's not being honest. A lot of my problems with this storyline could've been fixed if there'd been, like, twenty seconds of them saying he might be lying, but maybe it's worth the risk, blah blah blah. But that's nowhere in this episode. (Even Ren doesn't bring it up!) Reiko and Shinji see what they want to see, and Asakura ends up murdering his brother and knocking out Reiko. I'm sort-of okay with Shinji looking like an idiot, but, man, no idea why whip-smart reporter Reiko is so easily taken in by Asakura's bullshit. It's a huge leap for her to try and rehabilitate a guy who, at the very least, has been brutalizing people for over a decade, and just held a child hostage. I get that she wants to understand him better, but does that have to mean taking everything he says as gospel? I don't think that's how investigative reporting is supposed to work! Even the minor Kitaoka thing in this episode, where we find out that Goro wants to be there for him since he feels responsible for Kitaoka's illness not getting treated quickly, I don't know why we need to know that now? It's an okay scene, but it exists in a weird isolation, Goro expositing stuff Kitaoka should already know in, like, the middle of an afternoon. It's just... there, without needing to be there. Not a bad scene, but deployed in a bizarrely random way. Yeah, this episode, it's a bad one. Nearly every show has at least one, but I hope this one's it for Ryuki.
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04-05-2020, 04:59 PM | #292 |
The Immortal King Tasty
Join Date: Jan 2012
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It's okay, Die, you were just in the Inoue Zone for the last two episodes! Things will be back to normal next time.
But, yeah, there are some weak payoffs in that episode for sure. If I were Kobayashi, I'd have probably been real angry that epic cliffhanger concept was now forever wasted on a fairly inconsequential story beat.
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04-05-2020, 05:03 PM | #293 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 6,159
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It's okay, Die, you were just in the Inoue Zone for the last two episodes! Things will be back to normal next time.
But, yeah, there are some weak payoffs in that episode for sure. If I were Kobayashi, I'd have probably been real angry that epic cliffhanger concept was now forever wasted on a fairly inconsequential story beat.
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04-06-2020, 09:36 AM | #294 |
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Join Date: Jan 2020
Posts: 1,290
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Like, great cliffhanger from last episode. Shiro has dissolved the Riders’ contracts, robbing them of their powers and setting their monsters loose to try and kill them. Bad news for our heroes! What dastardly scheme could Shiro have in mind that would cause such a massive HA HA just kidding he wants Ren and Shinji to go visit Yui at the beach because she’s sad. That’s… that’s it?! They show up, a monster chases them into a building (where they just leave Yui on the beach?), Shiro says Everything’s Going To Be Okay, and then they get their powers back, no one gets hurt. Wh… WHAT WAS THE POINT OF THIS?! There was no other way to have Shiro talk to Yui? He’s popped in for cryptic chats a half-dozen times without imperiling a Rider to do it, why does he need to threaten to kill Shinji and Ren this time? It’s like pointing a gun at someone to get them to say hello. Seems like an unnecessary escalation! Definitely doesn’t warrant that level of terror! It’s a total bummer, that a cliffhanger with so much potential was in service of nothing, narratively. Yui feels a little better despite zero new information (it’s literally just Shiro telling her to feel better!), Shinji re-emphasises his commitment to helping Riders as people, and Ren… is there, too? It’s a bafflingly hollow part of the story. Accomplishes nothing, in service of nothing. Weird and frustrating.
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The Asakura stuff is not any better, but for different reasons. As Asakura tells Reiko his tragic backstory, how he tried to save his little brother from a fire, he’s so earnest and sad. Which, of course, means he’s 1000% lying. It’s so obvious that it’s funny at first, then dull and predictable afterwards. It means that every single scene of Reiko and Shinji planning out Asakura’s redemption makes them look like idiots. It’s so clear he’s lying, for so long in this episode, that it’s weird that no one even entertains the possibility that he’s not being honest. A lot of my problems with this storyline could’ve been fixed if there’d been, like, twenty seconds of them saying he might be lying, but maybe it’s worth the risk, blah blah blah. But that’s nowhere in this episode. (Even Ren doesn't bring it up!) Reiko and Shinji see what they want to see, and Asakura ends up murdering his brother and knocking out Reiko. I’m sort-of okay with Shinji looking like an idiot, but, man, no idea why whip-smart reporter Reiko is so easily taken in by Asakura’s bullshit. It’s a huge leap for her to try and rehabilitate a guy who, at the very least, has been brutalizing people for over a decade, and just held a child hostage. I get that she wants to understand him better, but does that have to mean taking everything he says as gospel? I don’t think that’s how investigative reporting is supposed to work!
Oh, and this also explains another of Asakura's trait, he's someone who's obsessed with finishing what he started. Like to Riders, his catchphrase when fighting Riders he wanted to kill is "a continuation from yesterday". And this episode, even when Akira isn't with him anymore, which means he should be free from his annoyance, focused to reunite with him anyway just to complete his mission when he was a kid; killing him. Also despite all of that, I can't resist to make these (corny) jokes: Didn't you see something Shinji and Ren brought to you there? I'm confused there which Niisan you talk about? Your older brother or the car you're in? His older brother commanding Venosnaker to eat him or Nissan X-Trail's windshield unleasing Venosnaker? Jokes aside, my other question for the episode is where did Shinji and Ren get that Nissan X-Trail? Quote:
Even the minor Kitaoka thing in this episode, where we find out that Goro wants to be there for him since he feels responsible for Kitaoka’s illness not getting treated quickly, I don’t know why we need to know that now? It’s an okay scene, but it exists in a weird isolation, Goro expositing stuff Kitaoka should already know in, like, the middle of an afternoon. It’s just… there, without needing to be there. Not a bad scene, but deployed in a bizarrely random way.
Last edited by DreadBringer; 04-06-2020 at 11:27 AM.. |
04-06-2020, 10:43 AM | #295 |
Ex-Weather Three leader
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 10,508
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Car rental I guess.
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Last edited by Sunred; 04-06-2020 at 11:08 AM.. |
04-06-2020, 04:36 PM | #296 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 6,159
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so Ouja has another Contract card, which he uses to capture another monster that seeks him for revenge (Evildiver). I guess this is lowkey another difficulty of Rider War, if you properly kill other Riders, you'll get their Contract Monsters as your eternal enemy. And he has another card which is Unite Vent, to combine each of his Contract Monsters, forming Genocider (one of the things I like about Ouja, Rider-wise). It seems that Ouja's Deck is intentionally given more Contract cards as to utilize the Unite Vent.
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Yeah, it's so extravagant for Shiro to threaten people (which are her closest friends, by the way) just for this scenario to happen, though I can't judge if this is a writing flaw or a character flaw (like your Ren's cover in Tezuka's debut) with him by being so out of reality where he's all about TATAKAE (pacifist people? ah not they're just cowardly to TATAKAE) even on simple scenario. Which "leave on the beach" you talk about? When Shinji and Ren hide from monster or when they go with Reiko? For the former, why blame them? They are chased by a monster without their powers to fight back, driving them to hide in the building, they're again, being threatened just for a private talk. However, why Shiro didn't do this when Yui was like, kidnapped before, instead doing this when she wanders outside alone? I have to give credit to Auntie here that she relents and did properly help Shinji and Ren here. What Shiro did was actually attempting to continue his lie to her from ep. 19, using his childhood self (he never let go of that) as an excuse. I don't really think Yui felt better, she's still not convinced by him when he disappears, and compare her reaction to Shinji's vow (he only told Ren in previous episode, now he tells her here) in early episodes, to this episode. Wdym "Ren… is there, too"?
-When the mirror monster attacks, Ren and Shinji run for cover and just leave Yui standing on the beach. By herself. Are they that sure the monster is going to ignore Yui? Seems like a pretty big gamble. I get that she needed to stay behind to have her conversation with Shiro, but there's no in-story reason for Shinji and Ren to abandon Yui like that. -Ren doesn't really gain anything from the scene after Yui and Shiro talk. He's just standing around. It was weird to have him just, like, waiting them to get in the car or something. He could've used some lines! Right, but why are we we being told that now, in the midst of the rest of this story? I don't dislike the scene, I dislike how incongruent it is to the rest of the episode. It functions like an obligatory check-in, some contractual thing (no pun intended), rather than something that flowed naturally in the story.
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04-06-2020, 05:03 PM | #297 |
Showa Girl
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 9,064
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He was so powerful that he got completely kicked out of the Kamen Rider Climax games at some point!
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04-06-2020, 07:20 PM | #298 |
Warrior of Delusions!
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Wait, you dont know either?
Posts: 5,825
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Is it time for my updated meme yet? Now with added Ryuki-specifics!
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04-06-2020, 07:50 PM | #299 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 6,159
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I get that reference now!
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04-06-2020, 08:04 PM | #300 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 6,159
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MASKED RIDER RYUKI EPISODE 26
One of the things I think this show does well is how it takes aspects of Shinji's personality that could be annoying or ineffective, but turns them into strengths. This episode was, for me, a showcase for everything that's irritating about Shinji and why I love those things. Shinji's motivation in this one is muddled. Now that Asakura is utterly irredeemable, Shinji's decided to focus his rehabilitation energy on Kitaoka, Kamen Rider Scumbag. Shinji wants to break through to Kitaoka, to get him to reform and give up the Rider Battles. Barring that, he hopes to at least figure out why Kitaoka's fighting. The main problem is he basically has no plan of attack. Working from, I guess, the Yui school of Getting What You Want By Being Pathetic And Annoying, Shinji shows up at Kitaoka's house and just sort-of hopes for the best. It's a terrible plan, and Shinji's obviously desperate, so of course Kitaoka takes advantage and gets Shinji to clean his house, make his lunch, and generally be Goro For A Day. (Speaking of, holy shit does Goro clean up nice!) The idea of throwing Shinji and Kitaoka together isn't a new one, but it's still an incredibly smart one. They've got great comedic rhythm, with Kitaoka manipulating the trusting Shinji and Shinji barely able to get the vain and lazy Kitaoka to take things seriously. They're so goddamn funny together. There's a ton of little bits of business that cracked me up. Like, during their first drive, trailing the threatening dudes, Kitaoka keeps turning the rearview mirror to look at himself, and Shinji keeps turning it back to drive. It's a little bit of physical comedy, but it's so on-point that it was killing me. Or, Jesus, the fact that Kitaoka immediately tries to get the thugs to beat up Shinji instead of him. Like, immediately. He doesn't try and bluff or haggle or anything, he's just, like, Please Beat Up This Guy Instead Of Me. This whole episode was a laugh. But, as with all of the really great Ryuki episodes, it's a thrilling and funny installment that also does outstanding character work. Shinji's weird insistence on throwing himself into situations he really doesn't understand and can't clearly articulate what his plan is, this is not a good thing about him. If things work out for him, it's dumb luck, and if things don't work out, they probably shouldn't have anyway. And yet, I never seem to be able to get mad at Shinji for not having a better plan in this episode. When he believes in something, he can't just wait until he's got a good idea. He'd rather do the wrong thing than do nothing, you know? He can't wait things out. And that's why he hangs out with Kitaoka, hoping something will happen that'll give him direction. And it does! But not really how it seemed like it was going to. In trying to get through to Kitaoka, and largely just becoming his maid, Shinji gets that this cause, of trying to rehabilitate Kitaoka... it's someone else's motivation. He'd like Kitaoka to give up the Rider Battles, to fight for justice, but that's not why Shinji became a Kamen Rider. In a scene that feels for all the world like the writer grabbing the show and getting it back on track, Shinji realizes that he wants to save people from monsters. That's it. He'd rather other Riders not fight each other, but that's their decision, and they have to live with it. He can't fix Kitaoka any more than he could fix Asakura or even Ren. He can do what he thinks is right, follow his own moral compass, help other Riders as much as they let him, and feel content with that. Other people's choices are other people's choices. Weirdly, in a way, that might be how Shinji best changes the fates of the other Riders. Not by some judgemental lecturing, or urgent pleading, but by being an example for them to aspire to. By being Kamen Rider Ryuki, a dopey, earnest, honest, confident hero. I think one of the reasons why all those elements work is because of how the show plays Shinji off of the other Riders. This episode, obviously, it's the Kitaoka Show (my favorite show), but there's a few moments with Ren that makes Shinji's character better. Ren's needling, his little digs at Shinji's optimism and empathy, it's a big way the show let's you laugh at Shinji's poorly-considered perseverance, or his overly-trusting nature, or his goofiness (like, he really thinks cleaning windows is going to get Kitaoka to stop trying to kill other Riders?), while still letting those attributes have value. It's... it's that Ren cares enough to say This Is Stupid that makes it not stupid, if that makes any sense. That he pushes back on Shinji's goals and worldview, forcing Shinji to live his words more, or better consider what he wants. Ren sharpens Shinji. It's a great dynamic they have right now, where there's this friendship that has radically opposed philosophies as its foundation. If the phrase Agree To Disagree came to life, it'd look a lot like this friendship. Speaking of friendships! Yui's back, and she's pretty great in this one? It's mostly just her and Ren, and it's not a ton of scenes, but I like what's here. Their first one, where Yui gets to set up her current outlook, it's nicely direct. Yui's been a... let's say problematic character for me, but in one scene they reposition her in a way where I get what the show's doing with her. She's got a bit more grit now, a bit of resolve, where her mission to get through to Shiro feels optimistic, rather than shapeless. Yui's a good mirror to Shinji in this one, with both of them tired of sitting around second-guessing their options, instead just pressing forward. I like this version of Yui, a version that isn't saying Why Me all the time. I much prefer this new one, who seems to be saying If Me, Then I Have Some Control. It's a good look on Yui! Honestly, I'm not sure if this was a great episode, or just a really good episode that looks great in comparison to the previous episode. I don't know. This one was great, though. Terrifically funny, massively insightful, and with a thrilling fight sequence that I totally forgot to talk about so, uh, let's do that now ha ha WHOOPS. All of the card switching stuff between Ryuki and Zolda was awesome. Great gags, with Ryuki getting blasted while Kitaoka got stronger, but also a really good visualization for how much stronger they are by cooperating. Oh, and I dug how Kitaoka was like, Of Course My Cards Only Work For Me, like he got some sort of instruction manual that Shinji didn't. It's not the case, Shiro doesn't seem huge on documentation or a Rider Battle onboarding process ("Welcome to Rider Battles. Fight or Die. Any questions? Keep in mind, all of the answers are going to be Fight and/or Die."), but I'm okay with Shinji being perennially the least-informed Rider. It's fitting. That fight, though. Man! It was fantastic. No! It was excellent. Just like this episode! That I can't believe I had this much to say about! Fish Sandwich's brand-new "Fish Sandwich rewatches Kamen Rider Kuuga" thread must be affecting me. I'd probably be better off posting these feelings in Deepsea's new "General Kamen Rider Thoughts" thread. #ad
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