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12-24-2020, 01:29 PM | #311 |
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Not a full-heroic one for the part where he's going to kill others to achieve it, but the part at the end of episode 18 was a heroic action yeah. But for their whole alignment, anyone have to look at the bigger picture in the entire show and ask ourselves: "in the bigger picture, how much did they do good overall and how much did they do harm overall?". Which is again, why I think character's morality depends more on what they do/or will do to people less related to them, for both good and bad guys. Caring for friends and family is usually pretty universal and inherent for not only white-zone but also grey-zone characters or even some of the black-zone ones. But what about, for example, civilians or strangers (taking care of them for good guys, and preying them for bad guys). Caring only about friends and/or family won't necessarily cut it (if they would care, more apathetic, or outright cruel to others; overall), and so does for bad guys if they only brutalize primarily those that are in their target. Like the part of Kagami as TheBee (for this one moment, but not Kagami overall) before; him siding with Tendou, being his friend, and quit being TheBee and leading Shadow, it solidifies Tendou and Kagami but can have a negative aspects to him just cutting Shadow loose, abandoning coworkers for your own issues (especially if they might depend on you for their jobs/lives), and you pointed that out as a bit of a dick move. For this one, Daisuke's first stint of saving Gon by killing Tendou is closer to this (what'll Juka, Kagami, etc. feel?!), but not for the 2nd stint (when the cast including Daisuke banded together and helped her reclaim her memory). Quote:
So, one, Daisuke absolutely would have gone through with his plan to kill Tendou, since he did it twice in one episode. Tendou deflected the Rider Shooting in the beginning, and used Cast Off to fake his death later. Daisuke sincerely thought he'd killed Tendou after that.
Two, it's pretty well established at this point that Gon is the Brains Of The Outfit. It makes sense to me that he'd not be able to think of an alternative to doing ZECT's will, and it's not fair to ask him to be as clever as Tendou. It is not unheroic for Daisuke to lack the mental acumen of the smartest man in the world! Quote:
KAMEN RIDER KABUTO - EPISODE 19
The Phantom Shadow Thief plot is, obviously, about exposing some Worm or something. It’s basically the only place these three ZECT characters could take this setup. (It could be them trying to discover some ZECT secrets, but I just don’t see that being a thing for them yet.) But it’s so separate from what Tendou and Kamishiro are up to, that I’d maybe rather it just be its own plot. Because it 100% could be. Misaki is a fantastic character, and we really don’t know anything about her. Having a slow build of the PST story, where we delve a little more into her character, get to see her beyond the context of the ZECT Van, I think that would be really welcome. But this thing does the barest amount of setup, and then starts rushing through its developments. As it is, we’re given a clue that Misaki might be the PST, and then immediately have it confirmed that she’s the PST. The scenes of the PST doing crimes are great, this show knows its way around an action sequence by now, but… I don’t know, it’s like there’s both too much PST plot for a Tendou story, and too much Tendou plot for a PST story. With neither plot coming together yet, it makes for a slightly overstuffed episode. Quote:
It doesn’t help that the Tendou plot has to accommodate the massive ego of Kamishiro, which, again, really could’ve/should’ve been an episode of its own. Like Yaguruma, he’s a pretty straightforward variation on Tendou. Kamishiro has the same bottomless ego and unshakeable sense of impending greatness as Tendou, but turned up to Inoue. Tendou does everything for his own sake, while Kamishiro feels the burden of lineage. Tendou has Juka, while Kamishiro mourns Mika. Kamishiro’s as skilled as Tendou in every way (so far), but he’s got a more imperious sense of his supremacy. Tendou views the rest of the world as his beloved subjects, the people he’ll protect because they’re helpless without him; while Kamishiro views the rest of the world as commoners, whose insignificant lives are nothing without his grace and light. Like, where Tendou is frequently rude or condescending, Kamishiro is dismissive and unmoved. Tendou wants others to succeed because greatness has inherent value, while Kamishiro views greatness as a finite resource, and thinks he’s cornered the market.
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A QUESTION
But, obviously, the one flawless part was Juka, who is never anything less than a delight. She’s typically thrilled with the massive breakfast Tendou has made for her, even if she’s too rushed to finish it. How do you feel about breakfast? Is it totally skippable, or the most important meal of your day?
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12-24-2020, 01:43 PM | #312 |
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This is going to sound almost idiotic, considering my advancing age, but I took the opportunity during the lockdown to finally get into cereal. Never really part of my diet before (we didn't do cereal in my home growing up), but it was something I could stock up on cheaply and eat constantly. 2020 really became the year of Reese's Puffs and Froot Loops.
(Knock-off brand Shreddies are where it's at. That and Honey Nut Flakes).
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12-24-2020, 01:50 PM | #313 |
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No, but this one's about Kageyama, a shithead that isn't favored by audience (means the exact reaction he's supposed to get). But I mean, for any series, when the horrible character is someone who is liked by audience (I'm afraid that they can be given free pass or something)...
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Well, it's true that not having a best plan can come from airheadness or denseness, the unheroic part is that Daisuke straight up goes to kill other people, expected as he's also established as having selective care; for Gon and women. and killing someone that is faultless is objectively morally wrong. Those with a tad higher moral compass, if faced with decision like this, could have a hesitation, that it'll be a sadistic choice for them; to lose the ones they love or preventing that while doing a wrong thing.
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If anything, maybe Tendou is a bad influence on Tsurugi? He went from a guy who was prepared to play a normal soccer match to a guy who spent an entire day fighting Tendou. What is it with Tendou driving all these dudes crazy?!
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12-24-2020, 03:53 PM | #314 |
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KAMEN RIDER KABUTO - EPISODE 20
Kabuto is a show about the value of humility. It's a little weird that that's such a recurring theme, considering, y'know... Tendou. He's the least humble Rider I've ever seen. He's a man who believes the world revolves around him, who excels at everything he puts his mind to. Systems, organizations, logic, even physics: they all bend to his desires. He will tell complete strangers that he's destined to rule over everything. And he's not the only one! Every single Rider so far (save Kagami, if he's even worth counting) has been someone convinced of their own greatness, secure in the knowledge that they, and they alone, are worthy of attention and acclaim. They're also egotists, even the ones who preach the harmony of teamwork. They're all aspects of Tendou, taking as given that they're the hero of the story. But they aren't. Tendou is. Tendou is the perfect hero, the one who always wins. And since this isn't a story that can have more than one perfect hero, that means that everyone else is imperfect, less than, reduced. Their story can't be about them being the chosen one; it has to be about them realizing they aren't the chosen one. All of these other men who come off as derivative of Tendou... it's a way to use Tendou as this ideal that you could never live up to, never become. He's perfect in a way that only the star of a story could be perfect. Tendou being this immutable law of success allows the rest of the Riders to be examples of learning to live with imperfection, to recover from defeat, to accept your limitations. Tendou doesn't screw up, really, so we get the other Riders who slowly learn that they can screw up. Tsurugi (it seems like no one's calling him Kamishiro on the boards?) gets a crash course in that concept (not sorry), as he begins to realize how much he can fail. He pulls the best-ever Inoue move by declaring that he's going to Win At Shopping (I can't tell you how much I laughed at this story turn) and then proceeds to infuriate a dozen shoppers, cause an accident that injures Juka, and get himself arrested. It's all of Tendou's Walking Your Path thing, but done up as myopic, negligent. Tendou maneuvers the world out of his path, while Tsurugi expects the world to move for him. Learning the consequences of that selfishness is the first step towards keeping an awareness of the fact that, uh, other people exist? The second step is learning that your pain isn't the only pain in the world. Tendou arrives at the police station to punch Tsurugi in the face, a thrilling moment of rage from the usually cool Tendou. (He even gives Sasword this little Dudes Don't Lose Their Cool speech in the beginning! And then he decks Tsurugi once Juka's injured! So hypocritical, and so great!) It's a connection between the two characters, one rooted in shared backgrounds. Seeing the anger in Tendou reminds Tsurugi of his own anger at the Worm who killed his sister. He gets exactly how protective Tendou can be, because he's dedicated his life to avenging his sister. It's a realization for Tsurugi, that he doesn't have a monopoly on devotion to a sibling. His pain and commitment isn't unique. It's a solid episode to explore Tsurugi, and the actor does a solid job of finding a sort of pathetic elitism to Tsurugi's demeanor without tipping it over into despicable confrontation. It's so obviously a defense mechanism, his need to win, that it's easy to pity his stupid boasts. When he apologizes to Jiiya for humiliating himself all day, there's a genuine warmth in the delivery, where he seems to have learned a small lesson in humility. He's not a good guy yet, but you can see the edges of what a good guy looks like. (And then we've got that insane reveal at the end, that Tsurugi is the very Worm that he's trying to get revenge on. First of all, I definitely didn't see it coming. Second of all, I laughed so hard at the first Mika Murdered flashback, because the Worm in it comes out of absolutely nowhere. They're in an open field, and then there's a Worm? Did he fall out of a plane or something? But it's a touch that makes Tsurugi's memories of the event immediately suspect, so I love it in retrospect. What it means for his story and this show, though... very interested, but not too keen on speculating. It's a great twist, though!) Meanwhile, we've also got the Phantom Thief Shadow part of the episode. (Not "Phantom Shadow Thief”, which is what I thought she was/they were called last episode. If I'd remembered the name right, I could've applauded the use of Shadow as a clue. Clever!) The Phantom Thief Shadow plot was very fun in construction, even if it wasn't plumbing the same depths as the Tsurugi story. I mean, it did touch a little bit on the idea of Learning Humility, with Kagami getting super jazzed about being a part of PTS as some cool new exclusive non-Tendou club, only for Misaki to go Of Course Tendou's Already In This Club. Kagami's face falls so quickly as he realizes that Tendou's going to be the star of this show, too. But he perks up, relenting to Misaki's logic that, hey, it couldn't hurt to have a Kamen Rider in the group if you're going to fight Worms. It's a beat that ties into the larger idea of recognizing your limitations, and allowing for someone with a higher level of skill to take the lead. The rest of the plot is pretty fun, if not much more than a well-told action-adventure story. Not that that's a criticism! I like heist stories, and while this is a little lean on twists and turns (like last episode, there's just not enough room to make it any more complex), it's a fun story. I like seeing characters like Misaki contribute to a main plot, and the use of a more subdued Kageyama (he seems actually hurt that Misaki might be a criminal) adds some stakes without being too heavy. (Probably could've done without that Goro/Kagami's Dad scene, if we're talking about cutting stuff. Could've been handled in one line from Kageyama to Kagami!) Just a fun little story about tricks and theft, as you'd expect from a superhero show. I really enjoyed this episode, a lot more than I did the last one. There's more depth and shading to Tsurugi, and the Worm plot was energetic and fast-paced. Overall, though, I liked how this episode started to lock in a big series theme like Learning Humility. I like when these series are about something! A QUESTION We've got knife guys and sword guys and even some drum guys Bow guys and bo guys and phone guns (from Faiz) What would you reveal Are your favorite weapons they wield?
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12-24-2020, 04:19 PM | #315 |
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KAMEN RIDER KABUTO - EPISODE 18
Obviously, all of those little things (and several big things!) are only in service to this episode’s inevitable, heartbreaking ending. Daisuke saves Gon, reunites her with her mother, but loses her for good. She’s happy with her mother, back to being Yuriko, her time as Gon forgotten. It’s tragic, for how much they both once needed each other. This wasn’t just some story that could end with Daisuke, fine on his own. He needed that little girl. She was his partner. She may not know what she’s lost, but Daisuke is acutely aware of what he’s missing. He strains to explain what she means to him, to put it into words, but the only one who’d know the right words was Gon. But he lets her go, because of course he does. He wants what’s best for her. She means enough to him to see himself diminished if it means she’s safe and happy. It’s probably impossible for him to figure out how he came to care so much for her. He once saw a little girl, confused and alone. He bought her a strawberry milk. It was a little thing, a tiny detail. But it led to so much more for both of them. Daisuke saved Gon and reunited her with her mother but now that "Gon" no longer exists and he's back to being on his own for now, except for the first time he's really on his own since he knows what it's like to have a best friend he cares about and he had to give up Yuriko so she could have the life she deserves. It's sad and that scene where she didn't remember him hurt but Daisuke's strong and he'll be okay. He still has the memories to remind him of how far he's come from being the selfish person he used to be. He's going to be the Kamen Rider that Gon wanted him to be. Quote:
A QUESTION
Lovely episode… that then takes all of the heartbreak and drama it's earned over this story and finishes with HEY LOOK A NEW ZECTER. I cannot tell you how weird a note it was to end on, and it’s maybe the only thing in this episode I’d point at as Bad. Did it work better for you? Were you okay with this Daisuke/Gon episode ending with a New Zecter cliffhanger? Quote:
KAMEN RIDER KABUTO - EPISODE 19
This episode… I mean, pretty fun (that sports rivalry montage!), but not one that really added up to a lot for me. The Kamishiro stuff is pretty reliably bonkers, with a Prissy Bruce Wayne take on a reflection of Tendou, but the Phantom Shadow Thief stuff just feels totally outside the main plot so far, and frankly just really weird for this show? The Phantom Shadow Thief plot is, obviously, about exposing some Worm or something. It’s basically the only place these three ZECT characters could take this setup. (It could be them trying to discover some ZECT secrets, but I just don’t see that being a thing for them yet.) But it’s so separate from what Tendou and Kamishiro are up to, that I’d maybe rather it just be its own plot. Because it 100% could be. Misaki is a fantastic character, and we really don’t know anything about her. Having a slow build of the PST story, where we delve a little more into her character, get to see her beyond the context of the ZECT Van, I think that would be really welcome. But this thing does the barest amount of setup, and then starts rushing through its developments. As it is, we’re given a clue that Misaki might be the PST, and then immediately have it confirmed that she’s the PST. The scenes of the PST doing crimes are great, this show knows its way around an action sequence by now, but… I don’t know, it’s like there’s both too much PST plot for a Tendou story, and too much Tendou plot for a PST story. With neither plot coming together yet, it makes for a slightly overstuffed episode. Sasword is an awesome suit, I like how the scorpion's claws are his eyes and how he's purple. Definitely my favorite ZECT Rider aesthetic. You say you haven't seen it before but you I recall you watched Kamen Rider 4 right? Tsurugi himself is also quite an eccentric, which seems to be a prerequisite for being a Rider in this show. His insistence on throwing away a fork that could've been cleaned easily shows a lack of sentimentality and that he's spoiled. He has poor social skills as well so he doesn't make friends as easily as Tendo or Daisuke. I'm currently writing a sports rivalry in to my OC Sentai except I'm doing it with baseball instead of soccer. I'm not really a soccer guy. I like more variety and strategy in sports. I'm mostly an esports guy though. Quote:
A QUESTION
But, obviously, the one flawless part was Juka, who is never anything less than a delight. She’s typically thrilled with the massive breakfast Tendou has made for her, even if she’s too rushed to finish it. How do you feel about breakfast? Is it totally skippable, or the most important meal of your day?
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12-24-2020, 04:31 PM | #316 |
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It’s a solid episode to explore Tsurugi, and the actor does a solid job of finding a sort of pathetic elitism to Tsurugi’s demeanor without tipping it over into despicable confrontation. It’s so obviously a defense mechanism, his need to win, that it’s easy to pity his stupid boasts. When he apologizes to Jiiya for humiliating himself all day, there’s a genuine warmth in the delivery, where he seems to have learned a small lesson in humility. He’s not a good guy yet, but you can see the edges of what a good guy looks like.
Like, man; it really would take something as weird as Kabuto for me to adore the rich guy who has rich guy as a core part of his personality, but he's an utter disaster of a person who's so, so fun to watch and so uniquely him. He's disastrous even alongside developments like this that make him genuinely likable and he's the performance that stands out the most in the show to me; I'd take a miniseries bringing him back because he's just that fun
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12-24-2020, 04:58 PM | #317 |
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Yeah, that factoid about scorpions is put last time was meant as foreshadowing. Because while the scorpion rider may look like a human, he’s actually a Worm.
And like I said before, I’ll begin discussing the Kabuto video game’s divergences from the tv show. In its take on this episode, Tendou sees that Tsurugi is a Worm and has a boss fight with him, that results in the death of the alien. Though it is played for tragedy, with the fake Tsurugi failing to realise he was an impostor and apologising to his sister for failing, before Tendou has a “he was a worthy opponent” moment. As for weapon, I’m fond of the kind that can function as multiple weapons in one, ala Wizard and Ghost. |
12-24-2020, 05:51 PM | #318 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
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Tsurugi himself is also quite an eccentric, which seems to be a prerequisite for being a Rider in this show. His insistence on throwing away a fork that could've been cleaned easily shows a lack of sentimentality and that he's spoiled. He has poor social skills as well so he doesn't make friends as easily as Tendo or Daisuke.
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And this is why he's my favourite character in the show.
Like, man; it really would take something as weird as Kabuto for me to adore the rich guy who has rich guy as a core part of his personality, but he's an utter disaster of a person who's so, so fun to watch and so uniquely him. He's disastrous even alongside developments like this that make him genuinely likable and he's the performance that stands out the most in the show to me; I'd take a miniseries bringing him back because he's just that fun He's just shit at understanding how to apply those skills to the world around him, which is one of the key ways he's less than Tendou. Tendou is the dude who can do the math of Amnesiac Girl + My Delicious Soup = Maybe Breakthrough? Tendou is so observant, so external, that he's able to make the world do what he wants. Tsurugi is so myopic, so internal, that he doesn't understand why things don't just go his way like he thinks they should. Fun character! Quote:
Yeah, that factoid about scorpions is put last time was meant as foreshadowing. Because while the scorpion rider may look like a human, he’s actually a Worm.
And like I said before, I’ll begin discussing the Kabuto video game’s divergences from the tv show. In its take on this episode, Tendou sees that Tsurugi is a Worm and has a boss fight with him, that results in the death of the alien. Though it is played for tragedy, with the fake Tsurugi failing to realise he was an impostor and apologising to his sister for failing, before Tendou has a “he was a worthy opponent” moment.
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12-24-2020, 06:18 PM | #319 |
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This episode sees the debut of my favorite recurring subplot on Kabuto: "Tsurugi Tries to Person." He lives in such an isolated bubble of wealth that he has absolutely no concept how to function in the real world. He's incredibly arrogant, though, and he's got Jiya along as his devoted enabler, so he just keeps trying and failing. It's an ongoing theme with the character and it is never not delightful.
As far as the rest of the episode goes, I'm disappointed that the Phantom Shadow Thief Shadow thing was just a ruse. I like Misaki well enough, but I'd find her so much more entertaining if she was legitimately a master jewel thief in her downtime. And look! A rare sighting of Juka involved in activities that don't involve eating! It was only two episodes, but he made a difference and took out several monsters. That puts him ahead of at least Pink Necrom and probably Beast. If they count, so should Kagami. |
12-24-2020, 06:48 PM | #320 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
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JUKA, TWO MINUTES LATER: My stay in the hospital was very brief! What's for dinner?
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