|
Community Links |
Members List |
Search Forums |
Advanced Search |
Go to Page... |
|
Thread Tools |
12-30-2020, 11:07 PM | #391 |
I have a problematic type
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 10,420
|
Quote:
Come to think of it, this reminds me of something I keep meaning to bring up – the fact that despite it being such an iconic part of the show, if I'm not forgetting anything here, none of the DX toys at the time actually said "Clock Up", let alone having a Put On sound.
That's always been insane to think about to me, with how much both Rider and Sentai are generally all about keeping the show and the merch in sync with each other. Surely a lot of children in 2006 were extremely disappointed when they went to slap the side of their belts all cool like Tendou always does, only to realize nothing was happening because there aren't even electronics there? But then, those were still sweet toys anyway, so they probably got over it pretty quick. |
12-30-2020, 11:11 PM | #392 |
The Immortal King Tasty
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Every diner you've ever been to.
Posts: 3,833
|
Yeah, no kidding! But look at what's conspicuously de-emphasized in the average ad for Kabuto merch:
The real question is why, which I wish I could say for sure. The way Wikipedia tells it, the whole genesis of Kabuto's two form concept was that Shirakura wanted to emphasize the fact the insects exist in big groups, and thus thought of what would become the generic Worms and ZECTroopers that the main players on either side would be a part of. To make sure the Riders would stand out from the group as much as possible, he then pulled inspiration from the fact that insects molt and pitched the idea of the Riders shedding their armor to fight the monsters at high speed, which also had the Mirror World style appeal of letting kids imagine that Kamen Rider could be fighting right in front of you without you knowing. The interesting thing there is that going by that story, it's not like Bandai was planning the armor purging thing before the show's staff thought up the high speed part. Presumably in that case, the assumption was that the Riders would be moving at super speed by default after Casting Off, and the show's staff changed that concept to something more visually satisfying and narratively flexible too late in the game for Bandai to change course. That is ENTIRELY speculation on my part, but it's about the only thing that makes sense to me. And obviously Bandai wouldn't want to "correct" the oversight on the Zecters made after, because it would just make their flagship item for the year look that much more incomplete.
__________________
|
12-30-2020, 11:35 PM | #393 |
Veteran Member
Join Date: May 2020
Location: Chicago
Posts: 1,473
|
I have not much to add to this conversation other than I miss the old CMs that had both the actors and suits. Made it really feel like they were selling you on a replica rather than the toy version. Nowadays we are lucky if we get some suit action in the CM, and everything else is just a stock static image.
|
12-31-2020, 12:30 AM | #394 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 6,159
|
KAMEN RIDER KABUTO - EPISODE 25
The show had set up a massive cliffhanger with the last episode, and the payoff... it's a pivot they go for, and while I can see why they did it, I really wish they hadn't done it. Our heroes opened a weird door in the ruins of Shibuya, looking for answers about Hiyori's past, and what's inside is... basically nothing helpful for Hiyori, but way more questions for Tendou and Kagami. It becomes a story that's less about providing information to help with healing, and more about getting across to the superheroes that they are pawns in a massive conspiracy. It's a pivot away from a story with clear emotional stakes, into something that's a lot more Superhero Plotting, and, yeah, didn't love it! The story more or less abandons Hiyori. She's gotten nothing helpful from all of this frustration, and Tendou has changed up his attitude towards her from condescendingly withholding to sympathetically withholding, which is not a great look. When the most relatable character on the show (YMMV) outright tells the hero that her troubles are because he's being so withholding, and the hero just, likes, commiserates with her? What even is that! It's like they went into that basement as three people who cared about each other, and came out as two superheroes trying to solve a mystery about their origins. It treats Hiyori's story as, like, a booster rocket, something that can be discarded now that the real story is taking place. (And, sure, you can say that Tendou and Kagami's interest in solving the 35-year old mystery surrounding the Masked Rider program is a way to get answers for Hiyori, but given what's on-screen in this episode, that is a stretch. That is being incredibly generous to two guys who basically tell an inquiring Hiyori to not worry her pretty little head about their new Masked Rider discovery. Like, the next scene with Kagami and Tendou is them talking about what ZECT might be up to, and how to best find out. Neither of them mentions Hiyori at all! And they went to Shibuya specifically because of her! I'm honestly getting more mad at this episode the longer I type!) And that real story... honestly, it's not bad. There's an exciting sense of the boys being tired of having ZECT out there, manipulating them from the shadows. (Literally! And also with Shadow!) Now that they know that ZECT's been working on the Masked Rider program from as far back as the Showa era, and the boys clearly do not truck with Showa, it's evident that ZECT has greater plans than just protecting Tokyo. That alone would be enough to set up a more direct conflict with ZECT's leadership, but the show drops a weird-ass bombshell by putting Kagami's identity as Gatack's operator in the Masked Rider #1 journal from 1971. (And, yes, I got the reference, no need to call it out. I laughed at it immediately.) It's something that could be easily ("easily”) explained away by having Kagami's dad create a prophecy he could eventually have his son fulfill, but that's still pretty crazy. Almost as crazy as the raging, chained-up lunatic that's locked behind a door in the basement of a vault. That's someone who is going to be a problem! (Throwing this out there: it's the original Tendou, not the Worm that's been Tendou for the last seven years.) The rest of the episode has a lot of things happening, mostly fun to watch (Tendou quickly climbing the ranks of the police makes me wonder why he needed ZECT's help to work in one hospital for one day), but, man, not into this pivot away from Hiyori's story! I honestly wanted the second half of this post to be a little room to praise the tension of the Misaki/Kagami raid on ZECT HQ, or all of Tendou's charm offensive (his smile is so fake!), or Tsurugi's brief appearance so he can Win At Diving, or how nice it is to see Daisuke return to grumpily save TheWorst, but no. I don't really want to do any of that, because the show followed up a story where Tendou and Kagami put Hiyori's needs ahead of their own, by having them both toss her to the side when a cooler story came along. She specifically tells Tendou that she is still hurting, that nothing got better, and he's just like Sometimes There Are Mysteries. I don't think the show wants me to be as mad at Tendou as I am right now! (Kagami is not winning any prizes, but he also isn't hiding things that'd probably make Hiyori feel better.) Moving the story off of Hiyori without giving Hiyori any reason to feel better... it sucks! I don't love it as a story choice! A QUESTION And now I gotta live with being mad at this show for a couple days, because I'm changing up the scheduling for New Year's. The 31st is going to be a special piece, something I'm already 20% done with. The 1st is going to be Episode 26, the 2nd is going to be the movie, and with the 3rd we're back to normal scheduling with Episode 27. But none of that's a question! With New Year's nearly here, it's time to make some resolutions. Do you have a tokusatsu resolution for 2021? Something toku-related you'd like to accomplish? My next few years are pretty well charted out, Rider-wise, but there's something I've got in mind for Decade that I really hope I'm able to make happen. What about you?
__________________
Currently working on: Go-Busters is next! Archive of previous shows on KamenRiderDie.com! Last edited by Kamen Rider Die; 08-29-2023 at 07:33 PM.. |
12-31-2020, 12:49 AM | #395 |
Veteran Member
Join Date: May 2020
Location: Chicago
Posts: 1,473
|
Toku - Resolutions 2021
- Finish watching the rest of Heisei (2nd half Kabuto, Den-O, Kiva, Decade, Fourze, Wizard, Ghost, Ex-aid ) - Hop on Zenkaiger - Finish Dairanger & Timeranger - Do whatever must be done to make Bandai release a TimeRobo Super-Minipla |
12-31-2020, 02:13 AM | #396 |
I have a problematic type
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 10,420
|
So yeah, this one felt really disjointed. Once we got past resolving the cliffhanger, it felt like the show was all over the place (no comment on your guess to the Man in the Iron Mask's identity, although I can confirm it isn't Leonardo Dicaprio this time). Tendou infiltrates the police because he can flawlessly blend into any environment (again, no Leonardo Dicaprio here), Juka gets semi-abducted by Worm Misaki, Real Misaki and Kagami do something that leads to a confrontation with Goro-chan, and Daisuke's actor is back so he and Kageyama fight an angry widow Worm (?). It's a lot. None of it really fits together and it leaves the whole thing feeling unfocused and sometimes confusing.
I would have definitely cut the Juka storyline, even if it is Tsurugi's lone, very random appearance for the week. I maybe would have cut the widow vs. the C-listers fight, too, although I realize they wanted to pounce when they had access to Daisuke's actor again. It's a badly over-stuffed episode, though, and it desperately needed some cuts. |
12-31-2020, 02:36 AM | #397 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 6,159
|
If you had told me that this episode had a brand-new production team coming on, similar to the second half of Hibiki, I would 100% believe you. There's a disregard for so much good character work, in favor of a breezy superhero action show, and it bums me out so bad.
__________________
Currently working on: Go-Busters is next! Archive of previous shows on KamenRiderDie.com! |
12-31-2020, 03:58 AM | #398 |
Veteran Member
Join Date: May 2019
Posts: 2,551
|
The OG Roder reference goes beyond the year. The date the project started on, April 3rd, is the date he original episode of Kamen Rider aired on (it was also the day the Spirits Manga started in 2001, the day of the 1000th episode in 2011 and the day that Ghost episode that began with a retrospective of all the past riders aired on in 2016).
And our new worm, Rena, is played by Hitomi Miwa, who was previously the big good of Ninpuu Sentai Hurricaneger. |
12-31-2020, 07:41 AM | #399 |
The Immortal King Tasty
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Every diner you've ever been to.
Posts: 3,833
|
While I would never want to suggest that a Kabuto story shouldn't always be about Hiyori all the time every episode, I've also got to be true to myself here and say I had sort of an opposite experience to what Die had with this one. About a quarter of the way in, after the initial exciting escape from Shibuya happens and the story completely shifts gears, I was already clocking exactly the problems Die mentioned, and was ready to be upset about it, but as the rest of the episode played out, it all ended up bothering me way less than I anticipated. Certainly, there's a bit too much going on, and that lack of strong focus means this is never going to be some top tier episode of Kabuto, but pretty much all the individual elements worked for me. Crucially, that included the token scene the episode gives to Hiyori and Tendou, which isn't exactly dripping with substance, but did a thing with each character I quite liked. On Hiyori's end, I have to say that I legitimately think it's a great idea to have her put all that effort into confronting her problems only to come out of the experience empty-handed. It's something that easily deserves more space for exploration than it got here, which gets back to the problem at hand, but what time is made for it, with her walking away from the restaurant and everything, it's fitting for Hiyori, and what makes me love her character – that concept of having your hope for a huge breakthrough crushed by the realization that there aren't always easy answers just waiting out there. For Tendou, I mean, I'm going to give the guy enough credit that he would never be willfully condescending to Hiyori (she's maybe the only person he wouldn't), and they highlight that a bit with an extremely rare glimpse of genuine emotional distress on his face after having it rubbed in his face that he's part of Hiyori's problem. It takes the uncharacteristically heated tone he took with Kagami last episode about going to Shibuya, and reframes that desperation to be about more than his usual need to have people do what he says. For once, it seems like Tendou himself is being tied up and frustrated by his own omniscient knowledge of how things need to be. There's a clear implication that, emotionally, he'd rather tell Hiyori everything, but can't bring himself to because of his own "rational" view of the situation. It's a bit of depth from Tendou – a little moment of uncertainty – that adds much appreciated balance to an episode that leans so heavily on his more cartoonish nature. Of course, a lot of this is reading into things on my part, but I don't know, the show has earned enough of my faith with how it handles Hiyori that I can believe it's less distracted right now than it seems to be. Even if it is though, it'd be hard to deny how fun those distractions are, which is another thing that ultimately made it hard to hate this episode. Tendou deciding to get serious about looking into ZECT and being face to face with Kagami's dad by the end of the next day is perfect, as is Kabuto stopping a bank robbery like he's the Flash or something. That emphasis on Tendou's fierce independent drive also made it hilarious to me how much of an unambitious corporate stooge Kageyama keeps being, clearly realizing unflinching loyalty to the organization is the only reason they keep him around despite his increasingly unremarkable track record. And you know, on top of all of that, there's even an exciting new villain to generate some intrigue for the next chapter of the show. So yeah, sure enough, I think I'm getting less angry about this episode the more I type. Not a bad one by any stretch of the imagination.
__________________
|
12-31-2020, 08:07 AM | #400 |
Some guy. I'm alright.
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Michigan
Posts: 4,411
|
Quote:
Very interested in seeing what your plan for Decade is.
__________________
|
|
TokuNation News & Rumors |
Shodo SUPER Kyoryuger Teaser |
Figuarts/Seihou GRIDMAN |
SH Figuarts BoonBoomger Red |
Hasbro Licenses Power Rangers Toys to Playmates Toys |
Discotek Media Licenses Mobile Cop Jiban |
All times are GMT -5. The time now is 07:52 PM.
|