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05-18-2020, 04:54 AM | #231 |
Veteran Member
Join Date: May 2019
Posts: 2,546
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For all people rag on this show for people not talking about their problems, doing that is an AMERICAN thing. In Japan, people DON’T talk about their problems because they are THEIR problems, not other peoples’.
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05-18-2020, 07:26 AM | #232 |
take me to space
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 1,406
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I've always been more forgiving on this show's 'misunderstandings' than most people, but this is a completely nonsensical defense. Communicating your problems is not a completely foreign concept in Japan. The character's inability to do so comes from their unique character flaws (within reason when the drama is good, anyway).
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05-18-2020, 09:09 AM | #233 |
Standing By
Join Date: Feb 2020
Location: USA
Posts: 2,091
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--2--
Speaking of couples! Yuka and Keitaro’s story this time out is very sweet. It’s not a lot of, like, plot or anything, but it’s a very cute little date they go on. I like how their story is mixing the drama of a long-distance relationship with the optimism of a chance encounter, except it’s only happening to two characters. It’s fun to see them growing closer together, finding some joy, but (at least Keitaro) sabotaging it mentally with the regret of hurting the person he’s unknowingly actually on a date with right now. It’s ridiculously convoluted, and it relies solely on the two of them never saying their first names to each other or trading phone numbers, but Complicated Romance is such a core trope for superhero stories that I can’t even muster up that much objection to it. It’s goofy, but played very sweetly. A ton of that for me is how expressive Keitaro’s actor is. Yuka’s incredibly damaged, and doesn’t convey a lot of strong emotion, so it’s really on Keitaro to sell you on the way this new relationship is important to the story. And, man, he really nails it. Some of it’s the chemistry he has with Yuka, and some it’s how much innate joy he has in a Resting Frown of a show, but some of it is how hurt he is when his friends don’t give a shit about his internet girlfriend. That bit, where he comes in hot after getting a message from Yuka, and Mari and Takumi just blow him off, perfect. Team Faiz is just reflexively mean to each other. Shit like that is the heart of the show for me, and I need a little bit every episode. There's a comedic scene where Takumi and Mari are looking at the blurry school reunion picture and Mari asks Takumi who matches his type. It's funny how quickly Takumi changes his mind after realizing he picked Mari. It shows that Takumi is at least a little interested in pursuing romance, a theme which is starting to get more focus with this show entering the Kaixa arc. Quote:
--4--
And on the topic of killer pairings, wow does Faiz get his ass beat in this episode. The Faiz Fight against Mr. J (while Chaco looks on approvingly) is great for how much punishment Faiz takes. The flipside of the way Faiz rushes through a fight, the way he’s a burst of speed and strength, is that if he can’t get a quick win he’s probably not getting a win at all. There isn’t a lot of staying power to Faiz. Here, he gets his finisher blocked and then just gets demolished. And it looks great! He really looks like he’s going to get murdered. There’s a bit, when Mr. J gets shot by someone offscreen, that Faiz cowers a little from the gunfire. It’s a kind of vulnerability I don’t remember seeing in other Riders, a sense that he’s not great at taking punishment. I think that’s an interesting attribute for a Rider. Your analysis of Faiz's defeat is interesting. I mentioned how cool his fighting style is, the way he doesn't bother escalating and doesn't hold back. But maybe there's a downside to that. As a member of Lucky Clover, the elite, Mr. J isn't some average MOTW kind of Orphenoch. While Kiba proved to be an equal match for Faiz in Episode 6, this is the first time where Faiz was fighting at a disadvantage. Mr. J is a crocodile and a tank. He no-sells Faiz's attacks and strikes as soon as he sees a gap in his offensive.
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05-18-2020, 10:47 AM | #234 |
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Join Date: Jan 2020
Posts: 1,290
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Also, and maybe this is just me, I don't love having to read supplementary material to understand something I just watched. I like being able to process the show as a TV show, episode by episode. Sure, I could go to the Wiki and find out the exact names of everyone involved, including characters who won't be identified for a dozen more episodes, but that's a weird way to watch a show for me. I don't mind digging that stuff up later, but I think it's fair to ask a show to get the relevant information out in the show. If they can't do that, I'm going to fill in the blanks myself.
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OH SHIT IT’S HOUJOU!!! Everything after the Lucky Clover scene is an afterthought at best, since this episode peaks early with GODDAMN HOUJOU back on a Kamen Rider show. It’s the star of Kamen Rider Agito, and I couldn’t be more thrilled. Admittedly, he doesn’t, uh, do anything this episode, but he’s bound to return and that’s almost all I need. The idea of Houjou being around (I might never call him Takuma) is so reassuring that his actual activities are irrelevant. Houjou Forever.
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Why didn't I like it? I just... didn't enjoy it.
I think I said in my first post on this thread, but I feel Faiz is a very, very marmite show. Either the characters and the drama work well for you and is exactly what you want, or it really, really isn't. For me I just don't like these characters and I don't like the cynicism. That's not necessarily saying it's bad - I have the same feelings about Ryuki, and I think that's amazingly well made - it's just not for me. I do have some actual issues later on, but those issues imo are minor compared to if you're invested in these characters and their relationships. That's the core of the show, and everything else is gravy. Last edited by DreadBringer; 05-18-2020 at 10:51 AM.. |
05-18-2020, 11:23 AM | #235 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 6,159
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I've always been more forgiving on this show's 'misunderstandings' than most people, but this is a completely nonsensical defense. Communicating your problems is not a completely foreign concept in Japan. The character's inability to do so comes from their unique character flaws (within reason when the drama is good, anyway).
I don't... I'm not sure if me complaining about the whole Yuka/Keitaro thing has given people the wrong idea. It's not a huge failing of this show that they don't know each others' names or personal info yet. I think it's, at most, a little goofy, and something I'd like to see them address to close off a loophole. Not resolve, but address. In general, I'm not seeing the "misunderstandings" people have been talking about, and nothing about the interactions between Team Faiz and Team Orphnoch have been a negative to me. It's, honestly, some of the most fun parts of the show. Even within their groups, I think the characterizations have been compellingly nuanced, with some solid emotional logic to why characters respond the way they do. Maybe there's stuff down the line that'll drive me crazy, but right now I think the plotting has been pretty great. Quote:
There's a comedic scene where Takumi and Mari are looking at the blurry school reunion picture and Mari asks Takumi who matches his type. It's funny how quickly Takumi changes his mind after realizing he picked Mari. It shows that Takumi is at least a little interested in pursuing romance, a theme which is starting to get more focus with this show entering the Kaixa arc.
It'd been brought up in the previous episode, I think, that there's a faction at Smart Brain that feels he stole the presidency. And those dudes who attacked his car were maybe from that faction? (I don't really remember.)
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05-18-2020, 11:26 AM | #236 |
Showa Girl
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 9,064
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I think, also, you misunderstand what I mean by 'marmite'. That's a type of jam, I guess, which is infamous for people either loving it or absolutely hating it -- and that's how I feel most people interact with Faiz, too. It's not describing a literal aspect of the show. I also should say that despite what I said, I don't actually like the miscommunication. I think it makes sense for the character; I think it's a valid storytelling device; I think it has potential to be interesting and as I said, I don't think it's some big thing that dooms the show or even bad on its own. But it's also not something I, personally enjoy and I just get sick of the way it's used after a bit.
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05-18-2020, 09:40 PM | #237 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 6,159
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KAMEN RIDER 555 EPISODE 12
--1-- Does everything on this show have to malfunction the first time it’s used? The first time we see someone use the Faiz belt, it’s Mari, and it doesn’t work. The first time we see the FaizCyKill, it attacks Faiz. (Deservedly, but the image of it is wrong.) And now, the first time we see Kaixa in action, he Errors out and dies. Twice! I think it serves two purposes. First, it’s kind-of funny. Not laugh-out-loud funny, but unexpected and surprising. The show builds up to a big Hero moment, and then it, like, *sad trombone*. Second, it definitely keeps Team Faiz (and the new Team All-New kaiXa-Men, complete with Dennis Hopeless-esque RV) feeling like an underdog. The less-charitable view would be that they are hopeless screw-ups, but these plucky kids got me rooting for them. They’re trying so hard, you guys! --2-- And they’re really trying in this episode. Takumi tries his hand at being a problem solver, and it’s really entertaining. I feel like he’s the friend that can’t ever listen to your problems, he has to give you a solution. Sometimes you just want to vent, but he’s like Just Do What I Tell You And Your Problems Are Solved. Takumi is… not the friend you vent to. It’s neat to see how quickly he enjoys telling people what to do. His whole thing is not getting involved, but as soon as he does it’s like he’s addicted to it? After giving Mari some actionable advice (hey, why don’t you call some of the people in this photo that did not immediately turn to ash in front of you), he’s ready to fix Keitaro’s heartache, and it goes bad. He goes from being shocked that Keitaro is juggling two women (“with that face”!) to making it all about him and his lack of a love life. He’s helpful to the group for, like, one problem and then just flames out hard. Granted, trying to get involved in anyone’s romantic problems is S Class problem solving, even more so when it’s Keitaro’s weird one-woman-two-relationships thing, but he’s barely able to last a sentence before he goes back to not wanting to get involved. (That little slink away he does in the background as Mari levels her gaze at Keitaro is expert physical comedy.) --3-- That domestic stuff, Team Faiz doing a scene together, the show did some fun stuff with it I thought. There’s a little musical cue I love, a little bit of acoustic guitar, that they’ve layered over some of the Team Faiz At Home scenes. It reminds me of watching Cowboy Bebop, that lazy energy, people just existing in a space together. I like it. Visually they went surprisingly high energy. Mari’s expanded story of her childhood (excellent callback from a surprised Keitaro, crushed that Mari and Takumi had a backstory conversation without him) has this hilariously dramatic spotlight on her, taking what could normally be a dry scene of exposition and daring you not to laugh during it. Turns out she was one of several orphans who was adopted by a rich but emotionally-distant father-figure and trained for a mysterious purpose, which, y’know, that’s a totally normal thing to have happen. Or, no, it’s super weird, but the show doesn’t really dwell on it. Like, Takumi all but says to Mari that her childhood is unbelievably suspicious, and Mari’s delivery and body language during her story is basically Now That I’m Hearing This Out Loud I Can See How You Might Find It A Little Weird. It’s a scene that’s almost all exposition, but the lighting and performance keep it from being even a little dull. Similarly, there’s a beautifully staged shot later in the episode. The, I don’t know, Jean Grey of Team All-New kaiXa-Men, she’s meeting Takumi and Mari for coffee. While she’s giving us some context for the episode’s first dissolving Kaixa, she says that they’ll both get more answers from Mari’s old teacher. Who is pulling up the RV outside the cafe during that sentence, and the camera tracks it over Jean’s shoulders the whole time, single shot. That seems like it’d be an enormous pain-in-the-ass to get right, and it’s for a scene that wasn’t even screaming out for a flashy camera move. Which is why I love it? It’s easy, on a show like this, to save all the crane shots and dolly rigs for the Faiz Fight or an Orphnoch debut. I love it when it’s used on a line of dialogue at the end of an expository scene. Some clever, unnecessary directing choices in this one, and I 100% approve. --4-- So, Team All-New kaiXa-Men. As individual characters, they’re whatever. No one really stands out, since they only get one or two lines each. (Scott Summers bites it in the open, Jean gets the dialogue scene with Mari in the cafe, Warren Worthington III bites it in the second Kaixa fight, Bobby Drake tries to protect Hank McCoy But A Girl, and Substitute Xavier bites it at the end.) I love how half of the group is dead within their first episode. Fantastic. As a group, it’s maybe slightly better than whatever? Mari having a Secret History is barely even something you could call a surprise at this point, since a) her parents died in a mysterious accident when she was a kid, b) she was adopted by the president of the country’s largest corporation who has mysteriously disappeared, c) she went to a mysterious school that was buried deep beneath the Earth, and, most damning, d) she is a teenage girl on a Kamen Rider show. I’d’ve been more shocked if she just cut hair for 50 episodes. There’s some fun to be had with the way the show piles on the Secret History tropes here, as though all of that other stuff was just too common, not special enough. Now she’s part of a group of mysterious orphans, and they’re all in danger. It… I sort-of don’t care? I don’t know how much I’m supposed to care, though. I can’t tell if the show’s screwing around, or trying to do something serious. Again, half the group gets bumped off right away, and the show hasn’t started to get at Mari’s feelings on any of this (it is just so much exposition you guys), so I’m left trying to invest in a group of kids who get immediately murdered. Tough ask! That said, I don’t know that I want the show to do more with these characters or this plot. I’m good with it as a gag, a parody of Secret History tropes. Trying to expand it, or make it more central to Mari’s story… no thanks? I mean, I’d love to regret saying that, to have the show find some angle on it that impresses me. In this episode, it just didn’t click for me. --5-- And, man, there ain’t much else in this episode! A couple quick scenes with Yuka and Yuuji to reiterate some stuff (Smart Brain wants Yuuji to attack humans, Kaido’s on the mend), and a Lucky Clover scene that tells us they’ve got three lives each. They’re good scenes, but too brief to really discuss. I think the only other thing is that Faiz and the FaizCyKill actually, effectively team-up this episode?! It’s a stunning development, and I hope the show hasn’t squandered one of its biggest rivalries just to shock the viewers. I don’t think it’ll last, though.
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05-18-2020, 11:09 PM | #238 |
I got nothing
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 148
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So yeah remember in episode 10 when Kaixa is watching Takumi fight to tease the new rider? With the revelation that it's up to this point killed all of its users that means someone had to die to get that scene, and that's hilarious to me.
Last edited by Zatyme; 05-18-2020 at 11:21 PM.. |
05-18-2020, 11:14 PM | #239 |
take me to space
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 1,406
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You dubbing the kaiXa-Men new names is probably going to be the most memorable thing about them to me personally from now on. Does this make Takumi Wolverine?!
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05-18-2020, 11:30 PM | #240 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 6,159
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I mean, godDAMN. That's all info that's basically in this episode, but the idea of the test run ending in a death and they were like Mission Accomplished... INOUE!!! I love these idiot kids now. The man's a legend. Quote:
With Team Faiz, it's hard to find the parallel? Takumi seems more like he'd be the Sunfire of the group, an uncharismatic powerhouse that everyone else is sick of immediately. Keitaro would be the Nightcrawler, all friendship and smiles. Mari... tough one. Maybe Banshee? I don't know. At this point, it feels like a stretch.
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