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04-28-2023, 02:53 PM | #171 |
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KAMEN RIDER REVICE EPISODE 12 - “WEAKNESS IS STRENGTH!? THE UNBEATABLE JEANNE!”
Vice was the embodiment of the life Ikki wouldn’t let himself live in the name of being there for his family: adventurous, self-involved, thrill-seeking. Evil was the embodiment of everything Daiji hated about himself: vindictive, jealous, manipulative. Naturally, Lovekov is the embodiment of the parts of Sakura that she thought were weak about herself: unbridled joy, affection, vulnerability. The show’s thesis statement is the hollowness and failure of an unexamined life, so it’s time to see what Sakura’s been keeping from us. By accepting her human weakness she'd open to more improvements, like accepting the power of Kamen Rider in addition to her karate skills so she can properly fight, and gimmick-wise, getting in touch with her demon Lovekov (her name being Japanese syllables of "cobra" - コブラ rearranged backwards), literally showing her weakness to others with Sakura not having any problem for that, just asking others to take care of the literal punching bag. Quote:
It all leads to a thrilling action sequence, likely on par with the climax of this weekend’s Beyond Generations. Sakura’s fighting abilities, coupled with the Libera Driver, trounce the rapidly multiplying Deadmans. (Very nice of this story’s bad guy to create so many scrubs for Jeanne to one-shot!) Aguilera’s there to show her support and cheer on her girl, which is adorable. Hiromi's there to randomly mention his backstory and motivation, like he wanted to get it on the record before Sakura overshadowed him for good. Ikki and Daiji are there to show the difference between teammates and siblings in a perfect closing scene. It all wraps up beautifully.
There's more about Hiromi shown in this episode, that it's revealed that his backstory had him being bullied and hoping for a hero to save him, but there were none, so he became his own hero. Reminds that you better not wait around hoping for something you want but work on it (of course, being successful or not is another matter..). The reveal is very abrupt though in my opinion, Hiromi suddenly talking about his backstory out of nowhere, and like, it's in the middle of fight before henshin, that can left them open to the Giff Junior's attacks. Otherwise, I guess Hiromi resembles Spider-Man as human too, not only as Rider. I guess I didn't see it coming for George's reaction to Jeanne, from his potential excitement of stating that Sakura had a demon inside her, but he's instead enraged here, shouting his way off to Daiji too, and he states that Libera Driver is something he scrapped. Amahiko lives up to his title as the "savior of Deadmans" where he rises their level by mass producing phase 2 Deadmans, but as usual, he didn't learn about how obsessed Aguilera is with Giff, thus making a joke about becoming Giff himself is a bad idea. That'd mean Amahiko's proper goal is still unknown despite being questioned here. Like usual, she'd ignore words coming from anyone beneath her, continuing from how she's bossy and hates being ordered. Aguilera making a decent point here that happiness can come in many forms, but that probably can be another temptation for Sakura that it's a relief she takes her brother's words instead. And a hint of her backstory as well that she was raised by Deadmans since toddler and apparently "thankful". She's also instead excited at Sakura's performance as Jeanne despite her wiping out one of the larger Deadman squad. Again, this gives me Parado vibe regarding how he interacts with Emu and is interested at seeing him come at the top. Quote:
It’s my favorite episode of Revice, and not only because Lovekov finally validated this show’s existence. It leverages every Igarashi kid in interesting and dramatically compelling ways, from Ikki’s pep talk at the playground, to Daiji’s inability to not ruin an emotional moment despite trying to be cool and worthy of respect, to Sakura’s growth into a woman that is okay acting like a girl occasionally. It’s sweet in its portrayal of family, smart in its exploration of vulnerability as a part of a healthy psyche, and glorious in its incorporation of toku action in the midst of all of the above.
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I guess I don't see it that way? Sakura strikes me as a fairly normal teenager: someone who had a conception of herself at a young age that doesn't match the woman she's turning into, which is going to be a bumpy road to navigate for a little while. (Tillie Walden's memoir Spinning is a great insight into a young athlete who finds herself less fulfilled in her teens by what was once her passion, and I highly recommend it.) Like, she knows it's weird to only get stronger, but she doesn't know what else she should be yet. That's why she throws herself into these weird conflicts that could get her killed; maybe this is the reason she worked hard to become stronger.
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In extension to that, these episodes really had me turning on Mama Igarashi. Her blatant double standard of insisting that Ikki has to go out and save the world despite his own desires, yet telling Sakura that nothing in the show is Sakura's' responsibility despite Sakura wanting to contribute really rubbed me the wrong way. I don't care if it's human, or realistic, or accurate representation of a family unit or not, it's still a double standard and I found it very annoying.
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And it all comes down to how the moral and growth resolves. The show calls her overconfidence childish, so when she starts talking about how she now realizes that she was weak, it feels completely antithetical to that message when she adds right after: "But now that I realise my weakneses, I'm invincibile"
No, you are not invincible, you learned nothing at all! You are back to square one with your problems and overconfidence with believing yourself strong! This one line turns the meaning of the arc meaningless and undermines it entirely, because now she is praised for not growing in the slightest!
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04-28-2023, 06:49 PM | #172 |
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As for the Libera Driver, this would be the ?least favourite belt? I mentioned back after episode 7. Mainly because of its interactions with the Vistamps being very generic (you could revise this Driver to function with any other gimmick without changing the basic design) and the female vocalist (I have no idea who it is) sounding way too harsh for my liking. It very much feels like something the show-runners thrown in at the last minute (especially since, so far, it?s got the only belt jingle with no rhyming or alliteration).
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Thirdly, Jeanne. Holy shit, Kamen Rider Jeanne. I fucking love everything about this character. The suit is an absolute masterpiece, especially by the standards of a show that has such a large gulf between its good (Jeanne, Demons, spoilers) and bad suits (almost everything Revi/Vice-related). Black and blue with orange accents? Perfect. Lithe and flexible for a snake-themed melee fighter? Perfect. That helmet? Absolute perfection. Is it my favorite Kamen Rider suit of all time? Probably not. Is it in my top ten? Absolutely. Top five? Quite possibly, but I'm not going to sit here and run the calculations.
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I guess there can be various ways on how teenagers operate, what's realistic or natural shouldn't be conformed into certain things only. I get your interest in her regarding how she incorporates convincing teenage traits (as I wrote above), though this does kinda sound like how you appreciated bratty kid character before.
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04-28-2023, 10:08 PM | #173 |
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KAMEN RIDER REVICE EPISODE 13 - “FENIX ESCAPING CRISIS BY A HAIR’S BREADTH!”
I just… I basically don’t care about suits? As stories? I got progressively less interested in this episode as strayed from what looked to be an absolutely killer premise – Sakura and Daiji have to team-up while Hiromi and Ikki are benched – into something that was pleasant, but less original – Ikki needs to have the courage to believe that people can change – and then finally into a glorified showcase for Revi’s upgrade form. I care about suits to the degree that they illuminate some evolution of the character, but that’s where it stops with me. Ikki still seeing Vice as the monster that tried to eat his mom, instead of the supportive and steadfast friend he’d become over the last few months? That’s awesome. I love that. There’s something innate in Ikki that worries about his family as the first choice in any interaction, and it can keep him from being as supportive as he wants to be. (We even get to see Ikki learn to stop rushing to his siblings’ aid at the drop of a hat, and let them fight their own battles!) He cares about his family so much that he’s been holding it against Vice, even when Vice clearly doesn’t deserve it anymore. We’re miles away from Ikki almost suiciding himself against Giff Juniors to teach Vice a lesson, and it’s starting to get rough watching Ikki treat Vice like shit. It was time to have Ikki realize that Vice isn’t a demon that’s haunting him, he’s his buddy. We’ve finally reached the point where Vice can stop being some humiliated apparition, and start being a part of the family. But then we get an extended sequence of Barid Rex, complete with Jumbo Brachio Remix, and I don’t think it’s as cool as the show does, pun very much intended. It’s an okay suit, even if it’s inherently less fun because Vice is being punished by George. I like the shattered egg motif, and how it symbolizes Ikki coming out of his shell and befriending Vice. The pink gradation over the turquoise is pretty. But I don’t need so much of a one-off episode to be devoted to glory shots of it in action. The finale of the episode for me was the pre-Henshin slow-walk of friendship by Ikki and Vice; everything after that was epilogue. And while I didn’t get a full episode of Daiji and Sakura teaming up, I liked what little I did get. I really wanted to see what their dynamic was away from Ikki, you know? We haven’t really seen the two of them on their own yet, and I don’t really know what that relationship is like. There’s some fun notes so far, though. I like how they commiserate over Ikki’s helicopter brothering, and how hard they have to work to get him to back off. There’s a little bit of Daiji trying to be a voice of authority, and a clear indication that Sakura has never and may never see him as anyone to listen to. But, y’know, the episode very quickly pivoted to Barid Rex and Kagerou, and we didn’t really get the Daiji/Sakura spotlight I’d’ve liked. Not to say the Kagerou stuff was unwelcome! The episode included a lot of intriguing story teases around the edges on this one: Kagerou’s reactivation, however briefly; Hiromi’s reasonable and relatable vow to lay down his life to protect Lovekov; a(nother) traitor in Fenix; the impending activation of Giff, maybe, possibly, who really knows. None of the villain plotting got me thinking in new ways about their schemes or characterization, but I liked them going on the offensive. A “base under siege” story is always entertaining, and the brevity of this one kept the pace fast all the way through. It’s a quick story, but a solid one. I did manage to thoroughly enjoy this one, even if the last several minutes were not at all the high point for me. I like the developing dynamic of the Igarashis fighting as Kamen Riders, and I’m thrilled that we’ll be getting more Vice interaction with non-Rider characters. I can’t wait ‘til Vice meets the parents again!
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04-28-2023, 10:20 PM | #174 |
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Shame you didn't like this one that much because of Barid Rex. I really enjoy Barid Rex, it's so cool... okay I'll see myself out. There's something... nice about the coloration of Barid Rex, and the way the shoulder and chest armor is shaped. It's really nice.
Admittedly i could care less about it's actual gimmick of it summoning Remixes. What I do enjoy is it being an ice based power-up, that's really cool (again)! Anyway, we've got a new Deadman lurking around and there's at least one fun thing I'll point out (that I personally didn't expect) with him once we get to it. Highlight of the episode was Hiromi defending Lovekov though, and nonchalantly just saying Lovekov is cute at the very beginning. |
04-28-2023, 11:24 PM | #175 |
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As always, Hiromi is the only one who understands what's truly important: protecting Lovekov, even if it cost him his life. Who among us would do less?
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04-29-2023, 12:13 AM | #176 |
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As for the Libera Driver, this would be the ?least favourite belt? I mentioned back after episode 7. Mainly because of its interactions with the Vistamps being very generic (you could revise this Driver to function with any other gimmick without changing the basic design)
uhhhhh, with that out of my system, I don't think I've posted in these threads since like the Build one? Which I think was like the first one? But I've been keeping up with them, especially over the last year+. Always fun to read the insights and discussions here. I'll probably return to my posting slumber now though. Despite rewatching Revice not actually that long ago, I don't think I have anything too insightful or constructive to say about it. "Lovekov is good" is about all I got for this part of the series. |
04-29-2023, 12:20 AM | #177 |
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I don't think I've posted in these threads since like the Build one? Which I think was like the first one? But I've been keeping up with them, especially over the last year+. Always fun to read the insights and discussions here.
I'll probably return to my posting slumber now though. Despite rewatching Revice not actually that long ago, I don't think I have anything too insightful or constructive to say about it. "Lovekov is good" is about all I got for this part of the series. As for Revice, "Lovekov is good" is the main takeaway, yes.
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04-29-2023, 02:50 AM | #178 |
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So, I’ll just say I totally called Wakabayashi being evil entirely be accident. But I have to laugh at how inept his attempt to keep Hiromi out of it is. He uses the very legitimate excuse of “I’m concerned for your health” and then he takes the Demons Driver away and… puts on a bench where Hiromi can retrieve it. He doesn’t destroy it, or hide it, or give it to the Deadmans. What was his plan here?
Also this episode establishes that Hiromi hails from the Miyagi Prefecture, which is coincidentally where Ishinomori hails from. This was entirely unplanned: the guy playing Hiromi also happens to come from Miyagi. I also like the idea that George is annoyed enough at Vice mocking his design to deliberately not give him an aesthetic changes with the new upgrade. Especially since it leads to a gag where Vice has to glue a shield together form the debris. Ikki: It’s Ikki’s… Vice: And Vice’s… Both: Stamp Navi! Ikki: It feels like it’s been a while since we’ve done one of these, right Vice? Vice: Yeah, I mean, who said that fat snake b*tch could have a segment? George: Believe me, I had those two scheduled for the tail end of the season. I’m even telling your mummy to convince her to retire. She seemed pretty eager to do so. Ikki: That’s our Mom alright. Anyway, speaking of strength, here’s today’s Vistamp. Barid Rex! Baribari Up! My name is… Kamen Rider! Revi vi vi vi, Revi Revi! Revi vi vi vi, Revi! George: Kamen Rider Revi Barid Rex showed a shocking rebirth by breaking the shell. It is a new Revice that can be developed thanks to the operation data with 10 special Vistamps. Super G~reat! Using 10 kinds of Genomes using explosive forces that produce life in this world. Now, Ikki Igarashi, please fully demonstrate the power that will be the next phase! And Vice, I can't get the glue, but you've been holding on for a while with just that homemade shield. Vice: Believe me, I’d take that long necked look you devised over this. You are working on a Barid Rex Genome for me, right? George: You’ll have it before Ikki gets his final form. Don’t worry. (Enter Hiromi, panicking) Hiromi: You’ll also prove that the Captain isn’t a Deadmans cultist, right? George: I’m a mad scientist, not a genie. Ikki: And on that note, we hope you enjoy the next instalment. |
04-29-2023, 06:12 PM | #179 |
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There's alot of nice character stuff going on in this episode. Ikki finally trusting Vice, Vice making his own shield to spite George, and the establishment that Kagero isn't gone, meaning that Daiji is still dealing with his issues in his own way.
One terms of plot, Chameleon being the commander was... was it even meant to be a twist, really? Given how obviously evil the guy actually was. And Killer Lawyer being busted out of prison is a very interesting hook to be sure. Overall, I found the episode to be a fairly solid one, and a good way to get things focused again after my displeasure with the previous two-parter. No Line Texts this time, as I don't think there were any this time? It's worth noting that from this point onward they aren't guaranteed to be in every episode.
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04-29-2023, 07:16 PM | #180 |
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Yeah, he's kind of been a colossal prick since the first episode, so Is Also A Deadman feels like a lateral move, rather than a twist. Maybe now I'll be able to remember his name! (I won't.)
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