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06-26-2019, 10:01 PM | #15421 |
The Immortal King Tasty
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Every diner you've ever been to.
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Ryuki 39-40:
Aw yeah, now we're talking! I've gotta be honest, for all the standards Ryuki set for me when it comes to what I want to see in Kamen Rider, bike action is not one of them. Indeed, my obsession with that is purely down to episode 2 of OOO and episode 4 of Kuuga. Mostly that second one though. But I need to move on before I start gushing about the wrong show. The point is, nothing in Ryuki totally satisfies me on that front. The Ride Shooters, I've never been able to get behind. The whole concept of driving into the Mirror World through... Mirror Purgatory, I guess, has always confused me. Like, wouldn't it make way more sense and be a better visual for the Riders to just pop out of the other side immediately? You know, like the Monsters do? Or the Riders later in the show anyway? And then on top of having a pretty ill-defined function in-universe, they're these massive, bulky hunks of junk that were clearly a nightmare to film with, because all they ever do on-screen is drive in a straight line for a few seconds and then stop. It gets to a point where the only thing they're good for is having new Riders dramatically step out of them, and the thing that makes motorcycles cool is NOT supposed to be how comfy the seats look. Now, Darkraider and Dragranzer are definitely a step up, but they still suffer from being way overdesigned for the role of a practical vehicle. But the Psychoroader? Now that's a bike. First of all, it actually gets its own name, so already it's clearly way cooler than the Survive bikes. It can also actually turn. And I mean, it can *turn*. Remember how I said Tiger's Final Vent wasn't necessarily cool but was memorable? Well Alternative spinning around like a maniac is infinitely more dumb AND more memorable, so I love it. I also adore Alternative (Zero) a whole lot. It always baffled me he isn't officially considered a Rider even though as a guy on a bike with an insect motif, he fits the bill more than literally anyone else in the series. Yeah, I know he doesn't consider himself a Rider in-universe, and his powers don't come from Kanzaki's Decks, but so what? Is Chalice not a Kamen Rider, then? So I say screw it, he'll always be a Rider in my heart. The bike alone scores massive points for me (check out how big that opening paragraph ended up being), but on top of that, he looks sweet, has that no-nonsense spiky sword, his Visor has the different voice that's really memorable, the guy under the suit is an interesting character... the list goes on. One of his cards even gives him super speed! I'm all about super speed! Oh, right, and there were the actual episodes. Which are actually some of my absolute favorite in the show, but unfortunately, I've used up a lot of enthusiasm talking about Alternative already. Like I was saying last time, Shinji is in a pretty tight spot as he's forced to consider whether or not going along with Kagawa's idea to seal Mirror World is a good idea or not, and while he takes a beating or two before he gets there, he ultimately does what he always does, and decides to focusing on saving the lives in front of him above all else. The climax of 40 is one of the best moments of the whole show, involving the biggest Rider gathering since episode 19, with one of Shinji's coolest hero bits ever when he breaks up the action and then blocks an attack from a disgruntled Ouja without even looking at him. And when I say "breaks up the action", I mean rides in on his dragon monster bike blasting other monsters with fireballs. Seriously, I don't know what more you could ask for in an episode. Den-O 39-40: Okay, hypothetical people who haven't seen Den-O yet. This is your last chance to go see how Zeronos' situation develops in the natural, well-paced, dramatically engaging way you were meant to, because I've been itching to really get into how much I love his character, and I won't be held responsible for ruining all the surprises. Alright? Moving right along then. This is where Zero Form makes its debut, and as such it's also where Yuuto cements his position as one of my favorite secondary Riders ever. Like, the only ones who can even compete are Mach and... well, yeah, there you go. Not to diss the other guys too much. They're all cool. You know, Knight's got a lot going on. Geiz has the distinction of being my favorite guy in Zi-O above Sougo himself, which doesn't happen much for me. But one of the things that I think always defined Kamen Rider going back to its origins, more so than the masks or the bikes even, was the idea that they were heroes who shouldered an immense burden to do what they do. I don't think that's true of any of them more than it is of Zeronos. The idea of a Rider who's very existence is erased piecemeal every time he transforms, with more and more people forgetting he was ever around to begin with, is profoundly horrifying in a way that I don't think can ever be truly matched. But that's not even the half of it. Yuuto was thrust into the role by his own future self. While he almost certainly didn't grasp the full picture of what was going on, he definitely knew the risks, and choose to become Zeronos anyway. That takes serious guts, for one thing, and although his own immaturity means Yuuto keeps most of his deeper feelings under the surface, it's obvious that even despite the good he's doing, he'll never be totally okay with this situation. The sole upside of this arrangement, if you can call it an upside, was that it was his future self's life being erased. Until it wasn't anymore. The debut of Zero Form kicks Yuuto's plotline into overdrive, and in the process it's one of the most wonderful and unique debuts for a power-up in Rider history. Mostly because it's more like a downgrade than anything. The whole context and atmosphere of him using it are so far removed from the normal way these kinds of episodes go that it's more comparable to Ultimate Kuuga than anything, and that's some dang high praise. It's more of that melancholy that no other show does like Den-O, and the straightforward, very visually expository scene of Zeronos rusting (even the reason he's red now is depressing) is one of the most striking moments of the entire series to me. Not bad for a show that's usually just known as "the funny one". OOO 39-40: Firstly, now that Gotou is officially Birth, we get to see how much differently he goes about it than Date. Namely that he's way more practical. Instead of a huge tank, he has a simple, rugged backpack for lugging Cell Medals around, with one always in a little slot he wears on his wrist for convenient access when he needs to transform. He also makes far more effective use of Birth's various weapons than Date did most of the time, which is one of the benefits of actually reading that manual, no doubt. There isn't that much of the show left, but Gotou slides into the role so naturally that I think of him as Birth as much as I do Date. He finally gets to be the cool guy he thought he was at the beginning of the series, and it's awesome. Plus, he gets Satonaka as a sidekick. What's not to love? Secondly, I like that the plot here revolves around the neighborhood where Cous Coussier is getting a bunch of security cameras put up. It goes back to what I'm always saying about OOO having a developed world. It's cool to be reminded the heroes actually live in a location that's you know, part of society. It's not just one building that effectively exists in a void, even if it's only for these two episodes. It also means Chiyoko gets to do more than usual, and I'm always going to be happy about that. And thirdly, the focus on the characters here is notably stronger than usual (which is saying a lot), and I can't believe I completely forgot about Ankh's nightmare at the start. It's genuinely a bit unnerving and a great way to give some insight into a character who doesn't always show his emotions outwardly. Other than anger, I mean. He shows that just fine.
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06-27-2019, 10:18 PM | #15422 |
The Immortal King Tasty
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Every diner you've ever been to.
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Ryuki 41-42:
The beginning of one last trip into the Inoue Zone brings with it the final Rider in the show, bringing us up to a grand total of... 10 out of 13. Now you see why I prefer to count the Alternatives, too. Which would still leave the show one short. I've got no clue how Ryuki failed to make the time to live up to its basic premise. I understand that Ouja apparently wasn't meant to stay around as long as he did, so maybe he ate up too much screentime, but even then, you'd think Verde or somebody could've just been a glorified mini-boss for an episode or two somewhere in there. When it comes down to it, it's never actually bothered me that Ryuki messed this up, and if doing it would've meant messing up the pacing or having the new characters be paper-thin, maybe it was for the best, but it's a glaring oddity in the series' narrative. But what's done is done, so we'll just have to make due with who is here. Imperer is a fun character and it's great to see how the show was still coming up with unique character concepts for Riders this late in the game. He actually benefits from debuting in one of Inoue's chunks of the series, because seeing him attempt to sell his services as a Rider to everyone in Inoue's typical exaggerated manner makes him stand out that much more. It's kind of a genius idea to have the new guy this late in the show going around with zero personal stake in anything, offering to team up with whoever will have him. After all, he has no context for anything that's happening. I think Tiger also manages to be better off for being in the Inoue Zone, too. I'd forgetten how much of a creepy psycho he is, but by this point I think he's made more attempts (successful or otherwise) to murder people than there have been episodes he's in. Toujou's clearly not all there, and I find it kind of fascinating how he's written in the same manner rogue artificial intelligences in sci-fi movies are. It's obvious he can't process human emotion at all, which is a shame, because it's also obvious he genuinely wants to be a hero. Whatever that is. I don't think Professor Kagawa totally grasps the negative effect doing the whole shady mad scientist shtick in a dark room had on trying to teach him how to be heroic. Despite the upsides here, no Inoue-penned episodes of Ryuki are without their quirks. There are bits I love, like the escalation of Kitaoka trying to eat a meal. It starts with Asakura eating it, and ends with Gorou wrapping up the fresh one he made to replace it after Kitaoka ends up running off anyway. It's the kind of weird, sub-subplot comedy skit with its own beginning, middle, and end that I don't think anyone does like Inoue does, and it adds an extra dimension to what would otherwise be a totally straightforward scene of people talking. But then on the other hand there's the usual appearance of ineffectual Shinji (which is fine because I don't expect him to do well in a 3 on 1 fight), and more glaringly, the way Asakura is used here. It's the first time in the series I feel like he's become a bit of a teddy bear. The show has justified a lot of these elements, to be fair. Back when Inoue first wrote him he even had Asakura make the surprisingly sound point that simply calling the cops on him is only going to end poorly for the cops. Even so, it feels bizarre how casually he seems to be able to move around, and at the point where you're writing him in a room with Shinji, Ren, and Kitaoka, and instead of ending up in a fight, they take a vote on whether or not Shinji is an idiot, I think you might've taken it a bit far. But I'm being way too serious about this. It's a fun enough scene, and a couple slight glitches aren't enough to derail his character. Plus, if it came down to it, I'd rather have him doing wacky comedy than shoving people's faces in medical waste, so there's that. Den-O 41-42: You know, nothing makes me appreciate how warm and happy Den-O is quite like putting it right up against Ryuki like this. Seeing the Imagin helping Ryoutarou train his reflexes is so far removed from everyone trying to kill each other it's nuts. Speaking of which, can I mention how amazing Ryoutarou is again? Little scenes of him trying to better himself like this are a regular part of the show now. That particular fact is especially cool because it also means seeing how much everyone has his back by this point, especially Momo, who is bound and determined to one day teach him how to use a sword, but it's more than just that. Ryoutarou goes out of his way to initiate all these things, and its great to see how consistently proactive he's become in nearly everything he does. He works hard to fight as Den-O, he puts in the effort to try and solve the show's mysteries to the best of his ability, and scenes like him trying to cheer Yuuto up and the end of 42 really speak to his steadfast resolve. The bulk of the plot here is about Yuuto and Deneb's friendship though. Yeah, I'm still not done talking about Zeronos yet. These episodes explore the consequences of Zero Form in more detail, through the lens of the obligatory Victim of the Week, an insanely adorable girl who falls for Deneb as Yuuto when he decides to go around introducing "Yuuto" to everybody in a well-meaning attempt to help him out. Once again, there's no happy ending here, and the result is an arc that's right up there with the piano man when it comes to Den-O storylines that I think represent the show really well. Keep in mind, even though I'm focusing on the tragic part, the plot still makes time for all the usual great character-building and amazing comedy you should be expecting from this show, not to mention all those small details I wish I could work in mentioning easier. There's a bit in here where Ryoutarou in Liner Form is shown running while cradling the Den-Kamen Sword instead of holding it normally, and that one shot that only lasts a couple seconds gives me so much to talk about just by itself. It brilliantly plays off the established fact that Ryoutarou considers the sword heavy. It endears the audience to him by reminding us he's not a perfect hero. It's plain funny on its own merits. I can't stress enough that the entire series is filled with moments like this. One last thing that isn't strictly related to the episodes at hand that I want to talk about is the theme song. Actually, I could talk for an entire post this size about all three of these shows' openings, if not longer, so I'll keep it brief. Climax Jump is one of my favorite themes in the whole franchise, and frankly I'm not okay with the version of it that gets used starting with episode 40. It just sounds off, wrong, and nowhere near as upbeat, and the "ii jan, ii jan, sugee jan" part over the title card makes me want to vomit for some reason. I mean, I'm probably exaggerating a bit on that last one, but it seriously is grating, and I don't know what happened. It's not even that the Imagin's voice actors are doing the singing, because they're fine, and we recently got a remix of this remix for Zi-O that sounds infinitely better to prove it. The show then decides to add insult to injury by replacing the visuals for around 30 seconds of the opening with clips from the episode starting with 41, which... seriously? It's one thing to do that to shill a movie, or to do it tastefully like OOO and Ryuki where you getl little snippets in spots specifically designated for that purpose, but to outright replace most of the OP with stuff I'm going to see in a second anyway is madness. If it ain't broke, don't fix it! OOO 41-42: Firstly, I'm actually angry at this arc right now because it's so unbelievably good I feel like talking about it is a waste of time when I could be watching it again instead of writing this and you could be doing the same instead of reading this. Secondly, I'm in way too deep to quit now, so I'm going to try and push past that feeling. And thirdly, OOO has an utterly perfect endgame, and I think this is where it starts. The basic premise is that Ankh has been taken away, and Eiji and Hina want him back, but the trick is that the drama goes so far beyond that. These episodes dig into the where everyone is at and how they're feeling right now on a level that really confirms for me all over again why I love Yasuko Kobayashi's writing so much. Her stories always have this super strong human element to them, and in the process of rewatching these shows I've come to the conclusion that OOO has the most realistic and genuine feeling cast of any Rider show. The way everyone behaves and their motivations and how they react to things and the way they change all make so much sense it blows my mind. It's all so natural. Just in these two episodes alone there's so much stuff that's so easy to empathize with. The scene where Eiji compares eating food after losing his sense of taste to gum after the flavor's gone has always really stuck with me. It seems obvious enough but it's actually a strong comparison the more you think about it. Because that's something I think pretty much anyone can directly relate to, you know? Chewing on a tasteless lump of nothing that used to not be tasteless isn't a particularly pleasant experience, and just like that, you totally know how Eiji is feeling. The part of that scene I didn't remember as much is that said experience causes Eiji to have a revelation about how Ankh must've been feeling this whole time, and that makes the scene that much better. It's much the same with the scene where Shingo is practicing with Eiji to fill Ankh's role as the designated guy who tosses Eiji Medals. Simply having him completely mess up the throw like any normal person would is just about the single most effective way the show could've possibly gotten across how sad it is that Ankh's gone. Like Eiji, we've gotten rather used to that perfect throwing arm after so many adventures. I could go on talking about these kinds of moments for a long while yet, too. The whole arc is wall-to-wall top-tier quality like this. I also have to give major props to Shuu Watanabe's performance, since I haven't done that yet. I maintain every lead in Kamen Rider has been great, but one thing I've been noticing going back through OOO is how Eiji actually breathes noticeably different depending on how he's feeling. Which is an odd thing to single out, I know, but I'm telling you, it's a huge part of the reason why his character feels so realistic. That and the way he always twitches one of his eyes whenever Eiji is exhausted from pushing himself way too hard, which really gets across how much Eiji is wrecking his body doing what he does.
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06-28-2019, 10:55 PM | #15423 |
The Immortal King Tasty
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Ryuki 43-44:
The very last trip into the Inoue Zone for the series concludes Imperer's storyline, and I've gotta say, these episodes are fantastic. It probably helps that Shinji and Ren are almost bit parts, because while there's stuff going on here with Yui and Kanzaki that has relevance to the overarching plot, these four episodes tell a very strong, self-contained story about a Rider who learns the hard way that if you do not fight, you will not survive. Like I said about the first half, Mitsuru is a great character specifically because he's so steeped in Inoue's style. Seeing him going around brown-nosing all the other Riders with a barely altered speech each time is loads of fun, and makes him endearing in a weird way. He gets a few more layers as the plot goes on, and by the end, Inoue hits us with an honest-to-goodness, genuine gut-punching tragic ending that doesn't feel forced or overblown at all. It's right up there with the resolution of Sasword's arc in Kabuto in terms of extremely high quality guest episodes he's written. I have no qualms with these ones. I can't even complain about Shinji being ineffectual because he doesn't get enough screentime to make a complete fool of himself. As with last time, Tiger's development is another great thing about these episodes, and while his story isn't quite over yet, Toujou is just as fascinating here as ever. Seeing him spiral further into madness, then depression, then more madness beyond that is amazing. He's legitimately more dangerous and unpredictable than Asakura, and yet he doesn't come off as a straight villain due to how totally broken he is. It really is amazing how memorable and different all Ryuki's Riders are. Gai is my least favorite due to having the least interesting personality to me, and even then he still had a well-defined character who contributed a lot to his stretch of the show. Den-O 43-44: The first half of this arc is an interesting setup that leads into the utter masterpiece that is episode 44 of Den-O. This is another plot that emphasizes the bonds between the main characters, centering on an argument between Ryoutarou and Momotaros after it becomes known to the former that stopping the Imagin means the Taros are going to disappear too. Seeing them angry at one another because of how much they each care about the other really makes them feel like a family, which, of course, they pretty much are at this point. It's some of the best drama in the whole show, and while that typical Den-O attention to detail means everyone gets a great moment (such as specifically having a scene where Yuuto and Ryutaros interact again), it all comes back to the two real leads in the end. Ryoutarou is as amazing as always, and I especially love how he pointedly never intends to stop protecting the timeline, even though he doesn't want Momo and the others to disappear. Instead the crux of his issue is that he feels having them essentially fight to kill themselves is too cruel, and him trying to carry all the weight on his own even though he can't is true to how he's been developing over the series, leading to the ultimate proof that the quality of Den-O episodes is directly proportional to the amount of screentime Plat Form gets. Momotaros himself is an absolute legend, and episodes like this would convince anyone who thinks otherwise. The recent introduction of the King-Liner gave the show an opportunity to get the Taros off the Den-Liner set for once, and here it's used for all it's worth. Giving Momo and the others that extra breathing room really lets them show how lively they can be, which is one of the truly magical things about tokusatsu. When I watch Den-O, the only time I ever remember I'm watching people in costumes is when I stop to consider that Momotaros might actually be the greatest role Seiji Takaiwa's ever played. Putting that much emotion into a character whose face can't even move shouldn't be possible, but he does it anyway. OOO 43-44: Firstly, now that I've only got 4 episodes left, I really need to take the time to talk about how perfectly handled OOO's form-changing is. This is one of the those things where context has changed the way I look at it, because while it was easy to take for granted the way this show goes about its action at the time, I've since seen Build, a show that seemed to get bored of its protagonists' central gimmick around halfway through and never looked back. Not the case here. Right up to the end, OOO always puts a lot of effort into creating clever and interesting action scenes that make great use of the unique abilities of each of OOO's medals. That's 18 individual pieces for it to keep track of, and 6 Combos not counting TaToBa, and everything gets its time in the spotlight. It's a totally unique setup for forms in Rider, too, because while the Combos more or less fulfill the role of the typical main forms, akin to Kuuga's various colors, even the "lesser" ones like SaGoZou are still treated as too dangerous and powerful to use constantly, justifying the appearances of the more wild and fun mixed forms. I figured when PuToTyra debuted, that would stop being the case, because I remember Eiji relying on the purple Medals a lot due to always having them on hand, but even that is just their unique gimmick. I put "lesser" in quotes back there because frankly, every one of OOO's Combos feel on the same level, to the point where I don't think the usual labels fit that well. TaJaDor, for example, despite clearly being in the same category as things like Climax Form or Kachidoki Arms, isn't actually shown to be more powerful than the other Combos when you really look at it. They all have their strengths and weaknesses, and that's what keeps things interesting. Secondly, there's a great scene in 43 that helps me further elaborate on what I mean about OOO feeling realistic. It involves Eiji's arm briefly starting to turn into that of a Greed before going back to normal, and then him reflexively pulling it behind him when he sees Hina walking up to him. There's no music or anything to tell you to feel sad, but the simple shot of Eiji hesitantly starting to move his hand hits like a brick emotionally. Obviously OOO has plenty of scenes that accomplish the same thing in a completely traditional way (which is easy when the OST is so good), but especially seeing it against shows like Ryuki and Den-O, I don't think OOO relies as much on typical movie melodrama to get a reaction out of the viewer. It all goes back to what I've been saying about it avoiding a lot of cliches, and while I want to be absolutely clear that I'm not saying doing things normally is somehow worse, I do find it truly intriguing how often OOO does things differently. And thirdly, I've figured out a couple more reasons Gotou leaves such a strong impression in a relatively short time as a Rider. He's constantly got Eiji's back in a way Date never did, since his relationship with Eiji wasn't as deep, and likewise his sense of duty means he gets way more reckless in fights despite also fighting more smartly, leading to lots of insanely cool stunts he pulls in pretty much every episode he's in as Birth.
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06-29-2019, 06:04 PM | #15424 |
The Immortal King Tasty
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Ryuki 45-46
Asakura makes his entrance in 45 running away from a nearby patrol car heading to the scene of the other patrol car that currently has two cops lying nearby who are almost certainly not just taking a nap. This pretty definitively confirms that the reason Asakura can run around freely is indeed because he murders everyone who tries to tell him he can't. It's a quick little scene but it does a lot for his character, and through implication puts his body count way higher than Toujou's could ever be, in case you forgot who the real bad guy is here. Now, Toujou, that guy is a hero. Maybe. Probably not. I don't know. But neither does he by the end of his storyline, and I've always felt that resolution fit his character perfectly. Toujou is very, very empty on the inside, and when he decides to go about fixing that the way he does, it wouldn't make a lot of sense for him to get exactly what he wants in the end. I have to say, even though I've always liked Tiger, seeing this show again has raised my opinion of him a lot higher than it was. He's probably up there with Raia at this point for my favorite Riders in Ryuki, and I'm gonna miss seeing that creepy, blank face of his. Of course, Shinji's the actual hero, so I like him a whole lot too. The plot is in its final stretch and now that the clock is ticking down he hits his lowest point yet. He's struggled with indecision the entire series, and after learning the true purpose of the Rider Battle, he's pushed to go against everything he's believes. You see, Kobayashi's version of Shinji is actually ineffectual, too, only in a more dramatically interesting way. Despite all his big talk throughout the show, he's never made any real progress when it comes to stopping Kanzaki's schemes or keeping the Riders from killing one another. When you get down to it, it's been out of his hands the entire time, and in these last episodes he really has to confront that. Den-O 45-46 You know, one thing that's impressed me about Den-O that I feel I should mention before I finish up with it is that you actually see Den-O on his bike a lot. Not just to drive the train either, although I always thought that was clever, too. He doesn't always get it in on the action, but most of the times it makes sense for him to be driving somewhere, you'll get at least a shot or two of him riding along. I've always had a soft spot for the Den-Bird even though (or because?) it's such a simple design, and after going back through the show, I think that's the big reason why. As for the episodes, they're great, but I find myself totally stumped when it comes to saying anything I haven't already said a million times about Den-O. Which is weird, because this arc is where all the story's secrets start to get revealed leading into the final few episodes, so you'd think there would be a lot to mention, but I seriously can't think of anything unique to talk about. Besides Momotaros' tragic attempt to avoiding hurting Santa Claus in his fight with a snowman. That was pretty awesome. Also, apparently someone realized the horrible mistake they made in using Climax Jump Den-Liner Form for the opening, because it's back to normal starting with 46. The song, that is, the pointless clips are still there, but I forgot I even got thrown this much of a bone, so I'll take what I can get. OOO 45-46 Firstly, just in case OOO wasn't flipping enough tropes on their head already, the heroes actually decide to mount a surprise attack on the villains house, instead of the other way around. You know, because realistically speaking, it makes sense for them to be proactive about that sort of thing. As does the explanation for why they're only now trying this. Secondly, these episodes do a brilliant thing by taking everything we've been shown about the Greed throughout the series, and putting it into context to make it clear how horribly tragic their existence is. As usual for OOO, the story here is exceptionally tight, and this central idea accomplishes several things at once. Above all else, it makes you feel some pity as you realize it's basically impossible for them not to be the way they are, but the real kicker is how much it makes you realize what Ankh has been going through. There have been hints of it here and there, but starting here it really becomes apparent how much he resents his situation, and on top of proving himself to have a far, far deeper grasp on what's wrong with the Greed than the others, you also find out that all his evil scheming is to attain something so simple any person would take it for granted. The scene where he talks to Hina in 46 in particular is incredibly emotionally charged, and it's as much because of the implications of what's being said as the words themselves. It's more of that layered, three-dimensional writing I keep finding myself praising over and over. And thirdly, on the subject of layers, all that drama with Ankh then further feeds into Eiji's ongoing predicament, as while Ankh becomes more and more human, Eiji becomes more and more of a Greed. They're both gaining a much greater understanding of the other, and when they finally clash, it's one of the most memorable moments in a show that, I'll say again, is filled with memorable moments. Characters this fully-realized practically write themselves after a point, but putting them in these situations which such perfect timing never stops being impressive. It's the absolute maximum amount of drama you can have, with details as considered as Eiji's gradual transformation into a Greed giving him a left forearm to further emphasize his status as Ankh's opposite number. That's so cool! Everything about this show is so cool!
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06-29-2019, 09:28 PM | #15425 |
I have a problematic type
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I've always really loved Toujou. He's so consistent in his specific psychosis in a way that's really fascinating. I'll always remember the "oh fuck" moment when Imperor tells him that they're friends now.
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06-30-2019, 04:12 AM | #15426 |
Warrior of Delusions!
Join Date: Jun 2012
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Imagine having this bad an opinion and not realising Den-Liner version is the best version.
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Check out my occasional ramblings! https://akibamusings.blogspot.com/
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06-30-2019, 05:38 PM | #15427 |
The Immortal King Tasty
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Now that I've reached the endgame, I'm going to be taking things one at a time. I figure this will let me really dig into each show's ending better than if I tried to talk about them all at once. Also I'd probably be too busy crying to write anything if I tried watching all three of these finales together.
Ryuki 47-50: Following on from the last episodes, Shinji is not doing so hot. He's actually ironically been put in the exact position Ren's been in the whole series. He's trying to convince himself to win the Rider Battle to save someone, but when it comes down to it, he'll never be able to take a life. It's honestly pretty unnerving seeing him the way he is here. He starts actively picking fights with the other Riders, something he explicitly promised Yui he would never do way back at the start, and his solution to his habit of thinking about things so hard he ends up doing nothing is to try and stop thinking entirely, going around essentially pretending to be himself as written by Inoue, totally carefree and stupid. Ren and even Kitaoka are actually worried about the poor guy, and the buildup to the finale here is great. Everything is coming apart at the seams, and the hordes of disgusting larva/dragonfly Monsters running around making creepy noises lends an almost apocalyptic vibe to things. It all leads to a finale that does an absolutely incredible job at giving just about every main character a satisfying conclusion. It's that soap opera style of super heavy drama that Ryuki delivers in spades, and the emotional tension is at a peak throughout. Shinji ultimately makes his decision, Ren stays true to himself until the end, Kitaoka comes to realize what really matters to him, and Asakura goes out the only way he knows how. It's captivating stuff, and I couldn't wait to see how it was going to wrap up, and when it did... I'll be honest, the first time I saw Ryuki's finale, it didn't totally sit right with me, but, and I don't even remember if there was a particular catalyst for this, not too long after I decided it was the best, most appropriate ending the show could have, and that's where my opinion has been ever since. The resolution to Shirou and Yui's plotline is perfect. The choice he makes in the end is a powerful resolution to his arc, and while I can't easily identify a singular, concrete main theme to Ryuki's story, a lot of the characters in it, like Ren, are driven by their inability to accept something that's happened in their life. So to see that story end with the man responsible for the entire plot finally learning to move on is honestly really poetic. As is the idea that the only way to truly win the Rider War was not to fight it. I don't know if this is still something people are that upset about, but I don't buy that Ryuki's ending invalidates the events of the show in any way. Or at least, it's not doing so just to force a happy ending in there. In a lot of ways, the atmosphere is very bittersweet, and at the end of the day, it doesn't change the fact that not everybody gets to survive. Although the use of scientific research as a major plot point and the heavily mechanical looking designs of the Riders do a lot to cloak it, I've always seen Ryuki as more of a fairy tale than anything else, and it's a very good one. There are definitely a few rougher edges here and there, but overall it's a series that I think nailed everything it set out to do, telling a story that's never dull about a wide-ranging group of engaging characters fighting a life and death battle to gain something important to them. It's as compelling as a show can be, and I couldn't have asked for a better formative experience with Kamen Rider. Mostly because I was probably already having one at the same time, but now I'm getting ahead of myself. Right now I'm talking about Ryuki, and if I weren't concerned with having some semblance of structure, I could go on for a long while yet. The layers to what I love about this show are virtually endless. But above all those things, it's always going to come back to two things no Rider show is complete without. Cool action, and a captivating cast. I can sit here trying to objectively justify this stuff all day, but when it comes down to it, the simple truth is that I like it because I do. I felt like I was right there with Shinji the whole way through, waiting in anticipation of what surprising turn would come next or who would show up to totally upend the status quo. I had never seen anything like Ryuki, and even with all the Rider shows that directly copy a lot of the ideas it introduced, I'm still not sure I ever have. Honestly, I don't even mind the song by itself, and the full version has Kenichi Suzumura rapping, which is one obvious advantage over the original, but something about attaching it to the show's actual opening makes it seem so much worse to me.
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07-01-2019, 08:22 PM | #15428 |
The Immortal King Tasty
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Location: Every diner you've ever been to.
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Den-O 47-49
Let me say this to start! Stick with the Final Trilogy Special Edition version of these episodes. I think this is the first time I watched the original versions and I should really thank TV-Nihon for saving me some trouble by not including them in their batch when I first watched the series. They aren't a drastic overhaul, but the pacing is massively improved by the new cuts, especially 49, which as aired was missing half of Ryutaros' last bit of character development, and also had a much shorter ending. The director's cut gives things way more time to breathe, all around, and makes more explicit a few plot points that otherwise require the viewer to fill in some blanks. That being said, either way, you're in for a good time with Den-O's last episodes. You could say this of the show as a whole too, but they're almost the exact polar opposite of Ryuki. Instead of all that layered drama featuring intertwining subplots and morally complex characters, here Kobayashi goes for a very simple, straightforward final showdown with the bad guys, and she knows how to make that work. The first two parts build the tension masterfully by establishing the stakes, foreshadowing some of the resolution, and whittling away at the cast to truly sell that this is as serious as it gets. While Kintaros and Urataros were fairly static characters compared to some of the others, their sacrifices cement the development they have had throughout the show, and are just plain cool scenes in their own right. But where this really shines is in how in leads into the finale, which pays everything off by throwing all the heroes together and letting them go to town on Kai and his goons. It truly is a climax from start to finish. Whether it's Ryoutarou and Momotaros fighting side by side, or the extremely memorable way the killing blow is landed on the Death Imagin with everybody getting in on it, it's classic stuff. There are also a lot of great parallels and bookends throughout, from Ryoutarou finally making a wish to Momo, to him fearlessly tackling Kai off a skyscraper after one of the early episodes established him as being afraid of heights, to the very end with him riding alongside the Den-Liner on his bike, the sense of closure here is impeccable. Even the ticking clock effect at the end moves forward instead of back for what I'm pretty sure is the only time in the show. The way the overarching plot all comes together is similarly quite impressive. It took us the whole series to get there, but once all the puzzle pieces are finally in place, they all line up precisely and cleanly. There are things about Ryuki's plot I think it's legitimately impossible to understand because there simply aren't explanations, so it's easy to appreciate that, despite coming off just as complex at a glance, Den-O's keeps things far simpler. I don't think I've actually talked at all about the rules Den-O sets up for itself this whole time, which is strange, because it's one of my favorite things about the show. It's one of the most insanely easy to grasp takes on time travel you'll find, and also a brilliant use of metaphor while it's at it. The central concept that people's memories ARE time itself is both the mechanical and the thematic core of the series, and that level of synergy is truly special. It adds a lot more depth to the series because the simple act of the protagonists protecting time inherently carries more weight to it this way. Den-O gets tons of mileage working messages out of this idea, and it's great that a show that is absolutely funny enough to get by entirely on jokes actually has that substance to it. I don't know if my obvious bias is making me oversell this or not, but I genuinely do feel there are things in Den-O worth reading into. It's like the watch says: The past should give us hope. Den-O is still my favorite Rider series Kobayashi has written. I just want to make that clear before I shower OOO's final episodes with praise. Just like Ryuki, there are holes you can pick in it if you're no fun, but come on, it's Den-O. Fun is the name of the game, and I'm pretty sure Toei and Bandai could still be making bank off of new spinoff movies and whatever else they wanted for this show to this day if they felt like it. Momotaros is practically as much of an icon as freakin' Rider 1 at this point. Yeah, I said it! I also said I have an obvious bias in favor of Den-O, and unlike Ryuki I couldn't totally tell you why. It inherently lacks the same nostalgia factor Ryuki and OOO have for me. The fact that it's the only Kobayashi series with Toshihiko Sahashi doing the music can't account for it because I didn't realize how much I loved him until years later. If I'm being totally, completely honest, most of the things it does have been done just as good in other Rider shows, but... I mean, geez, I didn't even want to type that last bit. I said way back at the beginning of this whole project that "something about this show is just magic to me", and I still don't have a better explanation than that. Maybe I will though. Someday, in the future... Don't be fooled though. The climax isn't stopping for a while yet.
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07-02-2019, 08:50 AM | #15429 |
New Member
Join Date: Jul 2019
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red rider l like deo
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07-02-2019, 08:14 PM | #15430 |
The Immortal King Tasty
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Every diner you've ever been to.
Posts: 3,833
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OOO 47-48:
Firstly, while there's a director's cut version of these episodes as well, I think you can safely take it or leave it with OOO. The benefits include some extra screentime for Date and Gotou, some extra scenes that bridge things together, and an extended epilogue. While it's a nice watch if you've already seen the show and want to get that little more out of it, the TV edits actually have some advantages over the extended one. I especially feel the twist the end of 47 puts on the usual "count the medals" screen is an extremely nice touch that's completely missing in the combined version for obvious reasons. Unlike Den-O, nothing feels missing from the originals. It's evident they went out of their way to include everything that mattered, and the things that were removed, consequently, only serve to add further clarity to things that were already clear to begin with. Secondly, it's a darn good thing they got the editing right, too, because OOO's finale is perfection. It's astonishing how much it packs into those 23 minutes. It starts with a climactic action scene that could almost have you believing the whole episode is going to be one big final showdown, especially thanks to the awesome conversation between Kougami and Maki that builds the hype through the roof, but then OOO whiffs on one last Rider Kick and you realize you're also going to get one last calm before the storm bit of character-building with the heroes, which goes back to what I said at the start about OOO feeling like every episode has as much going on as two of other Rider shows. The majority of them, including Ryuki and Den-O, legitimately do start the finale with the final battle. But here they make time to follow up on Hina's feelings of powerlessness, rebuild Eiji and Ankh's relationship, show once again how Eiji has a bad habit of not considering his own well-being, give us even more epic speechifying from Kougami, and even hint at Maki's more sentimental side one last time. All of which happens in the span of about 3 minutes, without any of it feeling rushed or awkwardly placed. OOO tends to be efficient in how it tells its stories to begin with, but... wow. After this intermission, most of the back half of the episode consists of the apocalypse happening, with what is effectively an archetypal alien spaceship floating menacingly around in the sky, destroying buildings as it goes, while hordes of Trash Yummies lay waste to the ground, as though things weren't crazy enough already. Despite this grand scale, I think one of the (many) things this episode gets right is that it keeps the focus small and on point, with Eiji and Ankh quickly running off to take on Maki, bringing things back to a budget-friendly level quickly without immediately screaming "we can't actually afford to keep showing the good stuff", largely because what they're showing instead is also the good stuff. Eiji takes on Maki with PuToTyra, delivering one heck of a finishing move that... doesn't end up finishing Maki. Man, Eiji really has bad luck when it comes to finishers. But that's okay, because the flawless setup of OOO's form changes means that, with no generic, put 'em all together combination best form or something boring like that the show is obligated to use here, Ankh is free to ensure once and for all that TaJaDor will always be everybody's favorite Combo, with the last leg of the battle taking to the skies one more time. It's far and away one of the most memorable climaxes to a Rider finale, and to this day, it's apparent the effects guys were not f***ing around that day. It genuinely looks great, then and now, just like some of the really huge scenes early on in the series. It probably helps that the really crazy part is under a minute long. Not that it feels short. Again, maximum efficiency. And also, to make up for getting cheated out of two separate finishing attacks, OOO finally gets to load the Taja Spinner up with Core Medals, thanks to Eiji getting a total of seven purple Medals in the last few episodes, because, again, this show keeps track of everything. It's total, non-stop excitement, and then the way it all wraps up, with Ankh finding his satisfaction in life, and Eiji having a personal revelation about what it really means to reach out his hand, tying together one of the show's biggest recurring bits of imagery with its main theme, is simply masterful. There are not enough good words to be said about this finale. It's one of the absolute best. It delivers on the big action, gives all the characters their chance to shine, wraps up their personal journeys, and has some of the most memorable, hard-hitting emotional moments in the entire franchise. Even Doctor Maki himself would be proud of such a fitting end. And thirdly, that about wraps it up for this show. A show that, quite frankly, exceeds my expectations every time I think I understand how good it is. Having finally sat down to give the whole series another go around, I have to say, I really, really have been taking OOO for granted all this time. My first ever Rider show just happened to be this masterpiece among masterpieces, and I didn't even know. I merely ate it up, never taking so much as a second to think about or appreciate how excellent it truly was. How it lives up to its name and goes beyond the infinite, becoming a sort of omni-show that has literally everything that can make a story great, all somehow done well. An interesting world with creative ideas. Three-dimensional characters who grow and change. A plot with momentum and intrigue. Comedy to make you laugh. Drama to touch your heart. Action to get it pounding. A true king of a show that may very well stand as Yasuko Kobayashi's magnum opus. Every now and then, ever since it originally ended, I go through these brief periods of intense nostalgia for OOO. I usually end up watching a few episodes and going "man, why isn't this my favorite again?", before inevitably forgetting about it once more. Even after all this, I'll probably go back to choosing to gush about Ghost at some point, but before I do, I want to make sure I finally give it the credit it's due. OOO is easily in the running for best Kamen Rider show period, and if you think I covered even a third of what makes it so great, then you'd do well to take another look at it yourself.
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