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11-01-2019, 08:29 PM | #15631 |
The Immortal King Tasty
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Every diner you've ever been to.
Posts: 3,833
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Faiz 31-32:
Okay, so the whole telephone game thing with Kaidou and Keitarou in these episodes is more than a bit absurd. The thought that Yuuji would not only rely on a crazier than usual Kaidou for something so important, and not even think to like, write a letter or something, instead of expecting him to just remember what to say? Yeah, not even I have a defense ready for that one. It's a very, very odd way to fit in the comic relief. On the other hand... I think focusing on that too much overstates the minimal impact it actually has on Takumi and Yuuji's ongoing development, which in spite of this, I don't find too off. The actual roots of their problems run way, way deeper than that, and a huge number of other factors all had to collide to push them to the point they're at. And even then, both of them still want to believe the other. They aren't immediately at each other's throats even after Kusaka's meddling. We see Yuuji making an effort to communicate. We see Takumi questioning Kusaka's truthfulness. Actually getting them to fight takes Takumi's emotions hitting a boiling point after his indecision results in Mari getting horribly injured, and what pushes Yuuji over the edge as a result, more so than Kusaka abusing his trust again, is Takumi saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. It comes off less to me like the show arbitrarily drawing a status quo out, and more like natural growing pains. These are two people, who had never quite become best friends to begin with, trying to work through complex feelings, and the complicated lives they lead prevent them from having the time they need to properly do that. I don't know. It checks out to me. It's engaging. There's nuance to it. I'm still open to the idea this show will totally fall apart at some point, but I'm not seeing it quite yet. The Faiz Mistranslation Corner is also on another abrupt break. I probably won't announce this every time if it keeps happening, but since I'm past episode 30, I would like to mention, since I brought it up talking about 17 and 18, that Agony's subs do still have significant changes from TV-N's versions, and they're still not all for the better. W 31-32: I kind of don't even know what to say about this one? It's CycloneJoker Xtreme's debut, it's great. You've probably watched it and loved it already. What could I even add? These episodes are arguably the gold standard for final form debuts. The plot has the most perfect yet obvious concept. Put the partnership at the center of the series in question, then build it back up stronger than ever. The usual client and Dopant have a direct connection to Soukichi, adding that extra significance. Shroud questioning Shoutarou's ability to keep up with Philip puts him in this cool, underdog position where you can't help but root for him. There's an extremely memorable use of an insert song. The climactic showdown takes place in a unique location from the norm to make it more special. Everywhere you look, this arc is doing things right. Nobody's perfect, but I think these episodes might be.
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11-02-2019, 07:32 PM | #15632 |
The Immortal King Tasty
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Every diner you've ever been to.
Posts: 3,833
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Faiz 33-34:
Hey, we found a guy lame enough to use the Delta Gear! Sure, this Mihara kid is a little rough around the edges, but you never know, give him some time, and he could shape up to be a real hero! Look, at least that's one thing going right. Everybody else is once again having an extremely crappy time in these episodes. Especially Takumi, who has had his biggest fear in life made reality, which is a pretty big kick in the teeth. The guy himself said he doesn't have much self-confidence early on in the show, and he really wasn't kidding. He blames himself so hard for everything that's happening, he calls up Yuuji basically because he wants someone to beat him up. 34 is also where *the* big twist of the whole series happens, and while I think I'll avoid touching directly on what it is for now (this is your cue to go watch Faiz if you don't already know), I can say I think it's totally brilliant. It has an utterly massive impact on the narrative, and really ties a lot of the show's themes together. Best of all, the way it's foreshadowed is in this perfect sweet spot, where going back through the show, you'll notice details and changes in context that make it clear this was planned from the start, and yet, the show is sure to play its cards so close to its chest that you're extremely unlikely to guess what's going on ahead of time, because there's also a more obvious, equally important surface level to everything happening that you'll naturally be focusing on. It can be hard to do a plot twist that makes sense, and is also genuinely surprising, so I give major props to Faiz for pulling it off. Of course, I think everybody knows the deal here already, and it's hardly something I can dodge talking about, so I'll probably be getting deeper into it soon, but for now, please enjoy this picture of a cute dog: W 33-34: This arc is unique for being written by Kazuki Nakashima, who would of course go on to write Fourze. Alongside Riku Sanjo and Keiichi Hasegawa, no less. I think someone at Toei realized what a dream team they had going with Double. Anyways, the point is, I think it's fun to note that these episodes are from a first-time writer for the show, given that they lean very heavily on digging into the past, retroactively fleshing out Kirihiko a bit more, and in the process offering some further closure on that front. It's a good two-parter. I also loved the way the Yesterday Dopant's gimmick of making people repeat their actions was executed. I feel like a worse version of this would make it really grating by like, flashing back to the original events every five seconds like we forgot or something. I'm not totally sure, but at any rate, it felt pretty clever, and is another winner in the long line of wildly unique villain gimmicks in this series. I'd also like to take this time to finally mention Philip's whiteboards. This is another one of those seemingly little things that, even just on a subconscious level, does wonders to make the show's world feel lived-in and real. Even when attention isn't called to it at all, they're filled with info relevant to whatever topic Philip is currently hot on at the moment. Which means here that, after Philip notices Shoutarou is attracted to this story's client at the start, those things are plastered with jumbled writing about romance. At the start of 34, you can see behind Shoutarou in one shot what appears to be a bullet-pointed list of his personality traits, which includes "half-boiled" as its own item three separate times. All while a completely serious, normal conversation plays out in the foreground. It's great that they put so much effort into literal set dressing. It's the sort of thing I'd love to see collected in a guidebook or the like. If nobody on set ever took clean photos of all these things, it's nothing short of a tragedy. All of this applies equally to Shoutarou's reports at the end of arcs, by the way, which also have way more written on them than is actually in the accompanying narration.
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11-03-2019, 05:20 AM | #15633 |
take me to space
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 1,406
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Quote:
If nobody on set ever took clean photos of all these things, it's nothing short of a tragedy.
All of this applies equally to Shoutarou's reports at the end of arcs, by the way, which also have way more written on them than is actually in the accompanying narration. I'm kidding, of course, but I do really appreciate those extra little touches even if I can't actually absorb them myself. |
11-03-2019, 07:46 PM | #15634 |
The Immortal King Tasty
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Every diner you've ever been to.
Posts: 3,833
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Faiz 35-36:
I have to imagine this is the point in the show that really starts to test the patience of anyone who wasn't already on board with it. This is a downbeat set of episodes, and it's easy to see why they'd be grating to someone who never formed any attachment to these characters. Of course, I rather like all of these people, so this is an extremely interesting stretch of the show to me. The situation with Takumi plays out wonderfully, and a lot of that is in how the show largely communicates his character through his actions more than his words. You get a great sense of how much he's come to care about Mari, and his decision to actively reject the Faiz Gear, after it's been long established how much being Faiz means to him, says volumes about where he's at in life. Once again, his relationship with Yuuji takes another turn, with them having another great scene at the same batting cages from back in episode 17. This ends up with Yuuji becoming our fifth Faiz, a development which I think pretty much anyone watching the show was waiting for. Because they had to do it, you know? How could you not? Keitarou and Mari are also great here, with everything they're dealing with. I especially like that, once again, Keitarou is the first person to reach out to Takkun when things start getting icy between them. Unlike Kusaka, who is characteristically Kusaka-ish throughout this whole process. And let's not forget my guy Mihara's big steps in 35. Finishing off his first monster and everything, I'm so proud of him! Kitazaki never even did one Rider Kick when he was Delta! That's how I know this kid's got potential. では、たまにだけやるようになちゃったのファイズ翻訳ミスコーナーです~!今日の翻訳ミスはこれだ! 「俺は君のようにはなれない」 Mihara is saying "I can't be like you" here. As in, he doesn't believe he has what it takes to be a Rider like Kusaka is. Obviously he isn't doing what Kusaka asks, by extension, but that's not the line, and Mihara generally isn't that assertive. W 35-36: This is another arc that always springs to mind whenever I think about Double. Probably in large part because I love Accel Trial quite a bit. You know, blue things and fast things both being easy sells for me and all. But the actual plot here, it's fantastic, and has that kind of intensity to it I don't think you get a whole lot outside of shows like Double. The way Ryuu's arc is resolved here is super clever. Despite some flashes of it still popping up here or there, he's largely already grown past his single-minded focus on revenge, and rather than wind that back, the episodes work with it. The focus isn't on showing him overcoming his faults, but instead on how over time, his motivation for being a Kamen Rider has naturally changed, and in the end, he beats Isaka basically as any random Dopant, rather than as the guy who killed his family. Isaka himself was also just a great bad guy, and this is a fitting sendoff for the guy. In general, the backstabbing upper-class scumbag drama of Double's villains is always entertaining, but Isaka is a lot more direct about getting involved in the fight scenes, and it was always very clear what a tough customer Weather was. I also love the sort of old-school feel of Ryuu doing wildly intense, needlessly dangerous training to master the Trial Memory, which is another reason this arc is so memorable to me. They don't even hold back the debut for dramatic impact. He transforms before 36's opening even plays, and the rest of the episode is just him learning how to kick things. You know what else is old-school? The Weather Dopant awkwardly disappearing for a few frames when he explodes because someone cut the footage wrong. I guess that's objectively a problem, but honestly, it really does enhance the Showa throwback vibe.
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11-03-2019, 07:51 PM | #15635 |
Showa Girl
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 9,064
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Talking of Weather, unless I missed you saying so; how can you not bring up that awesome meta-fake out of him being the holder of the 'W Memory' when he's first introduced? That was great and prepares you for the idea of him being super important to a main protagonist -- and then he turns out to not be that! But he is in a completely different way!
I just found it a super fun way to mess with the audience. |
11-04-2019, 08:54 PM | #15636 |
The Immortal King Tasty
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Every diner you've ever been to.
Posts: 3,833
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Faiz 37-38:
First off, I'd like to take a second to correct the mistake I realized I made in my last post saying Yuuji was the fifth Faiz. He's actually the sixth. Apparently Kusaka tricked me too, because I forgot to count him. So for those keeping track at home, that's Takkun (duh), that random goon from episode 4, Kaidou, Takuma, Kusaka, and now Yuuji. Anyway, these episodes are fantastic. There's so much to talk about. First of all, the thought that 3 entire episodes of a Kamen Rider show can go by without the main hero being the main hero, totally unprecedented, I love it. It gives Yuuji his chance to shine while it lasts, even getting to do both a Rider Kick and a Punch, plus an appearance by Accel Form, but more than that, it really stresses how out of whack things are right now. The trick is, every other time this has happened, Takumi usually loses the belt in an episode where he's already used it, and then gets it back and uses it again in the next episode. Even though other people had a turn, it was always clear who the real star was. But right now, that's all out the window, and it's a perfect payoff and escalation to this show establishing early on that this kind of thing can happen. Of course, Takumi still gets in on the action though. He even gets his turn as Delta, which is another fun little aspect of all the belts getting tossed around. The show specifically made sure to give the main two Riders a go at being the third. It's not dramatically significant or anything, but it's just kind of cute, you know? Speaking of Delta, Mihara gets slapped around a fair bit here. Heck, towards the end of 38, he only gets as far as putting the belt on before getting smacked to the side. It's okay, though! He's a tough kid, I'm sure he'll bounce right back from this. I believe this is also the first time outside of the opening (and the movie which was out by now) they actually used the fancy light-up version of the Faiz suit. And Kaixa. They saved it for a rather important scene, too. I remember always wishing they would've used those more, but honestly, considering that there's absolutely no way those poor suit actors can see a thing filming in the dark like that, I seriously can't blame them. では、責めることが平気でできるファイズ翻訳ミスコーナーです~!今日の翻訳ミスはこれだ! 「姿を消せた?」 These episodes were rougher than they've been lately, and while there's a lot to pick from, this is the first thing that jumped out at me. This is Murakami speaking, having just received the news that Takumi went missing... or, er, "erased his form", I guess. I feel slightly bad picking on this one, since it's one of those translations that's technically accurate, if only in the most overly literal way possible, but I don't think anyone reading this would be able to figure out what the heck the conversation is actually about. W 37-38: I've updated my theory on the Masquerade Dopants in light of some new evidence. During 38's climax, FangJoker uses a Maximum Drive on a bunch of them, but you can still see them all laying on the ground after they explode this time. However, the next time the camera cuts back to where they were, there's no sign of them anywhere. So my new conclusion is that these guys are just really, really good at running away, and usually do so with such speed, the explosion effect hasn't even disappeared by the time they're gone. Like they basically use it as a smoke bomb? It's one explanation, anyway. As for the episodes themselves, they're real good. It's another arc focused on Philip and Wakana, just like 13-14, and both written by Keiichi Hasegawa, so it's got everything that made those episodes great, but with the added drama of a status quo that's been changing over like half a year since then. I also appreciate Nobody's Perfect being played again over a big moment for Philip, after being used more for Shoutarou the first time. Once again, the show does a good job of keeping both the main protagonists on an equal level. Also, Masaki Suda has mad charisma as Philip, by the way. I don't think I've specifically mentioned that yet, but it's seriously no wonder he hit it as big as he did after this show. Quote:
Although to be fair, back when I originally watched the show and wasn't paying too much attention to the audio, I do remember being very confused for a while.
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11-04-2019, 09:24 PM | #15637 |
take me to space
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 1,406
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I cannot tell or not if you are building up to saying Mihara is one of your favourite characters or if you're making a reoccurring joke about how he only became the 'default' Delta because it had to go to somebody.
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11-05-2019, 02:48 AM | #15638 |
Veteran Member
Join Date: May 2019
Posts: 2,553
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I’ve given it a chance, but after 10 episodes, I really can’t get into Kuuga. It’s just really tedious to watch for me. Should I carry on and hope for a pick-up, or just drop it and move onto something else?
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11-05-2019, 06:36 AM | #15639 |
Showa Girl
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 9,064
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If it's not your thing, there's nothing wrong with moving onto a different show!
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11-05-2019, 09:49 AM | #15640 |
I have a problematic type
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 10,426
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In any case, Fish has now written more about Mihara than anyone else, including the writers who worked on the show.
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