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07-16-2020, 11:13 PM | #15961 |
Some guy. I'm alright.
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Michigan
Posts: 4,417
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Quote:
Who are these monsters!? I mean, I can see how the transition from Ryuki's Serious Part to this group could be jarring, but these characters are such delightful weirdos that complement each other so well. Even the office space almost feels like a character in itself, with a distinct ambience (like the random English news broadcast noise in the background) that'd grow on you the more you see it.
Also, I think their humor worked very well for me because there's just enough variety and groundedness to keep it from getting stale. Like, Shimada's eccentric and the Chief's an insecure tryhard guy, but they presented varied manifestation of these traits instead of just pulling the same exact gag over and over again. In other news, I just finished episode 26 of Fourze, and while I'm still having a mostly good time, the latest two-parter really highlighted what I feel is the biggest issue I take with this show. That being that there's really only three characters I actually care about. Like, when the whole drama about Miu and Shun leaving popped up, I wasn't like "Oh no a part of the gang is leaving." I was just more like "Alright then." The show likes to act as though everyone in the KRC has had a gigantic amount of development and are BFFs for life but, there's really not much in the way of supporting that. Heck, even in the flashback, all we see are clips of their debut episodes and nothing else, because there's really not much else to go on. The biggest highlight to me was actually how it was made clear that Ryusei was starting to warm up to everyone, because like Tomoko, he's actually been doing so in a more organic and believable way, ontop of already being an entertaining character to watch. Also I gotta ask, why does Fourze get called out for specifically being a W ripoff? I mean yeah, they share alot of similarities, but you know what other shows Fourze has alot in common with? Damn near every other Kamen Rider show ever. No, really. It seems to me like Fourze is instead taking a ton of aspects across the series history and putting them in a blender to see what sticks. Which makes sense, being the 40th Anniversary season and all. Like, yeah, it probably the takes the most from W and OOO, but I feel like calling it solely W-2 isn't exactly fair, ya know?
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07-18-2020, 07:19 PM | #15962 |
Some guy. I'm alright.
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Michigan
Posts: 4,417
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I spent the last couple days reading the manga version of Kamen Rider Black, and I dug it! You know that awesome tone and atmosphere Black had for its first six episodes? Yeah, the manga keeps that for the majority of it. That's not to say it's perfect(the last few chapters are all kinds of what), but I do prefer it over the toku version for the most part. That said, I feel like the ideal version of Black is some sort of inbetween of the two versions. Maybe one day we'll get an anime or a movie reboot that'll do just that. I'd totally watch it.
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Last edited by DreamSword; 07-18-2020 at 07:22 PM.. |
07-19-2020, 08:28 AM | #15963 |
Veteran Member
Join Date: Jan 2020
Posts: 1,290
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Quote:
Though, it's in line with reality, ORE Journal was an online publication that relied on tips sent in by its readers. When Zi-O revisits the series, it's revealed that the ORE Journal had gone out of business because of the rise of social media, since the people who used to send in tips could now just post them to their accounts.
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The most complete non-wiki encyclopedias for Kamen Rider series (currently only found Ryuki and OOO's). |
07-19-2020, 06:37 PM | #15964 |
AHHHHH!!!
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Detroit, MI
Posts: 511
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Doing an Ex-Aid rewatch, Kiriya's "death" always gets me....
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07-20-2020, 09:36 PM | #15965 |
Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 104
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INFINITY. INFINITY. INFINITY. INFINITY. INFINITY. SOMETHING SOMETHING BUBBLE WATER SOMETHING.
Good work, Wizard belt. You'd been mostly tolerable after that insanely obnoxious first impression, but this moment reminded me again of how much I (love to) hate you. But yeah, I want to talk about Wizard! Episode 31-32 in particular is obviously an important point in the show, a pivotal moment for Haruto's character and how I perceive him in particular. A main character temporarily losing power isn't a new ground as far as toku or basically any superhero-adjacent show goes, but this one worked well for me. Haruto has always radiated confidence and poise since the very first episode, and the way he keeps showcasing/getting new power practically every other episode, it's easy to label him as a Gary Stu; which makes this display of vulnerability effective to me. It's not like he's got a hero complex or strive for the power in the first place, but it's so revealing to see how much he derives his self-worth from being a Wizard, how shook he got when he lost that. Haruto's penchant for plain sugar donut has always been interesting to me beyond its function as mildly amusing recurring gag. It signifies his preference for a sense of order and status quo, of being in a comfort zone and not giving a damn to those people yelling at you to try out new things or learn to spread your wing. I can actually vibe with that. Sure, you need to get out of the comfort zone if it's actively harming others or stunting your growth, but what if you had worked hard to get into that zone in the first place? It's not a bad thing, just like how it's not a bad thing Haruto keeps eating the same type of donut. On the other hand, this arc also reflects how you don't just define yourself by that one thing you're doing/having, since you can also lose it at any time. Be comfortable doing the same thing you like, but also be mentally prepared of dealing with change when it comes to be. Something like that. Good battle/confrontation with a pretty unnerving Phantom, too. Koyomi's role is as predictable as ever, but at least they give her something to do after basically being a background decor for twenty episodes for so. Haruto regaining his power through a teardrop does feel like a cheesy deus-ex-machina solution, but okay, I'm willing to let that one slide. The belt noise, and that super bubbly insert song during the battle, tho? Yeah, they're a really bad fit to what is supposedly a tense and emotionally charged scene. I dunno, maybe it's just me taking this thing too damn serious :v Apart from that, I found the Phantoms' group to be the most interesting element of the show, definitely moreso than the good guys' group; whether it's Phoenix' fatalistic path of destruction, Gremlin's apparent hidden agenda and curious insistence on referring to everyone with their human names, or Medusa's cunning pragmatism and the link with her host's twin sister. Speaking of Mayu, I guess she'll come back as a tertiary Rider and hopefully makes the protagonists' group dynamics more interesting; on the other hand, the White Wizard is obviously shady as hell, and there's a trend with female Riders going in a quest for vengeance that tends to end up badly (see Miho in Ryuki, Shuki/Akira in Hibiki). We'll see, but this is a development I'm looking forward to see how it goes. Generally, my viewing impression of Wizard follows a similar trajectory to Blade's: lukewarm beginning but gradually gets more interesting, mixed bag of intriguing characters and people who are just there without doing much, and a main Rider who felt really bland in the beginning but slowly grew on me as the show progressed. Oh, and while not exactly my cup of aesthetic, it's undeniably pretty to look at. Quote:
Rider Time Ryuki: Hold my beer.
Though, it's in line with reality, ORE Journal was an online publication that relied on tips sent in by its readers. When Zi-O revisits the series, it's revealed that the ORE Journal had gone out of business because of the rise of social media, since the people who used to send in tips could now just post them to their accounts. Quote:
I spent the last couple days reading the manga version of Kamen Rider Black, and I dug it! You know that awesome tone and atmosphere Black had for its first six episodes? Yeah, the manga keeps that for the majority of it. That's not to say it's perfect(the last few chapters are all kinds of what), but I do prefer it over the toku version for the most part. That said, I feel like the ideal version of Black is some sort of inbetween of the two versions. Maybe one day we'll get an anime or a movie reboot that'll do just that. I'd totally watch it.
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07-24-2020, 11:09 PM | #15966 |
Some guy. I'm alright.
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Michigan
Posts: 4,417
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I just finished episode 36 of Fourze, and I gotta say, the latest two-parter?
Probably the absolute worst I've gotten from this show so far. Just like... wow, I barely even know where to begin. First there's the fact that it's centered on JK, the worst character. Second, it has a really terrible moral(Never think about the future, only the present). And third, the story sucked in general and raised a ton of questions about episodes prior. Maybe it's just TVN's' subs(which have been shaking in terms of quality with the later episodes), but I feel like all the problems I've been having with Fourze really came to a head with these episodes, and this is after a long stride of episodes I mostly liked(9-34). So far I think the biggest problem I have with the show though is that, for a story that's meant to have Friendship at its front and center theme, it has a very... narrow(I guess that's the word?) view of the concept. Like, I typically don't like harping on something for what it isn't and prefer to focus on what it actually is, but there's so many great angles they could've taken. Like examining the quality of the people you keep around you, the consequences that toxic friendships can have on people, and how sometimes despite your best intentions, some people just can't be reasoned with(just to name a few). Instead the show(and Gentaro) seems more focused on simply going "Be friends with everyone, even if they're terrible because hey, they'll come around eventually! Add another to the checklist!" Heck, the focus on quantity over quality has really stunted alot of our core characters in terms of their development too. Another two-parter to flesh out JK some more would've been fine, but instead it just made him even worse in my eyes. I feel the show would've been way better had it been more focused on developing the core cast it had and showing everyone growing together. Literally just be Kamen Rider Breakfast Club. But sadly no, almost willing to bet even after this "improvement" JK will go back to being in the background being useless and almost everyone else in the KRC will remain one-note. It's not like I outright hate the show or anything, but man, unless things take a serious upward swing in the last act, Fourze is definitely the bronze medal of the Foundation X Trilogy. Quote:
Whoa, what a coincidence, I just bought used hard copies of the manga couple of weeks ago (it's localized and published in my country in the 1990s). I remember reading a volume of it as a kid, and not liking it because it's very different to the show, but now I'm very eager to revisit it. Was planning to post about it in the manga thread at some point.
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Last edited by DreamSword; 07-25-2020 at 04:42 PM.. |
07-25-2020, 03:41 AM | #15967 |
Member
Join Date: Oct 2019
Posts: 462
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Fourze and Wizard were a bit of a bland time in general for toku in my book, like Go-Busters and especially Kyoryuger weren't among my favourites. I actually tended to prefer the ''additional'' toku shows in 2012+2013! 2010 still probably had the least choice for me though.
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07-25-2020, 03:48 AM | #15968 |
take me to space
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 1,406
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That's too bad! I actually distinctly remember not only really liking that arc, but it being the only time I ever felt strongly (in a positive sense, anyway) towards JK. I really got into and felt the conflict of him wanting to make use of the Zodiart's power to rise to stardom, but in the end realising that he wouldn't be happy if it came from a lie. Capricorn himself is basically an afterthought to me compared to all that, but I thought the pathos in this two-parter was actually one of the more genuine ones in Fourze.
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07-25-2020, 06:54 AM | #15969 |
Some guy. I'm alright.
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Michigan
Posts: 4,417
|
Quote:
That's too bad! I actually distinctly remember not only really liking that arc, but it being the only time I ever felt strongly (in a positive sense, anyway) towards JK. I really got into and felt the conflict of him wanting to make use of the Zodiart's power to rise to stardom, but in the end realising that he wouldn't be happy if it came from a lie. Capricorn himself is basically an afterthought to me compared to all that, but I thought the pathos in this two-parter was actually one of the more genuine ones in Fourze.
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Last edited by DreamSword; 07-25-2020 at 06:58 AM.. |
07-25-2020, 02:38 PM | #15970 |
Veteran Member
Join Date: May 2019
Posts: 2,551
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Well since we’re going with (arguably) hot takes, I’ll give mine for Hibiki after 11 episodes.
I really don’t think the show has much substance to it. The plot feels too straightforward and a lot of stuff that could be interesting (where did these monsters come from? How are the same two people helping them? How did the TAKESHI group discover the existence of ONI and the stuff needed to help them?) and the plot of Asami trying to find his way in life feels very predictable and straightforward. That’s not a good thing. In terms of visuals, I feel like I’m watching Kuuga again. And anyone who’s followed my posts know that’s not a compliment. |
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