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03-04-2023, 09:39 PM | #11 |
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Saber + Zenkaiger: Superhero Chronicles Audio podcast is HERE. I haven't seen much from either Kamen Rider Saber or Kikai Sentai Zenkaiger. But despite that, I came out of this movie liking it a whole lot, and it might actually be my favorite Kamen Rider crossover film? It has alot of the same appeal to me that Samurai Flamenco does, mainly in how what at first just seems like a simplistic hero story full of high energy antics soon turns into a postmodern look at superhero stories themselves. And it's not even just Toku hero stories either, but folktales such as Journey to the West and The Eight Dogs get thrown in, and all under the banner of not only honoring the legacy of the stories themselves, but also highlighting how such things can just as equally be fun as they can be important. Sure, Shotaro Ishinomori's' works are often defined by their morally gray characters and/or scenarios, or their larger than life lessons they had to teach children, but just as often part of the appeal was just the simplistic enjoyment factor of seeing colorful heroes with larger than life personalities win the day for the everyone's' future. The movie does a great job at showcasing how the reason these stories over the past 50 years haven't been just because of any one aspect, but due to so many varying elements coming together into a truly unique experience that's really hard to find in other mediums. Yes, it is possible to have high energy action alongside deeper meanings, just as much as you can balance drama with comedy. "Capturing humanity itself" as the movie puts it. It doesn't just talk about stories in relation to the audience though, but also touching upon the view and struggles of the creators of said stories, and it really surprised me that such a high concept as a writer being equated to an almighty Godlike being was being presented to the target audience of kids. But even if they fail to fully grasp that, kids can always be sure to latch onto the more straightforward message of going forward in life while keeping in mind the lessons and experiences that stories have granted you. It's nice! The directing is top notch too, and I don't just mean the cinematography either. The way the movie is able to seamlessly move from comedic action, to intense character drama, to a psychological sequence you might find in a thriller or mystery film was incredibly impressive. The atmosphere it top notch all throughout, most especially coming to a head during the time when Touma ends up in the "real world" as well as when Takeshi Hongo breaks character to talk to Shotaro Ishinomori. It all really does come together feeling like an adventure that encapsulates alot of what people love about toku. There's alot of layers to this film, and I really do think it could easily appeal to any toku fan, unless they just have a total distaste for alot of what Kamen Rider and Super Sentai are about. The directing is great, the action is great, the character interactions are great, the background details are great... I just overall really love this movie.
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03-18-2023, 05:13 PM | #12 |
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Power Rangers RPM Episode 10: Ranger Blue Original post is HERE. Podcast audio can be downloaded HERE. There's alot to like about this episode. And because I myself have already shared my thoughts on it pretty extensively, I decided to call on my friends Name and Troy to give their insight. Name pretty much echoed what I had to say, but Troy offered some unique insight that I myself would have never considered: Just how well this episode, along with Flynn himself, represent people of Scottish descent. Troy himself is part Scottish, and thus found himself naturally drawn to Flynn not just due to the memetic line this episode offers, but just Flynn himself as a character and how he proudly carries on and displays his heritage. It's a really cool extra dimension to Flynn that I hadn't considered before. But yeah, if you weren't already aware, this episode has it all: Top notch comedy, great character development for Ranger Blue, story set up for future developments, and fun action to go along with it all. There's a reason that this episode is a fan favorite, and is a personal favorite among the three of us who watched it together as well.
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04-01-2023, 05:15 PM | #13 |
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Heart Catch Pretty Cure! Episode 27: Grandpa Was a Hottie!? Cure Flower's First Love! Podcast watch is HERE. Magical girls can be toku! This time, En-chan joins me in talking about this episode of Heart Catch Precure, which is probably my favorite one in the show? As the title would suggest, most of it has to do with Grandma Godai's' first meeting with her deceased husband, which not only furthers the mystery of who exactly the Tuxedo Mask-esque guy who's been saving the crew is, but also established that Granny is a trained martial artist. There's also the B-plot of Tsubomi's' childhood friend Mitsuru, who very obviously has a crush on her and yet she doesn't see it. The two plots interconnect well enough, but the Grandma plot is definitely much stronger. But, in general, there's alot of solid character work and interactions all throughout, and that's definitely the big reason as to why this episode stands out to me so much(outside of establishing more backstory for one of my favorite characters of the season). The action takes a bit of a backseat as a result, but really, I think it's a worthwhile trade off. And... that's kinda it, really? Sure, on paper it's dead simple, but in execution it does what it does very well, and in turn that makes the episode itself a really enjoyable sit, especially with how it manages to balance out the transitions between comedy, action, and melancholy. It's a solidly touching episode about waiting for love to reach you, and really, it didn't even need to attempt to be anything more than that.
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04-08-2023, 06:40 PM | #14 |
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Dogengers Episode 1: Welcome to Kaioh Original post is HERE. Podcast episode is HERE. This episode is pure genius. From second one, this episode knew exactly how to get me hooked and keep my attention all the way through. It's paced like a drive-by of absolute crazy. Like someone comes by and chucks you right into a rollercoaster without any sort of warning. And I loved it all the way through! Nothing in its short, 18-minute time frame is wasted here. So much goes on, and yet every event wonderfully flows into the next all while highlighting the larger than life personalities of everyone involved without ever becoming too much to handle. The comedy is on point from the word go too. Going from a cold open that might make one think we're watching something more akin to Batman, only to then immediately hit you with the wonderfully crazy world that Dogengers actually is. All while still having a great emotional core with our main character, Jiro. It's hands down one of my favorite first episodes in any show that I've seen, and I really couldn't think of any way to make it better. Love it.
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04-30-2023, 05:22 PM | #15 |
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Location: Michigan
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Kamen Rider: Beyond Generations Audio podcast is HERE. If there's one thing Kamen Rider is known for, it's terrible parents. Fathers especially. Which is why it was so refreshing for me that a movie came along to actually face the issue of terrible parenting head on. Rynosuke and Hideo make the leads of the movie as Kamen Rider Century, and their very bad relationship forms both the emotional core as well as the biggest talking point in the entire movie. And I felt it was pulled off rather well! The key that makes it all work out is the actual acknowledgement of just how bad of a father Rynosuke has actually been, and how he's making a genuine effort to make amends for his past actions both as a father and as a member of SHOCKER. He's not instantly forgiven nor does he downplay any of his deeds. It's worked into one of the bigger ideas/lessons of the film too. The moral being about how neglectful parenting only leads to more neglectful parenting, and that active effort is needed to break the cycle somewhere. Hideo's' lack of self-awareness leads to him neglecting his own son, and it's only corrected via the lesson he got from the most unexpected of places. In terms of a movie made to celebrate 50 years of Kamen Rider, making these two the center focus while make the casts of Saber and Revice supporting characters was a very smart move, I think. It works especially well in terms of Revice, given that show's' overall center focus on families. Outside of Century, Ikki is very much the front man in terms of the rest of the cast. Overall I just found the entire thing to be a great movie in terms of both character development and meta commentary. Combine that with the usual fun that comes with Rider movies such as bombastic action and fun character interactions, and I had a great time all throughout.
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Last edited by DreamSword; 06-03-2023 at 08:23 AM.. |
06-03-2023, 08:45 AM | #16 |
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BIMA Episode 24 Audio podcast is HERE. 23 and 24 are what I consider the perfect pair of BIMA episodes. The emotional core of the entire story comes to a head here, with the theme of family being able to pull you through anything showed off fantastically. The episode focuses almost entirely on Mikhail and Uncle, which is not only a unique dynamic the show had never had up to now, but showcases great development for both characters. Uncle getting more of a backstory on what happened to his wife and child, and how he continues to pull through in honor of their memory is not only powerful, but is what ultimately steels Mikhail's' wavering resolve after his own experience of great loss. Even better given Uncle was helping someone he saw as a stranger. Mikhail meanwhile learns what I feel is the ultimate lesson of practically every Showa era Kamen Rider show and, heck, a lesson life has in general. And that is the idea that life is often cruel and unfair, but even so it is an incredibly precious thing and the reason you should keep moving forward; At the very least for those you love if not yourself. It really helps that everything else is on point here too. The action being fueled by compelling character drama such as Azazel impaling himself just to prove a point, the music score being top notch in utilization, and some surprisingly good cinematography all come together in creating an atmosphere that I find myself getting lost in quite easily. The Double Garuda Crusher at the end is very well earned, all things considered! These two episodes easily make up the emotional climax of BIMA as a whole, and I wouldn't have them any other way.
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07-30-2023, 02:57 PM | #17 |
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This is being cross-posted from Kamen Rider Die's' Revice Thread for archival purposes.
Hey there! So, this thread made for a big milestone in terms of both Watch Threads and Die himself, so I decided to do a little something to celebrate. Die, Androzani, GrandComplete, En-chan, and myself all got together to talk about Die's' threads, our experience with Kamen Rider as a whole, fun memories around the boards, and... Kamen Rider Butts?? It was a fun time, and if you wanna listen in on the conversation that we recorded, you can download a copy of the podcast by clicking HERE. It's a little over an hour long. As for myself, while I'm certain that I serve as little more than the annoying "rival" of the guy who popularized Watch Threads around the board, even I won't deny how big of an impact they had in terms of getting people to look back on these older entries in Kamen Rider, as well as the absolutely fun time I had with most of the threads that I participated in. Sure there were some bumps here and there, but overall it made for one heck of a ride over these past four years, and only contributed to me liking and sticking with this little community that I joined a few years back. Hopefully when the revisits happen at the start of next year, I can think of fun ways to contribute to most of those planned threads, especially whatever Power Rangers show Die decides that he wants to check out.
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Last edited by DreamSword; 07-30-2023 at 07:12 PM.. |
08-12-2023, 03:17 PM | #18 |
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Location: Michigan
Posts: 4,432
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Power Rangers Samurai Episode 8: There Go the Brides Listen to the live watch HERE. I'll admit, when I think of PR Samurai, this isn't the first episode that comes to mind. So color me surprised when Androzani hit me up saying that this is the specific episode of the season that he wanted to have spotlighted. And looking back, yeah, I can see why this one could be considered a highlight, as it has a surprisingly solid amount of stuff going for it. And that's despite the weird common tokusatsu plot of "faking a wedding to nab a monster." First, this one of the few times where the villain's' scheme isn't by a monster of the week, but rather one of the generals(Dayu, for this episode specifically). Which in turn sets up for and ties into said character's' arc further down the line. Not to mention introducing arguably the most popular character(Decker). The episode also has a surprisingly solid amount of character humor throughout it. Not just the typical antics from Bulk and Spike, but stuff like Kevin tearing up at the fake wedding, Mike's' fake experience with monster tracking, and of course, Jayden doing his best to stone-face everything despite all of the antics going on around him. As such, the episode serves as a pretty interesting hybrid of a "typical" standalone episode while also being plot important, and is just a fun ride all the way through. The stuff that makes Samurai an enjoyable watch is all here, and with some extra bits too.
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08-26-2023, 11:17 AM | #19 |
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Super Shining Hero Changerion Episode 39: Over the Times... Hear my full on rambling HERE. Changerion is definitely not gonna be a show for everyone. But you know who it is for? Me. Despite its major low points, I can confidently say that I had alot of fun with this show and I do not regret watching it. Even just talking about this episode in and of itself, it has alot of aspects to it that really do just appeal to me, made even better by how I do think, lucky shot or not, it does fit into the overall essence of the show proper. The expanded look into Akira's' psychosis via the reveal of the entirety of the show we know it possibly all being a fantasy makes for some really fun stuff to think about, especially in hindsight. He's a guy who does his best to keep his life as simple as possible, despite or maybe because he's rather complex himself. Sure, you can read the ending as either a hopeful one or a dour one, and maybe I'm just a depressing guy, but I feel like the more downer interpretation fits in with the show's' narrative alot better, despite the some shift in tone. Remember, as crazy as Changerion could get, it still did have its fair share of drama throughout its run regardless. Still, whatever the case, given how the show was cancelled, I don't know if Changerion could've asked for a better ending. It's Inoue absolutely swinging for the fences and in my eyes, he nailed it. Sure, seeing the rest of the story proper play out would've been great and I am curious what other plans there might have been, but as things stand, I really don't feel like I can complain. It's a fun ride, just like the show itself was.
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08-28-2023, 05:46 PM | #20 |
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Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers: Once & Always Listen to me, En-chan, and Androzani watch and talk about the movie HERE. I'll admit, I am the exact sucker that this anniversary special is aiming to please. It's got alot of things that make me take a shine to it pretty much immediately; The return of one of my all time favorite characters in Zack being the biggest one. Even besides Zack and his amazing hip-hop kido though, I can't help but smile at the return of all these old characters and locations(the Juice Bar!) who I literally grew up with coming back, ontop of all the great callbacks and lampshades. Heck, a very big part of the movie in general is honoring the legacy of the franchise as a whole, and especially that of Thui Trang, whom the cast always remembered fondly, and you can tell they really wanted to showcase their love for her all throughout the film. And that is perhaps the thing that impressed me most about this movie too. None of the nostalgic bits feel like pandering, and working Trini's' death and the rise of her daughter Minh never once came across as tasteless. It's a movie all about moving forward and birthing something new while still remembering where we all began. Minh herself has a very strong character arc too. She's not just "the new Trini" she has her set of motivations, growth, and personality traits that really sell her as her own unique person. Going from a teenager full of vengeance and hatred to someone who understands the self-sacrifice of being a hero, Minh really does grow into her while never once coming across as annoying or undeserving of the mantle of Yellow Ranger. The overall tone and writing of the film handles this all wonderfully too. Managing to go back and forth from serious to silly while never once coming off a pretentious or being ashamed of the original show. It helps that there are some genuinely funny lines and moments throughout the film's' run time! Sure, some of it is referential humor("Thanks, I hate it"), but even then it's pulled off in such a way that I couldn't help but laugh along rather than groan in annoyance like alot of other media that tries to pull it off make me do. Sure, I could do a point for point breakdown of everything I love about this movie, just as I have various episodes of Power Rangers proper, but really, if you at all consider yourself a fan of the franchise, then you owe it to yourself to check it out. I don't know if I'd call it my favorite movie in the franchise, but if it's not, then it's second only to the 1995 movie, and coming from me that is very high praise. It's a great ride from start to finish, and I highly recommend it. Here's to hoping more seasons can get reunion movies even half as good as this one. I give this special a very strong 5/6. I think the only way it could've been any better is if they'd managed to get literally the whole cast back, Bulk and Skull included.
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