[Switchblade]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr Kain

Well I decided to give Hibiki another try after I stopped around episdoe 15 when it first aired. I made it through the first 10 episodes and so far, it isn't nearly as bad as I once though, but Asumu is still getting on my nerves. Every freaking episode something stupid happens that makes him a depressed baby. This dude is like the original emo, only without dressing the part. Anyway, Hibiki himself is kinda cool, and I love Taiko drums, so hearing them played in this show is pretty awesome, Ibuki is all right, he has a trumpet though, and I am not a trumpet person, so he really isn't my thing. I forgot he was played by the actor who played Mamoru in Sailor Moon though, which is cool. On the other hand, the Makamou are the worst Kamen Rider monster designs ever. Not to mention they have some of the worst effects. The battle against the crab has got to be the worst CGI ever from any of these shows. The problem is, outside of the giant monkey and turtle, they look so freaking fake that it pulls you out of the show a bit. And the male/female combo is the same thing every episode, with really bad costume designs.

Overal thus far, like I said, not as bad as I once thought, so it is not the worst KR I have ever seen anymore, but it has a lot to fix if it wants to be better than "meh."

The thing about Hibiki is that it wasn't meant to be a conventional Rider show. The main plot wasn't about monsters, it was about Asumu learning to become a more self-confident man through his association with the Oni. As the show goes on he does get better and more... well, I suppose "useful" isn't the word, but more mature, at least. And then, of course, it all goes to hell in the second part of the show and he devolves into nothing but a mopey buttmonkey who stands there and lets Kiriya insult him.

And people wonder why I hate Toshiki Inoue.

Anyway, if you want to see what Hibiki was originally meant to be, check out Daimajin Kanon sometime. It's pretty much what Hibiki would have been without Toei's interference (and a female lead instead of a male one, as the producer and writer got tired of the "why isn't Asumu fighting?" complaints). It's also a really awesome show that I think everyone needs to check out.