[Fish Sandwich]

I fell a little behind on this thread, which is a bummer, especially when the thing I'm late to is Net Movie talk.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

KAMEN RIDER DECADE NET-MOVIES: ALL RIDERS SUPER SPIN-OFF

...Because, always and forever, I love these things. I eat up behind the scenes trivia, enjoy some nerdy banter, and like to laugh, and Rider Net Movies offer all of that at once. It was a great concept I'm still sad they stopped doing, and the original Decade ones have always sort of been the most iconic set of these for me. I think a lot of it is in how much these ones do lean on proper trivia rather than simply being funny. That look through Decade's masks leaves a real impact, for example. But then, like, the stuff that is raw comedy is also hilarious? Those Tackle and Shin skits really are the peak of the whole thing, in a way. And then you've got the stuff with the suit actors, and that's great, too! I still remember Takaiwa being Kabuto in that group, because him pointing out how little Kabuto moves was what made me start realizing how much effort actually went into that particular role. Again, it's crazy that something like that has stuck with me for this long, and because of that, I couldn't exactly play along at home there, but I DID nail Eitoku being Saga, which made me real happy. (And of course he stays in character during the race, Die; that's just the caliber of suit actor he is!)

I also think it's interesting that Takaiwa immediately picks Kiva as the heaviest suit he wore, even though he turns out to be wrong. Going back to the talk of this from the Kiva thread for a second, I've never seen a single proper source on that whole story of why Emperor Form got used so much, but I think there's at least some degree of truth of there if stuff like this is anything to go by. I'm pretty sure Takaiwa would think Kiva was heavier due to a combination of the weight being distributed less evenly, and the fact that Kiva's whole body language involved leaning over constantly, which would only exacerbate the strain of it being so top-heavy. Entirely conjecture on my part, though!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

KAMEN RIDER DECADE: ALL RIDERS VS DAI-SHOCKER

I have a big soft spot for this movie. I'm pretty sure I got around to this before Let's Go Kamen Riders was subbed, so this would've actually been the first big dumb crossover movie for me, which means I definitely wasn't numb to this stuff. Even though this movie started a ton of trends I'm not any more fond of than most people, I do have to admit I thought it was kinda cool here, back when I wasn't aware of all the characters that are supposed to be in those suits. And then nowadays, I still think it's funny that Decade randomly fighting Amazon is considered a big enough event to cut to the title card on, so like, how can I hate this thing? (Plus, the Kaneda-directed action here is the good weighty and visceral kind rather than the weirdly stiff and boring Super Hero Taisen kind, which makes a huge difference.)

It's definitely trying to do stuff with the story, too, for what it's worth, even though it's trying in that usual messy Decade way. I remember actively hating the whole reveal of Tsukasa's backstory. I think it was because I got invested in how he felt like, as you put it based on the first episode, Kamen Rider Everyman, and his hastily-executed return to the dark side and redemption here steps all over that a lot. But like, for one thing, the show very constantly and consistently highlighted Tsukasa's encyclopedic knowledge of Rider monsters (he speaks Grongi!), so it IS clear this was probably the intent from the start, making it another rare instance of Decade doing actual set-up. Plus, Tsukasa being the literal leader of the ultimate Rider bad guy group who became a hero anyway means he sort of has the ultimate Rider backstory, and even with the sloppy way it's handled, that feels perfect for a guy celebrating an anniversary. (Not that it was actually the anniversary for any of these Showa guys, but, well, onore Dikeido.)

Tsukasa's arc here has its problems, for sure, but I can appreciate that it is trying to make some kind of actual point. If the Nega World speech was the definitive statement on what Tsukasa wants for others, I think this movie makes an equally definitive one on what he wants for himself. It makes a nice coda for the series, even though it isn't the end, and also has just enough bits of strange continuity to not fit in the middle of the show either. But again, this kind of madness is all part of what makes Decade what it is.