[Fish Sandwich]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreamSword

Episode 14: Nightmare

I came out of this one pretty disappointed.

I came out of this one extremely satisfied! The flashback stuff with Rei, even though I completely agree it's composed mostly of obvious expository dialogue, it was also closer to what I was hoping for out of Kouga's big origin story? Like, I don't know, it's definitely not as strong in its delivery of the material, but I thought it did a great job recontextualizing a major character with new information, right down to the appropriately edgy reason behind him taking on the name Zero.

I thought it made for a nice little pair with episode 12, and maybe it would've been a much better one if the whole episode was that, but I also really loved the other story this one tells? Like, I said how much I loved episode 7 despite/because of its adamant refusal to ground its high-octane action in too much pesky human vulnerability, and here comes this episode where Kouga and Rei run off to the Playstation FMV dimension to fight an army, because an epic task like that, cruelly enough, is easier for them than simply being emotionally honest with the woman their macho pride keeps hurting.

It's definitely another episode that lacks the cohesion that I generally find to be one the show's biggest strengths, but all those disparate elements here are so equally entertaining and interesting to me, I didn't find myself caring all that much.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreamSword

Episode 15: Statue

This one was pretty solid, too, even if I'm *this* close to being the person who argues it's sort of tasteless. I kinda had this problem watching Kamen Rider Amazons sometimes, too, but there's a certain vibe to material like this where it goes so far in the attempt to disturb that I just kinda... laugh, instead? I'm not sure what that might say about me personally, or whether it's a mark for or against the episode, but, yeah, that was my reaction to a lot of the Horror-focused scenes here. Regardless, it's a strong enough regular episode of the series, telling a unique standalone plot, inching some overarching stuff along, and even flipping around Rei's deubt, where Kouga is now the one sitting back as Zero does his thing, so it's got that hook of being the first time we really see him take down a monster on his own.

I don't really like the new OP/ED combo, either, by the way!

Apparently the whole reason they held off on using Savior in the Dark in the first place was because they realized it'd make the show seem like any random kid-oriented toku hero show, but just because the show has established itself by now, I don't think it changes anything about how ill-suited it is tonally. The instrumental theme was extremely well-done, and gelled perfectly with the abstract visuals to communicate what GARO is like as a show, the way any opening should. Savior in the Dark is quite literally a JAM, of course, but I can't see myself ever quite coming around to its use this way, even if that was always what it was for. Both openings and even the episode preview share bits of melody and stuff, so... I don't know, it's all cohesive and everything, but something about it just feels wrong.

My distaste for the new ED is less vehement, but yeah, I think the song and the visuals of the first one made a much stronger impression there too. Who knows, maybe if these had been the songs from day one, I'd think they were perfect too, but I really get the feeling this is just a straight downgrade? Crucially, it doesn't feel like there was any purpose to changing them, beyond it being 13 episodes in. There's no real new chapter of the show we've entered, and when nothing about the style there has changed, I find it makes the changes in the musical style stick out in a bad way.