[FreshToku]

Hibiki and the Seven Senki or however you choose to translate the title is a great little samurai-inspired movie. I say 'little' because it really does feel like a simple folk-tale in tokusatsu form. There's a fairly straightforward story featuring a much of fairly simple but goodhearted characters. And for anyone who doesn't like the second half of Hibiki (which is most people) and chooses to ignore it, this movie is a much better origin for Armed Hibiki. Honestly not much to say because it's just a cute little film with that awesome Hibiki aesthetic.

I then watched the polar opposite movie in terms of tone, scale and aesthetics with God Speed Love. I had remembered not being too impressed with it, but I don't know why because I really liked it this time. It's very much everything I remember and enjoy about Kabuto distilled into an hour.

Everything is wrapped up in a larger-than-life sci-fi plot and every single character in it is over-the-top and melodramatic in one way or another. It's stupid and I love it. Even Caucasus in his limited screen time makes sure not to lose to anyone else in terms of overselling themselves with the big white outfit, exaggerated posing, and scattering rose petals everywhere.

Also while the twist at the end about how it correlates to the TV series didn't necessarily do anything for me, I thought it was a cute move of the writers that I'm sure would have blown my mind had I watched it as a child.