[Fish Sandwich]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

KAMEN RIDER KABUTO - EPISODES 07 & 08

Okay, fine; Die doesn't want to just sit there gesturing at the episodes, I'll do it for him. This is Ishida's next pair of episodes, so of course there's a whole lot to say for the direction, with that sunset showdown in 8 being particularly memorable. However, it's this bit of staging when Tendou and Yaguruma are waiting for Hiyori to try their respective dishes in 7 that impressed me more than anything in the entire duology. Yaguruma took his tie off so it wouldn't get in his way while cooking, so naturally he starts putting it back on once he's done and going to sit down. And for the next minute or so, in one long take, he just keeps working at it, folding it with great care, pulling on everything just the right way, messing with his collar until everything is in the exact alignment it should be...

I mean, don't get me wrong, this isn't worth noting by itself; I'm sure a huge amount of people would consider themselves lucky to only need a minute or two to get a tie on right, even. But it's all in the context. Like I said last time, what you have the actors doing in a given scene in a show is a conscious choice, and Yaguruma's constant activity here, the way he's so concerned with making sure the image he projects to the world has no flaws, it's in stark contrast to the way Tendou sits calmly in place the entire time, and it tells you so much about the two of them as characters, and which one arguably has a better grasp on the whole Perfect Harmony thing.

Sure enough, these are episodes I'd rave about. Some of my favorites from back in the day, and a story arc I immediately think of when I think of parts of Kabuto I actually do feel pretty strongly toward. I see Die's point about them not having anything surprising enough going on, but I've never been the kind to criticize something for nailing the fundamentals this hard. It's an almost definitive early 2000's rival Rider introduction, with the usual great direction I've already talked about, and Yonemura's writing firing on all cylinders, with the show's usual melodrama and surrealist comedy mixed together in a way that could only be described as perfectly harmonious. Of course, going by Tendou's critique of Yaguruma's cooking, being blended so well nothing stands out might explain why Die wasn't impressed...

All the same, I really do love these ones, and especially how they handle Yaguruma's character. I love how legitimately cool and likable the show makes him upfront. His team of gold-striped ZECTroopers (always loved those suits) are shown to actually get results because he bothers to keep them properly organized with real formations and everything, we're shown he genuinely cares about the people working under him, and even once he starts losing his cool, it's less about him secretly being evil or something lame and instead about his inability to deal with failure of any kind. He's his own worst enemy in a way, and the fact that the conflict between Kabuto and TheBee comes down to dramatically clashing personalities is as Heisei Rider as Heisei Rider gets. These episodes are awesome. Predictable, yes, but it's the execution that makes it all work.

Oh, and about the Bee/Wasp situation: I believe it's because the Japanese word hachi refers to them interchangeably.

As for the question this time... beating a stranger in an honor duel? Like just any random normal person off the street who I hypothetically happen to have beef with? Because if that's the case, I figure Kamen Rider Trivia Quiz has gotta be a guaranteed victory for me nine times out of ten, right? Sunset or no, if my opponent has never even heard of the topic of the hour, I'd have to try not to win!