[DreadBringer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

KAMEN RIDER KIVA EPISODE 13 - “UNFINISHED: DADDY FIGHT”

The design of this bedroom/apartment is perfect. It’s the focus of Kengo’s dream: music, everywhere, but with that great big window to dream of success. The way the right side of the shot is this massive guitar, and the left side of the shot is this giant stack of CD cases (2008!), it just visually communicates everything we need to know about how all-encompassing Kengo’s dedication is to be a rock star.

No offense, but I feel like this is an ordinary and expected take of Kengo having his room filled with his passion which is all about music in various forms. There's a case of when you can't fill the room with something like that... like mine, due to the leaking when it rains.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

I just love the simplicity of this gag, how it’s all built on Wataru’s minor changes in expression. Wataru is one of the least-demonstrative Riders, even with his best friend. (And, man, how great is it to see Wataru getting to just enjoy hanging out with a friend?!) So when Wataru’s trying to understand Kengo’s declaration that the two of them are going to be rock stars, the director really drills in on how to visualize Wataru putting the pieces together. It’s Wataru’s gigantic, blank expression; his unfocused eyes; and this slowly moving finger. And then this tiny drop of his eyebrows, the start of Wataru’s OH SHIT realization that his best friend has a dream for them both that Wataru doesn’t really share.

It's great for people like Wataru to be accepted by someone and not be ostracized or be used as punching bag of course... though it can sometimes make the audiences who are like Wataru jealous of Wataru being the one to find acceptance unlike them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Another perfect, perfect new set. The other members of the Monster Squad have taken up massage and shoe shining, no explanation required, and the set is exactly what you’d assume monsters would create. The lighting is foreboding and garish. The various posters shout I Don’t Know How A Human Body Is Supposed To Work. It’s constructed out of imposing chain link fences and housed underneath a bridge. It’s just wrong, all wrong. So of course Jirou is comfortable there, being sat on by a Gillagoon and a Frankenbury. He’s never looked more inhuman, and I’ve never seen him more at peace.

This was the thing that made me really start sitting up and taking notice of what the director was doing. The way he’s giving you context and exposition visually! Placing their monster forms in the mirrors, so that you get that they’re not human, and still letting the human performers get across the specific notes of menace required to stoke the audience’s unease! It’s so smart! And striking! These shots are beautifully composed.

I've seen in other parts too of the monster set having garish and foreboding lighting. Though not every series implement this. There are various ways to paint the monster's menace, either in shot or setting. Though sometimes, the colorful lighting they use here can feel like lower in quality to me (not always but sometimes), like Blade's intro of sorting lights everywhere.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

This scene is maybe my favorite scene in Kiva so far. Wataru’s uncertain of how to break it to Kengo that their dream is really Kengo’s dream, so he invites Kengo to his home to discuss it.

I've said before that I do want for Kengo to get to know about Wataru's already music-related occupation... though their interaction here isn't as smooth as I expected. Actually there's some strife between Wataru and Kengo not being like-minded in their music where Wataru is focused on creating violins and Kengo is focused becoming rock star. Though Wataru once again performed excellently to convince Kengo (it's Wataru's turn to perform solo in front of Kengo, like their introduction scene).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

This was a striking shot, and I can’t even begin to figure out why it looks this way. It could be the director trying to spare the audience the visual of Jirou kicking the crap out of Otoya in the forest. Or it could be a subtle hint that Otoya will soon be IXAlso, a bright light of justice. I don’t know. It’s just such a weirdly pretty shot that I wanted to call it out.

DreamSword before refers to Otoya as the Kusaka of this show, so yeah... in 1986 period, he's the main user of (Ka-)IXA. Let's see how a human fare within (Ka-)IXA's burden, or that IXA is probably have been improved after Jiro's stint as IXA.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Hard to get across in stills, but Jirou’s dominance is communicated through the way Otoya is static, the camera slowly pushes in on him, and Jirou stalks him in a spiral. It’s giving Jirou all the power in the shot, all the freedom. He’s moving with grace, with impunity. He’s already beaten Otoya; it’s just that Otoya hasn’t figured it out yet.

But this is an episode that has Otoya becoming (Ka-)IXA, so actually to me, it's Otoya evening out the match, putting him on similar position to Jiro's Wolfen powers, with Otoya's Rider powers.