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Thread
:
DS Wants You! To Watch Toku(-inspired) Anime!
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07-03-2020, 09:08 PM
#
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DreamSword
Some guy. I'm alright.
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Michigan
Posts: 4,413
Episode 2: Mad Machine
Hoo boy. As someone who's been a big fan of this show and also someone who tried to keep track of what people thought about it for a good few years after it had aired, the title alone low-key triggers me. Not that the title itself is a problem, mind you, but, well... we'll get to that.
We open to just after the fight of the first episode. Despite Jiro having just saved them from the Rampaging Rhino Robot, Mitsuko(big sister) and Masaru(little brother), are quite visibly shaken by the entire experience. Afterall, a giant robot just got done nearly killing them, only for another robot to come in that kill it in just one swing of its arm.
Afterward, Jiro's' origin is revealed(not that it was much of a mystery to the viewer); A robot built by Dr. Kohmyoji, the father of Masaru and Mitsuko. Jiro wonders if they were created by Kohmyoji too. Masaru takes it as a sign of kinship. Mitsuko most certainly does not.
Speaking of Jiro's' robot side, let's talk about that for a quick sec. No, not as in his specs(although that is brought up briefly with Masaru noting Jiro's' skin is really hard), but as in Kikaider's' character design.
I totally dig it! Not only does the half blue, half red body make for something striking and distinct, but it's more than just a simple swapping of colors. The right side being much more human-esque with all of its innards being covered, and the left half almost looking unfinished, with Kikaider's' inner robotics being quite visible; Barely covered by what appears to be glass. This design also ties in with another overall theme the story will touch upon; Duality. But, more on that in due time.
As for Jiro himself, his goggles actually serve a purpose. They provide night vision, which is a nice little touch, considering I've seen many a show where goggles on characters are more of a fashion statement than anything.
Oh, and total sidenote, from what I've been told, Kikaider's' name is actually a pun. It's derived from
Kikai da
which apparently means "[it's] a machine." Not 100% sure if that's the case, but I believe it, based on the subs for the
Kikaider Reboot
movie. Speaking of puns, remember Pinocchio? The system that gives Jiro his conscience is called the
Gemini System.
Oh, Ishinomori...
Back to the plot at hand, we not only get a nice light-hearted moment with Masaru and Jiro starting to bond, but get a look into the mind of Mitsuko, who is clearly feeling as though her late father wanted to replace his children.
This here is Dr. Hell--I MEAN, Professor Gill. And props to this being one of the few Toku(-esque) shows where I've seen the main villain actually take direct action early on, rather than just leaving their lackeys to do all the work. He's voiced by Michael Gregory, who you might know as Lieutenant Hedgecock from RoboCop! From what I've looked up, he hasn't done too many voice acting roles, but he does a great job here. Sounding like a mysterious villain and not going super over the top, despite the character design.
Continuing with great character moments, we're proven just how much Mitsuko loves her little brother; Prioritizing getting the monster of the week away from Masaru at the cost of her own well being.
It's also during the sequence that we're introduced to Jiro's' bike: The Side Machine!
Can you tell the original story was made by the Kamen Rider guy yet? Haha.
And, well, guess now's as good a time as any to bring this up, since we just mentioned Mitsuko. This episode also introduces what would forever live on as her most (in)famous moment.
"I was right! You're nothing more than some mad machine!"
See, those of you new to the show probably don't know this, but Kikaider's' old detractors tended to quote this line specifically; Making the claim that Mitsuko says it in literally every single episode of the show. Well, I'm here to tell you that that is a gross over-exaggeration. Heck, I'll even keep count for you all from now on if you want just to prove the point. So far she has said it once, in response to nearly getting strangled to death.
https://youtu.be/Fiost0PBAFU
The episode also offers some great action. From the Side Machine chase to the battle with the Mantis Robot to... well, just check this out:
https://i.imgur.com/Aa5E35u.gifv
Oh baby that is
smooth.
This also marks the debut of Kiakider's' signature finisher, Electro End. Which, if you'll notice, the Mantis Robot had been spamming the entire episode, further emphasizing the connection between Kikaider and those he fights. Again, can you tell this was originally an Ishinomori work? Haa.
Aaannd that's about all I can think to highlight from this episode. What'd you all think? As usual, I thought it was great. We got some great character building, with all three of our main characters being presented as completely believable and understandable. Good stuff.
Last edited by DreamSword; 08-18-2020 at
06:23 PM
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