[Locke]

Feels like a lot of narrative messiness got introduced with this episode, but I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt that it all lands in the end. Given it was heavily narrative focused, I was surprised they were also able to fit in some great action. Orderm might be the first Zeztz form I sorta like the look of, but I still think the design aesthetics of the suits having basically nothing below the waist and having the chest belt thing both look awful, and I hope now they have got this out of their system, so we don’t do this again.

[Fish Sandwich]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eclipyon

What is the likelihood that Zero is Baku's biological father?

The odds are definitely getting up there, huh? I think regardless of how true that ends up being literally, though, it seems an awful lot like Zero's role in the overall story is absolutely to be, at bare minimum, a father figure to Baku? There's a very coming-of-age thing going on with them where Baku is now rebelling against his authority as he gains his own perspective on the world, and can no longer view Zero in the idealized light he once did. Not sure if that's *exactly* what the show is going for, or if that conflict will resolve the way I think it might based on that, but it's an interesting angle, I think. I saw someone make the observation that Seven riding around on the Zeroider could then be likened to a parent letting their child ride on their back as they play together, which I thought was really cute. Would kinda make the whole "witty joke" bit from episode 2 seem like genius foreshadowing in retrospect, intentional or not.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Layton13

I flat-out adore how absolutely panicked Sieg is at Ordrem separating Minami and the Nightmare, like his entire world is falling apart.

Speaking of predictions I have for this show -- I definitely got the vibe from this two-parter that Sieg was trying to make Baku more like him by forcing him to suffer through a tragedy that he ~might~ have patterned off of some personal experience he himself had? Of course, I'm usually way off with these things though!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mesnick

I think Baku could have found the time to make peace with Minami before going to bed. It certainly wouldn't have been as spectacular, dramatic, or emotional, but at least... kinder and more heartfelt, perhaps? At least, I think that's exactly what they would have done in Gavv.

Well, Gavv probably would've resolved the conflict in a way that involved sharing feelings over a tasty dessert or something, so I think it's only fair ZEZTZ resolves it by confronting feelings within dreams instead.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frontier

I genuinely think Baku was just at the end of his emotional rope and couldn't process another reveal that something about his life was not what he thought it was, especially when his family bond with Minami was something he saw as never breaking.

Which, yeah, fair enough. I think it was sort of irrational of Baku to kind of leap over the part where Minami was also being lied to for most of their lives, but like, the whole point of the story is how much effort it takes him to get his thoughts in order, so it does make sense that it's not that easy.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreamSword

So does this mean I have to sit through atleast ten more "actually a secret CODE agent" reveals within this show or?

Until the show says otherwise, I'm gonna go ahead and assume code numbers Eight through Sixteen are actually just all the neighborhood animals always getting upset at Fujimi entering the apartment. The barking is how they report back to Zero!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Locke

Orderm might be the first Zeztz form I sorta like the look of, but I still think the design aesthetics of the suits having basically nothing below the waist and having the chest belt thing both look awful

For me, it's kind of the opposite? Orderm is definitely my least favorite ZEZTZ suit so far, but I do appreciate that despite the armored look, it actually keeps to the broad concept by having it be the "skeleton" of Catastrom, which is pretty smart? I honestly ended up getting pretty into the idea of ZEZTZ having the one basic design with just different patterns and colors, so the further they get away from that minimalist philosophy, the tougher a sell it becomes for me.

[Mesnick]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fish Sandwich

Well, Gavv probably would've resolved the conflict in a way that involved sharing feelings over a tasty dessert or something, so I think it's only fair ZEZTZ resolves it by confronting feelings within dreams instead.

Yes, but I just can't stop thinking about Baku and Minami sitting silently in their rooms, not speaking from morning until night. Considering they're both unemployed now, this show really needs to find something to do for its characters during the day.

[Enchilada645]

I mean... Minami's like, half-unemployed now.

She still has her talent agency job which according to the TTFC Shorts, is actually doing pretty solid!

[Fish Sandwich]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Enchilada645

She still has her talent agency job which according to the TTFC Shorts, is actually doing pretty solid!

And good thing too, because I'm not convinced CODE actually pays wages!

[Locke]

@Fish Sandwich - I guess the fundamental issue is I don't like the Zeztz design like... at all �� So the further we get away from that, the better. I can see why we are opposites in that regard. ��

[Fish Sandwich]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Locke

I guess the fundamental issue is I don't like the Zeztz design like... at all

I didn't expect to end up here myself, honestly! As much as I love a good Rider #1 throwback, the suit lacked the wild creativity I enjoy I about this franchise, to the point that way back in the thread for the premiere, one of the first things I felt the need to do was make fun of Toei for playing up a belt on the chest as some bold new direction. I warmed up to it with time, though.

The chest belt, especially, I'd seriously be fine if that was just the standard from now on? There's a subtle but wide-reaching effect it has on the cinematography that I really like, especially, where it lets you do shots that pull in closer on an actor's face while still keeping the toys in the frame, rather than having to either show everything from a distance or cut between separate closeups of the face and the belt. ZEZTZ still does all of those things too, of course, but I really feel like there's a whole new dimension the show has access to with filming transformations and whatnot that has potential beyond just this one year.

[Locke]

I think the belt across the chest thing could work if they changed the design philosophy around it. I just think all of the suits having nothing below the waist just makes everyone look like they are running around in Pajamas. The base Zeztz suits looked their best (to me anyway) in those dark scenes where the chevrons were glowing, cause they created clear break up points between the sections of the suit to avoid this problem, but the flat lighting of daytime toku scenes mutes out this detail.