[Locke]

I'm thinking I'm gonna really hate Decade, the character, but I might actually like Decade, the show, if it provides more thrills like the last episode did.

[SideswipePrime]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Locke

Decade 02.

What the fuck, why does Decade know everything about the Grongi to the point where he can speak their language fluently? They ask him multiple times to confirm how he knows so much and he just ignores them, is Decade really this frustrating so early on?

It's disappointing, because other than Decade himself, I actually really liked this episode. Sure this new Yusuke is such a dick he almost makes me miss Godai - ALMOST - but it turns out Kuuga might have been pretty awesome if it had a budget. I may not openly admit it, but Kuuga's first wave of forms were really enjoyable, I actually liked the first twenty or so episodes of that show.

The designs were simple, but detailed, and Kuuga's power set were some of the most fantastically realised in the whole franchise. Each form had a clearly defined purpose, and a specific context. Dragon increased his speed, agility, range and jump height but it reduced his raw strength and power capabilities so it functioned as the perfect balance with Titan, which massively increased his defence and raw power but greatly reduced his speed. Likewise Pegasus was so powerful it was a one shot and that is it kind of deal, so having something like Mighty which was utterly balanced, not too taxing on the user but packed with a weapon that could topple pretty much anyone - the Rider kick - Mighty was the best kind of form to fall back onto. They all had their place.

They ruin this from the Rising Business onwards, but that first wave is something that has clearly inspired every Rider show onwards and I don't think they've ever been able to capture it ever again, in the precise way Kuuga did. If I was to get a power set, I'd much rather his, than all the Riders where each form makes the previous one redundant or each form comes with poorly defined powers and purposes.

Plus the action was just nuts in this episode. The best kind of nuts. From the flashback - forward? - to the Rider War to where Yusuke drains the power - life? - from the other Riders to reach his final form and him and Decade punch each other and it's like a nuke went off, to seeing Yusuke leap from form to form as he battles Decade, and then the Hoppers appear because why the fuck not?! JUST HOLY FUCKING SHIT THIS IS AWESOME.

Don't worry Yuusuke gets much better later on.

and I agree. The fight scenes are one of Decade's strongest points.

[KyoryuGreen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by XW1n5t0nX

I plan to watch more Showa at some point, though it's fairly hard when not all of the series are subbed. I'll probably do V3 after I finish the Blacks.

Well some of them are subbed by HK Subs, which are decent. Especially X.

[Locke]

DK 31. It's weird, the Rider suits in the Japanese footage look cheaper than those used in the American footage.

This was like the worst of Dragon Knight's flaws smashed into a single episode. The editing of the footage was so poor, the episode became genuinely hard to follow in places and we got THREE major character deaths IN THE SAME EPISODE. Wrath was painfully tacked on and pointless, our protagonist deserved better than dying in a muddled poorly edited mess that doesn't even really make sense of why either he or Wrath died and someone who has been so consistently entertaining as Strike deserved better than going down in the first ten minutes of an episode with much more important deaths later on.

Wrath may well be the worst Rider in the show bar Siren, like Siren he was introduced as deathly important and deathly powerful and died doing fucking nothing, he killed the protagonist but in a scene so poorly realised I couldn't really tell you how.

The action honestly sucked in a lot of ways. Survive Mode is introduced as a sort of last resort, wild card that shouldn't just be used willy nilly if you value your life and Len, fuelled by revenge, goes Survive Mode against Strike and sends Strike running - and not strategically running, I mean he backs him into the corner cowering and pleading for his life.

But then it turns out the actual powers are just sorta lame honestly. Sorta like this episode.

[SPLIT LIP]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Locke

DK 31. It's weird, the Rider suits in the Japanese footage look cheaper than those used in the American footage.

Probably because the American suits are new/repaired.

The Ryuki suits were falling apart by the end of the show. There were tears, scuffs, bends, wrinkles, they looked like shit. For such great designs the build quality was utter shit on those costumes.

[Locke]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SPLIT LIP

Probably because the American suits are new/repaired.

The Ryuki suits were falling apart by the end of the show. There were tears, scuffs, bends, wrinkles, they looked like shit. For such great designs the build quality was utter shit on those costumes.

Yeah man, I'm always surprised by how obviously rubber the suits are in the Japanese footage, they seem to make no attempt to hide all the stress marks, and bends and general damage.

[SPLIT LIP]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Locke

Yeah man, I'm always surprised by how obviously rubber the suits are in the Japanese footage, they seem to make no attempt to hide all the stress marks, and bends and general damage.

Because they really can't.

With most shows there's only maybe two or three suits. One stunt, one hero, and maybe a backup/special suit for spark effects. (and some extra parts) But Ryuki had over 13 different suits. I wouldn't be surprised if there was only one each.

[ElConvoy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Locke

Yeah man, I'm always surprised by how obviously rubber the suits are in the Japanese footage, they seem to make no attempt to hide all the stress marks, and bends and general damage.

Its pretty much thanks to budgetary reasons. They can only afford to do a handful of suits for the show so they use those things until they completely fall apart

Its really noticable on the early Heisei Shows since the budget was alot smaller back then.

[Locke]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SPLIT LIP

Because they really can't.

With most shows there's only maybe two or three suits. One stunt, one hero, and maybe a backup/special suit for spark effects. (and some extra parts) But Ryuki had over 13 different suits. I wouldn't be surprised if there was only one each.

It's weird especially as they put so much effort into each suit, even the suits for minor Riders have all those great little sculpted, moulded details they never settle for just plain rubber like what Kuuga had or whatever. And yet they don't spend the money on looking after the suits or duplicates.

[ElConvoy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Locke

And yet they don't spend the money on looking after the suits or duplicates.

This mostly results from the finite budget they are given for these shows. So to be able to produce a whole year worth of content they dont have the money to spend on repairing the suits every other week