[Kamen Rider Die]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Enchilada645

Ah yes the exitensial crisis of cheering Saber on. Cute little fun story in which I had no idea if you'd even do one because I only just now realized what this was a couple of hours ago.

The only way Kamen Riders know we love them -- and choose not to punish us -- is if we keep buying merch.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Enchilada645

They're this weird sort of miniature stage show thing that I guess and I mean I'm really guessing with this theory, it was sort of meant to be a replacement for like... the actual stage shows that used to happen back before the pandemic started.

Interesting! Thanks for the possible context!

[Androzani84]

Yeah, his is basically your standard stage show, but with a slightly bigger budget. Though compared to some I’ve seen or read about (there’s a whole category on the wiki for stageshow monsters), this seems remarkably tame in terms of plot.

[Fish Sandwich]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

TTFC DIRECT THEATER: KAMEN RIDER SABER, ACT 1 - "SABER, LET YOUR HEART SHINE!"

I had never actually watched this until yesterday.

I think it was because I could never even find any raws for these things until like waaay after they apparently came out? Honestly, I'm only sort of sure what they are either, but yes, virtual stage show is about right, and honestly... I think that's pretty adorable? And I don't mean that in a patronizing way or anything. This is such a very specific, very Saber thing to exist, right at the end of 2020, that, considered in the whole context of why it (probably?) exists, it's a little neat. I'm not sure if it'll be as neat when there's like a bunch of them continuing even into Revice, apparently, but I appreciate the novelty of a little blue-screen dramatic skit where viewers like you get to literally be the extras who help Saber save the day. (And indeed, on the subjects of "why it's like this" and "what it's for", giving TTFC subscribers a chance to send in videos to be in a Kamen Rider thing seems to be the primary gimmick.)

[Sh Ranger]

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Originally Posted by AkibaSilver

I mean, this is Kamen Rider. Various reasons people have caused mass monster attacks include:

- Promote their video game
- Hungry
- Drug money
- Showa villain / showa villain reunion, organisation probably has "EVIL" in acronym
- Funny

The Book Club Trio just don't have enough personality, unique motivations, or honestly enough breathing room to make their motivations that interesting. The show's emotional core is on the Kamijou betrayal, pivoting to the SOL, which leaves the Meggido hanging around because, hey, need someway to produce MOTWs before the show inevitably forgets about that being a thing. Being given something so wooly, in the same episode as the show reorients itself, doesn't really make them stand out as characters, it just adds a little fluff to their goal to remind you "Yep, there is a point to this!".

Well there's only so much focus they can fit in an episode already filled with so much content. Sure, the focus is on Kamijo's betrayal here, but the window is still open to eventually learn more about the Megid trio, other than just being evil book gangsters.

Also, uh, "drug money"? 0_o

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

KAMEN RIDER SABER EPISODE 16 - ?SAVING THE WORLD, THE RAY OF LIGHT?

I was pleasantly surprised by how much this episode came together for me. When Kamijo?s warning took about eight seconds to make Touma an outcast from his friends, hunted as a traitor, I was like That Was Fast. But then the show pulled back the reins a bit, and let the characters? lingering resentments and lack of shared history pit the Sword of Logos against Touma and Mei (and debuting swordsman/sword-man Yuri) in a way that feels inevitable. It?s an episode that starts exploring something I find fascinating, which is how we imbue organizations with power and personality due to the people within them, but then forget that said power and personality is only there because of those people. Touma and the other swordsmen see the Sword of Logos as something worth protecting or destroying, but it?s really just a collection of people. We lose sight of that to our peril, which is what everyone discovered this episode.

This is the first time we get to see Ren's dark side, as he tries to cut Mei, a civilian, to get to Touma. It's not like there wasn't enough time to abort the attack, Ren just didn't give a damn about Mei. Even if a Swordsman declared traitor is a fair target, I doubt SOL can justify any of their Swordsmen cutting civilians who get in the way. Good thing Yuri was there or else it could've been a lot worse.

Rintarou's in a difficult position as well, since this isn't just a blasphemy against the faceless organisation, this is Rintarou's family that Touma's accusing. Regardless of whether Rintarou sides with SOL or Team Saber, he still has to take a side in that family and be prepared to fight people he cares about. Poor guy only recently picked himself up after losing Kento and now he has to deal with the fear of losing another.

Touma was right and brave to stand up for himself and trust his gut that SOL was out to get him, but with Reika leveraging everything she can about the historical correlation of "Saber + big book = betrayal", it's even more sad that this painful conflict between friends had to happen.

Yuri is an enjoyable character though. After Lazer became the first Bike Rider (excluding form change like Accel), Saikou became the first Sword Rider! As all Swordsmen are named after a word relating to swords, Saikou, a Seiken Sword rather than a Swordsman, is of course named after.... Himself!

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Originally Posted by Fish Sandwich

(I still wish somebody would've translated Yuri's use of saikou as "brilliant", by the way, but this is actually about as good?)

Personally, I think TV-Nihon's "prodigious" is the most prodigious way to translate that phrase. It's a word seldom used in casual speech, which makes Yuri sound more like a man of his age.

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Originally Posted by DreadBringer

You're mistaken here regarding anti-villain label. Extreme anti-villains are those who have very little or limited amount of bad traits/moments, edging them closer to outright hero antagonist (if they're antagonistic ofc). Reminder that the 'anti-' part of anti-villain refers to the redeeming qualities which makes them less bad and the more extreme they're the less bad they're.

You're right. Okay, I guess I should've called them mild antivillains instead. Even though their actions benefit only themselves at the expense of everybody else, I think the fact that they do have a (twisted) sense of morality might be barely enough to qualify.

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Originally Posted by Androzani84

One thing I read that made me laugh slightly is someone pointing out that while we get whole scenes of Ogami, Daishinji and Rintaro being misled by Reika, Ren doesn?t even get such a scene, implying hat she didn?t even need to try with him.

Now I wish there was a comedic scene like the montage of Robo Knight asking about emotions. Like, Reika passes by Ren as he's training with a creepy smile on his face and flatly comments, "I don't need to persuade this guy."

[Switchblade]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

Personally, I think TV-Nihon's "prodigious" is the most prodigious way to translate that phrase. It's a word seldom used in casual speech, which makes Yuri sound more like a man of his age.

I cannot take that word seriously. A bad Legion of Super-Heroes comic from the 90s permanently ruined it for me.

[Kamen Rider Die]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Switchblade

I cannot take that word seriously. A bad Legion of Super-Heroes comic from the 90s permanently ruined it for me.

I'll get back to everyone else soon, but I have to call out this insane deep-cut reference to Jamm, from a terrible Bloodlines tie-in Legion Annual. Thank you, and get out of my brain.

[Enchilada645]

Huh, obscure reference.

Because my mind immediately wanders to Digimon when I hear the word prodigious.

[Mesnick]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

TTFC DIRECT THEATER: KAMEN RIDER SABER, ACT 1 - ?SABER, LET YOUR HEART SHINE!?

Yes, this is a small optional filler created on the principle of "rider + monster + new beauty for each episode +/- extra guests." Nevertheless, the story itself seemed to me very sincere, Saber, even without Toma, remains Saber and the Grasshopper revealed himself as a villain much brighter than in the main series. In addition, Toei should be commended for giving the audience the opportunity to participate without violating the quarantine. And scold them for not using it more often considering how many fans riders have outside of Japan. So I'm happy with this episode and the mini-series as a whole. Let him not tell anything new about our rider, but for that he allows him to be a hero, and this is always a plus.
Also, while I call this project a "optional filler", the rule I've already stated that all extra content is more important to Saber than to other shows applies to TTFC Theatre. In fact, I even envy you that you watch this show after it ends and therefore get to know this story in the order conceived by the creators (in general terms), and not imposed by external circumstances.

[Deepsea]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

I'll get back to everyone else soon, but I have to call out this insane deep-cut reference to Jamm, from a terrible Bloodlines tie-in Legion Annual. Thank you, and get out of my brain.

Your comic knowledge is incredible and a little horrifying Die.

Anyway Saber 16! I actually remember really loving this episode basically for the reasons stated already. Also I think I'll try to begin my rewatch here cause I am super behind.

[Switchblade]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

I'll get back to everyone else soon, but I have to call out this insane deep-cut reference to Jamm, from a terrible Bloodlines tie-in Legion Annual. Thank you, and get out of my brain.

I am so sorry that you?re able to understand that.