Kamen Rider Die watches Kamen Rider Revice

Kamen Rider Die · 06-08-2023, 07:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreadBringer

(as for "getting into romantic part", this leaves me some bad taste because of how Tamaki was treated before, yuri couple can be done as an anti-men sentiment and I don't want for this to be supported for that)

I guess it can be -- I don't read any yuri manga or watch yuri anime! -- but I definitely don't think that's happening here. I don't think that's what you're saying, but the Tamaki stuff... like, Tamaki was never presented as a romantic interest for Aguilera, in either direction. He worships her as a monarch, and she tolerates him as a subject. (Sometimes as her favorite subject, but still.) The Aguilera/Tamaki stuff is a completely different plotline from the Sakura/Hana stuff. If anything, Tamaki is rooting for Sakura and Aguilera to get together!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Switchblade

I never expected Kamen Rider, of all things, to go this far into incorporating a queer relationship. Maybe on a grimdark adult spin-off or web series, but definitely not on the main show itself. And yes, it stays at the level where there's at least one person reading this paragraph and thinking to themselves "what is Switchblade talking about, they're obviously just a couple of gals being pals" but it's still a lot more explicit than I ever thought the show would go

It's refreshingly progressive, and I'm not even going to give it the usual backhanded qualifier of For A Kamen Rider Series. If the romance doesn't go as far as some people would want: it's a children's superhero show. No romance goes much farther than declarations of affection and synchronized fight moves, regardless of the sexuality of the participants. I'm okay with that limitation, as long as there's parity in the couplings. This was a sweet, well-observed bit of teenage romance, and it was never treated as anything unusual or suspect. Happy Pride Month, Kamen Rider Revice!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

Thanks for the understanding, anyway. I'm glad we can respectfully disagree while still hearing out each other's unique perspectives.

You bet! I love the ability to converse with other fans, and I feel like these threads are both more fun and better reads when we're actually sharing our experiences with each other. It's my favorite part!

Kamen Rider Die · 06-08-2023, 11:32 PM

KAMEN RIDER REVICE EPISODE 34 - “DEMON CALLING TO DEMON”

At times, I sort of appreciate the primal nature of the conflict against Giff, when applied to an anniversary season of Kamen Rider. He’s a blank slate, with nothing but his various acolytes to sketch in his threat, his objective, his very identity. What we’re told by the rotating collection of sycophants and psychopaths that bend the knee to a yonic sculpture and a mute costume is hilariously boilerplate: overwhelming power, enslaved humanity, capitulation or destruction, blah blah blah. It becomes a sort of Ur Kamen Rider narrative, where the lack of prominence to the threat allows other themes to gain prominence; there’s frequently some global tragedy, but our family will always be the most important thing in our lives. The villain this year is every villain, but fifty years of Kamen Rider series are defined by the stuff around that – the goofy uncles and mysterious rivals and wisecracking puppets and empty cafes. Giff sucks to make everything else more fun by comparison.

All of that is a very long and debatably-favorable way of describing how inconsequential this episode’s whole GIFF’S GONNA KILL YOU vibe felt for me as a viewer.

There’s very little thematically to hang onto in the fight against Giff, which is a problem when a vast majority of this episode is devoted to making the threat of Giff an immediate and undeniable danger. (That little date scene between Sakura and Hana, though! Adorable! And they hate having those two goofs hovering over them like overprotective brothers!) For a minute I almost saw a correlation between Akaishi’s decision to let humanity suffer and survive under Giff, and the idea of an overprotective parent diminishing the freedom of a child in the name of safety, but I couldn’t make a good case for it. There’s really nothing on the family side of this story to act as co-commentary, and Akaishi’s too gleeful of a maniac to make a good-faith argument of his actions as beneficial to humanity. He’s just some bloodthirsty prick that wants to survive, and be at the top of whatever dregs of humanity survives Giff’s imminent wrath. He’s hollow and pointless, which is all I can ever muster for the Giff story on this show.

The stuff with Vail is a little more interesting, if only for the more personal stakes it evokes. (Why this show landed its big emotional cliffhanger on Akemi, a character whose only memorable attribute is A Doctor Who Wears Distractingly Short Skirts, rather than on someone who has contributed anything to the narrative, is beyond me.) Vail’s manipulation of Vice is simple, and provable: Demons are inevitably cast out by humans. Vail was abandoned by Genta, Kagerou was destroyed by Daiji, and we’ve watched any number of people get severed from their demons over the last 30-odd episodes. The idea that Ikki might eventually see Vice less as a buddy and more as a sickness… it sort of tracks? We’re not there yet, by any stretch, but maybe some day? Especially now that Ikki knows that teaming with Vice is destroying his memories? There’s a kernel of doubt in Vice now, and it’s all Vail needs to render both Ikki and Vice less effective as Kamen Riders.

Mostly, though, I like it for how it’s getting back to this show talking about self-care and psychological analysis. The idea of whether we’re better off destroying or submerging the parts of ourselves we don’t like, or if they’re things we need alongside us in order to live honestly – that’s way more interesting to me than some weird speech about reverse evolution (???) ever will be. Revice showed its series-arc hand a bit with this Giff-heavy installment, and it managed to both disappoint on a narrative level, while spotlighting the incredibly smart thematic work that makes this series unique. There’s a bland villain, but a fascinating cast of heroes arrayed to defeat it. Tonight, I’m gonna call that a win.

Switchblade · 06-09-2023, 01:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

(Why this show landed its big emotional cliffhanger on Akemi, a character whose only memorable attribute is A Doctor Who Wears Distractingly Short Skirts, rather than on someone who has contributed anything to the narrative, is beyond me.)

She's a major figure in Fenix (apparently) and she has a close personal relationship with Daiji (I guess?).

Mainly, though, she's the only other character left at Fenix besides Daiji and Akaishi who isn't a random background goon.

Androzani84 · 06-09-2023, 02:49 AM

Episode 34… aka, the point where the show fell off for me personally. Namely because despite promising to focus on Daiji and the FENIX plot, both of which have been massively under-utilised despite how important they logically should be, both are still not that important to the episode. Instead, we get a whole girls’ day out that takes up several minutes, and a scene where the Weekend kid decides he wants to become a Rider, apropos of nothing, with the reason given being fairly weak. On the plus side, the whole Vail subplot was interesting, even if I wish they’d done more with him being an evil dad, rather than simply saying he is basically one.

As for why he doesn’t go after Lovekov, well…

(Inside Lovekov’s room)

Vail: Love-chan, you’re a demon like me.

Lovekov: Don’t talk to me, Loser. Get out, Grandpa Demon.

(Later)

Vail: That devil!

And in terms of the infrequent Donbros updates, this was the point where their own female got her own new weapon (granted, it was part of selling a new set of Avataro Gears, but still).

Talking of Donbrothers, said Episode focused on the fact that the non-Don-Donbrothers have a points system which they can cash in to get whatever they want granted (with a drawback)

And now, a brief snippet of what I was complaining about earlier being discussed by others…

And what audiences thought of Vail’s appearances by now. Safe to say, whatever hype he generated had died down by now.

George: Hello, George Karizaki here for the Stamp Navi. But in the midst of all this chaos, I can’t seem to find anyone to co-host with me.

Vail: I’ll help do this.

George: You will?

Vail: Yeah, I helped your old man do the first of these back in the day along with Junpei. And since the big man in charge won’t let me kill any of these kids - Don’t ask me why, his reasons are fairly dumb - this fight’s boring. I need something to do.

George: Alright, in that case, let’s get started on today’s Vistamp.

Kajiki!

Nose Tip! Pierce! Splash! Swordfish! The Waves Decide the Ending!

George: This Kajiki Vistamp is to the sea, what Ptera is to the sky and Jackal is to the land. A form that grants enhanced speed, along with the additional abilities of strong swimming and slashing power.*

Vail: (snatches the Vistamp): How interesting. (He stamps himself, before delivering a slash that cleaves a nearby desk in half) Oh, this power is great. Now then, don’t you discuss the guy who you based this on at this point. “Legend Riders”, you call them?

Desire Driver: Saber!

Rekka Battou!

Touma: Henshin!

Brave Dragon!

George: Ok then. Kamen Rider Saber, Touma Kamiyama. The latest in a long line of inheritors to the Holy Sword of Fire over 2000 years. Last year, he fought and defeated the Megido in their attempts to destroy and remake the world into one of chaos.

Touma: I will decide how this story ends!

Vail: Sounds like my kind of place. I wish they’d succeeded.

(Desast appears)

Desast: Believe me, working for those guys is no picnic. You’re better off striking out on your own and finding your own path.

Vail: But I already have my own path. Torturing Junpei Shiranami by viciously murdering his family in front of him.

Desast: See, that’s your problem. You’re trying to be me, but you’re lacking in any of my moral depth. Start a blog channel or something.

Vail: Wait, how are you alive?

Desast: The answer is in Kamen Rider Outsiders Episode 2, streaming now on TTFC.

George: (clearly annoyed) Let’s just leave this here until next time.

* I cannot vouch for this being canon. I just made it up for this skit.

Kamen Rider Die · 06-09-2023, 09:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Switchblade

Mainly, though, she's the only other character left at Fenix besides Daiji and Akaishi who isn't a random background goon.

I was actually really excited for Daiji's proactive/reckless attitude in this episode, even though we're suposed to see it as Akaishi and Giff making him so stressed out and put-upon that he eventually snaps. It's nice to see that kid taking on the reins of leadership, even if the main lesson he learned from Hiromi was to sacrifice yourself and maybe get detonated off a cliff, should one be available.

But I don't get why -- aside from budget issues -- this isn't the sort of problem that would necessitate all of the other Fenix troops showing up to the fight? This is yet another episode where Fenix feels equally staffed to an organization like Weekend: 3 guys in two rooms, that's it. If we'd at least have gotten a line of dialogue where Daiji refused to enlist Fenix troops because they were possibly already corrupted by Akaishi (fair, but it makes Fenix look like an organization not worth defending) or that they'd be no use against Giff's powers (still fair, still doesn't make Fenix look particularly valuable) then I'd be okay with a Kamen Riders-only climax. But... wouldn't a squadron of troops at least keep the pressure off the Riders enough to accomplish their objective? Isn't Daiji a leader of men?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Androzani84

Namely because despite promising to focus on Daiji and the FENIX plot, both of which have been massively under-utilised despite how important they logically should be, both are still not that important to the episode.

Despite all of the above, and my disinterest in what we were given by Akaishi, I think this episode did focus on Fenix and Daiji? This all of the Akaishi "subterfuge" coming into the light, and Daiji being a unifying force between every active Rider. They're not as compelling as Vail, but they're definitely important.

And thanks so much for the fun gags, and the fun skit!

DreadBringer · 06-09-2023, 08:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

KAMEN RIDER REVICE EPISODE 34 - ?DEMON CALLING TO DEMON?

At times, I sort of appreciate the primal nature of the conflict against Giff, when applied to an anniversary season of Kamen Rider. He?s a blank slate, with nothing but his various acolytes to sketch in his threat, his objective, his very identity. What we?re told by the rotating collection of sycophants and psychopaths that bend the knee to a yonic sculpture and a mute costume is hilariously boilerplate: overwhelming power, enslaved humanity, capitulation or destruction, blah blah blah. It becomes a sort of Ur Kamen Rider narrative, where the lack of prominence to the threat allows other themes to gain prominence; there?s frequently some global tragedy, but our family will always be the most important thing in our lives. The villain this year is every villain, but fifty years of Kamen Rider series are defined by the stuff around that ? the goofy uncles and mysterious rivals and wisecracking puppets and empty cafes. Giff sucks to make everything else more fun by comparison.

So far about Akaishi, he's build up as someone with well-intentioned motive to keep the human race alive, by having them submit to Giff instead of, invoking Giff's wrath and have Giff exterminate everyone. That shows his intentions aside, Akaishi does have villain's typical outlook of humans, to make people fall into despair and crush their hopes, and he'd be someone looking down on humanity and their potential as a whole. His approach reminds me of Micchy from Gaim's, to face an overwhelming villain by pracfically cowardly way of just giving up and letting them win/be their lapdog so that they have a chance to be spared or something, though Micchy only did that for the people he favored while Akaishi's doing that for whole humanity. For now Akaishi has 'good' intention and isn't as bad as Olteca, but he still had the brutality he displayed so far to Akemi and Daiji (who for now... properly henshins..). Daiji bleeding heavily reminds me of Taiga in Ex-Aid nearly killed by Graphite. George here acted under Akaishi's order again to try to lure him into a trap, but now George didn't go giddy and excited anymore under Akaishi's orders, probably again showing how he changed, directly when interacting with Akaishi here.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

I guess it can be -- I don't read any yuri manga or watch yuri anime! -- but I definitely don't think that's happening here. I don't think that's what you're saying, but the Tamaki stuff... like, Tamaki was never presented as a romantic interest for Aguilera, in either direction. He worships her as a monarch, and she tolerates him as a subject. (Sometimes as her favorite subject, but still.) The Aguilera/Tamaki stuff is a completely different plotline from the Sakura/Hana stuff. If anything, Tamaki is rooting for Sakura and Aguilera to get together!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

There?s very little thematically to hang onto in the fight against Giff, which is a problem when a vast majority of this episode is devoted to making the threat of Giff an immediate and undeniable danger. (That little date scene between Sakura and Hana, though! Adorable! And they hate having those two goofs hovering over them like overprotective brothers!) For a minute I almost saw a correlation between Akaishi?s decision to let humanity suffer and survive under Giff, and the idea of an overprotective parent diminishing the freedom of a child in the name of safety, but I couldn?t make a good case for it. There?s really nothing on the family side of this story to act as co-commentary, and Akaishi?s too gleeful of a maniac to make a good-faith argument of his actions as beneficial to humanity. He?s just some bloodthirsty prick that wants to survive, and be at the top of whatever dregs of humanity survives Giff?s imminent wrath. He?s hollow and pointless, which is all I can ever muster for the Giff story on this show.

The gag is probably about how the boys (Tamaki/Hikaru) are trying to be bodyguards to females who are actually far stronger/more competent than them (Sakura/Aguilera), but it'd be wasted if the boys, Hikaru likely joining, are only reduced into their lost puppies. Though there's Hikaru feeling down about how he's actually nothing compared to Sakura, as their previous karate sparring has shown, with even Tasuke pointing it out, and wanting to be Kamen Rider itself, while Tamaki has been like this ever since he got separated from his Giftex powers. Other bodyguarding part is what's actually necessary, Vice protecting Yukimi, who isn't a fighter, from Vail actually hunting the Igarashis, despite Yukimi's protest. I guess now Vice had fully atoned for his sins here against Yukimi and now their relationship has been fully repaired, protecting the woman he tried to eat at one point, and Yukimi recognizing that shooing Vice away was probably wrong.

And for previous reply, as usual, more like talking about fanbase reaction rather than actual yuri media (though the reverse can happen for yaoi pairing, especially r KR being described as "heated drama between men" and it being infamous of female characters not being handled well to them), and though it's true that the boys are being overprotective, still feel that there's "eww boys" move that's seen as getting in the way of females hooking up with each other which was what I refer here, more like because basing of how Aguilera is still haughty as ever, my worry was that she'd have the good guy status to get away with that behavior (o̶r̶ ̶e̶v̶e̶n̶ ̶p̶r̶e̶v̶i̶o̶u̶s̶l̶y̶ ̶w̶i̶t̶h̶ ̶h̶e̶r̶ ̶b̶e̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶g̶o̶r̶g̶e̶o̶u̶s̶). Though her interaction to Hikaru is the first time she interacted normally with others. I don't know if actually her bitchy attitude is reserved only for Tamaki here, but it being played for laughs doesn't negate it being abusive though.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

The stuff with Vail is a little more interesting, if only for the more personal stakes it evokes. (Why this show landed its big emotional cliffhanger on Akemi, a character whose only memorable attribute is A Doctor Who Wears Distractingly Short Skirts, rather than on someone who has contributed anything to the narrative, is beyond me.) Vail?s manipulation of Vice is simple, and provable: Demons are inevitably cast out by humans. Vail was abandoned by Genta, Kagerou was destroyed by Daiji, and we?ve watched any number of people get severed from their demons over the last 30-odd episodes. The idea that Ikki might eventually see Vice less as a buddy and more as a sickness? it sort of tracks? We?re not there yet, by any stretch, but maybe some day? Especially now that Ikki knows that teaming with Vice is destroying his memories? There?s a kernel of doubt in Vice now, and it?s all Vail needs to render both Ikki and Vice less effective as Kamen Riders.

Vail's new psychological game now is about dictating others about how to live like a demon which is again, effective on Vice that got really shaken with Vail's mindgames, distracting him in fight and hindering Ikki (and apologized for that). Vail tried to invoke parental abuse/ageism with him being Genta's devil.... but... now Revice pulls something opposite to "X is X" some Kamen Rider shows pulled, like Inoues... by Vice pointing out that devils aren't the same as the human hosts thus Vail isn't a father that can abuse his position. Then obviously Vail tries to break Vice's relationship with Ikki with the latter eventually leaving him, now I don't personally see this as another question of "Is Vice actually evil", as what the series has pushed to the viewers before, probably it'd be actually Vail really underestimating the bond between Ikki and Vice and it'd be partly his downfall later or something.

So regarding my expectations before of Akemi being the show's secondary heroine, it got twisted around not only for Aguilera but for Akemi herself too. Aguilera was the main antagonist but eventually got redeemed to join Weekend, while Akemi was a female with larger presence (other than the Igarashis) on the main organization, but now got turned into Deadman. So actually Akemi wasn't completely immune either to the dark truth, though Akemi's still far less malicious than Chigusa was, she undergoes BSOD phase and apologizing to Daiji for seeing the truth, but it seems that as Deadman her actions are uncontrollable, l̶i̶k̶e̶ ̶s̶t̶e̶p̶p̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶o̶n̶ ̶D̶a̶i̶j̶i̶,̶ ̶n̶o̶t̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶h̶u̶m̶a̶n̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶m̶.

Kamen Rider Die · 06-09-2023, 08:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreadBringer

Though her interaction to Hikaru is the first time she interacted normally with others. I don't know if actually her bitchy attitude is reserved only for Tamaki here, but it being played for laughs doesn't negate it being abusive though.

Hana treats Tamaki about the same as Sakura treated Ikki originally, or how Daiji treated Sakura originally: like a sibling. It can come off abrasive or even cruel, but it's someone who is such a huge part of your life, and that can sometimes be a nuisance. Hana treats Tamaki like shit because he's pissing her off, and that's how brothers and sisters can behave.

Kamen Rider Die · 06-09-2023, 11:41 PM

KAMEN RIDER REVICE EPISODE 35 - “THE UNKNOWN THREAT AND ROAD HUMANITY MUST TRAVEL”

It is a bold strategy to start an episode with a villain belittling the effectiveness of our heroes, and end the same episode with the villain being proven correct. It’s not… y’know, it’s not great, as far as watching these episodes to see heroes overcome insane odds and cleverly defeat terrifying threats goes. On that level? Sort of a miss. But its commitment to making our entire group of Kamen Riders look like ineffectual chumps is actually kind of neat!

I liked how much this episode nailed down its conception of Daiji as a guy whose inflexibility and righteousness is starting to become a drawback. He’s destroyed the part of himself that doubted himself, and now he’s a guy fighting to retain the honor of an organization that never did anything good for anyone. He’s always saying he’s going to get Fenix “back to what it was”, and it’s all anyone else – myself included – can do not to laugh in his face. Fenix was comically inept until it was hopelessly corrupt. There’s nothing in it to save, if there ever was. But Daiji lacks the flexibility and self-esteem to abandon the literal sinking ship of Fenix. Ikki’s in a story about Vice needing to look past a label that doesn’t apply to him in order to see the strength of his uniqueness, and here’s Daiji, clinging to his honor and duty when the guy who founded Fenix is laughing at his despair. Daiji’s so desperate to make things conform to his own sense of right and wrong – with Fenix being Right – that he can’t see how hollow and pointless those labels have become. He’s trapped himself in his own righteousness.

Alongside that, the whole Akaishi Hypes Giff battle was pretty entertaining, if only for how over-the-top Akaishi’s cowardly plea for humanity’s capitulation was. (In much the same way that Fenix’s military power and reach seems to ebb and flow alongside the budget for an episode, I sort of don’t understand its political power? How is Akaishi given carte blanche to commandeer live TV and beg all of Japan to surrender their free will to a mute deity? Seems like there should be someone in the Diet that’s like Could You Run That By Us First.) Akaishi has, appropriately, zero respect for the transparent stratagems of the Igarashi family, and he’s clearly having a blast watching Daiji get impotently apoplectic as the trap is sprung. It’s a dumb plan from Daiji, and it probably took Akaishi about eight entire seconds to figure out how to spin it in his favor.

It sort of helps the team that Hikaru shows up as Over Demons, and all of this plotline felt undercooked even by Weekend standards. Hikaru has never felt like anything other than a distraction in the Sakura/Hana storyline, so him proving his worth by taking two good suits and turning them into one okay suit… who was asking for this? This is a real Mihara Is The New Delta-level shrug of a plot, where the least-relevant character becomes the powerful new Rider. I’d rather it be Tamaki! Or Buu! Or Mom Igarashi! Hikaru is a weird imposition, and now I’m going to have to begrudgingly pay attention to him. I even had to learn his name this episode! That sucks!

All that said, I did enjoy this weird episode of Hiromi-esque failure and fumbling. I like the way Daiji’s decision to execute Kagerou – a thing I never enjoyed or agreed with – is now exposed as an error with dire ramifications for the entire world. We’ve got no real avenue to fight the evil running rampant, and the only glimmer of hope is that a group of revolutionaries with a troublingly large budget for gaming chairs and fishnet can find a way to emerge from a shadowy basement and protect humanity. I’m not feeling great about those odds, but I’m feeling pretty good about this show.

Androzani84 · 06-10-2023, 02:46 AM

Yeah, this episode did not help Hikaru’s already non-existent popularity (he came dead last in a poll, and that was because someone typed in his name for the other category so they could vote for him). Neither did the Over Demons suit (for some reason. I think it looks fine) basically being Demons with Vail’s armour and a new helmet (what did they think a beatle themed upgrade for Demons would look like?), which led to some people propping up Mach Chaser (despite that not even getting a new helmet, and being a lot more low effort). Though it really doesn’t help that his debut scene comes right the hell out of nowhere and doesn’t really feel connected to the rest of the episode (and the producer said he intended it to signify everything good about the series, making it clear this was a series where the staff just plain had no idea what audiences liked about it)

As for me, I think the main issue with Hikaru is that the show wanted to promote him to a main character, without actually giving him any buildup. And what little he shows (wanting to protect Sakura, who’s spent 24 episodes trying to prove how capable she is with some success) makes him come off as an entitled chauvinist, which does nothing to make him likeable to the audience.

Anyway, time for the funnies.

Hikaru: Its Hikaru’s Stamp Navi!

Daiji: It can’t be! FENIX can’t be gone! It just can’t!

Hikaru: And today’s Vistamp is… this one!

Vice: We never even got to see its cool mecha form.

Kuwagata!

Hikaru: Hey, Baby Karizaki-san. Mind helping me with this?

George: My expensive collection of CSM collecti- Did you just call me “Baby” Karizaki?

Hikaru: Are you gonna help me do this feature or not?

George: I will, but not because you told me to. It’s so I can get a complete archive.

Sharper! Double Cutter! Shape of a Flower! Stag Beetle!

Sakura: Isn’t that just Vail’s armour on Demons’ body with a new head?

George: Exactly. But there is a good reason.

Delete Up! Unknown! (Unknown) Unrest! (Chaotic) Unlimited! (Surpassing) Kamen Rider Over Demons!

George: It is a new phase of Demons that has improved the system centre and made it possible to transform by utilising only the power of the devil in the user! In addition to the various data obtained from Kamen Rider Vail, by effectively making the ability of Stag Beetle stamps effective, we have succeeded in enhancing the versatility by keeping the overwhelming destructive power of the former weapon. If this can be mass-produced, it will be expected to increase its strength significantly.

Hikaru: Wait, you plan to make more of my Rider form?

Sakura: Oh god, more of them.

Hikaru: Way to take away from the awesomeness of my debut, George.

George: Yeah, “awesomeness”.

Sakura: We hope you enjoy the next instalment. It has to be better than this one.

Hikaru: What’s that supposed to mean?

Switchblade · 06-10-2023, 10:47 AM

Things I always forget about Revice: Hikaru has a name.

06-08-2023, 07:00 PM	#441
Kamen Rider Die Kamen Ride Or Die Join Date: Aug 2019 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 5,846	Quote: Originally Posted by DreadBringer (as for "getting into romantic part", this leaves me some bad taste because of how Tamaki was treated before, yuri couple can be done as an anti-men sentiment and I don't want for this to be supported for that) I guess it can be -- I don't read any yuri manga or watch yuri anime! -- but I definitely don't think that's happening here. I don't think that's what you're saying, but the Tamaki stuff... like, Tamaki was never presented as a romantic interest for Aguilera, in either direction. He worships her as a monarch, and she tolerates him as a subject. (Sometimes as her favorite subject, but still.) The Aguilera/Tamaki stuff is a completely different plotline from the Sakura/Hana stuff. If anything, Tamaki is rooting for Sakura and Aguilera to get together! Quote: Originally Posted by Switchblade I never expected Kamen Rider, of all things, to go this far into incorporating a queer relationship. Maybe on a grimdark adult spin-off or web series, but definitely not on the main show itself. And yes, it stays at the level where there's at least one person reading this paragraph and thinking to themselves "what is Switchblade talking about, they're obviously just a couple of gals being pals" but it's still a lot more explicit than I ever thought the show would go It's refreshingly progressive, and I'm not even going to give it the usual backhanded qualifier of For A Kamen Rider Series. If the romance doesn't go as far as some people would want: it's a children's superhero show. No romance goes much farther than declarations of affection and synchronized fight moves, regardless of the sexuality of the participants. I'm okay with that limitation, as long as there's parity in the couplings. This was a sweet, well-observed bit of teenage romance, and it was never treated as anything unusual or suspect. Happy Pride Month, Kamen Rider Revice! Quote: Originally Posted by Sh Ranger Thanks for the understanding, anyway. I'm glad we can respectfully disagree while still hearing out each other's unique perspectives. You bet! I love the ability to converse with other fans, and I feel like these threads are both more fun and better reads when we're actually sharing our experiences with each other. It's my favorite part! __________________ On a break! KAMEN RIDER W is next! Archive assembling on KamenRiderDie.com!

06-08-2023, 11:32 PM	#442
Kamen Rider Die Kamen Ride Or Die Join Date: Aug 2019 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 5,846	KAMEN RIDER REVICE EPISODE 34 - “DEMON CALLING TO DEMON” At times, I sort of appreciate the primal nature of the conflict against Giff, when applied to an anniversary season of Kamen Rider. He’s a blank slate, with nothing but his various acolytes to sketch in his threat, his objective, his very identity. What we’re told by the rotating collection of sycophants and psychopaths that bend the knee to a yonic sculpture and a mute costume is hilariously boilerplate: overwhelming power, enslaved humanity, capitulation or destruction, blah blah blah. It becomes a sort of Ur Kamen Rider narrative, where the lack of prominence to the threat allows other themes to gain prominence; there’s frequently some global tragedy, but our family will always be the most important thing in our lives. The villain this year is every villain, but fifty years of Kamen Rider series are defined by the stuff around that – the goofy uncles and mysterious rivals and wisecracking puppets and empty cafes. Giff sucks to make everything else more fun by comparison. All of that is a very long and debatably-favorable way of describing how inconsequential this episode’s whole GIFF’S GONNA KILL YOU vibe felt for me as a viewer. There’s very little thematically to hang onto in the fight against Giff, which is a problem when a vast majority of this episode is devoted to making the threat of Giff an immediate and undeniable danger. (That little date scene between Sakura and Hana, though! Adorable! And they hate having those two goofs hovering over them like overprotective brothers!) For a minute I almost saw a correlation between Akaishi’s decision to let humanity suffer and survive under Giff, and the idea of an overprotective parent diminishing the freedom of a child in the name of safety, but I couldn’t make a good case for it. There’s really nothing on the family side of this story to act as co-commentary, and Akaishi’s too gleeful of a maniac to make a good-faith argument of his actions as beneficial to humanity. He’s just some bloodthirsty prick that wants to survive, and be at the top of whatever dregs of humanity survives Giff’s imminent wrath. He’s hollow and pointless, which is all I can ever muster for the Giff story on this show. The stuff with Vail is a little more interesting, if only for the more personal stakes it evokes. (Why this show landed its big emotional cliffhanger on Akemi, a character whose only memorable attribute is A Doctor Who Wears Distractingly Short Skirts, rather than on someone who has contributed anything to the narrative, is beyond me.) Vail’s manipulation of Vice is simple, and provable: Demons are inevitably cast out by humans. Vail was abandoned by Genta, Kagerou was destroyed by Daiji, and we’ve watched any number of people get severed from their demons over the last 30-odd episodes. The idea that Ikki might eventually see Vice less as a buddy and more as a sickness… it sort of tracks? We’re not there yet, by any stretch, but maybe some day? Especially now that Ikki knows that teaming with Vice is destroying his memories? There’s a kernel of doubt in Vice now, and it’s all Vail needs to render both Ikki and Vice less effective as Kamen Riders. Mostly, though, I like it for how it’s getting back to this show talking about self-care and psychological analysis. The idea of whether we’re better off destroying or submerging the parts of ourselves we don’t like, or if they’re things we need alongside us in order to live honestly – that’s way more interesting to me than some weird speech about reverse evolution (???) ever will be. Revice showed its series-arc hand a bit with this Giff-heavy installment, and it managed to both disappoint on a narrative level, while spotlighting the incredibly smart thematic work that makes this series unique. There’s a bland villain, but a fascinating cast of heroes arrayed to defeat it. Tonight, I’m gonna call that a win. __________________ On a break! KAMEN RIDER W is next! Archive assembling on KamenRiderDie.com!

06-09-2023, 02:49 AM	#444
Androzani84 Veteran Member Join Date: May 2019 Posts: 2,439	Episode 34… aka, the point where the show fell off for me personally. Namely because despite promising to focus on Daiji and the FENIX plot, both of which have been massively under-utilised despite how important they logically should be, both are still not that important to the episode. Instead, we get a whole girls’ day out that takes up several minutes, and a scene where the Weekend kid decides he wants to become a Rider, apropos of nothing, with the reason given being fairly weak. On the plus side, the whole Vail subplot was interesting, even if I wish they’d done more with him being an evil dad, rather than simply saying he is basically one. As for why he doesn’t go after Lovekov, well… (Inside Lovekov’s room) Vail: Love-chan, you’re a demon like me. Lovekov: Don’t talk to me, Loser. Get out, Grandpa Demon. (Later) Vail: That devil! And in terms of the infrequent Donbros updates, this was the point where their own female got her own new weapon (granted, it was part of selling a new set of Avataro Gears, but still). Talking of Donbrothers, said Episode focused on the fact that the non-Don-Donbrothers have a points system which they can cash in to get whatever they want granted (with a drawback) And now, a brief snippet of what I was complaining about earlier being discussed by others… And what audiences thought of Vail’s appearances by now. Safe to say, whatever hype he generated had died down by now. George: Hello, George Karizaki here for the Stamp Navi. But in the midst of all this chaos, I can’t seem to find anyone to co-host with me. Vail: I’ll help do this. George: You will? Vail: Yeah, I helped your old man do the first of these back in the day along with Junpei. And since the big man in charge won’t let me kill any of these kids - Don’t ask me why, his reasons are fairly dumb - this fight’s boring. I need something to do. George: Alright, in that case, let’s get started on today’s Vistamp. Kajiki! Nose Tip! Pierce! Splash! Swordfish! The Waves Decide the Ending! George: This Kajiki Vistamp is to the sea, what Ptera is to the sky and Jackal is to the land. A form that grants enhanced speed, along with the additional abilities of strong swimming and slashing power.* Vail: (snatches the Vistamp): How interesting. (He stamps himself, before delivering a slash that cleaves a nearby desk in half) Oh, this power is great. Now then, don’t you discuss the guy who you based this on at this point. “Legend Riders”, you call them? Desire Driver: Saber! Rekka Battou! Touma: Henshin! Brave Dragon! George: Ok then. Kamen Rider Saber, Touma Kamiyama. The latest in a long line of inheritors to the Holy Sword of Fire over 2000 years. Last year, he fought and defeated the Megido in their attempts to destroy and remake the world into one of chaos. Touma: I will decide how this story ends! Vail: Sounds like my kind of place. I wish they’d succeeded. (Desast appears) Desast: Believe me, working for those guys is no picnic. You’re better off striking out on your own and finding your own path. Vail: But I already have my own path. Torturing Junpei Shiranami by viciously murdering his family in front of him. Desast: See, that’s your problem. You’re trying to be me, but you’re lacking in any of my moral depth. Start a blog channel or something. Vail: Wait, how are you alive? Desast: The answer is in Kamen Rider Outsiders Episode 2, streaming now on TTFC. George: (clearly annoyed) Let’s just leave this here until next time. * I cannot vouch for this being canon. I just made it up for this skit. __________________ The song has ended. But the story never ends Last edited by Androzani84; 06-09-2023 at 04:37 AM..

06-09-2023, 09:58 AM	#445
Kamen Rider Die Kamen Ride Or Die Join Date: Aug 2019 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 5,846	Quote: Originally Posted by Switchblade Mainly, though, she's the only other character left at Fenix besides Daiji and Akaishi who isn't a random background goon. I was actually really excited for Daiji's proactive/reckless attitude in this episode, even though we're suposed to see it as Akaishi and Giff making him so stressed out and put-upon that he eventually snaps. It's nice to see that kid taking on the reins of leadership, even if the main lesson he learned from Hiromi was to sacrifice yourself and maybe get detonated off a cliff, should one be available. But I don't get why -- aside from budget issues -- this isn't the sort of problem that would necessitate all of the other Fenix troops showing up to the fight? This is yet another episode where Fenix feels equally staffed to an organization like Weekend: 3 guys in two rooms, that's it. If we'd at least have gotten a line of dialogue where Daiji refused to enlist Fenix troops because they were possibly already corrupted by Akaishi (fair, but it makes Fenix look like an organization not worth defending) or that they'd be no use against Giff's powers (still fair, still doesn't make Fenix look particularly valuable) then I'd be okay with a Kamen Riders-only climax. But... wouldn't a squadron of troops at least keep the pressure off the Riders enough to accomplish their objective? Isn't Daiji a leader of men? Quote: Originally Posted by Androzani84 Namely because despite promising to focus on Daiji and the FENIX plot, both of which have been massively under-utilised despite how important they logically should be, both are still not that important to the episode. Despite all of the above, and my disinterest in what we were given by Akaishi, I think this episode did focus on Fenix and Daiji? This all of the Akaishi "subterfuge" coming into the light, and Daiji being a unifying force between every active Rider. They're not as compelling as Vail, but they're definitely important. And thanks so much for the fun gags, and the fun skit! __________________ On a break! KAMEN RIDER W is next! Archive assembling on KamenRiderDie.com!

06-09-2023, 08:08 PM	#446
DreadBringer Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2020 Posts: 1,202	Quote: Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die KAMEN RIDER REVICE EPISODE 34 - ?DEMON CALLING TO DEMON? At times, I sort of appreciate the primal nature of the conflict against Giff, when applied to an anniversary season of Kamen Rider. He?s a blank slate, with nothing but his various acolytes to sketch in his threat, his objective, his very identity. What we?re told by the rotating collection of sycophants and psychopaths that bend the knee to a yonic sculpture and a mute costume is hilariously boilerplate: overwhelming power, enslaved humanity, capitulation or destruction, blah blah blah. It becomes a sort of Ur Kamen Rider narrative, where the lack of prominence to the threat allows other themes to gain prominence; there?s frequently some global tragedy, but our family will always be the most important thing in our lives. The villain this year is every villain, but fifty years of Kamen Rider series are defined by the stuff around that ? the goofy uncles and mysterious rivals and wisecracking puppets and empty cafes. Giff sucks to make everything else more fun by comparison. So far about Akaishi, he's build up as someone with well-intentioned motive to keep the human race alive, by having them submit to Giff instead of, invoking Giff's wrath and have Giff exterminate everyone. That shows his intentions aside, Akaishi does have villain's typical outlook of humans, to make people fall into despair and crush their hopes, and he'd be someone looking down on humanity and their potential as a whole. His approach reminds me of Micchy from Gaim's, to face an overwhelming villain by pracfically cowardly way of just giving up and letting them win/be their lapdog so that they have a chance to be spared or something, though Micchy only did that for the people he favored while Akaishi's doing that for whole humanity. For now Akaishi has 'good' intention and isn't as bad as Olteca, but he still had the brutality he displayed so far to Akemi and Daiji (who for now... properly henshins..). Daiji bleeding heavily reminds me of Taiga in Ex-Aid nearly killed by Graphite. George here acted under Akaishi's order again to try to lure him into a trap, but now George didn't go giddy and excited anymore under Akaishi's orders, probably again showing how he changed, directly when interacting with Akaishi here. Quote: Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die I guess it can be -- I don't read any yuri manga or watch yuri anime! -- but I definitely don't think that's happening here. I don't think that's what you're saying, but the Tamaki stuff... like, Tamaki was never presented as a romantic interest for Aguilera, in either direction. He worships her as a monarch, and she tolerates him as a subject. (Sometimes as her favorite subject, but still.) The Aguilera/Tamaki stuff is a completely different plotline from the Sakura/Hana stuff. If anything, Tamaki is rooting for Sakura and Aguilera to get together! Quote: Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die There?s very little thematically to hang onto in the fight against Giff, which is a problem when a vast majority of this episode is devoted to making the threat of Giff an immediate and undeniable danger. (That little date scene between Sakura and Hana, though! Adorable! And they hate having those two goofs hovering over them like overprotective brothers!) For a minute I almost saw a correlation between Akaishi?s decision to let humanity suffer and survive under Giff, and the idea of an overprotective parent diminishing the freedom of a child in the name of safety, but I couldn?t make a good case for it. There?s really nothing on the family side of this story to act as co-commentary, and Akaishi?s too gleeful of a maniac to make a good-faith argument of his actions as beneficial to humanity. He?s just some bloodthirsty prick that wants to survive, and be at the top of whatever dregs of humanity survives Giff?s imminent wrath. He?s hollow and pointless, which is all I can ever muster for the Giff story on this show. The gag is probably about how the boys (Tamaki/Hikaru) are trying to be bodyguards to females who are actually far stronger/more competent than them (Sakura/Aguilera), but it'd be wasted if the boys, Hikaru likely joining, are only reduced into their lost puppies. Though there's Hikaru feeling down about how he's actually nothing compared to Sakura, as their previous karate sparring has shown, with even Tasuke pointing it out, and wanting to be Kamen Rider itself, while Tamaki has been like this ever since he got separated from his Giftex powers. Other bodyguarding part is what's actually necessary, Vice protecting Yukimi, who isn't a fighter, from Vail actually hunting the Igarashis, despite Yukimi's protest. I guess now Vice had fully atoned for his sins here against Yukimi and now their relationship has been fully repaired, protecting the woman he tried to eat at one point, and Yukimi recognizing that shooing Vice away was probably wrong. And for previous reply, as usual, more like talking about fanbase reaction rather than actual yuri media (though the reverse can happen for yaoi pairing, especially r KR being described as "heated drama between men" and it being infamous of female characters not being handled well to them), and though it's true that the boys are being overprotective, still feel that there's "eww boys" move that's seen as getting in the way of females hooking up with each other which was what I refer here, more like because basing of how Aguilera is still haughty as ever, my worry was that she'd have the good guy status to get away with that behavior (o̶r̶ ̶e̶v̶e̶n̶ ̶p̶r̶e̶v̶i̶o̶u̶s̶l̶y̶ ̶w̶i̶t̶h̶ ̶h̶e̶r̶ ̶b̶e̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶g̶o̶r̶g̶e̶o̶u̶s̶). Though her interaction to Hikaru is the first time she interacted normally with others. I don't know if actually her bitchy attitude is reserved only for Tamaki here, but it being played for laughs doesn't negate it being abusive though. Quote: Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die The stuff with Vail is a little more interesting, if only for the more personal stakes it evokes. (Why this show landed its big emotional cliffhanger on Akemi, a character whose only memorable attribute is A Doctor Who Wears Distractingly Short Skirts, rather than on someone who has contributed anything to the narrative, is beyond me.) Vail?s manipulation of Vice is simple, and provable: Demons are inevitably cast out by humans. Vail was abandoned by Genta, Kagerou was destroyed by Daiji, and we?ve watched any number of people get severed from their demons over the last 30-odd episodes. The idea that Ikki might eventually see Vice less as a buddy and more as a sickness? it sort of tracks? We?re not there yet, by any stretch, but maybe some day? Especially now that Ikki knows that teaming with Vice is destroying his memories? There?s a kernel of doubt in Vice now, and it?s all Vail needs to render both Ikki and Vice less effective as Kamen Riders. Vail's new psychological game now is about dictating others about how to live like a demon which is again, effective on Vice that got really shaken with Vail's mindgames, distracting him in fight and hindering Ikki (and apologized for that). Vail tried to invoke parental abuse/ageism with him being Genta's devil.... but... now Revice pulls something opposite to "X is X" some Kamen Rider shows pulled, like Inoues... by Vice pointing out that devils aren't the same as the human hosts thus Vail isn't a father that can abuse his position. Then obviously Vail tries to break Vice's relationship with Ikki with the latter eventually leaving him, now I don't personally see this as another question of "Is Vice actually evil", as what the series has pushed to the viewers before, probably it'd be actually Vail really underestimating the bond between Ikki and Vice and it'd be partly his downfall later or something. So regarding my expectations before of Akemi being the show's secondary heroine, it got twisted around not only for Aguilera but for Akemi herself too. Aguilera was the main antagonist but eventually got redeemed to join Weekend, while Akemi was a female with larger presence (other than the Igarashis) on the main organization, but now got turned into Deadman. So actually Akemi wasn't completely immune either to the dark truth, though Akemi's still far less malicious than Chigusa was, she undergoes BSOD phase and apologizing to Daiji for seeing the truth, but it seems that as Deadman her actions are uncontrollable, l̶i̶k̶e̶ ̶s̶t̶e̶p̶p̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶o̶n̶ ̶D̶a̶i̶j̶i̶,̶ ̶n̶o̶t̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶h̶u̶m̶a̶n̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶m̶. __________________ The most complete non-wiki encyclopedias for Kamen Rider series (currently only found Ryuki and OOO's).