[Switchblade]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matrixbeast

Hibiki Volume 6.
So it was Ibuki. Neat. He's a rather nice dude, so I can dig it. I hope he transforms soon, since he did hint to Asumu that he wanted him to watch he and Hibiki to take out a Makamou.

Next episode or the one after that.

Quote:

Something I also enjoyed was Asumu admitting to the old man that he didn't pick the high school he's trying to attend for any personal reasons, but simply because it's higher rated. Kind of a mini-social commentary for Japan, as he wanted to go to a different school because they had a better music and brass band, but isn't as 'prestigious' (For lack of a better term) as Jounan. The old man commenting on how it sucks to make large life goals at that age also helped cement it.

Yeah, there's a lot of interesting insights into the Japanese high school system in Hibiki. As someone with minimal knowledge of it, I found it pretty interesting.

[Spiteface]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Diamondmatter

Blade is infamous for the first 12 episodes being pretty bad, then getting better afterwards, then getting really good around 30.

I've just got into the late "teens" and yes, the show has indeed picked up considerably.

[Matrixbeast]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Switchblade

Next episode or the one after that.


Yeah, there's a lot of interesting insights into the Japanese high school system in Hibiki. As someone with minimal knowledge of it, I found it pretty interesting.

Awesome~

And yeah, I guess I just wasn't anticipating school playing such a large role, but then again, I'm not used to my main character in Kamen Rider being a middle school aged kid.

[Matrixbeast]

Hibiki Volume 7.
Ibuki's transforms into his oni form. His suit looks rather nice, granted, I always knew what it looked like, but still, doesn't change that it's a nice looking suit.

So Asumu passes the exam and gets accepted into the high school of his choice! Wonderful! I am glad he did, giving a nice follow up to the past few episodes of he and Hibiki promising each other that they'll both train hard. In his excitement, Asumu rushes to the restaurant only to find that Hibiki is off training. While there, he expresses some interest in the possibility that anyone could become an oni if they work at it, though he quickly shifts topics afterwards.
After getting secret instructions to his secret training grounds, he does his best to get there, but inadvertently falls asleep on the bus and misses it, now in a different area with little he can do.
As a quick note, a pregnant woman boards the bus, and Asumu is show uneasy as he is unsure whether or not he wants to offer his seat, but a young lady beats him to the punch. Looks like he still has some growing to do~

The demons here are two monsters who attack their victims by stretching their legs out and squeezing them.
...Huh.
Well, it's uneasy, I'll give them that. While terrorizing a young lady (The same one Asumu was on the bus with), Ibuki arrives and saves the day, taking out one of them.

Now that Asumu's current school stress is over with, I'm curious about where he's going to progress from here. Meanwhile, they're mentioning an apprentice under Ibuki named Akira, who I assumed was the lady on the bus, but her actions and interactions with Ibuki didn't seem to indicate that (However, Ibuki showed no restraint transforming in front of her, something Hibiki was derided for). I dunno...

[Switchblade]

Yeah, that's Akira. You'll also see her in the opening and closing credits.

[barnstenchfartface]

Stronger episode 30.

Oh damn, this episode was actually really good. Especially that ending. Pretty freaking great.

[Matrixbeast]

Hibiki Volume 8.
So Asumu decides, rather than wait for a bus to go home, to just venture out into the woods with a map and his compass to find Hibiki like that. Kind of a dumbass decision there, kid...Well, late at night, he stumbles upon Ibuki and Akira's camp, thankfully letting him rest there. Akira is being a bitch and cold for no reason, while Ibuki is just trying to help the kid survive the night. The next morning, Akira chose to be a bitch instead, needlessly confronting Asumu because she's a bitch like that. Ibuki tries to stop her from being such an unlikable being, but is interrupted by Hibiki returning.
Though Ibuki knows that they have to get going to fight the Makamou soon because he'll eventually be able to fly without spending most time underwater, so he and Akira run off. Them gone, Hibiki and Asumu speak once again, Asumu learning of the little organization made for the oni and anyone who supports them. He helps reassure Asumu and things are well and fine.
In the meantime, Ibuki engages the Makamou, the one with the stretchy leg and the flying stingray. With a little help from the snake disk animals, he's able to take out the stretchy one and, after landing a few shots, able to trumpet the stingray to death.
With the monsters gone, they return to camp and Akira proves she isn't 100% bitch and apologizes, dropping down to about 85%.

This episode was alright. I enjoyed the snake disk animals actually being able to attack and prod the Makamou out the water, as well as being able to help Ibuki break free after being bound by the other monster. I think these are the most useful animal trinkets I've seen this side of OOO.
The character moments were all over the place. Asumu being so desperate to tell Hibiki he passed a test that he'd trek through a forest alone, at night, just to hope to find the mountain Hibiki is on? Kind of dumbass decision. Ibuki is a nice character, charming and likable, but Akira is a bitch (Yes, I know that was the point and the purpose of her apology is to prove that she's not cold hearted and blah). Hibiki is his normal laid back self, and I'm really hoping to see another side of him soon.

[Suzu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spiteface

I've just got into the late "teens" and yes, the show has indeed picked up considerably.

It's more that at this point, things start clicking, as in you start to understand what happened in the first few episodes. At first you're only given some hints and in around the 15 episode mark or so, they start connecting those hints properly.

[Matrixbeast]

Hibiki Volume 9.
So, things happened.
Starting with Hibiki, we see that his training has led to a new ability. He's able to light his ongekibou on fire and throw multiple fireballs. Personally, I'm more of a fan of breathing fire, but I guess this gives him longer range and more control over the flames. He's kind of just fighting monsters the whole episode, killing the human ones and then taking out the giant bug, using his new style. It was a nice fight. Next, we have Ibuki trying to track down a Makamou, but having a little issue because the clues they give matches the natures of 2 different Makamou. Since they can't really plan for one or the other, they investigate, soon coming to a car crushed flat. This leads Ibuki to see that it's not a flying monster, but they continue on anyway as they're already there.

Finally, Asumu, who is having a crappy day, par for the course with him. Accidentally oversleeping, he misses out on a movie with his friends despite getting multiple messages to prepare for. He tries his hardest to get everything done with no time, but soon reaches the final message that his friends chose to watch the movie without him.

I know that feeling.
He wanders about instead, soon stumbling into a bookstore. There, he finds a set of ne'er do wells shoplifting. Making eye contact, he's torn over what to do until the owner steps in and stops them. They make a break for it and accidentally trips over Asumu, causing one of them to get caught while the other escapes. Left with a large bruise and a bloody nose, he's soon let out of the bookstore where, unfortunately, he finds the other shoplifter, pissed off and ready to fight.
Poor kid.

This episode was alright, if a little too spread out. I do enjoy seeing Hibiki's training from the previous 2 episodes leading to a new ability, but that's all he was this episode. Just action. He had one scene of rest, but that's it. I think he could've been cut and just have Ibuki do the fighting.
The main focus was Asumu this episode. Once again, he's torn on being passive or stepping up to do what's right. Though this time, he does stop one criminal, it's only due to being in the same aisle when they run, and accidentally tripping one up. He's also left worse for wear for accidentally being a hero. Poor guy, never catches a break.
Ibuki learns that the Makamou he's tracking probably isn't flying type, so he's not gonna have an advantage, but he continues onward, so I'm interested to see where it leads him next episode, but here he feels a tad underused. He didn't really do much and took up screen time that could've gone to Hibiki or Asumu, really.

[Boshusan]

This last week I watched Kiva first half ep. 1~24

Aside a couple of events that make non sense, story is less terrible than I would expect at first.
For example, the part where Otoya spirit use Wataru body is fun as hell, but is not explained at all, it's just there because it's cool (and it allows Wataru's actor tu pull a hell of an Otoya's character impression).
And remember when Wataru took a beat from Rook and was taken by Jirou in castle Doran ? And then he just magically awake at home, not explained either.
There's also Nago-IXA vanishing conveniently at the end of some fights just to not witness Wataru de-henshin.

Then the frequent switching of events between 1986 and 2008 often offers smart little things that relate to each others, that's the most interesting aspect of the show IMHO, with good comedy and characters.