[Matrixbeast]

Blade is always worth watching.

[Switchblade]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Locke

I personally wasn't a big fan of it, the action scenes were largely pretty terrible and the pacing was so slow it made all the character focus fall flat. I dropped it in the end after getting about half way and having enough.

Yeah, the one big problem with Blade is that it's very much a slow build kind of series. Eventually it does get really, really awesome and epic, but it takes a lot of time to establish the world and characters before it gets to that point. Once you hit episode 30, though, and the new opening song kicks in, the show is just pure awesomeness from there on out. But yeah, the first 15 especially are kind of a slog.

[Locke]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Switchblade

Yeah, the one big problem with Blade is that it's very much a slow build kind of series. Eventually it does get really, really awesome and epic, but it takes a lot of time to establish the world and characters before it gets to that point. Once you hit episode 30, though, and the new opening song kicks in, the show is just pure awesomeness from there on out. But yeah, the first 15 especially are kind of a slog.

I think I got to episode 18 when I finally gave up, finally a character I like was introduced, he became this badass Rider who could control the undead...then he died and got replaced by some wimp. Yeah I was done there.

[Locke]

21 - 22 of Black. Maybe these were just a bad pair of episodes or maybe my love for the series is wearing off...

Episode twenty one should have come way, way earlier in the series. They really needed this episode before the one where Battle Hopper risked its life for Kotaro and almost died. Still, they relationship is largely poorly realised. As Battle Hopper can only bleep, we can never truly understand their bond. Kotaro admires Battle Hopper because he saved him from Golgom I suppose (although this is never brought up) but why did Battle Hopper do that? I guess we'll never find out.

Episode 22 was a weird episode, I didn't even remember the Wasp Mutant, so suddenly building a whole story around another kind of wasp Mutant taking vengeance really took me off guard in its randomness. The other story of the episode wasn't any better as it depicted a kid trying to murder Kotaro, this kid is clearly very damaged. Then again he did have psychic powers so what the fuck do I know.

I love how active the three Generals are in this show, It really makes me wish Black had a plot, because they constantly get their hands dirty but it's never clear what they are actually getting their hands dirty with. I know they want the Kingstone and I know all of the Century King stuff, but if you look at each episode individually I have no fucking idea what Golgom are doing or what their motivations are. They always have these ludicrously elaborate plans yet none of them ever seem to have an actual goal, it's just a plan for the sake of a plan. It really is baffling to watch at times. And I've long since stopped lying to myself that this will ever come together, it wont will it?

Now I'm trying to slow down my Toku consumption, the special effects were really jarring at first. Did Black always look this bad? I mean the fights are still fun and Kotaro is by this point probably my favourite Rider ever but man them special effects, the show doesn't even try and hide the strings of the polystyrene. The Sword Wasp looked better than that Jewel fella and the Sword Saints upgrade makeup form tho.

[SPLIT LIP]

The thing stpping me from watching Blade is, honestly, the card thing. Not the motif, the motif is awesome. But I hate series where the power is a piece of paper. Ryuki, aside from making NO SENSE baout how the advent cards work, demostrated how weak they were as these objects of power. Hell, apparently they're not even fire proof.

[Matrixbeast]

I think the card motif in Blade works better because the monsters of the week are the cards. So each enemy has the potential of providing a new power.

[Locke]

Not that the card thing is ever explained, 'we need to lock these things away and chuck away the key!' 'okay, let's use playing cards!' 'wut'

[Matrixbeast]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Locke

Not that the card thing is ever explained, 'we need to lock these things away and chuck away the key!' 'okay, let's use playing cards!' 'wut'

Easier to run around with a deck of cards to seal them than to wait for the monolith to show up and do it for you.

[SPLIT LIP]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matrixbeast

Easier to run around with a deck of cards to seal them than to wait for the monolith to show up and do it for you.

What happens if the card is torn in half?

Also Locke, sorry Black's slowing down for you. I'm not that far in. You still watching Den-O?

[Locke]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SPLIT LIP

What happens if the card is torn in half?

Also Locke, sorry Black's slowing down for you. I'm not that far in. You still watching Den-O?

Well eventually a Rider appears who can just free everyone from their cards, so it becomes pointless regardless.

And not at the minute, took a break from toku for a while after I plowed through like twenty series in sixth months I've not dropped the show, but I'm watching like four episodes a week, rather than like 45 episodes a week.