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10-26-2019, 11:02 AM | #15611 |
Showa Girl
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 9,064
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Quote:
I hope you manage to forget most of the spoilers from Zi-O as you get deep into enjoying Blade.
The cafe being such a common recurring element in these shows makes me wonder why we haven't had a main character who is runs a cafe, and fights with like, powers and forms based on different flavours and types of beverages. Also, surprised Chalice showed up this early! Decade made me think he was the secondary belt rider that shows up around the 20 mark like Woz or Gatack or Meteor; but nope, here he is! I can't believe Tsukasa would lie to me like that! Also fun that they're barely bothering to hide that he's a monster, especially when that was a big twist last season. I've got to imagine said twist last season was a very popular one since after that we got early Chalice; the Hibiki riders arguably being kaijin in some form; some of the Kabuto riders being worms; the Imagin in Den-O... |
10-26-2019, 11:45 AM | #15612 |
take me to space
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 1,406
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Quote:
Unfortunately between Zi-O and Gorider I have had some major elements about Blade spoiled for me, though that's been the case for Ryuki and Faiz as well. I'm just hoping it's not stuff that's supposed to be a huge surprise because as said I'm super liking it despite being two episodes in.
Also, surprised Chalice showed up this early! Decade made me think he was the secondary belt rider that shows up around the 20 mark like Woz or Gatack or Meteor; but nope, here he is! I can't believe Tsukasa would lie to me like that! Also fun that they're barely bothering to hide that he's a monster, especially when that was a big twist last season. I've got to imagine said twist last season was a very popular one since after that we got early Chalice; the Hibiki riders arguably being kaijin in some form; some of the Kabuto riders being worms; the Imagin in Den-O... I could be speaking from faulty memory, but I think the show did mean to be coy about Chalice being an Undead in the beginning. They were really blatant with their hints, I think. Either way, I love Chalice and everything about him, from his character to that sick suit and weapon. |
10-26-2019, 06:43 PM | #15613 |
The Immortal King Tasty
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Every diner you've ever been to.
Posts: 3,833
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Faiz 19-20:
Episode 19 is the back half of the plot that started in 18 and it's exceedingly okay. "Obnoxious kid has family problems" is just about the most ubiquitous stock toku plot out there. So to see Inoue do a very standard take on that, in a show I love for being different? It's hard to get excited about. There are things to like. While it's stretched out way too thin, I feel like the show is accomplishing something with the main trio here. Because this is a lighter plot you get to see them in a more mellow light than usual, and it reinforces how much tighter they are by this point. It's something, anyway. At least it has the super cool final fight with J. I have to admit the fact that Kaixa killed him twice already lowers the impact a tiny bit, but if we're looking specifically at his fights with Faiz, Takkun has consistently been getting smacked around by this guy. We know a Rider Kick won't work on him, and neither will a Punch. So to see Takumi ultimately beat him by just doing both is a cute payoff, and a memorable fight scene. Actually, this is probably as good a spot as any to mention how much I love the action in Faiz. It's got the visceral feeling I love from stuff like Kuuga, befitting the grounded tone, with Takumi in particular being extremely thuggish, always grabbing at Orphenochs and even occasionally literally kicking them while they're down, but the show also mixes in a lot of cool flashy stuff, mostly where it comes to the finishers. It's the best of both worlds. The general lack of banter is also something that appeals to me. It creates a nice contrast with the talky parts of the show, and I love that often you can still get an idea of what's going through Takumi's head from Faiz's body language. Episode 20 has plenty going on between wacky dating antics, Takumi's new haircut, and our fourth Faiz, but strangely I don't have much to say about it, even though it's way more interesting than the last two. Oh, and the Faiz Mistranslation Corner is on break today. Granted, I'm also an amateur doing this by ear, so it's entirely possible, even likely, I missed something, but both these episodes seemed pretty intact. Of course, there's still plenty left from earlier episodes I could touch on, but, look, I'm still exhausted from the last one of these, okay? Please enjoy this picture of a cute dog instead: W 19-20: Accel has a pretty strong introduction. Ryuu is a character who I think adds a lot to the show, but he also falls into the same weird position for me as some other secondary Riders, where I don't actively care about him that much, even though he's cool. But I've already discovered I actually really like Akiko, so who knows how I'll feel about him this time around. As for the arc itself, it does its job cleanly and precisely, like Double always does. I appreciate how the importance of the Kamen Rider name is once again highlighted, and the way Ryuu fills the void Kirihiko left as Shoutarou's foil is neat. Besides, another character for Shoutarou to get comically frustrated with is never a bad thing. Also, and I think everyone who watches W thinks this, but the show stressing how heavy the Engine Blade is before Ryuu transforms is amazing. It's cool simply because it's nice to have such a direct reminder that Riders are really strong, but beyond that, it's such a delightfully high-energy way to introduce this new character. Having Ryuu running around for a fight scene, in that sort of "halfway there" state, leaves with you with a very distinct impression of him. You won't soon forget the guy who fearlessly charges at a superpowered monster armed only with the rage in his eyes and a sword he can barely hold. Quote:
Unfortunately between Zi-O and Gorider I have had some major elements about Blade spoiled for me, though that's been the case for Ryuki and Faiz as well. I'm just hoping it's not stuff that's supposed to be a huge surprise because as said I'm super liking it despite being two episodes in.
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10-26-2019, 07:25 PM | #15614 |
Showa Girl
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 9,064
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Chaco is the number one best character from Faiz and I'm distraught he doesn't have a figuarts yet. Shinkkochou Seihou J & Chaco now or else.
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10-27-2019, 05:22 PM | #15615 |
The Immortal King Tasty
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Every diner you've ever been to.
Posts: 3,833
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Faiz 21-22:
Alright, we're finally here. The moment I've waited years to get to again. One of the most common things I see people complain about in Faiz. The out of nowhere appearance from the Faiz Accel. A piece of equipment presumably manufactured by Smart Brain, that Kusaka shows up with after going on an offscreen three-episode length quest with the other Ryuusei school children for the Delta Gear, a piece of equipment manufactured by Smart Brain that he pretty clearly states in 22 is now with the other Ryuusei school children. Hang on, that actually sounds completely explicable! I feel lied to! Anyway, even if there wasn't a completely plausible explanation all but explicitly stated (and Takkun is not the kind of character who's going to care enough to ask!), I was prepared to say I unironically love Faiz Accel's debut. The fight itself is underwhelming, which gets made up for in 22, but the actual scene of Kaixa just chucking at Faiz's head? It's brilliant. You'll never convince me otherwise. This show's detached attitude towards shilling merch, while also still making said merch look awesome, is just one of the many things I love about it, and while the true pinnacle of that is yet to come, this is definitely a very close #2 for scenes that symbolize it. The actual stuff that matters, the drama, is great in 21, too. Takumi warming up to Yuuji through a life and death struggle against monsters together is amazing, and, of course, perfectly timed to coincide with Yuuji developing a proper rivalry against "Faiz", who he's definitely, totally sure is still Smart Brain's hitman, especially because he sees Takuma transforming here. I also love seeing Takumi act on the development he's been going through by refusing to do a finishing move on an Orphenoch he knows just wants to live as a regular person. Yuuji and Kusaka also get to start hanging toward the end of 22 after the latter overhears Mari suggesting she might have a crush on the former. I'm sure this will all work out great for everyone involved. No Faiz Mistranslation Corner today, either. There were a few awkwardly rendered lines here and there, but as long as the subs stay at the reasonably competent level they've been at lately, I don't think nitpicking them serves much of a purpose. Those early episodes were real ugly in places, so I think I'll just sit back and enjoy the change of pace, as long as it lasts. W 21-22: Okay, so this has been bugging the crap out of me for a bit now, but I can't help but notice Masquerade Dopants explode without leaving a trace like a typical Sentai mook. Which leads me to ask, are Double and Accel just slaughtering these guys by the dozens? This show makes a huge point out of the monsters not dying, but every time the mooks show up, it's like nobody even cares. I get that I'm not supposed to read into it at all, but this is extremely jarring coming off of Takumi's crisis of conscience in Faiz. At any rate, the arc itself this time was great. It has stronger than usual atmosphere throughout, and does the usual thing of focusing on fleshing out the new hero, with a plot about a cop willing to go to extreme lengths for revenge that parallels Ryuu's own motives. However, it also manages to avoid falling into the trap that a lot of these episodes do by not making the plot at the expense of the main hero. Shoutarou and Philip both have plenty to do, and Shoutarou even gets his own emotional angle with the guest character too. It really covers its bases, even if I still think this show should've stayed away from giant CG dinosaurs.
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10-27-2019, 05:34 PM | #15616 |
Showa Girl
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 9,064
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This was definitely the strongest part of Faiz to me, even if yeah, I really do wish that they'd give at least a throwaway line to where their new tech came from. But I guess I was prepared for that after Kaixa suddenly had a sidecar bike drive up to him that straight up turned into a Sentai mech and not even Keitarou thought that was worth mentioning.
Anyway, uh, yeah. This is where the strongest part of Faiz lay, and why I wish the show focused on Takumi and Kiba a lot more and why I wish it went different places with it. Their dynamic is so fascinating even if their mistaking each other for the enemy does get a bit tiring, and I just adore the idea of the beat-up-monsters-save-the-day-our-hero-kamen-rider formula getting subverted by the actual monster of the week being arguably the bigger hero here, and how Faiz should be questioning things a lot more. Also, shoutout to that Pizza guy, who I was so glad didn't die and I was kinda confused didn't show up again. I liked him a lot and I swear I wish half of my bosses were as nice as him. |
10-28-2019, 07:30 PM | #15617 |
The Immortal King Tasty
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Every diner you've ever been to.
Posts: 3,833
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Faiz 23-24:
Everyone has it real rough these episodes. Lucky Clover has it rough because their whole recruitment drive is going terribly, with their candidates being, as Murakami might say, the lowest of the low. Yuuji has it rough because his new friendship lasted all of 20 minutes. Takkun has it rough because he's making a genuine effort to get to know Kusaka, which is like talking to a brick wall. Kusaka has it rough because all his plans keep failing miserably. Mari has it rough because she has to fend off two different borderline stalkers. Yuka has it rough because Kaidou won't notice her. And Kaidou has it rough because Yuka deliberately gave him terrible advice to sabotage his already nonexistent chances with Mari. It's okay for Kaidou, though, because unlike those other losers, he knows how to press forward in life. Why, by the end of 24 he's even successfully stolen both Rider belts with the help of the new buddy he made after saving him from committing suicide. You know, because he's such a hero that way? And that plan to get the belts? Totally airtight. Takumi and Kusaka never saw it coming. Well, okay, that's a lie. It's actually one of the more baffling moments in the whole show. I think it's mostly a matter of the way it's edited out. The idea was probably supposed to be that after Kaidou and his pal run off, Takumi and Kusaka sorta go into recon mode, and search around on their bikes for a bit. But in execution, it just looks like they randomly decided to detransform and pack away their Gear before giving chase, which makes Kaidou's extremely silly plan look even more impossibly stupid. Honestly, though? The whole thing is so much fun I don't even care how arbitrary it is. Actually, these episodes in general are crazy fun. Kaixa even starts dual-wielding his guns and blasting away at one point. It's amazing! ...Unlike Agony's subs for this show, which I'm still flopping back and forth on how much I like. There's no Faiz Mistranslation Corner this time, again, but that's only because all the botched lines I saw in Agony's version were completely accurate, if clunky, in TV-Nihon's. Which has been happening a lot lately, and it's getting frustrating seeing how "one step forward, two steps back" this whole situation is. Still though, dual-wielding Kaixa, am I right? W 23-24: These are some of the weirdest and most memorable episodes of the show. Really, I'm only even saying "some of" on the off chance I've just forgotten something that comes later. This arc is strange. I also remember it very fondly for whatever reason. I couldn't tell you for the life of me if it's a good set of episodes, or a bad one, but I distinctly recall at the time, that somewhere in here, it just sort of hit me how much fun I was having with this show. Like I hadn't really thought about it at all up to this point. I know saying Double is fun is like saying water is wet, but that's what goes through my head seeing this arc again. Given that it revolves around a local singing competition, this is probably also a great time to get in a mention of how much effort Double went to when it came to world-building with Fuuto. It could've gotten away with a lot less, but, even though the show doesn't always rub it all in your face, you've got a big landmark, a city mascot, a fairly large cast of recurring citizens from widespread walks of life, a local celebrity or two, and even what finally gets alluded to here, the fact that the insert themes are technically meant to be the work of in-universe bands. The extra attention to detail helps you buy Fuuto as a "real" place, and makes it that much easier to connect with Shoutarou's attachment to it.
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10-28-2019, 08:09 PM | #15618 |
Showa Girl
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 9,064
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Quote:
Given that it revolves around a local singing competition, this is probably also a great time to get in a mention of how much effort Double went to when it came to world-building with Fuuto. It could've gotten away with a lot less, but, even though the show doesn't always rub it all in your face, you've got a big landmark, a city mascot, a fairly large cast of recurring citizens from widespread walks of life, a local celebrity or two, and even what finally gets alluded to here, the fact that the insert themes are technically meant to be the work of in-universe bands. The extra attention to detail helps you buy Fuuto as a "real" place, and makes it that much easier to connect with Shoutarou's attachment to it. Most Kamen Riders kind of have a thing about protecting the citizens, and often characters of the week fill it in well; but I think just how specifically W does it and how much it develops their jobs and landmarks is what gives you a much better idea of Futo than, I dunno; The City Where Ex-Aid's Hospital Is, or That Place Wizard Always Fights In. And that's not to knock those shows, I like them; but it just speaks more to how strong W is. Maybe that's part of why I often easily think of W, OOO and Fourze as a good trilogy, because the latter two had similarly strong worldbuilding though on different scales; ie a small community and a high school respectively. All three of these have a VERY strong sense of setting and background compared to most Rider shows which generally just go for The City, which is fine and often works well enough, but there's a reason I look so fondly back on this 'trilogy' as a golden era of Rider. |
10-29-2019, 08:58 PM | #15619 |
The Immortal King Tasty
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Every diner you've ever been to.
Posts: 3,833
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Faiz 25-26:
Okay, full disclosure, I probably let the Faiz Accel off the hook a little too easily. Apparently the Delta Gear was just with one of the other Ryuusei school children this whole time, which I had forgotten was the explanation for where that's been. So maybe Hanagata got some things mixed up while he was getting the belts to everyone before the series or something. I don't know. I'm also ignoring the actual issue here, which is that the show doesn't directly address this at all. On the flipside, these episodes do support my point about how out of character it would be for Takumi to ask for expository dialogue, considering that when he comes home to someone he's never seen before chatting it up with Keitarou, his immediate reaction is total silence, followed by completely ignoring their presence altogether. It's okay though, they start bonding over their mutual dislike of hot drinks afterwards. Anyway, these episodes are once again a good time. I really love seeing Takumi and Kusaka getting hunted down by their own alter egos, so to speak, which is one of those delightful things about Faiz you just don't get anywhere else. It'd be one thing to see them getting chased through dark rooms deep underground, or even for that to happen when they don't have their belts. But for the monsters chasing them to be using those belts? It's just great. では、久々のファイズ翻訳ミスコーナーです~!今日の翻訳ミスはこれだ! 「二度と這い上がれない闇というものがある」 Finally found a mistake in common again! I shouldn't be happy about that, especially when there are still so many mistakes exclusive to either sub group, but I kinda liked doing these. Murakami here is talking to Takuma and Kageyama about how by betraying Smart Brain, Hanagata fell into darkness. His followup words of warning to them are about how there's darkness you can't ever rise up from again. He's giving them an extremely melodramatic threat that reflects his character. If you cross a line he thinks you shouldn't, you're done to him, and that's that. W 25-26: I feel like this arc was a little uneven for whatever reason, but the good things about it are definitely quite good. The Dopant is another very out there, creative concept that differs from the norm, the villain has a pretty compelling motivation for turning to crime, the developing sideplot with Isaka is fun, and most of all, it agrees with me that it's not important where the Faiz Accel came from!
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10-29-2019, 10:47 PM | #15620 |
take me to space
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 1,406
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That's the one with the puppeteer, right? For some reason, the image of Accel doing his Maximum Drive against a tiny wooden doll was one that really stuck with me.
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