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01-14-2021, 03:22 PM | #611 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
Join Date: Aug 2019
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Yep, just watched it. For some reason, I had it as releasing after 35, when it's very much a post-34 story. Probably going to do the HBV and 36 in one post later today.
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01-14-2021, 03:41 PM | #612 |
I have a problematic type
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01-14-2021, 06:23 PM | #613 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 6,159
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KAMEN RIDER KABUTO - HYPER BATTLE VIDEO - THE BIRTH OF GATACK HYPER FORM
I wouldn't say this is the perfect Kabuto story (there're too few cast members for it to reach that goal), but it's probably the platonic ideal of a Kabuto story. Kagami feels like he's not as good as Tendou, acts incredibly weird, learns that there's nothing wrong with being Kagami, Tendou supports him. That's... I mean, that's pretty much the last 35 episodes of Kabuto in a nutshell? And that's really great for an HBV. It pads out a ton of its runtime with clips from the show, arranged as lessons about Why Tendou Is So Great (I mean, talk about the platonic ideal of a Kabuto story...), but it's hitting all the major things that make Kabuto such a fun show. Building a little short around Tendou and Kagami, I think that's the best thing this HBV could do. It's mostly ridiculous, which is what I want from an HBV. The Gatack and Kabuto Zecters working together to help Kagami get a Hyper Zecter, it's very cute. I love the little eyes that get glued to the Zecter? Hibiki's HBV did the same sort of gimmick (the toys having personalities and trying to educate the POV character), and I really don't mind Kabuto's revisiting it. Just goofy fun, letting Kagami's mugging and impressions carry the bulk of the comedy, with Juka and Tendou acting as straight men. (The one part of the short that bugged me was the 2nd lesson for Being Tendou: Be A Good Older Sibling. Man, Kagami's little brother was killed by Worms and then had his memory used to try and kill Kagami. The Zecters are kind of being enormous assholes by making a gateway to perfection Have An Alive Sibling.) This was a lot of fun, and, despite the more comedic tone, a really solid introduction to the show. (It's honestly probably not even the wackiest Kabuto story!) I can see some kid watching this, then watching the show, and not feeling like they were misled. That may sound like faint praise, but not every HBV clears that bar! --- KAMEN RIDER KABUTO - EPISODE 36 I really enjoyed the subtlety to how this series approached the somewhat-routine Break-Up storyline. Every show with a Rider team has it somewhere in their season, I think. Someone gets possessed, or gets blackmailed, or whatever. One or more hero turns bad, and the remaining heroes need to fight them. That seemed to be the territory we were in with this Tendou Vs Kagami story, where Tendou's need to protect Hiyori tips over into outright villainy, and Kagami's Very Big Feelings are crushed in the fallout. I'd've been okay with that. But this show opted to do something smaller, more nuanced, and I really appreciate that. It went for a story about how people can disagree without dismantling their friendships, how you can be pissed off at someone and still be there for them when it matters. It also did a story about how the value of friendship isn't just cheering you on when you're right, it's also checking you when you're wrong. It's the rare Kabuto episode that ends with Tendou apologizing for making a mistake. (Kagami even mentions how weird it is!) But Tendou does apologize to Kagami at the end of this one, and commits to returning the various Zecters. He's seen what can happen if he's the only Rider left, and it is not good. The Zecters want to destroy Worms, full stop. While a Rider can harness the Zecters, they can't exactly control them, which means the Rider doesn't get to make allowances for The Good Ones like Hiyori. If Tendou doesn't have anyone watching his back, Hiyori could be the next Worm killed. Tendou's realized that he needs a support system if he's going to create a world where Hiyori's safe. (I don't... I'm not sure I 100% believe Kagami Outrageous's explanation to Tendou about the Zecters being all Pro Ice killers of Worms. Literally the only time we see a Zecter go psychotic is in this episode, and it's against a Native who could previously summon the Zecter. It doesn't completely hold up as a piece of information. I'm not sure if it's a total lie on Outrageous's part, or if there's some new evolution of the Kabuto Zecter we haven't been clued in on, but the behavior of the Zecter here feels different. I wouldn't be surprised if the belt or the Zecter had been tampered with in some way, to get Kabuto to try and kill Tachikawa. It doesn't feel like what Outrageous would want, what with ZECT being ordered to protect Tachikawa, but I don't have any clue what that dude's endgame is. Anyway, long story short, I'm operating under the idea that Outrageous is telling the truth, while acknowledging that it's probably a lie.) I like the way this episode approaches friendships, where it doesn't settle for letting unwavering support be just telling people They Can Do It or whatever. It sometimes means hanging around and telling people that they are screwing up big time. It's not about Kagami abandoning his friendship with Tendou because they disagree, it's about Kagami telling Tendou he disagrees with him, repeatedly, because he's Tendou's friend. That shit can get strained (as much as they're working together this episode to further their search for Hiyori, they ain't exactly palling around), but true friendship means sometimes fighting with your friends to keep them from making mistakes. I really love how minor the show made the argument at the heart of this Break-Up story, how much the bond of these two was able to withstand a disagreement. And then there's Kageyama and Yaguruma, who are back on their bullshit. It's basically the Episode 7 versions of them in unconvincing Street Toughs cosplay. They look like they're auditioning for a musical version of Johnny Mnemonic. They look like they shopped in the Kingdom Hearts clearance section. They look like their dad dropped them off at the mall. Kageyama's sneer is... I mean, easily the funniest thing in this episode. Everything about them is so performatively Bad that it's... *chef's kiss*. Seeing them walk in a room is like the non-terrifying version of seeing a group of clowns get out of a tiny car. Never not funny. And then immediately they're acting like old times, where it's Kageyama telling Yaguruma how great he is and Yaguruma telling Kageyama that, no, they're great, in a vaguely-condescending way that only egotists can manage. Their dynamic is, like, 1966 Batman But Goth, where Yaguruma might as well say We All Die Alone, Chum. There's a real connection between these two that is both horrifyingly unhealthy, and totally inevitable. They keep finding each other, you know? There's something to that. Anyway, yeah, fun episode about how real friends aren't afraid to tell you that you're blowing up your life, as portrayed by one group who's about saving you, and one group who's about hastening your destruction. I like these two teams being on the show, you guys! A QUESTION Tsurugi has another insane interaction with food, here delightling to the flavor of two burned potatoes. I've had plenty of spuds in my life, but that's not one I'd look forward to. What's your favorite preparation for potatoes?
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01-14-2021, 07:47 PM | #614 |
The Immortal King Tasty
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Every diner you've ever been to.
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It's amazing how much I really have forgotten about this show. First of all, thank you to Die for only briefly mentioning the sequence that closes out the episode, with the Hell Brothers transforming for the first time, because it's the only way I wanted to start this post. Not only is it a moment I feel should've been burned into my brain a long time ago and yet wasn't, it's a sequence that basically acts like a signature from Ishida, who you'd better believe I'm going to talk about yet again. It's another one of those moments that could only come from him, I think. To have Yaguruma and Kageyama walk off into this tunnel with a slight red glow coming from it, and then somehow find themselves in a crimson void with no discernable scenery in it whatsoever, transforming for reasons that are even more unclear, it's all so not literal, as a way to tell the story, you know? But them posing for their own Televi-Kun pages this way, and making such a conscious effort to project a cool image, it perfectly matches the emotion of the scene, and it ends up feeling sensible because the mood is so cohesive. You're still being told everything you need to know, except instead of all boring and factual, the episode does it with style, and that's this one in a nutshell, because creating a mood is always what Ishida does best. I could point to a lot of individual moments, especially with so many of the usual punchy dialogue scenes, but in the interest of space, I'll merely give a quick shout out to Kabuto's transformation into Hyper Form here, which is perhaps needlessly glorious, but like... I mean, tell me if that sounds like a complaint or not. Getting back to Kageyama, though, I have to say, I did not remember a single thing about how he became PunchHopper, and that's why I was more than a bit shocked to find that, not only did I enjoy this episode, but it might even be one of my favorites of the series so far. I'm not saying it is, but it was a thought that genuinely crossed my mind after it was over, so let's see if I can work out the why of that. I was so pulled in to everything it was doing right from the cold open. The director was perfectly matched to the episode here, because this is a script that swings pretty wildly between emotional highs and lows. It'd be the kind of thing where the atmosphere could come off as inconsistent, with each scene having trouble landing, but, as I mentioned, Ishida is a master when it comes to crafting an overall vibe for any given scene. As such, this one stays supremely easy to follow even as it's rapidly switching up the tone on the viewer. Broadly speaking, however, there is an overall arc to it, with a comedic start that eventually collapses into madness. The episode is a little bit about everyone, but it's ultimately very much about Kageyama, and I'm impressed how much this episode managed to make me engage with a character I remember loathing so much. At first, his usual brown-nosing is cute, but it's seemingly only in support of a plot thread that can basically be summed up as Tendou Regrets Taking Management Positions. He's just one more nuisance to a guy who's clearly five seconds away from getting out of both a militarized organization of nebulous authority AND the restaurant ownership business (which I guess he's in???), and it's funny on that level. But after so many scenes in a row of Kageyama being, well, TheWorst, doing all his usual tricks – all the blatantly feigned emotions, the outright cheating, and the general disregard for people not named Kageyama – I started to feel like I understood him a bit more? It's tricky to describe, but a lot of the episode is basically a day of the life of Kageyama, and considering he just got demoted, it's even more clear than usual how... empty he is, as a person. He seriously can't consider anything beyond some vague quest for status I doubt he even remembers why he wants, and where this episode jumped from being merely a normal great Ishida episode for me to being something that's maybe more special is when it decides to pull all that back after the halfway mark and suddenly make it dead serious. Basically every remaining loose screw in Kageyama ends up falling out completely, and he loses it. He impulsively embarks on a mission to assassinate some guy he doesn't know for people he ought to know he shouldn't put his faith in, and in the process lowers himself from being merely at the bottom of the ladder of ZECT to being an outright enemy of them, and just about everyone else. And then, at his lowest moment, as he lies wounded and waiting to die, comes along one of the first people Kageyama ever betrayed... and he's looking for a little brother. Kind of a lot going on in this story, to say the least! I mean, there's so much more I'd like to touch on: maybe talk about the great mysterious cold open with a rare moment of genuine shock from Tendou; examine the significance of Kagami saying he and Tendou aren't friends; or just rave about the direction forever, but at the end of the day, I think it's that Kageyama plot thread that's most worth noting. This is a stretch of the show that's weird for a lot of reasons, with a lot of refocusing going on and new central elements being introduced left and right, and, maybe because of the lack of Hiyori (which will never not be an issue!), it's also a part of the show I don't remember too much about – even more than usual. So I didn't expect to watch this one again and find out how much strong writing, direction, and performances (seriously, crazy Kageyama is amazing) could keep me so enthralled by a plot about basically none of the things in Kabuto I actually care about. So yeah, I think I cracked why I liked this one so much right there – it was the very definition of a pleasant surprise.
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01-14-2021, 08:18 PM | #615 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 6,159
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It's tricky to describe, but a lot of the episode is basically a day of the life of Kageyama, and considering he just got demoted, it's even more clear than usual how... empty he is, as a person. He seriously can't consider anything beyond some vague quest for status I doubt he even remembers why he wants, and where this episode jumped from being merely a normal great Ishida episode for me to being something that's maybe more special is when it decides to pull all that back after the halfway mark and suddenly make it dead serious.
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01-14-2021, 09:57 PM | #616 |
I have a problematic type
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 10,411
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It’s mostly ridiculous, which is what I want from an HBV. The Gatack and Kabuto Zecters working together to help Kagami get a Hyper Zecter, it’s very cute. I love the little eyes that get glued to the Zecter? Hibiki’s HBV did the same sort of gimmick (the toys having personalities and trying to educate the POV character), and I really don’t mind Kabuto’s revisiting it. Just goofy fun, letting Kagami’s mugging and impressions carry the bulk of the comedy, with Juka and Tendou acting as straight men.
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01-14-2021, 09:58 PM | #617 |
The Immortal King Tasty
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Hard to do much more than echo Die's thoughts on this one. It's a Hyper Battle Video that utterly nails what an HBV is meant to be. You get a lot of cleanly delivered exposition on the series, framed around a wacky spin-off plot with a unique gimmick that combines with the recycled clips to give you a good overall idea of what the show is about. It's especially great how much emphasis it puts on Kagami, even giving him his own Hyper Form, which is notable as the first instance of an exclusive HBV form ever, and it went to Kagami, so in case you needed more proof how central he is to Kabuto, there you have it. I guess what I'd mostly call out are just all the little things I personally found amusing. I'm a sucker for cutesy talking toy sidekicks in toku, so having the Kabuto Zecter flying around voiced by Tomokazu Seki is just great, and that lecture on all the different Riders with all their personal music tracks playing in such rapid succession was an excellent reminder how much I love TheBee's intense theme. Plus, the lecture itself called attention to Drake's apparent underwater abilities, which made the scuba gear look of his Masked Form suddenly make a lot more sense. See, I even learned something! There were also some amusing instances of the video's lesser production quality showing through – Hyper Kabuto's transformation is directly recycled from episode 34 to save on that precious budget, and when he later does a Rider Kick, Takaiwa fails to properly close the Zecter back up, resulting in the horn getting stuck, and them just using that footage as though it's not a bad take. I mean, I'm not complaining. If the people making this video were assuming I wasn't here for strict attention to detail, they're entirely correct. I came for some fun gags and a bit of action, and fun gags and action I got. What really makes that beautiful, deliberately underplayed scene of Tendou and Kagami at the end work so well is just how unflinchingly brutal this episode is for Tendou. There's a wonderful gravity to him in those final moments, realizing he can't go on the way he's been, and admitting as much to Kagami, because the day he had to get to that point is one of the worst he's ever had. Tendou would have to be insane not to understand that something has to give after what he goes through. Of course he'd come to appreciate the value of having other Riders around after having everything he usually leans on stolen away from him. He can't be the smartest person in the room, because he's surrounded by facts he doesn't understand, and his best friend's dad keeps turning out to be the only person who can outdo him when it comes to evasive answers. He can't even be the measured, confident warrior anymore, because his own Zecter is now running the risk of turning him into a rampaging beast against his own will. Tendou is completely boxed in throughout this story, and I adore it. The show needs episodes like this, to give him that extra dimension and keep him from being too one-note of a character, and this is a fantastic example of that, with everything imaginable going wrong for him. He's beaten to crap by the end, and still collapses from exhaustion even after managing to pull some modicum of victory out of this trainwreck of an evening. It's a fantastic look at Tendou is a much different, more vulnerable position than usual, going far harder than even previous times he's been shown to be out of his depth. It's especially helped along by both Mizushima and Takaiwa having such strongly defined performances as Tendou and Kabuto that they're able to turn on their heads, with Tendou being a sweaty nervous wreck and the berserk Kabuto lacking all of the usual grace he fights with. It all leaves exactly the huge impact it should, and it's a great episode because of that. While I remembered the whole Red Shoes concept, once again, basically all of this might as well have been new to me, and, once again, I'm delighted to find myself so entertained by this show... even if I do miss seeing Hiyori's name in the credits each episode. Yeah, the billing in the opening has been going insane, lately, by the way, as you might expect with the constant shakeups in the cast. Misaki is the third character listed now when she's in an episode, after Tendou and Kagami, but it's really a free-for-all when it comes to who outside of the main duo goes where. Yaguruma in particular has been all over the place in just these past few episodes he's been back, but it's good to see his credit together with his lil' bro, both listed with their edgy new Rider personas now that Kageyama has completed the duo. They're pretty fun here, especially with all the little inflections Hidenori Tokuyama gives Yaguruma (and more awesome Ishida visuals, of course), but I think Die is better suited to singing the praises of the Hoppers. I can more tell you just how smart I think it was letting them curb stomp Kabuto and Gatack here. Like, obviously the show has a need to shill the new characters and their merch, but these losers so easily defeating the main heroes of the series actually serves nicely to underline how terribly things are going for Tendou and Kagami. Tendou only loses that fight because, technically speaking, he's not even in the fight, thanks to the rampaging Kabuto Zecter. I thought it was a really great cherry on top of the sundae that is how constantly, majorly, concerningly wrong everything is lately. The show wants to make it seem like things are off-balance in general right now, and it's doing a fantastic job.
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01-14-2021, 10:13 PM | #618 |
The Immortal King Tasty
Join Date: Jan 2012
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It seriously can't be said enough just how much Kageyama truly is TheWorst, in every area. Like, he has so many unenviable traits, they're at war with each other. The only thing keeping his rampant moral depravity in check is his complete inability to succeed at anything he sets out to do.
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01-15-2021, 12:05 AM | #619 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 6,159
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Quote:
Quote:
I guess what I'd mostly call out are just all the little things I personally found amusing. I'm a sucker for cutesy talking toy sidekicks in toku, so having the Kabuto Zecter flying around voiced by Tomokazu Seki is just great, and that lecture on all the different Riders with all their personal music tracks playing in such rapid succession was an excellent reminder how much I love TheBee's intense theme. Plus, the lecture itself called attention to Drake's apparent underwater abilities, which made the scuba gear look of his Masked Form suddenly make a lot more sense. See, I even learned something!
Quote:
There's a wonderful gravity to him in those final moments, realizing he can't go on the way he's been, and admitting as much to Kagami, because the day he had to get to that point is one of the worst he's ever had. Tendou would have to be insane not to understand that something has to give after what he goes through. Of course he'd come to appreciate the value of having other Riders around after having everything he usually leans on stolen away from him. He can't be the smartest person in the room, because he's surrounded by facts he doesn't understand, and his best friend's dad keeps turning out to be the only person who can outdo him when it comes to evasive answers. He can't even be the measured, confident warrior anymore, because his own Zecter is now running the risk of turning him into a rampaging beast against his own will. Tendou is completely boxed in throughout this story, and I adore it.
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01-15-2021, 03:50 AM | #620 |
Veteran Member
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It’s alright dude, I’ll handle identifying the VAs when we get to Den-P (especially since it’s a show that has more suit characters than face ones).
And as for my thoughts on the content covered, well immediately after watching the HBV, I went on this Facebook group, posted a certain screenshot and captioned it “when you learn your friend doesn’t follow COVID guidelines” https://www.facebook.com/groups/2423...508/?ref=share Episode 36, I’ll say that Tendou’s screaming when the Red Shoes system get activated really unnerved me. But it was oddly nice to see our Super Batta Bros finally get even by beating the crap out of Tendou. |
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