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07-07-2022, 06:46 PM | #281 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
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KAMEN RIDER ZERO-ONE EPISODE 14 - “WE’RE THE ASTRONAUT BROTHERS!”
“No chance of surviving.” I mean, Fuwa, right? Everyone in the cast knows it: there’s no way that much anger is sustainable. This whole episode is interesting in the ways the narrative can’t seem to decide if Fuwa is a righteous man seeking revenge against a wicked enemy, or a deranged lunatic who can’t stop treating every fight as a suicide mission. Nearly every time something spotlights his blinkered fanaticism – like him hearing that the word “lightning” could possibly indicate an unknown member of MetsubouJinrai, so he immediately suspects the next Humagear he meets that utters the word “lightning” in a sentence – something else proves his instincts 100% correct. Literally the first person Fuwa accuses of being a MetsubouJinrai spy is a MetsubouJinrai spy. The universe is constantly validating both his paranoia and his recklessness. Like, hey, new upgrade Progrise Key for Fuwa! The Ark Satellite gets reactivated, and the first thing it produces is a Fuwa-themed upgrade form. Even the enemy satellite can’t resist the universal equilibrium of Fuwa’s rage being rewarded, his self-destruction given more room to detonate. Look at that thing. It’s got a furiously red reactor where a heart should be. Like Fuwa, there’s no subtlety to this form’s relentless march towards the funeral pyre. And it’s… that’s sort of what’s interesting about the narrative’s reluctance to either judge or impede Fuwa’s self-destructive insanity. MetsubouJinrai did cause a disaster when he was a kid. They are responsible for acts of terror. Yua’s worried about him, but Gai’s willing to keep him out in the field as long as he continues to channel his rage in useful ways, which he has. People are generally worried about him (Aruto’s whole Are You Okay thing as Fuwa’s crawling on the ground, coughing up blood, sort of undersells the required dismay at Fuwa’s recent antics), but no one’s acting like he’s crossed any real lines. The universe seems to have given him the green light to get his revenge. That idea is the most interesting part of Fuwa’s continuing story, because the lack of roadblocks or judgments puts the onus on Fuwa to realize his choice: just because you’re owed vengeance, it doesn’t mean you have to take revenge. If Fuwa’s vengeance comes at the cost of his happiness, his sanity, his relationships, his career, his health, his life… what’s the point? And, if it only cost him his happiness, was even that too much to pay? It’s a tricky story to tell. The early stages definitely felt like a show that didn’t understand the ways it was valorizing Fuwa’s psychotic persecution complex. But the turn here, as we start to explore how power isn’t always the right move, makes some of the earlier missteps feel a little more intentional. Other than Fuwa, I don’t know that the rest of this episode really came together for me? I thought the Astronaut Brothers were neat, until the story abandoned them for Izakuchi. Just finding more about how random bits of toku nonsense have a little cast of characters making them happen… it makes the Rise Hopper one of my favorite bikes now? Some put-upon blue-collar robot brothers, taking pride in their job while Aruto makes life hell for them? That’s a great idea, and I wish the show had wanted to spend more time with it. Fights were great across the board, at least. I’m never going to feel like trading unique character perspectives and fascinating world-building for More Action is a great move, but the action was continuously well-shot. There’s a bit in the beginning where Valkyrie goes around one side of a truck to fight mooks while Vulcan goes around the other, the camera stays with Vulcan, a mook comes flying out from the front of the turck, and Valkyrie comes out shooting after him. I had to go back and watch that shot twice. But, it’s a Fuwa episode, so maybe the humor and pathos should get jettisoned for more violence. Not my favorite front-to-back episode (pivots too hard away from the Astronaut Brothers stuff), but I liked the new shades of Fuwa’s story, and how the show is content to let him make his own decisions, even if they’re obviously bad ones. — KAMEN RIDER ZERO-ONE SO-DO AI 04: KAMEN RIDER VULCAN - ASSAULT WOLF It’s Kamen Rider Vulcan, in his Unhealthy Violence suit! This is a form that I don’t like aesthetically – it’s not a Figuart I’m aching to get, assuming they produced it – but I appreciate narratively. It’s not fun to look at, but, like, neither is self-destructive mania! Everything about Assault Wolf should be slightly unpleasant, bordering on scary. And it is! We already touched on my favorite element, the furious reactor where a heart should be, but the rest of it is equally gross: red lights and lines everywhere, aggressive shoulderpads, basically zero humanity. It looks like the kind of form an evil anti-human satellite would produce, and the kind of form Fuwa would not learn any lessons from. The SO-DO version is remarkably accurate, even giving him Zero-One’s brand-new gun to carry. The torso stickers sometimes layer over molded/raised parts, but they link together to make the deco feel contiguous. The only rough spot was the helmet, since the asymmetry and fairly arbitrary coloring of the show suit made the location for the forehead crest sticker feel incredibly unclear. Probably ended up drifting it a little too far to the right. My version also has a very loose left pauldron, so I don’t think this is a figure I’m going to keep on display forever, even setting aside the whole Fuwa Has A Death Wish of it all. It’s a fascinating suit, and a fun figure, but I do not need to spend this much time staring at Fuwa’s psychological failings! Please get this away from me now! It’s bumming me out!
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07-07-2022, 11:00 PM | #282 |
Some guy. I'm alright.
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Location: Michigan
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This episode, while I liked it overall, does have one of the few things in the show I disliked: That being that after all of the great character development we got from Assassin Boy, he's just discarded and his place is taken by Raiden, who has alot less to work with by comparison.
Still liked the episode overall though. No major complaints.
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07-07-2022, 11:18 PM | #283 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
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Quote:
This episode, while I liked it overall, does have one of the few things in the show I disliked: That being that after all of the great character development we got from Assassin Boy, he's just discarded and his place is taken by Raiden, who has alot less to work with by comparison.
Raiden is clearly an upgrade!!!
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07-07-2022, 11:49 PM | #284 |
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I always like to assume that after realizing how much of a hassle it is for Arutor to summon the bike and then have them drag it back into space (man, that's got to be a lot of work just for a bike), he decided to stop using it less. Not that he had really been using it much anyways.
It definitely feels like something's about to shift in the structure of the show when we have Aruto, with Shining Hopper, finally holding his own against Horobi. Of course in true upgrade fashion he can only use the form for so long. I liked Raiden's energy and bro vibe, especially with his little bro. Like an old school Humagear who really felt like a human. Which added the sense of tragedy when it turns out he was, unbeknownst to himself, a secret spy for Metsuboujinrai as Ikazuchi. Like, the dude just wanted to mentor his little brother and get him ready for the future! Don't do him like that! I feel like they didn't quite grapple with the emotional tragedy going on. Speaking of which though...Kamen Rider Ikazuchi is kind of neat! I mean, kind of feels weird to have a Rider debut and get destroyed all in the span of one episode (Cough)Scissors(Cough) but the red really stands out and it's a cool design. Still feel bad for Raiden though. Assault Wolf! Honestly I can't think of a better upgrade for Fuwa than a form that literally lets him obliterate and go all out against his opponent. Like, pure power and utility in a single form, because Fuwa is so razor-focused on destroying his enemy. It's even in the transformation phrase. Nice to get a good Secondary Upgrade episode after the Main Rider. Again, sucks for Raiden though. |
07-08-2022, 02:39 AM | #285 |
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So fun facts time. The discussion at the beginning about how there must be a Bou and a Rai becaus there’s a Metsu (Horobi) and a Jin is basically how it went down in real life. There were no plans for other MetsubouJinrai members, hence why Ikazuchi is a) recycling Blood Stalk?s undersuit (if it’s any consolation, the eventual Bou will be recycling the Night Rogue undersuit) and b. He ends up helping make the “No chance of surviving” that much more ambiguous in syntax. And speaking of Assault Wolf, as you’ve mostly surmised, the suit itself is a death trap. It has no life support, no defibrillators and no oxygen supply. And it has an electric diode in the heart area. In short, it was designed to be used by a robot. And despite being intended as a Vulcan upgrade out of verse, you can have Zero-One use the Assault Wolf key (and I don’t just mean the fact it comes with the Shining Hopper dlc) Progrise: There is Nothing Stronger! Big Shot Ready, Fire! Ready, Go! Assault Wolf! No chance of surviving. |
07-08-2022, 07:15 AM | #286 |
Precure enthusiast
Join Date: Dec 2021
Location: Amongst the Cosmos
Posts: 304
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Bit of a rough day, let's hope Zero One can punch up my spirits! It's Episode 14~
-Raiden's such a funny guy. I love Humagears who are so passionate about about their job that it comes off as a bit too intense to humans. I feel really bad for him, he takes so much pride in his duty, knowing that he was unintentionally doing harm to the company all this time. As for Ikazuchi....Sure does exist, doesn't he. Is it weird to say although I like Raiden, I was never a fan of the "Ikazuchi" persona...? Anyway, Gotta ask for the folks who were watching this live at the time, the Dodo Rider not being Lil Assassin, did that hurt? -Izu's little grin at Aruto being dragged away, how cute. I'm sure she wouldve laughed at that if she could. -Fuwa..........Ngl, we've all done things out of spite and anger a few times in our life, but a life where you survive off of pure anger, drunk on the idea of vengance...sounds like quite the miserable life, doesn't it? The show has treated Fuwa's rage as half "oh this guy's clearly lost it" and half "hmm perhaps he has a point (occasionally)", but I think the ending of this episode really emphaizes how self-destructive this kind of life is. There's something really sad and almost patethic about Fuwa stumbling off alone, muttering about taking down MJBR? (There's something so funny about Horobi and Jin going "lol you can't use that", and Fuwa going "well it has my fursona on it so it's obviously mine to use". I may not like base Vulcan but Assault Wolf is pretty cool.) |
07-08-2022, 11:42 AM | #287 |
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Join Date: Jan 2020
Posts: 1,287
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Quote:
KAMEN RIDER ZERO-ONE EPISODE 14 - “WE’RE THE ASTRONAUT BROTHERS!”
This whole episode is interesting in the ways the narrative can’t seem to decide if Fuwa is a righteous man seeking revenge against a wicked enemy, or a deranged lunatic who can’t stop treating every fight as a suicide mission. Nearly every time something spotlights his blinkered fanaticism – like him hearing that the word “lightning” could possibly indicate an unknown member of MetsubouJinrai, so he immediately suspects the next Humagear he meets that utters the word “lightning” in a sentence – something else proves his instincts 100% correct. Literally the first person Fuwa accuses of being a MetsubouJinrai spy is a MetsubouJinrai spy. The universe is constantly validating both his paranoia and his recklessness. Quote:
And it’s… that’s sort of what’s interesting about the narrative’s reluctance to either judge or impede Fuwa’s self-destructive insanity. MetsubouJinrai did cause a disaster when he was a kid. They are responsible for acts of terror. Yua’s worried about him, but Gai’s willing to keep him out in the field as long as he continues to channel his rage in useful ways, which he has. People are generally worried about him (Aruto’s whole Are You Okay thing as Fuwa’s crawling on the ground, coughing up blood, sort of undersells the required dismay at Fuwa’s recent antics), but no one’s acting like he’s crossed any real lines. The universe seems to have given him the green light to get his revenge.
Quote:
That idea is the most interesting part of Fuwa’s continuing story, because the lack of roadblocks or judgments puts the onus on Fuwa to realize his choice: just because you’re owed vengeance, it doesn’t mean you have to take revenge. If Fuwa’s vengeance comes at the cost of his happiness, his sanity, his relationships, his career, his health, his life… what’s the point? And, if it only cost him his happiness, was even that too much to pay?
For others, it's trickier as, it's often presumed that, regarding the happiness (and probably sanity) part, achieving your vengeance would lead into their happiness, though actually it wouldn't, but it's still easy to hold on that assumption if their revenge is never realized. But the tricker part is, when this vengeance is applied on the characters with Rider sensibility (and briefly) such as, Sougo before, pummeling Swartz, of which while Swartz is very much a deserving target, revenge is still a corrupting trait still and Sougo must avoid being corrupted with power, which can make revenge seem to be less of a problem than it is. Quote:
Other than Fuwa, I don’t know that the rest of this episode really came together for me? I thought the Astronaut Brothers were neat, until the story abandoned them for Izakuchi. Just finding more about how random bits of toku nonsense have a little cast of characters making them happen… it makes the Rise Hopper one of my favorite bikes now? Some put-upon blue-collar robot brothers, taking pride in their job while Aruto makes life hell for them? That’s a great idea, and I wish the show had wanted to spend more time with it.
Quote:
KAMEN RIDER ZERO-ONE SO-DO AI 04: KAMEN RIDER VULCAN - ASSAULT WOLF
The SO-DO version is remarkably accurate, even giving him Zero-One’s brand-new gun to carry. The torso stickers sometimes layer over molded/raised parts, but they link together to make the deco feel contiguous. The only rough spot was the helmet, since the asymmetry and fairly arbitrary coloring of the show suit made the location for the forehead crest sticker feel incredibly unclear. Probably ended up drifting it a little too far to the right. My version also has a very loose left pauldron, so I don’t think this is a figure I’m going to keep on display forever, even setting aside the whole Fuwa Has A Death Wish of it all.
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07-08-2022, 12:55 PM | #288 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 6,079
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Quote:
I liked Raiden's energy and bro vibe, especially with his little bro. Like an old school Humagear who really felt like a human. Which added the sense of tragedy when it turns out he was, unbeknownst to himself, a secret spy for Metsuboujinrai as Ikazuchi. Like, the dude just wanted to mentor his little brother and get him ready for the future! Don't do him like that! I feel like they didn't quite grapple with the emotional tragedy going on.
Incredibly strange choice to me. Quote:
I remember someone actually worked out how much it would cost to cosplay the character by combining the prices of the Zetsumeriser, the Forceriser, 10 Progrisekey holders and the 10 keys themselves (this was before the Memorial sets included their version of the Dodo key).
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Aruto's accepting and forgiving, while Yua is morally questionable and only saw Humagear as tools, the only concern is him potentially ruining AIMS' work. Why would she be concerned about Fuwa's revenge to species she doesn't care much other than AIMS' work? And Gai, he's a horrible person of course, why would he call out Fuwa's traits? If he'd pull something much more than just Fuwa's destructive rage. The latter 2 wouldn't care much about him crossing a line or not as they could be even worse people... not a good judge to indicate the universe giving him a green light!
But, mostly when I talk about "the universe", I'm saying Episodes Of Kamen Rider Zero-One. I'm talking about the broader narrative. There's been cause and effect that've situated Fuwa's revenge in the realm of the Imminently Plausible, and that's a story that's trying to talk about something.
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07-08-2022, 01:25 PM | #289 |
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I feel like Gentaro and Raiden would have gotten along pretty well.
Actually, I just imagine Gentaro's whole solution to stopping Metsuboujinrai being "let's be friends with them!" and Aruto going "Hey, that's not a bad idea!" while Fuwa realizes there's two of them now. |
07-08-2022, 01:30 PM | #290 |
Showa Girl
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 9,064
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Raiden! I love this guy, he's got such a great energy going for him and his relationship with his brother is surprisingly fleshed out and interesting for such a minor character. One of my favourites from the show
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