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07-05-2021, 11:26 AM | #771 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
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So here, we get the symbolism that while Wataru establishes relationships that leave him on top of the Fangire world with monster butlers at his Beck and call, Taiga’s actions have cost him everything, leaving him a poor, destitute loner who’s only friend is a bat (and that’s for a given value of friend, given that he tossed his previous bat aside for a less conceptually silly one). Quite the reversal.
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07-05-2021, 11:51 AM | #772 |
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KAMEN RIDER KIVA EPISODE 44 - “PUNK: BACK TO FATHER”
Of all the ways I thought this episode could go, based on how the last one ended, it didn’t even cross my mind that Wataru would use Castle Doran’s way-more-of-a-problem-solving-option-than-when-Jiro-first-described-it-to-Nago Time Door to travel to 1986 and pull a reverse Back To The Future to prevent his parents from getting together. It is simultaneously absurd and poignant, which is what makes Inoue one of my favorite tokusatsu storytellers. Quote:
I feel like the answers to some of these questions are, unfortunately, See Upcoming Episodes. It's hard for me to argue a side now that we've seen that Wataru wants to obliterate his existence because he blames himself for Mio's death, and that Mio was actually killed by Bishop. We are a little late to discuss some of these very good questions!
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Like, this plan of Wataru’s is stupid from the jump, but also exactly the sort of thing he’d try. He’s distraught over Mio’s death, and his role in it, so he does what he always does when the world seems too much: he tries to disappear. But this isn’t brandishing a sword at Megumi or shoving Nago. Mio is dead, and hiding away isn’t going to cut it. Wataru’s pain requires him to eliminate his existence, so he’s going to make sure his parents don’t “fall in love”. (I really enjoy the G-rated explanation of where babies come from.) So he dresses up in costumes to dissuade Otoyoa, and then he straight-up tells Yuri to go get her man back. It’s a plan with a hundred down-sides and no path to success. (It also, like the entirety of this story, requires you to ignore the summer movie.) It’s sweet and earnest in all the ways Wataru is famous for, while also being heartbreakingly self-loathing; which, y'know, Wataru is also famous for.
It ignores a whole bunch of collateral damage (Megumi and her brother would completely cease to exist, so I guess we know how little non-Mio people matter to Wataru; pretty sure Wataru has directly or indirectly saved a ton of lives, which are now Fangire food), but this thing never even gets off the blocks. See, Wataru showed up a couple days/weeks (?) too late, since Yuri is breaking up with Otoya. Quote:
Probably goes without saying, but this was one of my favorite developments in all of Kiva. The emotional maturity of Yuri to be thankful for the good times she had with Otoya, acknowledge the end of them, and choose to move on? Fantastic. And she stomps on Otoya’s foot as she goes, just to let him know that he handled this less maturely than she deserved? HELL YES. It’s a template for how to break up with someone, and of all the lessons a tokusatsu show can teach impressionable children, this is one of the most useful. Don’t cling to a situation that is deteriorating. Understand the difference between a relationship that can be repaired, and one that needs to end. Be grateful for the positive times you shared with someone. Realize that you are allowed to still care for someone you’ve broken up with. For a show that has dramatized a relationship with more detail and complexity than I‘ve ever seen a Kamen Rider series attempt, this was such a beautiful coda to a messy, fascinating couple.
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Having Wataru’s whole Please Don’t Bone time-travel plan show up in the midst of such a grown-up plotline made both of them so much better. It’s that Inoue thing of combining the most ludicrous tokusatsu insanity (Kivat and Tatsulot just pop out of a wormhole when it’s time to Henshin!) with straight-ahead human-scale drama that is an addictive combination for me. It spotlights how childish and ill-considered Wataru’s self-negating journey is without ever really saying it out loud, and it gives weight to Yuri and Otoya’s conclusion by not having Wataru’s schemes amount to anything. It’s totally unexpected and entirely welcome.
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Most of the 2008 part of this episode was devoted to Nago’s new role as Replacement Shima, and that was very cute. (There’s another bit where Taiga swears vengeance on Wataru for killing the lady who leapt in front of a finisher, but No Thanks.) It’s a quiet little moment of Nago trying to be the boss Shima was (Nago spent half the series shitting all over Megumi, so he’s well-qualified), and it’s a testament to Nago’s growth both dramatically and comedically that this doesn’t feel like an imminently doomed promotion. (It’s also a total mystery as to whether Nago was promoted by anyone, or if he’s just calling dibs or whatever. Is there someone else in W.A.K.E.U.P. to handle the chain of succession?) Nago trying to hold this group together by lowering his body fat and drinking coffee is… perfect. It’s just perfect.
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It seems like a sudden last decision change for Mio to shield Taiga... I mean Mio plotted to kill Taiga herself, using the wedding as the means to do so. I guess Taiga being nice to Mio is the closest excuse for her to return the favor, that Taiga still covers for her despite her attempts to kill Taiga and letting her escape, and while Mio still won't love Taiga romantically, this probably dispells her hatred for him.
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07-05-2021, 02:45 PM | #773 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
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And, like, she didn't shoot him in the face or push him into traffic. She stomped on the foot of a man who treated her with less respect than she deserved. I think Otoya would agree that she had a point. Quote:
BTW aside from this, wdyt about my thoughts about Mio's choice to shield Taiga?
It seems like a sudden last decision change for Mio to shield Taiga... I mean Mio plotted to kill Taiga herself, using the wedding as the means to do so. I guess Taiga being nice to Mio is the closest excuse for her to return the favor, that Taiga still covers for her despite her attempts to kill Taiga and letting her escape, and while Mio still won't love Taiga romantically, this probably dispells her hatred for him.
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07-05-2021, 03:34 PM | #774 |
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Going for that proper penultimate episode "stuff about to go down" vibe with today's track, King's Wrath, which makes a pretty great choice for the opening here as Taiga and Wataru are fighting each other while the background explodes and then fighting a gang of resurrected Fangire while the background explodes even more.
...And besides pointing out how much I love both cool explosions as well as how there's specifically a bit where Kiva and Saga somehow end up working together in the middle of their grudge match, it's a bit hard to kick in much more about this episode by itself for exactly the reasons Die brought up. ...Oh, and Wataru's silly King voice! I love that too! Between the abrupt total change in mannerisms and the clothes, you know he's really making an effort here. A bit more seriously, I do quite like that Nago explicitly offers the Ixa Knuckle to Megumi. I seem to recall Inoue did this exact melodramatic late series shlocky blindness thing with G3, but for whatever reason, Nago's version of it was way more memorable to me? That's not to say it's necessarily some genius plotting decision or anything, or me trying to diss Agito, which I would never want to do, because Agito is awesome, but I can definitely see what Kiva was aiming for by having Nago's ultimate challenge for the climax be something so humbling for him. Just imagine for a second how extra poorly pre-753 Nago would be handling this situation.
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07-05-2021, 03:48 PM | #775 |
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A bit more seriously, I do quite like that Nago explicitly offers the Ixa Knuckle to Megumi. I seem to recall Inoue did this exact melodramatic late series shlocky blindness thing with G3, but for whatever reason, Nago's version of it was way more memorable to me? That's not to say it's necessarily some genius plotting decision or anything, or me trying to diss Agito, which I would never want to do, because Agito is awesome, but I can definitely see what Kiva was aiming for by having Nago's ultimate challenge for the climax be something so humbling for him. Just imagine for a second how extra poorly pre-753 Nago would be handling this situation.
...and that always comes with the proviso that watching a great scene like this has me saying But Why Won't Megumi Just Be IXA through gritted teeth. It's nice that she's willing to take a backseat to Nago's emotional journey, but, like, she is always taking a backseat to Nago's emotional journey. This was maybe a point - you know, as Fangires are slaughtering people by the dozens - for Megumi to accept that she'll need to operate IXA while Nago is injured. It would maybe be the ultimate expression of Nago's growth, to step aside in a time of crisis? (Also, I want to say Hikawa's blindness was psychosomatic, what with his Imposter Syndrome, rather than Nago's Sword Slash To Face. I maybe prefer the Hikawa version, because it's way funnier? Hikawa was a real disaster, and that plot point was his zenith.)
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07-05-2021, 04:26 PM | #776 |
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KAMEN RIDER KIVA EPISODE 45 - “WITH YOU: THE LAST TRANSFORMATION”
I really liked the Yuri/Wataru scene! The rest of the episode was weirdly only adequate! I’m going to have a tough time explaining why the rest of the episode wasn’t anything too exciting for me. I mean, it’s full of big things: Bishop tells Taiga that he was the one who killed Mio. Bishop decides to overthrow Taiga, because systems can’t tolerate what they can’t control. King vows to kill Taiga if Maya stays with Otoya. Otoya becomes Dark Kiva twice, and probably dies from the attempt. Wataru gets punched in the gut by his dad. It’s a big episode! Quote:
It’s also a somber episode, and a ton of it feels… preordained? Inevitable? There’s a fatalism to it, exemplified by Otoya’s insistence on killing himself for Maya/Taiga/himself. (The previous episode, where Wataru was trying to negate his own existence, managed to be a fun lark by comparison.) Otoya’s always been devoted to his own whims, to the exclusion of common sense or basic decorum, but here it comes off as frustratingly obstinate. Otoya is going to become Dark Kiva to save Taiga, even though a) it’ll kill him, b) it won’t even defeat King, c) Wataru is more than willing to pitch in to defeat King and keep Otoya alive. It’s a suicidal plan that won’t even succeed, but the show treats it as laudably heroic, a testament to Otoya’s belief in self-determination.
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Speaking of that hero, it’s a great episode for Wataru. I love the way the show gives the big hero speech in the middle to Yuri, to tie her ability to see the good in a break-up to Mio’s desire for Wataru to live. It’s a fun way of getting at how we project our guilt onto other people - letting their memories judge us harshly - when it’s easy to forget how they might forgive us. Wataru’s been too caught up in his own guilt to remember that Mio wouldn’t’ve wanted him to have never existed, wouldn’t’ve wanted to have never been able to meet him. It’s the same way Yuri doesn’t regret dating Otoya, even though it didn’t last. Big-hearted optimism from Yuri (her only scene in this episode!) will always be worth savoring.
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07-05-2021, 04:40 PM | #777 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
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And this is a big downfall and stupidity for Bishop, this'll be something that turns the Fangire against his advantage! However of course, Bishop has sociopathic traits, not wanting to admit his faults, viewing Taiga’s attempt to kill Wataru (Bishop's job to protect him from ursurper) as a betrayal and a sign that he wasn’t worthy of being a king including draining people's souls here, as well as valuing Fangire law without empathy like what he did to Mio.
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Wataru's so caught up in eliminating himself to save Mio that he forgot that Yuri herself is going through the same thing, but not about death, but breakup. I know Wataru doesn't handle his emotions well, and this I'd see as a case. This is not exactly an idol/mentor and apprentice situation, but this plays out like one as Yuri tries to speak to Wataru here (with Wataru also opening up), she inspires Wataru to give up on the quest to eliminate himself for his love, by thinking that Mio won't necessarily want that as she won't meet Wataru.
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07-05-2021, 07:54 PM | #778 |
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KAMEN RIDER KIVA EPISODE 48 - "FINALE: THE INHERITORS OF KIVA”
Honestly, I didn't have any expectations for this finale. I know last episode set up a whole bunch of threads, but, like, Inoue. It wouldn't've surprised me if they were all tied up in the first two minutes, and then we spent the rest of the episode looking for the last perfect varnish for a violin. It's the finale of Kiva, and it could be about nearly anything. I couldn't even tell you what I'd think a Kiva finale should have in it, and watching this episode, I don't think Inoue could tell you, either. There're a hundred different things in this episode: bits of fan service, shocking reveals, brotherly love, love connections, deaths, weddings... a lot. There's a lot going on in this episode. I just... I just don't think it's saying a whole lot? Or , at least, it's not really saying one thing clearly. There's nominally stuff about the value of family, how family members support each other. It's a little facile, compared to some of the thorny elements Inoue's played with before on this series. Here, it's Otoya's IXA gauntlet from 1986 catching Wataru when he falls. It's a cute shot, but it's not really an evolution of where things were left with the two of them. It's a callback, or a nod towards character growth, but it doesn't add a period at the end of the sentence for Wataru and Otoya. Wataru wasn't feeling disconnected from Otoya, so having his dad support him is just an Oh Thanks moment, rather than something pivotal to Wataru's character. It's cute, but not anything that feels profound at all. The bigger examination of how family supports each other is in Wataru's ridiculous plan to save Taiga by stealing his throne and goading him into a fight. I couldn't even begin to tell you why this seemed kind to Wataru. It's kindness from the Shima school of caring for people, where it mostly serves to put Taiga into a bloodthirsty rage. Luckily, as soon as Wataru reveals his plan (with Shima there, because god forbid this show not have Shima in a big emotional moment), Taiga immediately and entirely regrets everything he's done to date, and gratefully accepts Wataru's love. Like... do you know how badly I want to like this scene? This is a character defusing an adversary by hugging them and telling them they are loved. I adore that shit. That is one of my favorite Kamen Rider moves of all time. That is my Rider Kick; the Rider Hug. But this feels insanely rushed, with Taiga doing a complete 180 in about forty words, and Wataru tightening the screws and acting like an asshole for very little reason. It's nuts. There's a lot to like about Wataru trying to save his brother from hardship, but... no. It's a plan that pushes Taiga to almost kill his mother (oh, Taiga also didn't kill her, in a scene that made me laugh pretty hard) and almost kill his brother, and it only succeeds because Taiga suddenly sees Wataru's rivalry as something Wataru is doing to help him. It's like Taiga got hit on the head with a coconut, and all of a sudden he's like I Don't Need Power If I Have My Brother. You've got to work way harder for that twist to work, and this episode just doesn't put in the time. But, god, they did on Megumi and Nago. Of a thousand things I'd've guessed this episode would end with, the wedding of Megumi and Nago wouldn't have been one of them. But it's here, and it's the best. All of the Nago and Megumi stuff in this episode is fantastic, and I almost can't believe it. This is the finale of Kamen Rider Kiva, and Wataru's story in it is the B-plot I won't remember in a couple weeks. (That's not true. I will always remember Maya's look of happiness as her two sons just start beating the holy hell out of each other in front of her. That was, by far, the funniest thing in this entire series. They are brutally fighting out of love!) The little story they told about Nago and Megumi is the one that worked for me. Them two always had great chemistry. First as workplace rivals, then as workplace friends, and now as romantic partners. It's not a huge story, and it doesn't have a bunch of twists, but that's why I liked it. While the Wataru/Taiga story is tying itself in knots and speeding through character developments, the Nago/Megumi story has a training montage, because the episode wants you to feel the time they're putting in. It's dead simple, this plot. Nago needs someone to help him, and Megumi respects him enough to not let him give up. It's just support, and being there for someone when they fall. It's like an origin story for their love, which is why I'll remember it more than Taiga lying about killing his mother or Wataru making his Three Weird Uncles think he's a dick. Megumi and Nago had a year-long story that ended in a wedding, and that's maybe what I wanted out of Kamen Rider Kiva after all. I didn't think this episode was that great. As a finale, it mostly misses the forest for the trees, concentrating on recent plot twists without really connecting with the series' themes in a clever way. There's a ton of work put into the Wataru/Taiga plot, and very little of it registers. It mostly just assumes that things are going to work out because Wataru would like them to, and that's almost the opposite of the story the show was telling at its peak. But the way this show made me not only believe in Megumi and Nago as a couple, but made that development feel like a worthy end to the series? Yeah, I'm okay with that. Not the best ending ever, but it concluded the series in as satisfactory a way as this messy, confounding show was probably ever going to.
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07-05-2021, 08:43 PM | #779 |
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Surprised and glad that you got a lot out of Nago and Megumi's wedding in the end! For me, unfortunately, the thing I took the most was all the stuff involving Wataru and Taiga and how not great it was. With so many people who look like they died but not really, wouldn't have been surprised at that point if Otoya showed up and was like 'are ya winning, son?'.
And I'm pretty sure the thing that most people who watched the finale took away from it was the laughably stupid final sixty seconds or so. Last edited by FreshToku; 07-05-2021 at 08:46 PM.. |
07-05-2021, 09:06 PM | #780 |
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Surprised and glad that you got a lot out of Nago and Megumi's wedding in the end! For me, unfortunately, the thing I took the most was all the stuff involving Wataru and Taiga and how not great it was. With so many people who look like they died but not really, wouldn't have been surprised at that point if Otoya showed up and was like 'are ya winning, son?'.
And I'm pretty sure the thing that most people who watched the finale took away from it was the laughably stupid final sixty seconds or so. And, man, I really liked Wataru's kid showing up in full Back to the Future regalia (that orange vest!) and getting everyone together to fight the Neo-Fangires. (THE NEO-FANGIRES.) Beyond a fun way to get Otoya's actor back in the final shots, I liked how it reaffirmed the links between generations? This episode didn't do a single thing in 1986, so having a character from 2030 let us know that Wataru's actions will impact future generations... that's pretty on-topic?
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