[DreadBringer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreamSword

[CENTER]Episode 17

And while the extended action sequences are cool and all, shoving these two things back to back together not only doesn't allow much in the way of breathing room, but also in turn removes a key element from BIMA; And that's the introspection that came with nearly every step forward in the plot. The very brief conversation with Randy doesn't even qualify.

The defeat of Topeng Besi does give Bima something, in his upgrades with Power Stone Biru. Regarding the fight, now Topeng Besi's increased threat is about him having duplicated ability, or him not feeling any pain due to being animated armor.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreamSword

We never learn what exactly Iron Mask's' deal was. There's no period where Ray has to learn how to best utilize his new powers, and the bout against Azazel is almost entirely just that, a fight. Very little room is left for exploration or discussion. Both of the big events of this episode should be treated as major deals, but they're just glanced over for the sake of more fights, and that's a real shame in my book.

The only revelation for Topeng Besi for now is that he's an animated armor. And yeah, for now it can be disappointing that we never learn his deal at that time, but stay tuned actually.

[Sh Ranger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreamSword

[CENTER]Episode 19

Because it was such a fun turnabout, this episode. Not only in Bima threatening to rip out Zacros' Power Stone, but also in outright denying his notion that family and bonds amongst people are worthless.

Randy being the biggest surprise though, with him being more than willing to throw down in order to save Rena.

I think it's cool how Rena and Randy are actively supporting Ray in his Bima adventures now. The Zacros arc really shows their strong sibling connection, as Bima proves that his familial love is his strength rather than the weakness Zacros mistook it for and Rena and Randy prove they can be pretty capable on their own as well.

Not sure if Hayase would've written something like this after revealing Bima's identity to Rena, but Nakazawa totally made up here for his below average first impression and I'd say he has a strong grasp on his vision for the show from now on.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreamSword

I'm really gonna miss Zacros though, as he's easily become my favorite of the Monsters in BIMA. Not only do his powers lend to some really creative energy and visuals throughout this two-parter, but the way the guy carried himself was really charismatic to me.

Same here! I love his charisma, his perpetual unnerving smile and how his name sounds similar to Kamen Rider ZX. Him going first was a cool way to establish Shadow Crisis as an elite team of monsters, but that also means the coolest member has already gone.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreamSword

But uh, that said, Bima forgetting to claim the Purple Power Stone after his victory is a bit of a shame. Was really looking forward to seeing what new power and/or weapon that he'd gain after obtaining it.

Power Stone Ungu already gave Bima his theme song, Seperti Bintang. That's better than any weapon!

[Enchilada645]

Back from my hiatus real quick to play catch-up with Bima since Dreamsword decided to go on break. And also because I told him I'd probably follow along as well so here we are. I watched 19 Episodes over the past 6 days and I have thoughts on Bima. It won't be anything too big, especially since I'll only be doing light thoughts episode by episode.

But for broad thoughts, uh... the Bima suit is fire, I was not expecting to have Seperti Bintang on loop constantly in my life, and it's rather refreshing to see Toku related activities take place in a new locale. Also I don't think I'll ever get over the gut punch that is Episode 10 and 11 being intro'd by Rasputin and Iron Mask respectively, with Azazel later getting in on the fun for a 3 episode streak starting with 13.

Note that these Episode bits were also written partially while watching the episodes themselves so they might end up slightly reactionary.

Episode 1: The sound design, lol! It's hilarious at points in how bad it is. You can definitely tell this is a first time job for people but there?s still a lot of effort put into it. It's a good establishing episode though, also I dig our grunts, as they're pretty nice and distinct.

Episode 2: Okay so Mikhail and Ray's talks in the bright shiny dimension give me Ultraman Vibes if I'm being honest. The action is pretty cool too, though this really is just more of a continuation of Episode 1 so I don't have much to say. I can't believe we also have the Indonesian Quarry for our fights too. Also Seven Power Stones huh? Wonder if when Bima gets all 7 he'll glow gold and have rock songs blasting out as he fights.

Episode 3: I think my favorite scene of this episode were the grunts suddenly appearing behind the crowd that was watching the musicians play and no one even noticed. Next time we cut back, panic! Not much to say on this episode, but I am enjoying the suits a lot.

Episode 4: All hail the hypnotoad! There's something hysterical about Iron Mask asking Rasputin how the monster this time will cause trouble only for Rasputin to laugh. Ten minutes later when we get the real plan by redoing that scene via a flashback, I end up being horrified. It's a very messed up way to go, just hypnotizing someone into committing suicide.

Episode 5: We've got a conclusion to the hypnosis episode, also holy shit, I was not expecting there to be like a numbered set of casualties. It was interesting to see this all wrap up, though I do wonder if we'll ever see reporter dude again. That being said, Episode 4 and 5 mark where I think the sound design gets better which is honestly great. We've got a bit more mystery in the overarching plot piling up... very interested to see how this all goes.

Episode 6: Oh hey reporter dude is back, glad to see he's reoccurring. Also holy shit, we're just going for full economic crisis? These villainous plots are going surprisingly big for standard monster of the week affair! Also the transforming blowing out the lights was sick.

Episode 7: Yo Garuda Strike is pretty sick, and the guest story this week was honestly rather nice to see with the father and son, their issues, reconciliation and understanding of one another. There's also something funny about Ray watching the news and just doing the fist pump while shaking his head like "Yeah, yeah" at the end there.

Episode 8: Okay I really dig that reporter dude, George, is just here to stay, it's great. Also if Rasputin gets all 7 Power Stones he's totally turning into Super Rasputin, clearly. That being said, holy inflation Bima, we've got attacks on the food market now! This show does amuse me in various ways though, purely because our big cliffhanger this time is Bima getting crate doors closed on him.

Episode 9: Okay that opening narration bit of "people are relying on the monster" came out of nowhere for me because there wasn't even that implication in the last episode. That being said we conclude our cliffhanger... by having the crate doors just open wide as Bima stands there. This show makes me laugh when it probably shouldn?t but also I just find Bima very endearing as a show at the moment. "What power is this?!" That my dear octopus monster friend was a Rider Kick.

Episode 10: A scorpion monster who stings people with electricity and causes them to hallucinate that people are it... that's wow. I was not expecting the traffic cone beatdown, holy shit! You know, I've got to say I enjoy Iron Mask purely because while the monster is apologizing he dramatically runs over and spin kicks it. I was also not expecting this to be a turning point episode with Mikhail suddenly getting involved more than usual but hey I'm here for it!

Episode 11: We continue Mikhael getting more involved by doing a blood transfusion? Like I had my suspicions of him way before... but this is definitely starting to confirm them. Also can I just say, it's been a while since I've seen a Toku Hero so grievously hurt they need an actual operation to save them? Did... did the scorpion monster kill George? Oh god, George actually died?! Holy hell! Another surprise this episode was Mikhael getting captured due to him being out in the open for too long, I wasn't sure if it'd happen or not. Things are definitely picking up.

Episode 12: Okay so with both Scorpion and now Snake doing this... did they finally figure out that they should add notable changes to the monsters when they absorb humans? Because I'm pretty sure the other monsters did not do this. Randy has a theory that lines up with mine... that Reza and Mikhail are one in the same. Looks like Sisil is taking up George's line of work. That being said we've got a Rival Recolor confronting Bima now, very exciting!

Episode 13: Okay no wait I need to address this, the name Azazel, him being a dark color swap of Bima? OH NO HE'S HOT! Aside from the shakeup with Azazel and Iron Mask now deciding to have one of my favorite pastimes of villain infighting, there's not much to say for this episode aside from Vudo continuing their tactic of supply stealing which I do enjoy for our monster of the week plots. I did like Bima pulling a Batman though on the Oil CEO guy, it was a fun scene to watch! Curious to see how Azazel takes things going forward now that we've got our new power dynamic introduced.

Episode 14: I suppose this is our 'beach' episode, I say that but it's mostly set dressing. Beautiful set dressing though as I once again have to compliment the locations here, big breath of fresh air. I will admit I was not expecting a slightly more absurd plot this week of science advancing so hard that laser blasts can drill holes into mountains and its main usage is for tunneling. Definitely helps Azazel's schemes come off as different, also Iron Mask is putting a lot more work in now which is nice.

Episode 15: Azazel is so cool, I mean seriously. Like, dark recolor, that glorious name, black and gold recolor of Helios, he reverse grips with it, and he does that standing on the sword bit against Bima? I must say, "OH NO HE'S HOT!" once more. Also this is the set of episodes where Rena finally finds out Ray's identity as Bima, it was a nice moment I'll be honest. It was also really cool to see Ray get so fired up, there was a good intensity to everything. Was not expecting Iron Mask to say "screw it, we ball" and just explode his ship to kill Azazel. That?s definitely a way to end the episode.

Episode 16: Oh huh, was not expecting Sisil to show back up given the last we saw of her was like a good several episodes back. So we get full confirmation on Mikhail/Azazel being Reza from Rasputin himself, curious to see when that'll come out to the rest of the cast. Also this plane field fight between Iron Mask and Bima is cool. Yet again, Indonesia has some real good locations to film at.

Episode 17: You know I was hoping for some kind of double Rider action inevitably on the off chance Azazel decides to defect... was not expecting Bima to just take matters into his own hands and do it himself tbh. Also wow I was not expecting Iron Mask to just get offed straight in the cold opening. But hey Bima's got a cool new hand guard! This episode also gave me whiplash in how fast it flew by with certain things. Definitely feels like a growing pains episode given the whole new writer thing I heard about. Also is this a pseudo-clipshow episode? What?! And is it just me or is Bima's voice pitched lower now?

Episode 18: I?m always a fan of a show that gets its own Four Saint Beasts, so getting Shadow Crisis as we kick into endgame is pretty great. Zacros has a pretty cool energy to him, in that he fights via countering his opponent and pulls off some rather fun choreography while sitting too. The climax being him just basically not taking the fight with Bima seriously on the bus was a highlight. I also like how we get like the lead in to our intro song becoming an insert song only for Bima to just be nope'd out of the bus.

Episode 19: We continue where we left off and get some fun stuff like Randy just deciding to leap in to help Rena while making no sense in the process and he gets to wield Helios for a bit. Like Randy my man, I'm glad you've gotten more involved, but you could have just been straightforward and not go on a ramble about what Rena was cooking for dinner. Then we get the climax which is an insanely trippy sequence involving the Zacros Monster. Admittedly not a total loss for Rasputin because apparently the Power Stone just insta-returns to him and is apparently imbued with Zacros' hatred for Bima. And we've got our next general lined up for next time, Karax.

Overall:

It's interesting to watch this show improve upon itself in the small technical aspects as time goes on. Very much interested to see if it manages to stick the landing, but it's a rather fun show regardless at the moment.

[DreamSword]

I have returned from vacation! Let's see what you all have to say...

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreadBringer

The defeat of Topeng Besi does give Bima something, in his upgrades with Power Stone Biru. Regarding the fight, now Topeng Besi's increased threat is about him having duplicated ability, or him not feeling any pain due to being animated armor.

Him not feeling pain wasn't really a detail I picked up on, given that many of his bouts weren't too dissimilar from other monsters. Just figured he was a powerful foe.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

I think it's cool how Rena and Randy are actively supporting Ray in his Bima adventures now. The Zacros arc really shows their strong sibling connection, as Bima proves that his familial love is his strength rather than the weakness Zacros mistook it for and Rena and Randy prove they can be pretty capable on their own as well.

Yeah, it for sure gives the impression that this writer knows what he wants to gun for and is doing his best to present it. A shame old stuff couldn't get wrapped in the cleanest way, but it is what it is.

Quote:

Power Stone Ungu already gave Bima his theme song, Seperti Bintang. That's better than any weapon!

Not gonna lie, the old Toku theme song power up starting only for Bima to immediately get sucker punched gave me a good laugh.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Enchilada645

Episode 2: Okay so Mikhail and Ray's talks in the bright shiny dimension give me Ultraman Vibes if I'm being honest. The action is pretty cool too, though this really is just more of a continuation of Episode 1 so I don't have much to say. I can't believe we also have the Indonesian Quarry for our fights too. Also Seven Power Stones huh? Wonder if when Bima gets all 7 he'll glow gold and have rock songs blasting out as he fights.

Would you be opposed to Super Bima blasting a hard rock version of Seperti Bingtang over the audio as he fights? I know I sure wouldn't!

Quote:

Episode 7: Yo Garuda Strike is pretty sick, and the guest story this week was honestly rather nice to see with the father and son, their issues, reconciliation and understanding of one another. There's also something funny about Ray watching the news and just doing the fist pump while shaking his head like "Yeah, yeah" at the end there.

While I knew I had to clip Garuda Strike the moment I saw it, I also need to make up my lack of highlighting another incredibly over the top but awesome action sequence in this episode. That is, Bima drawing his bow and spinning around with such force that it creates a sonic boom that kills the surrounding mooks. It was so dumb that I couldn't help but absolutely love it.

Quote:

Episode 13: Okay no wait I need to address this, the name Azazel, him being a dark color swap of Bima? OH NO HE'S HOT! Aside from the shakeup with Azazel and Iron Mask now deciding to have one of my favorite pastimes of villain infighting, there's not much to say for this episode aside from Vudo continuing their tactic of supply stealing which I do enjoy for our monster of the week plots. I did like Bima pulling a Batman though on the Oil CEO guy, it was a fun scene to watch! Curious to see how Azazel takes things going forward now that we've got our new power dynamic introduced.

I'm glad you noted the Batman scene because that was for sure a major highlight of the episode. One thing I really love about Ray is just how many aspects there is to his personality all throughout the show; Which in turn compliments the different ways he handles specific tasks as Bima. It's some surprisingly solid character work that I wasn't really expecting.

[DreadBringer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreamSword

[CENTER]Episode 18

Don't get me wrong, the soap opera elements getting extremely downplayed for the sake of standard Toku high energy is a shame for me, as I rather liked BIMA's' signature style up to now. But, accepting the situation for what it is, I do still like the more standard Tokusatsu energy, and I really liked what they brought to the climax of the episode.

Watching Bima actually feels really different compared to actual Indonesian soap operas (low end shows of no redeeming qualities). The signature style of those soap operas involve something like shouting in the middle of road while a car is ramming to you, pounding sound in each single tension with the camera panning close to the actor/actress' face, etc.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreamSword

I think it helps that when it comes to Shadow Crisis, they started off with the Zacros Monster, wielder of the Purple Power Stone and my favorite design of the four. Not only does him being an illusionist make for some really cool imagery and a unique fighting style, but the guy just has some great charisma in not only how he presents himself, but also in how, while he does have a job to do in getting the Stones back, he also gets his jollies in messing with Ray's head.

Zacros Monster is the most memorable foe to me, and yeah Shadow Crisis gave a better presence and threat than Topeng Besi (for now...). He stands out with his unfailing politeness while confronting Bima, while not reducing his sinister part.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

Power Stone Ungu already gave Bima his theme song, Seperti Bintang. That's better than any weapon!

Cuz Ungu is the name of the band that sung Seperti Bintang.

[DreamSword]

Episode 20

One of my favorite episodes of Spider-Man: The Animated Series is one where Peter, as Spider-Man, visits a sickly girl in the hospital, and talks to her about how he's only human like everyone else, and imparting hope into her that anyone can rise up to meet the challenges that life throws at them.

Meanwhile, one of my least liked episodes of Kamen Rider Revice are a two-parter in which a mother trying to save her deathly sick child is painted as a bad person and that the correct course of action was simply sick back and have faith that one day her child in desperate need of surgery will just magically get better through sheer will power.

Thankfully, despite having elements of the latter, this episode is far more in line with the former, and I really, really dug it.

The premise being that a child who's in need of immediate heart surgery makes a call out to Bima in the hopes that his hero will be able to save him without the need of a surgery that's noted to be a coin flip in terms of survivability.

And while premises like this are things I'm usually a sucker for regardless, especially in terms of their real life parallels, the ultimate message that Ray as Bima imparts onto Dion(the child) is one that is every bit as practical as it is heartwarming: Faith and courage are things that are absolutely needed in order to live life to its fullest, but even so, everyone has big fears and obstacles that life will throw at them, and waiting around for others to save you while taking no action of your own isn't going to result in much of anything.

Even heroes like Bima get scared, and even they can't always win every single battle, but if they gave up and ran away, nothing would get solved. Not only is the message itself a very realistic one, but I loved the touch to Ray's' character that tied into it; At first, Ray is simply saying all of this just to impart some hope into Dion, but the message ends up getting thrown back at him when the Crow Monster shows up. In a bit of an ironic way, Bima gives the lesson to Dion, who then in turn ends up imparting that same lesson onto Ray. And because this is Toku, it ends up resulting in a wicked powerup.

God Helios not only looks cool and grants Bima the power to fly, but it can also speak English! Like, I get the possibility that its early showing in the episode itself was probably just Ray's' own inner voice talking to him, but I do find it funny to think that Helios spoke English this whole time and just no one noticed.

Speaking of that scene, this episode featured some surprisingly cool cinematography, with shots such as Ray talking to his reflection and the hospital room being adorned with Bima merchandise and crayon drawings.

All in all, I think it's safe to say that this new writer has for sure found his voice and how he wants to impart it into BIMA, and I fully support it.

[DreadBringer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreamSword

[CENTER]Episode 19

I'm really gonna miss Zacros though, as he's easily become my favorite of the Monsters in BIMA. Not only do his powers lend to some really creative energy and visuals throughout this two-parter, but the way the guy carried himself was really charismatic to me.

Your hope would be answered (along with Topeng Besi, if I may add).

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreamSword

But uh, that said, Bima forgetting to claim the Purple Power Stone after his victory is a bit of a shame. Was really looking forward to seeing what new power and/or weapon that he'd gain after obtaining it. Though the prospect of Rasputin specifically filling them with hatred makes for a rather interesting plot hook, which I assume ties into the Grand Gator talked about last episode.

Unfortunately, the Shadow Crisis being beaten isn't detrimental to the villains, it's the win-win scenario where one of them being beaten would mean the Power Stone can be used to power up Grand Gator.

[Sh Ranger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreamSword

[CENTER]Episode 20

Even heroes like Bima get scared, and even they can't always win every single battle, but if they gave up and ran away, nothing would get solved. Not only is the message itself a very realistic one, but I loved the touch to Ray's' character that tied into it; At first, Ray is simply saying all of this just to impart some hope into Dion, but the message ends up getting thrown back at him when the Crow Monster shows up. In a bit of an ironic way, Bima gives the lesson to Dion, who then in turn ends up imparting that same lesson onto Ray. And because this is Toku, it ends up resulting in a wicked powerup.

There's something pretty satisfying about Bima showing up at the hospital to give Dion some courage to face the surgery he needs to live. Shows that Ray has really embraced his role as a hero who helps people and likewise how the people have also warmed to him as a symbol of hope.

Of course, the other thing that has changed is the action, which has improved significantly since the show started. Bima God Helios' debut was awesome! The garuda got his wings and it wasn't only from Merah and Biru working together to empower Helios, but also from Ray believing in his own hope to face the adversity, becoming the proof that Dion needed to accept it as well.

The second member of Shadow Crisis, Karax, also has a good design, being a raven monster with ice powers from Power Stone Putih, which is thematically appropriate since ravens commonly live in cold habitats. But despite being one of the elite, he gets taken out in only one episode, just like Lizarion did.

I think this standalone episode works great though, as it makes a smooth transition to the final arc. Regarding that English voice, he should sound a little familiar! You'll see very soon.

[DreamSword]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreadBringer

Unfortunately, the Shadow Crisis being beaten isn't detrimental to the villains, it's the win-win scenario where one of them being beaten would mean the Power Stone can be used to power up Grand Gator.

Far as I can tell though, there's still nothing stopping Bima from just, ya know, grabbing the Power Stone outside of his own forgetfulness.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

The second member of Shadow Crisis, Karax, also has a good design, being a raven monster with ice powers from Power Stone Putih, which is thematically appropriate since ravens commonly live in cold habitats. But despite being one of the elite, he gets taken out in only one episode, just like Lizarion did.

Huh. I actually didn't know that about Ravens. I'm guessing we don't have a Water Stone then, given that the Blue Stone is Wind.

But yeah, as one of the few one off episodes that BIMA has, this was all around great.

[DreamSword]

Episode 21

No that is not some dumb edit I made, this is legit.

And really, do I at all need to sell you on the rest of this episode? That's all you need to know for a hook, right?

Alright, fine. So uh, turns out that Gackt was the mysterious voice from last episode, and not only that, but he's a Satria too. And alongside him comes not only the third member of Shadow Crisis, but an escapee from the Parallel World.

The blood pumping action that Gackt brings along with him aside, there's a surprising amount of world building contained in this episode. As the girl who escaped from Vudo highlights just how much her home world has suffered, while simultaneously establishing that not everyone in that world supports the invasion that Rasputin has put into motion.

And of course there's the Wolf Monster, wielder of the Green Power Stone with the element of Earth. Not exactly sure how Earth ties into a sonic boom creating howl, but sure, I can roll with it. Interestingly, he doesn't seem to recognize Gackt, despite the two seemingly having the same goals in mind.

The episode overall is very much setup for the next one, but really, Gackt showing up out of nowhere in an Indonesian Tokusatsu production did all the carrying in terms of momentum.

Decade's' Gackt cameo wishes it was this good.