|
Community Links |
Members List |
Search Forums |
Advanced Search |
Go to Page... |
|
Thread Tools |
03-30-2023, 05:38 PM | #21 |
Alias: ZeroEnchiladas
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 2,572
|
Ah yes, Fukokalibur! He is another hero who I would categorize into the Good Boys section alongside Yamashiron. Dude seems like a rather pleasant dude to be around tbh, probably my favorite of the heroes in terms of personalities.
|
03-30-2023, 05:41 PM | #22 |
Some guy. I'm alright.
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Michigan
Posts: 4,399
|
He's just an all around pleasant dude. Yes, Fukokalibur, help that villain with his self-esteem issues! So good.
__________________
|
03-31-2023, 06:39 PM | #23 |
Some guy. I'm alright.
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Michigan
Posts: 4,399
|
Episode 7: Idol Attendance Well... this certainly escalated. So at first glance, my prediction about Yuki being I-DOLL seems to be mistaken, but I am not giving up on the possibility of the two being connected. I-DOLL being a far more fearsome opponent than any other makes for a great point of contrast not only to Yuki, but also helps in signalling when the episode hard shifts from wacky character humor to serious drama. I do gotta give props to the directing in this one. The transition between the two moods was not only very smooth, but both tones were also handled very well. The comedic first half was not only legitimately funny, but helped to contrast the camaraderie of our heroes with the dysfunctional nature of the Secret Society. Meanwhile, once I-DOLL storms in and things get serious... it would've been so easy, given the way the show has handled itself so far, to do the MCU route and just ruin the entire atmosphere by throwing in awfully timed, unfunny jokes to utterly undermine the very real threat of death that our heroes face. But no, they remained genuine and carried themselves well all throughout. I especially liked the use of the leak inside of the warehouse in order to simulate sweat and spit, which in turn made that hook that Rookie landed on I-DOLL feel all the more impactful. I sure someone smarter than me could find even more symbolism in that scene, but that's just what I noticed right away. It spoke alot to what Jiro's' learned too, given that despite the battle, he still attempts to try and learn what his opponent's' deal is ala Fukuokalibur. But yeah, overall this episode was handled very well in all of its aspects, and proves that yes, you can transition between different moods smoothly without just haphazardly throwing stuff at the script. Wish more modern American superhero media could learn that.
__________________
|
03-31-2023, 07:04 PM | #24 |
Alias: ZeroEnchiladas
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 2,572
|
Rookie's growth is a fun thing to watch in this series, especially this episode in which we really see how far he's come since Episode 1, even if he's still got a ways to go obviously.
Speaking of the balance between comedy and drama though... I feel it comes down to a single thing that I feel Japan Media has more of a knack for than recent American Media... and that's just genuine sincerity in what it's trying to do and say to the audience. It's like... with the way things are in some American Media, their attempts at comedy feel more like they're covering their bases for critics and trying to act cool when they're really showing how embarrassed they are. Meanwhile I've noticed a lot of Japanese media full on sincerely embraces whatever it wants to say and tries to do so in a serious manner. Especially Dogengers where you can see at a lot of points, it wears its heart on its sleeve. Those are my thoughts why exactly stuff like this works in terms of tone and such. Now to the interesting part... I was wondering what you were implying about Yuki cause the whole time I'm like "Wait what foreshadowing? What? Wait... are you assuming..." and then I realized you thought that Yuki was I-DOLL and I suddenly realize everything you were saying makes sense now. It's interesting to see you make that connection because I admittedly didn't see it like that. That being said, kudos to I-DOLL though, she is scarily effective when it comes to fighting people. Speaking of that scene in the warehouse with the cool impactful hook you mentioned, I also like that the snippet right before where you have the wide shot of them staring each other down. And you also the puddle right next to them reflecting themselves in the water. Really cool stuff. |
03-31-2023, 07:20 PM | #25 |
Some guy. I'm alright.
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Michigan
Posts: 4,399
|
Quote:
Speaking of the balance between comedy and drama though... I feel it comes down to a single thing that I feel Japan Media has more of a knack for than recent American Media... and that's just genuine sincerity in what it's trying to do and say to the audience.
It's like... with the way things are in some American Media, their attempts at comedy feel more like they're covering their bases for critics and trying to act cool when they're really showing how embarrassed they are. Meanwhile I've noticed a lot of Japanese media full on sincerely embraces whatever it wants to say and tries to do so in a serious manner. Especially Dogengers where you can see at a lot of points, it wears its heart on its sleeve. Those are my thoughts why exactly stuff like this works in terms of tone and such. Quote:
Now to the interesting part... I was wondering what you were implying about Yuki cause the whole time I'm like "Wait what foreshadowing? What? Wait... are you assuming..." and then I realized you thought that Yuki was I-DOLL and I suddenly realize everything you were saying makes sense now.
It's interesting to see you make that connection because I admittedly didn't see it like that. That being said, kudos to I-DOLL though, she is scarily effective when it comes to fighting people. But yeah, I'll gladly eat my words if I'm wrong come the end of the show, but I'm still convinced that Yuki and I-DOLL are connected somehow, whether or not they're the same person via some insane magic stuff or whatever. Quote:
Speaking of that scene in the warehouse with the cool impactful hook you mentioned, I also like that the snippet right before where you have the wide shot of them staring each other down. And you also the puddle right next to them reflecting themselves in the water. Really cool stuff.
__________________
|
04-01-2023, 03:17 AM | #26 |
Veteran Member
Join Date: Aug 2021
Posts: 1,908
|
Quote:
Speaking of the balance between comedy and drama though... I feel it comes down to a single thing that I feel Japan Media has more of a knack for than recent American Media... and that's just genuine sincerity in what it's trying to do and say to the audience.
It's like... with the way things are in some American Media, their attempts at comedy feel more like they're covering their bases for critics and trying to act cool when they're really showing how embarrassed they are. Meanwhile I've noticed a lot of Japanese media full on sincerely embraces whatever it wants to say and tries to do so in a serious manner. Especially Dogengers where you can see at a lot of points, it wears its heart on its sleeve. Those are my thoughts why exactly stuff like this works in terms of tone and such. Quote:
Yeah, you basically nailed it. There's a reason older superhero films like the Raimi Spider-Man movies are still widely celebrated even to this day. And I really do believe that it's because, whether you love or hate them, it's because they believed in what they were doing and just went for it, perceived goofiness be damned.
Your words make sense, but you should also not forget about another reason: some people, including directors and screenwriters, simply do not have a sense of humor. I understand that humor is subjective, but for me, comedy/horror is what makes me laugh/scare. If that doesn't happen, it might still be a good movie, but definitely not a comedy. The MCU has made humor a mandatory component not only for superheroics, but also for action films and fantasy in general, so even those who do not know how and do not like to joke have to. Plus, in American films, they simply overdo it with the number of jokes, turning the speech of most of the characters into an incessant stand-up. |
04-01-2023, 04:08 AM | #27 |
Some guy. I'm alright.
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Michigan
Posts: 4,399
|
Ryujin Mabuyer Ryujin Buyer is the local hero of Okinawa, and got his own show in the mid-2000s. When it came to DVD and Blu-Ray, as every episode was around 10 minutes, all of them were compiled into a movie and it surprisingly flows rather well. The story follows Kanai, your average, clueless everydude who pines for the affections of his friend Claire, and dreams of one day becoming a mastery of pottery. Bowls, vases, all that. But one day, pollution around the islands of Okinawa causes ancient malevolent spirits, collectively known as EvilCorp, to reawaken. Their mission? To find and seal away the nine ancient artifacts known as the Mabui Stones, which hold the essence of all the core values of Okinawan culture. Chosen by the spirit of the island itself, Kanai is transformed into Ryujin Mabuyer, who mission is to restore the peace in Okinawa. Along the way, he's assisted by a dog spirit named Ken, who not only helps to train Kanai, but along with the local residents, educated Kanai in the everyday values of Okinawa culture, and why exactly those core values are so important. So yeah, this is an edutainment tokusatsu aimed at a very young audience, but don't take that as any sort of indication of a decline in quality because honestly, I actually really liked this collection/movie quite a bit. It's very obviously low budget and aimed at a young audience, but it more than makes up for it in a very strong and genuine core that not only has some very solid character writing, but is incredibly fun all throughout. What starts off as an incredibly goofy romp slowly becomes something more quiet and introspective as the piece goes on, with Kanai especially having to question just why exactly he continues to fight EvilCorp despite both his actions and motives seeming to clash with the very ideals that he's meant to be protecting. It's the sort of thing that honestly would not be out of place in Phase 1 Heisei Kamen Rider, which for anyone who doesn't know is my favorite era of that franchise. Sure, it's overall nothing incredibly deep, and many characters outside of Kanai don't exactly have extensive arcs, but the cast in general is incredibly likable, aided by not only the actually genuinely funny comedy but the very well executed atmosphere throughout. And while low budget and simplistic, the action is still very fun to keep up with, and does its job well enough to the point of not really needing anything super fancy to carry it. As well, the show teaches its morals very directly and to the point without ever coming across as preachy or condescending, which is a major plus. This might be an April Fool's post, but it's no joke. I like this show/movie a whole lot, and I highly recommend it if you want a fun way to kill two hours. My rating is a 4/6. It's not anything super incredible or mind blowing, but what it sets out to do, it does very well, and that's all I could ever really ask for.
__________________
Last edited by DreamSword; 04-12-2023 at 08:07 AM.. |
04-01-2023, 04:46 AM | #28 |
Veteran Member
Join Date: Aug 2021
Posts: 1,908
|
Watched this show. Very funny and kind. The music of the villains is incredibly catchy. Of course, the episode about the dialect (language?) of Okinawa is understandable only at the level of the concept, but the problem itself is relevant in many parts of the world. So I agree with the recommendation.
|
04-01-2023, 05:23 PM | #29 |
Some guy. I'm alright.
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Michigan
Posts: 4,399
|
Quote:
Your words make sense, but you should also not forget about another reason: some people, including directors and screenwriters, simply do not have a sense of humor. I understand that humor is subjective, but for me, comedy/horror is what makes me laugh/scare. If that doesn't happen, it might still be a good movie, but definitely not a comedy. The MCU has made humor a mandatory component not only for superheroics, but also for action films and fantasy in general, so even those who do not know how and do not like to joke have to.
Plus, in American films, they simply overdo it with the number of jokes, turning the speech of most of the characters into an incessant stand-up. Quote:
Watched this show. Very funny and kind. The music of the villains is incredibly catchy. Of course, the episode about the dialect (language?) of Okinawa is understandable only at the level of the concept, but the problem itself is relevant in many parts of the world. So I agree with the recommendation.
__________________
|
04-02-2023, 12:32 AM | #30 |
Veteran Member
Join Date: Feb 2019
Posts: 2,448
|
What got me into the whole Toku thing
was watching the shows adapted for Power Rangers. Having watched Power Rangers first it didn't phase me much and I was able to transition right into it. All of the other Toku shows are unfamiliar to me apart from Zyu forward honestly. What warmed me up was watching Trans Formers East (Headmasters - Victory) English subbed so I was getting used to subbed episodes. I had seen a bit of the Rider line.
__________________
Currently watching Galaxy Man - Aba and To Quger - Don Bros. on DVD. Last edited by wentwood; 04-02-2023 at 12:35 AM.. |
|
TokuNation News & Rumors |
Figuarts/Seihou GRIDMAN |
SH Figuarts BoonBoomger Red |
Hasbro Licenses Power Rangers Toys to Playmates Toys |
Discotek Media Licenses Mobile Cop Jiban |
What's going on with CSM? |
All times are GMT -5. The time now is 01:36 AM.
|