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03-07-2021, 11:03 AM | #21 |
Suprise Gamma Future
Join Date: Feb 2020
Location: USA
Posts: 2,852
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What an insanely cool fight. The "I'll purge you lady"s insect theme and abilities are super compelling.
One thing I have to note about Saber is the constant use of flash-backs, even if they aren't used in the traditional sense. From a screenwriting standpoint, Saber appears to be struggling with establishing a whole lot of information. Even when it presents what is considered new information to the audience, it is still old information to characters (the seemingly omnipotent Tassel for example). To me, this is where the Ghost connections are most evident. Both series are very much focused on things that happened in the past. Anyway, I'm still enjoying the suits and action. I hope once all the in-fighting is resolved, there are most stakes and gravity to the series.
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03-07-2021, 11:55 AM | #22 |
Yodonna oshi
Join Date: Jan 2021
Posts: 748
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Sometimes I think that this show is bad not because it is wholly bad, but because, from time to time, you can see some genuinely wonderful and inspiring ideas. It feels frustrating to me when the show intentionally tries to be disjointed in its storytelling, as so much of its individual pieces are already disconnected that it doesn't come across as the writers being clever, it's just... more of the same.
Having said that, it was lovely to see Rintaro's actor have so much to work with here. The scenes shared between Rintaro and Mei, and later Rintaro and Touma, were some of the best in the series so far, and they were genuinely moving. I wish there was more of this in the show, I will even swallow my dislike of the silly Primitive Dragon design if this storyline affords us more of these heartfelt moments, more of these scenes in which the characters properly get to interact with one another as human beings. Speaking of silly designs, as a whole, I really like the fact that Reika is a more active participant in the story, and, ah, I really like that red coat she wears. That's it. Her actual armour looks like someone's Gaim OC, it's horrid. Plus one for the red coat though. Gosh, is that where we are now? My favourite recent Rider design in the show is just someone's coat? Oh well. Back for more Rider vs. Rider nonsense next week, I guess. Last edited by dreamcastegirl; 03-07-2021 at 11:59 AM.. |
03-07-2021, 12:12 PM | #23 |
Member
Join Date: Mar 2019
Posts: 319
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Man, Saber's really getting better and better. Love it!
We get a lot of payoffs for emotional arcs that have been building up over this arc and I love it! Also, I already loved Sabela's design in the scans, but seeing it in motion, god, it's just soo good. Great balance of gold, black, red, and white. It just pops so well! Straight up, probably the best Saber suit until now, in a season with phenomenal suits through and not a single stinker for me! Next week can't come soon enough, a sentiment I've been feeling for a while now with Saber.
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03-07-2021, 01:00 PM | #24 |
Fangirl-Type Humagear
Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: Massachusetts, USA
Posts: 703
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I just... really like Sabela's henshin and fight... like a lot... wow. There's plenty of other good things I noticed in this episode, but all I can think to talk about is just fangirling over Sabela. And it made me realize that in addition to more female riders, I also really hope we get more transformation items with feminine voices.
I should start watching magical girl anime, shouldn't I?
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03-07-2021, 01:46 PM | #25 |
The Immortal King Tasty
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Every diner you've ever been to.
Posts: 3,833
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...When did Saber get this good?
Like, I mean, I knew this was a Kamihoriuchi episode, and I expected something better than usual because of that, but I figured that'd just be me praising some pretty visuals and maybe making another dumb 神回 pun, you know? This episode goes so far beyond that, and it's blowing my mind a little, even as someone very used to being on board with Saber. And of course, the visuals are REALLY good. When you talk about giving berserker Kamen Rider powerups a big impact, you're going to be talking about Kamihoriuchi, but having him work with Primitive Dragon only makes it all the more apparent how different it is from something like Hazard Form in Build. Touma's nightmare at the very start is a wonderfully directed scene; it might as well be Kamihoriuchi signing his name on the episode. It's genuinely a bit unnerving, with that initial pan out from Saber's hand, revealing in turn each of the Riders who have fallen by it, but it's the subsequent pained screams from Primitive Dragon that truly made it for me. We're not dealing with some emotionless human weapon, or the personification of malice itself -- this is a wild animal lashing out in rage at everything around it because it's long forgotten any other way to express its profound sorrow, and that is an interesting story concept right there! Immediately, without much in the way of real dialogue, it's easy to understand Touma's concern about losing control, which drives a fair bit of the episode, while subtly planting the seeds to get the viewer looking as Primitive Dragon as something more complex than it seems like, which is clearly driving the next several episodes. All of that is only the first couple minutes of this episode, and it really never lets up from that point. I'll mention here that Sabela is indeed pretty freakin' cool, because I'll forget to later if I don't now. Again, Reika is an interesting character with a great performance behind her, and I like that the episode went out of its way to make her awesome evil instead of just evil. It straight up revels in how bad she is in such a fun way. And unlike Primitive Dragon, she gets a cool new music track that I'm pretty sure is actually from the show's composer! (The way it kinda fades up to cut to Rintarou and Mei especially is straight out of countless Gaim scenes.) The suit itself only kinda does it for me? I like everything it's going for with the classy soulless career lady vibe (check out that collar!), and I even think the weird angle for the head-sword is like, is chic the right word? It just fits the rest of the design's language to me, and it matches how she holds the sword when transforming like it's supposed to, so all that's good. And actually, looking at it closer, I just noticed there's a neat sort of Kabuto thing going on where an entire insect is going up her whole torso... you know what, I think I'll let Sabela rattle around in my brain for a while before making any big judgements. Kinda seems like a suit I'll grow more fond of with time and/or seeing it do lots of cool things in the show. Anyway, getting back to the meat of the episode, I obviously adored Rintarou's side of the plot. It's a perfect blending of what Kamihoriuchi is amazing at, which is really letting the emotions of the characters carry the scenes, and something I loved about Fukuda's writing on Ghost, which is how great he can be about creating engaging, meaningful dramatic conflict between characters who are both fundamentally good people. There's such a humanity to those scenes. Landing Touma and Rintarou's big conversation on the beat of them being so unable to stay mad at each other they start shouting compliments was so incredible I can barely begin to describe how much I loved it. This cast is so awesome, you guys. And this episode is, too! It's got a million things going on, as ever, but the show has found a groove where it can make it all easy enough to digest, and keep the story tense and exciting while it's at it. I mean, having all the stuff it already does, and then ending it on f***ing Kento coming back as Calibur for the cliffhanger is basically showing off. I'm sure there will still be at least a rough patch or two going forward, but man, Saber has been knocking it out of the park these last few weeks.
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Last edited by Fish Sandwich; 02-09-2023 at 09:53 PM.. |
03-07-2021, 06:00 PM | #26 |
Veteran Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 2,481
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Gonna toss out a theory I've had since Yuri first showed up. I think Kento is like Yuri know in that he is bonded to the sword of darkness. I'm not sure how that could effect the plot but it's an idea that I can see leading to good character conflict.
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03-07-2021, 06:32 PM | #27 |
Veteran Member
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 3,518
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Are Touma, Rintaro & Mei still friends regardless of being on opposite sides? I just hope Rintaro still really cares about him.
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03-08-2021, 10:42 AM | #28 |
Veteran Member
Join Date: May 2020
Location: Chicago
Posts: 1,473
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Welcome back Rintaro, the show finally gave you something to do. I was pretty disappointed he was getting pushed to the sidelines so much, but man did his return to the plot proper pay off. Takaya Yamaguchi absolutely crushes all the emotional beats
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03-08-2021, 10:46 AM | #29 |
Showa Girl
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 9,064
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Exactly my thoughts! Everything done with him here is what I was hoping this arc would bring, and while it took a while to get here; I’m not disappointed
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03-08-2021, 03:04 PM | #30 |
I have a problematic type
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 10,416
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Yes, mommy. Sorry, where were we? Man, this was a good episode. We had a couple of main threads here and I really liked how they both turned out. Sabela's debut was fantastic. Reika is still an absolute dumpster person, but I love her look as a Rider - both in and out of suit. Her powers are great, too. I'm already all-in on the Biorider style smoke morphing (using her powers to let Daishinji's shots pass harmlessly through her and into Ogami was just... chef's kiss), but the overall agility and grace to her movements, too. Also digging both the butterfly wings and crazy Iron Spider-Man arms. Saber's suits tend to run very hot or cold for me, but this one is a winner. I don't have a lot of hopes for Reika as a character (got some unfortunate flashbacks to Yoko and her even more unfortunate "I must serve the strongest man" deal here), but I'm definitely liking her as a Rider. Outside of the action, I also absolutely loved the confrontation between Rintarou and Touma. We've been seeing Rintarou looking shakier and shakier lately and this episode just kept piling more and more angst onto him. There was definitely some catharsis in that whole confrontation with Touma on the roof (cannot stress how much I enjoyed Mei's "what is happening and do I ship this?" reaction, by the way), but then the show immediately throws Rintarou into a "put up or shut up" moment and he is still clearly at near breaking point. The whole conversation was still great, though, and I really like seeing the characters confront each other and come to some form of reconciliation while still standing by their convictions. Also, Kento's back. Ren will care way more than I do. I trust the show to do better by the character now, but I still don't have very strong feelings one way or the other. I don't know, but I can tell you that's not a universal opinion! I'm right there with you. I'm constantly surprised by how much I've been enjoying this show and all of the characters that aren't Ren or the villains (didn't even realize that our boy band back-up dancers were MIA this week until just now). I am way more excited for this show now than I was for Zero-One a year ago and that is something I never expected to say. |
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