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08-09-2016, 02:41 AM | #1 |
The Immortal King Tasty
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Every diner you've ever been to.
Posts: 3,833
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So instead of counterpointing nearly every post in that other thread like I have been, I figure I 'oughta take the overwhelming positivity I apparently still have even after Gaim to its own thread and invite everyone else while I'm at it.
It's like this. If there's something, anything you love about whatever show you wanna talk about, from the broadest concepts to the most minor details, put it here. Write a sentence or write a novel, the choice is yours (I chose novel). Whether it's an underrated gem or a highly praised classic, I wanna hear about it. Of course, debate is welcome too, but be gentle, okay? This thread should be about making people smile! So with that out of the way, you might wanna grab a drink for this next bit, cause here's three random things I like about: ~Kuuga~ - "Senshi" is one of the sweetest pieces of BGM in all of Rider. Anytime it plays you just know some crap's about to go down. - The way the series makes a thumbs up the most cool thing ever is incredible. It really represents Kuuga's themes of hope and optimism and I legitimately, subconsciously do it way more after watching the show than I ever did before. I even did one up there. - Kuuga also wrote the book on how to handle form-changing Riders. Every form is important right up to the end. ~Agito~ - Replace "Senshi" from up above and you have my thoughts on the equally amazing "Believe Yourself" - The next episode preview music is awesome. This one should start to give you an idea of just what a detailed level I see these shows on. - What Kuuga did for form-changing, Agito did for ensemble Riders. Everyone gets their own fleshed-out personality and arc, and the evolution of their relationships makes for a really interesting show. ~Ryuki~ - The way they filmed Mirror World is genius for how simple it is. All the footage is just flipped. Those cards? Printed backwards specifically so that they show up as normal on-screen. Mind. Blown. - The way you can see Shinji's fighting style improve over the course of the series is sweet and a great example of the amazing body-language in Kamen Rider. - I love the way the opening starts with the screen smashing like glass. Most Heisei shows have something like that to start their opening but Ryuki's still sticks out to me. ~Faiz~ - Similarly, the "collage" Faiz in Faiz's opening is a really neat looking visual. - That wrist flicking though. So bada**. Kaixa's "loosening the tie" thing is neat too, and I think it makes him look properly unhinged. - Auto-Vajin. Total bro. Takumi never gives him enough love. ~Blade~ - The slurred speech from Kenzaki and occasionally Tachinbana rightfully spawned a meme. One of the joys of the underrated early episodes. Totally hilarious in a way that endears you to the show rather than making you hate it. - Sayoko!!!!!!!!!! I can't give details without spoilers but people who have seen the show will probably agree that episode is when Blade starts to get good. - Speaking of spoilers, how about that ending? Not a unique opinion, but that isn't what this thread is about. ~Hibiki~ - More sweet tracks from the same guy who brought you Kuuga's music. The instrumental first OP always stuck out to me seeing compilations of Kamen Rider openings on Youtube before seeing all the shows. The way the version used reflects the focus of the episode is a great touch, too. - Hibiki himself is a cool character who feels fleshed-out and in focus despite not actually being the focus of the show. - For all the hate the second half of the show gets, I think the final scene with Hibiki and Asumu is really touching and I can't imagine the ending would've been any different if the show hadn't been retooled. ~Kabuto~ - Those slo-mo fights! Taking The Matrix and making it even cooler is not an easy task, but I think Kabuto nailed it. It was the first Rider show in HD and boy does it still hold up visually. - Kagami and Tendou make for great foils to one another and in my opinion either could be called the protagonist. Kagami's more outwardly relatable personality gives the viewer an anchor until they can hopefully understand Tendou a bit better. - "Next Level" is probably one of my favorite openings ever, both as a song and visually. It gets me excited for the show every time. ~Den-O~ - The "ticking clock" effect at the end of every episode is super neat-o. Another minor one, but the minor things are what elevate a show above just being "good" to me. - Momotaros is amazing. They could have made the Imajin all boring flat comic-relief characters but instead we get a funny character who also has a lot of depth and growth over the course of the show. - Liner Form makes me love a design I otherwise would only like by making it very directly tied to the plot, unlike some other Rider power-ups. It represents the culmination of Ryoutarou's character arc, and it's super satisfying when it shows up. ~Kiva~ - Kiva's entire soundtrack, both BGM and insert themes, is incredible. The use of strings throughout ties everything together nicely, and on top of the exciting background tracks, a lot of the songs add a nice flair to action scenes while also representing the characters really well. "Destiny's Play" and "Supernova" work together to sum up Wataru's character arc arguably better than 40-some episodes of the show. - Kivat's trivia at the beginning of each episode was a really fun idea and I'm a little sad the growing complexity of the plot mandated proper recaps after the halfway point. - Otoya's super fun, to the point of overshadowing his son in a lot peoples' minds. ~Decade~ - Tsukasa's super duper fun, and carries the show through even its weakest moments. - Decade's suit is, of course, a gorgeous shade of magenta, and is in general one of the most stylish Rider costumes out there. - The whole idea of traveling the worlds of the previous Heisei Riders was cool and I think they manage to connect nicely to the themes of the series they represent more often than not. ~Double/W~ - Episode titling gimmicks are another seemingly minor thing that makes me really love a show, and Double had some cool ones. A title for the two-parter followed by a title for the individual episode. Combine that with double-meaning letters and you've got yourself a really memorable naming scheme. - That catchphrase is sweet! Really in fitting with the whole "hard-boiled detective" theme and totally stylish at that. - The way they always remember that Accel's sword is really heavy. Another very minor point but they could have forgotten it after his first episode and nobody would've noticed. ~OOO~ - Eiji's transformation pose is one of the best in my book. I can't really explain it but something about it always seemed so cool. - The whole idea of having OOO both gain and lose medals was a genius idea as it both ties into the concepts of the series while making for a convenient way to keep Eiji from having too many forms to bounce through at once. - Birth was a really well executed secondary Rider with a great arc. Saying any more could be considered spoilers. ~Fourze~ - The countdown when Fourze transforms is great because on top of straightforwardly tying into the astrounaut theme, it acts as buildup for the fight about to happen. - More fun with episode titles, as every one of them is four kanji long. - That logo is so cool! It's a rocket ship and also it's an arm holding an Astro Switch. Genius! ~Wizard~ - That opening narration in every episode is really neat. Makes Haruto sound like such a big deal. - The built-in long-coat on Wizard's suits is hella stylish and I love how when the weather permitted it, Haruto also wore long coats. Gives him a properly wizardy look. - I love the font the episode titles are written in. That may sound like a joke, but my ability to derive enjoyment from things as pedantic as that is the key to how I can call a show like Wizard my favorite. I could list a bunch more things just like this. I may also be crazy. ~Gaim~ - All the suits are so cool. I remember flopping back and forth on which one of the main four I liked most all the time. I'm still only about 60% sure it's Ryugen. - On that note, the Sengoku Driver is one of my favorites. It just so stylish. - The way they always spiced up Gaim's basic transformation with different camera angles was really neat. It culminates in episode 38 where it follows the armor through the Crack it comes out of. Totally amazing cinematography. ~Drive~ - I love the Shift Cars. Instead of making them lifeless trinkets, they gave them personalities. Making them communicate entirely in their own Driver sound effects was also a great idea. It's way more endearing then just giving them voices, and reflects that they aren't quite actual characters. - The Tridoron is the s***! Never would I have though a junky old NSX could be so cool. - Another shout-out to awesome idiosyncratic titles. It's a detective show, so every episode is a question. Simple and effective. ~Ghost~ - The way the lines on Ghost's basic suit resemble bones is a nice touch and makes me wish we saw more of it in the dark. - The Eyecons take the Shift Cars' gimmick a bit further by having them be actual, proper characters who talk and everything. It keeps them relevant even when their forms aren't getting much use. - Mugen is another example of tying a form into the plot nicely. It makes so much sense to the show I can easily forget Wizard had a suspiciously similar final form just a few years back.
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Last edited by Fish Sandwich; 09-03-2016 at 02:14 PM.. |
08-09-2016, 08:05 AM | #2 |
Alias: ZeroEnchiladas
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 2,604
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I really enjoy the Ghost Parka gimmick, because to me it's like the evolution of the Fruit Armor. Instead of big clunky armor you get this fancy coat that represents someone from history. I find it a lot easier to take it seriously seeing Edison being used as a power up than a Pineapple.
Not that I didn't get used to the fruit armor, but the Ghost Parka's immediately clicked for me. |
08-09-2016, 08:14 AM | #3 |
Henshin Heaven
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Inside a Hyper Battle Video, help.
Posts: 1,250
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I love Takumi. Faiz has some serious problems but things like that really elevated it for me. It's rare to get a KR protagonist that is such a jerk while still being endearing at the same time. Plus his hair is amazing, I was vaguely sad when Kamen Rider leads stopped having RADICAL 90s HAIR with Hibiki.
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08-09-2016, 08:16 AM | #4 |
KNIGHT OF SPADE
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 360
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Quote:
I really enjoy the Ghost Parka gimmick, because to me it's like the evolution of the Fruit Armor. Instead of big clunky armor you get this fancy coat that represents someone from history. I find it a lot easier to take it seriously seeing Edison being used as a power up than a Pineapple.
Not that I didn't get used to the fruit armor, but the Ghost Parka's immediately clicked for me. P.S. When I created the other thread I kinda expected more positive rants instead of so many negative ones. Kind of an equilibrium. A General Discussion thread commonplace in many fourms. I'm glad this is here. Last edited by DecadeW Climax; 08-09-2016 at 08:18 AM.. |
08-09-2016, 10:36 AM | #5 |
The Immortal King Tasty
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Every diner you've ever been to.
Posts: 3,833
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Quote:
I think when people hear the word rant they assume it means the bad kind. At any rate, I'm glad you like it!
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08-09-2016, 11:06 AM | #6 |
Ex-Weather Three leader
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 10,590
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Every time I think Kuuga I try to envision how hellish it would have been for Toei since the director was quite the auteur and that chapel building in episode 2 was built from scratch only to be burnt to a crisp for the sake of storytelling.
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Last edited by Sunred; 08-09-2016 at 11:08 AM.. |
08-09-2016, 12:58 PM | #7 |
I have a problematic type
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 10,432
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Okay, let's do some positives on shows that I'm normally really down on:
Faiz has some really great suit designs. The main Riders and their gear are still some of the strongest designs of the entire Heisei era. Takumi is a really likable protagonist and Kiba was a really sympathetic co-lead. I still want a spin-off show where Mari, Kaido, and Keitaro bust into secure labs wielding frying pans and irons. The second half of Hibiki does have a really funny bit where Kiriya fails at all of the physical tests to become Hibiki's apprentice and resorts to trying to impress him with math and foreign language trophies. I always found that scene to be hilarious. Kiva has fantastic music and, again, great costume designs. I also think that the Bear Imagin's storyline was a much better realization of the same basic plot as the sick Shocker kids in The First. Ghost has a really good soundtrack - probably the best incidental music since Wizard. I also like how it was willing to have simple done-in-one episodes early on in its run instead of having a lot of padded two-parters (even if it meant only one episode with Yukari Taki). |
08-09-2016, 01:17 PM | #8 |
Dai Shogun
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Germany
Posts: 7,535
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I really like Wizard’s supporting cast. Probably only because comedy heavy characters where a new thing for me back then so I didn’t hate them as much, but I do like Shunpei, Koyomi, Rinko and Wajima quite a lot.
Shunpei wasn’t much better than Onari now that I look back at it, and I feel like Shunpei would’ve been more believable if he would’ve been a kid and not a teenager. But I still like his fascination for magic and his introduction was very enjoyable IMO. I also fondly remember the episode with his childhood friend (the backer) and how Shunpei gave everything to help him out, that impressed me. Rinko works for me too. Mostly because she was allowed to work outside of magic-stuff and do some detective work. The episodes which focused on her and Phoenix were really cool. But we all knew how that one ended… sigh. But Rinko got a lot of funny stuff too, in fact the Christmas episode involving her being forced to wear a sexy lady Santa costume and Haruto cracking up at it to the point where he slaps himself serious again is my favorite little moment in all of Wizard. Probably because it’s a great parody of Haruto as a character too, which is a bit sad because it’s too accurate. Koyomi is my least favorite simply because she was so limited in what she could do, but I do think they handled her acceptably well in the end, from what I remember at least. I won’t spoil anything but if you know why I didn’t enjoy W’s ending, that’s the reason why I enjoyed Wizards ending better. And Wajima is just precious. Love the scenes where he spits out his drink, I cracked up when he did it in the first episode. That’s slapstick done right, and he only does it like three times overall I think so it’s not terribly overused. And I like his involvement in the story as the one who makes the wizard rings and keeps a save home for the cast. So yeah there you go, I think Wizard is the overall weakest Rider show I’ve ever watched but the supporting cast will always be something I gladly remember. And it gives me hope that I might enjoy comedy filler characters again if I can just find something about them I enjoy. |
08-09-2016, 01:36 PM | #9 |
Avi by @CSarracenian
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 4,186
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Kuuga: Good growth and usage of forms
Agito: I like Gills' concept Ryuki: Nice change of pace in terms of story, liked the Visors 555: The phone's voice and Accel Form Blade: Great characters, amazing story, more unique villains Hibiki: Guitars Kabuto: Best designs, amazing CGI, great fighting choreography, KaGAmi's growth, Tsurugi's development Den-Oh: Is funneh Kiva: Supernova, Roots of the King, Individual System, Destiny's Play, Break the Chain, Emperor Decade: Diend's concept (thief Rider), the story's potential, Decade's suits, Ride the Wind W: Everything but the epilogue and sometimes bad CGI OOO: Music's alright, TaJaDor, Birth Fourze: Amazing designs, very charming Wizard: CGI Gaim: Suits, story, characters Drive: Suitsm story, characters, change of tone Ghost: Designs
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08-09-2016, 01:46 PM | #10 |
Stronger Than You
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: nyet
Posts: 25,333
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Blade exists.
And we should all be thankful for that. Great characters that got a nice amount of time to shine, awesome villains that, despite their predicament, still manage to be interesting, and a wonderful story that just keeps you invested. Great designs for nearly everyone, a really awesome support cast, great music, and the best ending KR has had. Kenzaki is truly one of the best just for how far he would go~
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