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12-18-2021, 11:19 AM | #471 |
fencer of gold
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 231
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Quote:
There is one very well known example of this in the live action shows- though I'd rather not give spoilers for one of the main shows, a film and a spin-off by mentioning his name (long time fans probably know who I'm talking about)
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12-18-2021, 05:23 PM | #472 |
Some guy. I'm alright.
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Michigan
Posts: 4,404
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Episode 20: Duel Wasn't a fan of this one! Getting straight to it, the whole point of this episode is set up a clash of ideals between Zanga and Garo, resulting in an actual fight over it. The problem here is that they do in a way that's incredibly forced and nonsensical: Killing off Yasumasa as a way to provide pathos for Hakamadare, which is not only a waste of a good character, but incredibly unnecessary. Hakamadare and Raiko were already at odds in how to go about their lives as Makai Knights. This really did not need an extra set up than what it already naturally had. And even then, at the end it's revealed that Seimei as the vessel can't truly die anyway, rendering alot of the character drama pointless. As a result this is an episode that has basically nothing going for it. The character drama is a waste, the action is nothing special, the plot isn't advanced in any sort of meaningful way, and again, a character that could've brought about more great dynamics in the cast is just unceremoniously killed off. So yeah, not a fan. You can tell that the story is being dragged out just to be 24 episodes long.
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Last edited by DreamSword; 12-10-2022 at 09:15 PM.. |
12-19-2021, 06:26 PM | #473 |
Some guy. I'm alright.
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Michigan
Posts: 4,404
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Episode 21: Resonance This episode is all about Raiko freeing Seimei of her curse. The way he does so is by entering into her very soul to pull her free from Rudra's' control, but in exchange, Haruaki(Seimei's' grandpa) must become the vessel. It's an episode full of many a touching moment. From Raiko's' resolute devotion to Seimei to Haruaki's' last words to his grand daughter, to Kintoki's' stand against Xehanort, there's alot of big stuff here. And that's all well and good, but the thing that surprised me the absolute most, and based on what I've been the told the thing that will probably off put alot of long time Garo fans, is how members of the Watchdog Center themselves get directly involved in the fight this time around. It's such a stark turnaround from how they were portrayed in the first anime; Being almost completely amoral assholes who didn't care what happened as long as it meant they got to keep killing Horrors. Here though, they directly interfere, going so far as to knock Xehanort out with a spell of their own before leaving. For sure did not see that coming! Overall I liked this episode, despite my mixed feelings on the twist with the Watchdog Center. But, we still have three more episodes to go, meaning Xehanort isn't down for the count just yet.
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Last edited by DreamSword; 12-10-2022 at 09:16 PM.. |
12-22-2021, 02:49 PM | #474 |
Some guy. I'm alright.
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Michigan
Posts: 4,404
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Episode 22: Rudra Rudra has been unleashed, and the final battle is at hand. I think what was most interesting about this episode was how it didn't solely focus on the battle itself, but also on how people reacted to said fight. To elaborate, while there are good number of scenes showcasing Raiko and friends battling the behemoth of a Horror, there's also alot of time dedicated to Yorinobu and how he tries to guide the people of the capitol through this crisis. Michinaga of course takes the opportunity to make himself look good to the people, all the while having no qualms in leaving the masses to die so long as he can protect himself and his image; Even going as far as to try and get Yorinobu assassinated. This is the final straw for Yorinobu. On the battle side of things, Xehanort has fully merged himself with Rudra, and I will say that despite this episode having a more obviously limited budget, they did do a solid job at selling the scale and power that Rudra has. I chose the screenshot I did for a reason, afterall. Other than that though, the fight itself is mostly budget beam spam. Of course, we do still have two episodes left, so it's not like the show's' final battle is ending on a weak note with this episode. It's simply a stepping stone towards something more grand, of which I am perfectly fine with. Other highlights include Kaguya regaining her memories, and Kintoki feeling happy that his friends are reunited again. Oh, and for the villain side of this, there was Xehanort having no problem cutting off his own arm. That was metal. Overall a solid and interesting episode in a way that I didn't much expect. Hopefully the final two episodes can continue to keep the balance that this one did.
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12-23-2021, 09:43 AM | #475 |
Some guy. I'm alright.
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Michigan
Posts: 4,404
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Episode 23: Assault Moon In many other shows, this would be the final episode. This is probably the most action heavy out of all of the Crimson Moon episodes too, and while the action itself isn't anything super spectacular, for what it is, it's done well. I rather dug the character dynamics between Raiko and Xehanort here, as they both note how their situations are incredibly similar; Both were cast out by family who they thought loved them and were left to die. In another life, Raiko could have easily become just as bad as Xehanort. But the key difference between the two is that Raiko found new family that he could lean on. Xehanort meanwhile had no one, and as such grew bitter at the world. Sure, it's the sort of tale about how our environment shapes us that many a story has done before, but it was still done well here, and spoke volumes about how the two characters carry themselves not only in this episode, but throughout the series as a whole. Raiko's' bond with his friends is even exemplified in the brand new super mode he gets, because yeah, this is a Garo story afterall. The ending of the whole thing was rather interesting to me too. This is one of the few stories about an ancient sealed evil actually getting resealed, rather than being outright killed like in most stories I've experienced. How Xehanort was handled in the end impressed me too, as while Raiko and the crew certainly feel pity for Xehanort and his situation, they don't simply just forgive him for all that he's done, and instead merely help the man pass on in peace. Xehanort was by no means a good man, but he is one that anyone could have the potential of becoming, and in that aspect, it's easy to see how Raiko, someone who wishes to save as many people as he can, could feel sorry for the man, despite the entire show up to this point. Overall this was a good episode full of decent action and some really nice imagery to go along with the closing of the main plot at hand. I imagine the next and final episode will just be about wrapping things up.
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12-25-2021, 09:53 AM | #476 |
fencer of gold
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 231
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any luck tracking down the OVA?
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12-25-2021, 10:38 AM | #477 |
Some guy. I'm alright.
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Michigan
Posts: 4,404
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Haven't started looking yet. What's the title of it?
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12-25-2021, 02:13 PM | #478 |
fencer of gold
Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 231
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"The Butterfly of Time"
it might be listed as ep24 just like the OVA from seal of flames was listed as ep25 and then there's also the film "Garo:The Fleeting Cherry Blossom"
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12-25-2021, 04:36 PM | #479 |
Some guy. I'm alright.
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Michigan
Posts: 4,404
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Episode 24: Imprint Butterfly This was not at all what I expected, but in probably the best way! The final episode, which I also assume is the aforementioned OVA, actually follows a Makai Knight named Tokikawa; A man unable to age. People who've been paying attention to the lore of show can probably very quickly deduce who this new mystery knight is far before the reveal at the end, but that doesn't make this episode any less impactful. Even without that context, the episode does a solid job in making Tokikawa likable, and his platonic relationship with Raiko's' mother very sweet. I concept of a cursed Armor was also really interesting to me, and I felt it was a shame that we never get to see the suit in the episode proper. But, with the rest of the show in mind? It adds an entirely new layer to Kintoki. From why he's became Raiko's' attendant, to his personality, to his fighting style, to the very clothes that he wears, it did a whole lot in helping flesh him out as a character, and I am 100% here for it. If Hakamadare weren't in this show, Kintoki would probably now be my favorite. The continuation of using butterflies for symbolism was also very appreciated. It's something that was held consistent all throughout the show proper and it was good to see more of it here. Death, rebirth, corruption, purity, they're used in alot of ways, and here I felt that the use of butterflies to signify that time is fleeting(in this case, literally) was really cool, ontop of them being used as a symbol of the friendship between Tokikawa and Raiko's' mother. Does it do any of the wrapping up for characters that I expected/wanted out of a final episode? No, but what it did give me was something I appreciated all the same. All that's left now is the movie.
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12-26-2021, 10:03 PM | #480 |
Kaiju or Hero?
Join Date: Jan 2021
Location: Even I Don't Know Anymore.
Posts: 1,397
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SHIKIZAKURA
As of today, I have finished watching Shikizakura as it aired, and am here to present a review of the season. Hopefully DS is cool with me setting up a review here, since this is technically a Toku-inspired Anime. Without delay, here is my spoiler safe review. So first off, what is Shikizakura? it's a debut Anime for a Nagoya Anime Studio using 3DCG animation, which is chock-full of references to Tokusatsu like Ultraman, Kamen Rider, and Super Sentai. The plot centers around Kakeru Miwa, a boy who survived an incident where an entire town was devoured by Oni. One day he encounters a mysterious girl (as you'd expect) and is dragged into the conflict between humans and Oni, and makes a pact with an Oni sealed in a Yoroi (armor) suit, Ibara, and the two join forces with other armored warriors to become Heroes and defeat the Oni. Simple plot, right? Well, no jokes, it is. I think it's best to start with the negatives, since I'm sure you can tell exactly what the first issue is. The CG. Now, I wouldn't have minded it, until you realize that only the main characters are CG while everything else is 2D, heck, during flashbacks and a couple of episodes, you get all traditional animation. The problem with this CG in particular, is that it feels robotic in a lot of places, making everyone's movements rigid and uncanny, but also doesn't look that good to start with. Except for the Yoroi Suits, which is where it works the best. The thing about CG Anime to me is that trying to animate them to appear 2D often doesn't work in the Anime format (at least as far as I've seen), the Netflix Ultraman probably had the best use in making it motion captured, giving them a natural pace, rather than aping the way regular Anime are animated. Next up, our protagonist, Kakeru Miwa. His motivation throughout the greater length of the show is to become a Hero. No "to protect my friends," no " so nobody else loses something important," no "because there's someone I idolize." He just says it like anybody donning a suit is a Hero and that's it. Granted, he does find a reason later down the road, but that's still far too long for a Hero's origin, and even if we, the audience, can interpret his motivation from the previously mentioned options, it helps to have your Hero declare this reason to all, as it shows their determination instead of just saying something a kid would say. Though this is only a minor nitpick, I still feel like it plays into how I view this show. For the shows plot, if you've seen enough Toku from the big three, you've got a good idea what you're about to watch, except that there's no monster of the week, just swarms of mooks, with the occasional special boss and final boss. There's nothing in this show that's exactly mind-blowing, being pretty simple as far as any show goes, but there are some things this series does that even some of the big Toku shows seldom explore, like the victims of the Oni, or taking an obvious route only to twist it further. Remember those all 2D animated episodes I was talking about? They're honestly some pretty funny episodes that not only reference Tokusatsu, but some other bits of Japanese media, even having one focused entirely on a Super Hero Stage Show. However, the main reason for this show and it's story is revolved around something anyone who's seen a couple random Anime and maybe played some Video Games could figure out where it's going, is something I still find myself wondering whether it stuck the landing for me or not. For some positives, the supporting cast got some good spotlight episodes *glances at Ultraman Trigger*, even getting upgrades *glances at recent Sentai Seasons*, and the action scenes are pretty fun, despite not going nearly as crazy as some animated action shows. The Yoroi have pretty neat designs, reminiscent of Kamen Rider Ex-Aid and Gatchaman CROWDS (another Toku-Inspired Anime), with an interesting blend of Japanese Culture, which is funny since this thread's currently watching one. And this show's Momotarou/Vice, Ibara, is ironically the best character, with the protagonist's nerd friend coming in second. Overall, this show was clearly influence by Tokusatsu, even going as far as to reference them in bringing about the final product. It's not perfect, it could have had better work on the CG, or forgone it completely with the out-of-suit cast and left the action scenes 3DCG, but even the 2D isn't comparable with Mad House or Bones. The show has heart, but it doesn't do much to elevate the vessel it bears itself upon, but as a first attempt, it's not something I dislike, heck it could have been a dumb Isekai clone, which is saying a lot. In the end, this show is a 2/5, or 2.5/5. Nothing ground-breaking, but nothing I didn't find some enjoyment in watching. If only it was worth falling behind on Revice (which it isn't, I just couldn't find the time to track down the episodes since I was recovering from sicknes). I guess, next year will be when I start watching more Toku, but not the end of Toku/Anime as we have a couple down the road I'll probably check out. |
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