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06-18-2021, 09:02 PM | #621 |
I got nothing
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 148
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I feel like we could be getting a Seihou Saga sometime over the next year? They've done every other TV show Rider for Kiva, and multiple Kiva suits (base, Emperor, Dark), so I don't think it's crazy to assume that they'll do Saga to close things out. Assuming that even closes things out? I don't know!
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06-19-2021, 04:48 AM | #622 |
Ex-Weather Three leader
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 10,501
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Saga suit is simply put a great mix of elegance and archnemesis vibes.
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06-19-2021, 07:53 AM | #623 |
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That feels pretty on-brand for Otoya, though. His entire pursuit of Yuri started because she was a hot girl who randomly hugged him. He didn't really have much sense of who she was as a person and he blatantly ignored her when she said she wasn't interested, but often felt like he had the right to decide what was best for her himself. I'm not going to say he hasn't gotten better, but I think one of his big flaws is that he's still very much a romantic. Not inherently bad, but he's the kind of romantic who creates an idealized version of the person he's interested in and then expects her to live up to that ideal. One of the biggest reasons why he and Maya click so much more strongly is because she has a very similar perspective on the world, especially compared to the far more pragmatic Yuri.
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KAMEN RIDER KIVA EPISODE 33 - “SUPERSONIC: SAGA OF BATTLE”
The Wataru/Mio plot gets the most attention here, as one of their major secrets comes to light. (They both have so many secrets from each other! That’s bad! That’s not how a healthy relationship between a superhero and a supernatural executioner should look!) I thought the show was going to swerve away from it, in the restaurant. I actually laughed out loud at Mio arriving just after Wataru excused himself, thinking I was in for another few episodes of them narrowly missing each other. That would be fine, if a little predictable. I like romantic comedy stuff like that, and I’m okay with preserving the tension. But then, no, that’s not at all what happened. Wataru saw Mio, and Mio saw Wataru, and their entire relationship disintegrated in a heartbeat. I love the ordinariness of that. It’s not a story about a superhero and a supernatural executioner who can’t be together because their species are at war. It’s a girl who lied to a boy, and his heart was broken. It happens in a restaurant, and continues in a dining room. It’s not done on a battlefield, or under moonlight. It’s real spaces, normal environments. The mechanics of it are immaterial, because the emotions of it are universal. Mio lied to Wataru, and she doesn’t know how to make things right with him. Wataru cares about Mio, but he can’t trust her. Add into this that Wataru risks sacrificing his friendship with Taiga if he pursues Mio, and you’ve got a pretty combustible love triangle. For Shizuka kicking Mio afterwards, well... Shizuka and Mio feud isn't completely gone, and albeit the one at ep. 29 can be OOC, what I said regarding Shizuka still applies for how "Sweet and Protective" exclusively is applied to Wataru; someone could act drastically different towards loved ones, or those who aren't. Wataru gets her "Sweet and Protective" persona but Mio is... not Wataru, so she'd not necessarily getting that; moreover though Shizuka is otherwise normal to non-Wataru person, just that she can be forceful or pushy sometimes to others regarding Wataru, which is here for Shizuka being hostile and kicking Mio out for Wataru's behalf without getting through her. This one's probably the non-OOC take of Shizuka's personality there, unlike ep. 29 where she's outright evil. Quote:
The Otoya/Maya plot is a dynamo. It’s the best. Those two have chemistry for days, as shown in a not-at-all-metaphorical scene of them gently interlocking their bodies to bring something new into this world. The creation of Bloody Rose is Otoya sharing something intimate with a woman who is definitely not the woman he is living with, and doing it directly above their bedroom, which is why Yuri is rightfully destroyed when she secretly witnesses it. It’s another scene where it’s profoundly small and personal. Yuri wanders outside in tears, certain she’s stumbled onto proof that she should never have trusted Otoya, that they were never right for each other. It isn't some contrived misunderstanding. Maya and Otoya really do share a deeper bond than Otoya and Yuri. It’s a sweetly devastating scene.
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The rest of the episode is more time spent with Taiga, and I think his natural tendency to support his friends is really refreshing in a villain. (Or, “villain”, since he mostly just murders a Fangire in this episode.) He’s giving Wataru a pep-talk when Wataru looks like he’s feeling down (because Taiga is marrying the girl Wataru likes), or supporting Mio when she’s having a tough time at work (because she’s forced by Taiga to murder for reasons she doesn’t agree with). It’s this fun combination of Really Supportive and Utterly Oblivious To His Role In Making People Miserable that I find entertaining. He’s a charismatic presence that’s equally heartwarming and despicable, which is a very tough line to walk.
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06-19-2021, 02:08 PM | #624 |
New Member
Join Date: Mar 2020
Location: Evanston IL.
Posts: 95
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I have to remind that if the villain status is ambiguous (with brackets) because 'he mostly just murders a Fangire', evil vs evil can exist in media (as well as good vs good), like for KR series, Kitazaki vs Arch Orphnoch in Faiz. And especially there's Daguva in Kuuga, who is one of the most irredeemable villains of the franchise, whose depravity is him killing his own species (for being too weak). Otherwise, there's a term called anti-villain, which means a villain with redeeming qualities, which'd apply for Taiga but probably can't be talked about here. Saga's finisher (where do you get the name of it being Saga? iirc wasn't mentioned in the series) is also one of those I like better in Kiva series, it's a different take of finishing an opponent by hanging them, instead of brute force attacks, though it doesn't look that deadly still. Kiva Emperor also unveils more of his abilities, in using Dogga Hammer, and the Emperor Thunder Slap.
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06-19-2021, 05:15 PM | #625 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 6,159
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But still, I thought Wataru sees the good in others (despite being shy, I mean one of the reasons to be shy is to be afraid of others, and he sunk into that way again when Dai-chan is actually Rook), but it only takes this part to make Wataru distrustful to her? It takes monsters like Rhino Fangire to send Wataru outright into hateful state.
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This part's a message about own potential to create own violin to draw 100% of talent... though I still don't fully capture of own violin being different except likely more passion to show off your creation's capability aside from your abilities. I wonder if this would apply for Riders too, creating own Riders instead of being handed would make a better fighter (the creator of IXA for example should use the IXA itself by that then).
Some stuff I've just heard through the fandom (all the Kiva Seihous made it relevant recently), and some other people confirmed it in this thread.
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06-19-2021, 08:45 PM | #626 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
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Location: Chicago, IL
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KAMEN RIDER KIVA EPISODE 34 - "NOISE: MELODY OF DESTRUCTION”
This episode, despite being incredibly tight thematically, felt like it was spreading itself too thin. There's a lot going on right now in Kiva, from character returns to shocking reveals to diabolical schemes to heartache to whatever else I forgot to mention. With so many things to address, it makes for an episode that doesn't really tell a memorable story. The smartest thing it does is focus in on Wataru's problems, and then reexamine those issues through different characters. It makes sure that Wataru is central to every story, even the ones he doesn't really interact with. It feels like this is his show, which has frequently been a problem. Wataru is putting on a brave face regarding his recent break-up with Mio, and it's as funny as it is phony. He bakes himself a cake to celebrate another milestone on the way to adulthood, which is honestly enviably mature, but then he shrugs off Kivat's reminder of Mio's dedication with an Oh She Was Just Lying To Spare My Feelings, the sort of complete misinterpretation that tells us that Wataru is in really bad shape. I mean, he throws a party to celebrate getting dumped! There's seeing the bright side, and then there's this lunacy. (Like, the fact that Nago thinks this is a good idea should be a huge warning sign!) It's admirable that Wataru would try to make lemonade out of Doomed Romance lemons, but he's so clearly repressing his real feelings that it all comes off as cringe comedy. Still funny! But, like, funny because he is being incredibly weird. From there, he lets Taiga try to cheer him up by... spending an afternoon on an amusement park outing with him and Mio. It's my favorite recurring gag on this show right now, Taiga trying to be a good guy to people he is emotionally atomizing. (When he's on his lunch date with Mio and is like It's So Cool To See You Love Me Like I Love You, while she's a second away from sobbing her eyes out? Hilarious!) Mio tries yet again to let Wataru know that she prefers him to Taiga, but Wataru is quick to deflect it, talk up Taiga, and then act like everything is going great. It's a plotline that culminates with Wataru literally trying to drown his anger and sadness in the bath, a repression so painful and self-destructive that Bloody Rose cracks under the strain. In an episode where not a ton stuck in my brain, that shot of Bloody Rose bearing the physical manifestation of Wataru's emotional damage was something special. It's misinterpreted yet again by Wataru, thinking it happened because he couldn't force himself to be happy enough for his heartache and isolation. It's sort of the flipside to what Wataru's talking about in the beginning. He's proud of his loss, since that's a part of growing up. But the point of your first heartbreak isn't to tick it off of a list. It's not that experience that's valuable. It's what you do with that pain, how you acknowledge it and grow from it. Wataru definitely hasn't acknowledged it. He's acting cheerful when he wants to scream, and it's making everything worse. We get to see flashes of Wataru's pain across a couple other different plots, some that get more attention than others. Mio's and Yuri's are the bigger ones, with Mio suffering under the yoke of Queendom, and Yuri suffering under the yoke of cuckqueandom. The Yuri story is zero percent subtle, just scene after scene of Yuri sitting in the dining room while her boyfriend and a supernaturally-gorgeous supernatural executioner make the most erotic musical instrument 1980s Japan had to offer. Mio's stuff is equally repetitive, with her looking for outs and getting nothing. She does schedule a meeting with Maya, however, and I'm very much looking forward to whether or not they can see eye-to-eye. The other big Brave Face storyline is KENGO! Kengo's back! And he's basically Snipe from Ex-Aid! Which is another way of saying he's no longer Here To Make Friends! There's really not much more to Kengo's story this time than his shocking reappearance, violent attitude, and militaristic makeover, but it's still a hell of a return. Beyond the questionable timeline (so Kengo became a brutally-efficient operative for W.A.K.E.U.P. after a month of training?), I really don't mind the changes the show made to Kengo. There'll always be a place in my heart for the very sweet and supportive friendship he had with Wataru, but this is an Inoue show. I am not going to be mad at Kengo returning as a bloodthirsty asshole hiding his desperate need to make friends, especially if it makes me think of Snipe. Hard to call it an improvement, but I don't mind it as a substitution. All that, and I didn't even touch on Bishop's interest in Wataru, Taiga's interest in Kiva, or the Super Fangire being created by a former W.A.K.E.U.P. scientist. It's an overstuffed episode! It's still got a solid thematic core, but it's got a few too many plates spinning right now.
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06-19-2021, 10:15 PM | #627 |
Ex-Weather Three leader
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And come to think of it, it kind of is the Delta to Kiva's Faiz; tertiary rider, black-based suit with white trims, evil and destructive, the works.
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06-20-2021, 03:00 AM | #628 |
take me to space
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 1,406
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I don't care much for Emperor Form, and I never got the hype behind Supernova. But I'll tell you what's a design I fell in love with at first sight: Saga! And a song that I've yet to get tired of listening to? Roots of the King!! Absolute criminal that my favourite snake-ufo-castle themed Rider has been so neglected among all the flux of recent Kiva-shelling merch, hmph!
Also hey! Snipe is way cooler than Kengo! (But will that Taiga be cooler than this show's Taiga in the longrun for you? I'm curious to see...) |
06-20-2021, 03:02 AM | #629 |
Veteran Member
Join Date: May 2019
Posts: 2,546
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Well, I can finally post Bishop’s information.
Swallowtail Fangire True name: The Ascetic and a Left Foot Sock (禁欲家と左足だけの靴下 Kin'yokuka to Hidariashi dake no Kutsushita) Human identity: N/A Rank: Bishop Class: Insect Actor: Mitsu Murata And now for our mad doctor’s (who is, by the way, played by the same guy who plays Nira on Drive) patient. Horsefly Fangire True name: The Decaying Fish and the Poetry Anthology Filled Cradle (腐敗した魚と詩集の詰まった揺籃 Fuhai shita Sakana to Shishū no Tsumatta Yōran) Human identity: Kaede Class: Insect Rank: Pawn Actor: Tomomi Miyashita, Kaori Mine (voice in Fangire form) So yeah, this is where all the problems Wataru’s been suffering really get to him. Can I just say that I’m pretty fond of these sorts of stories where the hero is having the problem that drives the plot, rather than a secondary character or a victim. And I’ll close off with a rare case of a sequel to a song on the soundtrack, Prayer - Message 2. |
06-20-2021, 12:20 PM | #630 |
The Immortal King Tasty
Join Date: Jan 2012
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It may be Wataru's show, but the Saga hype sure isn't stopping, as 34 marks the first use of his own personal insert theme, Roots of the King... which is kinda sung by Wataru, but you know what I mean.
Following in the footsteps of Destiny's Play and Individual-System, Saga gets a single to himself that's no less cool. Really, I might even argue it's way cooler? Not to say I necessarily like it way more, or anything, but just, Saga is a guy who thinks he's the best, and his song wants you to know it. The egotistical lyrics put even Nago to shame, with basically every other line being about how much Taiga has earned his dark privilege (literally just by being born), and how much more important and just plain better he is than you because of it. It's got some massive bad boy energy, with a suitably edgy sound, and I kinda can't get enough of it. Throwing out the word "favorite" as much as I'd like to with Kiva's songs is going to make it clear how little that word means, but yeah, there you go. This one is another favorite for me. Sort of on the subject of Saga as well, I mentioned how the suit is a clear counterpart to Kiva, and that got me to consciously realize for the first time that's it's specifically a counterpart to Kiva Form, with the top-heavy armor and relatively plain legs. (Oh, and Kiva's base form is literally called "Kiva Form", by the way, which I will never not love.) I guess most of why I want to mention this is because that random thought allowed me to put together something I found moderately interesting about Emperor Form's fighting style. As I very briefly touched on earlier in the thread, Kiva Form tended to be more about punching dudes, but reflecting the much more balanced armor layout, Emperor's fights often place a huge emphasis on him kicking monsters, which can be seen both in its debut, and in this episode. Sort of a neat way to differentiate them, if weirdly specific. (Maybe it's because Takaiwa finally could move his legs a lot easier again with the Emperor suit...?)
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