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06-22-2021, 11:38 AM | #651 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Chicago, IL
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While I want to believe your other take, this is the one that seems more plausible to me. Kengo used to be a good and supportive friend, but now he's just kind of a mean a**hole with misdirected anger towards Wataru and Nago. It's not the worst case of character derailment I've seen (points at Haganeya and Yonemura), but it's unfortunate to see how far he's fallen from being a pretty likable and sympathetic character in his introduction. There's also the question of how much of this new Kengo is real and how much is an act, considering how Shima mentioned about his backstory.
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But Mio not telling Taiga might also be making it more painful for him than it needs to be. Without knowing who the other guy is, Taiga is left with no direction, no way to improve, since he doesn't know why he's failing or what the other guy has that he doesn't. Sure, Mio doesn't have any obligation to tell him since she's in this engagement against her will and mostly just indifferent to him rather than having any strong resentment, but constructive criticism is usually appreciated in this situation.
More than that... it's still not Mio's job to "fix" Taiga, or even in her best interest to try? Giving him ways to fix himself is like giving him hope that she'll change her mind, and that's the worst thing she can do for either of them. She gave Taiga the truth and a clean break; I think that should be enough for him.
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06-22-2021, 12:18 PM | #652 |
Filthy SU/FE Trash
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 572
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I honestly think if the Kiva suits weren't so heavy 36 would be right around the time Emperor shows up also a problem I have with Kiva(as a late joiner) is there are WAY TOO Many tonal whiplashes like for example if an episode of Den-O had some depressing crap happen they would wait a bit before a joke happens again Kiva it's depressing scene some screwed up stuff and then RANDOM FUNNY JOKE TIME XDDDDDDD
(I prefer darker stories but I don't mind Den-O since at least it felt tonally consistent and it knew what it was Kiva feels like it's trying to be dark as Inoue's other work but has so much random BS thrown in to the point where I'm like uhhhhhhhh what) Last edited by Mmicb0b; 06-22-2021 at 12:22 PM.. |
06-22-2021, 12:30 PM | #653 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
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Location: Chicago, IL
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also a problem I have with Kiva(as a late joiner) is there are WAY TOO Many tonal whiplashes like for example if an episode of Den-O had some depressing crap happen they would wait a bit before a joke happens again Kiva it's depressing scene some screwed up stuff and then RANDOM FUNNY JOKE TIME XDDDDDDD
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06-22-2021, 02:18 PM | #654 |
Veteran Member
Join Date: Jan 2020
Posts: 1,290
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Boy, I feel like this series is maybe not going to be for you! This isn't the standard Rider series that's about justice, or empathy, or how we work together to support one another. (I mean, some of that is in here, but it's not the focus.) Kiva's a show about personal love, and individual choice, and how those things exist within structures that may not value them. It's absolutely going to feature characters - heroes! - who occasionally make selfish choices and don't deal with their emotions well. That's part of the story that's being told!
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KAMEN RIDER KIVA EPISODE 35 - “NEW ARRANGEMENT: FLYING ROSE”
It’s all over the place, unfortunately. Kengo’s in one scene to be installed as the new IXA, and then that’s all we see of 70% of the 2008 cast. (Megumi! Poor Megumi!) Jiro randomly appears to Wataru to give him the next instruction for his plotline. Yuri’s in the most thankless role she’s had yet, and that’s saying something. The Super Fangire never coheres as a villain, despite an early-episode twist. (She just… she isn’t about anything. She’s just a victim who becomes a crazy power-mad monster. It’s not saying anything about this show’s themes or plots!) It ends with a bunch of CGI nonsense, and I’ll never ever care about that. It’s sloppy, and overstuffed, and it lacks a throughline. Quote:
All of that would be forgivable if I thought the show landed its big Bloody Rose moments, but I don’t think it does.
Wataru’s dilemma in this story wasn’t that he lacked direction, or that he couldn’t live up to his father’s legacy, or that he couldn’t feel his father’s presence in his life. That’s all general Kiva stuff, but it’s nothing that was going on in the last two episodes. What was going on in the last two episodes was that Wataru had his heart broken, and he was pretending everything was fine. Bloody Rose cracked because he was denying his pain. But this episode has the resolution to that problem be a random confession to Taiga in the middle of the episode, and makes the emotional climax something that could’ve landed at the end of nine or ten other stories. It’s nothing specific to this story, and that sucks. It makes a huge emotional breakthrough from Wataru into something generic and perfunctory. It’s a beautiful moment that feels haphazardly shoved into this episode. Quote:
The Otoya story is sort of the same thing. It’s him testifying to his love of humanity, when we’re in the middle of a story about him neglecting his girlfriend for another woman. It’s a great Otoya moment, something drawn from long-form characterization, that somehow feels dropped in from nowhere. It’s possible that you could look at Otoya’s story as being about Suffering For Art, what with him looking like Maya’s a literal vampire now, but it’d be another random metaphor in an episode that can’t keep a coherent theme.
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06-22-2021, 02:46 PM | #655 |
I have a problematic type
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 10,410
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I'm honestly starting to get a little tired of this phase of the show. This is part where you really need to be invested in the Wataru/Taiga/Mio love triangle because it is eating up most of the show's screen time anymore. Nago and Megumi are largely getting isolated to one scene per episode and the '86 cast isn't faring much better. I know I praised the pacing of this arc a few episodes ago, but I think I'm going to have to clarify that primarily in comparison to a show where these issues got dragged out even longer. The whole "one episode, one step forward" approach is definitely progress, but given how invested in this triangle I'm not it still feels really drawn out for me.
And Kengo? Stop creeping on Yuria Haga's character. I knew Masato Kusaka and you, sir, are no Masato Kusaka. |
06-22-2021, 05:35 PM | #656 |
The Immortal King Tasty
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Every diner you've ever been to.
Posts: 3,833
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You know the Zanvat Sword must be serious business when they're busting out the literal Melody of Fear first thing after the opening in this one! Probably don't need to waste time describing a tune with a name like that, but this one definitely fits the gothic vibe of Kiva particularly well.
The only thing I've really got to add about the episode proper this time is that I quite like the opening scene with Wataru stepping out in front of Shizuka to politely deal with his grouchy neighbors complaining about his music? It's the show rubbing in how much growth Wataru has had again, by giving him such a new reaction to such an old scenario, and it's appreciated. He's always got something new to worry about, so I feel this might be easy to forget, but the show has seriously allowed Wataru to make massive strides compared to where he used to be. That kind of first quarter era problem doesn't even crack a top ten list of things he's angsty over anymore. (I also approve of Shizuka attempting to handle the problem by telling those people they simply must not appreciate quality music. It's totally unproductive, mind you! ...but I do have to respect her taking such a strong stance in the name of art.) 36/37 are also Nakazawa's second and final set of Kiva episodes, if that ends up meaning anything. There's a nice shot in this one when Kiva and Saga are fighting in that fountain and the camera pans along with them super smoothly as Saga forces Kiva back that feels straight out of Wizard to me for whatever reason, but I wouldn't be able to say exactly from where off the top of my head, if I'm even remembering something specific.
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06-22-2021, 08:28 PM | #657 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 6,159
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I feel like her inability to confront Otoya is leading to some repetitive scenes? She was a badass warrior who stood up to decorative vampire monsters, and now her only role is look miserable while she's metaphorically cheated on. It's not the best storyline I can imagine! (That said, I did like how the show used Yuri in the most recent episode. Some of it was for the timeless outfit she had on - the plaid shirt, olive pants, and black All-Stars totally worked for her - but some of it was just for her taking her anger out on a bunch of monsters. Crying Yuri is something I'm not looking for nearly as much as Murderous Yuri.) Quote:
I'm honestly starting to get a little tired of this phase of the show. This is part where you really need to be invested in the Wataru/Taiga/Mio love triangle because it is eating up most of the show's screen time anymore. Nago and Megumi are largely getting isolated to one scene per episode and the '86 cast isn't faring much better. I know I praised the pacing of this arc a few episodes ago, but I think I'm going to have to clarify that primarily in comparison to a show where these issues got dragged out even longer. The whole "one episode, one step forward" approach is definitely progress, but given how invested in this triangle I'm not it still feels really drawn out for me.
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The only thing I've really got to add about the episode proper this time is that I quite like the opening scene with Wataru stepping out in front of Shizuka to politely deal with his grouchy neighbors complaining about his music? It's the show rubbing in how much growth Wataru has had again, by giving him such a new reaction to such an old scenario, and it's appreciated. He's always got something new to worry about, so I feel this might be easy to forget, but the show has seriously allowed Wataru to make massive strides compared to where he used to be. That kind of first quarter era problem doesn't even crack a top ten list of things he's angsty over anymore.
(I also approve of Shizuka attempting to handle the problem by telling those people they simply must not appreciate quality music. It's totally unproductive, mind you! ...but I do have to respect her taking such a strong stance in the name of art.) The one thing that sort of cracked me up, though, was the specific complaint of the neighbors. They're complaining that the music is bad, which is something I don't the show's ever suggested? It sounds fine to me. Not really what I thought they'd be complaining about? What they should be complaining about is Wataru playing a single minute-long piece of music for about nine straight months. Just... just play another song! ANY OTHER SONG! In his non-jerk days, Kengo had the presence of mind to practice his one song in an abandoned warehouse or an empty arboretum. It's maybe not your talent that's the problem, Wataru!
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06-23-2021, 09:36 PM | #658 |
I got nothing
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 148
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I hate to say it but Taiga's introduction is honestly where Kiva starts to fall apart and go to shit due to the utter unnecessary love triangle only here for that trademark Inoue melodrama
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06-23-2021, 09:47 PM | #659 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 6,159
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You are... probably not going to love tonight's episode post!
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06-23-2021, 09:51 PM | #660 |
I got nothing
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 148
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I also know how this pointless plot tumor ends as well which is heavily influencing my opinion on the show
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