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04-08-2021, 04:59 AM | #671 |
The Immortal King Tasty
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The fact that this is happening in the final ten episodes is what makes it so bizarre to me. They've got such a solid opening song, the show itself is a hit... why mess with success? And why do it when nothing else really changes? So weird. Would love to better understand that decision making.
But, yeah, we're still very much in agreement about what's happened to the opening: Quote:
The show then decides to add insult to injury by replacing the visuals for around 30 seconds of the opening with clips from the episode starting with 41, which... seriously? It's one thing to do that to shill a movie, or to do it tastefully like OOO and Ryuki where you get little snippets in spots specifically designated for that purpose, but to outright replace most of the OP with stuff I'm going to see in a second anyway is madness. If it ain't broke, don't fix it!
(Also, 41/42 are Ishida episodes, because of course they are. His last ones of the show, in fact!)
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04-08-2021, 09:02 AM | #672 |
I have a problematic type
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So we’ve finally hit this point: the last storyline I clearly remember from the show. I’ve known this one was coming for awhile, but honestly thought it happened earlier. As it turns out, I actually forgot a lot of the specific details from this one; I mostly just remember Deneb trying to get more people to know Yuuto.
It’s a really fun episode, though. There are a lot of great moments, but the highlight for me is absolutely the scene where Ryotaro and Yuuto recap the entire Sakurai plot thread while disinterestedly hanging out at an amusement park. Such a delightfully odd way to make an exposition dump more visually dynamic. |
04-08-2021, 10:13 AM | #673 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
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See, back in 2007 the imagins were popular especially since the voice talents behind them were also big deals. And voice talents in Japan have somewhat of a pop idol-like status within the fandoms(emphasis on fandom since even mainstream Japan only knows a handful of voice actors such as Koichi Yamadera, Nana Mizuki, and Mamoru Miyano who have made efforts to appeal to the masses who could care less about nerd/geek stuff within Japan be it recording artists or as regulars in variety shows). Personal observation, a small chunk of Den-O's popularity relied upon that fandom and was a nice entry point for people who might like anime and games but did not know much about toku to give it a chance. Of course, the original mix is still great but the choice makes sense when considering all this.
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It’s a really fun episode, though. There are a lot of great moments, but the highlight for me is absolutely the scene where Ryotaro and Yuuto recap the entire Sakurai plot thread while disinterestedly hanging out at an amusement park. Such a delightfully odd way to make an exposition dump more visually dynamic.
Which... that theme park scene is maybe the most definitive Den-O scene? It's a scene full of confusing exposition that tries to define the stakes of a major change that just occurred and the last forty episodes of a background plot while also being about the friendship that's developed between Yuuto and Ryotaro. It's serious, fraught material (Ryotaro is basically trying to logic Yuuto out of killing himself), but its sadness and melancholy is candy-coated and hilarious thanks to the direction. It's a tension, between the words and the images, that would wreck a lesser show. But this one just takes that friction and makes sparks with it. Pretty goddamn amazing.
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04-08-2021, 11:08 AM | #674 |
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I’ll discuss what I thought of the episode next time. |
04-08-2021, 05:45 PM | #675 |
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KAMEN RIDER DEN-O EPISODE 42 - "MEMORY UPDATE”
Please get along with Yuuto. It's hard, I know. It's very, very hard. Yuuto is a character that is relentlessly opaque and aggressively taciturn. He suffers in a way that almost redefines suffering, and yet if you bring that up around him you've lost his interest. He longs for connection while refusing to connect. In every way that matters, he is Not Here To Make Friends. And yet. It's almost impossible not to befriend Yuuto, not to try to improve his emotional state. Like a lot of closed-off characters, he protests way too much. He makes a big point this episode that the reason he's refusing to make new friends and reconnect with ones who've forgotten him isn't because it'd hurt him to lose those people. No, of course it's not that; it's the damage those people would take when they forget Yuuto. So naturally the episode ends with Shouko forgetting Yuuto and then frolicking on a beach in the background while Yuuto talks about how much she's been harmed by this adventure. He's so committed to this martyr bit that it is, honestly, adorable. He is willing to sacrifice everything about himself, body and soul, but he's not willing to say that he regrets it. And he obviously does. His new Zero Form is his anger at how much he's having to give up, but as a palette swap. He can put on a brave face and pretend like losing Airi doesn't mean anything to him, but even one day with Shouko exposes that for the lie it is. He's a sad boy who needs to have people in his life. He needs an outlet for all of this nobility, a reward for everything he's burned up in the pursuit of justice. He needs it to all be worth something. So it's really poignant to have Shouko as the girl who is pleased to get along with Yuuto. Her whole story about the ability to change being more inspiring than the change itself is wonderfully convoluted in the most realistic way possible. It's exactly how you talk to someone you caught feelings for, where you're trying to express something deep and fundamental about yourself to them, but you're so thrilled to do so that it comes out in a jumble. For a boy who has no past and can't plan on a future, it's nice to see him paired off (even for just one story) with a girl who views the present as the most precious thing in the world. Shouko was sick in a way that she couldn't hope for a better future, so she decided to live each day. Not, like, Live Each Day To Its Fullest or anything, but just live it. Be present for it and appreciate it. She might not have more days, so she'll try to treat this day as the one that matters the most. If she gets another one? Well, that just means that all her memories are of great days. It's the flipside to how Yuuto has closed himself off to new experiences. Shouko thinks she could drop dead tomorrow, or Yuuto could just leave, or whatever. But Yuuto's there with her today, and they're having fun, and that's enough. It's taking the uncertainty of the future and saying That Just Makes Today Matter More. It's buoyant and beautiful and it makes Yuuto's inability to see beyond his losses that much more disappointing and heartbreaking. As always, it's Ryotaro who's the hero of the story, because believing in people and not giving up are totally in his wheelhouse. Yuuto can't get attached because he sees those attachments burn up like a Zeronos card. But Ryotaro rides a train with the lost and forgotten, and they're only doing that because there's a chance they'll be remembered. Yuuto's okay destroying himself, or pretending he's okay with destroying himself, because he doesn't really believe in himself. But Ryotaro believes in everybody, and he knows that there's still a chance for Yuuto to be happy and remembered. Maybe someday Yuuto'll believe it, too. THE BAGGAGE CAR -Absolutely stellar episode, and a lot of that comes down to Shouko's actor. She has a gaudy amount of chemistry with Yuuto and/or Deneb, the type of chemistry that I think the show wrongly assumes that Yuuto and Airi have. (They really don't!) There's an indelible move Shouko's actor does in this one, where she's telling her story about how she motivated herself into appreciating what little time she might have, and she has this moment where she doesn't think she's explaining this right. In fairness, it is a bizarre monologue about today becoming the past in the future. But she gets this embarrassed look on her face, like she knows how dumb this all might sound to someone who is not full-time living inside her head, and it's the cutest goddamn thing. Her enthusiasm never wavered in this episode, never once, and it made her one of my favorite characters on this series. -Like last time, not a ton for the DenLiner crew to do in this one, but I laughed pretty hard at the idea of Urataros getting called in to steer Shouko away from Yuuto, and Shouko being completely impervious to his charm. Ura's main thing is winning over women, and he never ever had a chance with Shouko. She just does not see Ryotaro/Urataros as interesting romantically, preferring the Yuuto/Deneb combo. Hilarious. -The fight scene, also! Really fun to have Urataros turn around and there always being a truck directly behind him. Excellent editing! -Joke of the episode was probably Kin suggesting that Shouko fell in love with Deneb, since that was what was inside Yuuto when they met, and Naomi politely suggesting that it maybe helps more if you look like a goddamn male model. I mean, Deneb's a fun imagination monster from the end of time to chat with, but have you seen Yuuto. Like, have you seen his face. All of his face.
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04-08-2021, 06:46 PM | #676 |
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Yeah, Den-O is one where I've forgotten most of the overarching plot (or what Den-O has instead of that), but this one I remember really enjoying. It's just great. Like Climax Jump Den-Liner Version.
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04-08-2021, 07:21 PM | #677 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
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Thankfully, who cares about the series arc on this one? Certainly not anyone on the production team! They designed an endgame villain who does not like having to show up and do endgame villain things!
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04-08-2021, 07:37 PM | #678 |
The Immortal King Tasty
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Wish I could add some of my own insight here, but it's hard to say anything besides yes yes, that that to your thoughts on the episode. (And that catchphrase isn't even from the right series!) Easily one of my favorites of Den-O, and, as ironic as it is, by far one of the most memorable stories it told. I really like Zeronos, if that isn't clear yet.
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04-08-2021, 07:54 PM | #679 |
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Anyway, hi, yes, Zeronos is super great, give Yuuto and Deneb the theme song while you're at it.
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04-09-2021, 06:35 AM | #680 |
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Hard to think that would be the reasoning if they wouldn't even remove Hana from the opening, let alone add in Kai or any of the potential darker/menacing villains. Also, I mean... I don't think Kai's energy really screams More Aggressive Theme Music? He's a snarky coworker, not, like, Gaoh.
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KAMEN RIDER DEN-O EPISODE 41 - “CANDY SCANDAL”
I mean, it’s incredibly charming. The overall story is about how to protect your friends emotionally and physically, and that’s a fun storyline for a show so drenched in hilarious relationships. Mixing Ryotaro’s Den-O training with Deneb’s attempts to build a world of People Who Get Along With Yuuto, that makes for a well-choreographed and dynamic episode. Spinning it all off of the devastating Zero From two-parter is a smart move, leavening the apocalyptic trauma of the last story with quirky stagings and ridiculous exposition. (The entire Here’s What Zero Form Is Doing scene, along with a broad restatement of Ryotaro’s commitment to reuniting Sakurai and Airi, takes place as Yuuto and Ryotaro are enjoying the entirety of a theme park.) There’s a whimsy to this story that kicks off with that slapstick street robbery of the intro and never lets up. I can’t think of a single scene that isn’t shot through with charm and energy. Well, lol'ed again about how Deneb is "insolent" in Yuuto's view that he again possesses Yuuto without his consent that it'll give people a false perception of Yuuto that they think he's that kind guy who gives them candies, and by that he'll just be dumbfounded of all the people's approach to him, and seeing him being set off to Deneb's antics lmao. This in some way feels like Urataros possessing Ryotaro that he gets the sudden fame with girls, that in Yuumi's episode before, Ryotaro got it full with the newfound situation with girls due to Urataros. But with Yuuto's memory problem, this act cleverly has more depth yeah which this is about Deneb trying to give Yuuto a lasting impression on people in an important agenda to keep Yuuto alive. Quote:
Now now... I feel that you have, lack of understanding about girls here, go learn to Urataros! How is it baffling for Shouko being thrilled with haircuts or new outfits?! That's commonly a girl's thing, or for what memes make out, for someone when they're starting a new day in school or college by maximizing their appearence (while the meme was after they stay long time there they no longer give a fuck about appearences). Jokes aside, I know that you've shown disapproval for high energy traits like the Airimirers, but as the appreciation of Shouko (or Deneb) here is based on her high-energy portrayal (like other parts of this episode like you said), this has been said before, but hope there won't be speaking ill of those not having loud, outspoken, or excitable demeanor (I also feel that Kai's main advantage for you to other villains is about his behavior being like this), deeming those kind of people as "lifeless" or such, treating the difference as disease and viewing them as lower scums in society. Talking about this as this is how majoirty of people view things and this is misguided and unfair. I̶ ̶k̶n̶o̶w̶ ̶D̶e̶n̶e̶b̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶S̶h̶o̶u̶k̶o̶ ̶l̶i̶k̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶b̶o̶w̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶h̶e̶r̶e̶ ̶f̶i̶t̶s̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶w̶e̶i̶r̶d̶n̶e̶s̶s̶ ̶c̶a̶t̶e̶g̶o̶r̶y̶,̶ ̶b̶u̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶d̶e̶s̶c̶r̶i̶p̶t̶i̶o̶n̶ ̶w̶o̶u̶l̶d̶ ̶o̶b̶v̶i̶o̶u̶s̶l̶y̶,̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶m̶o̶r̶e̶ ̶r̶e̶s̶e̶r̶v̶e̶d̶ ̶o̶n̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶r̶e̶ ̶I̶ ̶t̶a̶l̶k̶ ̶a̶b̶o̶u̶t̶ ̶a̶l̶s̶o̶ ̶r̶e̶c̶e̶i̶v̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶t̶e̶r̶m̶ ̶"̶w̶e̶i̶r̶d̶"̶ ̶b̶u̶t̶ ̶a̶s̶ ̶d̶e̶r̶o̶g̶a̶t̶o̶r̶y̶ ̶t̶e̶r̶m̶.̶ Quote:
-Not a ton for Ryotaro to do in this episode, besides interrogate Yuuto enough to dot i’s and cross t’s from the last story. (To recap: Yuuto’s Zero Form burns up other people’s memories of Yuuto in the present, as opposed to memories of Sakurai in the past. If I’m getting that right? It sounds like any memories Yuuto makes with people are now up for grabs.) Still, the training bit with the other Imagin is brilliantly choreographed, and I for sure cheered when Ryotaro caught Momo’s sword strike in his hands. Typical for this episode, it was an inventively shot way to roll out a bunch of exposition regarding Sakurai.
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