|
|
Thread Tools |
10-15-2020, 09:04 PM | #281 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 6,079
|
KAMEN RIDER HIBIKI VOLUME 21 - "EVIL SPIRITS DRAWN TOGETHER"
"Oh what I'd do To waste an afternoon with you Eating obscure, looking at girls, shopping for jeans Learning how to be and not to seem" -Superchunk, "Your Theme" For an episode that has the phrase Drawn Together in it (or at least the OZC translation has it at that), the two stories in this episode could not feel further apart. There's an Oni storyline where Ibuki and Todoroki are drawn together (!) to fight two sets of Douji and Hime; and a Hibiki/Asumu storyline where they have idle chit-chat until Hibiki leaves Asumu and Hitomi to watch an old woman writhe in agony. It's... man, it is not a seamless episode! The Oni stuff was pretty entertaining, I thought. It's just well-executed tokusatsu action, and it ain't like I hate that stuff. There're multiple run-ins between the Oni and the monsters, with a real sense of motion throughout. Ibuki spends minutes chasing a Makamou through canyons, while Todoroki jumps down a series of levels as he tries to hold off a Douji and Hime. It's nicely kinetic visual storytelling, with some tense escalation. The problem is, there's just not a lot to it? It's fun to watch, but we're really in The Enemy Has Plans And We Don't Know What They Are territory. Clockamou is observing everything, but we don't yet know to what purpose. There's a very clear feeling that things are getting worse for our heroes, but the scope of it is still nebulous. As a result, there's just not enough story-wise in the Oni part of the episode to hold onto. It's very fun to watch! But there's just not enough beyond that to get much out of, for me. The Hibiki/Asumu plot is an entirely different kettle of incredibly weird fish. Hibiki's got a day off, and Team Hibiki Bar and Grill (try the Todorocakes) needs him to drop something off for a tea ceremony. Asumu's hanging around, typically thirsty for that sweet Father Figure interaction, so Hibiki invites him to tag along. What follows is a largely pleasant, occasionally pervy conversation between Hibiki and Asumu. It's Asumu wanting to learn more about what Hibiki does (partially spurred on by a hilariously aggressive phone call from Danki), as well as Hibiki trying to figure out if there's anything more to Asumu than working at a restaurant and, like, existing. It's fun, honestly. It's Hibiki trying to approach a starstruck Asumu like a human being, like a friend, and it going kind-of weird. There's not a real natural rapport, thanks to Hibiki having a... it's like a gregarious tactlessness. He's just asking questions, but they're more familiar than Asumu is expecting. Equally unexpected is that, when the show has Hibiki asking Asumu whether or not he's interested in dating Hitomi or Akira, and Asumu's getting flustered, they're shooting the scene from the vantage point of a young woman's chest that Asumu keeps sneaking looks at. Which is funny, but so weird. Kamen Rider feels like a sexless franchise, and as its target demo is prepubescent children, that's probably exactly right. But now we're telling a story about teenagers becoming adults, which means we have to talk about physical attraction. And, this isn't Love, a high-minded emotion that can be demonstrated in a variety of ways. This is Teenage Hormones, and that means noticing other bodies. It's, relative to most stories on teenagers, pretty inoffensive. It's a teenage boy getting distracted around an attractive woman. Asumu isn't being a creep, he's being a hormonal teenage boy who this is all very new to. But in the context of a Kamen Rider episode, it felt jarringly pervy. I don't know. Maybe not a big deal, but it felt so weird to me. Not at all what I was expecting in the middle of a Hibiki episode. And then, as if that wasn't weird enough, the next scene is a reveal that the old woman that Hibiki's supposed to deliver to is in desperate need of medical attention. So... Hibiki runs off to get help, like he's Lassie. It is incredibly weird. Hitomi, smartly, asks if they shouldn't just call an ambulance. And we don't get an answer, because Hibiki's already gone, leaving Hitomi and Asumu to just, like, stare at this dying woman. It's a bizarre scene, but it's really just one more bizarre scene on the non-Oni side of this episode. They're so disconnected it's almost frustrating. I kept waiting for some reason for both of these stories to be happening, and the episode stubbornly refused to help me out. There's bits and pieces of quality character stuff with Hibiki and Asumu, and some great action with the Oni, but this thing just did not come together for me. Hopefully by the second part!
__________________
Currently working on: KAMEN RIDER W! Archive of previous shows on KamenRiderDie.com! Last edited by Kamen Rider Die; 08-17-2023 at 09:54 PM.. |
10-16-2020, 01:10 AM | #282 |
I have a problematic type
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 10,361
|
I always forget that the fight at the big multi-level area happens this early. My brain keeps putting it later in the series, usually somewhere near, if not in the final episode (which is 29, of course). I have to hand it to this episode for having some good, un-transformed stunt work. We don't get a ton of that in Hibiki so it's cool to see a bit of it.
The plot with the old woman is another one of those things that I forget about until I see it in the previous episode teaser. I don't have much to say about it now, but will definitely have some thoughts tomorrow. |
10-16-2020, 01:16 AM | #283 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 6,079
|
Quote:
I always forget that the fight at the big multi-level area happens this early. My brain keeps putting it later in the series, usually somewhere near, if not in the final episode (which is 29, of course). I have to hand it to this episode for having some good, un-transformed stunt work. We don't get a ton of that in Hibiki so it's cool to see a bit of it.
__________________
Currently working on: KAMEN RIDER W! Archive of previous shows on KamenRiderDie.com! |
10-16-2020, 04:42 AM | #284 |
Veteran Member
Join Date: May 2019
Posts: 2,528
|
The old man in this episode is played by Eisuke Yoda, who used to be a prominent VA back during the Showa era. But as he got older, he graduated to playing kindly old men, as seen here.
|
10-16-2020, 03:52 PM | #285 |
The Immortal King Tasty
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Every diner you've ever been to.
Posts: 3,833
|
Yeah, I can't say I have much to contribute about this one other than how Ishida gives it his usual stylish direction (which is probably a lot of what elevates it to being "fun to watch"), and that it's really hilarious to see Hibiki arguing with his own suit actor over the phone.
__________________
|
10-16-2020, 10:27 PM | #286 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 6,079
|
KAMEN RIDER HIBIKI VOLUME 22 - "TRANSFORMING COCOON"
"How's everything at the front of the house? The drums exploded and our amps are down But Matthew's got it wired and we're coming around" -Superchunk, "FOH" One of the weirdest things about this show, especially over the last ten or so episodes, is how much of a special event it feels like when the title character shows up to fight a monster. Like, that's the baseline expectation of a Kamen Rider series, and yet I'm always a little like Gosh How Were They Able To Get Hibiki For This Episode. He feels like a special guest star in his own goddamn show! Between Ibuki's spotlight and Todoroki's intro AND spotlight, somehow Hibiki Fights A Monster has become a rare, nay, freak occurrence. But, upshot, holy shit is it awesome when Hibiki arrives at the end of this episode. He gets that big ol' hero frame, ready to lend his strength to the overmatched youngsters. It's a powerful finale, as all three Oni combine their attacks to bring down the Mutant Makamou, but... I mean, I had a big problem with it. The gimmick is that they're synchronizing their attacks to defeat the monster, playing together as a band. Hibiki specifically uses the phrase "harmonize". But then they... just play their normal solos? It doesn't sound harmonic at all, it sounds like three people that have completely different rhythms. I was hoping they'd make some song out of their attack, but it's just them doing what they'd normally do while two other guys did the same. Felt like a missed opportunity for something really special. It's the opening that really wowed me, though. It's tense and kinetic, with a nice mixture of tight close-ups (to make the fight feel impossible and claustrophobic) and long takes. There's one long take in particular that showed off how good the choreography was, as Todoroki tries to protect Akira while the Douji and Hime keep making runs at them. A really nice, uninterrupted fight sequence. I dug it! I did not dig the Asumu thread which... I mean, I'll give the show points for tying together the Mutant Makamou's cocoon with Hitomi noting how much Asumu has transformed since meeting Hibiki. Yes, okay, I approve. But the resolution to the Sayuri plot makes almost no sense to me. Tonally, it's all over the place. Ha ha, Hibiki is carrying that doctor on his back! Oh god, these two kids are holding this old woman's hand while she maybe dies. And there's still zero reason why Hibiki had to run around for help when any of them could've just called a doctor. It's wacky and weighty at the same time, which (for me) just rendered it nonsensical. There's a moment or two in there, the weighty stuff, that has enormous potential. Doing a small story of Asumu overcoming his fear to comfort someone, yes, absolutely. But there's no payoff to any of this (the three main characters just leave her, offscreen), and the thing it's doing to bring up Hitomi noticing/crushing on Asumu is over before the halfway point in the episode. It's like, this was too much of the last episode, and not enough in this one. It also needed at least one more beat to it, since it all feels too arbitrary for its own good. Weird couple episodes! The Oni action was great, Hibiki feels like he's in a contract dispute with the producers (I cannot imagine what his role looks like when he actually dislikes the show he's on), and the Asumu/Hitomi plot is maybe two-thirds of an idea. Not... not my favorite two-parter for this show!
__________________
Currently working on: KAMEN RIDER W! Archive of previous shows on KamenRiderDie.com! Last edited by Kamen Rider Die; 08-17-2023 at 09:57 PM.. |
10-16-2020, 11:11 PM | #287 |
Veteran Member
Join Date: Jan 2020
Posts: 1,287
|
Quote:
KAMEN RIDER HIBIKI VOLUME 21 - “EVIL SPIRITS DRAWN TOGETHER”
The Oni stuff was pretty entertaining, I thought. It’s just well-executed tokusatsu action, and it ain’t like I hate that stuff. There’re multiple run-ins between the Oni and the monsters, with a real sense of motion throughout. Ibuki spends minutes chasing a Makamou through canyons, while Todoroki jumps down a series of levels as he tries to hold off a Douji and Hime. It’s nicely kinetic visual storytelling, with some tense escalation. The problem is, there’s just not a lot to it? It’s fun to watch, but we’re really in The Enemy Has Plans And We Don’t Know What They Are territory. Clockamou is observing everything, but we don’t yet know to what purpose. There’s a very clear feeling that things are getting worse for our heroes, but the scope of it is still nebulous. As a result, there’s just not enough story-wise in the Oni part of the episode to hold onto. It’s very fun to watch! But there’s just not enough beyond that to get much out of, for me. Quote:
What follows is a largely pleasant, occasionally pervy conversation between Hibiki and Asumu. It’s Asumu wanting to learn more about what Hibiki does (partially spurred on by a hilariously aggressive phone call from Danki), as well as Hibiki trying to figure out if there’s anything more to Asumu than working at a restaurant and, like, existing.
It’s fun, honestly. It’s Hibiki trying to approach a starstruck Asumu like a human being, like a friend, and it going kind-of weird. There’s not a real natural rapport, thanks to Hibiki having a... it’s like a gregarious tactlessness. He’s just asking questions, but they’re more familiar than Asumu is expecting. Quote:
Equally unexpected is that, when the show has Hibiki asking Asumu whether or not he’s interested in dating Hitomi or Akira, and Asumu’s getting flustered, they’re shooting the scene from the vantage point of a young woman’s chest that Asumu keeps sneaking looks at. Which is funny, but so weird.
Quote:
And then, as if that wasn’t weird enough, the next scene is a reveal that the old woman that Hibiki’s supposed to deliver to is in desperate need of medical attention. So… Hibiki runs off to get help, like he’s Lassie. It is incredibly weird. Hitomi, smartly, asks if they shouldn’t just call an ambulance. And we don’t get an answer, because Hibiki’s already gone, leaving Hitomi and Asumu to just, like, stare at this dying woman.
__________________
The most complete non-wiki encyclopedias for Kamen Rider series (currently only found Ryuki and OOO's). |
10-16-2020, 11:23 PM | #288 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 6,079
|
Quote:
Quote:
Yeah, this feels being overt for the sexual part of the close ups, etc. And no offense, but I fully felt that this one's coming straight up from Inoue (like how Switchblade felt about Umi episodes in Blade), as he's someone who goes hard on sexual tendencies on his writings; he has no problems doing those jarringly pervy stuffs, though it can be nullified when he's kept on a leash, by the TV episode studio.
Those kids definitely assumed Hibiki knew what he was doing! Maybe to their detriment!
__________________
Currently working on: KAMEN RIDER W! Archive of previous shows on KamenRiderDie.com! |
10-17-2020, 01:41 AM | #289 |
I have a problematic type
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 10,361
|
It really does feel like Hibiki hasn't been on the show in ages, doesn't it? Kind of a side effect of all the focus on Todoroki as the new guy, plus that Ibuki-centric arc sandwiched in the middle of that. It feels like the show wanted to put him in the background for a bit while it fully integrates the new characters, but it does lead to his return in this episode feeling suitably grand.
I did like the Asumu stuff this time. It's minor, but it's a sign that he's gaining confidence and is starting to take some initiative on his own. Granted, his obvious mistake is in not getting a damp washcloth for the old woman's head - everyone knows those a panacea for all medical ailments in Kamen Rider Land. It may just be me, but Asumu also looks a bit older in these last few episodes. I don't know if the actor had a growth spurt or something, but he doesn't look as young as he did at the start of the show. May just be body language or getting him out of the junior high uniform. My favorite part of the episode is the end: the bit where the three Oni are just hanging out after killing the monster. There's such a natural, good-natured camaraderie in that scene. Absolutely love it. |
10-17-2020, 01:51 AM | #290 |
Kamen Ride Or Die
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 6,079
|
Quote:
It really does feel like Hibiki hasn't been on the show in ages, doesn't it? Kind of a side effect of all the focus on Todoroki as the new guy, plus that Ibuki-centric arc sandwiched in the middle of that. It feels like the show wanted to put him in the background for a bit while it fully integrates the new characters, but it does lead to his return in this episode feeling suitably grand.
Quote:
I did like the Asumu stuff this time. It's minor, but it's a sign that he's gaining confidence and is starting to take some initiative on his own. Granted, his obvious mistake is in not getting a damp washcloth for the old woman's head - everyone knows those a panacea for all medical ailments in Kamen Rider Land. It may just be me, but Asumu also looks a bit older in these last few episodes. I don't know if the actor had a growth spurt or something, but he doesn't look as young as he did at the start of the show. May just be body language or getting him out of the junior high uniform.
I liked the idea of what the Asumu storyline in this one was about, but the amount of time it took up without really doing anything was weird. There's no real resolution to it? It's like they were standing at an intersection when a car accident happened. Eventually a doctor shows up and they just leave. It feel so... anticlimactic? They even leave off-camera? I don't know. It's cool that Asumu can feel more confident, and it's cool that Hitomi can see him as more confident, but... yeah, not crazy about how this episode got there. It's pretty great. Hibiki trying (in a very dad way) to get Todoroki to rock out, Ibuki being all What He Does What, and Todoroki deflecting attention onto his new salute... it's a cute ending.
__________________
Currently working on: KAMEN RIDER W! Archive of previous shows on KamenRiderDie.com! |
Thread Tools | |
|
TokuNation News & Rumors |
actor Minori Terada dead at 81 |
Seihou Gaim Figuarts |
Kamen Rider Outsiders Ep5 with a new form for... |
Ride Kamens |
Ninja Sentai Kakuranger 30th anniversary |
All times are GMT -5. The time now is 07:51 AM.
|