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This week in tokusatsu!

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Comments

  • He who laments and can't let go of the past is forever doomed to solitude.

    There is clumsy sidekick and there is annoyingly childish and actively detrimental to the people around him.



    I see no difference. Basically because I deal with people in measures of intent and not consequence.

  • If you must eat a phoenix, boil it, do not roast it. This only encourages their mischievous habits.

    Man, considering the latest episode was about how Shunpei's intent didn't measure up with the consequences of his actions, how does that work?

  • He who laments and can't let go of the past is forever doomed to solitude.

    Come again? I am having an allergy attack and I for the life of me can't keep a thought straight.

  • If you must eat a phoenix, boil it, do not roast it. This only encourages their mischievous habits.

    Judging Shunpei based on his intent and not the consequences of his actions makes the episode fall flat, because it was partially about Shunpei affirming his desire to actively help from now on, rather than get in the way like he has been. Ignoring his bad qualities because he had good intentions would make this portion of the episode pointless.

  • He who laments and can't let go of the past is forever doomed to solitude.

    So you are saying that not finding shunpei unbearable because he has good intentions, make the episode pointless? I wouldn't say so that bluntly but I guess it's true. My reaction to him helping through the episode and falling into the fountain to catch the pastry could be sumarized to "huh, that was nice. Atta boy."

  • If you must eat a phoenix, boil it, do not roast it. This only encourages their mischievous habits.

    No, not the entire episode. Even without that, Haruto's realization that Shunpei is actually there and can help was also there, and was there independent of Shunpei.


    Just Shunpei's parts of the episode have no point if the viewer doesn't recognize how unbearable he had been until then.

  • He who laments and can't let go of the past is forever doomed to solitude.

    Guilty as charged, I suppose.

  • I think this arc is my second-favorite arc. Not because of Shunpei, but in spite.



    No, I loved it because the bakers were cool guys and their suffering was the most tangible to me. I can empathise with craftsmen who possess a silent pride in their work, on the verge of losing their craft itself. Con artists, entitled manchildren, and first world problems? Not so much.



    I didn't like that Valkyrie was a dude; they should be swan-maidens, choosers of the slain.



    I did like that they didn't fix everything; in spite of everything, they still lost the shop.
  • There is love everywhere, I already know

    I knew this would be stupid.


    Honestly, throwing batteries into dinosaurs?

  • That is not a revolver.

  • There is love everywhere, I already know

    Next year will be one of those "This never happened! What are you going on about?" years for Sentai.

  • edited 2012-12-08 09:23:00

    Apparently, Ultraman Retsuden episodes are available worldwide on YouTube for one week before getting region-locked. Which means that non-Japanese viewers can still get one new ep every week. This week is episode 75, which is the first part of the 1998 Tiga & Dyna film. Also, the end of the episode recaps the first arc of Ultra Zero Fight and previews the second arc.


    No subtitles, though so I don't know if anybody on this site would be able to watch.

  • If you must eat a phoenix, boil it, do not roast it. This only encourages their mischievous habits.

    Watched Wizard 14.


    I can't really comment on it. This episode was a really, really obvious setup for the next. The plot twists were rather predictable though.

  • There is love everywhere, I already know

    So I just watched Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters #30 and I have to admit that I honestly like the show a lot more now.


    I've loved it so far anyways, but all of what happened in episodes 29&30 was just amazing. From showing the determination of the human race to go on living (With both the Special Defense staff and the Scientists trapped in Messiah) and the resolve that the characters showed.


    Enter, Escape and Jin's explanations for the way the are were perfect. I especially loved Jin's, despite it only being shown for less than a minute.


    In fact, I may or may not like Go-Busters more than Wizard right now...

  • edited 2012-12-15 02:09:38

    I'm probably the only one on this site who watches this, but Ultraman Retsuden episode 76 is available on YouTube. It's part two of the 1998 Tiga & Dyna movie, from the part where Super GUTS attempt to fight the Monera spaceship, up until Asuka starts investigating the previous Ultraman, Tiga.


    I wonder why this movie seems to favor an Asuka x Mai pairing, while by the end of the series, it's more towards Asuka x Ryoh.


     


    Also, the final two mini-episodes of Ultra Zero Fight's first arc is also available worldwide on YouTube. The scene where Zero defeats Bat-seijin really conveys the contrast between Luna Miracle Zero and Stroong Corona Zero. And that they're the most derivative form-changes ever (okay, next to Decade and the Gokaigers)

  • MORONS! I'VE GOT MORONS ON MY PAYROLL!

    I have to admit I'm having a hard time getting into Wizard. It's not bad, and the action is good, but most of the characters I'm having a hard time connecting to. Shunpei and Haruto are the only ones that really feel solid to me, and they aren't interesting enough to carry the whole show.


    Maybe my expectations have just been needlessly expanded since Fourze which I loved far too much.

  • If you must eat a phoenix, boil it, do not roast it. This only encourages their mischievous habits.

    > shunpei > feeling solid


    I think the issue is that, much like most of the Kamen Rider Club in Fourze after their initial introductions, Wizard isn't doing anything with its background characters yet. It's hinting at Wajima and Koyomi being important, but it's not showing us how yet, so we're not particularly engaged with them.

  • MORONS! I'VE GOT MORONS ON MY PAYROLL!

    I mean I get why you're not fond of him, but he has more presence as a character than anyone except the actual Rider.


    And I'm hoping for things to pick up with them, and it might grow later, but right now the supporting cast feel more like wallpaper whereas we understand their characters off the bat.

  • If you must eat a phoenix, boil it, do not roast it. This only encourages their mischievous habits.

    He actually has some substance to him in terms of both motivation and story presence, which Rinko, Wajima and Koyomi all lack right now.


    I've pointed this out before, though; the Kamen Rider Club from Fourze had the same problem, just with a larger cast. The larger cast somewhat made up for it.

  • MORONS! I'VE GOT MORONS ON MY PAYROLL!

    I think it helped that they were familiar archetypes.


    Also, quite frankly, I think they were better written and their actors had more presence.

  • If you must eat a phoenix, boil it, do not roast it. This only encourages their mischievous habits.

    They also did less with them outside of their focus episodes, especially towards the end of the episode.

  • MORONS! I'VE GOT MORONS ON MY PAYROLL!

    That's true, but while they didn't do much with them, their presence was always felt and solid and I immediately had a hold on Father-issues-Jock Shou and pseudo-objectivist-cheerleard-Miu. I still have a hard time getting a grip on Rinko's character other than Cop.

  • If you must eat a phoenix, boil it, do not roast it. This only encourages their mischievous habits.

    Just watched Wizard 15.


    I think that episode... pretty much tied up the plot of the previous episode as well as it could. And that's a good thing!


    The episode continues the series' trend of not giving us a perfect resolution. In this episode, Haruto had to lie to the Fate about Satochi's continued existence, telling her that Satochi left for the States, because she was relying upon him to give her strength to go on. He knows that he's going to have to tell her, some day- but for now, a lie's good enough.


    Water Dragon was as impressive as I expected it to be. It's got Dragon's Tail, where Wind had Dragon's Wing and Fire had Dragon's Head. Blizzard was as impressive as Thunder, and a damn sight more impressive than Fire's Dragon Head Fireball thing. Plus, Water Dragon just looks cool.

  • edited 2012-12-18 01:13:08
    There is love everywhere, I already know

    Megapost Ho!


    Okay, I take it back, Wizard is better.

    Kamen Rider Wizard #09: The Flame Dragon upgrade episode. I like this episode as both a look at Haruto's character and an upgrade episode, especially because they interlaced both of the episode's intentions very well.

    The relationship between Haruto and Phantom Dragon is very interesting and I'd like to see more.

    Another cool thing about this episode was the slow development in Rinko and Koyomi's relationship.

    Phoenix, I love this guy's personality. I've already gone over how much I love Medusa (have I?) but this episode showed off the way to portray an arrogant villain right.

    Kamen Rider Wizard #10: We're back in Division 0 with Superintendent Kizaki (Who, if I'm not wrong, used to be a Johnny's-mini!) looking at various surveillance pictures of Wizard in Flame Dragon style. Okay, I'm going to stop for a moment to thank the writers for giving us a yet another competent police officer.

    Haruto leaves on a scouting trip and Kizaki kidnaps Wajima, even Rinko can't stop the men from kidnapping her (especially since she would probably lose her job is she tried) but she follows after them anyways.

    Garuda informs Haruto of a Phantom attack on a teenage boy and Haruto manages to stop it in time. The boy reveals that he lives in Akita, but won't leave Tokyo until he deals with some unfinished business.

    Kizaki forces Wajima to make him a ring out of a green magic stone that's in no way related to Wind Dragon Style and Rinko confronts him at his office, Haruto and the gate (Naoki) also arrive and Kizaki calls Haruto a monster and is outraged that he told Naoki that he was a gate.

    Rinko and Haruto eventually have no choice but to leave, though Naoki decides to go with them and elaborates on his father and Kizaki's relationship. He later escapes from Rinko, Koyomi and Shunpei while Haruto is out to go visit the site of his father's death but is followed by the Phantom. Eventually Haruto manages to save him but Kizaki still hasn't changed his mind about him. Naoki calls Kizaki a coward because of his constant running.

    Meanwhile, Phoenix has developed a grudge towards Haruto, which amuses Medusa.

    Kamen Rider Wizard #11: Kizaki has obviously fake Naoki transported out of the city to keep him safe, but they're attacked by Ghuls as soon as they reach the safehouse. Kizaki and Naoki run when they realize it's unsafe and are stopped by the Ghuls, who Haruto manages to hold off. Phoenix arrives and fights Haruto in yet another amazingly choreographed fight, but leaves before it's anywhere near over. The obviously fake Naoki is revealed to be obviously fake.

    Haruto asks Kizaki to tell him why he's so hellbent on saving Naoki, to which he responds with the entire story leading up to the promise he made to Naoki's father, who was killed by the Phantom.

    Back at Division 0, Rinko (continuing to be awesome) and the Plamonsters (through the power of combination) manage to safeguard Naoki until Haruto arrives. The Phantom manages to relay the story of his father's death to Naoki, making him sink into despair. Haruto goes into his underworld and defeats his Phantom, a snake eye thingy.

    In the end, Kizaki starts tolerating Haruto's existence and gives him Wajima back, along with the Green stone.

    Kamen Rider Wizard #12: Wajima creates the Hurricane Dragon and Thunder Rings using the Green Stone from last week and as Haruto as leveled up, Shunpei decides he needs to too. After failing continuously, Haruto makes him go home and on the way he meets a senior from his high school whose now an apprentice at a Japanese Sweet Shop, Tatsuya. Later, Tatsuya goes on a delivery to the small shops' biggest customer but this weeks Phantom stops him and destroys the sweets. Haruto manages to stop the Phantom but notes that it left without too much of a fight. As a result of the attack the Sweet Shop loses it's biggest customer. Shunpei tries to help out by selling the sweets to everyone he knows (including the people he freaked out earlier) and eventually meets a man who really loves them. He introduces himself as the snack manager of a department store and offers the Shop a contract in which they bring 500 sweets a day. Instead of signing a contract or checking his ID or doing anything they begin making their new sweet, called "Hope".

    of course, the deal is obviously false and the Snack Manager reveals himself as the Phantom. Haruto realizes that Tatsuya isn't the gate, it's the the shop owner Matsuki. Shunpei, still looking to level up as an assistant... gets captured?

    Meanwhile, Hurricane Dragon+Last Engage+Dual Wielding is awesome and it should be illegal to be that awesome.

    Kamen Rider Wizard #13: Haruto saves Shunpei at the expense of losing track of the Phantom. Medusa notices that Matsuki isn't falling to despair despite the loss of his "Hope". Matsuki, looking to make her job easier, has Haruto escort him to another sweet shop to ask the manager to give Tatsuya a job and elaborates as they walk out to where Medusa is standing. Koyomi remembers her and Haruto goes after her, getting beaten as if he were a rag doll despite being in Hurricane Dragon at the time.

    Shunpei freaks out because he's useless but Rinko (being awesome) tells him to stop whining and do something, so he does. He begs the restaurant which terminated it's contract with Matsuki's shop to take them back, the following discussion on apprentices inspires Tatsuya to make more "Hope".

    Matsuki and Haruto reach the shop where Tatsuya has finished making the "Hope", Matsuki tells him to take it to the other store as his resume.

    Tatsuya runs like the wind but is followed by Valkyrie, who Haruto manages to stop. He loses most of the sweets, but Shunpei manages to save the last one. Haruto defeats Valyrie via Hurricane Dragon form.

    Matsuki's shop is officially closed down and everybody is happy and Haruto accepts Shunpei as his assistant.


    I'm going to do 14&15 as a single post (and I might do that for every two parter from now on) but I have to admit that 14 had me going for a while there (I thought Satoshi was either Beast or Wiseman...)


    But Koyomi is totally Wiseman, have you noticed how you never see them at the same time (I know, but it's much more plausible with her since she actually went into his lair)?



    telling her that Satochi left for the States, because she was relying upon him to give her strength to go on.



    ;_; I'll have to see this for myself (Come on TVN...)


    Also, is the White Wizard using Wiseman? Is Wiseman evil? Is he Wiseman in a Jekyll/Hyde way?

  • edited 2012-12-18 01:27:10
    If you must eat a phoenix, boil it, do not roast it. This only encourages their mischievous habits.

    Also, is the White Wizard using Wiseman? Is Wiseman evil? Is he Wiseman in a Jekyll/Hyde way?



    My theory is that White Wizard is what happens when a Wizard gives in too much to their emotions. Like if Haruto gave in to Dragon.



    But Koyomi is totally Wiseman, have you noticed how you never see them at the same time (I know, but it's much more plausible with her since she actually went into his lair)?



    Actually, you do, on the Eclipse.

  • Ridi, Pagliaccio, sul tuo amore infranto!

    とくさつ!


    I'm happy about knowing this word. At least in hiragana. That's all I'm here to say...

  • Apparently, Tsuburaya have started uploading Ultra Zero Fight segments as their own videos, as opposed to part of Ultraman Retsuden episodes. This week is the first episode of the second arc, which introduces the Darkness Five guys. I have absolutely no clue if these guys are the older characters resurrected, or if they just happen to look a lot like their namesakes.


    Looks pretty promising, given what it is. The lack of subtitles is less of an issue due to how action-driven it is. Not really hard to get what's going on.

  • He who laments and can't let go of the past is forever doomed to solitude.



    Sorry, it's just that having watched this video. Holy fuck, I retract myself, Wizard has a better theme than fourze. And I don't get why is the OOOs theme copyright infringement or whateves, but Fourze nor Wizard nor W got the same thing.

  • edited 2012-12-24 02:26:32
    There is love everywhere, I already know

    Wizard has a better theme than fourze.



  • He who laments and can't let go of the past is forever doomed to solitude.

    even then, None of them are GACKT.

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