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KR Decade, 1-2
I meant to do an examination last week of Decade 1, but didn't, so here's a look at Decade 1-2. And have some spoilers for previous series as well under the cut.
I have really mixed feelings so far about Decade. I do like the concept, but I dislike the main character, which makes it hard to watch. I suppose that given Decade's role (destroyer of Riders) the arrogantish attitude does fit... it's just that I seem to prefer my heroes humble and human/vulnerable.
Looking back, since I've seen pretty much everything except Ryuuki (of which I've seen 2-3 eps), I have to ask, what kind of heroes do I like?
Wataru, Ryoutarou... both humble (and hapless, to some extent) heroes. Wataru was initially afraid of the world; Ryoutarou seems to have been shaped by his bad luck. Before them, there was Tendou; but Kagami, the everyman of the series, was there to balance him out. Not that Kagami didn't have his arrogant moments, but he didn't have the power to back it up. He failed, sometimes often and spectacularly. Before them, the Hibiki cast, Hibiki and Ibuki, Todoroki and Zanki. Hibiki was a warm, welcoming teacher, Ibuki struggled with his family and his role, Todoroki was again gentle and humble, and Zanki came across as wise.
The Blade riders for the most part had their own problems, or were otherwise approachable. Kenzaki was warm and loving, Tachibana struggled with his issues, Mutsuki struggled with being turned evil/possessed. Only with Hajime did I have trouble; but he was a tragic figure in himself. Prior to that, Takumi was another rider I had troubles with; but he had a cast to balance him out. He had Mari, traveling around trying to understand things, Keitarou, who was genuinely sweet and cheery, the doomed Yuji and Osada, both sweethearts in their own ways despite what happened to them, and Kaido, who wanted to be arrogant and failed badly. By the time Kusaka arrived on scene, I'd gotten used to Takumi (who in himself changed somewhat by interacting with the others). And alas poor Mihara? I loved him, reluctance and all, at first sight.
Ryuuki I didn't see much of, but I did like Shinji, and Ren had a heart of gold that he didn't want to admit to. Agito had the cheerful Shouichi, the good-hearted Hikawa, and hapless Ryou, and of course, Kuuga had the warm Yuusuke (along with Ichijou, who I also adored).
I think, in the end, it will be the cast around Tsukasa which makes him tolerable to me, like Takumi's and Tendou's casts did for them. So far, that hasn't happened, but if the information regarding Yuusuke is right, he may be the one to humanize Tsukasa.
Speaking of Yuusuke, I'm saddened that Odigari Joe doesn't want to come back to KR, and that they recast Yuusuke (though I do like the recast Yuusuke). But I somehow also wanted to see Ichijou again, and with the needed re-imaging we got Ai instead. Who is nice in her own right, but I wanted my familiar Ichijou.....
Tsukasa's kanji read as "Gate-Arrow Soldier/Samurai", which is fitting for a Rider who travels in between dimensions.
As I mentioned before, Tsukasa annoys me. But I did enjoy the nodbacks to the older series; the transformations into Faiz, Kabuto, and Hibiki, seeing Blade and Garren's Jack forms, the Riotroopers, and just everybody. (The only disappointment for me, being the fan of KR Blade that I am, is that they got only three of the four riders; where was Mutsuki/Leangle? But that's a minor gripe.) I loved seeing the old monsters again, seeing people being pounced upon by Undead (there were two high-level Undead that I spotted; Jack and King of Spades), Orphenochs, Fangire, and even a scene involving some hapless Imagin!
I'll have to see how this goes; I loved the heck out of Blade, but even as my favorite/near favorite KR series, it did start out a bit confusing/slow; it wasn't until Isaka showed up that things got interesting.
Other random things:
* I don't think that's actually Wataru in the first episode; I think the universe just copied him. Yes, he is capable of being all serious and doomfull and such, but this strikes me as being just Wataru's form, not Wataru himself. A small cameo for Seto, really. If rumors are correct we may/may not see much of him during the Kiva part of the series.
* Hoppers! I love the Hoppers. But then again, Tokuyama and Uchiyama are totally the kind of people who would show up to cameo (even voice-only) in Decade. I wonder who else will show up; I think at least Handa Kento (Takumi) was confirmed, and obviously, we did have Seto show up in episode 1. I do hope that some of the Blade cast do too.
* Suwa Taro showed up! He shows up in everything, admittedly, but it was nice to see him again. (He's the regular at the Dino Curry House in Abaranger, head of one of the rival houses in the comedy episodes of Blade, and a crime chief with the phishing scam in Keitai Sousakan 7, among his many roles.)
So... next week, new episode. Let's see how things go.
I have really mixed feelings so far about Decade. I do like the concept, but I dislike the main character, which makes it hard to watch. I suppose that given Decade's role (destroyer of Riders) the arrogantish attitude does fit... it's just that I seem to prefer my heroes humble and human/vulnerable.
Looking back, since I've seen pretty much everything except Ryuuki (of which I've seen 2-3 eps), I have to ask, what kind of heroes do I like?
Wataru, Ryoutarou... both humble (and hapless, to some extent) heroes. Wataru was initially afraid of the world; Ryoutarou seems to have been shaped by his bad luck. Before them, there was Tendou; but Kagami, the everyman of the series, was there to balance him out. Not that Kagami didn't have his arrogant moments, but he didn't have the power to back it up. He failed, sometimes often and spectacularly. Before them, the Hibiki cast, Hibiki and Ibuki, Todoroki and Zanki. Hibiki was a warm, welcoming teacher, Ibuki struggled with his family and his role, Todoroki was again gentle and humble, and Zanki came across as wise.
The Blade riders for the most part had their own problems, or were otherwise approachable. Kenzaki was warm and loving, Tachibana struggled with his issues, Mutsuki struggled with being turned evil/possessed. Only with Hajime did I have trouble; but he was a tragic figure in himself. Prior to that, Takumi was another rider I had troubles with; but he had a cast to balance him out. He had Mari, traveling around trying to understand things, Keitarou, who was genuinely sweet and cheery, the doomed Yuji and Osada, both sweethearts in their own ways despite what happened to them, and Kaido, who wanted to be arrogant and failed badly. By the time Kusaka arrived on scene, I'd gotten used to Takumi (who in himself changed somewhat by interacting with the others). And alas poor Mihara? I loved him, reluctance and all, at first sight.
Ryuuki I didn't see much of, but I did like Shinji, and Ren had a heart of gold that he didn't want to admit to. Agito had the cheerful Shouichi, the good-hearted Hikawa, and hapless Ryou, and of course, Kuuga had the warm Yuusuke (along with Ichijou, who I also adored).
I think, in the end, it will be the cast around Tsukasa which makes him tolerable to me, like Takumi's and Tendou's casts did for them. So far, that hasn't happened, but if the information regarding Yuusuke is right, he may be the one to humanize Tsukasa.
Speaking of Yuusuke, I'm saddened that Odigari Joe doesn't want to come back to KR, and that they recast Yuusuke (though I do like the recast Yuusuke). But I somehow also wanted to see Ichijou again, and with the needed re-imaging we got Ai instead. Who is nice in her own right, but I wanted my familiar Ichijou.....
Tsukasa's kanji read as "Gate-Arrow Soldier/Samurai", which is fitting for a Rider who travels in between dimensions.
As I mentioned before, Tsukasa annoys me. But I did enjoy the nodbacks to the older series; the transformations into Faiz, Kabuto, and Hibiki, seeing Blade and Garren's Jack forms, the Riotroopers, and just everybody. (The only disappointment for me, being the fan of KR Blade that I am, is that they got only three of the four riders; where was Mutsuki/Leangle? But that's a minor gripe.) I loved seeing the old monsters again, seeing people being pounced upon by Undead (there were two high-level Undead that I spotted; Jack and King of Spades), Orphenochs, Fangire, and even a scene involving some hapless Imagin!
I'll have to see how this goes; I loved the heck out of Blade, but even as my favorite/near favorite KR series, it did start out a bit confusing/slow; it wasn't until Isaka showed up that things got interesting.
Other random things:
* I don't think that's actually Wataru in the first episode; I think the universe just copied him. Yes, he is capable of being all serious and doomfull and such, but this strikes me as being just Wataru's form, not Wataru himself. A small cameo for Seto, really. If rumors are correct we may/may not see much of him during the Kiva part of the series.
* Hoppers! I love the Hoppers. But then again, Tokuyama and Uchiyama are totally the kind of people who would show up to cameo (even voice-only) in Decade. I wonder who else will show up; I think at least Handa Kento (Takumi) was confirmed, and obviously, we did have Seto show up in episode 1. I do hope that some of the Blade cast do too.
* Suwa Taro showed up! He shows up in everything, admittedly, but it was nice to see him again. (He's the regular at the Dino Curry House in Abaranger, head of one of the rival houses in the comedy episodes of Blade, and a crime chief with the phishing scam in Keitai Sousakan 7, among his many roles.)
So... next week, new episode. Let's see how things go.
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(I apologize for not commenting before. I kind of friended you out of the blue since we run in the same fannish circles. I hope you didn't mind.)
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Suwa Taro shows up in *everything*, eventually, I swear.