![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Entry tags:
Kamen Rider Decade and Kamen Rider W Movie
Whatever I could say about his series in general, Kamen Rider Decade as a character doesn't disappoint me. So with that thought in mind, I watched episodes 30, 31 (special versions), and the Movie War...
There are some changed parts I noticed (and probably more I didn't). Notably probably the ending of 31, which seemed to get a near complete makeover. Maybe the improvements are for the better, but I don't really know what to think of the fact that Toei apparently thought nothing of changing ending from many months earlier at all.
I feel I could not really sum up what happened in the movie, after all. It's like they got five different people writing it or something. The second part is probably the best written out of all three and perhaps this is the first time I'm happy that I'm so far behind that this part seems like an episode right after where I'd left off last...
Yes, the first part seems disorganized and kind of a let down, especially compared to the brilliant second part. But I've resolved to not be bothered about that anymore.
And that third part? while seems to wrap up the previous two parts fine, it opens more questions (at least to me, who is no where near current on Kamen Rider W). I have no hope left that Decade will get any kind of proper closure, but it's decent enough here. Double could have gotten the movie all for his own, but in a way I'm glad his story is doubled up with Decade's, because I would have been in no real hurry to watch the movie otherwise.
And so...not really knowing how to summarize the movie, I'll just talk about Tsukasa (and a little of other Decade characters and maybe brief comments on a few of the happenings in Decade...
I can't help feeling that people (characters, at least) simply don't understand the main character of Decade. True, he himself doesn't really help correct whatever bad impression that has been floating around, but...but...considering how long his show has been on, hasn't he proved that he isn't the villain people are all too happy to let him be? I mean, I wouldn't mind if those people traveling with him want to see him as a devil when they have just met him and don't really know him and haven't really interacted with him. But at the end of the series? This movie makes them behave inconsistently more than All Riders ever did (except Yuusuke; I feel he got the shorter end of stick in both movies...) I don't like it, but perhaps it's true about trust being hard to earned but could easily be broken (steal that from another toku).
Maybe it's my bias talking, or I'm grasping at straws, or something, but I think Tsukasa is actually more capable of kindness than people (yes, viewers, as well as (most) characters) have given him credit for. If he had been truly evil once (before the show maybe?), that version does not exist anymore. I'm actually a little surprised that he succeeds in fooling those people (supposedly) close to him. If All Riders did take place in their reality, hadn't them seen something similar once before? That's just how Tsukasa is. He has problems, he shuts people out. No one is going to get straight explanation that he's actually doing things for the greater good (but he kind of tells Yuriko that...) (Not to mention Yuriko is your big clue, people (in the show, I mean). Somehow, I don't think a real evil guy would have let a young girl (who herself is not evil--nor ever show any tendency of being one) tag along.)
And a bit unlike in All Riders, where I thought Tsukasa might have actually been lost to the dark side (at least for a few minutes), I always think he's faking it the whole time in this movie. Which make what he did a lot more cruel when he was conscious of what he did, I suppose. (And, other than the whole betrayal thing, he hadn't done anything really terrible in All Riders anyway.) Yet, ironically, I still think he's being kind. Not burdening people with problem seems like the type of kindness I think he's comfortable with. And he might be right, at least in this case, because what could they do even if they knew? Decade is fated to be destroyed along with those he did destroyed. If he isn't, the worlds would not be saved...
So, I suppose, in a convoluted fashion, I'm saying that the point is Tsukasa's friends must not know what he is actually up to, otherwise they would not try to oppose him and would have a hard time stopping him (not to mention they could actually make it more difficult for him to do what he needs to do if they start fussing over him).
Still, come to think of it, perhaps Daiki isn't completely fooled. But that guy, I can't really read him, so I'm not sure whether to attribute his attitude to 'I don't really care, but it would be better if Tsukasa isn't evil' or 'I care but I have to pretend otherwise because Tsukasa wouldbe mad not like it if I out his secret'. (Me being me, I like the latter one better...)
Thankfully, original Wataru (or someone who wears his face--I just can't decide what the heck he is) sets the characters straight about Tsukasa's intention and such. So they recognized Tsukasa's sacrifice and had no problem trying to restore him (from memories--cheesy but it works in Den-O, so...). ::Sighs:: I wonder how long they will remember this. Until Tsukasa turns evil next time?
It does seem a bit out of nowhere, but I kind of like Natsumi's turn as a rider. (Nowhere, because the guy who told her to stop Tsukasa? He was reduced to something even worse than his turn in the TV series and that was when I lost any kind of hope (not that I ever had much to begin with) on Narutaki having any proper purpose in the show.)
As far as Natsumi/Tsukasa scene goes, however, I still prefer the one in All Riders. But perhaps I'm not being fair in comparing a death scene to a nowhere near death scene...
As for the W portion, I'm very impressed. Probably not having any thought not better expressed elsewhere, but this movie reminds me why Kamen Rider W is good (answer: mostly Shoutarou), and that I should just try to catch up and not put it off. ^^;;
There are some changed parts I noticed (and probably more I didn't). Notably probably the ending of 31, which seemed to get a near complete makeover. Maybe the improvements are for the better, but I don't really know what to think of the fact that Toei apparently thought nothing of changing ending from many months earlier at all.
I feel I could not really sum up what happened in the movie, after all. It's like they got five different people writing it or something. The second part is probably the best written out of all three and perhaps this is the first time I'm happy that I'm so far behind that this part seems like an episode right after where I'd left off last...
Yes, the first part seems disorganized and kind of a let down, especially compared to the brilliant second part. But I've resolved to not be bothered about that anymore.
And that third part? while seems to wrap up the previous two parts fine, it opens more questions (at least to me, who is no where near current on Kamen Rider W). I have no hope left that Decade will get any kind of proper closure, but it's decent enough here. Double could have gotten the movie all for his own, but in a way I'm glad his story is doubled up with Decade's, because I would have been in no real hurry to watch the movie otherwise.
And so...not really knowing how to summarize the movie, I'll just talk about Tsukasa (and a little of other Decade characters and maybe brief comments on a few of the happenings in Decade...
I can't help feeling that people (characters, at least) simply don't understand the main character of Decade. True, he himself doesn't really help correct whatever bad impression that has been floating around, but...but...considering how long his show has been on, hasn't he proved that he isn't the villain people are all too happy to let him be? I mean, I wouldn't mind if those people traveling with him want to see him as a devil when they have just met him and don't really know him and haven't really interacted with him. But at the end of the series? This movie makes them behave inconsistently more than All Riders ever did (except Yuusuke; I feel he got the shorter end of stick in both movies...) I don't like it, but perhaps it's true about trust being hard to earned but could easily be broken (steal that from another toku).
Maybe it's my bias talking, or I'm grasping at straws, or something, but I think Tsukasa is actually more capable of kindness than people (yes, viewers, as well as (most) characters) have given him credit for. If he had been truly evil once (before the show maybe?), that version does not exist anymore. I'm actually a little surprised that he succeeds in fooling those people (supposedly) close to him. If All Riders did take place in their reality, hadn't them seen something similar once before? That's just how Tsukasa is. He has problems, he shuts people out. No one is going to get straight explanation that he's actually doing things for the greater good (but he kind of tells Yuriko that...) (Not to mention Yuriko is your big clue, people (in the show, I mean). Somehow, I don't think a real evil guy would have let a young girl (who herself is not evil--nor ever show any tendency of being one) tag along.)
And a bit unlike in All Riders, where I thought Tsukasa might have actually been lost to the dark side (at least for a few minutes), I always think he's faking it the whole time in this movie. Which make what he did a lot more cruel when he was conscious of what he did, I suppose. (And, other than the whole betrayal thing, he hadn't done anything really terrible in All Riders anyway.) Yet, ironically, I still think he's being kind. Not burdening people with problem seems like the type of kindness I think he's comfortable with. And he might be right, at least in this case, because what could they do even if they knew? Decade is fated to be destroyed along with those he did destroyed. If he isn't, the worlds would not be saved...
So, I suppose, in a convoluted fashion, I'm saying that the point is Tsukasa's friends must not know what he is actually up to, otherwise they would not try to oppose him and would have a hard time stopping him (not to mention they could actually make it more difficult for him to do what he needs to do if they start fussing over him).
Still, come to think of it, perhaps Daiki isn't completely fooled. But that guy, I can't really read him, so I'm not sure whether to attribute his attitude to 'I don't really care, but it would be better if Tsukasa isn't evil' or 'I care but I have to pretend otherwise because Tsukasa would
Thankfully, original Wataru (or someone who wears his face--I just can't decide what the heck he is) sets the characters straight about Tsukasa's intention and such. So they recognized Tsukasa's sacrifice and had no problem trying to restore him (from memories--cheesy but it works in Den-O, so...). ::Sighs:: I wonder how long they will remember this. Until Tsukasa turns evil next time?
It does seem a bit out of nowhere, but I kind of like Natsumi's turn as a rider. (Nowhere, because the guy who told her to stop Tsukasa? He was reduced to something even worse than his turn in the TV series and that was when I lost any kind of hope (not that I ever had much to begin with) on Narutaki having any proper purpose in the show.)
As far as Natsumi/Tsukasa scene goes, however, I still prefer the one in All Riders. But perhaps I'm not being fair in comparing a death scene to a nowhere near death scene...
As for the W portion, I'm very impressed. Probably not having any thought not better expressed elsewhere, but this movie reminds me why Kamen Rider W is good (answer: mostly Shoutarou), and that I should just try to catch up and not put it off. ^^;;