Kabuto 09 + Den-O -->40 + Arashi... again.
Jeez, this is about all I do anymore, isn't it? I've been meaning to write posts about the Hanadan and Furuba manga (since I'm properly reading/rereading them both lately) and I'm mostly caught up on Doctor Who... then, instead of writing anything about them, I go watch more Kamen Rider and Arashi. orz
Anyway, on to Kamen Rider Kabuto, SPOILERS for the episode listed at the very least (and very likely into the 30s and possibly the whole series), I don't plan these things in advance, we'll see from there.
Kamen Rider Kabuto episode 09: The episode starts with jumping right into the Kabuto vs TheBee and less than 30 seconds into the episode, Kagami runs up to them and yells, "There's no reason for you two to fight! Stop it!" I had about the same reaction the first time watching the episode, but it's even stronger now.
I fucking love this show.
I am taking this fight serious and going LOL at the same time. It's just. It's so shoujo manga sometimes! Which I sort of picked up on the first time I watched, but couldn't really put it into words--not even when it got even more shoujo as the episode progressed--but rewatching makes it even more hilarious. I'm kind of serious that I half-think you could take the plot of some mahou shoujo manga (Hanadan is my usual go-to reference for this comparison, but a lot of different shoujo series will work just as well) and replace magic wands and sailor fuku and short skirts with big ass swords and leather and rider helmets and you would have Kamen Rider Kabuto.
Anyway, TheBee uses his Rider Sting attack just as some glass is falling down onto Kagami, there's some faint flashing, Kagami isn't hurt, but Kabuto is hit, and even if Kagami has spent the last couple of episodes basically going YOU ARE A JERK AND NOT NEEDED ANYMORE, TENDOU, he still immediately flips out when Kabuto gets hurt.
Which is, um. Admittedly, it's not like Yaguruma was the one that was hurt, so it's not like Kagami is going to be worried about him. It's still kind of telling how fast he reacts to Kabuto being hurt. How he immediately runs over to protect Tendou after he's been hit and TheBee keeps talking towards Tendou, because... well, we know that Yaguruma isn't exactly stable, but Kagami has been hero worshipping him for the last two episodes. He yells, "Isn't that enough!?" and... well, how does Kagami know that Yaguruma's not going over just to talk? It... strikes me as a combination of being genuinely upset that Tendou is hurt and possibly having better insight into people than most would give Kagami credit for.
But even more telling is what's revealed later, about what Kabuto did in that moment that got him very nearly killed. Tendou looks really out of it, too, he's not fighting back when TheBee bodily picks him up or when he tossed Kagami aside like a rag doll, he had to know that TheBee would go for a finishing blow.
The first time I watched the scene where Kagami ran over to check on the unconscious Tendou, it was pretty gay and a little bit lolarious because I was just starting to maybe genuinely ship the slash because I was picking up on the body language of that scene being really, really interesting, but it was also a little confusing. Why had Tendou just stood there and let TheBee hit him like that? I had no idea how much gayer it was going to get. (Though, while not as screencap-awesome as later scenes, I definitely grabbed a crapload of caps from that scene where Kagami is kneeling next to Tendou, his hand on Tendou's shoulder and hip while he's out cold on the ground. It's a really, really pretty scene. *__*)
Tendou reveals that he was using this opportunity to remove danger to himself (ie, make Yaguruma think he'd killed Kabuto), but I was a little, "...bzuh? But your Belt is still broken...." and I wonder if Tendou knew at that time that it would be fixable? (ZECT made it, I suppose they would know how to fix it, even if he doesn't want to deal with ZECT much.) Watching Kagami's face in this scene is pretty great--he's shocked/hurt when Tendou is lying crumped on the ground apparently dead. Then just shocked as Tendou gets up and I swear his hands kind of linger a little. Then Tendou explains, well, I was just faking to take the heat off for a bit, and there's this beautifully dawning anger on Kagami's face until he finally explodes that Tendou's a jerk sometimes. Lol.
"Don't scare me like that!" Kagami snaps. "I thought you were dead!" And seriously. Seriously, this reads like the start of so many (romantic) relationships in just about every medium of storytelling ever.
Anyway, the scene ends with a faraway shot of the Kabuto sword embedded in the side of the bridge (I would have thought it would disappear when Tendou came out of the transformation? I would blame it on Yaguruma destroying the belt, but he did that after Tendou de-transformed), Kagami noticing it, going HEY WAIT A MINUTE...., and Tendou crumpling to the ground again, while Kagami looks really worried about him. There's a dramatic scene where Hiyori and Juka get a phonecall about Tendou (more adorable Juka and Hiyori bonding!) and they rush through the hospital to find him. Kagami is sitting outside the room with this dark look on his face and he looks towards the room that has Tendou in it. Dramatic music plays.
And because I'd watched these episodes so long ago/in such a rush, I'd totally forgotten about the psychout the show pulled and LOL, the look on Kagami's face says so much. I really keep thinking it looks like his serious face, like Tendou might really be hurt. But, no, it's his "That guy is going to give me an ulcer and I don't remember why I like him at all." look. No, that's his, "I hate this guy so much and I am going to kill him in his sleep tonight." look.
Tendou's smug look (after Kagami yells, "IDIOT. You're the one who needs to be looked at!") when he adjusts his jacket and says, "I'm doing great. You always overreact." is pretty priceless, too. Kagami really, really looks like he wants to punch Tendou in the face a lot, while Juka scolds Tendou with, "You shouldn't say that! Kagami-san is the only person who worries about you like this."
Even before I knew how epic OTP the show was going to get, that struck me as pretty damn gay. It's like Juka has clearly already realized what all of Tendou's constant preening and need to look cool in front of Kagami and teasing him like a child would all mean. And I love this whole scene because Tendou listens intently to her and then smiles and says, okay! I'll quit embarrasing Kagami then. :D :D :D and you know he's totally messing with Kagami on purpose. (I am also fairly certain that I possibly behaved the same way in first grade when there was a boy around that I liked. >_>)
In the next scene, Misaki asks if Kabuto showed up in the fight with TheBee against the Worm and you can see that Yaguruma is still a little crazy in the head, but somewhat holding it together. So, they defeat the Worm, Kagami gives Misaki a long look as he leaves with Shadow, Yaguruma and Kagami go see little bitch in the hospital, and Tendou is still there and Kagami makes the BEST headache face when Tendou's voice clearly rings out so that Yaguruma can hear it. He also makes a bunch of really great OH CRAP faces in the background when Yaguruma goes o__o at Tendou still being alive.
Interesting to note--Tendou's name is written on the hospital door that Yaguruma passes and Kagami uses the name "Tendou" instead of "Kabuto" when he pulls Misaki aside to ask her about him. I love that there's even a flashback to the scene where TheBee and Kabuto were fighting and Kagami tried to stop them. Also a total trope of shoujo manga. Anyway, the flashback explains a little more of what happened, that Kagami realized Tendou protected him by throwing the sword at the glass falling towards him, while Yaguruma took advantage of that distraction to attack.
Which, um. Is kind of awesome, because Tendou was in the middle of an intense fight with Yaguruma, yet he still left a major opening in his defense to go protect Kagami, even knowing that TheBee was probably aiming to kill. Kagami was behind Tendou, so Tendou had to have been pretty aware of him/half-keeping an eye on him during that fight. And I realize it's supposed to be about showing what kind of emotionally stable (....ahahahahaha) and "good" person that Tendou is over someone like Yaguruma who is desperate to win even if it means using scummy methods. But it really shows how much Tendou will do for Kagami, even knowing that it could cost him a lot to protect Kagami. I know it's about showing Tendou > Yaguruma, that it wasn't like there was anyone else in the cast that could have been there at that moment. But, I mean, it could have been some random people that got caught in the crossfire that Yaguruma was willing to sacrifice for his "greater good". But, no. Once again it's Kagami that Tendou does all this for.
So, little bitch runs up and yells at Kagami for saying such things about Yaguruma, until Yaguruma interupts them and says little bitch should go rest while Kagami goes to help him defeat the Worm. He hops onto his bike and stares at nothing, "It's okay. He can't transform anymore." he says to himself. The show actually does a decent job of building up Yaguruma's breakdown, now that I'm watching for it. (I missed a lot the first time around because I wasn't paying attention the plot or because I was still kicking my feet over being dragged into toku. XD)
After that, it's the scene where Tendou, Juka, and Hiyori are cleaning up, ready to leave the hospital, and Hiyori finds the belt, which I could have originally sworn was much, much later in the series, I was thinking the teens at least, but no it's episode 9. .__. Which makes dropping her whole machine-fixing-ability subplot more understandable, even though I'm wondering if they were originally planning on going somewhere with that. Like, if any of the other Worm/Natives have a similar ability, if that's tied in to how they came up with the Rider System or something along those lines.
She picks it up, it has an electric spark (maybe not entirely unlike the one we saw when the two belts were first near each other in the first or second episode?) and she has half a flashback to that day Shinjuku was destroyed and she was beginning the little boy not to kill. Kagami rushes in and says the belt is his, then runs into Tendou in the hall and says he was going to have Misaki-san fix it as a way of saying thank you for saving him. Tendou says he doesn't need Kagami's help, besides the belt seems to already be repaired. Tendou's never seen it repair itself and Kagami says, well, since it's repaired, there's a Worm to fight, let's go. Which is. Quite the turnaround from where he started at the beginning of the arc.
Kagami hurries off, but Tendou liesurely follows, asking, "Are you planning to follow that Yaguruma guy?" I raise my eyebrows a little again because the whole scene screams of Tendou still being irritated that Kagami likes Yaguruma. Admittedly, at this point he kind of has a reason, Yaguruma tried to kill him and it's probably pretty clear that he's not the most stable person around. But it's not like Tendou cares if Kageyama follows Yaguruma. No, it's just Kagami that irritates him by following Yaguruma. "I'm not like you," Kagami answers. Their Kanzen Chowa will defeat the Worm (even if he wants Tendou there, too) and the look on Tendou's face really says so much.
When Kagami says that's where he belongs, Tendou's face and tone are so condescending and mocking that even Kagami is getting furious with him for being such a jerk. Kagami goes JESUS FINE JUST GO HOME THEN and Tendou watches him go, smiling a little and saying, "Still a funny guy." And you really, really get the impression that that's how Tendou deals with someone he likes before maybe even he himself realizes it.
After that, the fight with the Worm (who are still molting at this point) and Kageyama runs back to join them, Yaguruma gets distracted by Kabuto showing up, I lol as Kageyama is thrown through a wall, TheBee attacks Kabuto instead of the Worm, and Tendou asks, "Hey, you. Are you just going to let your subordinates die?" But Yaguruma has to defeat him or else he'll lose himself. At the same time, Kagami rushes in to help out Kageyama and the gun runs out of bullets, so Kagami attacks him bodily and, you know. As much of a little bitch as Kageyama is, I think there must be some genuine desire to protect people, because he yells that that's enough, that at least Kagami could still escape! I dobut TheBee Zecter would choose him later if there weren't at least something there.
Tendou says that Yaguruma has strayed from his path and TheBee Zecter leaves him before he can finish attacking Kabuto, refusing to come back. He stumbles in to where Kagami and Kageyama are, Kagami doing everything he can to protect the others, even fighting the Worm (and winning!, one feels one should point out) with just a knife. (One also points out that Tendou stops for a moment to watch the end of the fight, making sure that Kagami is all right. Which wasn't really a narrative necessity, yet the writers chose to put it in anyway?) Reinforcements come, but they get knocked around by the Worm, so Kagami picks up one of their guns and starts yelling orders.
I'm paying attention to all of this more closely this time around because I know what happens next and it's interesting to see what kind of person TheBee Zecter chooses. "I'm going to protect everyone! I will protect them!" Kagami growls and a few moments later, TheBee Zecter comes flying towards him. So, it does seem to be attracted to the leader type of person, someone who will protect the hive even if the fight looks impossible. And I do have to admit, it's kind of a cool moment. ....possibly I may be a giant nerd for Kagami, though.
The scene switches to Kabuto chasing the two Worm while he's on the Kabuto Extender and as soon as Tendou says, "Cast Off." I start giggling helplessly again. I remember what that bike looked like in Cast Off form and it's still just as hilariously suggestive as ever. An A++++ way to end the episode.
So I also watched up through Kamen Rider Den-O episode 40, which means I'm on the final storyline, I'm pretty sure. Which also means SPOILERS for up through those episodes.
It's not that I wasn't enjoying the lolz of the show or that I didn't love Yuuto to tiny, tiny little pieces, but Meg's right that the show was definitely helped by getting a proper villain finally. It's a bit late in the series for that, but I'm not really going to complain because it's not like even the show is taking itself that seriously, it's here to have fun and maybe make you lip-tremble a little bit because you liked Yuuto maybe a little more than you should and they really tried to drive home how much happier everyone was without the loss of him even Deneb was merrily going along without Yuuto and happy as a lark like everyone else, except for Ryoutarou who was crushed because he missed Yuuto kind of a lot and goddammit, Den-O, I AM NOT FALLING FOR THAT.
Especially not when Yuuto came back within an episode or two anyway. *sullen* Not that I didn't want him back, I was actually really glad that they didn't drag that out. (Even if I wondered a bit why Yuuto was gone, when Hana and Ryoutarou remembered him so clearly, but I suppose they answered with how they didn't really know him in this time. And they'd clearly set this up well in advance, that they pointed out people's memories = time, that Zeronos' cards were using up people's memories of Yuuto, so if something happened to him in the past, like with the piano player, he wouldn't come back.) But it was still totally manipulative.
And gay. Wow have the last ten episodes been really, really gay. When Ryoutarou finds out that the Zeronos cards and is genuinely angry, snatching them away while Deneb holds Yuuto back? Not that I didn't think they were kind of suspiciously gay for each other before that, but wow. Also, that's pretty much the only time you see Ryoutarou really grow a spine and get genuinely angry at someone, he tends to have some of the strongest emotional reactions to Yuuto, which is... interesting.
Same for when Yuuto was disappearing and Ryoutarou runs forward to... what? Hug him? Or when Ryoutarou is riding his bike and is hit in the head with the waterbottle Yuuto kicked and they practically wrap arms around each other as they go tumbling down into the grass. That was pretty straight right there. .___.
And it's not that I don't like Yuuto/Airi, I actually like it a lot more than I thought I would! They're really fun when they're around each other and that scene where Airi almost, almost remembers Yuuto, the way she reaches her hand out to almost touch him, I really liked that. It's just. They don't feel complete without Ryoutarou in the mix. Clearly, Yuuto's just going to have to marry them both. (It's kind of interesting because it's not like I went into the show looking for an actual shippable pairing--as opposed to the tons of gay that's all over the place, which is different--but there's so much emphasis put on the Ryoutarou/Yuuto relationship that anything else involving either one wouldn't feel half as "complete" as that one does. Luckily, I think Airi-san and Ryoutarou would be willing to share. :D)
I also really want to know what's going on with Hana and that new line or whatever. At least they're starting to get into having a real villain with Kai, because Gaou so completely failed at being a real villain. I thought Kai's manipulation of Ryuutaros was interesting, the way he programmed the ZeroLiner to go out of control and take the DenLiner with it, but... I dunno, it almost felt like it was too easily solved? They just pack up the station and go get the trains, how was that really going to help Kai that much, except to show his hand too early? Or did he really think that would work? Did he not know that much about the station and that it could go get the trains pretty easily?
I realize I'm giving too much thought to a kids' show, obviously. And the scenes with the trains were pretty awesome.
And, of course, the ARASHI stuff. SPOILERS for anything watched. (Which includes Music Station [2008.06.20] One Love performance/talk + VS ARASHI #05 [2008.05.10] subbed + Osama no Buranchi [2008.06.21] + VS ARASHI #11 [2008.06.21] + DOME Tour concert fancams.)
♥ - Music Station [2008.06.20] One Love performance + talk subbed - I really do love this song a lot and I greatly appreciate the white wedding clothes that will make for some fabulous screencaps, but... I was hoping for a dance to go along with the TV performances, not to have Arashi standing practically in the same spot for the whole entire performance with just a few hand motions while two wedding dancers moved around the stage more than they did.
I mean, on the bright side, at least Nino was wearing pants this time around, even if his suit was more silver than white. And while, yes, Jun's bow tie looked a little bit ridiculous, he did still mostly manage to pull the outfit off. And Aiba looked really, really nice. Ohno and Sho looked really nice, too!
But overall... it's not as delightful to me because it's not as Big Gay Wedding as the PV was, there wasn't really any fanservice between any of the guys, there wasn't even a fun dance for it. I suppose it could have been worse, but. Eh. I was left feeling underwhelmed.
The talk portion (holy crap, that was subbed so fast *awed at fandom*) was a little better, though. It was fairly standard for most of the interview, just talking about their Dome Tour and whatnot. But there was one moment of PURE GOLD. The hosts asked about the wirework they have for this tour, with how they're suspended in those harnesses 30 meters in the air and how Sho really didn't like that. How he refuses to spin because it's way, way to scary!
The host asks, ehhh, if you hate it that much, why didn't you not agree to do it?
And Sho. Oh, poor, sweet Sho. With JUN SITTING RIGHT NEXT TO HIM, Sho says, w-well, Matsumoto said that either I could go up on the wire harnesses or else I could stay down on the ground all by myself. ;___; And you can just see that conversation happening.
SHO: I really, really don't want to, Matsujun! ;________; It's really high and really scary!
JUN: *STARE* Well, either you do it or else you stay down on the ground all by yourself. *STARE* It's up to you. *STAAAAARE*
SHO: .... ;_______________;
The entire time Sho's telling the story, Jun is sitting right next to him going :D :D :D like his expression is saying, "Yeah, I totally bullied him into it. :D :D :D"
♥ - VS ARASHI #05 [2008.05.10] - I am so delighted at getting subs for this show. Like, ridiculously happy about it. <3 And this episode is about as fun as usual, it's a little hard to get enthused when I know they're going to lose, especially when they start talking about how they're on a losing streak with the show and how they need to turn it around. (Hey, how about getting a real night's sleep and maybe THEN see how you guys do??)
But there were some really cute moments! Like, when Saori catches one of the pipes and her hand is half-on, half-off the 100 point part, I was going to be SO PISSED if they counted that because Jun had done that twice and both times they didn't count it. But they didn't count it here, so I felt a little better about all the times Arashi has been really close, but the rules were too tough on them. Plus, when the girls/audience go EEEHH WHY!? about it not counting, Nino snaps BECAUSE WE WANT TO WIN >:| and a;sdlkfalskj I love the little bastard, he totally knows how to take any hint of awkwardness out of the room like that.
Or when they say OKAY WE REALLY NEED TO WIN THIS NEXT ONE, so who shall we choose? Sho: All right then! It's totally me. and Nino stops him like, ehhh, does this atmosphere around you even suggest that it's you?? Actually, we really need to win! and they are SO AWFUL to Sho. (Of course he obviously invited it, he was making a joke and, awww, good for you, Sho! Sometimes you CAN be funny on purpose! ...e-even if it's a joke about how much you fail.)
Also, Sho promises that he won't aim for anything but 1 and 3, doing the little pinky promise thing, and Nino--like THE VERY GOOD FRIEND THAT HE IS--points out that if Sho doesn't keep his promise (after Yamada Yuu said, well, I think Sakurai Sho is a real man, so he'll keep his promise....) his popularity ratings will go down. (And then Yamada Yuu's distracting question is about how Sho is someone who wakes up with a bad temper and AHAHAHAHA well at least he admits it. XD)
....okay, possibly I am easy to please, but. When it's Jun's turn to climb the rock wall this time around and they're all, okay, who shall we make go~? Matsumoto, you'll do it this time, right~? and Ohno pipes up with, yeah, he already gave his rings to me. Which is just sort of. AWWW. That's how you know Jun likes you, he trusts you to hold his rings while he goes to do their stupid games.
asd;flkajs;lkj and then. Well, who's going to be Jun's supporter? Aiba offers to go. Because. a s;dlfkjasl;k "Because I understand Matsujun well!"
And also the first thing Aiba does after announcing he'll be Jun's supporter and that he understands Matsujun really well? He takes his hoodie off. Because, well, yes. Because it's Aiba who's supporting Matsujun and because he understands him really well... yes, obviously the thing to do is start shedding clothes.
I had to go laugh helplessly in the corner for awhile after that. Also, when he handed the hoodie over to Sho next to him, Sho goes HOLY CRAP THIS GUY'S HOODIE IS HOT.
You know what else is fun? Watching Jun stand around sometimes. I swear, he's got one hand on his hip practically the entire episode. Like, all of them stand loosely like him to a degree, especially Nino, but Jun... he does this all the time, that's his natural way of standing, with one hip cocked to the side and... I mean. It's not like I'm trying to judge or anything, it's just. Really noticeable after awhile. .__.
Nino's face after the Ohmiya team loses the Rolling Coin Tower game again kind of makes the loss almost worth it. Plus it really was kind of unfair that they really only lost because Ohmiya are chibis and couldn't quite reach the top of the tower well. Same for Nino banging on the microwave (?) when they bring the prizes out. ♥
Oh! The ending talk got even more awesome with translations for it, because it was obvious that they were bullying Aiba and then Sho, but the flow of conversation is really great. They start by pointing out that Aiba kind of failed today, who defends himself by saying that he passed to Matsujun really well! And Jun kind of agrees, well, maybe that balances it out then... and Nino, being the good friend that he is, senses his attention is better placed elsewhere, like... on Sho-chan, who made that promise with Yamada Yuu, hm... and Aiba jumps on it, YEAH, if he hadn't made that promise, then he would have been able to catch two pipes!
Well, that's true, Sho says, but because I kept the promise, my popularity rating is secured, right? And, naturally, his stupid bandmates are like sharks in the water who SENSE BLOOD. "Then, between your popularity rating and today's battle result, which do you pick?" Jun asks.
And Sho realizes OH SHIT he's backed into a corner now. If he says he picks the battle result, he looks bad and his popularity goes down. If he picks the popularity, he looks like a faker who isn't a good team player. He tries to dig himself out of the hole, but those stupid bitches are circling in for the kill now. >:< HE WAS JUST TRYING TO KEEP HIS PROMISE, OKAY? and they keep staring at him and crowding him in and you can totally see him go, oh crap after they finally leave him alone, because he knows how that whole conversation came off.
Then they move on to Ohno, but that was just bad luck, there's nothing he can do about his height. Apparently, Aiba had offered to carry him, but Ohno helpfully points out no he would have destroyed the tower then!! And *points at Aiba* HE MADE ME CONFUSED!! and that is karma coming back to bite you, Aiba. I love that Ohno still points to himself and can't really believe that he'd actually turn the tide back towards Aiba.
....okay, so it started a little slow. But it really was a great episode by the end. <3
♥ - Osama no Buranchi [2008.06.21] Tokyo Dome Concert & Arashi-chan Quiz - I really hope this gets summarized or translated or subbed soon because, w-well. Any time there's Nino/Jun, I want context. And Nino putting an arm around Jun's shoulder to pull him close in a half-hug really needs context. I assume it has something to do with the date with Ooshima-san (that Aiba and Nino crashed) and as;dflkjaslkj oh god I want it so badly.
Also, this is totally worth watching for Aiba just smacking Nino in the face for--I assume?--being a little bastard. The whole quiz thing looks interesting/amusing so far, too.
AND AND AND. NEXT WEEK'S HIMITSU NO ARASHI-CHAN. WITH JUN BEING COOL AND DELIGHTING IN TORTURING OOSHIMA-SAN. AND AIBA AND NINO CRASHING THE DATE. AND INOUE MAO. ASD:LKJALKJ NEED IT NOW.
OH OH OH Meg pointed this post out and AHAHAHAHA CONTEXT IS AWESOME. THE REASON FOR AIBA SMACKING NINO AHAHAHAHAHA.
AND AHAHAHAHA SHO KNOWING THE ANSWER TO OHNO'S WHILE EVERYONE ELSE GETS IT WRONG. THE ACTUAL ANSWER TO SHO'S. *CRYING*
And, yeah, color me TOTALLY SURPRISED that Jun remember's Aiba's sweet, romantic answer. WHO WOULD HAVE EVER GUESSED.
Now I really want subs for this. *__*
♥ - VS ARASHI #11 [2008.06.21] - I haven't yet watched last week's episode (I haven't watched Shukudai-kun, either orz) but I decided to skip ahead to this week's instead. It gets off to an okay start, but I definitely went "............................................." a lot when they chose Jun to catch the falling pipes again, especially considering the LOOK on his face as he walked over to the game. The staff of this show are very, very brave people. .____.
Even before I had unpaused the file to continue watching, I knew that if Jun caught it on the white again, there would be so much murder that night. So, so much murder. ....a-and w-well.
And then.
.______________.
Okay, this time he deserved not getting the points, his hand was very clearly on the white, not really touching the red at all, but oh my god. Do these people have no fear at all?? .____________.
It was, on the other hand, a little worth it when Sho and Aiba both go AHHHHHHHH!!!! and point at how close he was, both of them crumpling to the ground while Nino tries to shake them out of it. And how no one really seems to dare give Jun shit about it, they just sort of... move on to the next round. XDDD
I do have to hand one thing to this show, though. Even if I wish they would get some new games (I was hoping that the break would give them time to tweak the format a little, too :< ), I still get sucked into them. I got a little *__* over Nino's turn on the Cliff Climb game and was antsy to see if he would make it in time or not. as;ldfkjakja god what this band does to my dignity.
Even the Rolling Coin Tower was kind of nail-biting to watch and a;dlfkjaslkj SO CLOSE OMG THEY WERE ACTUALLY AHEAD AND IT WAS SO WOBBLY AND AAAUUUGH. I did love Nino crumpling onto Ohno when the tower finally fell. And I am glad that they seem to have permanently done away with the MDA thing, while it was interesting to see who would get the honor each week, it was just... not that much fun? To always worry about who would be pointed out as doing the worst that week.
AND OH MY GOD NEXT WEEK. IS THAT THE DAISUKE GUY WHO WAS IN THE LAST PRINCESS WITH JUN? THE ONE THAT HAD A TOTAL CRUSH? A:SLKDJALKJALJ WHY IS NOT NEXT WEEK YET.
*PINES*
♥ - Dome Tour fanams - I don't know how much more I'll have to say about the fancams beyond what other people have already said, but I definitely watched them. It is a lot harder to tell them apart now that they've all got black hair, though! :<
I really love Hello Goodbye, though, it's such a total Aiba song, it's so light-hearted and cute and just makes you want to hum along with it every time you hear it. His dance is so adorable, too! And the harmonica! *___*
♥ - Fukuoka-Dome 2008.06.18 - 2008.06.19 concert report - I've read a handful of these now and of course the Ohmiya has been off the charts during this tour, but I've also been seeing a lot of Nino/Jun and Aiba/Jun commentary, too. This report mentions that there's been a lot of Nino/Jun (which has picked up in their shows and stuff, too, they've been gay at each other a lot ever since Step And Go, which I originally attributed to Nino being A VERY HELPFUL FRIEND by bitching it up at an obviously overtaxed Jun, so that he could blow a little steam off, but... they seem to be getting closer lately) and that the Aiba/Jun has been really kind of sweet and almost intimate. Well, that's my word for it, and without actually seeing footage, I can't be certain it's accurate, but. Between that OP and Aki's reports.... *__*
(Apparently, there's also an Aiba/Jun hug and Jun bitching at Aiba for paying attention to Nino. *basks in this*)
And another story (along with Aki's translation of the MC, which was so fabulous) of how a) Aiba and Jun were leaning all over each other during the MC (oh my god we wantses the fancams for that precioussss we wantses them so much *hiss*) and b) Aiba mentioning where Jun likes to sleep a;sdlfkja and c) the rest of them making Ohno do an impression of a pissed off Jun who's woken up with his back hurting and oh my god I'm crying just thinking about the expression on poor Ohno's face. The sheer level of "oh god I don't want to dieeeee" must have been A+++.
Also, Jun going OMG EW GROSS YOU GUYS at the Ohmiya SK skits NEVER STOPS BEING FUNNY. I TOTALLY BELIEVE YOU, MATSUMOTO. That's not protesting too much at all, noooo.
There's also a Dream A Live Fukuoka 2008.06.19 Concert Report which has more on that particular MC, where Jun was cutting up Sho's food for him and how they had to bother Jun into going with them by pointing out that you need to replace the salt in your body after the concert has wrung so much out of you, but also has this great little gem:
During Love Parade, Nino is on Flower float...
Nino: (singing along to the song but changing the words to the song) ♪I am now sitting on top of a flower~ I am 25 yo ~ but I am not embarrassed~
*cracked the hell up*
And they also talk about Jun often waking up in a bad mood because his back hurts (....yeah, like I'm not taking that out of context, no matter how many times I read about it :D :D :D) and it's really great how often they give Jun shit about his nasty moods and yet he just laughs because he knows they're teasing out of love. Either that or because it's funny to him. Possibly both at the same time. Because you can tell they are kind of GENUINELY SCARED OF MATSUMOTO'S MOODS. ♥♥♥
AND AND AND:
After the Dream A Balloon
Jun: how was it today?
Sho: not only I am not getting used to it at all...it is actually getting scarier !
Yup, still hilarious to me. I seriously don't blame Sho at all, I would be terrified up there and I would probably have chosen to stay on the ground because a fear of heights isn't something you really just get over. And I know I'd be terrified if I were up there, I'd be so scared that I'd be shaking. And yet. It's still REALLY FUNNY when they bully him over it.
Anyway, on to Kamen Rider Kabuto, SPOILERS for the episode listed at the very least (and very likely into the 30s and possibly the whole series), I don't plan these things in advance, we'll see from there.
Kamen Rider Kabuto episode 09: The episode starts with jumping right into the Kabuto vs TheBee and less than 30 seconds into the episode, Kagami runs up to them and yells, "There's no reason for you two to fight! Stop it!" I had about the same reaction the first time watching the episode, but it's even stronger now.
I fucking love this show.
I am taking this fight serious and going LOL at the same time. It's just. It's so shoujo manga sometimes! Which I sort of picked up on the first time I watched, but couldn't really put it into words--not even when it got even more shoujo as the episode progressed--but rewatching makes it even more hilarious. I'm kind of serious that I half-think you could take the plot of some mahou shoujo manga (Hanadan is my usual go-to reference for this comparison, but a lot of different shoujo series will work just as well) and replace magic wands and sailor fuku and short skirts with big ass swords and leather and rider helmets and you would have Kamen Rider Kabuto.
Anyway, TheBee uses his Rider Sting attack just as some glass is falling down onto Kagami, there's some faint flashing, Kagami isn't hurt, but Kabuto is hit, and even if Kagami has spent the last couple of episodes basically going YOU ARE A JERK AND NOT NEEDED ANYMORE, TENDOU, he still immediately flips out when Kabuto gets hurt.
Which is, um. Admittedly, it's not like Yaguruma was the one that was hurt, so it's not like Kagami is going to be worried about him. It's still kind of telling how fast he reacts to Kabuto being hurt. How he immediately runs over to protect Tendou after he's been hit and TheBee keeps talking towards Tendou, because... well, we know that Yaguruma isn't exactly stable, but Kagami has been hero worshipping him for the last two episodes. He yells, "Isn't that enough!?" and... well, how does Kagami know that Yaguruma's not going over just to talk? It... strikes me as a combination of being genuinely upset that Tendou is hurt and possibly having better insight into people than most would give Kagami credit for.
But even more telling is what's revealed later, about what Kabuto did in that moment that got him very nearly killed. Tendou looks really out of it, too, he's not fighting back when TheBee bodily picks him up or when he tossed Kagami aside like a rag doll, he had to know that TheBee would go for a finishing blow.
The first time I watched the scene where Kagami ran over to check on the unconscious Tendou, it was pretty gay and a little bit lolarious because I was just starting to maybe genuinely ship the slash because I was picking up on the body language of that scene being really, really interesting, but it was also a little confusing. Why had Tendou just stood there and let TheBee hit him like that? I had no idea how much gayer it was going to get. (Though, while not as screencap-awesome as later scenes, I definitely grabbed a crapload of caps from that scene where Kagami is kneeling next to Tendou, his hand on Tendou's shoulder and hip while he's out cold on the ground. It's a really, really pretty scene. *__*)
Tendou reveals that he was using this opportunity to remove danger to himself (ie, make Yaguruma think he'd killed Kabuto), but I was a little, "...bzuh? But your Belt is still broken...." and I wonder if Tendou knew at that time that it would be fixable? (ZECT made it, I suppose they would know how to fix it, even if he doesn't want to deal with ZECT much.) Watching Kagami's face in this scene is pretty great--he's shocked/hurt when Tendou is lying crumped on the ground apparently dead. Then just shocked as Tendou gets up and I swear his hands kind of linger a little. Then Tendou explains, well, I was just faking to take the heat off for a bit, and there's this beautifully dawning anger on Kagami's face until he finally explodes that Tendou's a jerk sometimes. Lol.
"Don't scare me like that!" Kagami snaps. "I thought you were dead!" And seriously. Seriously, this reads like the start of so many (romantic) relationships in just about every medium of storytelling ever.
Anyway, the scene ends with a faraway shot of the Kabuto sword embedded in the side of the bridge (I would have thought it would disappear when Tendou came out of the transformation? I would blame it on Yaguruma destroying the belt, but he did that after Tendou de-transformed), Kagami noticing it, going HEY WAIT A MINUTE...., and Tendou crumpling to the ground again, while Kagami looks really worried about him. There's a dramatic scene where Hiyori and Juka get a phonecall about Tendou (more adorable Juka and Hiyori bonding!) and they rush through the hospital to find him. Kagami is sitting outside the room with this dark look on his face and he looks towards the room that has Tendou in it. Dramatic music plays.
And because I'd watched these episodes so long ago/in such a rush, I'd totally forgotten about the psychout the show pulled and LOL, the look on Kagami's face says so much. I really keep thinking it looks like his serious face, like Tendou might really be hurt. But, no, it's his "That guy is going to give me an ulcer and I don't remember why I like him at all." look. No, that's his, "I hate this guy so much and I am going to kill him in his sleep tonight." look.
Tendou's smug look (after Kagami yells, "IDIOT. You're the one who needs to be looked at!") when he adjusts his jacket and says, "I'm doing great. You always overreact." is pretty priceless, too. Kagami really, really looks like he wants to punch Tendou in the face a lot, while Juka scolds Tendou with, "You shouldn't say that! Kagami-san is the only person who worries about you like this."
Even before I knew how epic OTP the show was going to get, that struck me as pretty damn gay. It's like Juka has clearly already realized what all of Tendou's constant preening and need to look cool in front of Kagami and teasing him like a child would all mean. And I love this whole scene because Tendou listens intently to her and then smiles and says, okay! I'll quit embarrasing Kagami then. :D :D :D and you know he's totally messing with Kagami on purpose. (I am also fairly certain that I possibly behaved the same way in first grade when there was a boy around that I liked. >_>)
In the next scene, Misaki asks if Kabuto showed up in the fight with TheBee against the Worm and you can see that Yaguruma is still a little crazy in the head, but somewhat holding it together. So, they defeat the Worm, Kagami gives Misaki a long look as he leaves with Shadow, Yaguruma and Kagami go see little bitch in the hospital, and Tendou is still there and Kagami makes the BEST headache face when Tendou's voice clearly rings out so that Yaguruma can hear it. He also makes a bunch of really great OH CRAP faces in the background when Yaguruma goes o__o at Tendou still being alive.
Interesting to note--Tendou's name is written on the hospital door that Yaguruma passes and Kagami uses the name "Tendou" instead of "Kabuto" when he pulls Misaki aside to ask her about him. I love that there's even a flashback to the scene where TheBee and Kabuto were fighting and Kagami tried to stop them. Also a total trope of shoujo manga. Anyway, the flashback explains a little more of what happened, that Kagami realized Tendou protected him by throwing the sword at the glass falling towards him, while Yaguruma took advantage of that distraction to attack.
Which, um. Is kind of awesome, because Tendou was in the middle of an intense fight with Yaguruma, yet he still left a major opening in his defense to go protect Kagami, even knowing that TheBee was probably aiming to kill. Kagami was behind Tendou, so Tendou had to have been pretty aware of him/half-keeping an eye on him during that fight. And I realize it's supposed to be about showing what kind of emotionally stable (....ahahahahaha) and "good" person that Tendou is over someone like Yaguruma who is desperate to win even if it means using scummy methods. But it really shows how much Tendou will do for Kagami, even knowing that it could cost him a lot to protect Kagami. I know it's about showing Tendou > Yaguruma, that it wasn't like there was anyone else in the cast that could have been there at that moment. But, I mean, it could have been some random people that got caught in the crossfire that Yaguruma was willing to sacrifice for his "greater good". But, no. Once again it's Kagami that Tendou does all this for.
So, little bitch runs up and yells at Kagami for saying such things about Yaguruma, until Yaguruma interupts them and says little bitch should go rest while Kagami goes to help him defeat the Worm. He hops onto his bike and stares at nothing, "It's okay. He can't transform anymore." he says to himself. The show actually does a decent job of building up Yaguruma's breakdown, now that I'm watching for it. (I missed a lot the first time around because I wasn't paying attention the plot or because I was still kicking my feet over being dragged into toku. XD)
After that, it's the scene where Tendou, Juka, and Hiyori are cleaning up, ready to leave the hospital, and Hiyori finds the belt, which I could have originally sworn was much, much later in the series, I was thinking the teens at least, but no it's episode 9. .__. Which makes dropping her whole machine-fixing-ability subplot more understandable, even though I'm wondering if they were originally planning on going somewhere with that. Like, if any of the other Worm/Natives have a similar ability, if that's tied in to how they came up with the Rider System or something along those lines.
She picks it up, it has an electric spark (maybe not entirely unlike the one we saw when the two belts were first near each other in the first or second episode?) and she has half a flashback to that day Shinjuku was destroyed and she was beginning the little boy not to kill. Kagami rushes in and says the belt is his, then runs into Tendou in the hall and says he was going to have Misaki-san fix it as a way of saying thank you for saving him. Tendou says he doesn't need Kagami's help, besides the belt seems to already be repaired. Tendou's never seen it repair itself and Kagami says, well, since it's repaired, there's a Worm to fight, let's go. Which is. Quite the turnaround from where he started at the beginning of the arc.
Kagami hurries off, but Tendou liesurely follows, asking, "Are you planning to follow that Yaguruma guy?" I raise my eyebrows a little again because the whole scene screams of Tendou still being irritated that Kagami likes Yaguruma. Admittedly, at this point he kind of has a reason, Yaguruma tried to kill him and it's probably pretty clear that he's not the most stable person around. But it's not like Tendou cares if Kageyama follows Yaguruma. No, it's just Kagami that irritates him by following Yaguruma. "I'm not like you," Kagami answers. Their Kanzen Chowa will defeat the Worm (even if he wants Tendou there, too) and the look on Tendou's face really says so much.
When Kagami says that's where he belongs, Tendou's face and tone are so condescending and mocking that even Kagami is getting furious with him for being such a jerk. Kagami goes JESUS FINE JUST GO HOME THEN and Tendou watches him go, smiling a little and saying, "Still a funny guy." And you really, really get the impression that that's how Tendou deals with someone he likes before maybe even he himself realizes it.
After that, the fight with the Worm (who are still molting at this point) and Kageyama runs back to join them, Yaguruma gets distracted by Kabuto showing up, I lol as Kageyama is thrown through a wall, TheBee attacks Kabuto instead of the Worm, and Tendou asks, "Hey, you. Are you just going to let your subordinates die?" But Yaguruma has to defeat him or else he'll lose himself. At the same time, Kagami rushes in to help out Kageyama and the gun runs out of bullets, so Kagami attacks him bodily and, you know. As much of a little bitch as Kageyama is, I think there must be some genuine desire to protect people, because he yells that that's enough, that at least Kagami could still escape! I dobut TheBee Zecter would choose him later if there weren't at least something there.
Tendou says that Yaguruma has strayed from his path and TheBee Zecter leaves him before he can finish attacking Kabuto, refusing to come back. He stumbles in to where Kagami and Kageyama are, Kagami doing everything he can to protect the others, even fighting the Worm (and winning!, one feels one should point out) with just a knife. (One also points out that Tendou stops for a moment to watch the end of the fight, making sure that Kagami is all right. Which wasn't really a narrative necessity, yet the writers chose to put it in anyway?) Reinforcements come, but they get knocked around by the Worm, so Kagami picks up one of their guns and starts yelling orders.
I'm paying attention to all of this more closely this time around because I know what happens next and it's interesting to see what kind of person TheBee Zecter chooses. "I'm going to protect everyone! I will protect them!" Kagami growls and a few moments later, TheBee Zecter comes flying towards him. So, it does seem to be attracted to the leader type of person, someone who will protect the hive even if the fight looks impossible. And I do have to admit, it's kind of a cool moment. ....possibly I may be a giant nerd for Kagami, though.
The scene switches to Kabuto chasing the two Worm while he's on the Kabuto Extender and as soon as Tendou says, "Cast Off." I start giggling helplessly again. I remember what that bike looked like in Cast Off form and it's still just as hilariously suggestive as ever. An A++++ way to end the episode.
So I also watched up through Kamen Rider Den-O episode 40, which means I'm on the final storyline, I'm pretty sure. Which also means SPOILERS for up through those episodes.
It's not that I wasn't enjoying the lolz of the show or that I didn't love Yuuto to tiny, tiny little pieces, but Meg's right that the show was definitely helped by getting a proper villain finally. It's a bit late in the series for that, but I'm not really going to complain because it's not like even the show is taking itself that seriously, it's here to have fun and maybe make you lip-tremble a little bit because you liked Yuuto maybe a little more than you should and they really tried to drive home how much happier everyone was without the loss of him even Deneb was merrily going along without Yuuto and happy as a lark like everyone else, except for Ryoutarou who was crushed because he missed Yuuto kind of a lot and goddammit, Den-O, I AM NOT FALLING FOR THAT.
Especially not when Yuuto came back within an episode or two anyway. *sullen* Not that I didn't want him back, I was actually really glad that they didn't drag that out. (Even if I wondered a bit why Yuuto was gone, when Hana and Ryoutarou remembered him so clearly, but I suppose they answered with how they didn't really know him in this time. And they'd clearly set this up well in advance, that they pointed out people's memories = time, that Zeronos' cards were using up people's memories of Yuuto, so if something happened to him in the past, like with the piano player, he wouldn't come back.) But it was still totally manipulative.
And gay. Wow have the last ten episodes been really, really gay. When Ryoutarou finds out that the Zeronos cards and is genuinely angry, snatching them away while Deneb holds Yuuto back? Not that I didn't think they were kind of suspiciously gay for each other before that, but wow. Also, that's pretty much the only time you see Ryoutarou really grow a spine and get genuinely angry at someone, he tends to have some of the strongest emotional reactions to Yuuto, which is... interesting.
Same for when Yuuto was disappearing and Ryoutarou runs forward to... what? Hug him? Or when Ryoutarou is riding his bike and is hit in the head with the waterbottle Yuuto kicked and they practically wrap arms around each other as they go tumbling down into the grass. That was pretty straight right there. .___.
And it's not that I don't like Yuuto/Airi, I actually like it a lot more than I thought I would! They're really fun when they're around each other and that scene where Airi almost, almost remembers Yuuto, the way she reaches her hand out to almost touch him, I really liked that. It's just. They don't feel complete without Ryoutarou in the mix. Clearly, Yuuto's just going to have to marry them both. (It's kind of interesting because it's not like I went into the show looking for an actual shippable pairing--as opposed to the tons of gay that's all over the place, which is different--but there's so much emphasis put on the Ryoutarou/Yuuto relationship that anything else involving either one wouldn't feel half as "complete" as that one does. Luckily, I think Airi-san and Ryoutarou would be willing to share. :D)
I also really want to know what's going on with Hana and that new line or whatever. At least they're starting to get into having a real villain with Kai, because Gaou so completely failed at being a real villain. I thought Kai's manipulation of Ryuutaros was interesting, the way he programmed the ZeroLiner to go out of control and take the DenLiner with it, but... I dunno, it almost felt like it was too easily solved? They just pack up the station and go get the trains, how was that really going to help Kai that much, except to show his hand too early? Or did he really think that would work? Did he not know that much about the station and that it could go get the trains pretty easily?
I realize I'm giving too much thought to a kids' show, obviously. And the scenes with the trains were pretty awesome.
And, of course, the ARASHI stuff. SPOILERS for anything watched. (Which includes Music Station [2008.06.20] One Love performance/talk + VS ARASHI #05 [2008.05.10] subbed + Osama no Buranchi [2008.06.21] + VS ARASHI #11 [2008.06.21] + DOME Tour concert fancams.)
♥ - Music Station [2008.06.20] One Love performance + talk subbed - I really do love this song a lot and I greatly appreciate the white wedding clothes that will make for some fabulous screencaps, but... I was hoping for a dance to go along with the TV performances, not to have Arashi standing practically in the same spot for the whole entire performance with just a few hand motions while two wedding dancers moved around the stage more than they did.
I mean, on the bright side, at least Nino was wearing pants this time around, even if his suit was more silver than white. And while, yes, Jun's bow tie looked a little bit ridiculous, he did still mostly manage to pull the outfit off. And Aiba looked really, really nice. Ohno and Sho looked really nice, too!
But overall... it's not as delightful to me because it's not as Big Gay Wedding as the PV was, there wasn't really any fanservice between any of the guys, there wasn't even a fun dance for it. I suppose it could have been worse, but. Eh. I was left feeling underwhelmed.
The talk portion (holy crap, that was subbed so fast *awed at fandom*) was a little better, though. It was fairly standard for most of the interview, just talking about their Dome Tour and whatnot. But there was one moment of PURE GOLD. The hosts asked about the wirework they have for this tour, with how they're suspended in those harnesses 30 meters in the air and how Sho really didn't like that. How he refuses to spin because it's way, way to scary!
The host asks, ehhh, if you hate it that much, why didn't you not agree to do it?
And Sho. Oh, poor, sweet Sho. With JUN SITTING RIGHT NEXT TO HIM, Sho says, w-well, Matsumoto said that either I could go up on the wire harnesses or else I could stay down on the ground all by myself. ;___; And you can just see that conversation happening.
SHO: I really, really don't want to, Matsujun! ;________; It's really high and really scary!
JUN: *STARE* Well, either you do it or else you stay down on the ground all by yourself. *STARE* It's up to you. *STAAAAARE*
SHO: .... ;_______________;
The entire time Sho's telling the story, Jun is sitting right next to him going :D :D :D like his expression is saying, "Yeah, I totally bullied him into it. :D :D :D"
♥ - VS ARASHI #05 [2008.05.10] - I am so delighted at getting subs for this show. Like, ridiculously happy about it. <3 And this episode is about as fun as usual, it's a little hard to get enthused when I know they're going to lose, especially when they start talking about how they're on a losing streak with the show and how they need to turn it around. (Hey, how about getting a real night's sleep and maybe THEN see how you guys do??)
But there were some really cute moments! Like, when Saori catches one of the pipes and her hand is half-on, half-off the 100 point part, I was going to be SO PISSED if they counted that because Jun had done that twice and both times they didn't count it. But they didn't count it here, so I felt a little better about all the times Arashi has been really close, but the rules were too tough on them. Plus, when the girls/audience go EEEHH WHY!? about it not counting, Nino snaps BECAUSE WE WANT TO WIN >:| and a;sdlkfalskj I love the little bastard, he totally knows how to take any hint of awkwardness out of the room like that.
Or when they say OKAY WE REALLY NEED TO WIN THIS NEXT ONE, so who shall we choose? Sho: All right then! It's totally me. and Nino stops him like, ehhh, does this atmosphere around you even suggest that it's you?? Actually, we really need to win! and they are SO AWFUL to Sho. (Of course he obviously invited it, he was making a joke and, awww, good for you, Sho! Sometimes you CAN be funny on purpose! ...e-even if it's a joke about how much you fail.)
Also, Sho promises that he won't aim for anything but 1 and 3, doing the little pinky promise thing, and Nino--like THE VERY GOOD FRIEND THAT HE IS--points out that if Sho doesn't keep his promise (after Yamada Yuu said, well, I think Sakurai Sho is a real man, so he'll keep his promise....) his popularity ratings will go down. (And then Yamada Yuu's distracting question is about how Sho is someone who wakes up with a bad temper and AHAHAHAHA well at least he admits it. XD)
....okay, possibly I am easy to please, but. When it's Jun's turn to climb the rock wall this time around and they're all, okay, who shall we make go~? Matsumoto, you'll do it this time, right~? and Ohno pipes up with, yeah, he already gave his rings to me. Which is just sort of. AWWW. That's how you know Jun likes you, he trusts you to hold his rings while he goes to do their stupid games.
asd;flkajs;lkj and then. Well, who's going to be Jun's supporter? Aiba offers to go. Because. a s;dlfkjasl;k "Because I understand Matsujun well!"
And also the first thing Aiba does after announcing he'll be Jun's supporter and that he understands Matsujun really well? He takes his hoodie off. Because, well, yes. Because it's Aiba who's supporting Matsujun and because he understands him really well... yes, obviously the thing to do is start shedding clothes.
I had to go laugh helplessly in the corner for awhile after that. Also, when he handed the hoodie over to Sho next to him, Sho goes HOLY CRAP THIS GUY'S HOODIE IS HOT.
You know what else is fun? Watching Jun stand around sometimes. I swear, he's got one hand on his hip practically the entire episode. Like, all of them stand loosely like him to a degree, especially Nino, but Jun... he does this all the time, that's his natural way of standing, with one hip cocked to the side and... I mean. It's not like I'm trying to judge or anything, it's just. Really noticeable after awhile. .__.
Nino's face after the Ohmiya team loses the Rolling Coin Tower game again kind of makes the loss almost worth it. Plus it really was kind of unfair that they really only lost because Ohmiya are chibis and couldn't quite reach the top of the tower well. Same for Nino banging on the microwave (?) when they bring the prizes out. ♥
Oh! The ending talk got even more awesome with translations for it, because it was obvious that they were bullying Aiba and then Sho, but the flow of conversation is really great. They start by pointing out that Aiba kind of failed today, who defends himself by saying that he passed to Matsujun really well! And Jun kind of agrees, well, maybe that balances it out then... and Nino, being the good friend that he is, senses his attention is better placed elsewhere, like... on Sho-chan, who made that promise with Yamada Yuu, hm... and Aiba jumps on it, YEAH, if he hadn't made that promise, then he would have been able to catch two pipes!
Well, that's true, Sho says, but because I kept the promise, my popularity rating is secured, right? And, naturally, his stupid bandmates are like sharks in the water who SENSE BLOOD. "Then, between your popularity rating and today's battle result, which do you pick?" Jun asks.
And Sho realizes OH SHIT he's backed into a corner now. If he says he picks the battle result, he looks bad and his popularity goes down. If he picks the popularity, he looks like a faker who isn't a good team player. He tries to dig himself out of the hole, but those stupid bitches are circling in for the kill now. >:< HE WAS JUST TRYING TO KEEP HIS PROMISE, OKAY? and they keep staring at him and crowding him in and you can totally see him go, oh crap after they finally leave him alone, because he knows how that whole conversation came off.
Then they move on to Ohno, but that was just bad luck, there's nothing he can do about his height. Apparently, Aiba had offered to carry him, but Ohno helpfully points out no he would have destroyed the tower then!! And *points at Aiba* HE MADE ME CONFUSED!! and that is karma coming back to bite you, Aiba. I love that Ohno still points to himself and can't really believe that he'd actually turn the tide back towards Aiba.
....okay, so it started a little slow. But it really was a great episode by the end. <3
♥ - Osama no Buranchi [2008.06.21] Tokyo Dome Concert & Arashi-chan Quiz - I really hope this gets summarized or translated or subbed soon because, w-well. Any time there's Nino/Jun, I want context. And Nino putting an arm around Jun's shoulder to pull him close in a half-hug really needs context. I assume it has something to do with the date with Ooshima-san (that Aiba and Nino crashed) and as;dflkjaslkj oh god I want it so badly.
Also, this is totally worth watching for Aiba just smacking Nino in the face for--I assume?--being a little bastard. The whole quiz thing looks interesting/amusing so far, too.
AND AND AND. NEXT WEEK'S HIMITSU NO ARASHI-CHAN. WITH JUN BEING COOL AND DELIGHTING IN TORTURING OOSHIMA-SAN. AND AIBA AND NINO CRASHING THE DATE. AND INOUE MAO. ASD:LKJALKJ NEED IT NOW.
OH OH OH Meg pointed this post out and AHAHAHAHA CONTEXT IS AWESOME. THE REASON FOR AIBA SMACKING NINO AHAHAHAHAHA.
AND AHAHAHAHA SHO KNOWING THE ANSWER TO OHNO'S WHILE EVERYONE ELSE GETS IT WRONG. THE ACTUAL ANSWER TO SHO'S. *CRYING*
And, yeah, color me TOTALLY SURPRISED that Jun remember's Aiba's sweet, romantic answer. WHO WOULD HAVE EVER GUESSED.
Now I really want subs for this. *__*
♥ - VS ARASHI #11 [2008.06.21] - I haven't yet watched last week's episode (I haven't watched Shukudai-kun, either orz) but I decided to skip ahead to this week's instead. It gets off to an okay start, but I definitely went "............................................." a lot when they chose Jun to catch the falling pipes again, especially considering the LOOK on his face as he walked over to the game. The staff of this show are very, very brave people. .____.
Even before I had unpaused the file to continue watching, I knew that if Jun caught it on the white again, there would be so much murder that night. So, so much murder. ....a-and w-well.
And then.
.______________.
Okay, this time he deserved not getting the points, his hand was very clearly on the white, not really touching the red at all, but oh my god. Do these people have no fear at all?? .____________.
It was, on the other hand, a little worth it when Sho and Aiba both go AHHHHHHHH!!!! and point at how close he was, both of them crumpling to the ground while Nino tries to shake them out of it. And how no one really seems to dare give Jun shit about it, they just sort of... move on to the next round. XDDD
I do have to hand one thing to this show, though. Even if I wish they would get some new games (I was hoping that the break would give them time to tweak the format a little, too :< ), I still get sucked into them. I got a little *__* over Nino's turn on the Cliff Climb game and was antsy to see if he would make it in time or not. as;ldfkjakja god what this band does to my dignity.
Even the Rolling Coin Tower was kind of nail-biting to watch and a;dlfkjaslkj SO CLOSE OMG THEY WERE ACTUALLY AHEAD AND IT WAS SO WOBBLY AND AAAUUUGH. I did love Nino crumpling onto Ohno when the tower finally fell. And I am glad that they seem to have permanently done away with the MDA thing, while it was interesting to see who would get the honor each week, it was just... not that much fun? To always worry about who would be pointed out as doing the worst that week.
AND OH MY GOD NEXT WEEK. IS THAT THE DAISUKE GUY WHO WAS IN THE LAST PRINCESS WITH JUN? THE ONE THAT HAD A TOTAL CRUSH? A:SLKDJALKJALJ WHY IS NOT NEXT WEEK YET.
*PINES*
♥ - Dome Tour fanams - I don't know how much more I'll have to say about the fancams beyond what other people have already said, but I definitely watched them. It is a lot harder to tell them apart now that they've all got black hair, though! :<
I really love Hello Goodbye, though, it's such a total Aiba song, it's so light-hearted and cute and just makes you want to hum along with it every time you hear it. His dance is so adorable, too! And the harmonica! *___*
♥ - Fukuoka-Dome 2008.06.18 - 2008.06.19 concert report - I've read a handful of these now and of course the Ohmiya has been off the charts during this tour, but I've also been seeing a lot of Nino/Jun and Aiba/Jun commentary, too. This report mentions that there's been a lot of Nino/Jun (which has picked up in their shows and stuff, too, they've been gay at each other a lot ever since Step And Go, which I originally attributed to Nino being A VERY HELPFUL FRIEND by bitching it up at an obviously overtaxed Jun, so that he could blow a little steam off, but... they seem to be getting closer lately) and that the Aiba/Jun has been really kind of sweet and almost intimate. Well, that's my word for it, and without actually seeing footage, I can't be certain it's accurate, but. Between that OP and Aki's reports.... *__*
(Apparently, there's also an Aiba/Jun hug and Jun bitching at Aiba for paying attention to Nino. *basks in this*)
And another story (along with Aki's translation of the MC, which was so fabulous) of how a) Aiba and Jun were leaning all over each other during the MC (oh my god we wantses the fancams for that precioussss we wantses them so much *hiss*) and b) Aiba mentioning where Jun likes to sleep a;sdlfkja and c) the rest of them making Ohno do an impression of a pissed off Jun who's woken up with his back hurting and oh my god I'm crying just thinking about the expression on poor Ohno's face. The sheer level of "oh god I don't want to dieeeee" must have been A+++.
Also, Jun going OMG EW GROSS YOU GUYS at the Ohmiya SK skits NEVER STOPS BEING FUNNY. I TOTALLY BELIEVE YOU, MATSUMOTO. That's not protesting too much at all, noooo.
There's also a Dream A Live Fukuoka 2008.06.19 Concert Report which has more on that particular MC, where Jun was cutting up Sho's food for him and how they had to bother Jun into going with them by pointing out that you need to replace the salt in your body after the concert has wrung so much out of you, but also has this great little gem:
During Love Parade, Nino is on Flower float...
Nino: (singing along to the song but changing the words to the song) ♪I am now sitting on top of a flower~ I am 25 yo ~ but I am not embarrassed~
*cracked the hell up*
And they also talk about Jun often waking up in a bad mood because his back hurts (....yeah, like I'm not taking that out of context, no matter how many times I read about it :D :D :D) and it's really great how often they give Jun shit about his nasty moods and yet he just laughs because he knows they're teasing out of love. Either that or because it's funny to him. Possibly both at the same time. Because you can tell they are kind of GENUINELY SCARED OF MATSUMOTO'S MOODS. ♥♥♥
AND AND AND:
After the Dream A Balloon
Jun: how was it today?
Sho: not only I am not getting used to it at all...it is actually getting scarier !
Yup, still hilarious to me. I seriously don't blame Sho at all, I would be terrified up there and I would probably have chosen to stay on the ground because a fear of heights isn't something you really just get over. And I know I'd be terrified if I were up there, I'd be so scared that I'd be shaking. And yet. It's still REALLY FUNNY when they bully him over it.