*shifty* What comments still left to respond to? >__>

Aug 21, 2008 14:08

So, I have an eternal struggle with FTP clients, because half of them don't like me and won't let me connect, but you know what's awesome? FireFTP. A Firefox plugin that lets me have an FTP client right in my browser? FUCK YEAH. o/

I AM SO GEEKED.

You know what else I'm geeked about? You can apparently now see how many tabs you have open and OMG I MAY BE A NERD, BUT I AM A GEEKED OUT ONE. XD And, hell, as long as I'm browsing for add-ons, Find In Tabs looks kind of awesome. And it's a struggle not to install this theme just because it has purple in it and Foxkeh has not been upgraded for FF3. *sadface* AND, OMG, IT'S LIKE FALLING IN LOVE ALL OVER AGAIN.

I'm really tempted by being able to practice kanji, that's such a neat idea. Oh and I enjoy Better YouTube as well. */FF3 nerdery*

Okay, I've watched more Go-Onger, episodes 15-17, which isn't that much progress, but it had episode 16, which was super, super awesome. Anyway spoilers for those episodes.



Go-Onger 15-17: Episode 15 was actually one of my favorite episodes (I'm going to have a lot of "favorite" episodes, as you can see) because of the way they started messing with the formula even more, I don't think there was a giant robot battle in it at all? My favorite thing! Not that I actually reallly mind the giant robot battles, I wouldn't be watching sentai if I did, but I like it when things get changed up once in awhile, when things are done a little differently.

There's still not much plot to speak of in these episodes, beyond Hiramekimedes showing up and the plotting he starts to do and the tidbits of information we get about Machine World and how the Gaiarc came to the Human World, but I wouldn't exactly call it a real plot or anything.

But the second thing that made me love episode 15 so much was that no one (except Renn, of course) could get Hiramekimedes' name right and maybe that shouldn't have worked as well as it did, but I was laughing kind of a lot the whole way. There were more than one moment of LOL during all of that.

S-same for episode 16. It was fun at first, the various suggestions the Go-Ongers were coming up with to fight against Oily BanKi, but when we got to Gunpei's drawing and his total fit when they guessed wrong, I kind of started dying. I seriously thought it was a carp streamer, too! A little badly drawn, but pretty recognizable as one! But no!

PENGUIN.

(Also, I am at peace with how I am a twelve year old, but, yeah, color me not surprised that Gunpei's attack involves lying flat on his stomach and sliding or bending forward while he kneels. >__>)

Also, you know what shouldn't have worked as well as it did? Sousuke practicing working on slippery surfaces by running up a slide over and over, but I LOL'd my ass off during that scene and just. Fell in love with him even more. Seriously, my affection for Sousuke is ridiculous at this point.

I also really liked that they didn't do what I thought they would do. I had seen the mop in the preview at the beginning of the episode, of course, so I assumed they would learn some special cleaning technique that would let them move around on slippery floors better. But no! Instead, they make a couple of giant mops and CLEAN UP AFTER OILY BANKI INSTEAD. They cleaned up! With Go-On Mop! AWESOME. Unexpected and AWESOME.

As for the Go-On Wings... I was intrigued by their first appearance, then thought they were kind of snobby brats in episode 16, and then decided that I kind of loved them after all in episode 17. Hidenori! I am weak to him, okay? Plus, he has GOLD HIGHLIGHTS IN HIS HAIR. That's awesome. I probably would have been way less friendly to the character with another actor, but... well, Hidenori is playing Hiroto (I think that was the character's name?), so I'm already onboard. And I knew that ahead of time, that he was playing Go-On Gold, so that probably affected me right from the first moment they showed up. We'll see about the sister, but if Hiroto likes her, I imagine I probably will, too.

And, hey, episode 17 didn't have a giant robot battle again either, did it? I... I think I could maybe really like this show! Of course, I thought that about the last sentai I tried to watch, too. XD

Anyway. Usual blah, blah, blah, and then on to Kamen Rider Kabuto ep 29, with 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 29: The first time I watched this episode, I was kind of thrown by the plot shifting gears so suddenly on me, the sight of Dark Kabuto (or whatever you want to call him) at the end of the previous episode and then... Iron Chef parody episodes?? Shouldn't they be more concerned about what they just saw and what it means?? Shouldn't they be looking into this??

I was kind of spoiled by Kabuto having such a surprisingly consistent plot that I didn't think to realize, well, it's still toku and all that comes with that. But I graciously forgive the show because these episodes are so damned lolarious about it. And they do fit in with the themes of the show, with the cooking and how it can be used for good or evil, depending on the person cooking. But you also totally can't take it too seriously--right from the beginning, Tendou is freaking out about some random guy dying in front of him who then hands him the knife and, really, why does Tendou care that much? I can believe he'd care, but to the degree that he seemed to show? Not so much.

To be fair to the show, Kagami does wonder who that Rider was, so they don't seem to have connected him to Kabuto, despite that it's kind of obvious about the coloring and the "antennae" on his head. But I can believe that they'd figure it was just another Rider who looked similar, it's not like they hadn't had a lot of weird random shit popping up in their lives lately anyway. Kagami actually sort of looks almost gleeful at the idea of having another Rider to fight against, that he hopes this one has his act together because there haven't been any decent Riders up to this point, right? And, seriously, Kagami, you're just inviting Tendou to make a remark when you say things like that. ....though, really, Tendou, you didn't have to lean over the table quite like that. It looks. Um. A little friendly there.

Even if it's just to mock Kagami, because, well, exactly. He (Tendou) is the only decent one. ....that was actually sort of a lame comeback, but Tendou delivers it well so you don't think too much of it. The look on Kagami's face as he thinks, You're the weirdest one of them all! is kind of priceless because it says so much about how much Kagami's trying to hold back his irritation at having to deal with Tendou all the goddamned time. And Tendou's just sort of serene at him like, You lose. and it's almost kind of sweet (that's how you know Tendou likes you--he mocks you every chance he gets) and, seriously, you guys. I could have written that dialogue back in the fourth grade.

Despite that, I actually really like this scene, it's so... light-hearted and teasing, it shows how much Tendou has really let Kagami in, even if there's still a really long ways to go. He even freely explains about the knife and how he couldn't open it either. (Though, I suppose, he has no reason to think it's connected to the Worms or any other reason to keep it to himself.)

After that, Juka's at a friend's (?) French restaurant, even a little flag of France painted on her face, and I wonder if the writers meant anything with this theme, because it keeps popping up, but... I don't really find any consistency with it? It kind of seems like they kept throwing it in just because they thought it'd be cool. Juka does say that the food there is as good as Onii-chan's, though, which is interesting. There's a scene just after that (well, after the dark chef guy is totally lolarious about his cooking) where KagamiSr is trying foods from all around the world (and, really, Kabuto? didn't you just do this a handful of episodes ago with Tsurugi?) and okay. On the list of things I never really wanted to see? A close-up of KagamiSr eating a snail. A very extreme close up of KagamiSr eating a snail.

Just. No.

But it's made up for by the cuteness of Juka talking with her mouth full and Tendou easily understanding and being the super-cute adorable older brother by scolding her gently for it and then listening to her request anyway. And. Just to make the Worm Plot somehow involved in this, Mishima requests that Reina find a chef for the party, because a Worm would have sharper senses than a human and, seriously, KRK, that's kind of weak. (But I guess it means Mishima's not a Native at this point--though, you could still make a case for him transforming into one. I still think the pills are more likely about him not eating regular food, which would fit well with his need to get outside help on this. Though... why not just ask a Native? .__. Aside from, "Then there wouldn't be a battle with the Worm, duh.") But he does say that their sense of taste is stronger, so I think we can assume that sight and smell are probably stronger, too. Possibly touch as well? Idk.

Creepy music plays in the background as Reina asks why the recovery of the Drake Rider System was a failure and she says that it's not because the Worm was too weak, but because human beings posess a mysterious power. Which kind of makes me wonder if Worms aren't fascinated by humans somehow, Reina certainly seemed interested in "investigating" people previously. Maybe the Worm mimic/kill people out of that same fascination?

The scene after that is super-cute, too. Both Tendou and Juka are all, ".... *CRUSHED* this food is terrible. T__T" and she runs off to the bathroom while Tendou gets all "*OFFENDED*" at the chef. While wearing another sleeveless vest and t-shirt combination that I am very appreciative of. After that, the dark chef is approached by Reina who wants his help and we see that he actually is a Worm (making this slightly less lame to tie everything together, but only just) and he pretty much tells her to fuck off, he'll rule the world in his own way.

Then, the van trio are having soba and we get some awesomeness with Tadokoro-san thisclose to flipping out because the soba is sub-par and Kagami and Misaki try to pretend REALLY HARD that they don't know him. Seriously, it's so much lol watching them in the background of this scene. (Though, I'm not sure if I love Yuuki's acting here or not--it's so totally overblown, but I have to think he's doing it on purpose because he's such a fantastic actor otherwise. But they're all kind of hamming it up on purpose, so I think it's deliberate.) The animal noises should be so dumb and yet! I laugh really, really hard.

Also, how much do I love Kagami and Tendou at La Salle where Kagami is just so eager to tell Tendou about what happened, because he wants to share with Tendou? A lot, that's how much. Especially when Tendou's like, "*recoils* Don't bring your face so close. You're spitting." in this really UGH REMIND ME WHY I LIKE HIM AGAIN? ~_~ tone.

Then the dark chef comes in and Tendou's like, what do you want *flat*, and he insults Hiyori's cooking and has a ROYAL FIT about how she shook the wok when she was cooking and Kagami's just. He's totally on the sidelines watching this and might as well have a bowl of popcorn and a lawnchair for the show. It's way more entertaining than TV, especially when, plot twist! The knife flies into the dark chef's hand and even Tendou is kind of freaked out when saying he had it as a favor for a friend.

About the time the dark chef opens the knife and lightning splits the sky and blows open the windows of the restaurant, I was kind of seriously DYING SO HARD. Especially when Kagami pulls his feet up onto the chair while staring at the dark chef and it's like he's watching the scariest movie ever.

And I know that Tendou's challenge to duel him is about the guy abusing cooking and being mean to Hiyori, but it's kind of. Kind of telling that, yeah, Kagami's there for Tendou to make a point of being awesome in front of. (Not that I really think it was about that, it's just amusing that YET AGAIN....) Especially when they use Kagami as the taster for their duel and I know how this is going to go.

Watching closely this second time around, Tendou totally has this aura of "Well, of course. u__u" when Kagami praises his food and then THE LOOK ON HIS FACE when Kagami TOTALLY BETRAYS HIM by practically foodgasming on the spot over the dark chef's food. And seriously I love Yuuki a lot for how much he just totally COMMITS to that scene.

Tendou continues to be shellshocked that Kagami chose the other guy's food and it's like. All his hard work in wearing the rentboy clothes for nothing! Kagami was so totally on the metaphorical couch that night. >:| Then Kagami falls asleep in his chair and Jiiya shows up to avenge all his beaten students and Tendou pulls out Jiiya's book that he always carries around on his body and I love that. That no matter how seriously I kind of take KRK sometimes, I can still totally shut my brain off and just go LOL at the episode.

And then. Then it's total fucking LOL at the cooking competition that is literally a fucking CAGE MATCH between the dark chef and Jiiya with KagamiSr as the judge. I love it because he totally hams it up with both the outfit and the looking back and forth between Jiiya and the dark checf like it's a tennis match, the back and forth serves as they cut up the hamo. It is nice to actually see Jiiya properly cooking, though, I do have to say.

While they're battling it out in the kitchen, Tsurugi and Kagami and Tendou are fighting against a bunch of random Worms, Dark Kabuto watching over them in the distance. The first time through with this episode I was kind of, "......." about having such a silly storyline with the more serious elements, but the second time I'm accepting it much better. I just sort of. Mentally catagorized these two episodes as not really being within the proper timeline, they're meant to be parody, so I don't take them so seriously.

Especially because. Because. KagamiSr tries Jiiya's food and it's wonderful. Then he tries the dark chef's food and chews for a bit, suddenly looking up in surprise. Cut immediately to Gatack and Tsurugi destroying worms in a really spectacular explosion and I just had to LOL. WAY TO BE SUBTLE, KRK. Like, it's not enough that people sprout angel wings and halos while they foodgasm, no we have to make sure that you have GIANT EXPLOSIONS as soon as they make That Face just to MAKE SURE EVERYONE GETS THE POINT. You know what else I love? They don't even TRY to hide the strings that lift KagamiSr to fly through the air. They WANT you to see them. XDDD

We also see the new Rider go into Hyper Clock Up, which will be important soon, but for now it's just kind of confusing. He zips by them and destroys the rest of the Worms, stopping to turn back and look at them and it's kind of REALLY OBVIOUSLY a version of Kabuto, even if the colors are a little mixed around. But I guess they don't actually see him, Gatack and Sasword are looking around for what the hell that was and Dark Kabuto just leaves without a word.

The regular Kabuto isn't there because he MAGICALLY SENSES that JIIYA IS IN TROUBLE and comes DIVE ROLLING INTO THE CAGE MATCH to catch Jiiya before he falls. I forget it's coming every time and then have to just LOL ALL OVER AGAIN.

The episode wraps up with Kagami seeing Tsurugi transform into a Worm and I remember thinking it was so odd that they would end such a silly episode with such an important plot point that was really kind of serious. I still think it's a little odd, but I guess they had to keep things moving. And next episode is the second half of this story and it has Tendou seeking out the chef in the mountains who's Jiiya's brother (I think that was it?) and suddenly the half-remembered characterizations I was thinking back on suddenly make a whole lot more sense. I was thinking of the episode where Tendou went to train in the mountains before and thinking, man, that seemed a little bit off from how I saw Tendou, was I just not quite getting him as well as I thought?

Then, lol, no, it's in the Iron Check arc. SUDDENLY IT MAKES SENSE AGAIN.

No special tag again this week because of movie promotions. Boo. :<

And, of course, more Arashi stuff. Spoilers for anything listed under the cut:
→ MAOU episode 7
→ Osama no Brunch [2008.07.26] subbed
→ VS ARASHI #17 [2008.08.02]
→ Arashi no Shukudai-kun 037 2007.06.18 - Manakana subbed



♥ - I'm almost sort of sorry that I watched this episode because the wait until next week is going to be incredibly painful, if the previews aren't misleading us and Naoto has figured out that Naruse Ryou = Manako Tomoo. It seems like an odd thing to put in the preview of all things, rather than revealing it in the episode itself--and watch, it'll be at the very end, so it'll actually be two weeks until we see any fallout from it--but the timing seems right. There are only four episodes left, if they're going to have time to properly deal with the revelation, they need to bring it up soon.

This is another episode where so much happened that I don't even know where to begin! Naruse Makiko forgiving him because he made her want to live again! The incredible tension in the scene where Naoto hit play on the CD player! The way Naruse practically snarled at Naoto to leave his sister alone! Wanting to punch Yamano in the face for being giggly over Makiko covering for them! Naruse's tears when Makiko forgave him! The letter from Sora-chan! The scenes with Shiori! The hug, omg. And, whoa, apparently you do not mess with Kasai.

So, so much that just hit me so hard with this episode.

I am a little disappointed that no one died in this episode--only three victims? it seems so... not exactly a mastermind's epic revenge plot--but I'm hoping that at least one more person will be killed. I could live with four victims, I suppose. I was actually less annoyed with the adultery storyline in this episode than I thought I was going to be, because Kasai was kind of seriously fucking scary, you kind of suspected that he had that rage in him, but not like that, not that close to the surface. Souda hardly even pushed him at all before he was slamming him to the ground and nearly smashing his face in with the beer bottle. I do also wonder what it means that the husband/brother had the photograph in his jacket pocket at the end of the episode, but didn't particularly seem surprised by it, like he'd see it already and kind of already suspected? I'm still hoping the storyline will be resolved in the next episode, though.

Th-though, I'm actually kind of liking Noriyoshi (the brother married to Mari) because he seems like a decent guy? Which the drama is sort of sorely lacking on, given how many people are just scumbags. But I like that the drama is making both sides not all that great--Yamano's reaction to Makiko covering for them made me lose a lot of sympathy for him because she was an innocent person in all of this, just like Hideo. You could have a little more sympathy for her and what she's lost in her life, too. But it does seem like Yamano's emotional development was twisted and warped and stunted back in junior high and he never really got over that, which makes me pity him a little, but also hope that he meets some sort of fitting end. Part of me kind of hopes Naruse has plans for him as well, especially if he knows that the knife was originally Yamano's. I mean, if he can go after Ikehata for writing an article that twisted the truth who was pressured into it, how is Yamano that much better?

Because it's hard to imagine Yamano letting all of this go once Naruse hesitates or possibly abandons his revenge, would Yamano pick up the slack or threaten to tell the cops in order to keep it going? He's not exactly the most tight-lipped of person, one little slip from him with too much pressure from the cops and... well.

I really, really want to know where this series is going to end up. Because they've been breaking my heart every episode, this time with Makiko and how she already kind of knew, but forgave him without question and you can see how much she means to him, how much that forgiveness and acceptance of him really devestated him, because he didn't think he had anything before all of this started. But there's also Shiori, who wants so badly to help him, who cares about him and wants to be there for him and love him and he obviously cares about her and it's-- revenge isn't the same when you have people to live for again. Sora-chan's drawing brought that home all over again and I-- asldkfj oh my god this drama. In just about any other jdrama, I might have found all of that too much. But with MAOU, between the acting and the pacing and how it doesn't linger too long on any given scene, it's just amazing.


♥ - Osama no Brunch [2008.07.26] - Ohno+Yuuka - subbed - I finally got around to watching this as well, which came at a good time, since I'd just finished watching episode 7 of the drama. This is SUPER CUTE and it's actually really interesting to see an appearance that's not focused on Ohno himself, but on one of his co-workers, so you see him in a slightly different light. It's about her dynamic with him rather than the other way around and it's just a little bit different from usual. Which makes it really kinda interesting! Plus, she's cute as hell. <3

But mostly it's great for the tarot card readings omg. Ohno gets a lot of success predictions, but the thing he's most focused on? Catching a bonita this year, which apparently he'll do AND THEN SOME. So, Ohno's reaction? "OMG YES A TUNA! \o/" The victory pose is so adorable, holy shit.

♥ - VS ARASHI #17 [2008.08.02] - In my continuing quest to catch up on VS ARASHI, I... am at least not falling further behind. >__> But! This is the episode with Ohmiya doing Pinball Runner and, oh, Ohno, sweetie, you're just not that good at being the supporter, so much that one almost half-suspects you of doing it on purpose. (But probably not, honestly. It's a hard thing to call, because it can bounce just about any which way.) Though, really, they don't do too badly with 210 points, it's just that Ohno tended to call them at the last second, while Nino couldn't quite run fast enough to catch them. The guest was even worse, though, she was just all over the place and tried to have the other guest running all over the place, from one end to the next, so they only got 90 points total.

Next was Rolling Coin Tower and as;dlkfjaslkj I know Arashi wins the episode (because someone invariably spoils it outside an LJ cut or on the Arashi vox groups or whatever XD) but the tower got kind of huge this time around. The boxes they stand on are hardly enough, their points are even almost up into the 500s! And I love the Aiba/Sho team for being so good at this game, it hardly even wobbled on their turns! I felt badly for the girl, I don't think she was really up high enough to reach properly, so of course it fell on her turn. XD I did totally love the male guest going over to celebrate with Aiba and Sho, like he was part of the Arashi team instead. XD Especially when Jun is like WTF, THAT IS NOT YOUR TEAM. It was totally adorable.

The Pipe Catch game would probably have been a lot more fun if I'd caught more of what they were saying, because it looked adorably hilarious and there was a lot of shoving of Jun and him pretending to look bitchy and the guest doesn't even try to talk to Jun, just DROPS THEM, so Jun's got his hands on the pipes just as he's lounging around and happens to catch 200 points. Seriously, he has kind of amazing luck with that. XD But apparently that is NO FAIR OMG so they redo it and Jun doesn't get as many points (60) but he does a double-catch which, in a way, is almost more impressive.

I love Nino a WHOLE LOT, because he just totally DROPS the pipes the second the timer goes, instead of even trying to distract the guest. Though, the guest does at least get 100 points, which is pretty good! So, overall, a really cute episode! Totally worth the watch, though, I think it'd be better with subs. The guests are adorable and it's fun for random Arashi dorkery, too.

♥ - Arashi no Shukudai-kun 037 2007.06.18 - Manakana subbed - I meant to watch this ages ago, but never quite got to it until today. It's an episode that's well over a year old now, so it's interesting to look at it in that context, but it also starts out totally awesome--with Aiba and Ogura-san being total hornball pervs as they comment on the guests' adult points before the twins are introduced.

Never change, you guys. ;__;b

A-also. The two girls speak almost in unison, even their word choices are the same, and Arashi wonders if that's because they spent so much time together. So what does Sho do? Why, he immediately turns to Ohmiya and asks, hey, do you guys do that, too, since you spend so much time together? I kind of died. "You two... for example, on holidays and such... what are you two doing?" And I know that Sho's trying to get them to answer about what they each do on their vacations, get them to answer in the same phrasing, but that sounds really gay, Sho.

(They actually kind of fail at doing the same phrasing and that's because Ohno and Nino are pyshic, not identical, you guys. There is a huge difference! XD)

And, oh, this is back when they were pretending that they actually minded sharing germs. Because Aiba takes a bit of the gouya burger and then offers it to Jun like it's totally normal and Jun is like, "Tasting a half-eaten burger..." like he's reluctant, but two seconds later he tries it anyway. Poor baby. :< He just wanted everyone to make sure they knew that he was voicing objections, you know. :< And Ogura-san makes it worse by pointing out that his image becomes worse because of this, you know. :< But he still totally takes a bite out of the burger that Aiba handed him and says it's good. ....ilu guys. (He totally has a huge smile after the camera focuses on the group shot, you can just sort of barely see it from the side. I choose to interpret this as I will. *serene*)

And asdl;fkjasl;kj Aiba grabs a plateful (after he's eaten part of the guests' portion of the gouya burger, too) of the ink soumen and Jun is like I TOLD YOU NOT TO EAT IT ALL and Aiba goes, sorry~, and then INHALES THE REST OF IT ANYWAY. Jun gives him the most adoring, most love-struck look as he smacks him. Aiba just keeps eating anyway. <3 This is why they are my OTP, because that's a really disgustingly adoring look there, Matsumoto. And Aiba's like, eh, business as usual.

This is also the episode with Ristorante Fake, which... well, you could pretty much gather what was going on from just the visual cues, but it was still fun. Mostly because you could tell Nino was having fun being a little bastard throughout the whole thing and announcing there were hints AFTER people had started choosing theirs. Not my favorite episode, but an enjoyable one, still!

vs arashi, gay rainbow band, kamen rider kabuto, arashi no shukudai-kun, osama no brunch, maou, tokusatsu nerdery, go-onger, drama blogging, nerdery

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