Wow, Japan. I knew you were kind of gay with your siblings, but that's kind of BokuImo levels there
So. I have a painfully shameful secret to share. BUT IT IS NOT MY FAULT, OKAY? I'm going to tell you a story and show you why THE UNIVERSE IS AGAINST ME.
One day I woke up and thought to myself, "As much as I love getting overly invested in everything I watch, it does get to be a bit wearing that I don't just watch anything anymore. Everything has to be taken piece by piece and commented on lately. Which I love doing, but! Kind of tiring. I want something I can just eat up like delicious candy. Perhaps I should start looking into [Band X]."
I mention this to Friend A one night. She laughs, as I expected her to, traitor. But I'm not really serious-serious about it, it's just one of those things where maybe I'll go look up a few videos on YouTube or something and then be done with it.
I mostly forget about it until a couple of days later. I get this random urge again and mention it to Friend B, that I'm kind of interested in getting to know [Band X]. Her response is basically KEEP IT AWAY FROM MEEEEE like I just suggested I might give her cooties or something. (I totally would give her cooties if she doesn't give me porno pretty soon, though. IT WOULD BE WORTH HER REVENGE, even if she got me into, like, that paper dolls site. *makes sign of the cross*) She also laughs from a safe distance and points a lot.
I start poking around on YouTube, I start hitting up comms for [Band X] to find downloads, etc. I get into a conversation with Friend C, but we're not talking about [Band X]. We're talking about Arashi like usual. Half an hour after the conversation where I mentioned my ninja surprise interest in [Band X] to Friend B, Friend C OUT OF THE BLUE goes, "You should get into [Band X]!"
"DID SOMEONE SAY SOMETHING TO YOU!?" I shriek at Friend C while vibrating with suspicious paranoia. "BECAUSE I CAN GO POP SOMEONE'S HEAD OFF LIKE A DANDELION IF SHE DID. I JUST MENTIONED THAT TO HER HALF AN HOUR AGO, THAT I WAS GETTING INTO THEM."
Friend C is like, wait, what? WAS I IN YOUR HEAD WITHOUT EVEN KNOWING IT? AHAHAHA COME AND JOOOOOOIN MEEEEE~~~ *SHOVES LINKS AT*
And seriously, you guys. I am not comfortable with this level of the Great Magnet controlling my life.
So, yes. I've spent the last week or so grabbing [Band X] videos and mp3s and hitting up YouTube. *cries* THERE ARE SO MANY OF THEM, THOUGH. AND I CAN'T TELL THEM APART. THIS IS WORSE THAN WHEN I FIRST GOT INTO ARASHI. T___T
And I think probably everyone knows what band I'm talking about by now. orz Hint: Their name starts with "S". ....and ends with "uper Junior". *crying* MY LIFE, YOU GUYS. WHY DO I DO THIS TO MYSELF?
P.S. that is totally not a hint for links or vid recs or anything. >_> Because. I mean. It's not like I love Heechul already with a fierceness that is kind of ridiculous! N-not at all!
During my loooooooonely weekend of loneliness, aside from failing at writing fic (Look, I got TWO new fandoms written for, I AM CONSIDERING THIS AN ACCOMPLISHMENT, ALL RIGHT. :|), I said to myself, "I want something that I can just mainline and not have to worry about having serious thoughts about." Kamen Rider Kiva should be perfect for this! Because I got to about episode 31 or so and it just. Kiva was seriously failing on all the potential awesome it had, they were kind of destroying everything I loved about the series in the beginning.
To the point that I think I'm glad I stopped watching when I did, because if I'd tried to watch this show week to week in the mid-30s... I would have dropped it and probably never gone back. Well, maybe I would have if the flist peer pressured me into it, but. Words really may not be enough to describe how frustrated and cranky I was with Kiva during those episodes.
But then they seemed to realize that they were completely off the rails and actually started to fix things and maybe it wasn't the same show I started with, but it was suddenly a worthwhile one again. And, yeah, Taiga had a lot to do with that.
Anyway, spoilers for the episodes mentioned! I'm still two episodes away from the end and I still have the movie left to go, but I think I should be able to get those out pretty easily after this. Starting with the negative and then moving on towards the good stuff, since that's pretty much how this stretch of episodes went for me! o/
Kamen Rider Kiva - episodes 32-46: I'll recap where I stood as a Kiva fan. I like Wataru. I was a Nago-san fan. I was not that thrilled with the 1986 side, but growing more and more interested. Otoya/Yuri won me over, even if I still missed the idea of Jirou/Yuri. I thought Maya was pretty rocking. I was trying to be interested in Mio, but she was not working well for me. I could take or leave pretty much everything else. And, yeah, I was a big Nago/Wataru fan.
The early 30s is where the characterization of Nago really started changing and one of the biggest frustrations of the series was the reveal to him that Wataru was Kiva. They spent so many episodes in the beginning of the series building up this major confrontation over it that you knew was looming and then... nothing. Nago barely even seemed to blink at the idea that Wataru was Kiva, there was none of that batshit crazy Nago-san that I was so looking forward to!
It made it a little easier to swallow that Nago was taking Wataru under his wing and there was one scene in 32 that just totally cracked my shit up. Nago asking Wataru, "Do you know why I became a bounty hunter?" Wataru pauses thoughtfully for a few moments and then says, perfectly serious, "To collect buttons?" Just. LOL.
There were also more scenes of Nago and Wataru in the bath together and you'd think I'd have been over the moon for those. And they were pretty great and Kiva was clearly playing up the fanservice, but ultimately... ultimately, I kind of really hated those scenes. Because that's where Nago's character started changing.
Now, I'm all for character evolution and growth, because Nago was batshit crazy and of course I wanted him to come back down and realize that Wataru wasn't a bad person and take the edge off his crazy, etc. But there wasn't character growth here so much as the show just randomly decided that Nago was going to go from their badass character to their comedic relief and I just. a;sldkjfa;lskj it was so irritating.
It was so frustrating to be handed this scene where Nago just hops into the bath with Wataru and I couldn't really even enjoy it. All I could see with this scene was the awesome I couldn't have anymore because Nago's character was being shunted off into comedic relief. It really wasn't helping that Mio's character was not doing much for me in these episodes, either.
It made it doubly hard to get into Taiga/Wataru, because I was already imprinted on this other pairing and they were giving me just enough Nago/Wataru interaction that I couldn't quite let go of it. I mean, in episode 34, where Nago is happy that Wataru was rejected by Mio? Just. Augh! Stop it, Kiva!
At the same time, the show was doing this thing that drove me absolutely up the wall. Well, two things that drove me up the wall. The first was the Taiga/Mio/Wataru that was so incredibly forced that it still makes me want to punch things. But what was really killing my enjoyment of the show was the further and further convoluted circumstances and ridiculous characterization that the show had to pull out of its ass to keep the three of them from finding out about each other's secret identities.
They routinely got knocked out or just didn't summon their powers, despite the other person being in mortal danger, just so that the show could keep up the tension of no one knowing about each other. A lot of the time it was Mio getting knocked out so Wataru could transform, but it irritated me even when it was Wataru getting knocked out in front of her and Taiga, because it's just bad storytelling. I mean, WHY didn't Wataru summon Kiva in episode 37 when he was trying to protect Mio from the three rat Fangire? They could have both been killed so easily. The only reason was because the writers didn't want Wataru hearing them call Mio Queen or seeing Taiga transform and it showed.
Once or twice, I could have accepted it as a way to build the tension. But it happened enough that I just got sick of it well before they finally made the reveal.
I'll grant that the reveal was actually pretty damn good, but it took way too long to get there to make the wait satisfying. And it really didn't help that they did a crap job with Mio's character.
I get that she was in a really sucky situation. She couldn't run away, she was being forced into this role of murderer that she didn't want and was trying to cling to Wataru because he was the only positive thing she had in her life. But she had no personality and she showed absolutely zero sense of having a spine... until she started plotting to kill Taiga.
I get that she thought that was her only way out, that she felt her only shot at happiness was to kill Taiga and get Wataru to be King so that she could be with him instead. But it came off as a girl obsessed with a guy she barely knew, willing to manipulate him into killing his brother, killing someone who was trying to be nice to her in his own way (not that Taiga's innocent, he was chaining her into this marraige as much as anyone, but she never really talked to him about it, either) and it left a really bad taste in my mouth.
There was no reason for Taiga to be interested in her, either. She had zero personality when she was around him, all she ever did was look at the tabletop or say she was sorry and run away. At least with Wataru, I could sort of see why he cared about her, even if that was handled supremely poorly as well. The only reason I could think that either of them were that invested in her was that they both idealized what they thought they wanted from her, Taiga especially.
But, really, I know it was because the show wanted tension between the characters and this love triangle for dramatic suspense and shit, but it was all the wrong thing at the wrong time. I would have been cold towards it at the best of times, but set in the middle of all this stretching the secret identities thing out and the god-awful Nago thing? Just asl;dkjfa;lksjlskj, I was so glad to see it finally stop. The only interesting part of the Taiga/Mio/Wataru storyline was the Taiga/Wataru aspect. Mio was little more than a strawman character, moved around when the writers wanted aaaangst.
And. Getting back to the Nago thing. Good lord, show. Way to make me hate Kengo's return to the show! I was a little cool towards his character before, but he comes back just to make Nago look pathetic? Punching him in the face in pretty much every scene they're in, while Nago just takes it? And then Nago decides to chase after Kengo to become his coach? And sets up a little cheerleading thing on the side and shouts advice into a megaphone while Kengo fights? Are you fucking kidding me?
This is Nago Keisuke, right? The same Nago Keisuke who faked being sane to get IXA back? You expect me to buy that the guy taping thumb tacks to the IXA Knuckle, who planned to voluntarily give it back (even if it was a trap) was the same guy as that? That he wouldn't just take IXA and fuck up anyone who tried to take it back? Nago Keisuke?
Ugh, no.
By episode 38 (where he was "coaching" Kengo), I was pretty much done with Nago. He wasn't really even Nago anymore at that point. By the time he starts acting more like himself in episode 40, it was too little too late. It was the point I'd wanted the character to get towards (realizing that Wataru wasn't a bad guy, but still being a force to be reckoned with himself) but the path there was too sucky for me to care anymore. Which is a blessing in a way, I guess, since I doubt I'd like the ending for him and now I don't have to care while going through the storyline of his blindness! \o/
Not that Kiva didn't try to make me care about Nago again after about episode 40, because, well. That scene where Bishop had Wataru's Fangire nature take over and he's about to cut Nago's face in half with the sword? Where Nago yells his name and it snaps Wataru out of it, the sword inches from Nago's throat? And it's this really intense MOMENT? Yeah, go to hell for trying to get me back with that shit, Kiva. *hiss*
I did enjoy the way things unfolded from there on, though. Nago knowing that there was a gap between Wataru's human nature and his Fangire nature, that it would be tearing Wataru apart. Or the scene against the sunset where he poses dramatically and says, "Kurenai Wataru... I will definitely save you." Or it being Nago's voice on the phone that brings Wataru out to save him and Kengo, even if he only goes out there to say goodbye to them.
Or when Nago promises in ep 41 to kill Wataru if he ever went out of control again, because that's what Wataru needed to hear right then. It didn't matter if Nago might go back on that promise if he thought he could save Wataru, he was serious that he would kill Wataru if he couldn't be saved. And I do like Nago trying to become the next chairman of the Aozora Association, it's a good role for him.
Ultimately, I still resent Kiva a little for the decline in Nago's storyline, I still hate what they did to his character in those episodes. But I managed to at least get to a place where I'm enjoying the show again. And to get past shipping Nago/Wataru and be able to move on to Taiga/Wataru because, wow. I just.
I do not even know where to start.
I had trouble connecting with them as a pairing at first because of my reluctance to move on from my first ship, but it was kind of hard not to like Taiga right away. He was pretty when he was showing off as Saga, he had an adorable connection with Wataru, and, hey, I'm weak to tokusatsu's brother relationships.
But what really won me over is what Kiva did kind of brilliantly--Taiga was never really evil. He's not always nice, he's very much a Fangire and his attitude towards humans needs adjusting, but he's never been cruel for the sake of being cruel. He doesn't enjoy hurting people, he isn't entirely unreasonable about it. Even with Shima-san, you get that there's a reason he acts the way he does, you get the implication of all those years of coldness and distance and Shima-san was not exactly a loving parent, even if he wasn't outright abusive. Didn't mean Taiga was justified, but he wasn't evil just to be evil.
Where Kiva really surprised me was in his relationship with Wataru. As soon as he found out Wataru was his brother, Taiga was happy, he wanted Wataru by his side all the more. He wanted to share everything in his life with Wataru, even though he was half-human. And when they both liked Mio, even when there were so many chances for Taiga to become angry with Wataru, he didn't. He still loved Wataru, he was still just as posessive of him as ever.
It took awhile to get going, but by episode 39, I was definitely feeling their storyline. The hug in ep39? asl;dkfjal;skj wow that was gay. But ep40 is where everything really got started for me. Because, as creepy as Taiga's attempts to drag Wataru over to the Fangire side were, I loved him for still loving Wataru--especially when it was contrasted against Kengo coming back to the series and being a total dick to Wataru.
I had totally expected Taiga to turn his back on Wataru when the revelation of Kiva came or when he realized that Mio and Wataru had feelings for each other, but he didn't. Instead, he was just as posessive of Wataru as ever, wanted Wataru to stand by his side forever, wanted Wataru to be his right-hand man, never wavering in that. Even when everything was going to hell, even when Wataru was standing up to him because of Taiga's attitude towards humans, Taiga genuinely wanted Wataru to be with him. Hell, I was surprised at how short the whole "Wataru killed Mio, I'll never forgive him" storyline was. True, Bishop confessed pretty quickly and Wataru wasn't around to aggravate it, but! Kiva seemed to learn its lesson about dragging shit like that out!
Same for the reveal to Shima-san in episode 40 that Wataru was his little brother. And wow that scene... I mean, I was sliding towards shipping them before that, but. When Taiga said that Wataru was his little brother and that, "Wataru is mine. I will love Wataru." and I believe he used ai shiteru to say that, which means he was not just caring about Wataru a little, that's when I kind of knew I was sunk. Seriously, my jaw kind of dropped at that.
The relationship is kind of... it's keyed into everything I wanted from the series. Because it's not a hurtful relationship, but yet it's kind of fucked up at the same time. Because Taiga really seems to genuinely love Wataru, but is also super posessive and authorative with him. Episode 41, where Wataru is rebelling against him, Taiga says, "Wataru. Looks like I was a bit too soft on you." and he intends to correct that and a;lsdkfja;lskj I would seriously buy that fucked up porno doujinshi.
I mean, it was kind of wrong of me to spend that entire fight hoping that Wataru would get knocked out and Taiga would pick him up, sling Wataru over his shoulder, and cart him off. Because it's not like the show is opposed to that! Jirou just did that again in episode 38! Which it was still super lol in. And Taiga's posessive enough of Wataru to have done it and Wataru clearly adores his big brother and wants to be with him, just can't bring himself to because of their issues. (Wataru not being wholly human or Fangire, Taiga's views on humans, etc.)
Then more of that in episode 42. Even Shima-san knows that Taiga's actions were all about attempting to push Wataru into a corner so he'd go to Taiga in despaire. Insightful, seeing clearly, and yet still fucked up. I AM WEAK. Not to mention Taiga saying, "Become mine, Wataru."
Seriously. If they weren't both guys and weren't brothers, I would kind of seriously consider this canon on purpose.
After awhile, even his thing with Mio got kind of suspect. Well, more suspect than it already was. Episode 43, he was hugging her (after she agreed to the ceremony so she could trick him into a false sense of security and then kill him because Wataru wouldn't do it for her, a;sldkfjal;skj) and said, if he can embrace her like this, then "someday Wataru will surely come be by my side, too. That's when my life will really begin."
DOT DOT DOT, KIVA.
I loved the gayness of that so much that I was even feeling more charitable towards Mio, who did have a pretty good death. The fantasy wedding with Wataru was kind of gratuitous, but, well. That episode gave me a lot of Taiga/Wataru fodder, so, well, whatever, Kiva. Ditto episode 44 where even Jirou is like, "[Taiga] is the only one who can heal that stricken heart." to Wataru.
So, well, yes. I have a new favorite pairing now.
But the rest of the series got a lot better around the same time, I even started enjoying both timelines again! I'm a little iffy on Yuri's characterization when Otoya started getting closer to Maya, how she just sort of let all of that go on, but at the same time... I'm kind of impressed with her for seeing the signs and not letting it ruin her. She sees the way he's connecting with Maya, the way he's falling in love with her and it makes me sad that he pulled her away from Jirou just to do this to her later, but. She doesn't regret their time together and you can see that it really did change her and make her a happier person.
Plus, stomping on his foot as she's leaving, saying, oops, she did that on purpose? a;sldkjfa;lskj I really do love Yuri.
I even forgave Kengo by episode 41, because he realized what a dick he was being and apologized properly to Wataru and asked if they could be friends again. That helped a LOT. These episodes also had all the family stuff starting to really come up a lot--Wataru with Maya was just WONDERFUL, you don't know how badly I want him to have his mom in his life again. WHY DOES HE NOT BRING HER HOME WITH HIM?
I loved the Jirou/Otoya scene in the bath in episode 41, too. Just. a) Otoya looks so much better at the end of the series, especially with his hair slicked back like that, mmm, and you can even see the resemblence to Wataru, and b) he's "not interested in that" when Jirou is in the bath with him and a;sdlfkja;slkj;lakjs Kiva knew EXACTLY how their bath scenes were coming off, which makes me think back to the Nago/Wataru ones and loooool all over again.
I wasn't taking the King stuff quite as seriously, but maybe a lot of that was just that I didn't find the actor that attractive, but. Well, he was SO SERIOUS and I just couldn't help laughing at the ~*DRAMATIC*~ quality of it all. When Otoya looked back over his shoulder to see the FLAMING FOOTPRINTS IN THE SIDEWALK? I honest to god had to pause the video to just laugh IRL for a minute straight. Just. LOL LOL LOL FOREVER LOL.
And, hell, it's not like I haven't seen worse Kamen Rider villains before. I didn't necessarily care for the character himself, but the whole epic family storyline, everything with King and Maya and Otoya and Wataru and Kiva and Dark Kiva and baby Taiga and the way it all came together was actually kind of really entertaining! THAT is what I signed up for!
As much as I liked Otoya/Yuri by the end, when Otoya clearly loved Maya? When Wataru went back in time (which was kind of lolarious at first, but I also love it deeply for giving me Wataru - Otoya and Wataru - Maya interaction that was awesome) and tried to keep them apart? When Otoya refused to not go rescue baby Taiga because he was Maya's child and he wasn't the sort of person who would stand by? When he clawed his way back to the fight to protect Wataru, who was getting the crap kicked out of him by King? All of that was excellent, that is what I signed up for!
Even Otoya's death was sad in exactly the way it needed to be and watching him go around and talk to various people, seeing him with the Monsters and why they still felt they owed him all those years later, seeing him with Yuri and getting to say goodbye to her, falling asleep in Maya's lap and never waking up, just. What a fantastic character he turned out to be and I wish he hadn't had to die, but the way everything led up to it, it was brilliantly done.
I still have two more episodes to go and of course I feel like this about Kiva just as its winding up. Though, possibly it will have the strongest ending to a KR series that I've seen so far!
One day I woke up and thought to myself, "As much as I love getting overly invested in everything I watch, it does get to be a bit wearing that I don't just watch anything anymore. Everything has to be taken piece by piece and commented on lately. Which I love doing, but! Kind of tiring. I want something I can just eat up like delicious candy. Perhaps I should start looking into [Band X]."
I mention this to Friend A one night. She laughs, as I expected her to, traitor. But I'm not really serious-serious about it, it's just one of those things where maybe I'll go look up a few videos on YouTube or something and then be done with it.
I mostly forget about it until a couple of days later. I get this random urge again and mention it to Friend B, that I'm kind of interested in getting to know [Band X]. Her response is basically KEEP IT AWAY FROM MEEEEE like I just suggested I might give her cooties or something. (I totally would give her cooties if she doesn't give me porno pretty soon, though. IT WOULD BE WORTH HER REVENGE, even if she got me into, like, that paper dolls site. *makes sign of the cross*) She also laughs from a safe distance and points a lot.
I start poking around on YouTube, I start hitting up comms for [Band X] to find downloads, etc. I get into a conversation with Friend C, but we're not talking about [Band X]. We're talking about Arashi like usual. Half an hour after the conversation where I mentioned my ninja surprise interest in [Band X] to Friend B, Friend C OUT OF THE BLUE goes, "You should get into [Band X]!"
"DID SOMEONE SAY SOMETHING TO YOU!?" I shriek at Friend C while vibrating with suspicious paranoia. "BECAUSE I CAN GO POP SOMEONE'S HEAD OFF LIKE A DANDELION IF SHE DID. I JUST MENTIONED THAT TO HER HALF AN HOUR AGO, THAT I WAS GETTING INTO THEM."
Friend C is like, wait, what? WAS I IN YOUR HEAD WITHOUT EVEN KNOWING IT? AHAHAHA COME AND JOOOOOOIN MEEEEE~~~ *SHOVES LINKS AT*
And seriously, you guys. I am not comfortable with this level of the Great Magnet controlling my life.
So, yes. I've spent the last week or so grabbing [Band X] videos and mp3s and hitting up YouTube. *cries* THERE ARE SO MANY OF THEM, THOUGH. AND I CAN'T TELL THEM APART. THIS IS WORSE THAN WHEN I FIRST GOT INTO ARASHI. T___T
And I think probably everyone knows what band I'm talking about by now. orz Hint: Their name starts with "S". ....and ends with "uper Junior". *crying* MY LIFE, YOU GUYS. WHY DO I DO THIS TO MYSELF?
P.S. that is totally not a hint for links or vid recs or anything. >_> Because. I mean. It's not like I love Heechul already with a fierceness that is kind of ridiculous! N-not at all!
During my loooooooonely weekend of loneliness, aside from failing at writing fic (Look, I got TWO new fandoms written for, I AM CONSIDERING THIS AN ACCOMPLISHMENT, ALL RIGHT. :|), I said to myself, "I want something that I can just mainline and not have to worry about having serious thoughts about." Kamen Rider Kiva should be perfect for this! Because I got to about episode 31 or so and it just. Kiva was seriously failing on all the potential awesome it had, they were kind of destroying everything I loved about the series in the beginning.
To the point that I think I'm glad I stopped watching when I did, because if I'd tried to watch this show week to week in the mid-30s... I would have dropped it and probably never gone back. Well, maybe I would have if the flist peer pressured me into it, but. Words really may not be enough to describe how frustrated and cranky I was with Kiva during those episodes.
But then they seemed to realize that they were completely off the rails and actually started to fix things and maybe it wasn't the same show I started with, but it was suddenly a worthwhile one again. And, yeah, Taiga had a lot to do with that.
Anyway, spoilers for the episodes mentioned! I'm still two episodes away from the end and I still have the movie left to go, but I think I should be able to get those out pretty easily after this. Starting with the negative and then moving on towards the good stuff, since that's pretty much how this stretch of episodes went for me! o/
Kamen Rider Kiva - episodes 32-46: I'll recap where I stood as a Kiva fan. I like Wataru. I was a Nago-san fan. I was not that thrilled with the 1986 side, but growing more and more interested. Otoya/Yuri won me over, even if I still missed the idea of Jirou/Yuri. I thought Maya was pretty rocking. I was trying to be interested in Mio, but she was not working well for me. I could take or leave pretty much everything else. And, yeah, I was a big Nago/Wataru fan.
The early 30s is where the characterization of Nago really started changing and one of the biggest frustrations of the series was the reveal to him that Wataru was Kiva. They spent so many episodes in the beginning of the series building up this major confrontation over it that you knew was looming and then... nothing. Nago barely even seemed to blink at the idea that Wataru was Kiva, there was none of that batshit crazy Nago-san that I was so looking forward to!
It made it a little easier to swallow that Nago was taking Wataru under his wing and there was one scene in 32 that just totally cracked my shit up. Nago asking Wataru, "Do you know why I became a bounty hunter?" Wataru pauses thoughtfully for a few moments and then says, perfectly serious, "To collect buttons?" Just. LOL.
There were also more scenes of Nago and Wataru in the bath together and you'd think I'd have been over the moon for those. And they were pretty great and Kiva was clearly playing up the fanservice, but ultimately... ultimately, I kind of really hated those scenes. Because that's where Nago's character started changing.
Now, I'm all for character evolution and growth, because Nago was batshit crazy and of course I wanted him to come back down and realize that Wataru wasn't a bad person and take the edge off his crazy, etc. But there wasn't character growth here so much as the show just randomly decided that Nago was going to go from their badass character to their comedic relief and I just. a;sldkjfa;lskj it was so irritating.
It was so frustrating to be handed this scene where Nago just hops into the bath with Wataru and I couldn't really even enjoy it. All I could see with this scene was the awesome I couldn't have anymore because Nago's character was being shunted off into comedic relief. It really wasn't helping that Mio's character was not doing much for me in these episodes, either.
It made it doubly hard to get into Taiga/Wataru, because I was already imprinted on this other pairing and they were giving me just enough Nago/Wataru interaction that I couldn't quite let go of it. I mean, in episode 34, where Nago is happy that Wataru was rejected by Mio? Just. Augh! Stop it, Kiva!
At the same time, the show was doing this thing that drove me absolutely up the wall. Well, two things that drove me up the wall. The first was the Taiga/Mio/Wataru that was so incredibly forced that it still makes me want to punch things. But what was really killing my enjoyment of the show was the further and further convoluted circumstances and ridiculous characterization that the show had to pull out of its ass to keep the three of them from finding out about each other's secret identities.
They routinely got knocked out or just didn't summon their powers, despite the other person being in mortal danger, just so that the show could keep up the tension of no one knowing about each other. A lot of the time it was Mio getting knocked out so Wataru could transform, but it irritated me even when it was Wataru getting knocked out in front of her and Taiga, because it's just bad storytelling. I mean, WHY didn't Wataru summon Kiva in episode 37 when he was trying to protect Mio from the three rat Fangire? They could have both been killed so easily. The only reason was because the writers didn't want Wataru hearing them call Mio Queen or seeing Taiga transform and it showed.
Once or twice, I could have accepted it as a way to build the tension. But it happened enough that I just got sick of it well before they finally made the reveal.
I'll grant that the reveal was actually pretty damn good, but it took way too long to get there to make the wait satisfying. And it really didn't help that they did a crap job with Mio's character.
I get that she was in a really sucky situation. She couldn't run away, she was being forced into this role of murderer that she didn't want and was trying to cling to Wataru because he was the only positive thing she had in her life. But she had no personality and she showed absolutely zero sense of having a spine... until she started plotting to kill Taiga.
I get that she thought that was her only way out, that she felt her only shot at happiness was to kill Taiga and get Wataru to be King so that she could be with him instead. But it came off as a girl obsessed with a guy she barely knew, willing to manipulate him into killing his brother, killing someone who was trying to be nice to her in his own way (not that Taiga's innocent, he was chaining her into this marraige as much as anyone, but she never really talked to him about it, either) and it left a really bad taste in my mouth.
There was no reason for Taiga to be interested in her, either. She had zero personality when she was around him, all she ever did was look at the tabletop or say she was sorry and run away. At least with Wataru, I could sort of see why he cared about her, even if that was handled supremely poorly as well. The only reason I could think that either of them were that invested in her was that they both idealized what they thought they wanted from her, Taiga especially.
But, really, I know it was because the show wanted tension between the characters and this love triangle for dramatic suspense and shit, but it was all the wrong thing at the wrong time. I would have been cold towards it at the best of times, but set in the middle of all this stretching the secret identities thing out and the god-awful Nago thing? Just asl;dkjfa;lksjlskj, I was so glad to see it finally stop. The only interesting part of the Taiga/Mio/Wataru storyline was the Taiga/Wataru aspect. Mio was little more than a strawman character, moved around when the writers wanted aaaangst.
And. Getting back to the Nago thing. Good lord, show. Way to make me hate Kengo's return to the show! I was a little cool towards his character before, but he comes back just to make Nago look pathetic? Punching him in the face in pretty much every scene they're in, while Nago just takes it? And then Nago decides to chase after Kengo to become his coach? And sets up a little cheerleading thing on the side and shouts advice into a megaphone while Kengo fights? Are you fucking kidding me?
This is Nago Keisuke, right? The same Nago Keisuke who faked being sane to get IXA back? You expect me to buy that the guy taping thumb tacks to the IXA Knuckle, who planned to voluntarily give it back (even if it was a trap) was the same guy as that? That he wouldn't just take IXA and fuck up anyone who tried to take it back? Nago Keisuke?
Ugh, no.
By episode 38 (where he was "coaching" Kengo), I was pretty much done with Nago. He wasn't really even Nago anymore at that point. By the time he starts acting more like himself in episode 40, it was too little too late. It was the point I'd wanted the character to get towards (realizing that Wataru wasn't a bad guy, but still being a force to be reckoned with himself) but the path there was too sucky for me to care anymore. Which is a blessing in a way, I guess, since I doubt I'd like the ending for him and now I don't have to care while going through the storyline of his blindness! \o/
Not that Kiva didn't try to make me care about Nago again after about episode 40, because, well. That scene where Bishop had Wataru's Fangire nature take over and he's about to cut Nago's face in half with the sword? Where Nago yells his name and it snaps Wataru out of it, the sword inches from Nago's throat? And it's this really intense MOMENT? Yeah, go to hell for trying to get me back with that shit, Kiva. *hiss*
I did enjoy the way things unfolded from there on, though. Nago knowing that there was a gap between Wataru's human nature and his Fangire nature, that it would be tearing Wataru apart. Or the scene against the sunset where he poses dramatically and says, "Kurenai Wataru... I will definitely save you." Or it being Nago's voice on the phone that brings Wataru out to save him and Kengo, even if he only goes out there to say goodbye to them.
Or when Nago promises in ep 41 to kill Wataru if he ever went out of control again, because that's what Wataru needed to hear right then. It didn't matter if Nago might go back on that promise if he thought he could save Wataru, he was serious that he would kill Wataru if he couldn't be saved. And I do like Nago trying to become the next chairman of the Aozora Association, it's a good role for him.
Ultimately, I still resent Kiva a little for the decline in Nago's storyline, I still hate what they did to his character in those episodes. But I managed to at least get to a place where I'm enjoying the show again. And to get past shipping Nago/Wataru and be able to move on to Taiga/Wataru because, wow. I just.
I do not even know where to start.
I had trouble connecting with them as a pairing at first because of my reluctance to move on from my first ship, but it was kind of hard not to like Taiga right away. He was pretty when he was showing off as Saga, he had an adorable connection with Wataru, and, hey, I'm weak to tokusatsu's brother relationships.
But what really won me over is what Kiva did kind of brilliantly--Taiga was never really evil. He's not always nice, he's very much a Fangire and his attitude towards humans needs adjusting, but he's never been cruel for the sake of being cruel. He doesn't enjoy hurting people, he isn't entirely unreasonable about it. Even with Shima-san, you get that there's a reason he acts the way he does, you get the implication of all those years of coldness and distance and Shima-san was not exactly a loving parent, even if he wasn't outright abusive. Didn't mean Taiga was justified, but he wasn't evil just to be evil.
Where Kiva really surprised me was in his relationship with Wataru. As soon as he found out Wataru was his brother, Taiga was happy, he wanted Wataru by his side all the more. He wanted to share everything in his life with Wataru, even though he was half-human. And when they both liked Mio, even when there were so many chances for Taiga to become angry with Wataru, he didn't. He still loved Wataru, he was still just as posessive of him as ever.
It took awhile to get going, but by episode 39, I was definitely feeling their storyline. The hug in ep39? asl;dkfjal;skj wow that was gay. But ep40 is where everything really got started for me. Because, as creepy as Taiga's attempts to drag Wataru over to the Fangire side were, I loved him for still loving Wataru--especially when it was contrasted against Kengo coming back to the series and being a total dick to Wataru.
I had totally expected Taiga to turn his back on Wataru when the revelation of Kiva came or when he realized that Mio and Wataru had feelings for each other, but he didn't. Instead, he was just as posessive of Wataru as ever, wanted Wataru to stand by his side forever, wanted Wataru to be his right-hand man, never wavering in that. Even when everything was going to hell, even when Wataru was standing up to him because of Taiga's attitude towards humans, Taiga genuinely wanted Wataru to be with him. Hell, I was surprised at how short the whole "Wataru killed Mio, I'll never forgive him" storyline was. True, Bishop confessed pretty quickly and Wataru wasn't around to aggravate it, but! Kiva seemed to learn its lesson about dragging shit like that out!
Same for the reveal to Shima-san in episode 40 that Wataru was his little brother. And wow that scene... I mean, I was sliding towards shipping them before that, but. When Taiga said that Wataru was his little brother and that, "Wataru is mine. I will love Wataru." and I believe he used ai shiteru to say that, which means he was not just caring about Wataru a little, that's when I kind of knew I was sunk. Seriously, my jaw kind of dropped at that.
The relationship is kind of... it's keyed into everything I wanted from the series. Because it's not a hurtful relationship, but yet it's kind of fucked up at the same time. Because Taiga really seems to genuinely love Wataru, but is also super posessive and authorative with him. Episode 41, where Wataru is rebelling against him, Taiga says, "Wataru. Looks like I was a bit too soft on you." and he intends to correct that and a;lsdkfja;lskj I would seriously buy that fucked up porno doujinshi.
I mean, it was kind of wrong of me to spend that entire fight hoping that Wataru would get knocked out and Taiga would pick him up, sling Wataru over his shoulder, and cart him off. Because it's not like the show is opposed to that! Jirou just did that again in episode 38! Which it was still super lol in. And Taiga's posessive enough of Wataru to have done it and Wataru clearly adores his big brother and wants to be with him, just can't bring himself to because of their issues. (Wataru not being wholly human or Fangire, Taiga's views on humans, etc.)
Then more of that in episode 42. Even Shima-san knows that Taiga's actions were all about attempting to push Wataru into a corner so he'd go to Taiga in despaire. Insightful, seeing clearly, and yet still fucked up. I AM WEAK. Not to mention Taiga saying, "Become mine, Wataru."
Seriously. If they weren't both guys and weren't brothers, I would kind of seriously consider this canon on purpose.
After awhile, even his thing with Mio got kind of suspect. Well, more suspect than it already was. Episode 43, he was hugging her (after she agreed to the ceremony so she could trick him into a false sense of security and then kill him because Wataru wouldn't do it for her, a;sldkfjal;skj) and said, if he can embrace her like this, then "someday Wataru will surely come be by my side, too. That's when my life will really begin."
DOT DOT DOT, KIVA.
I loved the gayness of that so much that I was even feeling more charitable towards Mio, who did have a pretty good death. The fantasy wedding with Wataru was kind of gratuitous, but, well. That episode gave me a lot of Taiga/Wataru fodder, so, well, whatever, Kiva. Ditto episode 44 where even Jirou is like, "[Taiga] is the only one who can heal that stricken heart." to Wataru.
So, well, yes. I have a new favorite pairing now.
But the rest of the series got a lot better around the same time, I even started enjoying both timelines again! I'm a little iffy on Yuri's characterization when Otoya started getting closer to Maya, how she just sort of let all of that go on, but at the same time... I'm kind of impressed with her for seeing the signs and not letting it ruin her. She sees the way he's connecting with Maya, the way he's falling in love with her and it makes me sad that he pulled her away from Jirou just to do this to her later, but. She doesn't regret their time together and you can see that it really did change her and make her a happier person.
Plus, stomping on his foot as she's leaving, saying, oops, she did that on purpose? a;sldkjfa;lskj I really do love Yuri.
I even forgave Kengo by episode 41, because he realized what a dick he was being and apologized properly to Wataru and asked if they could be friends again. That helped a LOT. These episodes also had all the family stuff starting to really come up a lot--Wataru with Maya was just WONDERFUL, you don't know how badly I want him to have his mom in his life again. WHY DOES HE NOT BRING HER HOME WITH HIM?
I loved the Jirou/Otoya scene in the bath in episode 41, too. Just. a) Otoya looks so much better at the end of the series, especially with his hair slicked back like that, mmm, and you can even see the resemblence to Wataru, and b) he's "not interested in that" when Jirou is in the bath with him and a;sdlfkja;slkj;lakjs Kiva knew EXACTLY how their bath scenes were coming off, which makes me think back to the Nago/Wataru ones and loooool all over again.
I wasn't taking the King stuff quite as seriously, but maybe a lot of that was just that I didn't find the actor that attractive, but. Well, he was SO SERIOUS and I just couldn't help laughing at the ~*DRAMATIC*~ quality of it all. When Otoya looked back over his shoulder to see the FLAMING FOOTPRINTS IN THE SIDEWALK? I honest to god had to pause the video to just laugh IRL for a minute straight. Just. LOL LOL LOL FOREVER LOL.
And, hell, it's not like I haven't seen worse Kamen Rider villains before. I didn't necessarily care for the character himself, but the whole epic family storyline, everything with King and Maya and Otoya and Wataru and Kiva and Dark Kiva and baby Taiga and the way it all came together was actually kind of really entertaining! THAT is what I signed up for!
As much as I liked Otoya/Yuri by the end, when Otoya clearly loved Maya? When Wataru went back in time (which was kind of lolarious at first, but I also love it deeply for giving me Wataru - Otoya and Wataru - Maya interaction that was awesome) and tried to keep them apart? When Otoya refused to not go rescue baby Taiga because he was Maya's child and he wasn't the sort of person who would stand by? When he clawed his way back to the fight to protect Wataru, who was getting the crap kicked out of him by King? All of that was excellent, that is what I signed up for!
Even Otoya's death was sad in exactly the way it needed to be and watching him go around and talk to various people, seeing him with the Monsters and why they still felt they owed him all those years later, seeing him with Yuri and getting to say goodbye to her, falling asleep in Maya's lap and never waking up, just. What a fantastic character he turned out to be and I wish he hadn't had to die, but the way everything led up to it, it was brilliantly done.
I still have two more episodes to go and of course I feel like this about Kiva just as its winding up. Though, possibly it will have the strongest ending to a KR series that I've seen so far!