Commentary: Gaim 27
May. 3rd, 2014 04:27 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
akinoame Akino Ame 3:02 pm
TVN's translation of Kaito's line seems a little more literal, and...one of those "I still haven't decided how I feel about you yet"
The line that Kouta annoys him but isn't his enemy is kept
Akino Ame 3:02 pm
"My enemy is someone who would shoot the strong in the back"
So...two levels here
1. Kaito needs to get over this fixation
2. But for him, this is a more personal insult
Kaitou 3:03 pm
yeah
Akino Ame 3:03 pm
"Shooting your friends in the back" is a personal insult toward Micchi, one that immediately makes you root for Kaito
BUT that's not how Kaito's fucked up little banana brain works
This is a matter of HONOR
If you face a strong opponent, you don't play dirty
Kaitou 3:04 pm
yeah
Akino Ame 3:04 pm
That's the way he's been since Day 1
It's less a Ren thing and more of a Zuko or Ecliptor or Villamax thing
Akino Ame 3:04 pm
Something like what Ren or Ryusei pulled would likely sit with him better
Ren faced Shinji in combat and fought him to a draw. Their strength is equal. Fine
Ryusei did betray Gen, but he fought him as a fellow Rider, not hiding and trying to shoot him from behind. Still a little dirty, but if you're going to have a sudden but inevitable betrayal, fucking OWN it and look him in the eye
Kaito seems more like the kind of guy who'd be perfectly happy beating the tar out of someone like Kusaka, who does everything he can to sabotage his rivals rather than face them honorably
Akino Ame 3:06 pm
And that part of him, I like
He ALSO probably wouldn't like that Yuji broke Kusaka's neck while he was injured because as bad as Kusaka is, if you're going to kill him, be a good sport about it
Kaitou 3:07 pm
yeah he really does
Akino Ame 3:07 pm
And as much as I like this element about him...it's also what makes Kaito frustrating
In a show with much more nuanced characters, with traits that make them feel more like real human beings...he feels almost cartoonish with this HONOOOOORRR! bit
Akino Ame 3:09 pm
I love honorable characters, of course: Zuko won me over by being an honorable character who had to turn against his family because he realized what they wanted was out of line with his own morality--even if it took him forfrickin'EVER
Ecliptor and Villamax will ALWAYS be two of my most beloved villains ever, and thus Ecliptor's death will never sit well with me while Villamax's will and break my heart--because Villamax had to defy Trakeena even though he was still loyal to her and thus couldn't raise his sword against her
If Kaito were a flatout villain, then yes. I would think he was perfect
But he's not
Akino Ame 3:11 pm
He behaves as if everything IS a game, even though he says it's not and this is how life is
He says there's no room for idealism in this world and it's survival of the fittest--but at the same time, he clearly has this ideal that people must fight honorably, and you are truly weak if you would cheat or shoot someone in the back--it isn't a fair fight
Akino Ame 3:13 pm
Which is the conflict between fascinating and frustrating I find with Andros, only in reverse
Kaitou 3:14 pm
yeah it really is
Akino Ame 3:14 pm
With Andros, he is an INCREDIBLY human character, who makes the same mistakes over and over and never learns from them, though he tries. Narratively speaking, he should learn to trust the others and not go off on his own, but psychologically speaking, he's perfect and continues along the same path of behavior because of his traumas in life
Which makes him ill-fitting for a children's TV show
Kaitou 3:15 pm
it does and that's what makes it so different in a way
Akino Ame 3:15 pm
Kaito feels like he SHOULD be a major character in a children's TV show (which, of course, he is) because he's got such a simplified view and you're seeing this narrative cause-to-effect in terms of his beliefs and behavior. But it makes him feel less like a real human being
I mean, for cryin' out loud, does he EVER refer to Kouta with something other than "kisama"?
Kaitou 3:16 pm
nope
or loser dog is another
Akino Ame 3:17 pm
It indicates he doesn't respect him, but we also see he does respect that he is strong and must be faced honorably on the field of combat and oh
oh boy
Just...yeah
I'll be repeating myself ad infinitum
I think he's Ecliptor's son or something
Kaitou 3:17 pm
He's very similar to Seto Kaiba as well, in that he remains thusly antagonistic throughout the show, and only grudgingly accepts Weird Shit Happens Around Yugi Man
Akino Ame 3:17 pm
I'll just go with that
YES
Very much Kaiba
It's Yu-Gi-Oh without cards
Ryuki with the queston "Who Are You?" rather than "What Do You Want?"
Ecliptor if he hadn't been killed off in the finale
Kaitou 3:18 pm
Yes, and I think that's something Gen might have lifted. Using GAME to determine conflict which is why Kaito is so like what he is like
Akino Ame 3:18 pm
Oh yeah
Kouta's very Yugi
I mean, for god's sake, there's a character named Jounouchi!
Kaitou 3:19 pm
Hahaha yeah
and a Mai in there, although Mai in this show is a lot like Anzu too
Akino Ame 3:19 pm
Yes
Kaitou 3:19 pm
where she's tougher than you imagine, but there's something important about her
Akino Ame 3:20 pm
...Huh, I never realized this before, and I'm kind of kicking myself
Kaitou 3:20 pm
sort of like Anzu/Mana in that both characters in that show had important roles to fill
Akino Ame 3:20 pm
You know how in the opening, as Micchi tries to approach Takatora, a fence appears between them?
Kaitou 3:20 pm
I think it's because you never really saw Yugioh much and most of it came from fandom osmosis when it was The Big Thing everyone was into
yes
Akino Ame 3:21 pm
Ryugen later shoots down a fence, but Zangetsu is nowhere to be seen
He breaks down the barrier between him and his brother--the barrier his brother's been trying to protect him with
But his brother is long gone
It's his character arc in a nutshell
Kaitou 3:21 pm
And when in the same first scene, Zangetsu holds a sword to him as well, preventing Ryugen from continuing further
Akino Ame 3:22 pm
Yes
Kaitou 3:22 pm
The opening sequence is full of symbology. It's well scripted
Akino Ame 3:22 pm
Oh yes
Akino Ame 3:22 pm
Very Agito that way
Many of the others were very symbolic too (including Ryuki in its "I have no idea what's going on other than them fighting and mirrors" kind of way)
But Agito's may have done the best at getting it across
Kaitou 3:23 pm
That first sequence alone, where Kouta is blocked off by the fence as well as the last one before the horse scene
Akino Ame 3:23 pm
Yeah
And Kouta's screaming as he's held back
Akino Ame 3:25 pm
...Fucking hell, Urobutchi
I know that reference
Fuck you you fucking fucker
Takatora has a burn on his shoulder
WHO ELSE HAS A BURN ON HIS SHOULDER
Kaitou 3:26 pm
... I totally missed that reference. Maybe it was because I was tired or something
Akino Ame 3:26 pm
Asakura got that burn trying to kill his brother
I wonder if Urobutchi thought his lie about getting burned trying to save his brother would have been more interesting
Or if Takatora decided to just go Asakura one day
Kaitou 3:27 pm
hehehe
who knows what's in his head now
Akino Ame 3:27 pm
Lots of maniacal laughter, I'd imagine
Kaitou 3:27 pm
probably
i'll brb real fast. I need to stretch my legs a little. I'm starting to shut down here D:
Akino Ame 3:30 pm
I do like that Takatora's first belt did the "Soiya!" bit. Sets up the parallel between him and Kouta, with him as what Kouta could become if he gave up his idealism
...Is Ryoma becoming the Kanzaki to Takatora's Yui?
Kaitou 3:35 pm
I think so
Akino Ame 3:35 pm
Yeah
Kaitou 3:35 pm
because Ryoma is pretty much going nuts right now
since the last info dump via Sagara
Akino Ame 3:36 pm
Well, much as there was INSANE ship tease, it gave Ryoma some MUCH needed sympathy points
It would have felt wrong for him just to be a Philip with no morals
Kaitou 3:36 pm
I also get the feeling that as much as Sagara is helping Kouta, he is also helping Takatora in a bit
Akino Ame 3:37 pm
His insistence on saving Takatora and making him a god (or so it seems), that feels more human. And of course, Ryuki-ish because Urobutchi's an even bigger fan than I am
Yeah
Kaitou 3:37 pm
Especially since that voice he was listening to sounded a lot like him
Akino Ame 3:37 pm
I don't know
Akino Ame 3:37 pm
Either way, Ryoma's got this whole "I'm turning evil because Sempai didn't notice me" while Takatora's like "So how many people can we actually save? I might be getting my idealism back" and Ryoma's all "Fuck your idealism"
Kaitou 3:38 pm
yep
Akino Ame 3:42 pm
DOES ANYBODY KNOW HOW TO SAY KOUTA'S NAME WITHOUT HIS SURNAME?
"Kazuraba Kouta!"
And for a change "The Aquarius Boy!"
Kaitou 3:43 pm
hahah yeah
well, at least we have awesomeness from Oran
Akino Ame 3:43 pm
yES
I love Mr. Dangerous
What I love about him is what was missed about the Donut Guy
Akino Ame 3:44 pm
His flamboyant gayness is not the sum of his character, nor is it the punchline to a joke
He's funny because he's a flamboyant gay mercenary warmonger patessier and when you say that out loud, it is HILARIOUS
Any combination of "gay mercenary" or "warmonger pastry chef" is hilarious alone, but put them together?
Kaitou 3:45 pm
exactly
I love how Kouta is just nomming on fruits via belt
Akino Ame 3:45 pm
Yes
Kaitou 3:45 pm
and he's all "Man, I shouldn't have brought all this food."
Akino Ame 3:45 pm
I'm at them fighting...Sleipnir or whoever
Kaitou 3:46 pm
hehe yeah
Akino Ame 3:46 pm
I love this teamup
For ONCE, Kouta and Takatora are on the same page
Because they have the same goal: To save all of humanity
Takatora hates having to sacrifice anyone, but he feels he has to. He has an out now. And Kouta's all "Oh my god, I reasoned with you! I'm so happy!"
Kaitou 3:47 pm
hehehe yes
Akino Ame 3:47 pm
It's like when Shinji met Tezuka
Or like when the riders of Agito finally started working together and sharing identities
Akino Ame 3:48 pm
Or when Ichijou started trusting Yusuke or when he convinced the rest of the police to too
MAYBE like when Takumi and Yuji came clean to each other
Kaitou 3:50 pm
pfffh yeah
Akino Ame 3:50 pm
The lord of the Overlords has what looks like a very simple lock on his belt
A key-based lock
Nice for two reasons
1. Obviously, similar to the Sengoku and Genesis Drivers
2. Kuuga. The Grongi were similar, what with needing Baruba to unlock their powers
TVN's translation of Kaito's line seems a little more literal, and...one of those "I still haven't decided how I feel about you yet"
The line that Kouta annoys him but isn't his enemy is kept
Akino Ame 3:02 pm
"My enemy is someone who would shoot the strong in the back"
So...two levels here
1. Kaito needs to get over this fixation
2. But for him, this is a more personal insult
Kaitou 3:03 pm
yeah
Akino Ame 3:03 pm
"Shooting your friends in the back" is a personal insult toward Micchi, one that immediately makes you root for Kaito
BUT that's not how Kaito's fucked up little banana brain works
This is a matter of HONOR
If you face a strong opponent, you don't play dirty
Kaitou 3:04 pm
yeah
Akino Ame 3:04 pm
That's the way he's been since Day 1
It's less a Ren thing and more of a Zuko or Ecliptor or Villamax thing
Akino Ame 3:04 pm
Something like what Ren or Ryusei pulled would likely sit with him better
Ren faced Shinji in combat and fought him to a draw. Their strength is equal. Fine
Ryusei did betray Gen, but he fought him as a fellow Rider, not hiding and trying to shoot him from behind. Still a little dirty, but if you're going to have a sudden but inevitable betrayal, fucking OWN it and look him in the eye
Kaito seems more like the kind of guy who'd be perfectly happy beating the tar out of someone like Kusaka, who does everything he can to sabotage his rivals rather than face them honorably
Akino Ame 3:06 pm
And that part of him, I like
He ALSO probably wouldn't like that Yuji broke Kusaka's neck while he was injured because as bad as Kusaka is, if you're going to kill him, be a good sport about it
Kaitou 3:07 pm
yeah he really does
Akino Ame 3:07 pm
And as much as I like this element about him...it's also what makes Kaito frustrating
In a show with much more nuanced characters, with traits that make them feel more like real human beings...he feels almost cartoonish with this HONOOOOORRR! bit
Akino Ame 3:09 pm
I love honorable characters, of course: Zuko won me over by being an honorable character who had to turn against his family because he realized what they wanted was out of line with his own morality--even if it took him forfrickin'EVER
Ecliptor and Villamax will ALWAYS be two of my most beloved villains ever, and thus Ecliptor's death will never sit well with me while Villamax's will and break my heart--because Villamax had to defy Trakeena even though he was still loyal to her and thus couldn't raise his sword against her
If Kaito were a flatout villain, then yes. I would think he was perfect
But he's not
Akino Ame 3:11 pm
He behaves as if everything IS a game, even though he says it's not and this is how life is
He says there's no room for idealism in this world and it's survival of the fittest--but at the same time, he clearly has this ideal that people must fight honorably, and you are truly weak if you would cheat or shoot someone in the back--it isn't a fair fight
Akino Ame 3:13 pm
Which is the conflict between fascinating and frustrating I find with Andros, only in reverse
Kaitou 3:14 pm
yeah it really is
Akino Ame 3:14 pm
With Andros, he is an INCREDIBLY human character, who makes the same mistakes over and over and never learns from them, though he tries. Narratively speaking, he should learn to trust the others and not go off on his own, but psychologically speaking, he's perfect and continues along the same path of behavior because of his traumas in life
Which makes him ill-fitting for a children's TV show
Kaitou 3:15 pm
it does and that's what makes it so different in a way
Akino Ame 3:15 pm
Kaito feels like he SHOULD be a major character in a children's TV show (which, of course, he is) because he's got such a simplified view and you're seeing this narrative cause-to-effect in terms of his beliefs and behavior. But it makes him feel less like a real human being
I mean, for cryin' out loud, does he EVER refer to Kouta with something other than "kisama"?
Kaitou 3:16 pm
nope
or loser dog is another
Akino Ame 3:17 pm
It indicates he doesn't respect him, but we also see he does respect that he is strong and must be faced honorably on the field of combat and oh
oh boy
Just...yeah
I'll be repeating myself ad infinitum
I think he's Ecliptor's son or something
Kaitou 3:17 pm
He's very similar to Seto Kaiba as well, in that he remains thusly antagonistic throughout the show, and only grudgingly accepts Weird Shit Happens Around Yugi Man
Akino Ame 3:17 pm
I'll just go with that
YES
Very much Kaiba
It's Yu-Gi-Oh without cards
Ryuki with the queston "Who Are You?" rather than "What Do You Want?"
Ecliptor if he hadn't been killed off in the finale
Kaitou 3:18 pm
Yes, and I think that's something Gen might have lifted. Using GAME to determine conflict which is why Kaito is so like what he is like
Akino Ame 3:18 pm
Oh yeah
Kouta's very Yugi
I mean, for god's sake, there's a character named Jounouchi!
Kaitou 3:19 pm
Hahaha yeah
and a Mai in there, although Mai in this show is a lot like Anzu too
Akino Ame 3:19 pm
Yes
Kaitou 3:19 pm
where she's tougher than you imagine, but there's something important about her
Akino Ame 3:20 pm
...Huh, I never realized this before, and I'm kind of kicking myself
Kaitou 3:20 pm
sort of like Anzu/Mana in that both characters in that show had important roles to fill
Akino Ame 3:20 pm
You know how in the opening, as Micchi tries to approach Takatora, a fence appears between them?
Kaitou 3:20 pm
I think it's because you never really saw Yugioh much and most of it came from fandom osmosis when it was The Big Thing everyone was into
yes
Akino Ame 3:21 pm
Ryugen later shoots down a fence, but Zangetsu is nowhere to be seen
He breaks down the barrier between him and his brother--the barrier his brother's been trying to protect him with
But his brother is long gone
It's his character arc in a nutshell
Kaitou 3:21 pm
And when in the same first scene, Zangetsu holds a sword to him as well, preventing Ryugen from continuing further
Akino Ame 3:22 pm
Yes
Kaitou 3:22 pm
The opening sequence is full of symbology. It's well scripted
Akino Ame 3:22 pm
Oh yes
Akino Ame 3:22 pm
Very Agito that way
Many of the others were very symbolic too (including Ryuki in its "I have no idea what's going on other than them fighting and mirrors" kind of way)
But Agito's may have done the best at getting it across
Kaitou 3:23 pm
That first sequence alone, where Kouta is blocked off by the fence as well as the last one before the horse scene
Akino Ame 3:23 pm
Yeah
And Kouta's screaming as he's held back
Akino Ame 3:25 pm
...Fucking hell, Urobutchi
I know that reference
Fuck you you fucking fucker
Takatora has a burn on his shoulder
WHO ELSE HAS A BURN ON HIS SHOULDER
Kaitou 3:26 pm
... I totally missed that reference. Maybe it was because I was tired or something
Akino Ame 3:26 pm
Asakura got that burn trying to kill his brother
I wonder if Urobutchi thought his lie about getting burned trying to save his brother would have been more interesting
Or if Takatora decided to just go Asakura one day
Kaitou 3:27 pm
hehehe
who knows what's in his head now
Akino Ame 3:27 pm
Lots of maniacal laughter, I'd imagine
Kaitou 3:27 pm
probably
i'll brb real fast. I need to stretch my legs a little. I'm starting to shut down here D:
Akino Ame 3:30 pm
I do like that Takatora's first belt did the "Soiya!" bit. Sets up the parallel between him and Kouta, with him as what Kouta could become if he gave up his idealism
...Is Ryoma becoming the Kanzaki to Takatora's Yui?
Kaitou 3:35 pm
I think so
Akino Ame 3:35 pm
Yeah
Kaitou 3:35 pm
because Ryoma is pretty much going nuts right now
since the last info dump via Sagara
Akino Ame 3:36 pm
Well, much as there was INSANE ship tease, it gave Ryoma some MUCH needed sympathy points
It would have felt wrong for him just to be a Philip with no morals
Kaitou 3:36 pm
I also get the feeling that as much as Sagara is helping Kouta, he is also helping Takatora in a bit
Akino Ame 3:37 pm
His insistence on saving Takatora and making him a god (or so it seems), that feels more human. And of course, Ryuki-ish because Urobutchi's an even bigger fan than I am
Yeah
Kaitou 3:37 pm
Especially since that voice he was listening to sounded a lot like him
Akino Ame 3:37 pm
I don't know
Akino Ame 3:37 pm
Either way, Ryoma's got this whole "I'm turning evil because Sempai didn't notice me" while Takatora's like "So how many people can we actually save? I might be getting my idealism back" and Ryoma's all "Fuck your idealism"
Kaitou 3:38 pm
yep
Akino Ame 3:42 pm
DOES ANYBODY KNOW HOW TO SAY KOUTA'S NAME WITHOUT HIS SURNAME?
"Kazuraba Kouta!"
And for a change "The Aquarius Boy!"
Kaitou 3:43 pm
hahah yeah
well, at least we have awesomeness from Oran
Akino Ame 3:43 pm
yES
I love Mr. Dangerous
What I love about him is what was missed about the Donut Guy
Akino Ame 3:44 pm
His flamboyant gayness is not the sum of his character, nor is it the punchline to a joke
He's funny because he's a flamboyant gay mercenary warmonger patessier and when you say that out loud, it is HILARIOUS
Any combination of "gay mercenary" or "warmonger pastry chef" is hilarious alone, but put them together?
Kaitou 3:45 pm
exactly
I love how Kouta is just nomming on fruits via belt
Akino Ame 3:45 pm
Yes
Kaitou 3:45 pm
and he's all "Man, I shouldn't have brought all this food."
Akino Ame 3:45 pm
I'm at them fighting...Sleipnir or whoever
Kaitou 3:46 pm
hehe yeah
Akino Ame 3:46 pm
I love this teamup
For ONCE, Kouta and Takatora are on the same page
Because they have the same goal: To save all of humanity
Takatora hates having to sacrifice anyone, but he feels he has to. He has an out now. And Kouta's all "Oh my god, I reasoned with you! I'm so happy!"
Kaitou 3:47 pm
hehehe yes
Akino Ame 3:47 pm
It's like when Shinji met Tezuka
Or like when the riders of Agito finally started working together and sharing identities
Akino Ame 3:48 pm
Or when Ichijou started trusting Yusuke or when he convinced the rest of the police to too
MAYBE like when Takumi and Yuji came clean to each other
Kaitou 3:50 pm
pfffh yeah
Akino Ame 3:50 pm
The lord of the Overlords has what looks like a very simple lock on his belt
A key-based lock
Nice for two reasons
1. Obviously, similar to the Sengoku and Genesis Drivers
2. Kuuga. The Grongi were similar, what with needing Baruba to unlock their powers