![]() ![]() For example Bacht (Kamen Rider Falchion), the main villain of movie The Phoenix Swordsman and the Book of Ruin, goes on to properly reappear in the series whilst the "Sword of Logos Saga" Blu-Ray specials offer an expanded history that can recontextualise specific events. This notion of everything connecting doesn't just relate to the arcs within the series either – even the supplementary media is more closely intertwined with the main story than is usually expected from the franchise. Of course it also puts it in an extremely precarious position, as it's hard to recommend something with the promise of it getting better when it kicks off on such a sour note. This ambition is one of Saber's best qualities, and even through its many fumblings is able to create a desire to see that bigger picture and just how everything will slot together by the end. ![]() While Zero-One took a similar approach arguably Saber is even clearer in marking out these distinct chapter points, and in turn makes the show feel a lot "bigger" than it actually is. Even seemingly odd things, like the eccentric Tassel's narration and episode introductions, end up serving a greater purpose. The 49-episode series is structured with multiple story arcs – all of which offer distinct turning points in the overall narrative but at the same time flow together to maintain a bigger picture. The multitude of different coloured Riders working together and insertion of an end theme (complete with dance sequence) also led to plenty of Super Sentai comparisons, which for the most part are completely surface-level but still don't really do the show any favours.īut as the first 15 episodes pass and the show moves into an entirely different story arc, it's clear that Kamen Rider Saber has a much bigger plan in mind. With so much going on at a time when Saber has barely established a status quo, it's no surprise people were quickly turned off. Likewise, in modern Kamen Rider fashion the bikes are forgotten just as quickly as they're introduced. ![]() New characters are being introduced at rapid speed along with new Ride Books and forms for Saber, the kind that will inevitably become superfluous as soon as the true mid-season power up came along. A new Kamen Rider series kicking off with a sensory overload of characters and new toys to buy is nothing new, but in a series eventually featuring a grand total of 12 Riders, many of whom also had alternate forms on top of that, it was very easy for the series to get completely lost in a sea of product placement. How much Saber manages to improve during its first stretch of episodes is debatable as well. ![]() There are also strong elements, such as Touma's interactions with children as he read them stories in his bookshop, that were phased out entirely (a version of Saber with a heavier emphasis on actual storytelling and child involvement is I personally would have especially liked to see, but alas it was not meant to be). The premiere episodepaints a very different Kamen Rider Saber - one that was very obviously held back by restrictions through its heavy use of manipulative camera angles and CGI backdrops. With Kamen Rider Saber kicking off right in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic (with Zero-Onehaving previously had to go on hiatus, end up with a shortened episode count and have its movie delayed several months), its initial stretch of episodes are a very different beast - and one that many viewers would struggle to shake off. This is the time where the production team pretty much throw everything at the wall to see what sticks, go above the usual standard when it comes to visuals to entice fans to keep watching and generally just create something that isn't indicative of what the series will go on to become. Kamen Rider fans have been saying for years that you can't judge a series by its first few episodes. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |