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About Asakura...
I'm actually on episode 39 of Ryuki. I was just going to go back and maybe post general thoughts on what I haven't talked about, but then I realized that I haven't really said much of anything since 23.
And then I went back and realized what episdoes 24 and 25 are about. :D;;;
Right, so, the thing is, I don't hate Asakura anymore. In fact... I kind of really dig him. He's a very charismatic villain.
And I'm a bad horrible person, but I found Reiko and Asakura's dynamics... really interesting, to say the least.
Kitaoka weeps at me, I know.
So the thing about Asakura is that initially there was a knee jerk reaction because I like Kitaoka so much, and also because of the Tezuka thing... but Asakura is... it's not even a love to hate thing. He's just a magnetic character, and the charisma sucks you in to the point where you don't CARE that he is that he's a monster.
The interesting thing, of course, is what fandom, or maybe I should say what fangirls do when faced with a character like that. I mean, it's like the need in X fandom to make Seishirou be a nice person deep down, I suppose in order to make liking the character more acceptable, despite the fact that doing so is likely to destroy the character. I also think it's, well, the bad boy syndrome.
Anyway, so the interesting thing about this episodes is how they played with and subverted all of that. And I think picking Reiko as a player in that was superb. I mean, obviously there is the journalism level. Obviously she wants to KNOW about him. But the fact is that she's also fascinated by him (much to Kitaoka's dismay XD). And suddenly there is the possibility that he DOES have redeeming qualities, and she wants to bring that out and help him change. And at that point, she's crossed a line. At that point, she's no longer behaving as an objective journalist, instead she's getting involved, because the bad boy fascinates her, and the idea of saving him is irresistible.
But here's what I loved about the way this series handles Asakura: the entire point of the arc is to hammer home the fact that actually, he has no redeeming qualities at all. Like Ren says, he's not a human being, he's a monster. And he wasn't actually showing Reiko his one vulnerability, he was manipulating her and using her to get to his brother... whom he killed just because.
Horrible, from an objective, real world point of view? Definitely. But it sure does make for a fascinating character. And I really do dig how the trope was subverted there.
Right, so the other thing about this whole Asakura and Reiko arc is the effect on Kitaoka, and, seriously, I couldn't love it more. Here is Reiko, choosing to pay him a visit of her own free will, and it's all so she can ask him all about another man. A rival rider, a psychopath that wants him dead... and she's fascinated by that other man. And refutes Kitaoka's advances when he suggests that he's a better man for her. Or even tries to invite her to lunch afterwards. Oh man, I love it. The jealousy, it just kills him. XD
And then I went back and realized what episdoes 24 and 25 are about. :D;;;
Right, so, the thing is, I don't hate Asakura anymore. In fact... I kind of really dig him. He's a very charismatic villain.
And I'm a bad horrible person, but I found Reiko and Asakura's dynamics... really interesting, to say the least.
Kitaoka weeps at me, I know.
So the thing about Asakura is that initially there was a knee jerk reaction because I like Kitaoka so much, and also because of the Tezuka thing... but Asakura is... it's not even a love to hate thing. He's just a magnetic character, and the charisma sucks you in to the point where you don't CARE that he is that he's a monster.
The interesting thing, of course, is what fandom, or maybe I should say what fangirls do when faced with a character like that. I mean, it's like the need in X fandom to make Seishirou be a nice person deep down, I suppose in order to make liking the character more acceptable, despite the fact that doing so is likely to destroy the character. I also think it's, well, the bad boy syndrome.
Anyway, so the interesting thing about this episodes is how they played with and subverted all of that. And I think picking Reiko as a player in that was superb. I mean, obviously there is the journalism level. Obviously she wants to KNOW about him. But the fact is that she's also fascinated by him (much to Kitaoka's dismay XD). And suddenly there is the possibility that he DOES have redeeming qualities, and she wants to bring that out and help him change. And at that point, she's crossed a line. At that point, she's no longer behaving as an objective journalist, instead she's getting involved, because the bad boy fascinates her, and the idea of saving him is irresistible.
But here's what I loved about the way this series handles Asakura: the entire point of the arc is to hammer home the fact that actually, he has no redeeming qualities at all. Like Ren says, he's not a human being, he's a monster. And he wasn't actually showing Reiko his one vulnerability, he was manipulating her and using her to get to his brother... whom he killed just because.
Horrible, from an objective, real world point of view? Definitely. But it sure does make for a fascinating character. And I really do dig how the trope was subverted there.
Right, so the other thing about this whole Asakura and Reiko arc is the effect on Kitaoka, and, seriously, I couldn't love it more. Here is Reiko, choosing to pay him a visit of her own free will, and it's all so she can ask him all about another man. A rival rider, a psychopath that wants him dead... and she's fascinated by that other man. And refutes Kitaoka's advances when he suggests that he's a better man for her. Or even tries to invite her to lunch afterwards. Oh man, I love it. The jealousy, it just kills him. XD
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But seriously. These episodes are just... disturbing. It actually hurts to see Shinji being shocked and destroyed like that by Asakura's actions. So scary.
And Kitaoka's disbelief when he found out about Reiko's interest in Asakura, bwahahahahah. His expression is BEAUTIFUL.
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But, basically, Shinji's expression here. D:
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About Tezuka... ;____________;
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Later on, we do get another psycho (the college nerd/Tiger), whom I don't like at all. Ew. Asakura's brand of lunatic is more, hnn, honest, if you know what I mean? He doesn't delude himself and have mad theories about how to evolve, he just hates on general principles and lives in the moment.
Out of all the riders I've seen so far, Asakura seems to be the one who truly lives. And that is a chilling, terrible observation, because he truly is a monster. Brrr. I have great hopes for Shinji, though. He too is a firebrand, and lives it up good when he isn't battling confusion. ;;
The UST between him and Reiko made me want pornfic. >_>;
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Out of all the riders I've seen so far, Asakura seems to be the one who truly lives. And that is a chilling, terrible observation, because he truly is a monster.
It kind of reminds me of how, back when Heroes didn't suck balls totally and completely, part of Sylar's appeal was that he was the only one actually ENJOYING his powers.
I have great hopes for Shinji, though. He too is a firebrand, and lives it up good when he isn't battling confusion. ;;
I love Shinji. And his confusion... well, it's part of him being a sweetie. He wants to take care of and do right by everyone, even someone like Asakura.
The UST between him and Reiko made me want pornfic. >_>;
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Heroes, eh? One of these days I should check out the first couple of sesons of that one. I generally fail at TV, so I never remember to follow stuff when it airs. >>;
The flaily, bumbling sweetheart isn't high on my list of favourite character types. Mostly because I can only take so much flailing and shrieking. But Shinji more than passes muster. *squishes him* His constant battling with emotions and dilemmas that are simply too big for him keeps him human. And I do appreciate an aspiring hero doing the sensible thing, every once in a while, i.e. his running away from the monsters in the first episode. :)
If I did, I'd have to disembowel myself honourably after. >_>; And Kitaoka would cry.no subject
And yeah, on paper Shinji isn't a favorite character type of mine either... but somehow Kamen Rider has the ability to make me adore characters that I'd be lukewarm towards in anything else (Balde's Kenzaki LEAPS to mind). Even if my favorites always run exactly true to type (Kitaoka, Yaguruma, Kagami, Asakura himself... and Blade's Hajime. I adore Hajime. I think you'd really like him too *hint ht* :D)
You could write Kitaoka/Reiko pr0n instead then. \:D/
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Mrr. I look forward to them all. Looks like you and I have a lot of overlap in character type likes. Although KaGAAAmi didn't conquer me back when I watched Kabuto. I didn't dislike him, or anything, I guess he just . . . got lost in all the flamoyance of the other Riders. ^^
...THREESOME FTW!!! \:D/
...oh, wait. That would make Goro-chan cry! DDDDD:
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Fact is, KaGAAAmi IS a character type I love. Noble loser type. :3
...THREESOME FTW!!! \:D/
...oh, wait. That would make Goro-chan cry! DDDDD:
It could be Reiko/Kitaoka/Goro-chan threesome. \:D/