Ultraman soda is p good therapy

Art blog. Mostly tokusatsu, with a few other fandom things. Thoughts about shows and movies pop up from time to time. 🚫Repost 🚫AI Training 🚫Edit

[maiamikael]

Engrave me deep into your bones

Inspired by ¨Bones¨ with Taemin

[maiamikael]

I think it's really funny when people get hung up on Rinko being mean. People constantly talking about how annoying she is; it's the same as if all you had to say about Claudia from sh3 is that she's evil.

¨Rinko is such an annoying, pick-me bitch¨

Okay now say something about how teenage girls are pressured to be perfect and feminine, and how that encourages hierarchies of those who can do it and those who can't, and how being the golden child and treated as the mature child can isolate you from your peers, stunting your emotional growth, and how devastating it is when you ¨fail¨ despite being the ¨perfect¨ woman, and how natural jealousy is and how difficult it is to handle, especially as a teenager.

[maiamikael]

Hinako - Made Blind and Mute

[maiamikael]

miku but bug

[maiamikael]

I want them to meet. They would cause Consequences

[yuquiitas]

The thing with episode 43 is that it does clear out Kuon's issues with Hoeru but it also opens more questions than it answers because 1) Why does he keep trying to kill mother figures 2) The mental image of a 16 year old boy filling up a bunch of papers meant to be used by little kids at a christmas market wishing for academic success is actually depressing 3) He keeps saying things that make it seem like he had no friends as a kid

[maiamikael]

Kuon trying to kill mother figures but still having his hair styled like his mom's. I really wish the show could've addressed this in some way. I read it as Tohno mom having favored Hoeru greatly, even though Hisamitsu craved her love too. The mom could've been the one in ¨control¨ in the household. When Hisamitsu became Kuon, motherhood was the role with power, the one that gave overwhelming love and had complete control. No doubt these feelings was intensified by Tegajune. But there is a hatred for mothers too. Because he didn't get anything from his mom.

Kuon loves Hoeru deeply, just as he's deeply jealous of him. Because of his jealousy and love he wants to control Hoeru. A mother is the one who ¨knows best¨ for their child. I don't think he consciously thinks this way. Kuon is well aware of his jealousy and need for control. But he doesn't seem to think about his feelings regarding motherhood. I think that's something subconscious.

Kuon seems to think very little about fatherhood. Almost not even caring about it. We know nothing about Tohno dad. But Koyo waltzed in and claimed authority in No One world. He assumed like he knew what was best for them. Hisamitsu could've felt that Koyo was arrogant and ignorant. Stupid for playing ¨house¨. Other than Tohno mom, Hisamitsu was the one who was supposed to know what's best for Hoeru.

In Kuon's eyes, fathers are ignorant, naive and doesn't have any real control. Following this train of thought, I assume that Tohno dad was pretty passive in his parenting.

Regarding these three questions, Kuon's themes can be summed up nicely. The worst case of gifted child syndrome and the worst case of eldest child syndrome.

HOWEVER

a bunch of this is me making assumptions on the very little information we have. Episode 43 brought up so many interesting and concerning questions that I doubt we'll get answers to. Gozyuger's pacing and distribution of screen time got extremely messed up. And now with so few episodes left and Kuon being a toy sword, I have a hard time believing that we'll get answers. Maybe if we get a v cinema.

Kuon and Hoeru are my favorite things about gozyuger. So it hurts seeing this... mess.

[maiamikael]

@yuquiitas yes you’re so right! I should’ve mentioned Akiko. About the screen time thing, I forgot to add that I don’t think and that it isn’t Akiko’s fault that it all got messed up. Besides what happened to Imamori, I get the feeling a lot happened in production that made Akiko’s and the other writers job difficult.

I am so impressed my Inoue Akiko’s work and I hope she’ll get more opportunities. We see her wanting to write about heavy topics, and doing it well. So I hope she’ll be able to in the future.

[maiamikael]

TWIST! More layers to Super Sentai's favorite subtextual incest

I wrote in this reblog what I think Kuon feels regarding motherhood. I realized something while writing it. I'll repeat some lines so this post is coherent on its own.

Tohno mom may have favored Hoeru greatly, even though Hisamitsu craved her love too. The mom could've been the one in ¨control¨ in the household. When Hisamitsu became Kuon, motherhood was the role with power, the one that gave overwhelming love and had complete control...

...Kuon loves Hoeru deeply, just as he's deeply jealous of him. Because of his jealousy and love he wants to control Hoeru. A mother is the one who ¨knows best¨ for their child... No doubt these feelings were intensified by Tegajune.

If we have this line of thought, Kuon's incestuous behavior towards Hoeru can have another side to it.

A mother calling their child an angel, even their love, can be a normal thing. Depending on how the mother expresses those sentiments. A mom being worried about who their kid is hanging out with and them ¨keeping their purity¨ is not unheard of. Even though it's toxic.

I'd like to suggest that Kuon's comments come from both a (toxic) brotherly place and a (toxic) motherly place.

If Kuon was only jealous of Hoeru, he'd probably just get rid of him. Like two brothers having become rivals. But he deeply loves all of Hoeru, and through Hoeru, Kuon wishes to retain a semblance of love and purity in his life. A mother's love is what's most important in a kid's life (toxic) and a mother's love will make sure that that kid will live in the best way (toxic). That's why Kuon plays with motherhood in subtle ways throughout the show.

Such as styling his hair just like his mother.

However, as the linked post points out, we're left with more questions than answers. I have little information to go on to properly answer Kuon's obsession with mothers.

[yuquiitas]

The thing with episode 43 is that it does clear out Kuon's issues with Hoeru but it also opens more questions than it answers because 1) Why does he keep trying to kill mother figures 2) The mental image of a 16 year old boy filling up a bunch of papers meant to be used by little kids at a christmas market wishing for academic success is actually depressing 3) He keeps saying things that make it seem like he had no friends as a kid

[maiamikael]

Kuon trying to kill mother figures but still having his hair styled like his mom's. I really wish the show could've addressed this in some way. I read it as Tohno mom having favored Hoeru greatly, even though Hisamitsu craved her love too. The mom could've been the one in ¨control¨ in the household. When Hisamitsu became Kuon, motherhood was the role with power, the one that gave overwhelming love and had complete control. No doubt these feelings was intensified by Tegajune. But there is a hatred for mothers too. Because he didn't get anything from his mom.

Kuon loves Hoeru deeply, just as he's deeply jealous of him. Because of his jealousy and love he wants to control Hoeru. A mother is the one who ¨knows best¨ for their child. I don't think he consciously thinks this way. Kuon is well aware of his jealousy and need for control. But he doesn't seem to think about his feelings regarding motherhood. I think that's something subconscious.

Kuon seems to think very little about fatherhood. Almost not even caring about it. We know nothing about Tohno dad. But Koyo waltzed in and claimed authority in No One world. He assumed like he knew what was best for them. Hisamitsu could've felt that Koyo was arrogant and ignorant. Stupid for playing ¨house¨. Other than Tohno mom, Hisamitsu was the one who was supposed to know what's best for Hoeru.

In Kuon's eyes, fathers are ignorant, naive and doesn't have any real control. Following this train of thought, I assume that Tohno dad was pretty passive in his parenting.

Regarding these three questions, Kuon's themes can be summed up nicely. The worst case of gifted child syndrome and the worst case of eldest child syndrome.

HOWEVER

a bunch of this is me making assumptions on the very little information we have. Episode 43 brought up so many interesting and concerning questions that I doubt we'll get answers to. Gozyuger's pacing and distribution of screen time got extremely messed up. Not Inoue Akiko’s fault. Production has been hell. And now with so few episodes left and Kuon being a toy sword, I have a hard time believing that we'll get answers. Maybe if we get a v cinema.

Kuon and Hoeru are my favorite things about gozyuger. So it hurts seeing this... mess.

[maiamikael]

Security regulation hates her! Showa tokusatsu stunts (long edit)

Asked for help for this on my main blog. I'm going to make a short edit that's actually social media friendly. But I prefer the long edit.

Thank you to:

@shadowsandbag @mo-ok @sunshinemoonrx @tenbillionhomodjs

and the others who made recommendations but I couldn't find decent footage of

[maiamikael]

Crap you’re right I didn’t think of that

Changerion isn’t showa but it’s showa enough to be included

[maiamikael]

Security regulation hates her! Showa tokusatsu stunts (long edit)

Asked for help for this on my main blog. I'm going to make a short edit that's actually social media friendly. But I prefer the long edit.

Thank you to:

@shadowsandbag @mo-ok @sunshinemoonrx @tenbillionhomodjs

and the others who made recommendations but I couldn't find decent footage of

[maiamikael]

cinematography has never exceeded this scene from Kamen Rider Kabuto (2006)

[the-queen-is-off-duty]

what the mech fight between hoeru and kuon alludes

well i'm just gonna say it, it's sexual assault. when tega june is on top of tega sword, kuon is on top of hoeru. tega june forcing herself on tega sword (in a way that can be shown on a children's show) that's kuon forcing himself on hoeru. kuon is just as into the ¨romantic¨ aspect of this fight as tega june is.

this is some insane writing choices for a super sentai show but it's brilliant. i love it. a lot of jpn fans have pointed out the domestic violence themes and in this episode it's heavier than ever. an intense, sensitive topic that miss inoue handles with grace and as much brutality as is needed and allowed.

during the mech fight, i gripped onto my chair so hard that my hands hurt.

i literally paused and screamed and then needed a moment to collect myself

EDIT: i saw some takes on twt that irritated me. saying that this was a poor word choice, some implying that Inoue hadn't thought this through or that it was just for shock value.

I highly disagree. Every uncomfortable thing Kuon has done has a reason behind it. He's obsessed with Hoeru. Hoeru, to Kuon, is the weaknesses that made him experience some sort of trauma (yet to be shown). At the same time Hoeru is Kuon's last way to feel hope and love. He's amazed that Hoeru has remained so kind. He wants to control and protect that, to regain some of the stability and love that he had as a kid.

despite what i've written above, i don't think Kuon is romantically or sexually attracted to Hoeru. I don't think he would literally rape him. as mentioned, domestic violence and abusive relationships are themes in this show. by alluding to sexual assault in the mech fight, Inoue both illustrates how messed up Kuon is and furthers the conversation about these themes.

of course you can hate it and be disgusted by it. obviously you're supposed to be. i just don't want people to think that Kuon is some yandere character meant only to be a hinder and spectacle. you can have other interpretations than me. even argue if you want to if this is appropriate for children (i think it is) but you cannot say that this was a poor word choice.

i am very surprised how much fun i'm having with Kuon. how much i'm looking forward to what he does next. partially because i can't predict it, and because he's a well-written character with well-written taboo subjects (incest, dv, sa). as my friend said, the mech fight is a good jumping off point for parents to talk about consent with their kids.

rn i trust Inoue's vision and i hope i will still be trusting it in 10, 20, 30 episodes from now.

[the-queen-is-off-duty]

Update ~30 episodes later

Regarding Hoeru and Kuon, yes I’m still feeling good about it so far. I personally like that Kuon hasn’t had a lot of screen time. Keeping him distant from us and Hoeru, but always haunting us.

Next episode is gonna reveal a lot about Kuon. I expected to be super excited about this. But because of Imamori’s treatment and erasure from the show, I can’t enjoy gozyuger rn. This next episode was supposed to be Sumino focused too.

Never in a million years could’ve I predicted that the reason I lost enthusiasm in one of my favorite toku dynamic, would be the sexist, racist and abusive firing of a teenage actress.

What I mean by this is that Sumino, Imamori, is critical to the show. No matter how good anything else is, Sumino’s erasure looms over it. And for good reason. This isn’t something we should look past.

This is a tragedy for all of toei studios, gozyuger, the crew, actors and most of all, for Maya Imamori.

[maiamikael]

Woe! Dante and Vergil in Wonho stage outfits be upon thee!

This is old, I just wanted to post smth

[maiamikael]

It makes me so sad when a story portrays an abusive relationship and people’s takes are either “why won’t they kill their abuser” or victim-blaming.

I am frustrated about certain parts of gozyuger’s story but Rikuo has always acted realistically when it comes to Rei. It becomes so obvious how little people understand abuse when they watch a story about it.

Rikuo still loving Rei, Rikuo feeling like it’s his fault, Rikuo taking the blame for Rei’s actions, Rikuo not telling Sumino, Rikuo wanting to save Rei, and Rikuo not wanting to kill him; now you won’t believe this but these are normal feelings for abuse victims to have.

I admit I’ve had a hard time with his story because of how it handles Sumino. That’s a part of my overall frustration with women getting sidelined in toei toku. It’s critique not against Rikuo’s story or Rei’s character but a bigger issue spanning beyond those two.

Rikuo is well-written and well-acted. As is Rei. Comments like “REI NEEDS TO DIE” are fine. But comments that keep insisting that Rikuo should kill him are completely missing the mark.

This is a show aimed at kids and I feel that Rikuo’s and Rei’s situation is portrayed in a way that kids can understand. But apparently I’m wrong about that since adult fans can’t stop being mad that Rei lived.

Again, people make these stupid takes every time there’s an abusive relationship in a story. People screaming for nuance and depth and twisted relationships but show them Rikuo and Rei and they simply can’t handle it.

[maiamikael]

I like this guy

[maiamikael]

Sumino’s story is about loss of control. Losing her sister, losing her ability to stay calm (the literal police brutality), losing her “pure and cute” little sister (gyaru Oto) and finally losing the “right” to save her sister.

I’m frustrated by how sidelined Sumino has become in her own story. I’m annoyed with how she’s even weaker to Rei than Rikuo is. Her getting a brutal beating but not Rikuo is not sitting right with me. I can’t properly formulate why. Rikuo swooping in and saving Sumino is fine writing on a surface level. But it still takes away Sumino’s agency and power in her own story.

It makes sense why Rikuo didn’t tell her. How would he be able to? But having her only grab his collar and scream at him once. That’s unsatisfying to me. Having Rikuo lead the situation, not Sumino, frankly pisses me off.

A huge reason for my feelings is how women in toku are so often sidelined. This is part of a larger problem in the genre. The one female sentai in this season doesn’t get to have the spotlight in her own story. Her own story has to be handheld by a man.

This isn’t a diss against Rikuo, rather the writing. Sumino deserves to be the main character in her and Oto’s story arc. She deserves to punch Rikuo.

[maiamikael]

Hoeru quickly accepted that Hisamitsu was gone, and that he has to fight Kuon.

Rikuo still holds onto his and Rei’s previous brotherhood. He wants to save Rei.

Hoeru grew up being in survival mode the entire time. He often had to discard things he loves.

Rikuo grew up in a tough, competitive environment. For years, it was granted that he had someone he could rely on; Rei. Whether that be in a healthy way or not.

Hoeru feels no guilt for what Hisamitsu has become, nor for what Kuon is doing. He blames himself for their separation but understands that he had nothing to do with Kuon’s corruption. Hoeru has lived in a “every man for himself” environment after all.

Rikuo takes all the blame for what Rei has become. Rei getting hurt, losing his job and kidnapping Oto is the “fault” of Rikuo’s dream of becoming an idol. He lived in an environment where one was never alone. Before it all crashed, Rei’s action shaped Rikuo and Rikuo’s actions shaped Rei. So “obviously” Rikuo’s actions had a hand in what Rei has done.