KR Saber 06 released

[Layton13]

Honestly, I really loved the frantic pace of the episode. I was more on edge and curious about what would happen next than at any point in Zero-One's run. Probably because I legitimately like these characters and find their interaction very entertaining. And here is the funny thing, I thought Zero-One's first arc felt rushed and far too fast-paced and with Saber, it's technically worse, but, I don't feel it. The show has a fast pace, but not to its own detriment. The show has this certain energy that was just lacking in Zero-One and, in my opinion, the first 6 episodes of Saber come together far more than Zero-Ones. In short, I enjoy Saber A LOT more than Zero-One.

[Ashki]

I'm another one of those weirdos that actually liked this episode. Even on the first watch, I've picked up on a lot of elements that will either justify the rushed pace and lack of introductions or completely fall apart like they did in Ghost.


Element 1:
It's been stated multiple times (at LEAST once per episode) that the boy band's goal is to draw ALL of the swords into the open. Additionally, we've now seen two Riders who inherited their powers, Saber from the previous Saber when he was defeated protecting Tooma, and Blades whose master was also killed in that battle. I wouldn't be surprised if this is how things are and the power is only passed down through death. That bodes badly for Buster's kid.

Theory: SwordGreen's master was killed early in his training when the master was trying to show mercy or outthink the enemy. Thus, he is obsessed with strength being the only way. He's trying to compete with Tooma to prove his theory because Tooma's the talk (whisper?) of the Library and reminds him of his master. Most of the sentai outside of the core three will be either trapped, stripped of their powers, or killed soon after the show hits its double digits.

Element 2:
It's also been stated several times in this current arc that Calibur is trying to get to Avalon. He didn't know how, but the interaction between his driver and Saber's gave him a huge clue. I'm betting he knew something about the legend which stated the 13 books must be united by a blade and interpreted that as one Rider had to defeat the others and physically claim all 13 Wonder Books. This is pretty much what the last few episodes seem to be saying now that we've heard the prophecy in the forbidden book.

Theory:
Calibur switched sides BECAUSE it's forbidden to go to Avalon and possessing all the books was only meant to be a means to that end, hence why he couldn't tell the intelligent member of his boy band what he wanted out of it. Avalon isn't meant to be the end, it's meant to be the BEGINNING of the journey, hence why we're rushing towards it. Once there, Calibur's hand will be revealed and we'll see the show proper begin, likely with the aforementioned thinning of the ranks. Also, keep in mind they're going to AVALON to retrieve a sword... shame on Tooma for not getting the fact that his nemesis IS that sword. I have a feeling there's going to be a price to pay if Tooma wants to gain Calibur's power. But then, maybe Calibur's whole intent is to die at the hands of the one person worthy of wielding that power so his books would bond with the one who kills him, ala the Elder Wand.

Element 3:
Blades is one of the most naive Riders we've seen and was a victim in the same disaster that followed Calibur's betrayal (the dates match). It's likely that his master was also his guardian and he ended up restricted to the Library as an orphan until shortly before the series began. Partnering him up with Mei seems to be intentional, since he knows so little about the human world and she's a native who wants to join the sentai.

Theory:
When everything comes to a head, the core three all lost someone dear to them in the same disaster. Since one of our core three is Calibur's son, I'm willing to wager he'd been training since he was old enough to pick up a stick, and thus acted as a makeshift mentor for Blades. Once Avalon is opened, Tooma will regain his memories and begin searching for the girl (the next story arc leading up to mid-season) alongside Blades while the third member of the trio tries to come to terms with the fact that Calibur isn't the actual bad guy. It's very likely the true series baddie will be revealed/awakened as a result of opening the passage to Avalon and the boy band will join this new menace. I would be quite pleased if the new baddie turned out to be Morgana, with our librarian being the Lady of the Lake. It's been far too long since we've had a female as the main baddie (and honestly, I can't even remember if that happened yet in KR, since the strongest female baddies I can think of were always part of a quartet).


So the question is, will one or more of my theories cone to fruition in the next couple episodes ('m betting the arc will end in episode or are they just trying to beat the current Super Sentai record for most characters introduced in the first 10 episodes? I really love the potential being shown but, considering who the head writer is, it's possible the writing staff won't be able to find the forest for the trees. And we certainly had a LOT of trees so far...

[msf232]

God, why are their names like this? Rintaro, Kento, Ren, Touma- everything becomes a clusterf**k in my mind

Also, the wiki link on the front page goes to the article for episode 5, not 6

[takenoko]

Whoops, I fixed the link at the beginning of the thread, but didn't realize I copy pasted it into th efront page too. Thanks!

[sdsichero]

Interesting, I see a bunch of folks quitting the show, but this was my favorite episode so far.

Kenzan was a bit disappointing because his personality is really, really annoying. I hope it is similar to Buster for me, where I did not like him initially but warmed to him a bit later. Kenzan's fight was pretty fun though.

The stories with Saber and Blades are interesting to me. Makes me want to see what comes next. Also interested in the mystery of the smith.

[Sinkuu]

the added bit with blades at the end saying "fuck this, I'm going after his ass" before training was DEFINITELY a shock... left field scene.

[Kamen Rider Raven]

Honestly, I loved that there was a lot going on in this episode. It was busy but at the same time it wasn't really hard to follow.

It seems that this series is introducing everyone before really delving into the story, which is interesting to say in the least. The setting seems to have a lot going for it, though I hope they don't wait too long.

Also, Green Guy is annoying as hell, but that seems to be the point. I look forward to seeing him get knocked down a peg or three.