Was he really that likeable?

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Re: Was he really that likeable?

Post by Kamen Rider Gear »

To be honest I wasn't too thrilled with Tendou as a character. He just exuded WAY too much of that I'm badass, you're not, ha ha vibe. I mean I know it was brought up before that in the first ten episodes he just seems to be making life harder for Kagami every step he takes, but I mean seriously it's almost as if Tendou went out of his way to do it. It got worse later on when he developed the theory of: I'm right you're wrong therefore you must be my enemy. The Perfect Zecter just made me wanna scream to be quite frank. I mean the thing was a friggin WMD compared to ANY other rider weapon or attack that had so little drawback to use (the closest comparisons I have are Kuuga's Ultimate form and Blade's King form but those were nightmarishly corrupting to the user). Even better is when he's collecting the zecters, he doesn't even stop to think that maybe I can get some of these guys on my side and not make huge enemies in the long run by taking their zecters. Once he gets them all it's practically smooth sailing through EVERY SINGLE FIGHT (save for the time stop worm but even then he pulled out a "brand new attack" just for that guy!),as nothing has the sheer strength to stand up to it save for I believe Mishima (correct me if wrong please) who, being the end villian pretty much, found a way to destroy it. Hell the worst part was the reverse time travel to save Kagami...I mean really reverse time travel???

Yeah if you couldn't tell I'm not a big fan of Kabuto the rider, but I absolutely adore the others in every sense, great characters all around.
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Re: Was he really that likeable?

Post by xxaznshuinxx »

Tendou is not the man who walks the path of heaven, he is the man who will do anything to protect his little sister. The man who will do anything to protect the life of his little sister is admirable for he risks everything to protect her, the lives of everyone around him or the safety of everything. He grows only to see that his attempts to protect his little sister was not the right way to protect her and eventually he grows to care about things other then himself. But in the end Tendou is the man walking the path to protect imouto-san! I like Tendou for he is the man who will do anything to protect that which he cares for the most!
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Re: Was he really that likeable?

Post by m4rc0 »

yumenotenshi07 wrote:I'd leave Daisuke for Tendou. In terms of hotness, Tendou is way better looking (IMO). XD

Lol. I like that saying with "pancreas."
It hasn't the same impact with pancreas, but I won't swear here XD

And as I said it is like pancreas. But that is not the question. You may prefer Tendou, but the fact was that Daisuke was the casanova from the show and all the girls left him for tendou. And that was only an example of how the show created an artificial awesomeness for Tendou. He could be awesome, no problem, but they should have done that within the limits of reason.
KuroKaze wrote:Tendou is a fake created so that Kusakabe could do what needs to be done.
I understand and sort of agree, but the problem is that reality has its limits. Nobody can be the best cook, the best fighter, the best strategist, the best casanova, a super pianist and many more things Tendou was. Sure, he could be some of those. He could be very capable in 3 or 4 areas and I stil would have bought it. But he excels at EVERYTHING. I may be expecting to much of a work of fiction, but I can't relate with a character like that. I hated Kiriya in Hibiki fr the same reason.
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So, if you think you are doing good you can be a tyrant? Tell people what to do and if they don't listen, force them? I don't think so. Freedom comes first. And people tend to have different opinions of what is good and what isn't.

But I don't remember Tendou doing that. He done that with the people he liked, but he was pretty much an asshole to everyone else, except when it meant saving them from the worm. In this sense he was a hero. Not the kindest, but he saved everyone and I don't remember him putting the lifes of others (except ZECT or riders) in danger to further his goals.
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Re: Was he really that likeable?

Post by takenoko »

It's interesting that you mention that, since Kusakabe means "under the sun" while Tendou means "(n) Providence, the sun, way of heaven, destiny, divine justice". Pretty big difference. But I always thought that his grandmother was just named Tendou.

Juka's also a Tendou, after all

Edit: That's the thing. Some people like Tendou for the same reasons you find him kind of phony. I'm not really sure what to say, but suspension of disbelief?
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Re: Was he really that likeable?

Post by Doonie »

While reading through this thread
i noticed some one mentioned that there was a kind of crazy side to Tendou (sorry for no quote)

but i think we see that in dark Kabuto
we see Tendou as the confident strong hero
and we see dark Tendou as the side of no control

but all the way through the series there's that balance of confidence and madness
and i think that's why he puts up the big "walking the path of heaven" front
his spent his whole life training, his emotionally imbalanced
so he hides it all ( and protects him self) by seeming like his untouchable

...hope that makes sense
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Re: Was he really that likeable?

Post by jvk »

Its been long since I last saw Kabuto, and Tendou has, since the beggining, been my favorite leading rider, exactly because he is badass (and I long have the dream of seeing him side by side with Tsukasa saying "I'm much cooler than you!").

I remember one of the earlier episodes, where Kagami walks to Tendou and tells him they're friends or something. Tendou reacts by telling him never to repeat that. After reading this thread, I began thinking: Tendou has since earlier times, with his parents' death and stuff, being alone (apart from his sister, but he there are things that he doesn't share with her).

So Kagami just walks by and tells him he now has a partner. But wait a minute! He's Tendou, he's strong and independent. He can't rely on others. So he just has to push Kagami away. Not because he doesn't like him, but he can't allow himself to show weakness. He actually likes the idea, but needs to put a barrier between them for his own sake.

But Tendou can't bear himself to drive Kagami away permanently (I feel like I'm forgetting something here, please correct me if I'm wrong). As they stick around together, Tendou has to tease Kagami, because by doing this, he acknowledges Kagami in two ways: first, to himself, because he knows they have some kind of bond and feels dubious about it and second, to Kagami himself, who might lose interest in Tendou (as a friend) and just walk away by himself (which is something Tendou would never admit, but he wouldn't like).

Anyway, this is just a thing I tought after some thinking. After reading all this, I suddenly want to watch Kabuto again, and I might do it after finishing this second run of 555.
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Re: Was he really that likeable?

Post by takenoko »

One thing that strikes me odd about the people who dislike Tendou is that they seem to think he never does anything for anyone but himself

Beyond the teasing, Tendou really does care about Kagami's feelings, which he shows on more than one occasion

In episode 4 (I think) he lets himself get beaten up while giving Kagami the ultimate choice for how to handle the Worm that is mimicying his brother

In another episode, Tendou kills a Worm in a way to make it seem like Kagami shot the Worm to death. It really does nothing to add to Tendou's mission, all it does is make Kagami feel good about himself

Plus he's nice to women and kids and stuff
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Re: Was he really that likeable?

Post by KivaWataru »

hisakuya wrote:In my opinion, the story projects Kagami as the main rider. Tendou is merely his rival rider and his driving force.
In a way I have to agree with this somewhat. However instead of just Kagami being the main rider - especially later in the series - I almost want to say they were co-main riders. Why else would they be able work as they did?

Tendou helped Kagami along at the start and showing him where he needed to go. He showed him the ropes, showed him which way he didn't need to go and which way he should go. While it may not have been obvious at first, during the series you could almost say that Tendou was training Kagami for what was to come.

Anyway, as far as what I think about the character of Tendou...

Tendou is a guy that takes life in stride. While he doesn't always show emotion, he does let it fuel him should it come to it. He's been through so much in his life and his grandmother taught him to be strong. What he has isn't arrogance, but a mask that he hides behind. During the series we see the mask crack multiple times because of events that occur around him, Jyuka, Kagami, Hiyori and others. He attempts to "repair" it only for it to completely shatter at one point. The new mask that he creates from the old pieces include the experiences that has gained over the series.

He's a very learned person, having been taught much by his ever elusive "obaa-chan." From the words of wisdom that he gives over the series, we can only suspect that Tendou's grandmother was also well learned. She may have been very strict in how she taught him. This means she only wanted the best for her grandson. She wanted to make sure he only had the most secure of friendships, the most solid of demeanors and a strong will to survive.

Tendou may seem stand-offish at first, but that's only because he's very calm and collected about things. He knows what he's doing and where he's going. He can move forward in the most difficult situations and helps people through them as well. He's got a good heart and only does what he feels it right. He wants to protect people and will do whatever it takes to do it.

Several people have made mention of Kusakabe. I have to say that to me, Kusakabe would be what Tendou would be like if he had been raised by someone other than his grandmother - maybe his original parents. There is also the fact that Kusakabe shows Tendou's unstable, emotion-filled side that he doesn't want people to see.
Spoiler
Perhaps that's why for a while they wanted to get rid of each other. Of course we see at the end what happens between the two.
Last edited by KivaWataru on Fri Jul 31, 2009 8:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Was he really that likeable?

Post by Kamen Rider Raven »

Tendou struck me as the type that may seem like an overall jerk, but he'll fiercely defend those he considers his friends. That's probably why he's careful about who he calls "friend". The way he and Kagami "bond" throughout the series is interesting to watch. It's not rushed (Tsukasa and Yuusuke) but it's not drawn out either (Shinji and Ren). He's a very unique character in that he's damn near perfect. He talks the talk and walks the walk. That's pretty rare in a hero really. It also makes the moments where his emotions break through the walls he puts up much more powerful.

That being said, he does come across as a little over the top sometimes. I suppose that's part of the appeal because after a while, you WANT him to fail at least at SOMETHING.

Personally, I liked him. But in all honesty, I liked him more in God Speed Love. His arrogance seems toned down a bit and when Hiyori dies, his emotions come out, which goes back to what I said above about his emotions.

That's just my opinions however. He appeals to different people. Which makes his character that much more interesting.
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Re: Was he really that likeable?

Post by William_Duel »

The series would have been really different I think if that Tendo/Kagami dynamic didn't exist. Kagami expresses and has the qualities normally associated with a Kamen Rider, so we're expected to believe he's the main character at first. Then comes Tendou, Tendou is awesome because he's a sort of wish fulfillment, he's the guy we wish we could be, the guy with all the answers and the skills. He's a step above the archtype of the hot blooded Justice seeking hero, he's THE GUY and not only that, he's always two steps ahead and sometimes he even seems above the whole good vs. evil thing. HE's like the Fonz, only as the main character and a rider. He hits the jukebox and it will play whatever he wants it to. Ok I took that too far...

But like I said, I dont think it would have worked as well without Kagami. It's similar to the Tsukasa/Kuuga dynamic in Decade. Kagami was the caring face. Tendou did make mistakes though and eventually changed, especially when
Spoiler
Hiyori was found out to be a worm
. Early on, he has a 'Kill all worms' attitude especially seen in the episode when the worms decide to become surgeons on a whim. But that softens and changes towards the end as well as his willingness to work together with others.

But frankly, Tendou's just cool. Hell, Hyper Kabuto had to come and screw him over every now and then. Tsukasa, while being his own character, has some of these Tendou-like traits if not softened, and I wouldn't be surprised if the future riders carried them on as well.
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Re: Was he really that likeable?

Post by G-flux »

Hello all. I'm new here, and in fact I'm fairly new to the whole Kamen Rider experience. I was first introduced to the Kamen Rider mythos while the Kamen Rider Kabuto show was airing, and I tell you Tendou is what made the show for me. Yeah he is arrogant, but he can back up what he says, and at his core, I think he is a softy. The actor who played the character I thought did an excellent job, his performance doesn't seem forced like the Dude playing Decade, and even though he comes off as a jerk, for some reason he is a likable jerk. The Kabuto story could have been told better, and the badguys for the series could have been a little more menacing and tougher, but overall Kabuto is my favorite simply because I think Tendou is the man. I know this is biased, but I tried watching Den-0 after Kabuto was over, and I didn't make it past the 4th episode. I know it's popular over in Japan, but I thought it was to corny. Decade is ok, but to me he is nothing but a sub par Kabuto, in fact my favorite part in all of Decade is when Kabuto (though sadly it wasn't Tendou) whipped Di-end's butt. Kabuto's fighting style with that dagger and his overall presence to me is so hardcore. 8)

I'm going back and watching some of the older Kamen Rider shows to become more learned on the mythos, and right now Kamen Rider Kuuga, and Kamen Rider black seem really good.
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Re: Was he really that likeable?

Post by Laxative »

He is just an individualist who is very aloof. This kind of people are hard to come by and most of the time, have very low popularity.
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Re: Was he really that likeable?

Post by lunarXskies »

I really liked Tendou...maybe because I started with Decade and watched backwards...(Wataru and Ryotaro`s personality just didn`t...click with me)
Only other thing that could`ve made him better was if he sang his own theme song :D
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Re: Was he really that likeable?

Post by m4rc0 »

Laxative wrote:He is just an individualist who is very aloof. This kind of people are hard to come by and most of the time, have very low popularity.
This type of character is VERY popular in Japan. Rei, Nagato, Sasuke, Sesshoumaru, Ruri and many more.
William_Duel wrote:Kagami expresses and has the qualities normally associated with a Kamen Rider
Those qualities vary a lot in the new gen riders. Some of them are strong types like Tendou od Tsukasa, or weaklings like Ryoutarou and Takumi. The riders are very different between themselves. The only thing the rally have in common is that they have or develop the determination to fight evil and protect people.

And I don't know you guys, but I wouldn't like to be Tendou.
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Re: Was he really that likeable?

Post by Arigomi »

takenoko wrote:One thing that strikes me odd about the people who dislike Tendou is that they seem to think he never does anything for anyone but himself

Beyond the teasing, Tendou really does care about Kagami's feelings, which he shows on more than one occasion.
It is important that you called it teasing. In the eyes of people who dislike Tendou, it is mean since Kagami more often that not ends up hurt and confused. First impressions like this are very difficult to change. As a result, this difference in opinion makes Tendou's acts of kindness feel like a mechanical plot device to make viewers warm up to him rather than a fluid consequence of character development.

Personally, I never thought that Tendou only acts in his own interest. I just dislike characters that only share their good will with loved ones because it is in direct opposition to my values.
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