Okay, now that I've finally got access to the subs for the 1st episode of Saber.
- I have no idea what to make of Tassel. I imagine he's going to be an actual character and not simply an expository narrative framing device, because he could have easily been a dramatic voiceover and not an overly whimsical cartoon character.
- You know, for a show all about fictional novels with an author for a main Rider, the writing is clumsy and amateurish. You can do exposition so much more naturally than have Mei explain who Touma is to Touma in a room with a bunch of kids who likely all know who he is.
- Oh, you guys weren't kidding. One of the Megiddo trio definitely looks like he's coked up.
- I'm sorry, Toei. But you can't convince me for a second that these characters are actually standing in a block of a city in the middle of a bright, colourful fantasy world. Nor does it remotely resemble Touma's pop-up book scenery.
- I second the comments about Rintaro's actor's eyebrows. In fact, his acting in general is peculiar, despite not being given much to do in this episode. I think it's the uncanny way he emotes and gives off a dead-eyed stare. Here's hoping the actor is more familiar with the role as the show goes on.
- Sure, the show is already a cartoon. Why not have him kick a fire hydrant and shoot water into that penis-looking thing in the background that has almost certainly already sucked other people in. So has our hero drowned the people inside?
- You can tell this was definitely written by Ghost's writer. That whole exchange between Touma and the Golem Megiddo regarding the purpose of books is such a heavy-handed beat-you-over-the-head way of positing a message that it reminds me so much of Takeru lecturing his opponent about the infinite potential of humanity.
- I suppose the advantage of stock footage as well as both an opening & ending theme sequence is it shaves off some of the runtime of the episode and it's less to have to shoot during a pandemic.
- That fight was going so well until they had to bring in the CG sequence. It's awful. The models are clearly all low quality but they attempt to hide it with copious shadows while dialing the contrast up to 11. There's also the fact that Saber isn't even fighting anything - the entire sequence is pointless and looks terrible. After Zero-One spoiled us with sleek aesthetics and fluid, clean, inventive fights, it's jarring to now transition into watching this visual mess.
Yeah I don't know. Nothing here made me excited for more. I'll stick around for maybe a few more episodes and see if it improves, but a show with this writer is already on probation.
