That's pretty random of them!

KAMEN RIDER OOO ALL-STARS - “THE 21 STARS AND CORE MEDALS”, PART 2

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Back to the Net Movie mines!

PRESIDENT KOUGAMI’S VIRTUAL NEW EMPLOYEE CEREMONY
I frequently can’t decide if it would be awesome to work at the Kougami Foundation, where Do As Thou Wilt is the whole of the employee handbook, or if I’d feel like I’m only one random Kougami impulse away from being destroyed by a monster… or worse, forced to work alongside Gotou. Hard to say!

WHY IS TATOBA A COMBO
I was honestly thinking about this a couple nights ago, when Eiji was forced to use the Lion Medal after Ankh stole the rest of the Red Medals. Why does TaToBa get a Henshin song when, like, LaToBa doesn’t? While this video doesn’t really answer that question (YOU CAN STILL SING IT!!!), it does point out that the reason TaToBa is not only a sing-along combo but OOO’s base form, is to sell toys. The gimmick only works if you can tell he’s made up of multiple things!

GATAKIRIBA’S SUMMER GLOOMS
But those two appearances are so cool! Quality over quantity!

QUIZ LATORAATAH’S BEAUTIFUL LEGS
Every joke answer about OOO in this sketch – where the abbreviated names come from, what the parts of the suit do – sounds about as credible as the actual answers, which is precisely the right vibe for both Net Movies and this ridiculous franchise as a whole. Jet propulsion from the cheetah spots! Okay, sure!

QUIZ SAGOUZO’S CUNNING
Y’know, it’s a shame that the series never really gave Ankh and Date a story or two together. Ankh’s pretty much just with Eiji for the duration of the show, and his only memorable Birth rivalry is treating Gotou like garbage for laughs. The two characters have exceptional chemistry in these quiz sketches, and I think a two-parter where they need to team up would’ve been an all-time great. Or they’d’ve both died from their overlapping nonsense. One of those!

TAJADOR WAITER AGONY
It’s just a weird sketch that seems overwritten? It’s the four villain Greeed as a family that can’t stop shit-talking Ankh, and then Eiji is Tajador, and then Ankh wants the Greeed thrown out, and then there’s a brawl? Comedy-wise, the only thing I laughed at was this, and I couldn’t stop giggling at it:

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QUIZ SLEEP AS SHAUTA
Okay, Bells ignoring the fact that Date’s asleep and just running the game show anyway is the hardest I laughed at this whole series of Net Movies, most of which are very funny. Just Ankh saying his line 80% out of character, then the beat of Bells turning to look at Date, acknowledging it with her body language, and then jumping right into her hosting gig is so goddamn funny to me. More GIFs!

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(The rest of it was fine. But that first gag! Brilliant.)

QUIZ WHICH SUBTYPE IS PUTOTYRA?
Sort of nothing to this one. Having PuToTyra rampage to end the sketch is another way of saying they didn’t have a lot of ideas to start with.

MOVIE-ONLY COMBO BURAKAWA PII!
I’m not sure I ever mentioned it, but one of my favorite gags from the Date/Gotou apprenticeship era of the show was how Date would energetically misidentify the animal in the Yummy, and Gotou would give him an immediate deadpan correction. Absolute best use of Gotou in the series, Non-Satonaka Division.

FOURZE SWITCH TEMPTATION
Cute introduction of Fourze! With no dialogue!

119 OOO MARATHON
Good lord! I’m not sure if Eiji’s deserves hazard pay more for the speed at which he had to recite 119 subforms on camera, or for having to wear those tiny shorts. Toei is a villain! Zi-O was right, we need to blow them up!

These were pretty fun! Probably a higher hit-to-miss ratio than the Den-OOO ones?

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My takeaway from this is that given the stated ages for Uva, Kazari and Gamel, the Ancient OOO reigned circa 1178-1205. If they’d revealed the ages of Ankh and Mezool, I’d have a clearer estimate.

Also, thsi is the one time we see the PuToTyra parts get mismatched, which you can do with the toy. I guess the unique elements to the suit made it a bit impractical as a regular thing? (Shrugs)

Maybe, but it would also be thematically incoherent for the Purple Medals to have sub-forms. Their whole gimmick is being the antithesis of the other Medals: desire versus the absence of desire; matter and antimatter. Putting them together would sort of defeat the purpose of them in the narrative?

I will say, I may be in the minority here, but this is probably my favorite group of villains in Rider because of how poorly they work together. I really am not a fan of most of the villains in Rider, I feel like every episode is taken up by at least ONE scene of the league of villains talking vaguely in a room about some vague plan that inevitably is just "let's send a monster of the week". I find it incredibly boring, and I never end up caring about any of the villains! At least here they've got their own personalities and interests, albeit a bit repetitive. Anyone else feel the same way? Maybe Rider's heroes are just so lovable any non main characters pale in comparison...

So, while I definitely think the Greeed are sort of tipping into Team Rocket territory as we get closer to a conclusion that's far more concerned with the triumvirate of Maki/Ankh/Eiji -- and rightly so -- I also still think the Greeed as a collective are an incredibly enjoyable part of OOO as a series. They each have their own goals, methods, and conflicts with one another, which makes them compelling to watch even when they aren't actively influencing the main story of any particular episode. It's just, boy, I am very glad that we will never have to do another plot where Kazari schemes against the other Greeed, while the other Greeed are scheming against him and each other.

Symbolizing this, it'd also be visually incoherent too, since the undersuit for PuToTyra is uniquely silver, bright enough to border on looking white depending on the lighting, which would of course be the exact opposite of the black that ties every other OOO form together.

...I just really love PuToTyra and the Purple Medals in general, by the way? There's plenty more good stuff to say just about the suit, of course (using the winged Ptera as the head to keep some continuity with TaToBa's hawk face, as just one more example), but more than that, I really like how their introduction turns the entire narrative in such a massive way for both the heroes and the villains alike, while placing a particular focus on Eiji as an individual. I think in that sense especially, PuToTyra really puts the final in final form, because its mere existence sort of seems to *urge* the whole story towards its conclusion in a way I find super neat.

It definitely acts as more of a catalyst for resolution than it does the typical Way To Combat The Villains of another final form suit, yeah.

originally posted on December 9th, 2021, as part of “Kamen Rider Die rewatches Legend Rider projects (and more!)”

KAMEN RIDER OOO WONDERFUL: THE SHOGUN AND THE 21 CORE MEDALS

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This is a very sweet film that directly addresses the core (sorry) relationships of the Kamen Rider OOO series… and also a very weird crossover film.

As recent SH Figuarts exhibitions have reminded us: Yes, this film features the star of The Unfettered Shogun, teaming up with a tokusatsu superhero to save Edo-era Japan from a time-traveling alchemist. That’s insane. Imagine if there had been a Power Rangers movie where the Power Rangers had solved the mystery of the villain’s plot thanks to the help of, like, Columbo. Imagine Columbo helping some teens with attitude in the middle act of a summer film. Imagine ten years later, when Hasbro teased Lightning Collection Columbo. Everything I’ve just said is awesome, and ludicrous. AND YET! Toei and Bandai went ahead and did their version of it in 2011, and it’s pretty entertaining.

It’s an entertaining movie, to be sure. There’s a ton of really good fan service in this one. They use GataKiriBa to allow for every single OOO Full Combo to fight side-by-side, and that’s fantastic. There’s a new movie form, the also-recently-offered-as-a-Figuart Burakawani suit. All the villains of the show make both in-suit and out-of-suit appearances. All the heroes take part in the narrative. It’s an All Hands movie.

I’m not sure it really hits any huge heights, though. Everything’s there, and there’s nothing I’d really crab about (well, one thing), but it’s still a very Three Out Of Four Stars movie. Solid, fun, but still sort of forgettable. There’s the one theme, and it’s one I really like, but it’s somehow also one that gets wrapped up midway through the film?

Using the OOO Summer Movie to tell a story about how the people we love can love us back while still sort of being forgettable/inconsiderate/raging assholes, that’s a great OOO theme. It uses the whole Hina/Ankh relationship as a metaphor for trying to make things work with the people in our lives, even if we end up having to do more of the work than they do. Hina’s in a situation where her brother literally has an exterior that is callous and insensitive (Ankh! At some very high levels of Ankholishness this time out! Entertainingly so!), while having an interior that’s thoughtful and caring. That’s Shun’s story, to a less horrific degree. His mom isn’t around as much as he’d like, and he resents her for it. But she’s trying, and she loves him, so maybe he can try to meet her more than halfway. It’s a little more nuanced than the typical Your Parents Are Owed Your Love And Respect No Matter What lesson some recent Kamen Rider movies have foisted on us, and I’m glad for the thoughtfulness Kobayashi brings to the material. Shun’s right to feel like he should matter more, but maybe he can also cut a working mom some slack when she makes an effort.

It all gets wrapped up in a movie that leans on the societal version of family, of all of us supporting each other, but I feel like the emotional component of the movie peaked when Eiji was there for Shun, not when Eiji defeated Bells or when OOO defeated Gara. Everything after Eiji and Shun share that nighttime snack… it was good, but it wasn’t as good.

But this movie was more than just new forms and classic TV actors! We also need to talk about the appearance of a Kamen Rider actor beloved by fans, an actor whose charisma helped unite a sprawling cast of young adults…

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Kaido! (“KAIDO”) Yup, Kaido’s actor makes a brief, welcome appearance as -- what else -- a guitarist whose life gets significantly worse. I can’t imagine why Kaido got cast in a tiny role in a non-Inoue film, but I’m totally grateful for it.

Anyway, there’s also this guy:

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Kamen Rider Fourze! Who matches the screwball energy of Kamen Rider OOO so perfectly, that it reminded me why W/OOO/Fourze (“WOOOF”) is maybe my favorite streak of series in the franchise. Like, Fourze feels like an evolution of what Heisei Phase 2 was trying to do, not a pivot away from it or a boring retread. It’s taking the Feuding Superhero Dynamic of Ankh and Eiji, but blowing it up to a whole roster of teen archetypes. It’s a lead character who is open and generous, who is living Eiji’s previous sentiment that Riders Should Help Each Other. Everything about Fourze’s slapstick sequence in this film is adorable, and it’s a terrific introduction to one of my favorite lead actors.

Which is not to take away from the OOO team, of course. There’s some stuff that feels a little tacked on here (I don’t… I’m not sure why the cast needed to spend the middle third in an Edo-era crossover?), but it’s still a pleasant viewing experience at worst. I don’t love this movie, but I had a fun time watching it.

I feel like I’ve said that before! And I’ll probably be saying it again!

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—

SAYING IT AGAIN

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…I don’t really have anything else to say? Everything I said four years ago holds up: the moral of letting people show you how they feel when they can’t say it right is a very sweet thing to build a movie around, it’s still baffling that The Unfettered Shogun is such a prominent guest star, the whole trip to the Edo period to facilitate his appearance feels random and perfunctory at the same time (it never really feels like it pushes the movie forward?), and it all adds up to a movie that is a pleasant enough big-screen version of the central themes and iconography of OOO. (Hands reaching out! Possessions! Ice cream!) It’s Movie OOO, and it’s pretty good at that two-word mandate.

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Nothing says early 2010s Kamen Rider movie like Toei finding an excuse to use the Edo set.

My own rewatch is lagging a little behind and I'm not sure I'll do this movie anyway, but one thing that I always note about watching these summer movies again is that I never remember that the next guy debuts partway through the film. There's always that one moment where there's a monster in the way and all of a sudden the new dude shows up. It's especially weird since the movie's fansubs were coming out about six months into the new show's run and this beta version of the Rider feels just a little off the mark.

With this film, my two biggest memories are 1) wanting to see the new form debut so I could learn what its jingle sounds like and 2) Toei reusing the big chunk of city flipping over effect in the Ex-Aid/Build team-up (which I want to say is the one that also featured OOO and Fourze).

The weirdest thing about Fourze's appearance here is that he actually helps OOO against the main villain, instead of the now-standard practice of bumping off one of the lieutenants solo, while the title hero heads off to fight the big bad. Here, it's just Fourze beating up Gara alongside OOO, leaving, and then Gara comes back to fight OOO. It's so weird?

And, yeah, Gentarou is slightly off-model here. You can sort of see the original Kamen Rider Urban Legend concept creeping in around the edges, with the whole thing about him befriending every Rider, but I'm still a little impressed that Yuki gets a little onscreen cameo. It's not really Fourze without other members of the KRC!

So rewatching this recently, I have to wonder whether was Gara was always an evil body snatching, world destroying maniac even in the 12th Century, and Kougami’s great however many times grandfather locked him away to stop his destruction, or if he went crazy after being locked in a coffin with no body for no reason.

Also, like the previous 2 OOO movies, this one doesn’t really work in continuity (most notably, the Greeed quartet crashing on Maki’s couch with neither Ankh being their roommate), but given Eiji’s fear of snakes, which briefly comes up here, there’s the perfect explanation as to why BuraKaWani never appears again.

I want to say that another thing that makes this movie impossible to occur is that if you pay attention there are 4 Taka medals roaming around in the events of the movie.

So...those civilians that got stuck in the Edo period never came back, did they? They're just stuck there? Last we saw of them they waved Eiji and co. goodbye. I'm surprised they just left that thread hanging!

Don't forget that the Greeed gave up their Medals to OOO in order to his All Full Combo finale on Gara. Did he... just give them all back to them? Did they somehow defeat him for them, and just leave afterwards?

KAMEN RIDER OOO EPISODE 45 - “A SURPRISE ATTACK, PROTO-BIRTH, AND A DESIRE FOR LOVE”

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Ha ha, WHOOPS.

Naturally, not a single episode after I insultingly shrugged off the non-Ankh/Maki/Eiji Greeed as being one-note clowns that the series has largely outgrown, rendering their continued presence to be a distracting and flavorless sideshow to the more epic drama occurring outside and beyond them, this friggin’ show makes them epic and dramatic. I’d be mad, but I’ve actually never been happier to eat my words.

The secret to this episode’s melancholy success isn’t even really in the Mezool story that forms its climax, despite that whole sequence being tense and unrelenting. (The way 9-Medal Mezool just takes apart Proto-Birth and OOO – not through huge new flamboyant powers or CG trickery, but through just being faster and stronger – is one of the best fight scenes yet in this show. The two heroes genuinely look outclassed, while Mezool looks unstoppable.) While the Greeed are desperate to regain their Medals in order to bask in the echoes of humanity, Ankh’s petulance and frustration slowly gives way to a kind of grief and guilt, which is the fascinating story decision that ties this whole thing together.

Ankh’s desire isn’t for some unknowable feeling that he’s never had, like Mezool’s simulacrum of motherhood, it’s basically just to hold onto what he stumbled into over the last year. Ankh can playact as another one of the malevolent Greeed, but he’s so much more than that now. The things that Mezool wants – connection, love, a feeling of contentment that can only come with mutual affection – he had all that, and he gave it up because he feared losing it. That self-inflicted wound grows visibly larger as the other Greeed start to indulge their hunger, because Ankh knows that they aren’t even really tasting what he had. Their hunger is rapacious and infinite because it’s all they are, but they’ll never get the satisfaction he has from possessing a human body. His growing discontent with the fraud inherent in the Greeed ramps up nicely against both Mezool’s brief victorious indulgence, and Eiji’s inability to hide his own changes.

And that’s other nice thing about an episode where Eiji very quickly recedes to the background in order to better serve the larger Greeed cast – it’s a thread that’s sort of all about how Eiji recedes into the background? Eiji’s fervor to save someone like Shingo completely evaporates when his friends ask him to treat his own life with the same respect, and that’s such a fun story to tell as a parallel to the Greeed’s quest for the trappings of human engagement and sensation. Much like Ankh, Eiji has what they want, and he’s letting it all slip through his fingers. Eiji and Ankh are the exact same character in this episode, and they can’t seem to find a way to extricate themselves from their spiral without losing even more of themselves in the process.

This is a pretty perfect Final Four episode (and during March Madness, even!), since it lets the heroes and villains act as mirrors to each other, while also keeping anyone from getting what they want. It’s all fatalism and regret, which is a very fun place to be as a viewer.

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I obviously can't list all examples, but though this might not be serious, you do object to Fish celebrating those who hurt themselves for the sake of good. Otherwise, an example (in this website) of what's said as hypothetical here is this:
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It's a hot take for someone to think that giving up what you have isn't really heroic, the question there.

Well of course, LaToraTah is a normal Combo, rather than an upgraded one like TaJaDor and PuToTyra, so it's rather a bare minimum for a fully upgraded Greeed in Mezool to kick his ass. I feel that there are new powers playing a part here in Mezool mostly becoming water, like Wizard Water Style. But OOO managed to win when using the Medagabryu, final form's weapon, so I guess the weapon makes the difference too despite the body's combo, other than the destroying Medals part.

Mezool's name means to love (also sounding like mizu which refers to her water-based powers). Yeah Mezool didn't die yet after ep. 15, because her true motivation wasn't revealed yet, to feel genuine maternal love. Mezool's motherly love for Gamel, Lost Ankh, and Maki (though a creepy one for this) was her attempt to feel maternal love which was futile, and thus she left Gamel and start abducting mother and children to feel them. Though there's a difference between Ankh having experienced a human body and the Greeed being a mere things (though I thought it's just Maki looking down on others), greedy humans also often can't be satisfied and be happy, no matter what they achieve, like never being content with any amount of wealth, ambition, or power they gain, and continue their corrupt crimes for more. Which is how villainy isn't necessarily what one truly wants, despite that seemingly some think becoming evil person seems to make them happier as they gain more, and is also a part of why someone evil doesn't really understand virtue and dismiss them, like thinking that they can bribe the heroes.

This'd be back into how Hina feels she's unconsciously asking Eiji to do her favors, something she blamed herself for some episodes before, to unknowingly use Eiji has her 'convenient god'. It's what Eiji wants too to save Shingo but she didn't really have much reaction about it despite her previous feelings, other than obvious wanting him to protect himself, like what repeatedly said before to him.

That weapon's purpose is to destroy Medals, so I'd assume that it's as powerful against any level of Greeed/Yummy.

So, what happened to all the mothers and daughters Mezool cocooned? They’re not shown being freed at any point and given something in the next episode, I’d have to say it’s permanent.

Since 45 ends on a cliffhanger while all this is still going on, I really couldn't say yet.

No, not without debating. Debating is the important part! If a complaint cannot stand up to challenge, then it will fall apart, so I will confront and debate to get closer to the truth of the argument, no matter which way that may lead. No such thing as a credible point that hasn't been challenged first. Another important part is that even if I acknowledge a flaw, it doesn't necessarily diminish my own enjoyment. Subjective experience is unique for each person after all.

That's right, heroism isn't about selflessness or selfishness, it's just about protecting people's happiness. Eiji is a hero for everybody else, but who will be a hero for Eiji? There's Ankh, but he's so focused on his own personal problems that he's unreliable. So it's good that Hina cares about Eiji and pushes him to put himself first more. She's the bridge between them that makes their toxic friendship a little healthier. But she's also in a place where Eiji and Ankh have mostly made up their minds, so she can do little but watch sadly as they walk further towards ruin with self-destructive actions.

As a certain cafe master once said: "What kind of villain could be as stylish as me?"

Technically, English is also a European language. Anyway, King was clearly an eccentric like his cake-loving descendant, so it seems futile to question his methods.

I mean, not for this example, as I find the non-Ankh Greeeds to be mostly unsympathetic. But I generally prefer villains who feel like actual people with personal goals and motivations, instead of like, Unidentified Lifeforms from Kuuga. A big part of Faiz's appeal for me is how Orphenochs are people first, which allows the narrative to explore the meaning of humanity, in the opposite way that Ryuki explored the concept of Kamen Riders who are monsters.

Wait, the undersuit is silver?! Is there like some kind of Detail Of Heroes thing that shows this clearly? Is it the same shade of silver as Build Genius?

Yeah, other than being one of the coolest Final Forms both aesthetically and functionally, I appreciate how Putotyra's introduction totally changes the status quo for the remainder of the show and how the absence of desire makes it a power unique to Eiji, in contrast to the tyrant King.

I don't remember that, but I definitely remember it in Ghost Episode 4!

That didn't stop Batman.

Oh, I remember this quote. I think it was from a Geats thread?

I'm racking my brain to think of another actor's look in Kamen Rider that is as iconic as Ankh's, and I just can't name one. There are plenty of memorable outfits and hairstyles (Gentarou's recent cameo brings him to mind), but Ankh's hairstyle/red pants/one-sleeve/monster hand design is an all-time look.

Although I don't think the Greeed are sympathetic, they are certainly much more entertaining than the UI from Kuuga, like you said. And I also love Faiz for this! I think Ryuki and Faiz make a really great spiritual duology, as Ryuki is about what it means to be a Kamen Rider and Faiz is about what it means to be a monster. It's some really great stuff!

KAMEN RIDER OOO EPISODE 46 - “GREEED EIJI, DOUBLE BIRTHS, AND ANKH’S DESIRE”

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So, let’s dispense with the Double Births part first, because it mostly exists in this episode as a thing the main plot can cut away to, in order better control the tension. The subplot here could’ve been Cous Coussier’s diminished staffing for an Italian Night menu (who will wear the Leaning Tower costume?!), or Kougami’s attempts at birthday cupcakes (he just starts crying uncontrollably), but instead, it’s the triumphant if strangely underplayed return of Date Akira.

Always a delight to see him, and I certainly feel an amount of pride at him supporting the Chicago Bears upon his heroic entrance. (The 2010 season was a pretty good one! 11-5, with a trip to the NFC Championship game! We definitely don’t need to talk about who the Bears lost to that kept them from going to the Super Bowl!) While I don’t want to downplay how good it feels to have Date show up in the nick of time to give Gotou a hand in defeating Gamel, it’s such a second place plot in this episode that I kind of can’t muster up more than a Welcome Back, before immediately thinking about other things.

Things like Ankh and Eiji.

This show’s yearlong focus on their complex relationship continues to captivate in its endgame, where the vague machinations of Maki’s insanity and the other Greeed’s dwindling numbers feel like minor details of some previous storyline compared to the massive weight and significance of the Eiji/Ankh conflict. There’s for sure clear and compelling stakes – The End Of The World, for one prominent and oft-referenced example – but those things are academic and barely hold attention, when there’s all of the emotional stuff between Ankh and Eiji coming to the surface.

Just like last time, it’s the Ankh portion that feels the most heartbreaking and frustrating. After episodes of dancing around the main point of contention for his friends, Ankh flat out asks Hina to let him keep Shingo’s body. It’s easily the most vulnerable Ankh’s ever been, and that vulnerability makes it even harder for Hina to tell him no. She has to, obviously – giving Shingo’s body over to Ankh is consigning Shingo to death. But telling Ankh no is also consigning Ankh to, at best, a shadow of a dream of an existence. It’s telling Ankh he doesn’t deserve the life he’s stumbled upon, because someone else deserves it more. Hina has a chance to save Ankh, to end the battle that’s destroying Eiji, but she can’t do it at the cost of her brother. The impossible position she’s put in is one of the best story decisions this show has ever made. Where another series would keep things laser-focused on Eiji and Ankh, this smarter, better show opens things up to let Hina face the same grueling, despairing decisions that the boys are facing. She’s in this, too, and the show never lets you forget it.

The Eiji side of things is great, if a little less grandiose and emotional for its continued inability to get Eiji out of the self-destructive rut the show has been highlighting over the last few episodes. But if it's (slightly) lesser than Ankh's story, it's still thrilling and touching in its own right. Having Eiji thank Ankh, mid-battle, for giving him a year to help people as Kamen Rider OOO is one of the best Eiji moments in a series replete with exceptional moments for that character. Even as Eiji is trying to save the world from the Greeed, even as he’s in a brawl with Ankh to regain the OOO Driver he needs to end Gamel’s rampage, he still empathizes with Ankh’s desperation to live. Having Eiji struggle with his Greeed identity in alternating scenes with Ankh’s acceptance of his need to live like the common people do, it’s another super smart thing this show does. The obvious symbolism is the Greeed arms they both share; the fun thematic stuff is in their criss-crossing levels of humanity.

(Speaking of symbols: boy, super big fan of how the show makes the Medal Holder such a prominent part of Ankh’s story here. The fact that it’s a gift that Hina made for Ankh – a thing someone gave him – is so smart in how it allows the narrative to loop Hina back in on all of this. Also, I love that in the beginning of the scene that establishes how much everyone has meant to Ankh in an attempt to evoke the audience’s sympathy, Ankh still leaves the fridge door open after getting his ice cream, because he was only thinking of himself. Some things will never change!!!)

I loved this episode. It’s a Feelings Fight on the beach, where Ankh’s refusal to surrender his existence runs up against Eiji’s inability to value his own. The way these two characters’ stories keep rhyming and commenting on each other as the series winds down… gosh, it’s really the best.

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Can't complain, though other characters with possible iconic looks within Kamen Rider I suppose are Takashi Hagino as the snakeskin-clad Asakura in Ryuki and Hidenori Tokuyama Yaguruma aka when he goes full-on bowl noodle fanatic edge lord as Kickhopper. Quite memorable in my opinion, whether they are considered fashionable or not. And then there's Tendo in his samue(pronounced sah-moo-eh) whenever he is getting tofu.

Oh, sure, plenty of memorable silhouettes and costumes -- Sento's mismatched sneakers, all the Team Baron outfits, Touma's whole Middle-Aged Mom On A European Vacation vibe -- but Ankh's aesthetic is completely locked-in at an impossibly high level.

About Maki being said as going insane here, I don't know if this is something recent for you, as even back then when you thought Kazari was smart about working with Maki and getting ahead compared to the other Greeeds, I already knew/guessed that working with Maki would be a bad idea, of which Kazari's demise was in Maki's hands, because Maki's irredeemable monster who has no positive traits and evil vs evil can happen. And here too, Maki was attempting to throw Gamel under the bus. And Date never realized that the only reason they beat full-powered Gamel was because Maki already damaged his Cores. I wished that Date would be informed that the Greeeds now have obtained their full power. One thing is also that, Date learns about the benefits of self-sacrifice, something he objected about Eiji before, to agree with Goto's suicide tactics.

Maybe those "lesser" shows would also often have companions, like Hina here, who display sadness over the bad things that happen in their circle. Because other people (depending on the people or the shows), or perhaps you, would dismiss that, doesn't mean that this thing about the companion facing the same grueling things doesn't happen. Like if the character isn't for them, or if they aren't impactful enough for them (I don't know if they're objectively bad, though yeah there are types who would be generally disliked by fandom), yeah people may not care at all about what's going on for them, but doesn't mean that it's not done. Otherwise, Hina gets her answer on what Ankh really wants, when reasoning with him in ep. 44 before.

Guess it does get brought up, not to Ankh though, when Eiji talked with Kitamura (the creepy possessive school friend), about why he needs Ankh. Otherwise, Eiji still ends up becoming a Greeed, despite now Eiji has declared his true desire, wanting power to protect others. Though this is my first time watching OOO, and that I've read elsewhere that it's said that Eiji finally found his true desire of wanting power to protect others, it still doesn't count as one to nullify the Greeed effects on Eiji eh? And guess just like the other Greeeds, Ankh's Shingo body is his human disguise like what the likes of Uva, Gamel, etc. used, with Ankh being able to access the previously Lost Ankh body now, to fight the Greeed Eiji, after previously fighting in both human forms with one monster arm.

By this, I don't know how to differentiate between the complaint actually still being able to stand up to said debate or challenge, or if one is just being a contrarian, too stubborn to accept loss, too biased to be objective, just wanting to win the debate, grasping on straws to fight the losing battles with those defenses. Obviously, the latter means anything coming from that person's mouth is just invalid, and often the solution others give is just to never engage in debates or just leave things be, practicing the art of not giving a fuck.

So it doesn't take something like the Stomachs from Gavv who already have massive bodycounts including the main Riders' loved ones (of which the fandom generally seems to agree that they're the worst people ever, even more than Banno) to be unsympathetic to you. I thought, except for perhaps Kazari, the Greeeds, other than Maki, are the type who people won't feel that they crossed the lines too much to be beyond redemption or adding sympathetic traits (without those feeling offensive to them). Their villainy are rather like the type such as Jabel or the Dark Sisters, the type whose redemption wouldn't be complained about by the fanbase - with also like what you said above about being someone's hero, the likes of Mezool and Gamel can seem to fit as the heroes for the group, with Gamel being the hero to Mezool (something that people can use to justify a villain as just a good guy in another perspective). Being unsympathetic for many people can be those who they feel are too evil to get one, but I guess for you it can be also about being generic doomsday type.

Nah, it was from Controversial Rider opinions thread, of which, yeah, the one on the quote was what you said. I'm obviously using that to prove to Die about what I'm talking about. And yeah, what we think about not glorifying sacrifice would be the minority, with OOO being something that mostly vilifying desire as obviously what the fanbase supports.

It doesn't, because a desire needs to be at least a little bit selfish. Eiji's desire now is Helping People, but that's something that only exists when someone else needs help, or asks for Eiji to intervene, or reaches out; it's someone else's desire with Eiji as the conduit, and that's the whole problem right now. A desire that would counteract the takeover of the Purple Medals needs to be something that's just for Eiji. (This is all my read of the show so far! Opinions may differ!)

Around 30 episodes before this point, there was an episode of this show directed by Satoshi Morota that involved Eiji and Ankh splashing around in water while working out their feelings, but the version of it we get in 46 is definitely the one I think of more often. Like, that "thank you" from Eiji in particular is maybe one of the single most memorable things in the whole series to me -- one of those things that's stuck with me even from all the way back when I originally watched the show.

Yes, but I also always thought of it as just being white, and I'm pretty sure that's the impression they were aiming for? Calling it a pearlescent white or something might be more accurate? I tried to go check some official sources real quick, and rather helpfully, the Zukan website's page for PuToTyra -- despite being plastered with photos where the undersuit looks pretty silvery -- also has the same specs that would've been on the show's own site all the way back in the day, where the bit about the undersuit explicitly says the color has changed to a "shining white". So we definitely aren't just crazy!

It's so great. It's Eiji telling Ankh that even though being OOO is literally destroying him, it still gave him the chance to help people and brought him back from half of an existence, and even if he doesn't live much longer, he got to do something meaningful with the time he had, and that's what living really is -- which is so massively relevant to this show's endgame. Beautiful sequence.

So we’re at the point where Eiji becomes a Dinosaur Greeed. Which despite what you might think, wasn’t set in stone from the start, as producer Naomi Takebe had cold feet about implementing the idea. There was also the fact the identity of the dinosaur Greeed was also constantly changing, from a new character, to Hina (which would’ve been the explanation for her super strength) to Date (after his planned death and resurrection), before they went with Maki.

Also, side note, I can’t explain why, but I’m really not keen on Gamel’s complete look.

For me, it's the skirt pieces. I think it makes Gamel look a little too regal, which is 100% not his demeanor.

KAMEN RIDER OOO EPISODE 47 - “A RED CRACK, SATISFACTION, AND EIJI’S POTENTIAL”

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/ooo/ooo47a.png

Ha ha, what if Eiji’s the show’s big bad?

It’s a fun twist, if you can call something the show’s been talking about for 46 episodes a “twist”. Everything over the last half-dozen episodes has been pointing towards Ankh as the selfish bully that Eiji will have to overcome in order to save the world, but this one pivots fully into an Eiji Emergency, with Ankh as the world’s only hope to contain a possibly apocalyptic humanitarian.

I like it, not for how unexpected it might be, but for how naturally it flows into the conversation this show’s been having around Eiji. The thesis statement of this show is that any desire without concern for people is bad, and that includes a lack of concern for yourself. Desire needs to be tempered with compassion and care; any desire without those guardrails is dangerous. So, yeah, an Eiji who can no longer see the benefit in keeping his scope personal, and his aid to only what he can reach, is going to be a massive problem for the show to solve. Hina pushing Eiji into saving Shingo is bad, but we’re well past the point where anyone’s asking Eiji to do these things. He can’t see anything but the desire to be powerful enough to save everyone, even if it means becoming a world-destroying monster in the process.

Balancing this rampaging Eiji against a contemplative and vulnerable Ankh is just one of many nervy, unsettling choices this terrific episode makes. (So much weird editing and cutting! It really makes for a disorienting episode! In a good way!) Getting to see Ankh go from uncertainty as to why he cares about what he’s done for Eiji, to a realization that he maybe put an addict back on the road to a relapse, and then tying it all up in Ankh’s acceptance that – much like Eiji did for him – Ankh’s going to have to fight to save Eiji’s life, it’s real good. Turning this whole thing, in one episode, from a story of partners at each other’s throats to a story about a friend reaching out to another friend if it’s literally the last thing he does… hard to do! Hard turn to make! But with an episode this solidly done and smartly written, it looked weirdly easy.

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/ooo/ooo47b.png

Oh yeah, it's definitely iconic. I suppose simple yet effective best describes it? Amazing what they achieved visually with not too many things.

The three things I remember about episode 47.

1. Maki randomly blurting out his music tastes, dispelling any notion edgelords might have of him listening to death metal.

2. Chiyoko finally learns everything

3. The music video for Anything Goes had OOO fighting Uva in the presence of someone named Maki (namely, singer Maki Ohguro), and the episode ends with things about to come full circle.

It really is amazing!

While it's nice that Chiyoko finally gets looped in (in the penultimate episode) it's sort of a shame that it happens off-screen. I get that there's a ton of other stuff that needs to be addressed in this episode, and the episode itself is great, but it's still a missed opportunity, I think.

Although I am glad to see Date back, the whole thing happens so fast that I'm not sure why they even had him leave in the first place. Also, missed opportunity to have Satonaka don the new Birth suit! It makes me feel like they literally wrote a written-off character back into the show just to make sure Satonaka stays in the support role. Sad!

Satonaka agreed to let Date come back for 35% of Gotou's salary.

So indeed what stops Eiji's berserk state is his desire for the power to save everyone. I felt that, yeah obviously, giving a desire to the main Rider type like Eiji would still be something not for himself but primarily in service of others. This can feel that there won't be any difference in how Eiji acts, and as this comes up really late in the series, perhaps there won't be enough time to prove said difference between Eiji then and Eiji now, unlike something such as Gavv where Shoma realized early on that he shouldn't distance himself from others. And for here where it's said that desire without concern for people is bad, this rather sounds like most of the other people's, like eating or fame, as it's about self-benefit.

Guess Ankh's change is made more obvious than I thought, that Ankh now acts differently from his previous appearances. His antagonistic stint before, as usual for those who were on the protagonist's side, had him expressing distaste to the other villains, due to their lack of humanity, unlike Ankh's experience with Shingo. Where Maki now throws him under the bus for it. Dunno if this'd have the fanbase think Ankh was just pretending or that he did nothing wrong for this. He was more vulnerable when asking for Shingo's body to Hina, and now he questions what Maki wants to do with Eiji, gives him some encouragement, just assures Hina that Shingo is safe, while going off to help Eiji. Actually expressing some affection for the cast, though he still refers to Eiji as an idiot.

Date had to leave to get treatment to remove the bullet in his brain, using the 100 million yen he had obtained.

I would hope the answer to both would be laughter, and then a firm No.