It's certainly looking that way!

It would've certainly helped this betrayal land at all if we'd gotten a sense of Heure and Ora as more than just The Other Two Time Jackers. If they'd served some specific purpose, or had designs of their own, or tried to usurp Swartz, or SOMETHING. Instead, they're just two kids who rode Swartz'z coattails until he randomly decided to stop letting them do that. Fun story!

Tomorrow night! OVER-QUARTZER!

Villain? No

Antagonist? Yes.

It all really feeds into how I feel about Oma Zi-O and my interpretation of him at the end of it all. And while I think he's a wonderful antagonist... he's not the main villain of the series. As dull as the Time Jackers are, they're the true villains while Oma Zi-O is an inevitability of something to come.

Rider Time Ryuki! Man when the first was announced I was super hyped about it! The amount of returning actors, Odin, Another Ryuki, getting see to the Heisaber again. The best way I can sum up it like the opposite episode of ZI-O where the Legend Riders are the main focus, Sougo and Geiz are only in one scene and we only use the Ryuki music. Honestly souring point for me is no Femme not even a new user a Abyss is lteral nothing in this special he's not even nameed! (If your wondering yes all the other replacement Riders do have actual names so Abyss was so last minute) it also intreasting that Asakura remembers Ryuki which feels strangely on point with the character for some reason.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NT-p...ature=youtu.be

And here this really well made fanmade op of Rider Time Ryuki(that also uses footage from Dragon Knight) which I hope can help entice you into watching that show)

Let's get the negative outta way first of all man these suits have seen better days lol. Secondly Tezuka was so out of character before getting his memories back and I hated it he was the most moral Rider in the show so to see him scting like this when everyone else is in character just hurts so much more. Asakura just not giving a shit is still the best. Ren and Shinji being compelled by their past lives memories feels poignent and I actually don't mind the amnesisa stuff I'd rather they try that rather than just act like everything was back to how it was in 2002 like Build V-Cinema which to me chickened out on actually telling a story about the New World and how things have changed.

But I love Sougo moment in this episode he looks he about turn into Ohma to beat done Another Ryuki just wanting to stop this mindless violence by any means necessary.

So getting to see Odin transform at last was really cool 17 years late but still. Also getting to see the final Survive card as well as the three cards together was such a great deep cut for this show fans have been speculating and waiting for that for years. As someone who doesn’t like Ryuki ending I love Rider Time Ryuki it feels more in line with the inherent tragedy with the show and I think it cool inverse if nothing else. Also I sctual,y kinda dig the new Verde Kimiura his actor did well with limited work to tell a normal rando thrust into this like Shinji but with a more jaded outlook it’s a shame that he only fought in the first episode (what was the point of Tezuka giving back his deck?)

Not denying that, I also stated that due to how you had not so pleasant experience with him and I was more like expect yourself to be disappointed on Hiryu to not have high hopes on him from said previous experience. And yeah there's nothing wrong to expect substance or nuance, but my point was about how substance and nuance isn't only done by something out of the viewer's preference, something not on viewer's preference can be also substance or nuance even if it's not their type. Like when someone hates on main protagonist for not being like Tsukasa or such, and claims them having no substance/nuance due to being a 'goody-two-shoes', doesn't mean they actually have no substance/nuance, it's kinda them having wrong take on the character they hate.

So you actually like this one, I didn't expect it because this can be a reset button that renders previous memories of what have been watched in Zi-O futile, after all every developments, interactions, buildups, comedies, etc., are all erased in an instant and it's not a final resolution to make the situation better or such. And that due to how this is now ep. 42, the relationship restart can be really rushed compared to what we see previously. And you may not like it but for this one the Another Riders are Hiryu's own creation, not taking civilians as puppets like before, so yeah this one's intentionally showing that the Another Riders are empty shells, to show about how Hiryu has been upgraded, though as usual, this details more of Swartz's importance that he's the one behind everything in Zi-O, the actual driving force of the story's conflict, instead of someone who reacts to the story like everyone else, which is why he's the main antagonist.

While the timeline has changed and that Sougo lost everything he knew, including his family, Sougo himself hasn't changed at all, so they're now dealing with the better version of Sougo that has solved his Ohma Zi-O problems. But yeah, despite that it's what Tsukuyomi wanted to alter his destiny and guide him to become the hero he wanted to be, the ones who successfully changed that was only Sougo himself to accept his dark side as well as Junichiro to reprimand him for his blind optimism. Albeit she does make her intent herself to build up relationship with him by saving Sougo here. You describe this as 'empathetic pragmatism', and without enough context, probably audiences can assume Tsukuyomi as naive idiot who plays right into enemy's hands and consider Geiz as sensible to finish the job quickly, encouraging him to kill the future villain. I'd talk more about Woz later as he's still in middle of his current role, despite that it's enough for viewers to assume that Woz only cares about who'd become overlord, and for those who didn't put Woz on pedestal, would be expected as he's not morally sound and wants to create a ruler overlord, just happens to help the main protagonist.

There's an implied amnesic relations for both Geiz and Tsukuyomi, of which here Geiz still has tsundere feelings for Sougo, to feel a strange feeling in his chest due to how he can't hate Sougo even if he wants. Though obviously as someone who isn't altered, Sougo kept his faith on Geiz before, to believe that Geiz would promise to end him when he became an evil overlord, but actually this almost costed him his life, as Geiz almost killed him if not for Tsukuyomi stopping time. For this one, though I've seen someone in Rider that is revealed to not have a killing intention later, while previously he's still stopped, such as his lookalike Ren from Ryuki, for this one Geiz is inch away from hitting Sougo though, so it seems that he had an intention to kill him here, at least at first. Sougo pretty much seems to play a New Game+ here against Geiz to spoil what'd Geiz do with him in the future, though obviously it'd be a success here.

Probably it goes without saying but yeah there's everyone's opinion including yours on Sougo on his debut. Though I also admit that I warmed up over Sougo better too when typing on this post (my talk about his delusion at the beginning was also a show of disapproval on him, compared to other protagonists) compared to the time when I watched the series on TV. Sougo is still a frequent punching bag over Tsukasa though in the franchise, I know people obsess over him, but Sougo is frequently hated and bashed to make him look bad compared to Tsukasa.

Big part of why I haven't replied to the last few episodes is because I legitimately don't remember anything about them.

Well considering how much attention the show has given to Sougo rising up from being an ordinary high schooler to a king, a guy like Schwartz who’s been groomed as a royal his whole life, but was never meant to actually take the throne, no matter how much he wanted to, is a perfect foil. It’s like poetry, it rhymes.

Anyway, we’re at the point I can FINALLY do this.

Ridewatch Playlist: All in the Cards Mix

https://youtube.com/watch?v=AfTTDTJ_qPI

“KamenRide! The Rider who transforms into other Kamen Riders is… Decade”

We start off with a pretty easy choice, in Journey Through the Decade https://youtube.com/watch?v=D7T_Y49KrrQ

“Every Rider is a target. The destroyer of worlds, Decade Gekijoutai”

This only appeared in one movie. So the only logical choice is Stay the Ride Alive https://youtube.com/watch?v=OidK6MW8V_s

“The warrior inheriting the true power of the Kamen Riders. Decade Complete Form”

And while this doesn’t necessarily describe this form, I wanted to get this song in somewhere and there weren’t many other candidates, so here’s Ride the Wind https://youtube.com/watch?v=BLxxzAa1As0

“KamenRide! Summoning other Kamen Riders, Decade’s rival is… Diend”

And for him, there was also an obvious choice, with Treasure Sniper https://youtube.com/watch?v=csIF_KYkvo0

And for Another Decade, I went with Revolutionize, a song ostensibly performed by all three Time Jackers, but if you listen closely, you can hear that Schwartz is the loudest voice. https://youtube.com/watch?v=W7gXASQ7Nto

And whereas Decade is one of three Riders to have watches for all his forms (the other being Faiz and Redacted, his series sure hell isn’t.

Kamen Rider Diend (Complete Form)
Kamen Rider Kivala
Kamen Rider Kuuga (Rising Ultimate)
Kamen Rider Abyss
Kamen Rider Amaki

And while Another Decade hasn’t appeared in the flesh yet, I can still do the compare and contrast in terms of character, since Schwartz counters both Tsukasa and Kaito.

Tsukasa was the former leader of Dai-Shocker who chose to conquer the 9 Worlds for his own amusement, only to have a Heel Realization when he found that his sister had been corrupted to fight for them. In contrast, Schwartz intends to use Sougo Tokiwa as a Puppet King for his own conquest and treated his younger sister like crap.

As for the second guy, Kaito broke away from an authority position to escape the controlling influence of his Big Brother Bully, while stealing only unique, irreplaceable objects from every dimension he visited as collectibles. Schwartz chose to stay in his position of authority, taking away the unique powers of the Heisei Kamen Riders to advance his plans. Schwartz is also a Big Brother Bully, manipulating Heure and attempting to murder Tsukuyomi.

Edit: I promised to give more on Hiryu and I will deliver. Someone thought him showing up in this arc was a lead up to him learning that Schwartz had sacrificed his parents for Sougo’s ascension, which would lead to him joining the heroes. Even when it didn’t happen, the same guy insisted it should’ve happened at some point in the final arc and was disappointed when this was his last appearance. Meanwhile I’m like “I doubt telling him the truth would make a difference at this point. Plus he’s definitely not as sympathetic as you seem to think he is, random person.”

Anyway, join us next time for 4 playlists in one.

It goes without saying, but Swartz's big reveal was nothing special. At all. For one, Tsukuyomi being his sister was already revealed in the preview, making the "big reveal" pointless, and even if they didn't spoil it, we would have figured it out long ago when Sougo went to her childhood home and there was her brother with the same smug hat as when Swartz told Sougo to become king. And most jarring of all, is that his grand plan makes absolutely no gosh darn, hornswoggling, jerry-jimming sense!

When we were introduced to the Time Jackers, they were trying to oppose Oma Zi-O by crowning a new king to take his place, and now Swartz is saying he was doing it so he could become king, and he didn't bother trying to kill Sougo in the first place to do it. The Time Jackers, here, showed that they are perhaps the worst Rider Villains I've seen so far, because their goals and just about everything else have nothing to put them near Evolt, Genmdeus, Fourze's Principle, Baron, or even Shiro from Ryuki, they all had something that made them something which the Time Jackers lacked. Long story short, they're a mess, with Swartz at the top of the heap.

And it doesn't help that this would be the place to make Hiryuu a fantastic villain. Swartz absolutely wasted him.

But on the positives side of things, Sougo renewing his friendship with Geiz and Woz was nice to see, and Tsukasa becoming my absolute favorite character. I loved the castle siege where they fought all the Another Riders, and Woz made a speech, prompting perhaps my favorite moment in all of Zi-O, and then there's that All Heisei Rider Kick, the gem of this whole arc. We also get more Kaito, who's just picking the opposing side just to mess with Tsukasa, which I find funny.

Anyway, we're nearing the climax of Zi-O! What a journey.

(Fish Sandwich also watched Kamen Rider Zi-O - EP42)
(Fish Sandwich also watched Kamen Rider Zi-O - EP43)

I feel like my summation of this three-parter as "Zi-O's Greatest Hits" is still pretty accurate. I mentioned how much I was looking forward to seeing where these episodes were going at the time, and I mostly ended up feeling like the answer to that question was "places we've already been." There's not a lot that this adventure really reveals about any of the characters involved, when you get down to it, and that's especially unfortunate when it also contributes to taking the wind out of the sails of the main villain's big motive rant. ...That being said, it's one of those things where I don't really begrudge the series for it too much in retrospect, and I could easily see myself enjoying these episodes more for what they are on a rewatch. The thing about retreading so many elements of this show that have been done before is that a lot of that stuff was good, right?

I mean, heck, I skimmed through these ones a bit to refresh my memory, so here's an example: how the very end wordlessly conveys Geiz being back to normal with that little exchange of gestures between him and Woz. It's nothing new, but it's such a wonderful summation of the post-Trinity dynamic between those two that it'd make me feel guilty for asking these episodes to do more than they are. Even the issue I had with Hiryuu -- the issue even *I* had -- with how 7 episodes with no development to show for it is maybe pressing his luck as a character, I already look at differently now, because the idea of Another Zi-O being a character so fundamentally and utterly trapped by the past that he's incapable of changing even slightly... that's still pretty dang on point, thematically? Oh, and speaking of thematically appropriate foils!

Me! Kind of! ...I mean, at least if nobody else will!

I guess the answer is really "no", if we're talking strictly about the actual plot mechanics going on here, which I distinctly remember feeling ~pretty~ messy, but I absolutely like the Time Jackers way more than I think most people do -- completely unironically -- and a lot of that started coming together for me in this final stretch of the series. Heisei Kamen Rider shows love their focus on found families, and Zi-O is maybe less subtle about that than usual. So I actually really ended up loving the contrast between the main heroes and villains. You have this protagonist in Sougo, who becomes best buds with his own executioner, living under the same roof with all his other time friends and his supportive and caring uncle; and then on the other side of all this, you've got Swartz: this colossally s***ty authority figure dragging these two surly kids around in this cold, affectionless dynamic where they basically all hate each other's guts and constantly treat one another like complete garbage, because that's all they've ever known and they don't know how to quit.

I don't know, it's hard to make a big case for them right now, going entirely off of memory, and I suspect it'd be another fun thing to pay more attention to on a rewatch, but while they aren't utterly amazing antagonists or anything, I don't doubt their presence is adding something worthwhile to the series. Really, the thing that bugs me most about these three is just that I can never remember how to spell their names. :lol