Dude loves his melodrama!

Like, I get what folks don't like about Inoue on Ryuki. Everything's turned up to 11: the humor, the drama, the everything. (He's the man who gave us DOUBLE SURGERIES a year earlier, so it's not like this is unexpected.) And, yeah, that can lead to him not, uh, finding nuance where another (better?) writer might.

But, man, there're points you really need to play it to the cheap seats, and when that happens, Inoue's your guy. He plays it to the goddamn parking lot.

I don't know if The First and The Next are on your viewing list, but the former devotes a huge portion of its runtime to a subplot involving two seemingly unrelated characters just so the film can pull off a last-minute tragic plot twist. There are a lot of times when you can feel Inoue really straining to create that cathartic moment for the audience that, to me at least, makes them feel so forced.

Sano's death, for the record, is one of the cases where I think it works. I didn't even like the guy but damn do I feel for him.

And to think, with all the wealth he had obtained, Sano could have retired in just three days...

No, between my first viewing of Ryuki as a child back in 2002 (it could have been 2003), and before re-watching it in 2013, my memories on a lot of the show was very spotty. There were several things that still left a permanent impression on my mind though. Among things like Odin's Time Vent nonsense, Ryuki using the Survive Card, Alternative's first appearance... of course Imperer's death. It messed me up for life (And I am grateful for it)!

Probably sorry that I may come off as pushy before, but I'm doing that for the series' sake. And somehow previously I caught your age topic response as you being ignorant like ignoring Raia as a name for Quarter forever... dunno what happened to I am... did I somehow became Metalgelas at ep. 20 or Shinji at ep. 43. As I want to talk about this (I know you want to only focus on these 2 but still) but nowhere to put them so I would do it here.

Now ORE Journal tries to publish the monster picture... poor them. Not only those 9 year olds, adults/publics also aren't exempt from this. ORE Journal also gets a flak for talking about Mirror stuff for real, jeopardizing their already ill-fated reputation to an even worse degree, losing even more of their subscribers. Shinji, you must help them, the Card Deck to henshin and possibly control Contract Monsters is the only way to prove the monsters and save ORE Journal's reputation!

Sanako insisted that Shinji (and Ren) can live in Atori if they help her out at the cafe's opening hours. And here she closed the cafe due to exactly zero person helping her... but Shinji got to stay (dunno if Ren still lives there)? I should say Shinji's truly lucky, he wasn't kicked out, what you want is only a place to live right? Yet you want the cafe to be re-opened again, increasing unecessary duties (for you), especially after handling 2 jobs.

Also look at Shinji's shirt at the beginning (lol). Read everything's written there.
https://media.discordapp.net/attachm...0195/shirt.jpg

For bolded one that's basically... all Riders in the war but Shinji and Tezuka? For Toujou sure, if only because of his lunatic mindset, but for Sano, it won't help only because of him never knowing what the Rider War truly is, to an even worse degree than Shinji. Sano's naivety is his eventual downfall as you can see in this very episode. He thinks it's a chance to get money with mercenary job, but it's about Riders killing each other until one man remaining. He thinks Shiro simply just put people into fight, when it's actually him intending for the fighters to be dead and stay that way. A̶l̶s̶o̶ ̶(̶o̶n̶e̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶f̶e̶w̶)̶ ̶h̶e̶n̶s̶h̶i̶n̶s̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶f̶r̶o̶n̶t̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶Y̶u̶r̶i̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶c̶a̶l̶l̶s̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶h̶e̶l̶p̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶h̶e̶r̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶M̶i̶r̶r̶o̶r̶ ̶W̶o̶r̶l̶d̶.̶ ̶He wants to quit for sure (he gets what he wants without killing people and prefers not dirtying his hands again, I think his redeeming quality is this, unlike you know, Verde), means he has no need for the war and wish, anymore, indicating he already gets what he wants, just prematurely in the middle of the war. He only becomes desperate after Shiro forces him to fight, otherwise get eaten. The only tragedy is (simply just becoming a Rider in this series IS tragedy) that if he didn't become a Rider, he would get to keep everything, so actually he only just needs to wait for some time to get his actual happiness. Of course you can't be fully happy if you don't have complete freedom yet.

Imperer also has an ironic death. I'd say one thing I like about Ryuki is how every Rider death is meaningful, like it's not simply people getting killed, they put efforts on killing them like making them ironic depending on which Rider. He actually became happy during the war, having no more need for the wish. Unfortunately, he had to fight in order to survive, and was betrayed by Toujou, whom he thought was his best friend. He died to Asakura soon after. Why here, Gigazelle didn't hunt and eat him as his Deck was destroyed by Ouja? Other than that, it's too unlucky for him that Ryuki is the one saving him from Tiger, but like with Kagawa's death, he didn't notice at all where Imperer is ambushed by Ouja, especially a very easy kill with how weakened he is. And even if Tiger scans the Advent Card, the attack feels like a Final Vent where Destwilder drags him across the ground for long time, only that it takes some time for Tiger to walk in, monologue, and stab Imperer in the gut (the finishing attack for his Final Vent).

And yeah this is what I meant before, Toujou fully knows that he's an outcast, and as you've seen, (understandably) among Riders too. That shapes him as a Rider for a whole, that he wanted to be liked by people by becoming a hero. And I have to note though, like Ren's wish to save Eri, or Kitaoka's wish to become immortal, "becoming a hero" is also Toujou's wish for winning the war. I don't know how Toujou's wish will be granted on him after winning (there are lotta ways to make someone a hero) but I'd say he should also has the same all-consuming drive, for hero is his war wish, so he also has the need to survive these battles to win and gain that wish (he thinks like that while killing Kagawa).

I think they have clear motivations and reasons of why they're fighting. Apart from hero is Toujou's wish, Sano having a happier life (possibly would mean him becoming rich after winning the war) is Sano's wish after winning. They have clear goal like that. And the futility, I dunno (probably half-right for Toujou). Toujou's clear he wants to be a hero, but the methods he used ends up ruining himself and others... because of his insanity, twisting an already flawed Kagawa's lesson to an even worse degree, to the point that Toujou's take won't even benefit anything unlike what Kagawa intends. Currently it's futile, but all he has left is the wish granting power Rider War gives ("to become a hero"), it's unknown if the wish will truly gives what Toujou wants. Sano's only futililty is the Rider War part itself, because he actually got what he wanted prematurely, making the risk involved to join the Rider War all for nothing. What he wants is clear, he's clearly satisfied of everything he got in this episode, he even wants to quit, not being greedy of wanting more. He only wants to survive, as a consequence of Rider War, where his method doesn't change, allying himself with other Riders (again), where this time he pays them, opposite to himself before who wants to get paid (at least Sano lives up to his methods!).

Yeah, Sano being the result of his rich father disowning him so he can be a self-made man... and look about the results, how he turned into here. His father thinks if he didn't do that, he would become a spoiled brat (Gai??), but even this method also backfires. He does get a bit of development though where he knows that Kitaoka's messing with him (he acts welcoming when he visits, possibly for the money, but he wants to create the contract within years, long after Rider War is over, which means he isn't intending to ally with him at all). It's something that... a parent's death in this one, where because it's a complete turnover, is treated as a joy, a blessing, a pleasure. Who actually didn't see it coming that Toujou will again, betray his comrade here?

I can just say this is a nice explanation for Sano's bird as symbolism. It's also probably doomed by the end of episode with Sano never coming back, which also potentiallly symbolizes their death.

Toujou's probably intended to be written with Asperger's Syndrome but it seems that neither writer fully understands it (keyword: intended). He creates the sadness himself (though it's not that he's free from it previously)... from his twisted take of Kagawa's teaching that a hero is someone who suffers, and attempted to do that even more by betraying Sano. And it creates even more irony in him, he thinks sacrificing others would make him grow stronger, but as episode 43 can attest, it only served to make him weaker (and gaining sanity slippage), that he's alone now, he becomes other Riders' punching bag. And Sano hasn't improved his living condition yet (his apartment) after inheriting all of those.

Probably those advisors only wants to use Sano as a puppet, as a figurehead for the company, they're secretly manipulating him as they convince the board of directors to hire only him. It's weird that my concern is for Sano's company that his father worked up hard for, how will it go under his leadership (where he seemingly can't work off enough that he becomes Rider), or especially at the end losing him. Tragically both Yuri (broken heart for sure, but I'm afraid she may think Sano dumps her or something) and the company may think that he has just forsaken them. And something bizzare in this episode... do you notice that Sano's company building took the exact same place as Takamizawa's?? Now I wonder who is richer between Kitaoka, Sano, or Takamizawa.

https://media.discordapp.net/attachm...4/company1.png
https://media.discordapp.net/attachm...9/company2.png

Ren's a stingy cheapskate, as his friends attest, so that reaction of him is expected. May or may not still want Shinji to pay him (only, without all the petty additional fees) 30000 yen and saw Sano's payment as a potential substitute. Also a Toyota Supra!

https://media.discordapp.net/attachm...7716/supra.png

It's such a shame that's the bit I liked more in The First and not any of the actual Rider drama. Maybe Inoue shoud get into making Romcoms someday.

I'm not even sure what I'm going to remember from this show a year from now. At least from the first 44 episodes, the Top 3 are probably going to be:

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/ryuki/ryuki44c.png

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/ryuki/ryuki35b.png

and Kitaoka's silent Henshin.

Yeah, I feel like four episodes or whatever was the perfect amount of space to tell Sano's story. It's a pretty discrete arc. Even the huge twist of My Old Man Died, it works for it all to be sudden and unexpected.

Look, if you're proposing Kamen Rider Always Be My Maybe, yes, I would absolutely watch that.

The level of business Atori sees drives me up the wall. There are times where it's just Auntie, pining for the Amazon, in a dimly-lit empty room. Then there are points when half the neighborhood shows up at once for tea. I don't think this is a Ren/Shinji/Yui problem, I think Auntie's got huge problems scheduling staff. Like, is there no pattern for how many people want tea, or when?

I agree! One of its strengths is how it makes the Riders' stories and fates the main story it's trying to tell. The monsters, the series arc, that's all secondary to telling a solid story about Riders.

Yeah, I assume he'd be nothing more than a symbol of continuity to assuage investors, but the show doesn't 100% confirm that. I think there's some room for interpretation. Yuri probably put two and two together and saw her date turn into a horned superhero and jump into a card window, then never return, and figured that he died. The company, though, yeah, I guess they'll think he just flaked. Those poor executives! They were so excited!

You know, the more we talk about this episode, the more I want to see a team-up between Imperor and Zero-One. I never noticed how similar their personal stories are.

Oh you don't like the guy? I thought you do with you giving remark that he's going to do memorable things before.

IIRC, the scene where Sanako pins for Amazon happened in... nighttime where Atori has...you know, closed. Did you talk about the neighbourhood showing up for this episode or also the previous parts too?

More like poor Sano's father in general.

I was alluding to his death. I always thought Sano was kind of a little shithead, but his death is a really stand-out moment in the series.

MASKED RIDER RYUKI EPISODE 45

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/ryuki/ryuki45a.png

If I'm being honest, I don't really give a shit about the Mirror World story. The series-long arc about Yui and Shiro, and the secrets behind their powers and the Rider Battles, I don't care. I think it's pretty boring and under-developed.

The thing that Ryuki does well, it's all character stuff. They've got a huge cast of compelling characters, each with intriguing motivations, and it's a blast to watch them all bounce off of each other, challenge each other's worldviews and create dynamic bonds. I feel like I could watch a million stories about these Riders. Ryuki's a show with an amazing premise, Rider Battles, and that's led to incredibly organic ways to keep the show doing what it does best. Just keep adding more Riders, and the show stays great.

By contrast, the mega-arc, Mirror World, feels undernourished. I feel like you could skip from episode 4 to episode 45, and you'd know just as much relevant information about Shiro and Yui as if you'd watched every intervening episode. There're a bunch of little details that've been sprinkled in, about Yui's childhood and slow discorporation and Shiro's goals ("goals”), but none of it's really impacted the world of the show. It's all academic, pieces of backstory that paint a minutely fuller picture of Shiro and Yui, but nothing that changes any characters. The things we find out, it's got all the impact of reading a Wiki entry. And it's weirdly part of an aggressive campaign on the part of the show to ignore any revelations for as long as possible. When Yui became Mirror Yui, nothing came of it. She forgot, and Shinji didn't tell her about it. The show just, like, wiped its hands of that plot, moved on. Yui's disappearing act, that's something that we've seen here and there, but Yui manages not to notice, so the show doesn't deal with it. Even when things like Kamen Rider Boss are introduced, they're only relevant for an episode or two before it's back to occasional Rider Battles and character conflicts. There feels like this inflexibility to the premise, where any attempt to widen the scope or alter the dynamic is only for a moment, and then it's Nope, No One Learned Anything Important About Mirrors.

It's been frustrating for me. There's this tension of the show wanting to check in frequently with the Mirror World plot, because that's obviously the show's endgame, but they don't seem to have 50 episodes worth of ideas for that plot. I'm not sure if I'd rather them spend way more time on Mirror World, or way less. What they've given me is not enough to care about, but too much to ignore.

So, anyway, yeah, we're getting into the final stories of Ryuki, and that means we're going to have to deal with Yui and Shiro.

In keeping with all of my complaints, we don't manage to learn more than one new piece of information, that Yui's younger self prophesized her death on her eventual 20th birthday. (Or something? Like everything with Yui and Shiro's story, I'm not sure if I'm supposed to be taking this sequence literally, like she knew it as a child, or metaphorically.) It's nice to have a ticking clock introduced, even if it feels totally arbitrary. I'd've been more intrigued if the prophecy had been that Yui would die before the 50th episode, just full-on dare the audience to say something about the deadline, but what can you do. Still, it does add more pressure to an already tense situation, as Ren and Shinji have to figure out what's going before it's too late.

Although, Ren has a line where I maybe shouted WAIT, WHAT at my screen when I read it. He and Shinji have left Yui at Kamen Rider Stadium (which they I guess broke into and climbed to the upper level just to have a talk about Mirror World, seems inconvenient but I'm not a Rider, maybe they get free access since it's Kamen Rider Stadium and they gotta get their flights in) to go save kids from monsters, as a Rider is wont to do, and Ren tells Shinji that Yui was probably right that all of the Rider Battle stuff is connected to her Yuincorporeal problems. Which, agreed! Seems like a solid assumption! Then he makes me irrationally angry by saying this:

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/ryuki/ryuki45b.png
https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/ryuki/ryuki45c.png

NO, REN, I DON'T THINK ANYTHING THAT'S HAPPENED MAKES SENSE. Like, Ren. You've got it all figured out? Why don't you break it down for me, a simpleton. How is a to-the-death battle between 13 magically-empowered combatants, an endless array of man-eating monsters, and time travel supposed to save Yui? Just... I feel like the show thought it spelled it all out for me, and I still don't see how anything in here is a plan to save Yui.

But, whatever. There's a bunch of episodes left to go, so maybe this will all come together in a way that doesn't seem infuriatingly convoluted. Maybe!

The non-Mirror World stuff, aka The Reason I Enjoy This Show, that comes out a lot better. (And, look, there's still some fun to be had even in the parts of this show I don't love. Kamen Rider Boss backhanded a truck.) Ren and Shinji have a very Ren-and-Shinji epilogue to Sano's story, where Shinji beats himself up for not doing more to save Sano, and Ren's just That Dude Was A Creep And We All Hated Him. It's super-succinct, totally in-character, and a really great way to comment on that story with two characters who were largely absent from it.

Toujou, however, was not absent from that story, and he's feeling pretty good about himself after Sano's death. So good that he gives a ride to Asakura, who I guess is just wandering around the city and assaulting cops (if you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life), so that they can fight. Toujou thinks he's killed Sano, putting him one step closer to being a hero. Except, Asakura killed Sano, which both enrages Toujou and delights Asakura.

I'm not completely clear on why Asakura declines to fight Toujou. He really hates that kid, and loves fighting. Seems like a fight would be a no-brainer. It works for me because of how pissed off it makes Toujou, that his kill was stolen and that Asakura doesn't think he's worth fighting. I can see that being good enough for Asakura for one day, this kid being furious at him. Plus, Asakura steals his car, which is a great heel move. Just him going I'm Keeping Your Car and all Toujou can do is walk off. Hilarious.

Equally hilarious? All of the Ore Journal/Kitaoka+Goro scenes. It's nice to see some continuity from the last few episodes when it comes to Ore Journal, as their big Mirror World expose (and, uh, probable years-of-financial-mismanagement) have left them scattered to the winds, working remotely to save their reputations. Editor has made an office out of the tea shop, which grates on Auntie but is, y'know, kind-of the main thing people use coffee shops and tea shops for in non-pandemic times? He buys something, at least, and I'm not seeing any other customers (this business!), so he's not a total asshole here. Shimada and Megumi are trying to get to the truth by hanging out at Kitaoka's office, and I'd've loved to see that interview take place. Missed opportunity! Overall, though, it's fun to see the Ore Journal stuff leak into other environments, mix with other characters. A great way to keep that plot going in ways that involve nearly every character on the show. (Reiko, however, is working so remotely that she doesn't even appear in this episode.)

So, yeah, a pretty fun episode, even if it's spending more time on my least favorite part of Ryuki. But, I don't know, maybe it'll all come together for me in the next few episodes. I'd love for that to be the case. I don't like not liking parts of this series!

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/ryuki/ryuki45d.png

Yeah, I wonder what Ren, a guy fighting in the Rider Battle to gain the power to save the life of someone he loves, would see as sensible about Kanzaki's plan to use the Rider Battle to gain the power to save the life of someone he loves. Definitely not seeing the connection there.

I kid, I kid. I assume you're talking more about why this apparently needed to involve creating this massively complex scenario in the first place, and if that's your problem, I mean, fair enough. I can't do much more than tell you not to worry about it. But I mean, you're the one who says the character motivations and interactions are what counts in this show, so maybe try and focus on that with Kanzaki too? Although I want to stress I can't blame you if that's hard on this one! You do have a well-documented disinterest in about 96% of things involving Yui! :p

What you're supposed to understand here (and it's not very clear. I actually had to look it up later on the wiki to get it) is the Shiro is setting up the battle and then attempting to throw it so that his own guy wins and can use the wish to save Yui. That leaves a ton of more questions, granted, but that's what we are supposed to get here. It is, as I said, pretty badly explained.

Yeah, it's... Ren betting all of his humanity on a wish from a mirror ghost, sure. I get it. Ren relating to Shiro's need to bet all of his humanity on trying to save Yui, yep, pretty well established. (Also something I like!) Ren divining the machinations of how Ren getting a wish from a mirror ghost will also save Yui? Feels like it's a leap to me. Little bit of a leap.

And this all isn't me writing the show off or anything. There's a gooey 40-something episodes in the center of this show that all about exploring characters, and I really enjoyed it. Diving into the mechanics of Mirror World and Shiro's plans, though... not exactly a strength of this show.

Uh, yeah, wow, I did not get that at all.

I feel this is a case where the shows creators had a clear idea for the story in their heads, but had no idea how to properly explain or portray it, resulting in overarching story is is still confusing after almost two decades of people trying to figure it out.

Maybe it'll come through more in the next few episodes? They've barely touched on it so far. Shiro's mostly just talking to mirrors in this one, as per frickin' usual.

I honestly can't remember. While I can remember the characters of this show quite clearly, the main plot escapes me, in spite of having seen it twice.

This last episode was supposed to be the big reveal though, so I don't believe I've actually spoiled anything.

Funny you should mention Ore’s financial mismanagement, since my first exposure to Ryuki (through a later show) was about how a web journal dependent on tip offs would survive in these days of social media.

How about the SSSS part? Everything they do is connected to how the Mirror World and Shiro stirs things up here and deducing a method to stop it in their plan (I think the only party who directly touches the Mirror World part other than the leads). And I think this one's grasping on straws; "Shinji not telling her about it" How he's supposed to tell her if he doesn't know anything deeper about it like Yui forgetting? Where do you get that Shinji knows about it? What Shinji know is only that the monsters attack people, Riders are pitted against each other to gain a wish, and that Shiro is the one instigated the battle. He knows nothing about the deeper nature of it, mostly he just learns about other Rider's nature and being in dilemma about it, Like you said below he has to figure it out (which means not knowing?) before too late. Shiro only wants to use Odin to fight the one remaining Rider, so blame the fact that many Riders are still alive until now. Oh speaking about Riders being alive until now, you're about to see how Shinji actually stops the war not long from now, namely by, delaying the war and series this long.

There's also other existing ticking clock like Eri or Kitaoka's illness, though this one's a ticking clock to the entire war itself. Between Yui and her younger self, those 2 are separate individuals, the present self as I've said before doesn't know anything about her past (and events spurs them to her memory), the younger self in mirror just appears and remind her. Going further about this will be spoilers (dunno if I should or shouldn't do it as this is the Mirror World part and there are few episodes left). Yui disintegrating is the process of her death, and as it's closer to the deadline the disintegration effect is more severe as seen here. What's the difference if it's "before the 50th episode"?

I think I will just ask you how did you not think the same way about the wish itself? "How is a to-the-death battle between 13 magically-empowered combatants, an endless array of man-eating monsters, and time travel supposed to grant a winner's wish?" (And you wouldn't also wonder how Ren believes the death battle is supposed to save Eri? Ren theorizes how it makes sense based on that, on his goal he pursues until now) For the wish being able to grant what the winner wants like curing Eri, making Kitaoka immortal, turning Toujou into hero, making Takamizawa rule the world, etc?

Don't believe that Kamen Rider's strength is measured in tons? Just look at this Odin scene! And that driver is killed. Yeah because immediately after you hold off Tiger and told Imperer to run, Imperer's still not far away to be hunted by Ouja, or notice that Sano is trapped in Mirror World and pull him out from there. Ren's comment is like usual like he did to Tezuka but this one's more justified as Sano wasn't the most righteous guy.

Well, he never works a day in your life, and Asakura is homeless, and eating muds. And yeah Asakura revealing that he killed Sano, just makes Toujou went even more insane. One step closer because.. you have to kill every other Riders to get your wish, and Toujou's wish is becoming a hero.

It's lucky for Toujou because he's getting more and more weaker, due to his backstabbing tendencies. You don't get stronger by sacrificing those close to you, you get weaker due to not having anyone left to rely! Also Zolda's Final Vent showing its AoE capabilities fully here with wiping out groups of Shereghosts (the white monsters). And Toujou gets the "scum" label from Kitaoka, and now he incorporates his standards (like being disgusted to Shibaura after representing him) to Rider battle, where he does acknowledge that those disgusting people's mindset has an advantage on the war, but keeps his standards not to go along with it.

Okubo is the only one to grate on Sanako... somehow. Now he has mirrored both Shinji and Yui; being homeless (only his office) and utilizing Atori like the former, and going to each other's place on one occassion for the latter. But as we learn from him... it's not about the place, but about the tools (the office would only need computers in any place to function). And of course not a total asshole, you'll see more in the next episode. Also partly Shimada and Megumi both has crush on Kitaoka. If Reiko can't get the info from Kitaoka, those 2 would fare likely even worse with his dislike to both of them.

Are you sure? Your passionate hate to the likes of Jean and Haima (Hiiro's dad) :p Besides I feel like the internet obliges people that (the reason many people jump on the bandwagons on internet), if you don't like something, embrace it and be passionate about it. Let others know about this and force others to think exactly your way. And turn others who like or even tolerate it as targets. Which is why I'm embarassed to discuss about this topic like my reply here, I wouldn't let others know my opinions about those, if I love, like, being neutral, dislike, or hate it, and to keep it being unknown I just talk about everything.

Besides if you don't care you shoudn't talk about "it'll all come together" right?

But that's the thing: that plot just stops. It's important for a few episodes, seems like it's going to have ramifications, and it just doesn't. (I'm speaking only about the fabric of the show, not individual characters. That plot matters a whole lot to Toujou!) Professor takes a couple runs at it, then he's bumped off, and no one else is super interested in following his plan. It's one more part of the Mirror World story that's crucially important, then evaporates. Every storyline that starts to alter/resolve the Mirror World story just peters out.

If I were to ever become a powerful Mirror God who attacked my friends and enemies with monsters, then disappeared for a day before reappearing unconscious on a road, I'd hope that my friends would care enough about me to let me know what happened. It's possible Yui's extra freaked out at her discorporation because none of her friends told her there was anything wrong with her. Like, if I have an episode and cause damage to myself or others, I don't need a friend to diagnose me, I don't need them to have an answer for why it happened, I need them to tell me that something happened. Shinji's doing the same ol' We Have To Protect Yui From The Truth bullshit that I hate, where characters could solve mysteries faster if they shared information, so they don't, so the story can stay unresolved longer. It's bad writing.

Sometimes there are jokes. This one was calling out the convenience of Yui's potential demise coinciding with the final few episodes of the series, instead of, say, March or September. It's just funny to me.

If you're going to watch a television program about a deck of cards that enables men to control monsters, harnessing their powers to triumph over other men while battling in a mirror dimension, there are certain things you're going to have to not question. If the premise of the show is that winning the Rider Battles grants a wish, I don't need to know the mechanics of that. It's a wish. When one of the main characters of the show acts like Shiro's scheme is totally coherent, based on almost no new information, I feel like that's harder to swallow. I'll accept that there's a wish at the end of this show. I will not accept that Ren has figured out Shiro's whole plan as of Episode 45.

I'm not trying to change anyone's mind, though. I don't think you can do that about art, honestly. If I like something you don't, all the explanations in the world aren't going to make you enjoy it. All I'm trying to do is talk about how I'm processing these episodes, what I like and dislike about them. I'm not ever trying to target anyone who sees things differently. I'm sorry if I've given anyone that impression. It would break my heart if I've offended anyone who likes elements of this show that I don't. I hope my opinions are taken as just that, and not an attempt to convince anyone that they're wrong for having opposing views.

So you did have that consideration... yeah that plot is used to ascend Toujou...and also probably a plot point where Toujou ruins everything, himself and others by that. There's still his notes though. I wonder what your opinion would be if that plot continues, but Toujou probably wouldn't be in spotlight.

Oh so you meant for a moment 1 episode earlier... because Shinji only recently know right there, that would solve the mystery only 1 episode earlier, I think which isn't that much faster? Here she practically has a remark exactly the same as what you think Shinji should tell (I guess the only knowledge he got was that she's connected to Mirror World?) Otherwise...blame Inoue for this. Shinji didn't tell ORE Journal about the Mirror stuff either with them in ruins and scattered around!

Ren is someone who has encountered Odin longer than others and also knowing more of its nature like it will always exist in Rider War, controlled personally by Shiro, etc.... I guess that's where he got it. Just my thoughts; Ren just knows the fact that Shiro also participates too in the war himself as Odin, where Riders fight to gain a wish, and Ren deduces that it's to save her. FYI; saving Yui is related to that exact wish. Shinji was right. Everyone was just manipulated by Shiro. He creates a game where 13 people fight to the death as Riders where last man standing gets a wish. Unbeknowist to them, one of the 13 Riders is Shiro himself (though he uses puppets as Odin to physically fight), intending to win his own game himself with his OP Rider and take the wish himself to save Yui.

Not refering specifically to you but just internet environment in general. I did change my mind regarding explanations sometimes like here too. But one thing for sure, I must explain if others got something wrong due to a wrong take like the wish part above, for that's not opinion, but a fact (fact about how a system works in a fantasy series).

It's not just that plot point, but that's one I could use as a recent example. It's just something that seems like a crutch in superhero storytelling, the We Have To Keep This A Secret trope. The CW superhero shows use it constantly, where information is withheld from characters to artificially prolong a plot, or have them get upset at being kept in the dark. I really hate it. Your mileage may vary!

MASKED RIDER RYUKI EPISODE 46

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/ryuki/ryuki46a.png

I may not love this series as a year-long story about Mirror World, and the mysteries it holds, but I do love it as a series exploring Shinji's character. That arc, the challenges he faces, it's a really great use of the Kamen Rider franchise.

This episode exposes the series to date as a slowly closing trap around Shinji's moral code. It's fiendish, the way he's got no daylight in this one. He'll hate himself forever if he takes part in the Rider Battles, but he can't bear knowing he let Yui disappear. It's an impossible choice.

It's also one the show has spent 45 episodes leading up to. We've seen Shinji try to balance his Rider Should Not Harm Rider ethos with an ever more deadly cast of adversaries, and the ticking clock of Yui's Worst Birthday Ever is the most terrible consequence yet. It's Ren who lays out the dilemma cleanly for Shinji, letting him know what he's deciding by not deciding. Worse, Ren kicks the legs out of Shinji's entire code, positing that Shinji's indecision all year has been worthless, terminally unhelpful. It's that argument, and an It's Just A Flesh Wound dismissal from a slowly dissolving Yui that gets him to make a choice, to choose to fight to save Yui. It's a strong scene. It's a useful scene.

It's the wrong choice.

I'm probably not going out on a limb when I speculate that, with four episodes to go in a series defined by the innate humanity of Shinji Kido, we aren't going to get a conclusion where Shinji hacks his way through Ren and Kitaoka to save Yui's life. That... I feel like that'd be an unsatisfying ending? I didn't really love it in that 13 Riders special, after forty-odd minutes of story, and I can't imagine it's going to land better after 40-odd episodes of story.

But I really like that they're letting Shinji make the wrong choice. If everything in his story has been leading up to this, that includes all of his self-examination, his frustration, his hopes, his losses, all of it. It's all a journey, even the missteps. And that means he needs to screw up, to get it all wrong, to learn the wrong lesson, before he can get the good ending. I need to see Shinji take bad advice from Ren (Ren! Why would you ever think you were getting unbiased advice on whether you should or should not kill Riders from Ren?!), in order to see him understand why that's the wrong choice. And I need the show to make it impossible for Shinji to avoid making that wrong choice. I need there to be a major character in danger, a ticking clock, a realization that inaction is cowardice, for Shinji to leap to the conclusion that the only answer is playing Shiro's game. Because it's not. It can't be. And it's not heroism if Shinji obliterates his soul to save Yui.

And, boy, heroism and what it means! Seems like that's of thematic relevance in, uh, probably every episode of this show! It certainly is in this one, as we get not just Shinji's Choice, but the final fate of Toujou. After getting sound advice from Kitaoka (Kitaoka!) that heroism isn't something you can strive for, Toujou's world is shattered. Everything to date has led him into despair, so he wants to wipe the slate clean. He (mostly) burns Professor's notes, although Shinji sees enough to get him worried. (More on that later, hopefully.) But he wants to get rid of all of the other Riders, too, to regain his heroism and silence the haters. His whole Three O'Clock At The Bike Racks challenge works pretty well, drawing Knight, Zolda and Ouja into an awesome three-way fight. It's all a distraction, though, for Toujou to douse Asakura's car in gasoline. The car explodes, nearly killing Kitaoka and Goro, and probably killing Asakura. I'm... you know, I'm not certain Asakura's dead. In a show with mirror escapes and contract monsters, there's some wiggle room. I'm not counting that dude out just yet.

I am counting Toujou out, however. As he pats himself on the back for killing between zero and three Riders, he sees a truck bearing down on a father and son. A father and son that remind him of Professor, and Son of Professor. In a moment, he pushes them out of the way, saving them by sacrificing himself. That moment, I like to think it's regret over his actions. That without having time to justify himself, he snapped to a decision that was based in guilt, in the relationship he destroyed. Or maybe it wasn't based in anything. Maybe it was someone who never understood what heroism was, never felt it within himself, finding the resolve to do something good for no reason other than that he could. Maybe Toujou always could've been a hero, if he'd stopped trying to be a hero. At least he got his wish, in the end.

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/ryuki/ryuki46b.png

Honestly, I viewed the whole Mirror World plotline and Yui as a character (as a supposed narrative epicentre, I was strangely apathetic towards her) as just a convenient excuse to have this awesome Battle Royale scenario (remember that in 2002, Riders fighting each other was very much a novelty) with about half a dozen intriguing character study.

But yeah, it's a flaw, and a source of decade-long confusion as catwhowalks noted above. There's an aspect that I really like from it, but we haven't got to that part yet.

Oooh, you'd love Kamen Rider: Misunderstanding (actual name redacted) when you eventually get to it. I actually like that show, but I could swear that's almost like the entire premise of it, haha.

He's doing these in order, so it won't be -too- long!

And that's the thing, the Mirror World stuff didn't, like, ruin the show for me. It's not like "Character stuff great, Mirror stuff dumb, C+." I spent a bunch of time talking about my disinterest in the Mirror World story because the show was definitely cranking up that lever, clearly ready to spend a bunch of time on Mirror stuff, so I felt like it was time for me to address my feelings. And, you know, I don't like it! I don't think it's a strength, at all. But this show has so many strengths that I don't really give a shit if this part (maybe a major part!) doesn't work for me. It's generally pretty easy for me to ignore the Mirror stuff, from the series as a whole. It is less easy in certain episodes, and 45 was one of them. Even if the series pushes in on Yui and Shiro as What It Was All About (doubtful, but possible), it still wouldn't wreck the experience I had watching it.

Like, I loved watching Gaim, but I'm still colossally angry at how the ending was two men fighting over a woman as a prize, as an object to be bestowed upon the winner. I hate that so much. But Gaim is still a great series!

So what you're saying is, I could quit Kamen Rider after Ryuki and just save myself the anguish? I'll take it under advisement!

Woaaaah no no no; you don't get to quit until I get a Decade thread to enjoy > : )

I mean, if I suffered through the middle section of Wizard and all of the Amazons movie without bailing, I feel like I'm in this thing for the long haul. My screenname is a play on "Ride or Die", so, no, there'll be no quitting.

MASKED RIDER RYUKI EPISODE 47

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It's not easy to do a storyline like Shinji's. He's got an impossible choice to make, to kill Ren or let Yui die, and his only real option is to not make the choice. That's a tough thing to dramatize. It can come off as repetition (half of Ren's storyline), cowardice (it is a very weepy Shinji in this episode), or stalling for time (he's probably not going to kill anyone). It's a testament to how rich the characterization is, how strong the acting is, and how smart the writing is that this still manages to be a pretty compelling installment of There Are No Good Choices For Shinji.

And it's totally Shinji's episode. Ren exists on the sidelines, worried about Shinji but unable to convincingly muster an argument against killing. (I'd love to see it, though. It would either be poignant or hilarious, and I'm good with either.) Yui's around, typically marginalized as others fight and suffer on her behalf, but she serves a crucial role in the end. Everyone else is in little bits and pieces, asking questions that'll be answered later. (If you assume that I wasn't into Yui and Ren's trip back to Mirror Mansion, +2 Rider Points and Shotaro Hidari commends your deductive insight. Please adjust your TokuNation scorecards accordingly. I will say that I perked up for half a second when I thought the boat in Yui's photo was the Akatsuki-gou from Agito, but it's definitely not. Unless!) It's nice to see everyone check in, this close to the finale, but this episode's entirely about Shinji's dilemma.

Every time Shinji gets Ren on the ropes, he hesitates. The consequences of his choices overwhelm him, cripple him. So he opts to stop overthinking it, stop torturing himself and worrying his friends, and just go with his gut and murder the other Riders to save Yui. Easy peasy!

Except, y'know, Shinji's not really a killer deep inside, this is not a snap decision, and he's coming apart at the seams because of it. His enthusiasm is too forced, his casual way of challenging someone to a death-duel is wildly out of character, and it's all so uncomfortable to watch. It's classic Shinji but inverted, broken.

Even when he wants to fight, the universe pushes back, refusing to give him an outlet or an excuse. Kitaoka won't fight him, dealing with his own nagging conscience, and tips off Ren and Yui to Shinji's slow collapse. A quick monster wrap-up later, It's time for Shinji to see if he can choke down his misgivings and save Yui.

I love the ending to this story. It's 100% Ryuki and 100% Kamen Rider. Shinji has Ren on the ground, he's got Sword Vent, he can take out Ren and move one step closer to saving Yui, but Yui's there to shut it all down. She tells Shinji that saving her this way won't make her happy, and that stops Shinji cold. It's the Rider thing of, not saving people, but protecting smiles. It doesn't matter if Shinji saves Yui's life, if she's miserable because of it. And it's not Shinji if he doesn't care about that. Ren's fine destroying himself and making Eri sad, so long as Eri is alive to be sad. Shinji, he can't do that. He can suffer a lot to help people, to save Yui, but he can't break her heart. He can't take away her smile. I think that's a really lovely ending.

Centering the final string of episodes on this dilemma for Shinji, I think it's the best move the show could make. The machinations of plot, some dumbass Time Limit from Shiro or whatever, I don't care that much. But basing your finale in character, grounding it in moral choices, I love it. Super compelling.

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/ryuki/ryuki47b.png

Just how fallen Shinji is here. He was going through a dilemma between saving different groups of public people (one side being the civilians, the other side being other Riders) to potentially having a morally grey/black mindset pretty much every Riders except Tezuka have.. No! Don't be corrupted by bias! Well, put it into rest... Shinji also still talks about how it's wrong to harm and sacrifice others to save 1 person. And also how it's wrong for Shiro to kill the truck driver at the beginning. Ren obviously brushes it off, because he does have selfish mindset of "ultimate love", only concern yourself about what you love, and fuck everything else. He even expects Shinji to fight if it's about his best friend! No man Shinji's not someone biased like that! He cares not only for close ones, but also about civilians! Putting away the "bias for close ones" topic, I feel like Shinji's facing the dilemma SSSS gave him earlier "between 1 and 10 people, which one you would choose to save" where he did hesitate to answer that. Where 1 being Yui and 10 being the others. Also for Ren's question, Shinji did save people, like the civilians.

Obviously it's an unsatisfying ending if it's done. Because it would make Shinji a hypocrite, that his ideals are based around how all lifes are equally precious and war should be stopped because of that, but him doing exactly what a morally grey/black Rider would do for his own gain, he becomes his own antithesis. But why would you believe him to go through that? If someone abrasive like Ren struggles to kill, what for Shinji? And you've seen his reaction when he "accidentally" kills someone. Not to mention also how Yui (someone who forbids killing) would think about Shinji doing this.

Yeah, to rub salt into the wound, Shiro also does something here. Shinji didn't leap to the conclusion, Shiro manipulates him. He appeals to Shinji's concern and desperation about Yui disappearing, and convinces him to actually join the fight, kill others, and take the wish to save her because that's the solution, essentially turning Shinji into his own soldier/servant. A good strategy for Shiro to try turning the biggest obstacle of his war into someone potentially benefical to him. Obviously it's not heroism, because not just him obliterating his soul, but because this IS a straight up evil and psychopathic thing to do (I don't even think Shinji thinks about heroism here). Every Rider, except Shinji and Tezuka, are all shades of bad (anti-hero at best, pure villain at worst), why? Because they are willing to do something Shinji's presumed going to do here. And regarding soul destruction, Yui also pretends to be fine in front of Shinji here. And speaking of Atori scene... shows how helpful Okubo is, an interaction between him and Ren, helping him due to him being Shinji's friend. And poor Okubo, Sanako didn't even take off her shoes when using him as stepstool! I mean even Ren took off his boots when standing on Shinji at ep. 29!

https://media.discordapp.net/attachm...46660/step.jpg

Other than that, now as Shinji knows the true nature of the war, he gains a new suspicion about Shiro (oh well, he's already suspicious of him anyway, the only one among Riders) but it's clearer to him here. About how Shiro may deceive the Riders that even if any of them win, Shiro would still use the wish granting power for himself to save Yui anyway. Shinji should've tried to tell others that too, someone who isn't Ren, dunno if his suspicion is true or not, as likely an effective way to stop others from fighting as all their bloodshed are potentially futile.

Well, Kitaoka's got standards (like to Shibaura and Asakura), and Toujou is also someone who Kitaoka drew a line to. Kitaoka's just criticizing Toujou and his mentality that makes him an overall scum, nowhere close to a hero he's making up to be. And yeah Toujou, like I already said multiple times, your take of heroism does no benefit at all, only disasters, and you, again felt it that you have nowhere to go with no Kagawa to guide him! And those Kagawa notes!! It's like in-universe's most crucial piece of information! Don't burn it you lunatic! I'm sure the public would need those very much. Oh well then again, I always feel like the public needs everything related to Kagawa very much. For example his talent could probably be used to save people like creating card Decks (the only one other than Shiro who can!), or publicate the note about Mirror World. Unfortunately Kagawa has a single-tracked focus on Rider War only and is persistent only on that.

For the battle part (really wanted to talk about this before the previous episode is a setup but it's actually happening here), again Tiger employs his impractical Final Vent on Zolda, who simply just frees himself by shooting Destwilder (bravo long range!). If Tiger doesn't have Final Vent like that, probably he'll win numerous battles by sneak attacking others with those one-hit-kill Final Vents. But with Final Vent like that, probably Tiger can't win any battles ever, with the victim would just free themselves from the attack. And Tiger's Strike Vent can be used as a shield against Ouja's Heavy Pressure (Metalgelas) Final Vent? This is the first time we see the battle between a Rider and a purely CGI monster (commonly for huge non-humanoid creature, or flying ones, or both), and it seems that Zolda is just powerless against Venosnaker (either that or the CGI effects giving that vibe)...while other Riders have fought and killed Contract Monsters sometimes like Volcancer (yeah the weakest) or Psyco-Rogue. So would that mean Advent AP aside... the strongest (or rather, most untouchable) monsters are those purely CGI ones here? I wonder how Knight would even defeat Dragreder, back then based on this Zolda fight, yet Riders can fight humanoid Contract Monsters fine. The other wild monsters Rider fought and defeated are never those of huge non-humanoid creature and/or flying ones. I would like to see how Riders will defeat those kind of monsters.... Other than that, don't kill me, but this is also another of my favorite Ouja scenes... the bastard deservingly being in anguish after being hurt by his own monster:
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So after failing this is somehow Toujou's crazy tactic (sacrificing his own car! uhh do you remember it's Toujou's car Asakura stole) to defeat the Riders, by exploding it while the Riders leave Mirror World via the window. And getting rid of other Riders would also truly make him closer to be a hero, as its his wish and it will be granted if you are the last Rider standing. Kitaoka and Toujou really shows their companionship here, neither wants to leave each other and risking their lives for each other. Shows Kitaoka and Goro are less of a master and servant, they're practically equals, each other's trusted friend who is loyal and caring, mostly done by Goro as his caretaker, but now Kitaoka got his chance here too. If Goro lets Megumi and Shimada follow Kitaoka, even better secretively, they would've gotten the answer of Mirror stuff with Kitaoka's henshin for the 3rd way battle.

Again, Toujou had an ironic death too. He constantly sacrifices others in order to try and become a hero, but he only actually becomes a hero after he sacrifices himself. And even after he's doing this, he still didn't know what truly makes a hero and asked Kagawa for guidance, clearly not realizing that this very act is an actual heroic act, not all your acts before which only takes the sacrificing part, but not the "for the greater good" part as he never saved everyone before this. Other than that, this also shows that, Riders don't have to die in Rider form (though I would like to see what if Tiger keeps his Rider form while saving the father & son, he would survive and look like an actual superhero!).

Right... I also feel that Mirror World stuff is to justify the battle royale, used as the root of everything happened in the series, the "small moment big impact" thing. I probably feel like your complaint is that those stuff can just be used as the series' beginning monologue that kickstarts the war right? But I think the reason this stuff is placed near the end (with some foreshadowing before) is that actually, it's not simply only the "ON button" of the series... It's necessary to keep the series going on until now, and as a show of how Shinji actually stops the Rider War.

Also regarding the Gaim ending, how do you feel about something in this series here like Ren just fighting simply to save Eri?

Yeah not trying to spoil anything (especially since you’ve actually overtaken me on the homestretch. I was planning to start it tomorrow). But if I remember some things from the three-part miniseries that aired last year (and I probably don’t remember it that well, since I only watched it once), I don’t think the final choice will be Shinji’s to even make.

I really wonder what would have happened if Shinji, while in this state, managed to find Asakura, or Toujou if he was still alive.

Even though I know some people, including myself sometimes, aren't too invested in Shinji, but this episode really only works because we've seen him for the last 46 episodes hold so steadily to his code to not take a life, even when that code seemed impossible or pointless.

Even though you know he won't actually do it, Shinji actually choosing and getting himself ready to strike Ren down is an intense moment because it's so counter to who he is.

The ending might feel like Shinji is just right back to where he started at the beginning of the episode, but I think it very solidly confirms for the last time that killing is not the answer Shinji will turn to no matter how bad things get. No matter what happens from there on, I don't think he would or should have any regrets about that at least.

That shot is great. I like how Asakura's main skill as a Rider is his resilience, his ability to take an ungodly amount of punishment. Dude gets burned up in a car, somehow escapes, and he's grinning about it the next day. Amazing!

Well, first, it's definitely Asakura's car by that point. Setting aside that Toujou abandoned it to him, there's also the matter that Asakura's been living in it for a few days. You... you don't want the car back after that.

To the real point, though, killing the other Riders wouldn't've helped Toujou be a hero. That's the whole point of the episode? Taking those steps, acting out of rage and hatred, trying to become a hero through villainy, it's never going to work. Even having a wish granted by Shiro, it's not real heroism, and it never will be. Heroism is selflessness, and wanting to be a hero is selfish.

I see what you're saying. Shinji's story is tough to tell without the constant interference of Shiro. And I don't know if the Mirror World plot would play better to me if it'd just been a title-sequence voiceover, or if they'd made the investigation into Shiro's plans more of a going concern. (Not the weird pieces of Yui's backstory, or Reiko discovering the existence of Mirror World, but a focused effort to peel back layers of Shiro's strategy.) It's just, what I got wasn't what made that part of the show work for me.

People fighting to save loved ones, I'm not against it as a motivation. It's primal and relatable. Fighting to save people who only exist as a concept, who don't get much to their character, I like that a little less. Eri is not a hugely compelling part of the show to me. Like, Ren's drive is occasionally really entertaining, but in general you could get the same effect if he was trying to save the life of a family member or even a very cute pet. Eri is just, like, the blank space where Ren's motivation lives.

Gaim, it's too much to get into here, but the way the female lead becomes literally, in-story, a prize for two men to fight over, it's insane. It's the sort of regrettable plotting that usually exists as subtext in Kamen Rider, and Gaim just did it in capital letters.

I guess we'll see!

Yeah, there's a real question mark over Shinji's quandary if he'd fought someone more evil, rather than a close friend. It's nicely open to interpretation. (I'm going with He Wouldn't Kill, because that's my belief in Shinji's goodness.)

I have a tough time with this show sometimes, where I feel like a huge change has occurred and the show has to evolve, but then things slide back, regress. I want this to be the final word on Shinji's morality, on the limits of what he'll do for a friend. I don't know if it is, and it'd maybe bum me out if it isn't, but I want to think it is. I want this ending to be definitive. Rolling it back... ugh. It'd really cheapen a super-solid episode.

Here's hoping the very next episode doesn't open with Shinji declaring 'No, I think I will start chopping off my fellow Riders' heads after all'.

"Ha ha, this is so fun! And easy! I'm glad I gave it a shot before it was too late!" Shinji adorably trips over the slain body of Ren, he gets embarrassed, Shiro and Yui laugh, roll credits.

I hate to break it to you, but Shinji's body count by the end? Bigger than Asakura's. It's actually impressive. Some of them weren't even Riders!

Oh yeah I was refering to the "wish granted by Shiro" part for Toujou killing other Riders, winning the war and gaining the hero wish, but if you think that isn't actually real heroism for him go ahead.

Yeah interferences from main antagonist to the protagonist though I also mean something else for it being put at the end. What if the pieces of backstory are actually a part of peeling the back layers of Shiro's strategy?

Stalling for time.... yep, that is how Shinji actually stops the war. The first step of that is uh, well, the event that makes Shinji almost turning evil throughout this, which is Yui's disintegration (death systems cannot refute). Shinji stalls the war long enough for that to happen. With it being known, Shiro opens up about the war's true nature to him, after this, Yui noticing others (Shinji here) trying to save her in a bloodshed way, and also because of that, with the series being so against reveals, her in that condition forces the avoidant Sanako to reveal the truth about the past here (parents are better off dead if they're like that). Otherwise, yeah eventually Shinji also breaks down over all the tragedies happened in the war.

Here Shinji and Ren's role is reversed. Shinji is the aloof friend who pushes people away from him, while Ren's the pushy friend who drags him around, away from Shereghosts. Well, it's because the trip to Mirror Mansion is a Mirror World topic right?

Okubo now becomes the latest to wear the apron and watch over Atori (oh, or others never truly watch over and only him? truly a chief everywhere), fully repaying Yui who took his place when he went away for check-up before. And the only one to be unwelcome at Atori due to Reiko, finally getting the documents but discussing it (Shiro Takami's death.. again, why go back there, you have learned "Shiro Kanzaki" right?) inside Atori where Sanako's there.

Oh the over-the-top cheerful act he pulls. Remember at the beginning when Shinji's described as someone who acts before he thinks? Now he thinks too much, full of hesitation, as he attests. Okubo doesn't really notice and Ren somehow thinks he's the same (despite being the one to take care of Shinji here). But Yui you confront Shinji about acting this way and insist him to not lie... when you also pretend to be fine in front of him before??

And Kitaoka here shows a bit of care to Shinji, where he glances at him briefly before returning to his house. He feels that there's something uneasy on Shinji, and he pays back to Ren like he insists by informing him about Shinji's condition. Kitaoka's been thinking about retiring from the war, especially in that condition (everyone in his house mourning for him!), so you actually do get through him at the end, Shinji. Also continuing from before, here Kitaoka is the one to drive Goro home. There's also a display of irony, stated by Shinji himself, where previously Shinji would insist for other Riders to not fight, where he's ignored, considered stupid, and others insist him fight for real, but now, Shinji asks to fight other Riders, but also ignored, and gets called stupid (by Ren) for this. Thankfully Shinji's rant also sunk deep into Ren for this time who also breaks down for him in this situation.

That monster was Destwilder, Tiger's Contract Monster. I mean when Tiger dies his Deck wasn't destroyed right? Yet the monster also went... well, wild. Also again Shinji Rider Kicking the monster (along with Ren).

And this also goes both ways. Like Shinji there who wants to protect smiles and can't break other's heart, stopping for her sake, regarding "it’s not heroism if Shinji obliterates his soul to save Yui", Yui also implements it here. She wants Shinji to stop for his sake too because like you said there, he'll obliterate his soul doing this. Yui doesn't want to see others suffer, especially not for her sake. Also ironically Ren is the one ceases faster, he goes on defensive immediately after she begs to stop.

Oh lol, that "lovely ending"? Are you sure it's not connected to the Shiro Time Limit with Shinji acting that way? :p

Like I said before, Shinji's not someone biased, in contrast to Ren ("So even if it's for Yui, you are against fighting?"). He doesn't give more to someone just because they're closer. So yeah, Shinji just wouldn't kill other Riders, not necessarily Ren as close friend.

MASKED RIDER RYUKI EPISODE 48

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/ryuki/ryuki48a.png

It only took them forty-eight goddamn episodes, but I'm sincerely overjoyed that this show is actually spending some time on the plot point that, hey, maybe Yui should get a vote in what happens to Yui?

I've mentioned it a few times, but Heroic Men Make The Decisions To Keep Women Safe is... it's not my favorite look on Kamen Rider. I don't find any dramatic value in stories about dudes unilaterally declaring what needs to be done to protect women, and I certainly don't find it to be a heroic attribute. Maybe it's a cultural thing, maybe it's just a type of storytelling that was still the expectation of audiences in that time, but it's rough watching some of the Mirror World stuff in 2020.

Like, the show seems to get it, here in the end, that it's not just Shiro who's being an asshole to Yui. And, yeah, he's a colossal prick here, probably at his most villainous. Even when Yui's like I Would Rather Die Than Be Saved This Way, Shiro feints towards reconciling before going Ha Ha PSYCH I Need You To Live No Matter What I'm Sending You To Your Room Happy Early Birthday. There's no ambiguity to what he's doing. It's wrong, and it's so wrong that it actually starts to change the minds of Shinji and Ren.

Well, Shinji faster than Ren, since Shinji's already realized that he can't save Yui through fighting. He's able to take his lesson from last week, that seeing her friends fight because of her is destroying her faster than her Mirror Malady, and use that to try and find another way to help her. Ren sees her pain, but he's gone so far on saving Eri at the cost of his soul that he can't really consider Shinji's view that maybe, just maybe, Yui should get to decide what's a reasonable cost for her life. (To be fair, Ren's argument introduces the idea that a life contains possibilities, while a death doesn't. It's a way of suggesting that Yui could get over the enormous guilt of all her friends killing each other to keep her alive, which, I can certainly see Ren thinking that.) Shinji rides off to confront Shiro, to try and free Yui, while Ren grumpily commits himself to winning the Rider Battle. It seems like, despite some new ideas, we're back to the standard Shinji/Ren debate.

But there's a great swerve in this one, and it's because of a Kitaoka/Ren scene. I really enjoy these, and they're a rare delight in this series. There's something so simpatico about Kitaoka and Ren, the way they seem too cool for feelings but you know they're just hiding them. That their motives in the Rider Battle may be selfish, but they're growing as people, and it's largely thanks to the example of Shinji. Kitaoka asks after Shinji, leading to a quick crack that he got over his crisis so fast because he's an idiot, and just as Ren's about to defend Shinji as an idiot but a great person, Kitaoka cuts him off. Kitaoka already knows it. And, he agrees with it. The fact that Ren and Kitaoka, terrible men, have become slightly less terrible over the last year, it's because Shinji offered them another way to live. To value people, to value caring about people, to fight for noble causes and offer hope. They may not always feel like following that example, but they're starting to be aware of it as a path.

And I like that scene as nice bit of writing and acting, but I love it for how it changes Ren's mind, gets him to fight Shiro alongside Shinji. It's not that Ren doesn't think Yui should live, or that he's sworn off fighting in the Rider Battle. It's just, if Shinji believes in it, and Shinji's the best of them, maybe what Shinji fights for is worth Ren fighting for, too. I'm really into that version of Shinji's heroism, that awful people can start to gauge their decisions by how Shinji behaves. That what Ren discounts as indecisiveness, as an inability to commit to a goal, is Shinji's boundless empathy and hope, his need to never stop trying to help everyone, all the time. It's Ren viewing Shinji's flaws and seeing their benefit, and I really like that that's how the episode brings them back into partnership.

I still don't love how it took this long for Yui to assert some level of autonomy for her life. I get that we're supposed to find Shiro's goal selfish, his methods abhorrent (shit, I hope we're supposed to), but it's still a story where Yui's a pawn to such a degree that even the heroes need to have their eyes opened. It's not, y'know... it's just a frustrating construction to the story, for me. It's nice for our heroes to figure it out in the end, and I'm into the idea of Yui getting to feel integral to the conclusion of the series on an actual character level, but I wish they didn't have to take so long to figure it out.

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/ryuki/ryuki48b.png