Me? I loved this. The cast felt like they were having more of a ball making this than some of the show’s later episodes, where they often looked bored. As for the Juuga/Olteca rivalry… look, 10000 people wanted to see it, so they can’t be an unpopular ship/rivalry.

And in more casting trivia, the two actresses Hana hires to dupe Olteca are the suit actresses for Aguilera and Lovekov, while the younger version of Mr. Takeda is played by Kazuya Sato, the suit actor for Uva, Gremlin, Gridon, Copy Makoto, Graphite, Parad-DX, Evolt, Another Zi-O (also a stand-in for regular Zi-O) and Desast.

Also, people were annoyed that Olteca’s Chameleon Genomix was the Zenrin Shooter… despite the fact he explicitly went to Rinna to modify his Driver, and she was the one who provided him with the stamp to activate it. It’s definitely an intentional part of the script, and not cost cutting. They also thought that KR Olteca should’ve reused Build OctopusLight’s legs, despite those not even looking remotely octopus-like.

Olteca: It’s Makoto and…

Rinna: Rinna’s…

Both: Stamp Navi!

Olteca: Thank you for agreeing to do this with me.

Rinna: Oh, it’s no problem. You’re letting me take a poke at FENIX technology. I always wanted to look at it, but Chief Akaishi and Professor Karizaki always kept it out of my grasp.

Olteca: Well Akaishi is gone now, as is Karizaki, meaning you get to talk about this Vistamp

Kraken!

https://youtube.com/watch?v=u6haTh4d...TxotKKnbKkrq3W

Cry Crime! Dead Crisis! Kraken!

Rinna: This was the Daiouika Vistamp when I received it, but I decided to give it a punchier name. My work on the Drive System with Krim payed off and allowed me to modify this Stamp and Demons Driver to not require an inner demon. (Doorbell rings) Oh, you take over, Makoto-kun. I’ve got a visitor. (Runs off)

Decide Up! Rise. (Rise) Rage. (Rage) Requiem. (Sadness) Kamen Rider!

Olteca: And also, rather than animals, my Kamen Rider form can use the power of the Legend Riders that the Vistamps represent. That gives me greater versatility than any of George Karizaki’s systems. (Stops silent to listen closely) Ah, it seems that if you speak of the devil, he shall appear. I’d better go and greet him. Goodbye.

He walks off. Fade to black.

It's so weird to hear that this was an in-demand ship, since I never once saw any spark between the two of them. (Now, George and Hiromi? Yes, 1000%.) But I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed it, and that the producers were trying to meet fan excitement with a TTFC project. That's the system working as intended!

And, as always, thanks for the fun skit!

Ok, let's first agree with you on something.

This is 100% the writers trying to create something out of nearly nothing with their rivalry.

That said...

It still results in the best dynamic the show spawned?

At least for me.

There is actually some meat to this! Subtext! Actual stuff that works!

It takes aspects from the show and mirrors them in a way never intended, but it fits flawlessly.

Olteca and George are surprisingly similar, intelligent people with shitty father figures that messed them up big time.

George strove forward on his own, becoming a dubious scientist who was willing to sacrifice everyone for his goals.

Olteca was supported by a father figure but showed himself to be the exact same cruel monster, pushing everyone away till he was just as alone.

Both are the smartest person in the room, partially because they are indeed quite smart but also because they have the ego for it.

The simple difference is George ultimately learned to move on. To evolve and become someone else in the process. Someone better. Not completely new, but a better person and, ultimately, Kamen Rider.

Olteca hasn't. He is still the exact same person, unable to cope with the fact that the world has moved on. That everything he thought was certain has shifted, and because of that is now alone.

And... my god, does it work for me!

He has become anti-character growth! Perpetually stuck to be beaten down by people who grow. He'll only grow weaker and weaker compared to them.

And the special makes it feel like George knows that. That's why he gives him the time of day to mock him. He actively sees himself in him to an extent. And, even if he can't stand him, he wants him to grow past it.

And it mixes wonderfully with the story the special tells. Of someone so bitter, his hatred extends to even the next generation. He is Olteca if he stays on that path.

It also somehow manages to merge all three major versions of Geroge and create something cohesive.

He's still overconfident to the extreme, has no qualms in manipulating people to get what he wants, and lording his superiority over them like when he first showed up. Yet, he clearly has managed to focus this into something constructive, not destructive, which mirrors the middle of the show George and he still clearly has made peace with who his father was, like the end of his "arc".

These two characters I want to see more off.

This special takes the broken pieces of Revice and pieces something cohesive and great out of it!

It says something about family without spouting platitudes and surface-level nothingness. It manages to write these characters cohesively. And it manages to achieve what it sets out to do without any major missteps.

To me, at least, that is peak Revice!

I wrote a pretty long review for this special 2 months ago, so check that out if you want.

If you want the short version.... As someone who was disappointed with how the show left Olteca's arc open-ended, I appreciate how this special focuses more on Olteca as a character, instead of dismissing him as some generic evil dude for the heroes to beat up. Ironically, despite his rivalry with George being the focus here, his interaction with Tamaki is my favorite scene, which I explain about in more detail in the review I linked above. While everybody else is trolling Olteca, Tamaki actually bothers to give him some advice and I was impressed to hear that he's finally moved on from following Aguilera so he can be his own person. He's easily the character most concerned with encouraging Olteca's slow rehabilitation than anybody else and I have to respect him for that.

I'm glad to hear you dug this one! I don't know if the comparison to Mister What's-His-Name works for me, since Orteca immediately turns on the guy, and subsequently learns absolutely nothing he didn't already know. This is resolutely not a story where Orteca really grows or improves, somewhat pointedly so.

So, I could be reading into this wrong, but it looked like Tamaki is actually still working with/for Hana? When he gets the phone call, he says that he's supposed to keep an eye on Orteca, and it sounds like it's the same job Hana has? I feel like Tamaki is still working at the Natsuki Detective Agency, and he's just "in disguise" at the department store.

Funny enough, this special made me want to do a scene where Tamaki and Hana are struggling against an antagonist and Olteca comes in to help them on the lines of "The only one who beats you is me!" or something like that before all three are taken out because way too many characters.

I just find the idea of all 3 Deadman Rider fighting together kinda interesting, but the fact they can't work together making that point mute xD

I don't know why, but I love the idea xD

Weird, I thought Hi-Rumi part takes up significant part of the movie, though ofc didn't really count how much percentage of the screentime of each parts. Though Hiromi's straight-up good, I've seen this kind of story of the protector and victim being stuck together and bonding, used in more morally grey heroes or outright bad guys (being called uncle too, on someone even younger) to humanize them instead, with that being used to justify the latter as a really good guy smh. Sure mostly what those are going through is mostly the same as what Hi-Rumi did, but it's the case of them discriminating against that specific victim to anyone else unlike Hiromi. And regarding Hiromi being actually-80-year-old, he'd not be really an uncle by that.

It maybe runs on how a devil works on someone can vary, like the differences between Vice, Kagerou, and Lovekov, even though Hiromi's devil was alredy killed. Particularly that Hiromi isn't the only heart-on-their-sleeve goodie, where there's Ikki too, and Kagerou claims Daiji is that, where he feels that is a weakness. Felt that perhaps this establishes how Aguilera handles things as a good guy, outside of Sakura stuff, that she may can jump into fights and violence quickly, albeit dunno why Tamaki would do the same.

Feels that there's more to show regarding how Kagerou acts as one of the "good guys" now, he really keeps his obnoxious personality, throwing insults left and right, albeit he had a lil more concern regarding Rumi's fate at the end. Albeit I don't really understand what pushes him to have more feelings to others than before, like using his secret plan to help Daiji and Hiromi, perhaps it's to boast about how he's better than Daiji and rub it in his face. It feels as if Daiji took his "revenge" to have him keep Kagerou in the dark regarding his plan for that, albeit perhaps the audience would still mock Daiji as the lame one compared to Kagerou.

I would absolutely be down for a legit Revice Forward: Giffamilia movie. The toxicity of that group -- where even the "well-adjusted" members are sulky cult survivors and stalkery trauma victims -- has a ton of potential, and it's a shame we only got flashes of it post-Orteca Eatening.

Yeah, even though Kagerou is able to work with Hiromi and Daiji on the side of justice, he's a still a chaotic asshole who needs to show off whenever possible. Teaming with Daiji is fun; teaming with Daiji in a way where Kagerou can make him feel bad about himself is even better.

THREAD WRAP-UP

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/revice/threada.png

And that’s it for “Kamen Rider Die watches Kamen Rider Revice”!

As always, huge thanks to everyone who stopped by and shared their thoughts and feelings about Revice. I truly appreciate anyone who wanted to pitch in on the discussion. You’re the best! Well, the actual best is Androzani84, who cataloged every conceivable Vistamp and Driver with educational and entertaining skits. This thread wouldn’t’ve been what it was without Androzani, and I’m glad to have created a space where so much cool trivia could be relayed in such a clever manner.

This was an interesting thread, and I learned a lot doing it. Namely: maybe don’t do a thread dedicated to a show that finished airing a year ago? Didn’t seem like folks had many fond memories of ol’ Revice, and I think the lack of supporters made for a, uh, different experience than usual. I love hearing people’s opinions, but I don’t think these threads are as fun when it’s either all love or all hate. Need that mix, that contrast, or else the discovery process suffers somewhat. Getting a little more distance from a series seems like a requirement to gain perspective. We’ll see in the future!

And, speaking of the future.

This is the end of a road I’d started off on almost four years ago, with the random decision to chronicle my experience watching Kamen Rider Ghost. The intent was always to get current with my Kamen Rider watching, and I’ve finally done it. I’ve watched not only Ghost and Build and Zi-O and the Reiwa stuff, I’ve even taken a detour through all of Phase 1 Heisei. I’m up to where Geats begins, and I’ve already done the first 30 episodes of that show. (Excited to catch up over the next week or so!) All of this writing and discussion, it was to get me to this point. The end.

Except, no.

No, I won’t be stopping these threads, even though I seem to have run out of goals. I like this. I like what we do here. I’ve liked it every single time, with every single show. I can’t imagine giving up this part of my fandom, so I’m not going to. But there’s going to be some changes, for a variety of reasons.

This is the last Kamen Rider Die Watches thread for 2023. I need an extended break, very badly. While I adore this experience, I’ve definitely prioritized it in a way that is not exactly great for my professional or personal life. I need to have a less regimented connection to the fandom, and six months of no writing or posting sounds like a dream. My hope is to be kicking around other threads in the meantime, since that’s yet another area of my life that got sidelined by these threads. I look forward to randomly popping into conversations! Which is not to say that it’s going to be all lazing about for Kamen Rider Die. Nope! A huge chunk of the rest of this year is going to be spent on two major projects.

The first is the grueling, boring task of going through old threads to fix dead image links and clean up formatting issues that seem to be endemic to TokuNation now. I’ve hit a few threads, and I hope to have everything else cleaned up by the end of this year. I spent a lot of time on those threads, and I’d sort of like them to look their best?

Which is why the second thing I’m working on is migrating all of that content to KamenRiderDie.com. (Do not bother clicking that link! There’s nothing there but a landing page! You don’t want to see the actual site just yet!) It’s going to take a lot of work, but I like the idea of those old threads living in a more permanent, discoverable place. Every post’ll link back to the boards, so people can follow along with the unforgettable discussions, but the posts themselves will be archived in a way that makes me less nervous about the future of this particular site.

To be clear, new threads will always start on TokuNation, because that’s where you guys are. Nothing I do means anything until you participate, and that’s why anything I plan on doing will start here. Once a thread’s done, I’ll probably spend a few weeks transferring it over to my site, but it’ll still be available here for anyone that wants to interact with it. New threads are always for you all first.

So let’s talk about those new threads.

The current plan is to start back up in January 2024. (I may drop in Pretty Den-O and Outsiders later this year; no promises!) I’m looking to do two threads each year, but that’s subject to how things feel and what my schedule looks like. I’ll likely be reducing posting to five times a week, Thursday through Monday, with Tuesday and Wednesday off. Otherwise, it’ll be business as usual. Here is the lineup for the next few years:

Kamen Rider Die rewatches Kamen Rider W (and watches Fuuto PI)
Kamen Rider Die watches A SENTAI
Kamen Rider Die rewatches Kamen Rider OOO
Kamen Rider Die watches A TOKU ANIME
Kamen Rider Die rewatches Kamen Rider Fourze
Kamen Rider Die watches A MAGICAL GIRL TOKU
Kamen Rider Die rewatches Kamen Rider Wizard
Kamen Rider Die watches AN ULTRAMAN
Kamen Rider Die rewatches Kamen Rider Gaim
Kamen Rider Die watches A POWER RANGERS
Kamen Rider Die rewatches Kamen Rider Drive
Kamen Rider Die TRUCKS WITH SHOWA
Kamen Rider Die rewatches the first half of Kamen Rider Ghost
Kamen Rider Die watches INOUE FOREVER
Kamen Rider Die rewatches Kamen Rider Ex-Aid

…and that should take us to, like, 2031? Or thereabouts? Christ. Watching Ex-Aid and writing it up is another huge milestone for me, and where the next chapter of this project ends. Ex-Aid’s where I started on Kamen Rider, and I’m excited to imagine a day where I can rewatch it again with all of you. (It’ll’ve been over a decade since I first watched it by then, so it’s basically going to be brand new!) After that, I’ll probably do Geats, Gotchard, etc. We’ll see how we all feel by then, I guess. Let’s see when we’re on the other side of those 15 proposed threads.

(Oh, and don’t bother guessing/suggesting shows for the non-Rider threads. I already have the shows in mind, but I’d like to save the reveals until the threads are ready to go. Speculate as much as you want, but I’m not confirming anything.)

And, gosh, I think that’s everything? This thread is still yours to play around with, even if I’m not adding to it anymore. We’re family, and families share. I’ll be around, but probably not in any organized way. (I’ll definitely let people know when the new site has any, y’know, content.) You’re the greatest fandom in the world for continuing to let me be weird about the shows I like, and I’m happy not to be going anywhere anytime soon. See you back here in the new year for “Kamen Rider Die rewatches Kamen Rider W (and watches Futto PI)”!

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/revice/threadb.png

Congrats Die! I'm excited to eventually get to Ghost and Ex-aid... I.E the only two toku I've ever completed... man I'm bad at this being a fan thing.

You definitely deserve a break after all of this. I hope you enjoy your vacation and I look forward to seeing you go through all of these other shows (and maybe watch along on some).

I also look forward to repeatedly using the word "cartoon" in at least two of those threads to playfully troll anime fans.

Thanks! And it's totally cool to take your time with these shows; as many threads have proven, it's never too late to jump on a new show. They aren't going anywhere!

Thanks! I've literally spent every minute since posting the Thread Wrap-Up playing around with settings and inputs on the new site, so... yeah, "break". "Vacation". I am bad at project management!!!

(I am already anticipating you saying "cartoon" a lot! I think it's a weird distinction, that fans might rankle at a Japanese cartoon not being called "anime". Doesn't "anime" just mean "cartoon"? Like, "manga" is just the Japanese word for "comics", right? Please look forward to these and other outsider/old man takes several times next year!)

Tamaki specifically said, "I'm not Hana-san's follower anymore", so if he is still collaborating with Aguilera in some capacity, then it sounds like he's her equal, not her subordinate.

The coolest line that every tsundere should know.

Okay, I'll just make some predictions, for fun. :D

A SENTAI is Jetman, the first Inoue Sentai.

A MAGICAL GIRL TOKU is Cutie Honey The Live, also written by Inoue.

A POWER RANGERS is Dino Fury, the first season fully produced by Hasbro.

TRUCKS WITH SHOWA is Amazon, who I recall as your favorite Showa Rider of all time.

INOUE FOREVER is The First and The Next.

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on Pretty Den-O and Double in a few months anyway.

I feel better knowing that you're at least aware of what you're doing. :lol

Those sound like fun shows!

That’s what makes it fun!

First of all, as Tokunation's resident Revice fanatic (by default), I'd like to offer my apologies for not showing up in this thread earlier. A huge chunk of the reason behind that is because I hit the point where I needed an extended break well before you did, Die, as unfortunate as that is to say. Which is old news, I guess, since that much happened during your Zero-One thread. Saber was pretty much me running on empty the whole time, which maybe says something about how much I love Saber. I totally wanted to make all sorts of crazy elaborate posts there, maybe even do some kind of recurring shtick, but that was exactly the kind of time-consuming thing that was starting to wear me down after like years straight of being extremely active in your threads while also juggling weekly shows I want to talk about and whatever random project I'd made for myself that particular month. The lesson I took away from the Saber thread was that the most important thing was probably just to be there, rather than worrying about how much I had to say. A lesson I would no doubt carry forward with me into your thread for Revice, the finish line for this whole road so many of us have been on together for all this time, and a series probably in desperate need of some typically contrarian opinions from--

--well, uh, not from me, apparently. I was reading along for the first couple episodes worth of posts, but any time I went to try and contribute a thought of my own, I turned into Daiji picking up that Driver in the premiere, and chickened right the heck out. I don't think I've ever mentioned this explicitly, but uh, experiencing The Discourse surrounding Revice while it was airing might have legitimately traumatized me? It started out as this hot new rebound show it seemed tons of fans were propping up as much better than lame ol' Saber, which didn't get to me at all (Saber already had a much larger fanbase than I was expecting), but what did get under my skin was the sudden drastic shift in atmosphere somewhere around the halfway point, where The New Ghost somehow ended up being the series *after* the one literally made by all the people who made Ghost. I spent a lot of time during those months struggling with tons of complicated feelings regarding how I thought about Revice, how I approach just like, media in general, and how other people do as well. It was almost like this sort of existential crisis, and it's yet another reason I've been a bit scarce around here lately. Like it actually wounded me a bit. But you know, if I might mix character metaphors here, maybe I've been tossed off that cliff, been through an emotionally rich journey in a shockingly good Blu-ray spinoff, and am now ready to return to the fold, enlightened by my experiences and no less dedicated to my ideals. Indeed, I can now lay down my body and soul to say...

Revice really deserves a much better home than I think I can give it.

I mean, I barely even cared about this show when it started. Waaaaay too distracted by how much I loved Saber to give it more attention than the base level fun I was having each week. Then everyone starts hating it, and you know, I didn't even realize that was obviously the wake up call to do my thing and make arguments in the opposite direction. Instead, I spent a bunch of time having most of the same issues before I eventually started seeing the light. It's a mix of humorous and sad to read Die drawing the conclusion (correctly, as history keeps proving) that people simply need more time to come around to Revice, when I was rethinking all this stuff while it was still airing, learning to love the show at the expense of having any fun talking about it.

The difference is something I still struggle to peg down, compared to all the other shows in similar positions I'm always ready and eager to jump to the defense of. But I think that difference in where I originally stood is significant. It's like some sort of imposter syndrome thing where I want somebody else to do the job of loving Revice better than me. (Hence the "by default" up top.) At this point I'm basically running this big orphanage full of neglected toku shows, and I feel like Revice doesn't need Fish Sandwich, so much as it needs someone who is to Revice what I am to Ghost (or Wizard or Saber or Faiz or Ninninger or--). Someone who basically specializes in giving Revice specifically nothing but unconditional love and affection. Like, I can't be the person for that job, right? There'll at least be like, one person who'll show up to see qualities in Revice that even someone like me is yet to find... right?

Well, uh, judging by Die specifically calling out the absence of someone to fill that role throughout the thread, apparently not! I'm feeling a little guilty right now, as a matter of fact! It's only in the last week or so I've worked up the courage to catch up on the bulk of the thread, and considering Die was consistently doing his typical evenhanded best to call attention to both the failures and the successes he was seeing on screen, I no doubt missed out on plenty of chances to have much more pleasant discussions about Revice than my worst fears were leading me to believe.

So, I'm way too late to the party, and have already spent way too much time talking about myself, but for whatever it's worth, please allow to me to say:

It is the cruelest of ironies that so many people were unable to embrace the beauty in this messy, contradictory show about learning to embrace the messy, contradictory beauty of people.

Revice wasn't a show I started out caring much about either way, but it's proven itself to me as a series that greatly rewards the thought you're willing to put into it. It's been sitting with me extremely well over time, and for that reason in particular, I have no doubt in my mind that Revice will have its renaissance one day, no matter how long it takes. There's so much more to the stories it told than simply its questionably structured plots, and those stories were rich in thematic substance that can easily go toe to toe with the very best Rider has to offer.

For my part, it's not even the episodes I loved right away that make me so convinced of this. A lot of those, you all could probably guess. Episode 18 is maybe the easiest pick? The image of a wounded Ikki literally leaning on Vice for support, you know, those shots speak volumes thanks to the strong dramatic context they're put in. It's all the smart ideas the larger narrative was thoughtfully exploring, compressed immaculately into a wordless visual. No series capable of that could possibly be beyond redemption, which is maybe why episodes I didn't much care for initially quickly started to improve in retrospect, once I started properly digging into them.

Episode 28 is definitely the best example to point to here. The whole thing was lost on me at first. Best I could figure, it was just a less successful copy of 18. I didn't know how the Ikki/Vice drama here was saying anything new, and lines like the whole "We're not demons! We're Revice!" bit left me scratching my head trying to comprehend the meaning. It's a favorite in its own right now, and that made it a relief to see it was one Die gelled with immediately. Because now it's all so obvious to me. Like, duh, they're not demons because Revice is a dude and his inner demon, acknowledging each other as parts of the much stronger single complete whole person they become through their mutual acceptance. The literal single person! In that episode! I'm back there in the thread at the time saying the suit design is all I like about that form, and now here I am, profoundly moved by Ikki's tearful declaration that he'll protect Vice, which is clearly demonstrating that whole "mutual acceptance" thing I just said by reversing the typical roles those two play in their relationship, and is actually quite different from 18 in terms of the specific nuances of what it's trying to accomplish thematically! Like, that episode is absolutely a progression, not a retread, and it's one I'm constantly coming back to in my head when thinking about how premature I was being in dismissing quite a bit of what Revice was doing.

And that's barely even the tip of the iceberg, between episodes I liked right away, and ones I found the substance in later on. I mean, there's so much I could've, probably should've, hopefully someday will take an opportunity to go on and on about. Revice had so much to say that genuinely fascinates me, and especially when it comes back to that simple core idea of being able to love yourself, it's doing so much that speaks to me on a really personal level, the way I'm sure it will for others in the years to come, if those people aren't out there already. I'm just grateful I have my own inner demon of sorts -- that Kagerou in the back of my head always questioning the certainty of my opinions; that Vice telling me I'd have more fun if I'd just let myself -- so that I could realize I loved this show much quicker than I might've otherwise.

But that's once again about me, and it's about Revice, when the real thing I'm here to say above all else right now is simply -- congratulations, Die.

I couldn't have possibly imagined (and maybe you couldn't either!) how much this whole endeavor would grow from that one random thread about Ghost, but it really has been my pleasure to be a part of all these threads over the years, even if I only squeezed into this one at the last second. Like any great serialized journey, each installment was an adventure in its own right, and I'm sincerely grateful in particular for the opportunity to think back over all these shows as someone who had seen them all before. After all, like I tried to emphasize talking about Revice just now -- you find new things to love going back a lot more often than you find new things to hate. I think I know you well enough to know you'll want to flip that statement back around to how it's us participating that makes it worthwhile and everything, but (perhaps once again apropos for Revice!), it takes all those parts together to make the greater whole -- we can only participate because you gave us something worthwhile to participate in.

So enjoy your well-earned vacation. And I mean, seriously, please enjoy it! I've said this before, but the sheer stamina you bring to these things regularly humbles and amazes me. You're already giving yourself this whole new schedule, but really, take all the time you need off, and maybe even some extra time for the heck of it. You deserve it!

Hello I am here, I kind of stopped posting for a while on the entirety of the forum for the most part because uh...

I'll be brutally honest, I just wasn't feeling it anymore.

The trajectory of certain discussions on this website have become exhausting, tedious, and repetitive to the point where I kind of had to take a long look and realize, yeah no, it's not worth it. Not even to the point of trying to give props to a show I think is good.

So yeah, that was mainly why I was absent (Kind of), though that doesn't mean I haven't been discussing bits and pieces with Die elsewhere so there was some positive balance even if it wasn't for all to see.

That being said, unless I really feel like replying to something, don't expect me around aside from my sporadic posts I've been doing as of late.

In the end though, congrats on finishing! Feels like an end of an era tbh

I absolutely want to turn that statement around, and how dare you slip in at the 13th hour to make me take some minor amount of pride in what I do! HOW DARE.

But, no, I appreciate the beautiful sentiment, beautifully conveyed as always. You've been missed, but I never would want anyone's participation (even mine!) to feel obligatory. These things should be fun, and self-care is important. I loved getting to read just a little bit of your feelings about Revice, though, and it's super nice of you to share them here.

I hope things are going well for you, and I hope we're able to talk about toku again some day soon!

I'm actually really sorry to hear that? My goal, at all times, has been to create a space where everyone feels comfortable sharing their ideas. I loving getting to witness the kind of energy that goes along with pet theories and pet peeves; with arguments and agreements. It's sad to hear that this thread didn't feel like a place where you could fly your Revice flag, and I hope things change -- with me, with you, with the boards -- in some later thread someday. I look forward to eventually seeing some impassioned post about Phase 2 Heisei!

You should not feel bad about it, love your threads tbh. While yes, the way some discussions went in this thread were the tipping point, it was me staring at the trajectory of a lot of threads in the site and realizing that it's just not fun anymore?

Not sure if I'll pop in for the Phase 2 threads purely because I don't feel the need to revisit Phase 2 Heisei anytime soon. I'll look forward to potentially chiming in on your other threads however!

I will take what I can get! Thanks!

Yeah it's Orteca, so late for the official sub to be revealed. Though there's a funny sub that calls him...
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachmen...451/olteca.jpg

Well I guess this is the actual combination of George's Kamen Rider fanboy self in the beginning, and also him being actually moral to help others later. With him retaining his Kamen Rider fanboy traits now, I now even question where did it came from, before I thought Chic was what made him Kamen Rider fanboy that also disregards others' lives for his own ends, cuz he had the irony of being a Kamen Rider fan, yet is an atrocious person, which I thought this inconsistency can be caused by Chic who is acting on his body.

I wonder what deeper look into his psychology that you expect. I wouldn't want for him to get a depth that depicts him in a more positive/sympathetic light, like expecting him to get redeemed and forgiven easily or such, was worried too when he was given a tragic backstory. As usual though, he can win over people due to his charisma like Rinna and some of the Neo Deadman members.

I gotta watch Drive to get more correct assumption of Rinna, but I guess she gives me the impression of Enokida from Kuuga regarding her science talk here, but ofc her destroying pictures of Otta is something different. I guess regardless of her using any means to destroy it... she doesn't resort to stomping those pictures underfoot like a doormat for her shoes.

I don't really know what I'd expect them to with Orteca in this special to broaden his appeal with me? He's not a guy I've thought about enough to care what his motivation might be or what he'd do in the aftermath of Giff's defeat. Which, I guess, that would be where I'd point: Make me care enough about this guy to wonder what he'll do next.

And as for his charisma recruiting Neo Deadmans... see Episode 2 for how much that was because of Orteca!

I guess people like Layton already explained well between their rivalry and I think it's worth considering. Otherwise, seems that while George is firmly being good, like objecting to science being used to trample humanity, he still has some darkness remaining, with him sorta doing some pay evil unto evil by twisting the knife further on Sho Takada's issues, of him wanting to be acknowledged, and to Orteca as well for making him more miserable by showing the Drive couple's love. He also seems to make light of Orteca's rampage and breakout later due to Juuga.

I'd be relieved that Orteca is shown to be unable to grow or change, because my worry was about him getting his redemption with this special, in general when he was brought back instead of dying at Giff's hands. Otherwise, Tamaki's grudge on Orteca seems to be softened here, with Tamaki, after declaring main Rider's phrase of protecting smiles, immediately throws hands to Orteca when they meet again before.

So this'd be the reason of Orteca "winning" over people with his charms of being set up by Aguilera, or Sho Takada actually wanting to use him as a pawn, but ofc it backfires with Orteca being a sociopath thus not a reliable ally that can backstab you. He wins over Rinna regardless, and Rinna also seems to be more concerned about her work's capability in the battle between Orteca and Juuga, rather than Makoto being an evil bastard that can use it for bad. Their showdown feels weak, for a Rider meant to surpass something like Ultimate Kuuga...

Yeah, but I feel like there are stories that'd grow Orteca beyond just a redemption arc. What if he got more evil, or fell for another character, or had to get a day job, or or or. Villain Becomes Hero is just one of many options.

Also, I imagine finding out Orteca got his ass kicked would make plenty of people smile, so Tamaki's honoring his vow!

I saw episode 1 on you tube but that was it so far.

Hey there!

So, this thread made for a big milestone in terms of both Watch Threads and Die himself, so I decided to do a little something to celebrate.

Die, Androzani, GrandComplete, En-chan, and myself all got together to talk about Die's' threads, our experience with Kamen Rider as a whole, fun memories around the boards, and... Kamen Rider Butts??

It was a fun time, and if you wanna listen in on the conversation that we recorded, you can download a copy of the podcast by clicking HERE. It's a little over an hour long.

As for myself, while I'm certain that I serve as little more than the annoying "rival" of the guy who popularized Watch Threads around the board, even I won't deny how big of an impact they had in terms of getting people to look back on these older entries in Kamen Rider, as well as the absolutely fun time I had with most of the threads that I participated in.

Sure there were some bumps here and there, but overall it made for one heck of a ride over these past four years, and only contributed to me liking and sticking with this little community that I joined a few years back. Hopefully when the revisits happen at the start of next year, I can think of fun ways to contribute to most of those planned threads, especially whatever Power Rangers show Die decides that he wants to check out.

You're very kind, and I super appreciate the invitation to chat with y'all about this fun/weird experience. It's been a great source of enjoyment these last few years, and I hope it continues to be a good time as the next phase kicks off in 2024!

Honestly, the only real regret I have was whoever did the Ryuki part of the Decade thread; they're a source of non-stop anger, and I apologize to the community for their involvement.

Oh man, yeah, that guy. I've only talked to him a few times, but apparently he somehow thinks he's the only fan of Power Rangers? Like, everybody knows that no one likes that franchise period. Glad you kicked him out. Easily the weakest of the special guests you've had.

KAMEN RIDER MAJADE WITH GIRLS REMIX

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/revice/sawahaha.gif

I spent a whole lot of this special thinking it was fun, but not really about anything. Where the previous three-part Girls Remix story really grounded itself in the formation of the team, and how that gave a disparate group of boy-adjacent characters and stories a place to let female perspectives find connection and fellowship, this one takes as given the existence of female internality and objectives, letting the special just sort of be a really solid one-off adventure for Legend Ladies across the last 16 or so years of Kamen Rider. There are way worse reasons to make a TTFC special, and I’m happy enough with the more nostalgia-bait intentions of a Girls Remix reunion/expansion. The new characters are a delight, even if I really miss some of the inaugural cast (Poppy!!!), and their usage overall felt fresh and dynamic. It’s a fun little chase story, punched up by frequent battles both in and out of costumes.

(Like, I pretty much just assume that Sakamoto filmed a fight between Marika and Nozomi, and then figured out a story that could be told around it. That fight alone is worth the price of admission, and sort of validated as many of these Girls Remix projects as Sakamoto can talk Toei into.)

But then we get into the reveal that Marika’s a resurrected cyborg or whatever, and where I’d normally feel robbed of a chance to really interrogate that character’s problematic history because she isn’t really her anymore, I think the fact that some lunatic brought her back to support someone else’s story is kind of the perfect adversary for these women? Marika is their weird boy-adjacent backgrounds run amuck, weaponized into zealotry and fawning worship. The little scene in the middle where Reika swoons over her brother and Rinne beams over her dad… like, that’s just the diluted version of Marika’s nonsense! There's kind of no reason for them to just randomly go Aren't The Men In Our Lives Great one scene after meeting each other, unless it's to kill Alison Bechdel's friend stone dead. The way those two characters reflexively elevate the men in their lives is kind of the starting point of valuing the men's success more than their own, which is Marika's entire existence. Marika is a character that exists to deify someone else – anyone else, judging by every usage of her for all of media – at the cost of her own narrative. Trying to defeat and/or rehabilitate a character like that is kind of the ideal mission for Girls Remix to undertake; Girls Remix is the helping hand Marika never got in life.

I don’t know if the rest of the special really lives up to that admittedly subjective interpretation of its conflict's thematic significance or thought-out storytelling. (It doesn't help that Marika is supporting a woman this time, despite all of the King talk.) Characters appear and disappear based on clearly budget and schedule reasons – Sophia nopes out after a couple scenes, Hana ditches half of the fight for nebulous reasons, and there’s zero story reason for Sachika to show up at the end. While it’s fun to see Chiharu from Zero-One back, despite apparently leaving her husband and changing her name, I don’t know that there’s enough here to really care about her weird-ass plot, but I’ll assume it’ll improve over subsequent episodes. (Too much left unresolved here! And was that a Wizard portal that sucked up the new Driver?) The million little continuity details and callbacks are nice – Akiko nodding towards Fuuto PI, Clotho getting name-checked, Sophia’s terrifying cooking getting a sound effect – but that’s the laziest part to ever compliment. It’s all fun and nostalgic, but it’s a little clunky for how it tries to create an adventure around that core.

Still… I sort of don’t mind a lot that there maybe isn’t an explicit Reason for these characters to be together, because Kamen Riders Help Each Other Out is the reason. The girls-only aspect is a neat marketing hook, but the storytelling isn’t obligated to foreground that. Where Girls Remix started as a refuge for overlooked women – and would’ve been a lifeline for someone like Marika – it’s okay if it’s evolved into just a club for heroes instead. Sometimes representation is just solid entertainment, you know?

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/...ajaderemix.png

Man, this was a small gap between a sub release and a review.

To be honest, when I watched this raw, I completely missed Sachika’s cameo and assumed it’d been cut from the finished piece. Regardless, it’s funny that this is the closest we’re getting to GAVV vs Gotchard.

And I love that Cloud goes full Showa villain by picking a single word from a foreign language and running with it, in the vein of groups like Mess, Crisis, Neros, Tube, Volt, Gear…

Though one wonders who conjured that magic portal… and why they were after Sumire’s rather basic looking Rider belt… though a part 2 has been confirmed by the commentary, so I guess we’ll have to wait on that.

It's nice that, while this special is clearly setting up a sequel -- disappearing belt, Sumire's creepy smile, Nayuta as the new assistant/inevitable Rider -- it doesn't do the thing of teasing too much of the grander story at the expense of letting the singular unit of entertainment be fulfilling. (*cough* Outsiders *cough*) We get this win over an army of faceless baddies and one Legend Rider, and that's plenty for an outing.

Watched this last night, which honestly felt a little strange because it's been close to two months since I watched any tokusatsu and I felt very rusty. It was fun but it also felt very throwaway, like the entire special is the equivalent of Sachika's role in Kamen Rider Majade with Girls Remix.

• Full disclosure, as someone for whom the Sakura/Hana ship is the only part of Revice they still have any emotional attachment to, I was curious to see if/how this special would handle it (especially in light of how badly it was managed in the first Girls Remix). I am happy to say that I was completely satisfied.
• The other thing I was really looking forward to was the return of Minami Tsukui as Yoko. I don't love that we got stuck with the worst version of her, but I always love seeing that actress throw down and I was not disappointed.
• I've spent the better part of the last decade bemoaning how Kamen Rider weapons don't look like real weapons anymore but seeing Nozomi going after people with a goddamn mall dagger actually made me second guess that because oh man, was that uncomfortable at several points.
• These specials is the perfect place to reuse Akiko and I hope she continues to be a part of them for as long as they exist.
• Next time bring back Femme, L'Arc, and/or Akira, cowards.
• Holy shit, the actress who played the villain was terrible. I know it's just a web video, but what fourth string idol group did they go digging into to find... [insert quick Google check here]... Yoko from GoBusters? I... how did... Switchblade.exe has encountered a fatal error, and will now terminate.

If I somehow gained control of Toei, and the cast of Zi-O didn't murder me, the first thing I'd do is put Asumu's mom from Hibiki -- Asumum -- into the next Girls Remix.

(It also... it just really bummed me out that Poppy wasn't in this. I want to say I heard that suit got cannibalized for some other show, but you can still get the actor! She's just doing insurance commercials! I think she'd make time for this!)

Man, what? You're crazy! It's just the lady from the matchmaking two-parter in the Job Battle arc of Zero-One! She ain't no Sentai. She's just a Kamen Rider actor, like the guy who played Quiz on Zi-O!

You’re both wrong. She’s the princess who was the villain of the Ultraman Ginga S movie.