Tomoko's arguing (beautifully, passionately, I love the performance here) for friendship between Riders, and you're acting like it's random or off-base? Y'all forget which one Tomoko is?!

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/fourze/amazon.gif

Touche.

I was actually particularly looking forward to this thread just so you'd finally have the chance to talk about this specific episode in more detail, because I recall that even from way back, you'd always bring it up as something you really liked in Fourze whenever you had the chance. And yeah, I basically can't add much to the discussion of the story other than a firm "yes yes, that that" to how clever much of it is.

So I guess instead of even trying, I'll just toss in a mention how much I love the Meteor Galaxy? I think it represents a really clever compromise to allow Bandai the obligatory roleplay weapon for Meteor without having to actually give him a weapon, but simply on a superficial level, those voice clips are still some of my absolute favorites in the ever-increasingly large pantheon of Rider toys with goofy voices. It's been over 10 years at this point and I still randomly hear "Okay! MARS!" in my head more often than quite a few base form transformation sounds for lead Riders. :lol

I kind of love how basic Meteor's weaponry is, for a Guy Sticks Three Different Planets On His Hands-level of "basic". Where Fourze's Switches are plentiful and bizarre (Wheel gets a funny use, considering that it's probably not ever going to be the main Switch for a guy with a full-size motorcycle), but Meteor's attack options are basically Small, Medium, and Large, with modifiers of fire or, uh, rings. And those announcements! They're like Deneb to me, some outgoing and courteous soundclip for a taciturn and obstructive Rider. OKAY!

You champion people not changing from their mean self, but there's a change in Miu for no longer being on the same page as Shun where she now acknowledges a geek and nerd in repeating what Gentaro said of being the manliest of the man, after Gentaro proving his genuineness of being her friend. Not about forcing people to change, but people's positivity inspiring others to be better. Guess I think Miu's similar to Kengo too where though both are cold to others and destroy gifts given to them, Kengo takes his duties to fight monsters and tells to take injured students to hospital, where Miu also claims as a Queen her duty is to protect the school. I want to figure out things here putting your bias aside, I wonder if what Miu is good for (other than running her mouth) is about her reading people (as how much she climbs the social scene) to become the leader, as she points out about Kengo giving special treatment for Yuki to use his name casually. I do also feel this too as while Kengo dismissed Gentaro at first, he's completely friends with Yuki.

I know you'd likely support Gentaro not making friends with JK, but though JK may seem annoying (particularly at the end), JK should be just another difficult challenge Gentaro overcomes to make friends with, so I feel Gentaro's being rather cold for no reason at the beginning, which Yuki also said he rather changed. I can feel Gentaro also conditionally accepted JK as a friend here due to viewing what he can do like making many friends in the party or bringing him girls. I know JK was shown to be slimy at the end, but previously, I feel JK was being annoying in the same way as Kotaro in Blade to Kenzaki at the start of the series. JK's behavior that time also reminds me of Ryutaros or Ryotaro possessed by it. And yeah, if JK wants Gentaro to protect him from Zodiart, no need to manipulate him (of which, this can be also about Gentaro being cold for no reason albeit it'd be what you agree with), or sabotage his fighting, but I don't think JK wants Gentaro to protect him from the Zodiart by this.

I mean, it's not so much that JK was annoying, it's that he was manipulating Gentarou into a dangerous situation through his own cowardice. That's maybe not someone you want to bring into your life!

I feel that this is about indirectly fixing other people by proving their view wrong. JK thinks that no friendships are genuine, not only about him, but also about the friends he made in the party that refuse to help him when he's captured. But Gentaro proves that there are friends who would help just because it's the right thing to do, so the likely most sympathetic case of JK is that, he has always been in fair-weather friend environment. I may feel that Gentaro's ideal can be stronger to be applied on someone that seems winning in JK about dog eat dog environment, rather than if it's done on someone who has been visibly a victim and resorts to taking advantage of others because others did it first (which may have the audience view them as innocent and only blame whole society/their so-called friends that time). I still feel that it's unknown why JK steals the Electric Switch, I don't know about the purpose. I think friendships are also about understanding each other, even though they seem awful from the outside, I want a discussion about the reason why JK chooses to steal Electric Switch, something that just seems like a worthless toy to him, which should be what can repair their relationship better by understanding each other.

I feel that so far it's a pattern in Fourze that the monster of the weeks are someone who got screwed over by the part of the main cast, not only JK to Nitta, but also Miura to Shun before. Though Miu's a subversion that it can be thought that Miu was screwing over Tamae like Shun to Miura, but actually it's just Tamae's jealousy. Dunno if this is also important to challenge the biases of people who may downplay what the main characters do (other than JK, here, at least in this thread), but exaggerate what the people outside of the main friend's circle do, which, I think should be the real test of Gentaro in making friendship, of which it's good that Gentaro still tries to extend friendship to Miura, Tamae, and Nitta here. I wonder though if JK joining KRC was about JK owing Gentaro for helping him despite betraying him, so JK was forced by Gentaro to do labors he doesn't like (also, JK is good at keeping valuables on his hands, as said before). Sorry to bring up about other series, but I feel that nothing beats something like Kuroto working together with the CR in Ex-Aid about having an awful person teaming up with the heroes (not the MC forcing, but Poppy does bring him in).

Then again, as I said above, Gentaro doesn't distinguish between the main circle of friends and the other nobodies around, which actually passes his vow of treating everyone as a friend. Gentaro didn't only stop Nitta from beating up JK, but he also stops JK from beating up Nitta when he lost and pointed out that JK did deserve it.

Which can be why that those who're trying to redeem actual villains are complained about. I mean, other than people like JK who can be more realistic, wouldn't this also apply to those villains who may be more enjoyable to the audience as their crimes feel more fictional (or to you, to also know more about them inside that makes you have more positive view on them)? And it'd not only personally harm the hero, but villains would endanger many people by pulling this. Like for instance, cases like Sougo to Heure, Aruto to Horobi, or Shoma to Rakia can easily end up with them being betrayed, possibly killed, and have the villain still endanger others without being stopped? Not happened, but a possibility that would always happen against anyone unlikable.

It's definitely a pattern for the first 10 episodes, because that's how we get introduced to the cast!

Ryusei KITAAAA!

This is a cool moment to show that Gentarou, true to his reputation, has already befriended a large amount of people offscreen. Notice that the cat idol girl also appeared at the school festival in Megamax, so it fits nicely in recent continuity. Gentarou's friendly influence certainly creates a different atmosphere for Ryusei's first day in contrast to what Gentarou experienced.

And yeah, I love Ryusei, honestly, one of my favorite Secondary Riders, but he's pretty miserable on the inside at this point, with his major downer on friendship while acting as a flatterer to get on KRC's good side. Those two sides of the actor's performance are entertaining to watch, especially as the real Ryusei starts to leak in to his persona.

The white and black contrast never goes out of style. Even the accents of Fourze's orange and Meteor's blue emphasize their conflict. Yet both of them are heroes, only with different priorities. Fourze is colorful and has a lot gimmicks, which he relies on his friends to help test and determine their compatibility, while Meteor looks minimalistic, he relies on his own strength and has a few moves that he has mastered. The Rider Systems are appropriate for their users.

I'm glad you love this as well, I also think Gentarou's response to Ryusei punching him is an iconic moment for their rivalry. Well, maybe kids shouldn't take it too literally about punching people in the face to make friends, but in this specific context, the punch tastes like the hidden truth of Ryusei, letting Gentarou sense the exciting mystery that exists behind the unremarkable sham he met earlier. And Ryusei, established as the handsome ace who can know and do anything, cannot in turn understand the mystery of Gentarou but learns that what he calls his stupidity shouldn't be taken lightly.

True that people are likely to care more about their friends than those outside their circle. Bullies' friends are often other bullies though, which becomes an echochamber to support their bullying behavior. Miu is friends with Jun though, who is just a happy person who loves to eat, so I think we can better perceive people by observing the company they keep.

Yeah, I appreciate Gentarou not letting JK play the victim, sharply reminding him he was the one who provoked Nitta in the first place. While Gentarou is a friendly and loving guy, he's firm when he needs to be and calls people out when they're wrong.

For guys like Heure, Horobi and Lakia, we get to see how they became like that, which presents the possibility to help them see the error of their ways. JK's introduction is concerning, as the show leaves it to the imagination to figure out why he's like that, even if he's not the life-threatening type. Turns out he is actually a good person after all, but the uncertainty is what makes it problematic until we see his reassuring helpful contributions to KRC in the following episodes.

What better anniversary tribute to 40 years of Kamen Rider than Riders punching each other in the face, though? (I like to think it's an Inoue tribute!)