If entertaining is the main criteria for whether a character deserves to be the target of schadenfreude, then I definitely think Mei should be excluded from that treatment. Entertaining is like one of Mei's main character traits, so Reika almost maiming her should go against that. Considering general consensus of Reika's creepy behavior, if the staff's intention was for this to be comedic for its own sake, then they probably didn't get the desired results, as a lot of people think she's pathetic now. I honestly don't mind if people who enjoy this kind of comedy call me boring for disagreeing with them, that just shows they lack an open mind to see other perspectives, like how I think Mei is a lovable and helpful character and thus don't want any severe bad things to happen to her unless they directly serve the narrative.

This episode has like, the ultimate Touma speech IMO and it's where Storious clicks in to place as the final villain. Storious fell in to despair after finding out that humans can't write any original stories, as they're all predetermined in the Omniscient Tome. So he decided he would write one big story to end them all, believing that destruction is the only action that holds any meaning.

Touma's answer to this nihilistic angst? "Who cares?" I love that line, as it meets Storious' hopeless philosophy from the same angle, to show why that way of thinking is flawed.

"Who cares if everything is unoriginal?"

The worth of stories isn't in their originality, but in their ability to reach people's hearts and make them think about topics in ways they haven't considered before. After millennia of storytelling, all the tropes have been done and recycled over and over again, but for someone, they're experiencing it for the first time. It's original to them! Everything is derivative, but it's that derivation that give those stories meaning, allowing them to surpass the boundaries of time and reach new audiences that the writer never even imagined.

That's why Touma and the others keep fighting, cause it's humans who decide the value of the world and their individual lives. Magic or not, the Omniscient Tome is a collection of pages. Pages are ephemeral. The stories don't exist only in those pages, they exist in the world, immortalized in people's hearts, where they really matter. Kamen Rider Storious' face is a book, as he can't see the true meaning beyond those pages, which is pitiful for a man who once had so much wonder in his heart.

Have faith in Touma. He'll decide how this story ends!

EDIT: If you haven't already watched the ED for this episode, then I recommend you do. It's a special edition!

Sophia can really be compared to Tsukuyomi (they even have a similar style) as late lady riders. But Poppy became a rider almost at the same time that Reika revealed herself as Sabella (episode 26 and 25 respectively). It's more of a problem with the show that she didn't have anything to do after being freed from Lovelica's influence she didn't find anything to do.

This episode in some incredible way even manages to surpass the previous ones. An incredibly tough fight by Shindai when Reika manages to outdo her brother; the last general blow of veterans; Mei, who continues to help to the last. And, of course, the fight between Touma and Storius. A lot has already been said about their conversation, similarities and differences, so I want to write about something else.
I remember you wrote about the insufficient good performance of the performer of the role of Storius. But think about what exactly he has to work with. He has to portray a character who portrays a villain, while being a villain, but not the way he wants to appear. And at the same time, Storius is still not absolute evil and has not completely lost his humanity (which, perhaps, led him to the role of the destroyer of the world). So it's a very difficult role, especially since the show doesn't give much time to develop the character.
I also remember how Storius was called a romantic fatalist. Perhaps this does not convey all the nuances, but it suits him.
I will not write anything about Touma, because I save my thoughts until the next episode.
I liked the fanfic a lot.

I love how each fight has a moment for Rintaro to be told that his place is in the final battle, not these preliminary rounds. Everyone gets that Rintaro's important except Rintaro. Same as always! He's the best!

It's one for the ages, absolutely. It's Storious telling this long story designed to kick the legs out from under Touma, and then Touma's like You Have No Idea Why We Do This. It's another riff on the (terrific) Isaac rebuttal, where Touma is furious that this guy could get it all so wrong.

She is, though? She's fading out the same as Luna and Sophia.

This is a point I've already gone over, and will go over more at the Series Wrap-Up post, but Storious is another thing in the show that works great due to months of maddening choices and dull performances. He has to be wallpaper in order to be a compelling final boss, but it also means you've got DOZENS of episodes to watch him be wallpaper. No amount of quality here will make those choices retroactively entertaining, because you can't overwrite how you felt back then. Are these episodes worth that? Is the trade-off worthwhile? That's up to the individual viewer.

(It also means it's WAY easier to think back fondly on stuff that wasn't anything special in the moment, which makes discussing these things from two different points in time sort of bizarre. If I rewatched this show in a couple years, I'd probably be much more generous, knowing where it all goes. Doesn't make it easier to watch it the first time, though!)

Then again, there's also a moderation needed here where I'd think, while audience's suggestions should be taken into account, the story shouldn't be made to fully cater to the audience where the audience can have very differing wants especially in a huge number (and there are some KR where it's influenced by fanbase opinion and ended up worse), where submitting to as much of them would make it perhaps very inconsistent depending on which tastes they have. Or that the stories also just can be something that doesn't cater to certain audiences, of which it'd be not your or the story's fault, but certain close-minded ones can deem it as "bad" which is their fault. It'd be better to write stories exactly in how you plan it from start to finish, while taking into account for improvements that still suits your vision.

Storious is also someone who has unrealistic expectations of demanding complete originality in those stories and writing, hence his complaint about humans never actually creating anything and all of Touma's works being only copies. It also can happen in real life in people mocking a media as a rip-off of something, of which that kind of complaint can be inherently double standard-y, to give that, while praising their favorite media as original ignoring/not knowing about other medias that are like that, or treating as if the media they claim the hated one to be a rip-off of as the original progenitor one when it can have resemblance to some other things. Otherwise, of course, it's also about his narcissism to want to take credit thus he's also actively against things getting better, thus this makes Storious not merely even worse version of Kento Calibur, who also has pre-determined fatalist view?

About Touma's rebuttal of claiming that everyone is protagonist of their own story (at least in my sub), yeah, honestly, I'd want for the phrase of "everyone is a hero of their own story", or especially "every villain is a hero of their own story" to be replaced with that, as it perhaps is using the term hero as in main character but protagonist doesn't mean hero. And it's even said that great works can be created by taking references from multiple other great one, combining it, and adding your own touch. In his fight as Xross Saber, now he makes use of all the swordsmen's weapons and fighting style.

Albeit this episode, in contrast to what you wrote before, actually had the heroes in disadvantageous position, as though they've managed to defeat the Sages, it comes at a great cost, with both Daishinji and Ogami (who made the sacrifice, with the beam piercing both Highlander and him) likely mortally wounded, and same goes for the Shindai siblings, though it had a cool moment of Reika finishing off Diago untransformed, though with weapon. Blades continue to be nice to try aid the people who are hostile to him in the Shindai siblings here.

Kinda disappointed that the reaction of Mei seeing Luna suddenly becoming an adult got skipped to have Mei and Luna just interact like they know each other again. Mei displays her incurable optimism again here and they seem to use "I've experienced that before" as motivation here to get someone to change. Otherwise, Mei's idea of contributing here involves her editor job of which she types something. I don't get it clear yet here, other than how she always tries her best to prove herself in a team consisting of superpowered swordsmen.

Yeah, I do feel something regarding Ren's dialogue with Kento there, but can't express that in words yet. Thank you for having done it here, yeah it's about not viewing Kento as idealized figure anymore.

Fish Sandwich also watched Kamen Rider Saber Episode 46

Oh right, I forgot about that! It's just the three of them doing the dance routine without any of the cutaways, right? That was actually a really nice bit of detail to throw in there for the last episode that sequence gets used. I'm not sure this is a great way to describe it, but it has this sort of "look how far we've come" vibe I appreciate. Just reminding us that way back a whole year ago, those actors had to practice those steps to film that super early on, and the place it was filmed is actually of some significance if I remember right, and it's like this whole little story unto itself that we've probably been taking for granted after 40+ episodes of it, so they gave the dance one last chance to shine before the end. Again, real cool touch to throw in.

And you know, when just the end credits give me that much to talk about, it's safe to say I once again have an almost endless supply of things to talk about with an episode this amazing (the "almost" might legitimately be unnecessary?), so I think I'll take a page from Die here and just focus on how much one of the great Touma speeches of all time resonated with me a ton too. The funny thing is, is that I've seen enough people react to it different ways that it proves exactly the point Die was making there.

For me, though, the bit that always strikes me on a truly personal level is when Touma describes how happy it made him when Luna said she liked his writing, and how seeing her happy became his motivation to keep at it.

"It wasn't ever supposed to be a thing. I didn't write a lot, generally, or participate in fandoms. I'd lurk, but I didn't really post or discuss."

Those could be my own words just as easily as Die's. Despite having this account as long as I have, I wasn't all that frequent a presence on these forums until I had extremely contrarian opinions on Ghost I felt compelled to express. And Gaim, for that matter. Ninninger too! And I think it was because I was consciously realizing just how against the grain those opinions were that I felt the need to put them in writing. "I write these things for me" was definitely my attitude at first. It was simply exercise, more than anything. I figured sitting down with those thoughts and forcing myself to organize them would help those opinions become less vague. I might find out what exactly about Gaim rubbed me the wrong way, or what exactly I was seeing in Ghost that so few people seemed to. It was self-expression for its own sake, initially.

But I kept up that little exercise routine, and somewhere along the line, I found people who told me they were genuinely happy to read the things I was writing. It was an odd thing to process for someone like me. That huge Ghost thread I made all those years ago, it's one absurdly long single post because I wrote the entire thing before deciding if I actually wanted to share it or not. I was honestly terrified to put it out there. But as soon as even one person told me they were glad to see a positive opinion on the show, I think I started to see a purpose in what I was doing -- one that would only become clearer and clearer the more things of that sort I wrote here.

If it were only exercise -- something that only benefits me -- I highly doubt I'd have become a consistent enough presence around here for anyone to notice I was gone for a few months. If expressing my opinions on tokusatsu could brighten someone's day even a little -- if I could make someone smile -- that kind of motivation could carry me so much farther. That's part of why my signature is the particular quote from Kuuga it is. That's the simple reason that particular thread really exists. These are shows that mean the world to me, and if my writing, as amateurish and inherently niche as it is, can get somebody to find a deeper appreciation and affection for this stuff, the same way I always do myself, then that means the world to me too.

So yeah, needless to say, I connected a lot with this episode of Kamen Rider Saber. With a protagonist who refuses to despair, because he knows the true joy of writing is the joy you can give to others, and what a privilege it is to play any part in that, no matter how small.

I absolutely love Saber's end game. A final peaceful day before battle? Love it. The heroes storming the enemy fort? Love it. Heroes holding off a big threat so their teammates can push on? One of my favorite tropes. Mizuki from Ultraman Max? Always happy to see her.

Yeah, I think there's a big difference between Kento's fatalism, which is a consequence of his guilt and martyrdom, and Storious's fatalism, which has more to do with his selfishness and vanity. They're both Victims Of Fate, or however you might want to term it, but that's mostly a cover for their emotional issues. They're both two guys that handled situations really badly, is maybe the reductive (but accurate!) way of putting it.

As always, incredibly well said.

It's a great string of episodes. There's a weight to these last few Sabers that I don't know if I see in a lot of Kamen Rider finales, and I think a lot of it comes down to this incredibly large cast all (almost all) being in one place at one time. We're not really dealing with multiple overlapping apocalypses, or folks being kidnapped, or huge twists about what story is actually being told. Short of Mei and Luna being in a little subplot, everyone's deployed to fight the villain, and that's the story. There's a... I don't know, a coherence to the mission and the action that really makes it feel epic; we know what needs to be done, and now we get to see if the heroes can do it.

Exactly! While ALMIGHTY has come up a lot in this thread, we haven't actually talked much about the ED. Which is surprising, as it's such a novelty for this franchise that we definitely shouldn't take it for granted, especially when it's also a catchy upbeat dance theme, a strong contrast to Kuuga's and Hibiki's. It was so generous that we got this back-to-back with the dance themes for Kiramager and Zenkaiger, as there's been a recent trend in Sentai of omitting the ED in LupinPatren and now King-Ohger, while Zenkaiger did the same but made the OP the dance theme instead. I think, in general, we should all just have more appreciation for ED themes. The Kamen Rider Saber theme was always a fun way to end each episode!

KAMEN RIDER SABER EPISODE 47 - “THE END OF THE WORLD, AND THE BIRTH OF A NEW STORY”

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/saber/saber47a.png

Storious’s plan was never going to work. Not really.

Sure, Kento had seen any number of Ends Of The Earth, but that wasn’t really the defeat that Kento assumed. Storious thought he could destroy the world by destroying its stories, but that misses the truth that Mei and Touma always knew: we are our stories. The people we are, that’s all because of the stories we’ve read and told. You could sooner stop the sun from rising than destroy every story ever told, and even then, those stories still existed. They still shaped a life, and that life told stories of its own. We make our world out of stories, which means the world can be endlessly retold. As long as someone’s around to tell a story, it’s never really over.

I liked that aspect the most, the Mei Rallies The Troops of it all. Touma was fighting to protect everyone’s love of stories, and it’s only right for those stories to save Touma in the end. It’s all over this episode, even before humanity rewrites its ending. It’s in Primitive Dragon saving Touma from an endless fall, just to find out what story he’ll tell next. Yuri’s resurrection of the guild is down to a compelling story Touma told about friendship. Luna’s dream is to be a story that’ll let Touma write more stories. It’s the only power that ever really mattered, and Touma had it even before he chose to become a Kamen Rider. Hell, it’s the reason being a Kamen Rider chose him.

It’s a lovely finale, even if there’s still a Bonus Chapter to come. Everyone lives, even if it’s after a fashion. (Falchion! Tassel! The Book Club!) The world is saved, even if it’s maybe changed in ways that are yet to be explained or discovered. (I 100% saw a Humagear at Mei’s award ceremony.) There’s a generosity to this ending that exceeded my expectations, which were already elevated by the last few episodes. Touma’s lynchpin power-up is something that celebrates the many stories that allowed for victory: it’s not one narrative, it’s 10, 100, 1000, etc. The point of the success is the infinite perspectives that created unbeatable power, not the heroism of one warrior. Touma was a beneficiary of the victory, not its architect. Humanity wasn’t saved, humanity won.

I literally can’t think of anything in this episode I’d change, even if it wasn’t quite as moving or revelatory as the last few. (The last few were pretty unbeatable!) This one gives us the climactic battle that feels final, and the stunning victory that feels earned. There’s nothing here to feel bad about, and there's even an epilogue that takes us back to the first shots of the opening credits. The Wonder World is Touma’s imagination, and everyone’s stories. A similar geography, but a changed landscape. A story that became a lifeline, and a hero who never stopped being a writer.

It’s as good as these endings ever get, and it’s never really the end.

—

WRITE IT ON YOUR HEART

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/saber/saber47b.png

ETERNAL STORY

EDITOR’S NOTE

This novel was the work of Touma Kamiyama, but he probably wouldn’t like me to put it that way.

He’d rather say that his job was in letting the story be interpreted by him, rather than created by him. He viewed stories as a conversation, not a statement. This story was a conversation he had with his friends, and now he’s having it with you.

Touma saved the world, but he probably wouldn’t like me to put it that way, either.

It’s true, however. He may have only been the inspiration for this world to write itself out of oblivion, but Touma’s kindness and curiosity allowed us to do that. He never stopped believing in the power of stories, and he never stopped pushing people to tell their story to the world. For all that his acclaim came from writing, Touma loved listening to people more. He opened a bookshop, to better share stories with people. I asked him once, why a bookshop? Why not just write in privacy?

“Mei, writing is just the thing I have to do to share a story with someone, but it’s not the only way to share a story. This store is filled with books, any one of which could mean more to someone than anything I’d ever write. It’s good to put a new story in someone’s hands. That feels nice. But do you know what the best feeling is? When they come back, and they want to share how much the story meant to them. The look in their eyes as the story is theirs now, something they can love and pass on to others. It’s the greatest feeling in the world.”

It’s our profound honor as a company to share this story, Touma’s latest, with the world. We hope it will bring you the joy that Touma brought to us, and we hope you’ll pass it along to others.

Stories never die,
Mei Sudo
Editor

There are beginnings, and there are endings. And it's because of those endings that there are new beginnings.

This episode... really, really hit a lot of great notes, and definitely made it one of my favorite finale episodes from Rider as a result. Again, as someone who writes fanfiction, the decision to pin everything on stories to help frame the final battle, it resonated with me in a deep way. Just like how I saw it resonated with you and others in their posts about the previous episode. While Saber had a fantastical fantasy theme to it, another important theme was the power of stories and what they mean to us, what they inspire us to do. So them going full in on that aspect of the show makes for a really special time.

There's so much about this episode that's great, Yuri giving his all in order to get Kento to where he's needed. The prior fight before that where Kento and Ren work entirely in desperate sync to beat the last Sage.

There's Primitive Dragon showing up again and fighting alongside Touma, which is such a pleasant surprise with some fun altered suit acting to show both Touma and the boy working in tandem. There's a wild edge to it, but it's somewhat refined. And it's really cool that he was able to get the drop on Storious as a result. In a finale where stories are important, Touma utilizing a form/friend that came from an Arc that had a fantastic ending because of Touma creating a new story... it's a nice warm fuzzy moment.

Then we get Wonder Almighty. I love that the call out is the other Riders and Luna speaking. I love how despite it being our usual "Base Form with New Trinket" like Realizing Hopper, that it's so much more unique. It basically is our All Powers in One power for the Wonder Ride Books. Getting to see a lot of minor books used again, some that hadn't shown up in a while, and seeing our trio all beat Storious back all to the tune of Almighty, it was a rather nice final battle which cemented Wonder Almighty for me as the best done of these finale battle forms.

And of course... the scene of everyone talking about their favorite stories. Back when Saber was airing there was a call for people to make videos talking about their favorite stories and send them in. I had a feeling this might've been what they were used for, but it was still heartwarming all the same to see it happen in the episode.

Circling back around to what I said at the beginning though. I do like that well... the world does end. But it's thanks to Mei's rallying of everyone through asking them to remember their favorite story, that everyone is able to take that ending... and then write a new beginning to overturn that ending. One story ends, another begins, maybe it's a sequel, maybe it's something inspired by the last story. Either way, one of the greatest strengths of humanity is our creativity and ingenuity. And Saber used that to allow a happy ending, even if it took a bit in-universe, for everyone as a result.

Again, fantastic episode, and I love how in honor of Touma, Kento decided to go for the most bizarre fashion choice I've ever seen. Also yes that was a Humagear, I believe that was the writer of the episode making a fun cameo in it as well.

Honestly I was curious as to what you'd choose for a base in terms of the story this time, since there is a lot to potentially use in this episode. Though an editorial note from Mei about Touma... it feels right, and I enjoyed reading it.

Smartest decision in an episode full of smart decisions: Kento running the bookshop in Touma's absence, telling stories with a bunch of kids like he and Touma and Luna used to. What a perfect way to honor Touma!

That's correct! It was writer Keiichi Hasegawa as that Humagear (which is funny on it's own with the idea that Humagear are just something that exists in this world, just constantly off screen) and on top of that the award Touma received was the Ikkei Hasegawa award, also named after him.

...on a more dour note, the ultimate endgame of Luna's presence in this series being to die to give Touma a literal power up is. Pretty sour to me. At least she gets to be a force ghost in the end...?

A wonderful finale. The appearance of the Primitive Dragon caused me applause. Yuri proved that he is not only a Mary Sue, but also a real knight ready to give his life for others. A trio of swordsmen together for the last fight.
Also, books. Saber lost to Storius in a sword fight, but overpowered him using the books. And this brings us back to the early episodes, with the swordsmen complaining that Touma lacks swordsman skills. And it also gives the right message that the pen is stronger than the sword for a young and not very targeted audience. And besides, it makes a funny pun, because Storius is defeated by stories.

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/saber/saber47a.png

And I also wanted to note the appearance of the audience with stories about their favorite books. That's why I wrote that TTFC Direct Theater episodes are important.I am sure that it was the participation of the audience in them that inspired the authors to this unique idea. And this proves that the limitations do not fetter a real creative person, but only force him to look for new ways and develop.
Also, I can't help but mention that Touma was stuck in Wonder World for a whole year writing a new book. Because what else can a writer do? And it's funny that a part of the final was spoiled in the opening. It's also great that the villains have found peace.
It was a strong, emotional, wonderful finale. Saber is my favorite rider show and Touma Kamiyama is the kind of character I want to look up to (but for better or worse, I often don't have time when it comes to wardrobe).So I am grateful to you for the opportunity to relive this wonderful story once again.
But let us say goodbye to the show, but not to its heroes. There is still a lot of interesting (perhaps even ingenious?) ahead, so I look forward to your future posts.


Great choice for the final.

Technically, she has always been a ghost/fantasy/girl from another world. So the Moon, like a true friend, appeared when she was needed and disappeared again, because she had no place in the real world. I think if Touma and Kento need help again, she'll find a way to get back.

Yeah, the comment I left last time was meant more for this episode. I realised that after you replied. Sorry for the spoiler.

Anyway, two bits of trivia about appearances:

One of the people in the montage is a user on this forum, who entered the submission contest via a VPN, or something.

And the guy with the Humagear ears at the press conference is episode writer Keiichi Hasegawa. While the intent was that he is playing a Humagear, given that we never see whether he has the tattoo on his hand, and that we never see any other Humagears in this show or the next two, I choose to believe he merely owns a super-fancy headset.

And some writing trivia:

While I mentioned there was a reason they aged Luna up given officially, I can’t help but now think it was really so they could get away with killing her onscreen. At one point, the writer considered having her brought back in her child form in the new Wonder World, with Touma being similarly reverted, so they could make up for their lost time.

And to wrap this post up, here’s both a meme I found, and a recreation of Ren and Kento’s big improvised move against Kuon.

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachmen...9/IMG_1900.JPG

https://youtube.com/watch?v=4ICkNQy6RuI

My interpretation is that, as a result of everyone's favorite stories combining to save humanity from extinction, the world came back weirder. Someone's favorite story was, like, Kamen Rider Zero-One, and now there are random Humagears walking around. I like the idea that humanity accidentally made their world more fantastic, which makes Touma's absence a little more bearable for him.

It's always a little tacky, but I like how it's just another facet of folks using whatever skills they have to let Touma keep telling stories. For Luna, it's not really killing her or removing her from the story (she still pops up in Wonder World, after all), it's more her shifting into a metaphor that can be of more use in the battle at hand. She's a collection of stories, and now she's a collection of stories that can fight against evil.

It's great that Touma spent a year in Wonder World literally deciding the end of the story, and saving everyone that the Book Club had victimized. He's never been great with deadlines, but he always manages to fulfill his promises.

Huh! I'd've been okay with that, even if it sort of became redundant after the final scene with Touma, Luna, and Kento at Promise Park. It's still a new story, even if it's just an alternate version of a previous story, which fits in with the Touma/Storious debate pretty well.

Fish Sandwich also watched Kamen Rider Saber Episode 47

https://i.imgur.com/e5nvPz6.jpg

I didn't make the time to rewatch the whole show for this thread, but apparently this episode is another instance where I couldn't help myself. It's not like I needed to *remember* the episode, of course. A story like this is one I'll never forget. I simply wanted to experience it again precisely because I do still vividly recall all the amazing things in Saber's finale. From the perfect imagery of the hero literally being lifted up by a story, to all the clever refrains of old dialogue given new context, to the perfectly celebratory feeling of the final villain being defeated by three friends and nearly every book we've seen in the show.

And of course, to that moment when all seems lost, and not even the hero can save the world, until it turns out what can save it is the belief all of us share in the power of storytelling.

It's going to gnaw at me the rest of my life that I didn't submit a video when they were asking for them. I only have myself to blame, for failing to imagine just how serious they were when they said those clips would be used at an important point in the final episodes. In an episode directed by Ishida, no less! But at the same time, I've never felt all that bad about missing out, really. It's not like Kamen Rider Saber needed me specifically to cheer him on, and that's what's so beautiful about this scene. It's Saber putting itself out there, practicing everything it's ever preached, and proving its point by putting faith in its viewership that they're enthusiastic enough to come together and celebrate the ways we connect with stories, simply because they were asked to. Without that meta context, this would still be an utterly incredible conclusion. With it, it's one of the most profoundly moving things I've ever seen in Kamen Rider, for sure. Possibly in general. For this show that started under such uncertain production conditions, arguably stumbling out of the gate, to be here after a year, crossing the finish line with this much grace, having built this much for itself, it just something to behold, plain and simple. Touma's thank you is as straightforward as can be, but the weight behind those words is immense.

As ever, I could go into detail about any number of other things from this episode while I'm at it, but the other thing I really feel the need to call special attention to right now is the song that's playing as the world falls apart here, Timeless Story. (It was used at the end of 45,as well.) It's essentially a "with lyrics" version of Kamen Rider Saber's usual theme, and (alongside Super Hero Senki) is maybe the reason I properly think of that music as his main theme, instead of the other track directly associated with him that most people probably think of immediately when they think of this show's music. Timeless Story is just this really good, very grand version of that theme, and the entirely English lyrics, hard as they can be to pick out, really describe Touma's whole drive as a character perfectly. I think that's what makes the use in this episode work so well, is that while it sounds like it fits the despair of what's happening, the words are all about the importance of hanging on to hope in times exactly like this. There's a pretty clear to relevance to lyrics like

Now we shall see our new story
At last it's time to keep the promise
Strongly, believe in yourself to the end

So yeah, pretty great song in my book, and thanks to this thread making me want to go listen to it a bunch, I even found out there's a video of the show's composer, Kousuke Yamashita himself, conducting a proper orchestra arrangement of it, as if it weren't a grand enough song already. Definitely worth a listen for any fan of Saber! It's not every day a toku show gets a piece that sounds like this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFNNvO_4Gbk

So it'd be also the reason why Kento's vision failed (to his relief), that the reason the world's ending isn't because of straightforward apocalypse but a doomed plan. I'd say that, Storious feels the most similar to a number of KR movie villains as he's the one who wants to end everything, of which I've seen many of them like Barlckxs wanting to end everything as motivation, usually related to the KR generations, while Storious is related to stories in general. O̶r̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶i̶s̶ ̶a̶l̶s̶o̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶r̶e̶a̶s̶o̶n̶ ̶w̶h̶y̶ ̶S̶t̶o̶r̶i̶o̶u̶s̶ ̶f̶e̶e̶l̶s̶ ̶b̶l̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶(̶t̶h̶o̶u̶g̶h̶ ̶a̶g̶a̶i̶n̶,̶ ̶i̶t̶'̶s̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶e̶x̶e̶c̶u̶t̶i̶o̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶m̶a̶t̶t̶e̶r̶s̶ ̶n̶o̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶t̶y̶p̶e̶)̶.̶ S

Mei does contribute here but dunno that, this seems to be the type where someone shows surprising capabilities to contribute at the end despite others doubting them. I guess I'd like to see this part of contributing being a more consistent part of her instead of the finale to give surprises for the audience in how she accomplished it if it's meant to 'prove' herself as I think proving means this part should be a more consistent trait (Rintaro previously see her as a loved one). This was the actual part where it's shown that Primitive Dragon is now safe to be used, where previously they went to Elemental Dragon. This part is the downgrading part to face the big bad but in actuality it won't finish off Storious. But the "downgrade" is taken even further in Luna's sacrifice to create Wonder Almighty, that gives Touma the Brave Dragon-looking form Saber but has the powers enough for final big bad, using the CGI beasts of everyone instead of the swords Xross Saber does. Yeah, the Reiwa trend that time was to give the actual final form the same looking as the base form.

Ren's smile among with others now feel more consistent here compared to the Arthur part, as in this part he actually becomes a better person to others that aren't Kento, at least shown with Daishinji. Now it seems that finally the Shindai siblings warm up to them in them smiling a little, though I think Ryoga's the more open one like what I think before. Apparently it's the promise for Mei to make sure Touma completes the deadline. Touma reuniting with others at the end also feels like Takeru coming back to life at the end, as these 2 seem to have most the cast shilling for them. Among all though, Kento still seems to be the closest to him as he's the one who is an old friend while others are newer. Storious was established as already evil from the start but here it's him being like the other 2 Megid generals and sincerely thanking Touma as his 'hero', like Bacht regaining his sanity.

I really liked this finale. I'll admit that I don't remember a ton about the big fight itself, but I loved the emphasis on stories and storytelling as part of it. The montage of readers is one of my favorite moments in the whole series and something that really speaks to me as a writer.

Yeah, these kids did okay, didn't they? Good show for Kamen Rider.

I don't know how surprising Mei Uses Her Editorial And Promotional Skills is supposed to be as a story development, though? I'd say it's fairly consistent with Mei's established character. It's my favorite thing about her involvement, that she's editing and promoting for a superhero, in order to save the world?

It's a nice moment, and right up there with Takeru Hugs A Villain So Well An Apocalypse Stops as uniquely enjoyable tokusatsu finales.

Oh boy... The finale...

Now, I've held off since my memories kind of blend the whole endgame into one, so in case I accidentally slipped up, I waited for this moment.

It's quite a scene when the heroes are facing the scholars and they're all getting absolutely wrecked, while also urging each other onwards as they give their all to defeat these adversaries. Seeing everyone struggle and finally defeat them is such a great way to finish things off.

Storius and Touma, two people very similar yet not. Storius in this final arc showed how he was the perfect villain to oppose Touma. The very notion about how stories are unoriginal no matter what is something I found very inspiring as a writer myself, I could see things through Storius' twisted lens while still believing in Touma's convictions to what he's stood up for since the very beginning.

And having our trio together for that final confrontation was such a great thing to see, from combining the power of his friends as seen in a previous episode, to banding together with all the WonderRide Books to defeat this seemingly unstoppable force, culminating in Almighty Dragon! Which yes, pretty much just like Zero-One Shining Hopper, I don't mind it being just the base form with a fancy name, since I particularly enjoy Saber's forms, heck Zero-One's forms for that manner.

The scene with everyone talking about their favorite books is definitely a highlight, and as mentioned by Androzani, yes, a member here did indeed appear in that sequence, which is still fun to know. And to throw my name into this, I have to nominate one of my favorite stories to Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island, a book I've loved growing up. Shameless cameo over.

And everything comes full circle as Touma exits his house in Wonder World, a very nice nod to the fact that we knew from the Opening sequence itself, showing us once again, we were being told a story, which even though it lost its narrator and took place before our eyes, it all reached for this moment.

I'll probably talk extensively on characters and the series as a whole later, which is perfect for the Final Thoughts, but to give you an idea, I did really enjoy Saber, as to how it stacks against its predecessor, Zero-One, let's leave that for later.

I look forward to it! Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the finale!

KAMEN RIDER SABER EPISODE 48 - “BONUS ISSUE – A NEW PAGE, HAS BEEN TURNED”

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/saber/saber48a.png

Lazy summer epilogue episode of Kamen Rider Saber Featuring Special Guest-Stars REVI And VICE here. It’s doing two things: it’s a victory lap send-off to the Saber cast that doubles as a meditation on the necessity of change; and it’s an introduction to the cast, concepts, and (most importantly) energy of Kamen Rider Revice. How entertaining it is in either of those aspects is… a little worrying.

The Saber part, where the eternal friendship of Touma and Kento imparts a lesson about how friendships can weather change and adversity – even grow because of them – is incredibly sweet. It’s this show letting you know that your favorite Saber characters will be out there living their lives, even if you’re not around to see them. It’s also asking you to focus on the good times over the last year, rather than feel bad that they’re ending. Leave it to Saber to take a baton-passing crossover episode and still manage to say something heartfelt about both friendship and storytelling. It’s letting an audience know that stories are constantly starting and stopping, so it’s better to be excited by change than afraid of it. Because we’re not just talking about this story ending, we’re also talking about the next story starting. Namely, Kamen Rider Revice.

I did not like that part!

It’s a hard thing, to try and serve two tonally different masters here. Saber is a sweet, earnest show, filled with a rich, diverse cast of nuanced performers. (And Reika, who’s insanely awful this episode.) Revice, on the other hand, seems to lean very very hard into obnoxious comedy and constant antagonism. These are… not two things that can exist simultaneously in a story. It’s fine for one series to pivot into another, but it’s tonally dissonant to have Vice mugging for the camera and farting his way through a hard sell to watch his new show, all while Touma and the gang are charting out the next phases of their lives. Like, this is an episode where an egalitarian deconstruction of a morally-bankrupt cult sits alongside an invisible ghost taunting Yuri and everyone reacting to devil flatulence. It’s… you can’t really do both? And I don’t know if the disrespectful hard sell is the best foot forward for the new year of Kamen Rider?

Like, I’m trying not to judge Kamen Rider Revice off of this. In their world, in their context, maybe it all works. Maybe Saber should’ve made this less about their cast and more about promoting Revice. Maybe Revi should’ve been in the Promise Park battle and used less of Vice’s… contributions. I don’t know. I can’t say if Revice works or doesn’t work as a concept, because I haven’t watched the show yet. All I can say was that they were the worst part of this episode, which is a bummer for a viewer who was looking forward to discovering a whole new Kamen Rider series.

But Saber! Still so good and so smart, even if the effort of fitting in the Revice cast tore at the seams; at the little things it usually got right. (Namely, Reika being a lunatic, and Rintaro being way too wacky in his romantic comedy stylings. I am normally rooting for both those characters! But not this time!) Last episode is the clear winner in terms of wrapping up this show’s narrative, but this was a nice coda about how endings are bittersweet but necessary. Not my favorite episode, but a decent enough note to go out on.

—

OUR WORK IS DONE

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/saber/saber48b.png

Yasuyuki was packing up the last of the boxes, as the door chime went off. Without looking up, he shouted back to the doorway, “You got the van pulled up, Koji?”

“Uh, it’s not Koji. It’s Touma. What’s going on?”

Yasuyuki turned in surprise, and the voice was correct: it was Touma. Touma was back.

“Touma! Oh my god, it’s been a year! Where have you been?” Yasuyuki rushed to the valued customer, and shook his hand rapidly. “Koji and I… we talked to your friend Kento at the bookshop, and he didn’t… no one knew where you were! We heard about your book – everyone’s heard about your book – but you just VANISHED. Oh my god! I can’t believe you’re here. Wow. Wow. Are you okay? Is everything okay?” He never stopped shaking Touma’s hand, fearful that Touma might escape if he did.

Touma laughed and smiled. That squinty, generous smile that he always seemed to have at the ready. Shaking back the whole time, he explained himself to Yasuyuki.

“A long story, Yuki: I had a last-minute long-distance writing sabbatical which kept me out of contact, but I just wrapped it all up and got back to town. I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to say goodbye, but…” Touma shook his head ruefully, the smile evaporated. “I don’t know, it kind of couldn’t be helped. I’m back now, though. What’s… what’s going on with the shop? Why is everything packed up?”

Yuki let Touma’s hand go, and sat down on one of the many packed boxes. “It’s all over, Touma. Store’s closing down.” Yuki pointed to the back of the front window’s signage, KOJI AND YASUYUKI: HABERDASHERS, reversed. “Koji and I… it was a tough year. Sales were down–” Yuki saw Touma’s eyes go wide, his face go pale “–not just you, a big drop across the board. More than that, though…” Yuki exhaled, leaned his head back, looked at the ceiling. “Heart just wasn’t in it anymore, you know? Time for a change. Time for a different business model.”

He looked back at Touma, who was pacing around the half-empty store. Hands on hips, Touma nodded slightly as he took it all in.

“Boy, I’m sorry to hear that… but I’m also so happy for you guys. Endings are hard, but new beginnings are always so exciting. I know this wasn’t how you wanted this story to end, but I’m rooting for you both to go do something great.” Touma extended a hand to Yuki, and pulled him to his feet. “What’s next for you two?”

Yuki fished into his pocket, and handed Touma a folded-up flyer. “Funny you should ask, Touma. We’re opening next week, and we’d love it if you and your friends could stop by.”

Touma unfolded the flyer. In big block letters at the top, it read: KOJI AND YASUYUKI’S BATHHOUSE.

This is an interesting episode, serving as a nice epilogue for Saber while showing us Revice... and giving us a peak that uh... it's a thing tbh.

I'll say right off the bat, I don't know why they did the Vice fart joke? Because like... Vice doesn't really do that in the main show? Like I could be misremembering Revice but I do not recall constant fart jokes with Vice. Mugging to the camera, that's kinda his thing, whether or not it hits in the main series is up to viewer discretion.

I don't mind Vice tbh when it comes to the series but we'll get there when we get there.

Anyway my favorite Saber moment is the vacation moment at the very beginning, where we got Touma's greatest clothing choice. His vacation clothes is super great.

http://www.tokunation.com/forums/att...1&d=1679024727

I also enjoy Touma's rose themed jacket and super wide long pants. Real great.

As for the story though... a very nice bookending. I love bookendings. Was not expecting this, but I am pleasantly surprised.

On Revice in this... for now, I'll just say that this episode was still by a Saber writer, and not Revice's writer. Not a good impression in this one at all though, yeah.

But! That's not important. I want to finally share my Favorite Kamen Rider Saber fanwork. This was finished right after the finale (so no spoilers) and while Saber was a series that frustrated me at many turns, I love all the more how good this video is at bringing out Saber's coolest moments. Hope you enjoy!

https://youtu.be/jB800_UV1zE

I didn't mind Vice's schtick at all in Super Hero Senki, but this was... golly, it was like if Momotaros was the worst, instead of the best. Very off-putting.

I prefer bookendings whenever possible, which is why I was so thrilled with Episode 47. They're helpful to show the journeys the characters have been on, and where they might go next. Glad this one worked for you!

Thanks so much for sharing this! I'm glad that, even if Saber let you down at points, the feelings of Saber could be repackaged by thoughtful fans. That's very on-brand!

Hey wait that bear... I remember that bear. I seem to recall whoever did this also did like an animatic-style video that was an ED Parody of Sugar Song to Bitter Step. Cute video, though I don't know if I'm able to ever find it again.

Just thought I'd mention that.

And on the subject of sharing videos though... I am a MAD/AMV guy, and I always like finding really good ones of Series that end. Sometimes I make them though I haven't really done one of those kinds of videos in a while.

Thankfully there are some fun Saber ones. One of which I really enjoy though:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-Ch-pY9xl0&

The artist is @houkagochem on twitter, and there's a thread with all their animations here! (There's also Revice based clips in there, to warn you Die.) The Saber sugar song in question is this one :)

Nice good epilogue. As for the Revice part: Vice's gas problems really don't bother me very often (although they do), but otherwise, yes, these two are superfluous here and they would benefit from a less noisy cameo. So I'll talk about everything else.
The story of a trio of childhood friends resembling Touma, Luna, and Kento is perfect for the show's farewell. It also tells how the reorganization of Sword of Logos will take place and what the rest of the characters will do. Also, remember you earlier complaining about the unnecessary battle between Rintaro and Ryoga? Here she was needed then, so as not to show their duel now. No, the main reason, of course, is that the Blades costume is used in the Trio of Deep Sin, but still it can not be overlooked.
So if in the last episode there was an end to the story, then here is a farewell to its heroes. For let them return repeatedly, but not on a permanent basis.
The fanfiction is great and captures the idea well.
I also recently came across a photo of Saber actors at the premiere of Shin Kamen Rider:
https://yt3.ggpht.com/H9Rx-TxVA5oJBw...dffaffff-nd-v1
Perhaps this is nothing unusual, but it's still great that they continue to communicate even after the end of the show.

So yeah, fun fact. This, along with Senki and Revice’s preview movie, are the few times that Vice’s dialogue is scripted. In the show proper, all of his dialogue is ad-libbed (initially because the VA hated the scripted dialogue, later because they’re realised they weren’t going to give him material as good as he was coming up with on his own, so they just left placeholders with stage directions). If you ask me, it worked out for the best.

Also, the wiki says that like the Another Riders, the people contracting to create a Deadman are opposites to the Riders the stamps are based on. But given how tenuous the reasons given are (the only actual link with Ichigou this episode’s guy has is that Hongou has a backstory as a university professor), I’m not going to be sharing them.

And talking of Vistamps.

Ikki: It’s Ikki and…

Vice: Vice’s…

Both: Stamp Navi!

Ikki: Today’s Vistamp is… this one!

Batta!

https://youtube.com/watch?v=36Tj1_UJWLI

It’s a Legend! The original grasshopper! Top Batta! The Approaching Hopper! Henshin!

Ikki: The Batta Vistamp grants the extraordinary jumping ability of a grasshopper.

Vice: I want to use it.

George: I’m sorry, Vice. I already have that stamp reserved for someone else. But, as for the Rider…

Desire Driver: Ichigou!

Takeshi Hongou: Rider, Henshin!

George: The first Rider, Ichigou. A man modified into a monster by Shocker for his 300 point IQ. Augmented to the peak of the human condition, his Rider techniques’ power is unmatched.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=VH4K8qdhGEM

Vice: Hey, Kari-chan. Why is this the only Vistamp you’ve made where the Rider motif actually fits the animal?

George: We’ll, you see… (stamps himself with the Batta stamp and leaps out through the ceiling)

Vice: Hey, don’t cheap out the audience on a pertinent question!

Ikki: We hope you enjoy the next instalment.

Vice: Get back here.

And now a PSA: If anyone’s interested n contributing to the instalments of this feature where I talk about your favourite Riders* (either by altering the description, or changing the planned jokes), please DM me.

*People whose favourites are Riderman, Stronger, Skyrider, Super-1, Black RX, Shin, ZO, J or any non-primary Rider need not apply.

Sh Ranger also also watched Kamen Rider Saber Episode 47

This was my first time talking about a KR finale on this forum and I had a lot of thoughts to write about, so I figured I'd share them here. I also congratulated our fellow TN user TheJaz who helped save the world.

Based on my many complaints about RealEyezing Hopper in the Zero One thread, maybe you were expecting that I'd complain about Almighty Dragon as well?

Fortunately, I have nothing bad to say about this form! :D It's like what I wanted from Featuring Saber, now with Blades and Espada properly fighting alongside Saber, with all three of them empowered by humanity's stories so they could finally show Storious the error of his ways.

Mei is an invaluable part of this finale for sure! While the Swordsmen are still doing something important and exciting, it doesn't change that Storious has started the end of the world and it cannot be stopped. However, they can delay the end long enough for Mei to reach out to the world's people and channel the power of the stories that changed their lives. The world ended, but thanks to her, a new world took its place, built on the inspiration of those stories. Like, you know how Den-O says time is made of memories, well, Saber says the world is made of stories. And there will always be stories, as long as there are people like Mei who believe in their power!

Even the OG Master Logos is here, expressing his relief that the war between his friends has finally come to an end and the world can continue to nurture humanity with its stories. He's a much nicer man than his descendant.

Interesting that you should mention that, as I came to same conclusion last weekend when I rewatched the final arc. Like how Takumi couldn't JustiFaiz killing King as a kid and had to wait until he matured.

On that note, I think this is a good time to declare my intention to step back a little for your next thread. Thinking and talking about Revice weekly often felt like a chore and I had to take a 12 week hiatus to get through it. So, thinking and talking about Revice daily? Uh, not for me. Good luck.

However, I definitely have some stuff to talk about for Revice The Mystery and Beyond Generations, so I'll see you then.

George is cool, at least. He was even the co-protagonist for a fanfic I wrote.

Oh hey, haven't seen these guys in a long time. Good to know that despite their failing business (I guess Shoutarou, White Woz and Mondo never found them), they're keeping their chins up and planning for the next chapter of their story.

Thanks for sharing. I enjoyed it!

Aw, that's a really great photo. I try not to invest emotionally in the lives of actors (characters, yes, always), but it's nice to see them all hanging out after their series has wrapped. I can't quite tell who the second from the left is... Kento? I think it's Kento.

Ha ha, this bit is great! Thanks for posting useful info in an entertaining way!

Totally fair! I expect participation in the Revice thread to be lower due to the show still being fresh in everyone else's mind, and not exactly ripe for reexamination. Sorry to do it so close to the conclusion of the show! If it's any consolation, this'll be the last Watch Thread that goes up this close to the original airing. I like when there's more of a gap, for sure.

Yep, that's totally Kento.

Oh, well, it's not so much the timing that discourages me. It's just, like, Revice, specifically. I don't have many good memories of that show, sadly, so I'd probably end up complaining a lot.

Fish Sandwich also watched Kamen Rider Saber Episode 48

If you remember how I said I was never the biggest fan of Dragonic Knight's debut episode because I couldn't help but compare it to the equivalent point of Ghost, I have similar sentiments about this epilogue for Saber. It's a solid enough episode I wanted to be much better, but the standards I'm holding to are also maybe unfair.

With Ghost, it's like, that show essentially had three final episodes all in a row, and each one of them completes part of the whole. You can't have any one without the other two in my mind. But with Saber, you know, Hasegawa just wrote an epic four-part conclusion that already tied everything up as much as you could want. This show's version of Takeru telling Ayumu (and the audience) he'll always be with him happened last time, when Touma told the audience (literally the audience) thank you. After that finale, I don't even know what I could ask out of Saber to better encapsulate its themes than they already have.

So putting all that aside, and trying to look at it on its own merits, this episode is... I don't know, actually, it still always feels weirdly off to me? The obvious thing to point to is how Revice is integrated, but the whole energy of this thing feels wrong for Saber, and it makes it hard for me to feel comfy while watching it. And as someone who's seen Revice, it doesn't feel right for that show's vibe either, which is admittedly much more understandable.

It's strange -- there's way too much to like about this episode for it to feel right just dumping on it. There's plenty of strong character work and solid thematic stuff at its core, with smart decisions like framing most of the weight on Kento, the guy who logically would take that extra bit of time to find a direction for himself in a world at peace. And even if it can be considered the root of a lot of the issues here, I appreciate the sort of community-minded spirit of Saber to bring back TV crossovers with both Sentai and the next Rider show.

It's just, it always feels like a bit less than the sum of its parts to me, this one. Definitely not my favorite episode either, definitely still a decent enough note to go out on, but part of me is always going to wonder about what it would've been like if it were more than just decent.

Best part of the finale? Sophia just chilling. :lolol

This is basically where I've always been on this one, especially after Revice started properly and we all learned how far off-base it was as a preview. If I didn't know better, I'd honestly say it felt like they brought in a random writer who had seen the show but hadn't actually worked on it.

Understood! I've heard that folks didn't love a lot of its choices.

It is not exactly a rousing finale for this show, no. The Revice parts were the ones that were most discordant for me, but even some of the more reliable Saber comedy also felt weirdly out of tune. But, hey, it's been a year! Reunions are always going to be a little weird!

She's got a lot less to worry about now! I'm glad that she can relax a little.

SERIES WRAP-UP

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/saber/seriesa.png

I think I’d rather have rewatched Kamen Rider Saber than have watched Kamen Rider Saber.

It’s a series that improves in the memory, even with less than a day since I watched the final episode. So many of the early choices that annoyed me end up paling in comparison to the joy the final string of episodes delivered. It’s all one unit of entertainment in my brain now, and it’s almost all positive feelings and associations: the delight of a show dedicated to the almost biological need for storytelling; the warmth of a cast that only ever became more entertaining; the excitement of a stunt team that left it all on the field. It’s a hard show to dislike, when it’s all said and done.

It’s also a hard show to like in the moment, which is the one negative feeling I’ll probably keep with me forever, right alongside Rintaro’s charming guilelessness and Mei’s unstoppable support. So many decisions in the early-going (and even a few later in the run) prize narrative coherence over dramatic appeal, and it makes the Getting To Know You stage of this show more of a slog than it needed to be. Effects frequently debut before causes, as the show rushes to fill out its world and bulk up its roster. We’re left early on with the feeling that This Is All Important Somehow, rather than being swept away with tight plotting and relatable situations. There’s so little to hold onto, just as the show is throwing more at you. Eventually all of those things make sense, have a place, but it’s rarely when they’re first presented.

Like, even in the late era of the show, when everything feels intentional and compelling: the Four Divine Sages. Isaac mentions them as a thing, but then immediately tells us that they were all killed off-screen. It’s, at the time, needlessly distracting information. A thing we never knew existed (or was maybe mentioned in passing once) was extremely important, but it’s also already dead and don’t think about it. Except, it’s crucial to drop that in the show at that point, because the show’s going to need those four to be outstanding sub-bosses for one of the best finales a Kamen Rider show ever had. It’s never pointless, even if it’s dramatically frustrating on your first watch.

And that’s sort of the whole show for me? That anecdote? It literally all works, even if it also completely doesn’t for large stretches. There’s an argument to be made that the producers valued the book over the chapter, which is probably the way I’d negatively describe this show. But, god, what a book.

I do think I loved it, at the end.

It’s the cast, if I need to pick a favorite thing. I liked what the show was doing thematically, with how storytelling needs to be defended in a world that wants to either weaponize it or invalidate it. I liked what it said about belief and faith, even if those topics aren’t as exciting for me to explore as others. (Sorry!) I liked the setting of a bookshop, even if it was only Kento that managed to bring any customers in. (Another minor gripe: the show barely used the bookshop setting to generate stories. Maybe three times, over the whole run?) I liked the workplace dramedy structure, where the Sword of Logos and its goals were as big a threat to our heroes as any monster. But, no, it’s the cast that made this show for me.

Almost absurd that a cast this large, an ensemble this deep, should all be so integral to the show’s success. If you’d only given me Touma, Rintaro, Kento, and Mei, I’d still herald this show as one of the best casts. To then enhance it with Ogami, with Daishinji, with Yuri, with Desast, with Reika, with Ryoga, even with Ren… gosh, it’s hard to imagine another show topping this one for acting talent and cleverly-written characters. I’m going to be thinking about these sword-wielding goofballs for a very long time.

I had a good time with this show, even if it frequently didn’t feel that way. I enjoyed the experience. But I’m really looking forward to rewatching it someday.

I feel like this perfectly encapsulates Saber? Like... at first you have to look at this and try and puzzle things out but like, it makes perfect sense?

Saber definitely feels like a show that grows on a rewatch, in my case though I suppose I cheated slightly. In which I kept up with the raws of Saber but had yet to watch subs. I tried to watch with subs at different points, Genm Corp, Tv-Nihon, I ended up sticking with IzuSubs because of well, the happenings around those first two groups.

So I ended up going through this show repeatedly while it was airing. And that might've ended up helping a lot in the end? It's like you further describe in your post about how plot points are dispersed but paid off in different ways.

Of course though, I am glad that you really enjoyed the cast. For an ensemble of Riders, they really end up being a lot of fun.Like, after quite a while of fairly antagonistic Secondary Riders that eventually warm up after meeting with the protagonist enough... Rintaro was such a nice breath of fresh air? He's like, the standout of the cast for me alongside Mei, that month of Kamen Rider Blades man, it really was some good stuff.

But of course I'd be remiss to not mention literally every other character and why I love them. Daishinji, Ogami, Desast, Yuri, etc. Like... I just look at the big cast of everyone from this show, smile and basically say "I really like them". This cast just clicked in a way that few shows rarely do for me. And really, it's thanks to them that they were able to help carry Saber so far. While we had a lot of crazy plot hooks, and power-ups, and fights, the ensemble cast of characters were the heart of the show, and helped fill in what needed to be filled in.

Saber's a bit of a punching bag (though slightly less now thanks to Revice) for the fandom, but I will still gladly and loudly proclaim that I love Kamen Rider Saber, and I consider it one of my favorite Rider shows of all time.