KAMEN RIDER REVICE EPISODE 25 - “VAIL RETURNS!? IGARASHI FAMILY MEMORIES”

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Honestly, I’m okay with it.

Beyond tying up a variety of loose ends – why all three Igarashi kids have inner demons when no one else seems to, why Genta doesn’t have a heart, why Weekend was convinced this family was going to be important, the fire shown in the opening credits, if there’d ever be a way for me to remember Dad Igarashi’s name – I appreciate how personal it makes this whole Giff business for the main characters.

The big failing of both Fenix and Weekend to date is that they’re faceless: figuratively in Fenix’s case, literally in Weekend’s case. (Hopefully the show will cast an actor to play George’s dad at some point!) They’re organizations, not characters; the people running them feel interchangeable, just clock-punchers. The Giffamilia is so far in the rearview as to make Olteca’s weekly stabs at relevancy more depressing than captivating. There’s no sense of stakes for our heroes in this story, beyond a baseline level of Averting Villainy, and even that has felt less integral to this show than drumming up business for Happy Spa. (That is far and away the plotline I’m most invested in, and I’m not even kidding. I’m worried about the family business!) This show needs a villain with both gravitas, and a real connection to our heroes.

Enter: Vail.

It’s a great suit, first and foremost. I like how it maintains the asymmetry of Demons, but built around a beetle instead of a spider. The way the horn comes up along the jawline, and the wing comes down like a cape… beautiful suit. And the performance! It’s classic New Boss energy, where Vail takes out his foes either quickly (one-shotting a Giffterian to start things off) or slowly (really pummeling a Giffterian into paste before detonating it), whichever is most demoralizing to his witnesses. Olteca’s stint as New Demons was fun, but this is a whole new level for the show’s adversaries.

The big addition to the story isn’t the suit or the punching, though – it’s the expanded family backstory.

Normally, I’d be furious about this sort of “revelation”. A mysterious fire that was never brought once before (to my memory) is now suddenly all anyone can talk about. (Genta’s just like OH THIS IS ALMOST AS BAD AS THE FIRE, like it’s his most famous catchphrase, despite none of the kids really having heard about this before.) Worse, it’s ANOTHER Kamen Rider storyline where a character has Narratively Convenient Amnesia, with Vice blocking Ikki’s traumatic memories until Vail shows up for some 2022 revenge. (Maybe it’s an anniversary reference to Saber?) There’s a lurching feel to this start of a new phase in the show, and it’s distractingly clunky. (Why does George have a book from childhood on his desk at work, beyond reminding him that search engines are a thing?)

But I think it all works, eventually. Vice blocks Ikki’s traumatic memories because he’s always been there for Ikki, and this is just protecting him from pain. Moreover, it reframes Vice’s actions in the premiere episode as the continuation of that original trauma, this demonic protector always rising up when Ikki’s fears become too much for one person to shoulder. (It sort of doesn’t explain why Vice went from Protect Your Family to wanting to devour Ikki’s mom 18 years later… unless there’s some horrifying oedipal content that this show’s going to spring on us at some point?)

Genta as Vail, though, just works to both the main theme of this arc (maybe even series; see: anniversary season) – we have to know our past to find our future – as well as larger themes of families as more complicated for us as we get older. There’s a messiness to our parents that isn’t really clear when we’re kids, but is a necessary lesson to learn as we become adults. We need to humanize them, and start to consider how their flaws both shaped us and limited us. We have to answer for their actions, and try to understand their mistakes. We’re the result of their intentions and their accidents, and that’s a difficult bit of self-analysis to grapple with.

It’s fascinating to think about, though, and easily the most interesting threat this show has introduced to date. I love it for how much it focuses on the Igarashis to the exclusion of dumb stuff like Akaishi or Weekend, who could both fall off a cliff tomorrow and I wouldn’t care. (Maybe Hiromi could climb up over their dead bodies? I’d like that trade!) All I want this show to be about is the Igarashis, and it looks like someone making this show heard my wish.

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Revice had some named characters that apparently served as the main villains (Deadman's higher ups) right-hand (wo)man, but all of them except the main trio are rather killed quickly after their appearence, be it Haitani, Kudo, Chameleon, Chigusa... and now Kanae too met her end. Of course bodycounts will happen more often and easier with Olteca's Giftarian schemes along with him becoming more and more heartless (figuratively, not literally like Genta). Kanae apparently felt overjoyed to become Olteca's sacrifice unlike Chigusa, as seen before in her enthusiasm to help Olteca out, or that it may show the side effect of someone being doctrinated on a cult to only reassure her decisions by joining the cult. This is done to serve Aguilera's minor role in this episode, that even evil has standards in her being appalled by Olteca's cutthroatness. This does show that Olteca is the worse one between the 2, but Aguilera's still a lesser evil as previously she also had no problem of stamping people, though not Giftarian schemes where it eats up the stamped victim.

Tamaki just served as the comic relief again here (more overt), and he seemingly behaved civil with the others too such as attempting to return a customer's purse, but earning a rebuff from Sakura by entering the woman section. That'd be quite unreasonable response from her even if Tamaki is clumsy (as per the usual slapstick gag ._.), but then again it's only due to her Tamaki can still go on. Tamaki's main problem is his lack of social skills as usual, with his forced smile being creepy instead as Daiji chastised him of. This is just like when Julio infiltrated Sakura's dojo as Sakura and Hikaru talked about her family trips, his social problem didn't come from how he's a monster trying to infiltrate a human life, but from him being a withdrawn bullying victim, expected to be socially-awkward. And this further shows Daiji's professional and stern personality, the most serious among the Igarashis (also against the rowdy Vice in Happy Spa). Other than that Daiji's only shown dealing with Kagerou's influence, nothing more.

George is morally bankrupt... yet he's a Kamen Rider fan (who also mocks heroism before in Hiromi). Previously, George was the one to held a petty grudge against Vice due to him mocking his Jackal Genome, and Vice got shafted several times for that. Now, the feud between them (if George also still isn't over it) is mutual. A demon that switched places with humans isn't a good idea as shown here with Ikki starving; thus Vice will die if Ikki dies from that. The reveal is both comedic (mundane problem) but also carries some stakes. This is another scenario of Vice having to help Ikki to save himself, but here, it's now clear Vice genuinely cares about Ikki rather than doing it only out of necessity (including on how he'd fight for good before), or being like Kagerou before to save someone for his own benefit, shown in him understandably distrusting George out of fear of what can happen to Ikki if he misplaced his trust like Hiromi. And of course, Vice immediately conveys his concern right away here and though he quite delays the problem with his mistrust, the others can deal with it better like Ikki's new contract.

Other than his clear concern for Ikki though, this shows an opposite scenario of characters in KR who'd keep going along with the manipulatior's (villainous or morally dubious characters) schemes, willingly turning themselves into their "pawns" as it'd still gave them advantages such as power ups to help others, such as Kouta in Gaim (against Sagara or such), where actually as shown here, it wouldn't really create a better outcome if they dodged the shady figure and their schemes, Vice is getting nowhere from that as Sakura pointed out, it'd be too late, for those who think characters who went along with the manipulators as idiots. As Ikki stated here, there are no other ways than to believe in shady figure like George as the hard fact is, he's the only path to fix their problems as a brilliant scientist (with another Karizaki being the one to be able to make Rolling ViStamp, as George deduced about his father surviving). Indeed it further shows on how scientists are almost automatic MVP (to the groups they're in) regardless of their morals (or just roles, like various mad scientists), as they can generally create almost anything, and that it'd be unfair to be hard on other 'normal' characters who didn't contribute nearly as much due to them not being scientists, as Ikki summed up that George's the main reason they can do everything they did until now, from helping others to getting to know each other, despite Ikki too understandably condemning George for his own reasons.

Other than that, it happened! Olteca and George! 2 of the characters I'd want for the series to meet, and it didn't disappoint. I guess other than (from what I think), some similarity between George and Aguilera before at the earlier part of the series (at Aguilera's reign), there'd be also some similarity between those 2, as the geniuses of their respective faction (Fenix and Deadman) for starters, but other than that both are also cool-headed at dire situations (major difference between them is George normally acts eccentric and childish though), but are also cutthroat and sneaky, while displaying sinister demeanor at times (Olteca's much more severe though at this). It'd start with the 2 being on "physical" bout, though George held his own as a non-average scientist, Olteca managed to capture him (he can still teleport others...).

Then it'd be testing both of their wits as the geniuses in their faction, with both being able to come to an agreement, and for rather similar reason in both wanting to see the power (Olteca)/scientific (George) potential of the Demons Driver and Rolling ViStamp respectively, even plotting to pit both of those Riders together by letting their location be told. This also further shows that George only cares about furthering his research, he'd have no qualms teaming up with the worst. Though turns out that even Olteca isn't Demons Driver, or as for now, Bael's first choice with it leaving the Driver, it shows that George did apparently improve the Driver, confirming Olteca's suspicion of George tricking him (and thus won't go through his schemes) wrong, George is really a bastard despite his earlier bath with Genta. At the end too George pulls a Kuroto, a highly sociopathic character with a god complex, by only boasting about his brilliance as Ikki and Vice switched position (or so was thought).

Only because IMO it's little to know about Weekend at that time, and it's more of the Ushijimas as individuals. But now it's the first appearence of Masumi in the series proper which I read was already the one behind the ViStamps (thought he was deceased), and him being the leader of the organization.

Regarding Weekend, now Sakura has a new suspicion on Hikaru, with Tasuke apparently not being Hikaru's real dad. Being interrupted by George though, also for dad-related topics. More daddy issues! Sakura's all about standing up to Ikki here by contronting the Weekend leader, now full name revealed as Masumi Karizaki, who is set on helping Ikki too, as well as giving some "lesson" on Sakura to learn from the past, likely from his 'malfunctioning' plan that the Rolling ViStamp instead switched Vice and Ikki around. Based on the extent Masumi is going to take to help Ikki, by suppressing demons despite knowing how Ikki and Vice are buddies now, Masumi is shown to have a racism towards demons, no matter who they're (similar to characters like Mach towards all Roidmudes). Masumi isn't learning from the past the best way here, from how the original ViStamp purpose instead can turn the inner demons a nuisance or a threat, but Masumi goes too far on the extreme direction to "help Ikki" by eliminating Vice for good due to how he's a demon, which still malfunctioned as both Ikki and Vice share the same body now. Other than that, Sakura is paired with Vice in this episode, clashing in their approach to save Ikki, with Ikki as the mediator, as usual with Sakura being a harsh type (more than Daiji in this episode) when things don't go her way.

Previously, Ayaka Imoto (Sakura's actress) got tested positive for Coronavirus at that time. Regarding Sakura against George, she helped him when a Giftarian attacked him, so that can give me a vibe that her harshly rebuffing George at the beginning was more of her irrational harsh reactions, despite that George is obnoxious as usual. And poor Lovekov though for falling while trying to catch up... luckily she seems to be able to survive falls (as a plushie) thus Jeanne won't be killed. In her and Ikki's team up against Olteca, Lovekov is 'stamped' by Jeanne in a bad way of it being jumped over for her Rider Kick, creating marks in her head. Other than that, there are other Jack Revice's abilities as shown by Ikki, using paint strokes to create elemental attacks, so Jack Revice is quite a versatile form.

I think it's more about what each of them was trying to accomplish with the Stamp Stories: Aguilera's schemes were about growing her family, with Giff resurrecting at the end to lead them all to a better future; meanwhile, Olteca just wants more power. Aguilera would happily do "evil" (society's view, not hers) if it meant that her family was growing. That seems like a pretty big deal for decoding her character!

It's because of the most powerful Vistamp, the Retcon.

Anyway, I am just hopping in here to say it's nice that you're enjoying Revice. But also on the week of this episode, the Super Hero Time hour block also aired the first episode of Donbrothers! So if you need like a handy way to get back to following that show, you could unrelated to this thread just watch it after the Revice episodes you're already watching every other day and it'll be just like you're a kid in Japan watching it on Sunday mornings. :)

Well, here we are again.

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And we get our new Rider, Vail. He’s basically somewhere between an elaborate promotional stunt for his miniseries and a way to give us pre-new form angst, so don’t expect the suit to show up in the show again. I?m not sure why they went with “Vail” for the romanised name (beyond a lame ?pulling back the Vail? joke you could probably make), and a lot of people thought his name was “Bael”, like the demon.

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And after a few weeks of it not being an issue, and a few more weeks of it being an Ikki-only issue, we finally get the “Giff’s awakening induced headaches” affecting the whole gang.

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And with the reveal that Giff is, in a sense, the granddaddy of the Igarashis, someone dragged this meme out.

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Oh yeah, I’ll be doing a few relevant memes for that show for the foreseeable future. At least for as long as I have memes to share.

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(Throughout this segment, a timecode of 03-28-96, with a clock counting up from 20:30:21 is in the corner)

Karizaki: Hello, this is Masumi Karizaki, with the first in what should be a series navigating through my creation. These Vistamps have the latent DNA of the entity known as Giff, who was dubbed a devil by ancient man. I have my doubts that he was an actual devil, but I can’t voice them due to orders from higher up. By mixing it with the latent animal DNA in the human genome, I can create a group of super soldiers powered by their own inner demons, so that they may one day be free of them. While I would preferably like to class them as my attempt at creating B-Fighters, my son George has recommended I call them Masked Riders, even though they have no cybernetic components whatsoever.

(A man in overalls with his face obscured walks forward)

Karizaki: I see our test subject, #71, has arrived. Looks like I can begin my demonstration, starting with equipping the belt.

(The man equips a red coloured belt)

Vail Driver!

Karizaki: And next, the man uses the Kabuto Vistamp to trigger his transformation, equipping his armour. I installed a vocal circuit in both the belt and the stamp, to ensure our subject doesn’t rupture his vocal chords with roll calls and attack cries.

Kabuto!

https://youtube.com/watch?v=4utW366PoV4

Karizaki: This machine should grant a fuller output for the Vistamp’s power. I can’t create a belt that uses this output, since I haven’t figured out how to incorporate the Stamp into such a belt. But this machine is a good substitute.

Cry for Justice! Flap your Wings, Beetle! Beetle!

Karizaki: If my modifications to this Vistamp are sound, then it should give the user access to the power of a tank.

(The shadowed man speaks, with Vail’s voice coming out of his mouth)

Vail: A tank, huh? Well, let?s test that shall we. Henshin!

Bane Up! Destroy! (Break) The World! (Broke) Unusually! (Broken) Masked (Rider) Vail!

Karizaki: It's an archetypal Masked Rider that transforms using the Vistamp system. Its ability, inspired by beetles, emits a stab that boasts rapid fire and a tremendous finishing blow that unleashes the power of the devil. In other words, a super amazing perfect soldier with combat power that surpasses existing weapons! That's the way.

Vail: You mentioned more Vistamps, Professor. Perhaps you’d permit me to test what happens when I try transforming with them.

Karizaki: Alright. First, let’s try one of the lesser known insects this side of the Longhorn Beetle.

Masked Rider Vail Sacrifice: Heracles!

Karizaki: And now, my son’s favourite animal, the Tyrannosaurus.

Masked Rider Vail Sacrifice: Rex!

Karizaki: Since he was so insistent you be a Masked Rider, rather than a Metal Hero.

Masked Rider Vail Sacrifice: Batta!

Karizaki: And finally, these two from outside my pre-programmed Vistamps.

Masked Rider Vail Sacrifice: Extra!

Masked Rider Vail Sacrifice: Another!

(Vail begins to emit static and collapses onto one knee)

Karizaki: It seems that the belt can’t handle anything other than it’s main form for any length of time. Looks like Masked Riders just aren’t meant to have a multi form balance. Maybe I could make some upgrades that allow your base state to use the Stamps’ power. With some limits.

Vail: Yes, that would be nice.

Karizaki: And we’re running out of tape, so I’ll just say, I hope that I can do more of (tape cuts out)

Shigeyuki Totsugi really isn't kidding about Genta holding untold secrets. It started since Genta is revealed to literally have no heart but it's even more than's expected (likely except those who remembers about multiple enemy dads in KR, especially on how Soichi is Evolt). This was an episode that took Revice to its heights again, I do think that the plot twist is good, but... sadly I think this is the last one in a while. And it's overall good that Revice doesn't only have a full family as the main casts, but all of them gets big focus on the series (what'd be your mystery, Yukimi?).

As for Aguilera, it seems that while continuing her schemes she'd now take care of her underlings, trying to prevent the Deadman cult members to be turned into Giftarians by Olteca. Still abusing them (like Julio) if she can but now has limits on what bad being done on them. So far, this change also seems sudden as previously she had no qualms of sacrificing people she "likes" for Giff such as Sakura, and she still only cares about Giff after Olteca's betrayal, does she actually take lessons herself with herself going to used as a sacrifice for Giff and applying that to the Deadman cult members here (but is in denial)? Other than that, should Aguilera easily manhandle Olteca now under her submission again as now he lost both his contract and Demons Driver (he did KO George but still...)? Aguilera's the only remaining Giftex for now.

Though for Vail's performance in his Kamen Rider mode, with Vail being able to destroy a Giftarian simply just by crushing its head, actually to me it'd feel as if his finisher move to the other Giftarian is a weaker feat, despite an effort to have the finisher break all of a building's window, as finishers would have the Rider use more effort to take down an enemy, while Vail took down a Giftarian with an ordinary move before. I'd also hoping that his henshin isn't loud like the other Riders but it was the same. Otherwise his design fits with the soldier mask to represent its militaristic motif as well as the rhinoceros beetle's legs coiling his body to represent it being a guinea pig-themed Rider that can have tubes injected on them. The glitch in his teleportations also gives different flavor of that kind of power. When Vail attacked the Igarashis, the scenario is the reversed one when Kagerou attacked Ikki on where one of the Igarashis got possessed and went on a rampage, with Genta trying and failing to stop Kagerou. Now it's Genta being possessed and went on a rampage, and Ikki trying and failing to stop Vail. While Genta is a lame father, he's never established as someone who doesn't care about his family like said Kagerou attack. Obviously he'd try to stop his children from being hurt, but the fact that he succeeded here to regain the control of his body back and thus de-henshin back adds an actual badass points for him here.

The Igarashi family flashback which got repressed in Ikki's memory until now, also shows about how Vail is a yandere to Genta, he only saw Genta as his partner, but he saw Genta living a mundane life by starting a family as betrayal and thus he'd want to destroy anything Genta holds dear (yeah that's yandere alright). As Vice manifested too in that time, apparently Vice wants to protect Ikki's family albeit with the contract that Ikki should forget this memory. This is my gripe that it's quite inconsistent to Vice's debut at the series where he wanted to eat Yukimi or such and only fought for his selfish desires, it's a flashback where Ikki was a child but apparently it uses recent Vice's characterization to genuinely care about Ikki and his family. And this is also revealed as the reason why the Igarashis can fight as a Kamen Rider (as well as the oddities with them being affected by Giff)... so the requirement to become a Rider here is having Giff cells, thus they're technically descendants of Giff with Genta being injected by that. By this though, it's a different system from something like for example, Banjou in Build, as him having the DNA of Evolt made him superhuman via his abnormal Hazard Level, not only him being a boxer. While Sakura is also a martial artist, but the Giff cells apparently doesn't make her superhuman as when she faced Aguilera both in their human form it was about her accepting her limitations as human.

The demon in the Demons Driver, which is revealed to be named Vail (after the debate between Bael, Veil, and Vail), took part in this secret reveal as well, as he's the demon of Genta. Other than Genta, turns out that Vail's role too is not just as simple as a doomsday villain type (like Arch Orphnoch or such) either as he leaves the Driver to go on his own, which is also good. Demons Driver is really the most significant part of the show, that takes a well-executed time to slowly establish its significance, starting from Hiromi being able to henshin unlike with Revice Driver, then Hiromi's predicament of suffering more physical problems as he keeps fighting, then Hiromi being revealed to have 80 year old's organ, then the Demons Driver revealing to be the one devouring his life force, then it being more sentient to give Olteca more power to use, and more by it deciding how much power he uses and leaving the Demons Driver. So... Hiromi's character so far was only a fodder (longer than what was planned) and stepping stone to establish Vail, and by that the secret behind Igarashi family. The question that should be explored later was how Genta and Vail can be separated like that with Vail ending up sealed in the Demons Driver. As when Vail takes over Genta while he henshins to Kamen Rider Vail, Genta's heart forms back, thus so far it's likely that Vail is Genta's heart, and that the separation may be about Genta cutting his heart off.

About the past that Buu-san hides, but what Ikki and George tells, so that reaffirms more that Masumi is morally dubious... it runs in the family too I guess, there's more than just his ViStamp plan to separate demons and his racism towards any demons, he's an unethical scientist that even disturbed Tasuke, shown in him injecting young Genta with the Giff's cells to restart his heart and using him as a guinea pig later.

As Vail left, now Olteca spend the episode trying to blame George for what he did to the Driver, where George was only confused on what's he talking about. I felt that Vail's reveal at last episode does confirm that it wasn't George who manipulated Olteca, but Vail himself, so obviously George would be confused, not lying here. Don't know if Olteca seeing Kamen Rider Vail finally convinced Olteca it wasn't George here other than him running off. Other than that, the episode still further showed his despicable traits by having jaded view of promises being made to be broken and gleefully doing it. With Olteca now losing both his contract and Demons Driver, as well as likely Vail and Giff (or Akaishi, albeit he warned Olteca to keep focus), his end might be near.

I remember the Vail plot twist really working for me at the time. It caught me completely off guard and made me excited to find out more.

Thanks! I'm glad I'm enjoying Revice, too. It's a thing that's never really in doubt for anymore -- I inevitably end up enjoying these shows, no matter what -- but I'm always curious in what specific way I enjoy these shows. Zero-One had a complexity to its view of partnership and support that I found refreshing; Saber was the most warmly bizarre workplace drama I'd ever seen; and Revice is doing some smart stuff about the push and pull of family connection. I like discovering what's special about these shows!

Terrific skit! Thanks so much!

More than that, though, I think it's really intersting way to get at the sacrifices someone makes when they become a parent; Vice is Ikki's abandoned ambition, and Vail is the part of Genta that maybe resents giving up his dreams to settle down. With both of them, it's about the struggle to be what you think the people you love want from you, maybe to the destruction of a part of yourself that was selfish in its desire for more. I think that aspect, the similarity between Vail/Genta and Vice/Ikki... I think that's a fun story to potentially tell?

See above! But, yeah, I like how it grounds the story way more than whatever nonsense Akaishi and Kamen Karizaki are up to. Genuinely interested in this show's storyline now!

KAMEN RIDER REVICE EPISODE 26 - “SHOWDOWN! FAREWELL!? THE END OF LIGHT & DARKNESS”

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It’s too literal of an ending for Kagerou, is I think my problem with this episode.

The battle between Daiji and Kagerou… I don’t think I ever wanted it to be one where Daiji, empowered by his growth as a person, defeats and eliminates the darker aspects of himself. I don’t know that Daiji ever completely grappled with the genesis or survival of Kagerou, so I don’t think he’s right to power through his reluctance and give Kagerou the demise he’d been looking for. There’s lip service paid to Daiji hoping for a better outcome, but I don’t know that the show ever made it anything like a priority.

It didn’t help things for me to have Ikki quietly cheering on Daiji’s psychic demise. It’s perhaps asking too much to have Ikki see the humanity in Daiji’s Evil Twin -slash- Fratricidal Parasite, but the certainty that this was what Daiji needed to do to self-actualize? Sour taste in my mouth, honestly. Did not love Ikki – and the climax of this episode – rewarding Daiji’s ability to externalize and obliterate a part of himself that he created and never really interrogated.

Like, I don’t completely hate it; I think there’s narrative value in Daiji destroying the embodiment of his jealousy, resentment, rage, and enjoyment of spicy foods. Daiji’s been a dude wracked by both imposter syndrome and delusions of grandeur, so he needs to address those failings in as thorough a manner as is available to him in tokusatsu. But I just don’t think it’s fun to see Daiji pummel a dying Kagerou? Or for Kagerou to sacrifice himself for Daiji’s self-improvement? There’s a smarter side of this show that asks us to view the totality of ourselves, and find balance between the face we show to the world, and the one we hide away. A version of this show that looks at Kagerou (and potentially Vice and Lovekov) as something to be cleaned up and removed… I just find that disappointingly narrow and thin.

And that’s sort of the whole episode? There’s more backstory for Genta (or whatever his original name was; I just learned “Genta”, I ain’t learning another name) and Buu, but it’s nothing terribly original or necessary. It’s just more info, because that’s what mode this show is in for its series arc. Beyond that, it’s pretty much the Daiji/Kagerou Epi–

Oh! Right! Aguilera and Sakura!

I absolutely love how Aguilera comes out of nowhere to tackle Sakura and demands to know why Sakura’s so cool and strong and special and there’s no subtext to this scene you guys. It ends up sort of rhyming with the Kagerou plot, as Aguilera’s another character whose ability to sharpen a protagonist has left them dulled by comparison, but Sakura’s version of events is just that Aguilera’s never had anything to fight to protect, so she’s never improved. Kagerou could only fade in Daiji’s light, but Aguilera’s a woman who’s never been out of other people's shadow. Interesting argument, but not one the episode is looking to resolve in a single scene. Definitely the sort of plot that has at least a full episode to figure out if Aguilera can find a new path to walk. We’ll have to see if she hears what Sakura’s saying!

Overall, I thought this Daiji/Kagerou episode was the slightly lackluster and straightforward version of a conflict I was very much looking forward to. I’d hoped for something elegant and thoughtful, but the show gave me a blunt and binary battle instead. Not a total miss, but a letdown nonetheless. If it worked better for you, please let me know!

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As someone for whom these characters' dynamic was absolutely my favorite part of Revice, I'm glad to see you appreciating it, too.