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1 - Hikaru had been given any conceivable spotlight before this episode (and the spotlight scene he does get is almost entirely carried by Tamaki; Hikaru's in the background, literally out of focus!) 2 - His character wasn't trying to protect a character that clearly didn't need his protection in any of the preceding episodes 3 - Hana and Tamaki somehow didn't exist But who knows! Maybe Hikaru won some sort of yet-to-be-revealed Kamen Rider Make-a-Wish program! It's nice to let some of these kids feel good about themselves! And thanks so much for the fun skit! Quote:
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This episode also apparently solved Vice's existensial crisis of being a demon, and this pulls the "Vice is Vice" reassurement seen in numerous Rider series like Inoue written ones. About how Ikki reassures Vice that he only needs to act according to Vice's wishes, to fight alongside Ikki and/or having fun by enjoying his freedom (including being free from demon's expectations too), not what's expected of a demon. While this is good for Vice and that acting outside of other's expectations can be used, this kind of invalidates other demons, as there are other demons that aren't malicious like Lovekov (though she's an asshole too like Vice). While this part of the story helps Vice, this won't help other demons against, for example, Masumi's racism towards them (also suggesting that separating Ikki from Vice is the best outcome regardless of their friendship now), as this is about differentiating Vice to other demons and thus, other demons still has the expectation of being evil and manipulative like Vail expects them be.
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KAMEN RIDER REVICE EPISODE 36 - “HUMANITY STANDS AT CROSSROADS, TO EACH THEIR OWN RESOLVE”
https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/.../revice36a.png Daiji, as a character, is an example of that classic expression “Thirty-six wrongs make a right.” The key to liking him, I think, is to just withstand his dedication to a binary and inflexible justice that renders moral complexity anathema to his worldview. The first few times, you’re like Okay. The next dozen times, you’re like Uh, Okay. The next dozen times, you’re like Ugh OKAY. But then you round the corner into your third dozen times where Daiji held fast to his belief that the evil inside all of us can be expunged and doesn’t need to be analyzed or embraced because that is the little death that brings oblivion, and you’re like Huh! Okay! It makes perfect sense to me that he’d take point on the city-wide task of vaccinating everyone against Giff, as a way of preserving humanity. It’s a terrible plan, obviously terrible – but that’s not a factor in Daiji’s decision making. He’s out here all alone, the weight of the world on him, and he’s always believed that the Demons needed to be expunged. He’s the one who “solved” Kagerou. He’s the one that’s usually telling people to murder Demons, no matter the cost. Just like killing Kagerou was probably a bad idea from both a metaphysical perspective and a psychological stability sense, stamping all of Japan because a lunatic in a leather tie appeals to your sense of duty is a transparently bad idea. But it fits neatly into Daiji’s worldview of Demons as a thing to expunge, as well as his desperate need to buttress his sense of self-worth with unquestioned duty to Fenix. It’s a terrible decision, but it’s also absolutely a Daiji decision. (Quick sidebar: The villains doing an evil vaccination program while the steadfast heroes team up to stop people from being vaccinated… not great optics on that in 2022! Maybe in 2032, but last year? Too soon! Poor taste!) But Daiji’s the subplot to this episode’s big deal Get Outta Here Hikaru fancy new Kamen Rider: Aguilera! Hana’s metamorphosis from Deposed Queen Of Evil to Sakura’s Concerned Girlfriend is… it’s not the most robust character arc on the show, despite it being the one I most look forward to. We hear a lot from Hana in this episode’s climax about how much she wants to atone for her sins as part of the Giffamilia, but it never really got any screentime before now. Hana quit being Aguilera because being Aguilera was a dead-end: she was the queen of a cult that no longer existed, in service of a creature that never cared about her. Joining Weekend always felt like a way to stay in her girlfriend’s orbit, and nothing more. Like, “defeating Giff”? When has that ever been anything Aguilera or Hana professed to care about? I’m not saying I can’t illustrate an emotional line that would connect those two characters, Aguilera and Hana, but I am saying that the show hasn’t really bothered to do that. Still, I liked the debut of Kamen Rider Aguilera quite a bit. My favorite part was Karizaki tying together Hana’s shameful past with the various Demons of this show; a thing to use for good, and nothing to be eliminated or obscured. As much as the leap to Hana as a warrior for justice feels minimally motivated, I do appreciate the thematic coherence of her new outlook. Also, I like the suit! The stinger out of the mask is a good touch, and I like how the shoulders are doing a lot of the same stuff as the Jeanne suit. They’ll make a good fighting couple! It’s weird to have an episode where the main plot is a thrilling, cathartic bit of adventure that feels like it’s paying off a plot this show never broadcast, and a subplot of a character making just ABYSMAL decisions for perfectly established and ingrained reasons. Confusing feelings at the end, but I’m still gonna say this one worked for me. But please remember to get vaccinated!!! https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/.../revice36b.png |
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Boy, we’re in for a long one.
First off, though I liked this episode decently, I remember Fish’s review suggested a way for Hana’s big moment to be better and more emotionally resonant than a speech from Jason Vorhees. Quote:
One thing that was planned was the siblings increasing gulf. Though it was meant to be a three-way thing, they changed it, and now Weekend has become the “place where everyone goes to discuss advancing the plot” https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachmen...51/unknown.png But while KR Aguilera wasn’t planned, someone did manage to predict it last week in this negative reaction to Hikaru (they avoided showing the suit in anything until it leaked three days before broadcast. People still figured it out due to the bee-like patterns on the Driver, Tamaki’s chosen Vistamp being a Legend Rider Vistamp and Nana Hyashimoto being on the cast list for suit actors) https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachmen...46/unknown.png Hana: What’s Sakura’s stalker doing going out and transforming? Make my driver soon. Karizaki: Of course. You must look cute when standing next to Jeanne. And as mentioned, Aguilera’s suit is modified from Kanon Specter (which leads to a funny handwave in Girls Remix), while her weapons are modified from Gaim Ichigo Arms’ Ichigo Kunai. She was also shown in magazine pictures to have a second set retooled from Ryugen’s Kiwi Geki-Rin. https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachmen...75/unknown.png And we have Akemi telling Ikki he needs Giff’s DNA to defeat him, which confused me on both watchings, since Ikki already has Giff’s DNA. That was established a few episodes back. As do Daiji and Sakura. https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachmen...E5B175DE0.jpeg And Donbrothers debuted the robot toy that week, but I was more interested in what was going on the next week. https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachmen...1B04848DF.jpeg And now, here’s the cast’s reactions to this episode from Twitter. https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachmen...00A29305B.jpeg https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachmen...563DD96B8.jpeg And just so you know, others noticed the whole “vaccination” subplot, and I think it might’ve coloured perceptions of the show, given I’ve seen it referred to as “the anti-vax” show a year on. https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachmen...F90ED814A.jpeg And finally, the Hiromi fans were just plain getting restless at this point, even with a vague hint from a magazine that “that man” would return. https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachmen...583B484C7.jpeg https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachmen...FD63FBE3E.jpeg And after this long rambling string of information and thoughts, here’s our highlight. Tamaki: It’s Tamaki’s… Stamp Navi. (George pokes his head out, it seemingly being where Tamaki’s pecs are) George: We gave him this as an apology for his failed transformation. Tamaki: Which means today’s Vistamp is… this one. Buffalo! https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=S-V19EqXeE0&t=360s Assault Guy! Prepare for a Shock! Buffalo! As Long as I have Tomorrow’s Guts, I’m Good! George: Daddy tells me that Buffalo is a Genome that can unleash a powerful charge attack. It can also pierce through things thanks to some tech stolen from Yggdrasil after it went bust. Tamaki: Ahh! I can’t believe I failed to transform with it. George: Don’t be too sad. Be like today’s Legend and look on the bright side of your desire not working out. Desire Driver: OOO! Eiji: Henshin! TaToBa! TaToBa, Ta-To-Ba! George: Kamen Rider OOO, Eiji Hino. Using a belt inherited from a medieval king, he fought against the Greeed using the power of desire, Core Medals. Eiji: As long as I have underwear for tomorrow, I’m good. (Suddenly, light emerges from the side and Yukimi pops her head in, at a roughly equal height to Tamaki’s. The lighting now reveals that George is sat down on a toilet) Yukimi: You may be staying here now, George-kun. But would you mind keeping your LARPing volume to a minimum? You’re disturbing the customers. George: One, this is not LARPing. Two, I have a schedule for making these things that just so happens to coincide with me needing to take a crap this week. And three, can you pass me some toilet paper? (A mysterious hand appears, with a bog roll) ???: Here you go. George: Why thank you… Ankh!?! OOO’s partner who gave his life to ensure Eiji lived his? What are you doing here? Ankh: Didn’t you see that 10 Years movie? Eiji died so I could live my life. George: I’ve only seen the trailers. Thanks for spoiling the ending. Yukimi: We hope you enjoy the next instalment. And that it doesn’t get my family business shut down. Self production note: with the Skybase sunk, my plan was for every instalment afterwards to take place in increasingly absurd locations. But I couldn’t think of anything more absurd than Ikki’s toilet, so I nixxed the idea and avoided referring to where each instalment took place after this. I also originally planned for George to respond to Yukimi’s complaints that he was annoying the customers with “what customers?”, resulting in Yukimi hitting him with a frying pan. This was nixxed as too over the top |
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And she herself admitted now that she did those evil acts as a evil queen, like Tamaki before, so that shows that it's not that Aguilera did nothing wrong before as a Deadman and that all of the blame can be deflected away to others due to how there's a victim status in herself since Olteca betrayed her. Better than leaving her only being around I guess (even Kimiko appeared here!). Other than her debut as a Rider to help out, by taking back her old alias Aguilera as per Masumi's suggestion (I'd always call her that anyway due to Hana name already being used before as Den-O's female lead), and regarding you depicting Aguilera treating Tamaki as just sibling stuff, she actually starts treating Tamaki better in this episode as well, addressing her superiority to him by resolving to protect him instead, and even to Vice, she acted playfully towards him, not haughtily, now also integrating with the other main cast. Quote:
Other than Aguilera beating Vail in a fight here due to Vail not acquiring Aguilera's ViStamp yet, which is apparently based on Muhammad Ali's "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee" fighting style (from what I catch, she targeted lower body parts a lot, and her finisher includes trapping their legs too), it's quite satisfying for me to have Vice get back at him, to mock his demonic life boast with Vail running away from Aguilera. Otherwise, as usual, Vice is still an attention whore despite that he cares more about people around him now, though not helped as Ikki joked about Vice being useless now in the face of Aguilera. Ikki pulled quite brutal joke right there still. His previous fight with Revi against Akemi showed a Deadman that can't be instantly cured, only temporary, but probably Akemi's brief conversation does show that Akemi is brainwashed, or likely went undercover against Akaishi. Either way, someone much more upstanding than Chigusa. Probably that'd also be used to show off Revice's upcoming final form's capabilities, with said using Giff power she claimed. Quote:
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KAMEN RIDER REVICE EPISODE 37 - “INEVITABLE CLASH! THE DO-OR-DIE DEMON RECAPTURE MISSION!”
https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/.../revice37a.png I don’t want to jinx it, but I feel like this Daiji story is working out pretty well? We finally slow the story down a bit, with a few deeply-needed dialogue scenes to nestle in alongside the now fairly standard wall-to-wall fight scenes. (This show really loves its action, way more than it likes providing context or nuance to that action. Sort of a big problem for the series!) Specifically, we get to spend a couple scenes delving into Daiji’s humiliated and hollow embrace of Akaishi and Giff. After a few episodes where Daiji’s seemingly-absurd dedication to being a Henchman With A Heart Of Gold to the show’s big bads was gaining clarity, it’s only here where it finally snaps into focus. Basically, it’s because DAIJI. For all the ways Daiji’s changed and grown over the last 30-odd episodes, what this story presupposes is: Maybe he didn’t? The destruction of Kagerou is emblematic of Daiji’s dramatically-rich failings in this storyline; namely, that he’d defeated his own self-loathing, jealousy, fear, resentment, and pessimism. The thing is, as literally every other character has learned over the course of the series, that’s not stuff you defeat, or destroy. It’s stuff you carry around with you forever, and treating it like some invasive organism that’s tricking you into being bad or weak – that’s just self-deception. It’s refusing to take responsibility for your shortcomings, and therefore refusing to examine the triggers that increase their potency. Daiji hasn’t grown by defeating Kagerou; he’s actually avoided the personal growth that everyone else has fought for over the course of the series. Even joining Akaishi in service to Giff… it’s the exact same shit that led him to Fenix! It’s someone giving a structure to his imposter syndrome by telling him how to make the world comprehensible, so long as he fully buys into whatever he's told; it’s rules and morality that exist in their own continuum, where outsiders are simply unaware of the real threats; it’s crucially a thing that lets him feel power and authority over Ikki, because that rivalry never ever ever went away. All of the weird pragmatism Daiji leans on in this story is just the same mixture of righteousness and resentment that colored his character when the show started. Literally nothing’s changed, which is sort of great? I can see that regression being a bummer for folks who either didn’t like the earlier version of Daiji, or really liked the newer version of Daiji. It can feel abrupt, or poorly-motivated, mostly because (as noted earlier) this show is not super great at budgeting enough time for scenes that enhance and/or explain character motivations. But I feel like it’s all there, his reasoning and recriminations? He’s weak, and his weakness was papered over by no one asking too many questions about the self-loathing, fratricidal psychopath’s sudden self-improvement. He’s tried following in the footsteps of this show’s former Fenix commander, by giving up everything to safeguard innocents, but he’s forgotten the last thing that dude told him before getting detonated off of a cliff. I don’t recall it myself either, exactly, but I’m pretty sure it was something about not trusting Fenix? I don’t know, maybe we can ask Hiromi himself in the next episode. https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/.../revice37b.png |
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