Well I like jokes that are related to the actual phenomenon (dunno how to put in the words as a non-native English), including puns, like "Hanakuso Onna" containing "Hana", making it seems that Hana is the short version of that phrase (ergo "Hana" name is a shortened insult by itself). "Parado reminds of Kai and... he's portrayed by Shouma Kai". And for actor names, Parado's one especially stuck on me as Parado and Graphite are brothers in arms, and both of their actor's names are the same, Shouma; with surname Kai for Parado, Machii for Graphite. I̶n̶b̶4̶ ̶l̶a̶t̶e̶r̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶y̶ ̶c̶r̶e̶a̶t̶e̶ ̶a̶ ̶D̶e̶n̶-̶O̶ ̶v̶i̶l̶l̶a̶i̶n̶ ̶n̶a̶m̶e̶d̶ ̶"̶M̶a̶c̶h̶i̶i̶"̶,̶ ̶m̶o̶d̶e̶l̶e̶d̶ ̶a̶f̶t̶e̶r̶ ̶G̶r̶a̶p̶h̶i̶t̶e̶.̶ I feel guilty to bring out my preference though by this reply (is this on purpose?).

Other than that, sometimes wanting is better than having. One's desire and anticipation for something is often better than the actual result. After all, desires and expectations are infinitely boundless, whereas the reality is limited by various flaws and limitations — which were overlooked during the daydreaming in expectation. This is a reminder that a part of life is the struggle, and that's what keeps you going. If you had everything you wanted, you would have nothing to shoot for. And besides - getting what you want isn't always that good for you. But what's important for Ryuta now is to get himself free from S̶h̶o̶u̶m̶a̶ Kai's clutches, the leader of the Imagins.

Ryuta is a childish Imagin, and the selfishness and spoiled part of him comes from that. He needs a parent figure to discipline him and develop him/making him grow up mentally! But Ryuta is someone superpowered unlike an actual child... they have to be tough mfker too to endure the monstrous Imagin power. Ryuta is likely directed to the younger viewers who possess similarly, but without the superpower to fuck up things as severely as Ryuta did, to teach, but doesn't mean this will be successful in doing so though, like youngsters can just admire the heroes from their fighting and flashy action instead of the values, which would just do harm.

I see your point here about his performance here (I know nothing about Kai before watching), so I'd try to ask a part of Rider audiences about the polar opposite of Kai's view between you and them (but I hope you won't act obnoxious to ignore that people holds that view to S̶h̶o̶u̶m̶a̶ Kai, well not here at least that you don't understand but know that audience are against him), borrowing your explanation here. But basing from what you've said before in move, regarding Gaoh, one of the complaints audience have is like what you summed up regarding Gaoh's motivation, which S̶h̶o̶u̶m̶a̶ Kai feels similar to. But fearless villains, well, that's common in any part of the audience, one of the villains' main trait is arrogance, so they will never be afraid of the do-gooders because they feel they're above them. But like I said before, S̶h̶o̶u̶m̶a̶ Kai to me feels like Naomi if pushed into actual villainy, like you said there where they're amusing when they're frustrated, which was Naomi's reaction to the infighting between the Imagins. I feel like S̶h̶o̶u̶m̶a̶ Kai is torturing Ryuta though, and as the leader of the Imagins, it'd of course feel inconvenient that one of his kind betrayed him.

It should be Ryuvolution! Taken from Revolver to Ryuvolver.

Owner and Manager are actually arch-enemies. I know that the exposition here is done in the usual Den-O way, with the animestyle comedic wacky style of presentation. I hope this won't mean that, everything (and not only exposition) should be turned into that kind of show like quirky, satire, simple, exaggeration/carricature type of thing, like those who bash an original series over an abridged one. Different parts of KR should all be treated equally as enjoyable if those are good, or

Which is ridiculous, since they look nothing alike.

Not on purpose, but I was definitely being an asshole about it. Sorry!

This is where the Airi scenes sort of let me down, since Airi is treated like an achievement, not an actual person. I can see what the show is going for, maybe, in how Ryuta and Yuuto have to become better if they're going to be worthy of Airi... but, like, that seems to leave Airi's preference out of the equation?

KAMEN RIDER DEN-O EPISODE 39 - “THE RIDER DISAPPEARS AS WELL”

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Spent a couple minutes trying to figure out why I found this Yuuto episode so dull. I mean, I like Yuuto? I like the idea of Yuuto trying to get on with his life instead of pining over Airi? I like the idea of Yuuto trying to get on with his life instead of pining over Airi by going to a grocery store and wrestling Deneb because Deneb won’t stop putting Mushrooms in Yuuto’s food?

That kind of storytelling is all over this episode, tons of little goofy-ass gags: the bit in the beginning where Momotaros is so psyched to get a chance at using Sword Form again to thrash some low-level Imagin that he forgets that he’s supposed to be demonstrating proper swordfighting technique to Ryotaro, so he asks the Imagin and Ryotaro to forget all of Momo’s exuberance and start over with a serious fight; Owner does spoon-flipping tricks, and then misses one, so he runs alongside the DenLiner for exercise; Yuuto kicks an empty bottle that hits Ryotaro in the face ten seconds later, dumping both of them down a hill; just so much fun nonsense in this episode.

But then it’s Den-Parado’s scheme to get rid of Zeronos (if this show doesn’t want me to keep thinking of him as Parado, it needs to not put Kai in menacingly gleeful nighttime rooftop conversations with the episode’s monster-suited monster), and… I mean, it’s a bit much. Kind of checked out at that point.

It’s just got a real Kicking Yuuto When He’s Down feeling to it, and I wasn’t into it. Yuuto’s already had his past obliterated, leaving him only a handful of people who’ll even remember him when he dies. He had just started to try and reconstruct his life, so here’s this episode to obliterate him as a student in the 90s. It feels unnecessary, stakes-wise. It’s like trying to steal something right before someone throws it away. Even killing Yuuto (or “killing” Yuuto) feels like salt in the wound for a guy who was already vanishing from existence before he was literally vanishing from existence. Like, man! Just let him have one dinner before you try to complicate his reality again!

There’s a point the show is making with all of this Yuuto miserablism, which is why I feel like I’ll enjoy the next instalment better. Den-Parado responds to Ryotaro’s angry hero threats with a simple question: why shouldn’t some pasts be changed? What if the changes could be better? The proof of his argument is at the end of the episode, when Ryotaro returns to a Milk Dipper that’s no longer astronomy-themed and Airimirer-infested, but one that’s a flowery library full of women.

And, look, I don’t know if the show’s trying to say Kai Was Right at the end of this one (I feel like Ryotaro’s devastated reaction says Nope), but seeing all the Airimirers swept away and replaced with a more welcoming, more energetic cafe? I will trade Yuuto for that! Den-Parado was right! Give Deneb a good home and do not rescue Yuuto’s past!

And, yeah, I think the show is giving this new reality the slightest veneer of Better. Airi’s happiness isn’t worth nothing to Ryotaro, so seeing her no longer tortured and conflicted over Sakurai’s variable existence, that’s going to be something he won’t just want to destroy. There’s some obvious surface benefits to Sakurai not ever being in her life, even if the show’ll inevitably come down on the side of Please Get Along With Yuuto’s Existence. I respect the lead-in with things feeling objectively better, though. Fun twist on an altered reality.

But the getting there! Not as much fun, even if I’m always glad to take a field trip back to the quarry. (Not that much quarry work this series! Bit of a bummer.) It’s just more shit the cosmos is piling on Yuuto, and Ryotaro’s righteous indignation isn’t enough to overcome how tired that plot is starting to feel. Yuuto, and the viewers, deserve better.

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THE BAGGAGE CAR

-I like the implication that the other Imagins never brought Den-Parado up to Ryotaro because Kai’s a dick and they hate him. He’s just some pushy jerk in their brains and they’re like No Thanks? That’s an appropriately character-driven reason for why there was this Big Bad that absolutely no one thought to mention before. He sucks! That’s it!

-Den-Parado, obviously, does not suck. One of my favorite villain moves is when the villain forces a hero to break off a threat to go save some poor soul that the villain just put in jeopardy. He does it to both Ryotaro and Yuuto in this episode, and it’s great. It’s Den-Parado reminding the heroes of how far ahead of them he is, as well as how almost none of this matters to him. It’s Ryotaro saying that every life should be protected, and Den-Parado answering him with a shrug. He’s such a great adversary for Ryotaro.

-Deneb bowing in apology to the soda he almost drank at the grocery store is adorable.

-I can’t believe that I ended up with a bunny-themed Imagin on Easter!

Oh hey, I’ll read the post in detail in a bit but this is where my stop was during my first trip with den-o. I watched up to 38, but never got to this for some reason.

I’ll mention the rabbit Imagin is voiced by the same guy who voiced the tortoise one a while back. There’s a lot of reused VAs in these last few episodes, so I’m not feeling entirely bad about not being able to update you while I’m in the process of moving house.

I have three main takeaways from this two-parter, one of which I’ll mention after next episode, the other will be a few episodes down the line and the last when you (eventually) get to the Cho Den-O movies.

I can sort of see why. There's a tension between the show shifting into its endgame (Kai, Liner Form) and the more wacky shenanigans that it's best at. It doesn't help that the larger mysteries are still incredibly nebulous (Sakurai, a name I hope I don't ever have to hear after this show) and/or basically the same as when the show started. It's a puzzling choice to evolve the characters without really raising the stakes, and that makes it tricky to keep putting these folks in the same types of jeopardy.

I don't know. It's definitely a part of the show that is not the easiest to enjoy.

Best of luck on your move!

This one actually has one of favorite Ryoutarou moments of the whole show, which I think is that aforementioned "righteous indignation" you mentioned? It's his little speech to the Imagin after Yuuto disappears where he's deeply offended at the idea they find smashing up the past like this to be fun.

It perfectly illustrates what I love so much about the nature of Ryoutarou's character growth, which is how understated it is. He clenches his fist in anger and everything, but the words he says as still as soft as ever. Just a simple "I won't ever accept that", and at a volume only slightly higher than usual. Combined with the body language Takaiwa gives Liner Form, I've always found it fascinating how Den-O conveys the idea that Ryoutarou has learned to be more assertive and confident in himself by this point without any of his older traits ever really going away. It's a very particular take on the typical hero arc I find stands out.

Yeah, I think it shows how this series has slowly shifted Ryotaro from someone who cares about people, to someone who fights for people. In the first episode, he's someone who'd rather get beat up than fight a bully. Here, the idea of someone causing death and destruction because they heard it would be funny, that makes Ryotaro viscerally angry. It's his empathy growing, if anything, where he can't stomach the idea of people suffering. He's had these adventures, been tested, and now he understands himself well enough to be able to articulate his needs.

Fun development for that kid!

I'm trying to give Kai a reappraisal this time through, mostly because of Ultraman Orb. In the past I was always put off by his over-bearing goofiness, but it isn't bothering me as much this time. It's possible that some of the more contemporary comic relief has increased my tolerance, but so far I'm getting into him a lot more. The "what does my face look like" thing still gets kinda old, but I'm having more fun with viewing him as more of a puckish villain. I got a big charge out of him just randomly showing up while Ryotaro is just walking around. Also, I have to give him real props for having the cojones to say "Hey, this is a time travel show! Let's just kill Yuuto in the past to prove a point!"

It helps going back through the whole era, too, and realizing that it's been several shows now since we had a major villain that had a dynamic presence as a character. We've had characters that were dynamic but not threatening (Mishima), threatening but not dynamic (boss man from Blade), and enigmatic but not... anything (Hibiki). I'm down for having a villain who feels like he's engaged with the story again, even if the answer to "what is my face?" is usually "punchably obnoxious."