KAMEN RIDER 555 EPISODE 43

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/faiz/faiz43a.png
https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/faiz/faiz43b.png

--1--

I'm not sure if I've brought this up before (I never remember what I talk about in these threads), but I love the central irony of this show. Faiz is a show where the core gimmick is cellphones, and it's about the impossibility of communicating with people. It's like making a show with a ton of doors where the main theme was about keeping people out. It's kind-of perfect.

But, I don't know, it's also more specific maybe than "the impossibility of communication”. It's about how we take these surface-level things like phone calls and emails, along with our prejudices and our biases and our failings and our hopes and our selfishness and our empathy, and we use that to define other people.

And it's also about how we can communicate without being honest, without being open. How we don't necessarily know what we want, so we don't know how to ask for it, to demand it.

There's a... I don't know, a weight to communication. As we have more technology, we have easier and easier ways of staying connected, of communicating, but we stop saying anything that matters. We talk and we listen but we don't share.

--2--

So much of this episode is about how hard it is for Yuka to communicate what she's going through, to feel safe, to feel free.

There's so much space to this episode, so much silence. It's a very introspective design, built to make a viewer focus on details. Everything in this episode is about what Yuka's not saying to her friends, so things like overlapping dialogue, quick edits, background music, it'd all be a distraction. Instead we get long takes, tense pauses, and a light soundtrack.

The dialogue scenes are great, especially the domestic moments with Mari, Keitaro, and Yuka. We get the full tragedy of Yuka's life in just a couple minutes. There's a hollowness to Yuka's life that she just can't fill. It's Takumi's dilemma, the lack of a dream, but answered with sorrow instead of frustration. She isn't angry about it, she despairs for it. She sees it all around her and longs for it. Something to hope for, something to become.

There's that scene near the end, and I feel like it's going to haunt me. It's Yuka staring at a red balloon, caught in a tree. She realizes she's the balloon. She's entangled, restrained. She wants to float away, to be weightless, and she's held in place by fear, by pain, by other people's cruelty. But working against her bonds, fighting to be free, it might be more painful than being held in place.

The idea of that, of someone acutely aware of their imprisonment and resigned to it, it's heartbreaking. It's the thing that makes Yuka's story feel so devastating, and so effective. Other characters on this show deal in self-deception, or wrestle with impossible choices. They're trying to establish who they are and what they want. Yuka knows how broken she is, how far her life is from what it should be. She feels it, now more than ever.

It's a portrait of someone who feels like freeing herself from pain could destroy her, and so she accepts suffering. It's beautiful in its misery.

--3--

The thing that makes Yuka so certain that she can't be happy, can't be accepted (there's that word again), is because she's an Orphnoch. She was tortured because she's an Orphnoch. She can't let Mari or Keitaro know she's an Orphnoch. Lucky Clover wants her because she's an Orphnoch. It's key to her identity, and it's her main impediment for happiness.

But, y'know, why? Why does it have to be?

We get a variety of characters in this episode talking about the inevitability of conflict between humans and Orphnochs. Kusaka talks about sides being drawn up. Minami talks about how anyone who doesn't see the threat of the Orphnochs is an enemy. Murakami talks about the natural antagonism of humanity and their inability to allow for cooperation.

Except, maybe none of that is necessary? Maybe Yuuji and Sawamura are right to ask why everyone seems so ready to fight, to destroy one another. There can be coexistence, as long as each side views the other as worthy of existence.

Which is maybe harder to do in practice than it is in theory. Yuuji remembers how hard he had to fight to save Yuka, how many police officers stood in the way of him rescuing a tortured friend. So when he sees Sawamura wounded, begging for help, he doesn't see another person who deserves to live. He sees an adversary, an obstacle, someone who hates him and his friends for no reason. He answers humanity's prejudice with more prejudice.

But then you get Yuka, despondent, adrift. She reached out to Lucky Clover to find some refuge from a world that hates and fears her, but they'd kill Keitaro if he tried to stand her way. She can't let that happen. She has to expose herself as an Orphnoch to save his life, dooming her to one more friend who'll turn his back on her, one more terrified look.

But he isn't scared. He sees her fear, her self-loathing, her sadness, and he reaches out. He holds her. Not to trap her, or to bring her down. To lift her up, to liberate her. To remind her that she is loved, and she deserves love.

To give her the safety to dream.

--4--

I don't want to make it sound like this whole episode was a grim meditation on one woman's tortured existence. (I mean, it was, but it wasn't just that.) It's also a pretty thrilling action-adventure episode, with some fantastic fight scenes.

The Yuka/Kageyama fight was exceptionally well done, with some dynamic camera moves. I already posted it, but that single shot where they switch out Kageyama for her Orphnoch form? Insane! That's all done in-camera! But it's also key to the storytelling, where the danger comes from how quickly these things can happen. It's not Kageyama showing off, declaring her actions. It's an example of how quickly and easily she could kill Keitaro, how important it is for Yuka to defend him.

The other clever choice in their fight is how little fight music it uses. It gives a weight to the fight, makes it seem more brutal. It isn't... it makes it feel like Yuka's struggle is never-ending, that her fights don't ever stop and start. It makes the combat grueling, eternal. Really smart move.

--5--

OH MY GOD THIS PERFECT BEAUTIFUL SHOW.

Another high point for the series, at least in how it worked for me. I generally don't care that much about world-ending plots or whatever, but centering the idea of whether two lifeforms can coexist peacefully on one sad, broken teenager? I could watch a million more hours of that. I don't know if I'd ever get tired of seeing this show peel back the layers of Yuka's character, at least when it's done this well.

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/faiz/faiz43c.png

Hey did you know this episode is directed by Hidenori Ishida? Is that my catchphrase now? I feel like I'm saying this a lot!

But yeah, this episode has him written all over it. While I was skimming through this one on the off chance of catching some translation errors, I couldn't help but notice the scene where a rift starts forming between Yuuji and Takumi very deliberately has each character saying their lines without the other in-frame. It's jarring, and in a technical sense, arguably "bad" direction, but by refusing to show them on-screen together past the establishing shot, it works wonders to emphasize a sense of distance between the two of them. It's the kind of crazy stuff I'd expect from a guy who lit like half a dozen cars on fire back in Kuuga's final episodes for only like a couple seconds of footage.

Oh, and speaking of errors:

I'm maybe a little extra picky when it comes to Yuka's dialogue specifically because it tends to be some of the show's most interesting. Fortunately, these errors don't seem to have prevented you from enjoying what I would agree is an exceptionally interesting late-game Faiz episode.

I mean, I sort-of figured it was. The beginning sequence, where the fight that Horsepower's having with the cops is mainly communicated by the shadows cast on a wounded Yuka... like, he basically signed his name.

Thanks for the confirmation!

You thought it was weird that Matsuda Satoshi voiced Crab since you typecast him as a Ren personality, but I think it's weirder that his role as Crab was immediately succeeded by Bat Cowboy!

That combination of motifs would later be used for a Rider:

https://ukiyaseed.weebly.com/uploads...32469_orig.jpg

Keitarou/Yuka is the most romantic subplot I've seen in the franchise! I love how the episode ends with Keitarou hugging Yuka, showing that he's not scared of her, that he likes her for who she is, not what she is. He shows her that she doesn't need to hide herself from him. Just like when he accepted the truth about Takumi, he knows that the kind and generous Yuka he loves is still the same person. They finally found out each other's identities and there's nothing stopping them from being together now. The love between a human and an Orphenoch is proof that these 2 species can co-exist peacefully and prosperously. It's a perfect time for this to happen when the war between both species is starting to escalate.

If only the Bat Cowboy Orphnoch had been voiced by Takeshi Kimura, doing a Western American accident, my head would've exploded.

Accepting people is pretty much Keitaro's superpower? I think that's why when he was scared of Takumi, it felt especially brutal. Keitaro cares for everyone. He wants the whole world to be happy! If that dude can't care about your comfort, things are in bad shape.

Anyway, yes, Keitaro and Yuka, it's an incredibly lovely scene. I love the small gesture of it, how he doesn't do a whole Yuka Is Yuka speech or whatever. He just stands there for a second, hugs her, holds her, and it's a cut to Open Your Eyes For The Next Faiz.

This episode was sad and solemn, but it made me so happy.

It definitely hurt seeing Keitarou's initial association between the Takkun he cares about and a monster to be feared. That's why his development was so important. His acceptance is a rarity in this world. If nobody else will care about them, then he needs to.

Epic speeches are Takumi's department. He doesn't want people to know he cares so he can't exactly show them. Speeches work for him, but Keitarou doesn't mind looking like a sap. He's genuine like that. Sometimes actions are more important than speeches. It's what Yuka needs right now. Yuka wants affection and Keitarou wants to solve people's problems. They're very compatible in that way.

I'm so invested in this ship!

Oh, for sure. It's just, Kamen Rider is a very Big Speeches type of franchise, so any time they go small instead of big I want to celebrate it.

So, this might not shock you, but I'm actually not into them as a couple? I'm still thinking of Yuka, first and foremost, as someone who needs to work on herself instead of having her fold her identity into that of Girlfriend.

Like, I think Keitaro is very sweet. But I like his sweetness more as someone who wants to help a friend, rather than someone looking for a romantic partner. And, I like Yuka's story being similar to Takumi's: someone doesn't really know what she wants, but is trying on a lot of different kinds of Yuka until she figures out who she really is.

I don't know. I can absolutely see how and why people would want these two to get together, but I'm more concerned about Yuka fixing Yuka, and Keitaro assisting that process.

And for some others, the one you talked about having problems with miscommunications and misunderstandings? This irony is the main reason, because this show's main motif are phones, but they are so underutilized that they have all these drama.

Because one of the show's theme song lyrics are "the dilemma won't end even if you keep running". Also there's the Takumi trait of her story about dreams, but the different answer is obvious because Yuka isn't a major asshole like Takumi (even if Kusaka is a monster, being hostile to him because of being jealous, before knowing him more is a common bully or similar kind of asshole's trait) but instead supporting them and wants to be like them. And this finally happens after you summarized her situation as a cage, but in this episode it's summarized as balloon instead. But one thing that I'll never ever understand, how did they only know their surname all this time, but didn't catch their full name? I actually would understand more if they don't know their names at all, but they call each other "Osada-san" or "Kikuchi-san", but never knew the "Yuka" or "Keitaro" part.

Why do you even consider about the words from horrible people like (both Kyoji and Kohei!) Murakami, and especially Minami? Those words are their foundation of them doing their villainy, and obviously you aren't meant to side with them, because even those with right goal but wrong methods aren't one to be sided either (although some people will ignore the methods and only see the end goal, and cementing them as similarly good as the pure heroes - but the end doesn't always justifaiz the means). Also for Yuji, where everyone seems ready to fight, it's not only trait in Orphnochs, but also in humans, as he has painfully experienced in his revival, especially in a dark world such as Faiz's. Also you talk about how the world hates and fears Yuka? I don't know if she has that as an Orphnoch, but she has been hated since she was human previously, in every environment, by her family and classmates (I can't call them her friends if they bully her), and I don't recall her utilizing her Orphnoch form except against those she deems as bad (and they're killed so she's still unknown) so I don't know about fear.

How's the choice is only for her to reveal herself to protect him. The only thing that would be better is to let Takumi witness this, because he constantly forces Keitaro and Mari to give up on Yuka and Yuji because they're Orphnochs, and never explained them even after Takumi warmed up to those 2.

Well you did at episode 15 (and I defended her too, by making it confused if it's truly bad or just the non-tolerant audience), but not anymore, but this also proved your sentence wrong that because this is art, opinions can't be changed. I wonder what will you say to other people regarding Faiz outside this thread because this is perfect beautiful show, scold and chastise them? Cementing them as having sh*t taste?

This is something that needs to be acknowledged more in fandom discussion. Don't demonize other's kindness acts as only done for their inner self-interest more because it's "more realistic", "more relatable", etc.

Superpower? (I'm onboard with you on this but...) This episode just yet again, portrays it as weakness, when Mari made fun of him for having that kind of wish/goal. There's also multiple times that goal is talked down upon by her, Takumi, or iirc Kusaka (lol this one is obvious) in the past. Also as always, obviously real life people also can see that trait as weakness in someone, like for this series, probably point up to the Mari/Sawada moment which gets her killed.

I think you’re going to love Kiva (when you get to it, of course)

I really hope so, Faiz and Kiva are two of the best Rider shows that people always spurn. Seeing how Die has connected with Faiz, I've got high hopes for Kiva.