[SPLIT LIP]

So, watching Ryuki and I have a nagging question: Why can't they just kill eachother as people? I get why guys like Ren and Kido don't, but why does Kitaoka pull the wheel from Gorou when the juggernaut tries to run him down like the rockstar of a bro he is? Why not just run him down? Is a reason ever given? Even Ouja hasn't done much besides weakly intimidate. I'm sure Shiro has a reason, but what's stopping the riders from taking matters into their own hands?

Considering how the Rider war is so important... it kind of doesn't exist. They sometimes fight in the mirror world, but most of the time just kind of... don't. Ryuki is obviously trying to be non-combative, and Zolda seems to be drifting more and more to his side and also has a life he tends to constantly. But Ren just kind of lazes around and Ouja doesn't do anything. Also, last episode we saw Tiger briefly, and there's this guy who has a really intimidating voice who looks to be fucking with the mirror world stuff. I don't trust him.

EDIT: OH MY FREAKING GOD Ren's girlfriend's parents are dead too! God damn, is their anyone in this show who has a healthy, living relationship with their parents?

No, I'm serious. It's like as soon as your child reaches and impressionable age the Grim Reaper decides to start going door-to-door. It's practically a parody at this point.

You know what'd be awesome? If someone was abandoned by their parent or parents. Er, I mean from a narrative point of view, of course. Having a parent walk out on you sucks I know, but it's a dynamic that I really wish would be explored. It's like writers can't grasp parental relationships and just off them as cheap backstory. I mean, Batman lost his parents tragically and that's the entire basis for the man he is. Toku usually seems to do it just as a "oh yeah and his/her parents are dead but anyway..."