[Kamen Rider Die]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kurona

I was actually thinking about this today and how you'd react to it, especially after 21! I'm so, so glad you like it!

Even after the show started to wane for a bit, RabbitRabbit's debut was one of the strongest parts of the show to me and represented Sento at his best. Arguably, yes; the idea of using a power-up to represent character development and moving on is pretty standard for Rider, especially in the more recent series. It's effective, yes, but still something a lot of series do, so usually it's not worth noting especially.

But RabbitRabbit really, really does stick out to me. Just how strongly both Sento's regret of his past and the strength of his resolve to move forward as the hero makes this all the better, and it's honestly difficult for me to come up with a better example of such in Rider. Which isn't an insult, because it's a high standard to live up to! Like... one of the reasons I like Kobayashi's writing so much, and especially OOO; is how she's effectively able to drag the hero down to such a low place and yet pull them back right up again in a way that's believable, inspiring and hopeful. And for a series to come not just close to that effectiveness, but do better at it; is no small feat -- I don't say this lightly, but I genuinely believe that this aspect was pulled off even better than in OOO. Sento might just be the greatest dragged down to resolve character I've ever seen, and it's wonderful.

And then there's how the power-up representing this actually goddamn works, and this is where it gets genius for me. Now any sort of power-up would have worked, really. Any sort of cool new item that gives a sweet new form, woo; yay. But I don't know if the writer got the toy people to do this or he was taking full advantage of what toy plans Bandai had supplied him with or something, but the idea that the new power-up works with the one that represents everything awful about both his past and current actions, goes on top of it, and turns it into a force of good that represents his resolve to be a hero? Like. This is top-tier symbolism, sorry, but is just is. It's so, soooo fucking good, and I love every little bit of it. The fact that it's essentially bringing out the full power of one bottle's essence and enhancing could also arguably be read into as representing what he's learned from Banjou and what effect the guy's had on him, even if never even hinted at here. Just everything about RabbitRabbit is wonderful. It's beautiful and I adore it.


... oh, and then he uses it to make an effective plan and trick Rogue and an entire government of bad guys as well! Because being a genius and being a hero is a best goddamn match that makes Sento. GOD I love this show.

Well put! Really well put!

It's totally on-brand for this show, and this story in particular, to be about building heroes, Sento especially. He's the guilt of his past and the hope of his future. The genius who fights. It's about how he combines those things that defines him as a person, and it's how the show uses power-ups as representations of where he is as a person that's Kamen Rider-storytelling at its best.

RabbitTank was a starting point, a name he was given by a villain who was manipulating him. RabbitTank Sparkling was him expanding his abilities, trusting himself more to define who he was. Black Hazard was the guilt of his past, the danger that he could be to everyone around him. RabbitRabbit and TankTank layer over the base of Black Hazard, the guilt that'll always be there, to make a new person, emphasizing the aspects of his personality that he wants to see in the world, fully embracing his future. This isn't the work of Takumi, it's the work of Sento. His true self, fully expressed.

And, I mean, that's on top of every good thing this story does with Grease, with Cross-Z, with Sawa, with Rogue. There's really no shortage of things to praise this show for, which is pissing me off. It's hard to keep coming up with different ways to praise this show! I've got so many episodes to go, you guys!