[DreadBringer]

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

One of my biggest problems with Yui's story is how little agency she has in it. It's mostly people (Shinji, Ren, Shiro, Auntie, Tezuka) deciding things for her, discussing her fate amongst themselves. It's a great moment for the show to finally consider what Yui wants in a serious, actionable way.

An actionable way that will singlehandedly end Ryuki. This happens at the end of Ryuki, but if the truth is known much earlier she would likely also do this, and only repeated attempts of this if it fails, but overall it'll be very easy for her to die this way quickly ending the series. I can't think of other things she can do, because I can't think other ways to actually stop the war (which is her goal like Shinji and Tezuka) other than this, which requires the infos from backstories, which is taking away the reason for Shiro to continue the war by force (with 2 options; her rejecting the attempt and/or prematurely dying so the wish cannot work).

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

That is a very impassioned defense of the series. I think it's awesome that you feel so strongly about what they've put out.

Like, and this is something I'll talk about at greater length when the series is over, maybe, but the weird inconsistencies and vagaries, that's something someone decided to put in this story! If it's a bad solution to a problem, but any other solution would be worse, maybe write a different problem?

I'm (just) currently taking for what's already established in the series. And it's not a defense that I'm explaining the wrong part about that, which means it's a fact; like explaining to someone who thinks it's stupid for Eiji not to spam PuToTyra unlike Kiva Emperor as it's the strongest form, and explaining PuToTyra is a risky form to use. (I'm hurriedly talking about this because I try to correct before it got worse for you to the point of denying any explanations just to avoid that topic).

But it's ok if you're gonna talk about this on a greater length after the series is over, because I thought you'll leave the series for good after finishing it. I'd like to see the presumed other choices, because I'm also confused myself about the other takes based on the show's hopeless premise. And sometimes this discussion about different takes they wish can significantly diverge from the series' setting (even ignoring pre-established something there) which IMO would turn into different series.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

I guess? It feels like it's less about choosing life or death to me, and more about Yui gaining control over her existence. To not be a pawn or a prize, but to decide her own fate. Even if that fate is to disappear, at least she got to decide it. Ren has a typically Ren outlook of Alive Or Dead, like those are the only two ways of describing a human being, but Shinji's looking for more nuance, the sense of a life being about happiness and purpose. I don't know, it felt more introspective to me.

Yeah coming from Shinji... the only person who is not a pawn for Shiro in the war (only briefly before to save Yui). Every single person related to the Rider War are pawns to Shiro. While Shinji is the only Rider besides Tezuka who refuses to play Kanzaki's game, and wants to stop the fighting and protect even his enemies (but Tezuka entrusts this destiny to Shinji). The Rider War is hopeless for everyone, where even after previously, Odin was distracted by Yui's scream (to see his sister complex to be his downfall...) and got Final Vented, he still insists Ren to fight Odin at the end. The fact is, no one will ever win the Rider War except Shiro, Odin is much stronger than everyone else, and even if you're lucky enough that he's distracted to kill him, he could just replace him with someone else. Not even Asakura, for he was the god of "Big Bad Wannabe" in TVTropes Pantheon, still largely Shiro's pawn.

A̶n̶d̶ ̶a̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶f̶i̶r̶s̶t̶ ̶p̶l̶a̶c̶e̶ ̶S̶h̶i̶n̶j̶i̶ ̶s̶h̶o̶u̶l̶d̶ ̶a̶g̶r̶e̶e̶ ̶o̶n̶ ̶Y̶u̶i̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶s̶,̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶b̶o̶t̶h̶ ̶w̶a̶n̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶R̶i̶d̶e̶r̶ ̶W̶a̶r̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶e̶n̶d̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶p̶r̶o̶t̶e̶c̶t̶ ̶i̶n̶n̶o̶c̶e̶n̶t̶s̶,̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶h̶e̶r̶ ̶a̶c̶t̶ ̶b̶e̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶l̶i̶k̶e̶l̶y̶ ̶a̶ ̶d̶e̶f̶i̶n̶i̶t̶e̶ ̶w̶a̶y̶.̶ And he does in ep. 49, though also for Shiro being unhappy.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Just to get it out of the way, oh my god did they shit the bed with the Mirror World explanation.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

There’s a funereal feel to this episode, a pall over the proceedings. Mostly in silence, Shinji and Ren have barely begun to process Yui’s death before Shiro declares that the Rider Battles will continue. And then, it’s just, oh. There’s no end to this. It’s just misery until we die. There are no options, no one can be saved.

Not trying to make you change, but want to correct some. Their parents are simply horrible people (which is harshly.. realistic), what do you expect from abusive parents? They are obviously going to leave them to die, if they are cold and uncaring enough to lock them up in the attic permanently, and Shiro's pleas (about Yui being sick and dying)? Just ignored and lock them again, likely because they thought it was just their whining daughter and snivelling son going on again. Also actually it was their parents who were killed by that explosion (and also freeing them from the room they locked them into), which is caused by the first mirror-breach of Mirror Yui entering real world. Also why there are Mirror version of Kanzaki siblings? Because Yui and Shiro also draw themselves... like them drawing the monsters. Mirror version of Yui and Shiro exists the same way as all the Mirror/Contract Monsters do, and like humans in Mirror World, Mirror World humans also can only exist for so long in real world which is why she'll die at age 20.

Well, anyway, this scene is meant to tease the real way to stop the Mirror Monsters threatening humans, brought by Yui at the time of her disintegration, about the pictures. What differentiates Yui's performance here, compared to when she was "on the verge of tears" before? Also regarding "just misery until we die", nope, Shiro went under complete breakdown now, Yui disintegrates before her birthday, means he thinks she can still be saved, but he has completely lost it as the time left for her birthday is very short now, losing the echo on his voice. Probably intentionally made as it's "unconvincing" as he has gone insane. Shiro talking about there are no times left at the end of the episode? The time is exactly Yui's birthday at 19th Jan, the last day for his chance.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

(Also, so, is the amount of Riders necessary for the final battle as handwaved as the rest of this premise? We’re consistently told that Riders Can’t Quit, that they have to fight until there’s one left, but, like, it doesn’t matter that Asakura and Kitaoka aren’t fighting? Kitaoka got to bail last episode, “withdraw”, like that was ever an option offered to literally any other character, but Asakura? He would definitely want to fight! He has not conceded! Just, why even have rules if Shiro’s just making them all up.)

Literally episodes ago Toujou dies not in Rider battle but by a truck accident... And do you forget that Kitaoka is... incurable without winning the war? Kitaoka will also soon die, and like Toujou, Riders don't need to die via Rider battles, or them dying in Rider forms. Shiro only wants those Riders to die, and Kitaoka will also soon get that fate. Where do you get that Asakura conceded in the first place? OK, probably I have to explain the wish, the best one I can find, from the TVTropes page, and the reason why Shiro really wants the Riders to die (also, "Riders Can't Quit" is only to make sure any Riders that fight in his game dies, either by getting killed by other Riders or eaten by Contract Monsters)

The wish is created from the lives of 12 Kamen Riders (yeah, like collecting all the Dragon Balls, or in KR Ghost; collecting Eyecons, here you collect the lives of 12 Riders for the wish). That is why the Rider War exists, and why Shiro needs the other 12 people to fight and die. Everything that Shirou creates - all of the powers and magical abilities - is a phantom that only exists in (or in connection to) the Mirror World. To create a true "wish", he needs 12 people to die as Kamen Riders.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

It’s more of that as the episode progresses. Kitaoka’s out of the hospital, but clearly without much time left. Asakura is going to be killed by the police at dawn. And Shinji’s at Ore Journal, confessing his secrets and adrift in confusion. Nothing he does seems to matter, and he doesn’t know what he should even fight for at this point.

Finally Shinji also learns about Kitaoka's condition, from Shimada, and obviously, now it's all clear to Shinji, who sees the best in people, that it makes sense for Kitaoka to fight and become immortal, to save himself. Also it's official, Kitaoka has gained an important lesson, that is, his life's already been good enough, so now he only wants to fight as a Rider to settle things with Asakura, before finally dating Reiko, because he's also partially responsible of Asakura becoming a Rider (definitely when Shiro restarts the war at ep. 28). And good, now polices will show no mercy to Asakura. And no, what Shinji does will finally matter, the Mirror World stuff is connected to how Shinji's doing is relevant. No one, not even Shinji himself realize it.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Okubo’s been a secret weapon on this show, maybe. There’s the wacky hijinks and awkward comedy and whatnot, but there’s a sense that he gets it.

Well yeah, all the time Shinji's not telling this stuff to Okubo, because he thinks Okubo would get mad... why would you think that? You are supposed to be a shortcut to what ORE's been looking, oh, and also Kagawa's notes. Ironically below you say that plans, process, it's not Shinji's specialty, but Okubo encourages him to be like that because he praises him to actually start thinking here. How do they finally

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

I was wondering what was going to come from those blue bug guys (mosquitos?), and the answer is City-Wide Rampage.

Yeah, the main character dies. This is actually the (quite petty) reason why people think Ren is the main protagonist, because Shinji dies and Ren is the one to face Odin. Also, even Shinji has a death by irony; All the other Riders berated Shinji for not having any desire, and Ren mockingly told him that he would die without finding one and that he didn't deserve to be a Rider. Somehow, Shinji survived long enough to become one of the last five Riders... And died after finally finding his desire to close the Mirror World. Even at the end, after all his character journey, his wish comes full circle, and you accept that? Though to be fair you get the difference (well, me too), now he has to make sacrifices like hurting other people by denying their wish, even if at first glance, it sounds like a dramatic rephrasing of "I want to stop the Rider War".

Other than that, how strong are the individual Raydragoons (the name of the monsters)? Seems like what they got is numbers (of course humans are still powerless to it), where even critically injured Shinji still wins the fight with them. Oh, no, not just that. Right after they stabbed Shinji, he easily swats away the monsters from him. He can't pose anymore for his base Ryuki Final Vent... just instantly kick.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

And, it's a small thing in the episode, but I love that Reiko figured everything out herself. Mirror World, Shiro, Kamen Riders... she just figured it out. No one had to tell her. She just spent a year chasing down leads, interviewing subjects, having occasional eye injuries, and doing research. That's it. And she got it all.

I would like to know... that here she can get the Shiro's documents at the first place... Shiro didn't sic monsters on that person unlike what he did to the professor before? (except when she does naughty thing and just stole it). This is also related to ORE Journal which keeps following dead topics like this. Her question to Shinji being a Rider is confused and distant as if Shinji's a new person to her. Also (sorry) there's bookends: