[DreadBringer]

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

I mean, that's one thing that could occur, sure. Or the writers could come up with some reason why she doesn't keep throwing herself off of a building for 40 straight episodes? I think they could manage that.

Well, yeah, currently I would put "reasons why she doesn't keep throwing herself off of a building for 40 straight episodes?" on the same group with "what's an optimal way to stop the Rider War?".

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

I'm not sure if I'd describe anything going on with Yui and Shiro's backstory as "simple".

Not simple as in the whole backstory, but regarding their parents only. Regarding some questions I see other asked about why their parents are that evil? The answers are that it's realistic, sometimes parents are just shitty people, no one has to love their kids and that this is a real thing that happens to children all over the world.

One thing for sure, just forget everything about "They took family trips to the beach that Yui clings to and retreats to". That's just a false memory Yui employs (due to her having a case of repressed memory) before Sanako finally reveals the truth, she clearly remarks how wrong she actually is in the return trip to Mirror Mansion. Besides why they draw Oarai Coast? Because, some pictures were recreation of something they saw around the house, like a photo of a ship on the Oarai Coast.

Pretty sure the "These kids were clearly sent to school, dressed, fed" part comes from Sanako (if you talk about how Yui's teased by classmates for seeing monsters, that should happen after the parents abuse because she can see the monsters, means she has merged with her Mirror self), she took Shiro for a while until he recovered, they aren't instantly separated.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

But why does any of that stuff work that way? A show, even a Kamen Rider show, can't just say stuff like that and move on. These two kids just drew a magic world of monsters and duplicates into existence? How? Are they magic? Is the mirror magic? Is the mansion magic? Did the Mirror World exist before they found it? Why was there only a duplicate of Yui? Why did the duplicate forget she was a duplicate?

Yeah for the pictures duplicating to existence, this is the one I can't fully explain, this is the problem I have with Mirror World story, but other parts likely isn't as much where I would explain if there are wrong takes. At least 13 Riders. Probably for the mirror being magic yeah, with Shiro becoming a scientist then studying and experimenting it to harness its power (would also include... the Rider Decks) for his needs, ends with him opening it too. I don't think so for the mansion as it's simply just Shiro's choice of base, the "magic" part there all comes from the stack of mirrors Shiro set up there (like in Room 401).

I'm just pointing out that they draw themselves too because there are people who are confused about Mirror Yui and Shiro appearing, but somehow not about Mirror Monsters appearing. Just have to remind that they also draw themselves in addition to the monsters (and for "why there's only duplicate of Yui?", the only humans they draw are themselves, they drew no other humans, as Yui pointed out in her disintegration scene, that time they only created a world for both of them with monsters as their protectors - to cope with their parents abuse). I'd say for "the Mirror World exist before they found it?", Mirror World is just the existing fantasy place in a setting, like Game World in Ex-Aid, Planet Blood in Build, or Helheim Forest on Gaim. For her forgetting, Yui has a case of repressed memory, which according to a source, means "a condition where a specific memory has been unconsciously blocked by an individual due to the high level of stress or trauma (all parts of their abuse, definitely, the duplicate merging with her also happens at that time of their life) contained in that memory."

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

This was a good time for her to cry! It is okay to cry when you are evaporating! Free pass!

Also, I just felt for her then. A death scene's tough, especially a special effect-y death scene like hers. It's tough to get to that primal emotion, and I thought the actor really delivered. Super subjective, but I thought the performance was aces.

I was mostly talking about the hero Riders, specifically Ren and Shinji. I, uh, I wasn't super into caring about how Shiro felt at that point. He's a monster, and I couldn't muster much sympathy for him then. (And I thought the actor botched his part of the Yui death scene, so double eff that dude.)

Yeah though this is someone who, prefers to die herself rather than innocents getting that. Shiro even explains how scary death is to her to convince her to accept his method, which she admits it is, but also adds up other people dying is even worse, which would mean other people's death is just as devastating to her own death for her. "̶D̶e̶a̶t̶h̶ ̶b̶y̶ ̶i̶r̶o̶n̶y̶"̶ ̶i̶s̶ ̶e̶x̶e̶m̶p̶t̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶Y̶u̶i̶.̶ ̶

Of course I'm not talking about giving sympathy to him, he doesn't deserve it (and pleeeease don't, some people have been giving sympathy to villains just because they have bad backstory and/or allegedly good motivation, and thus ignoring their atrocities. Shiro has those 2, dunno if people give him sympathy based on that but there are number of other villains considered good/misguided because of having those 2 traits). I mean Shinji literally opposes him right after the scene, carrying Yui on. That should be enough indication not to side with him. But just want to explain from your mistake, that you thought the war is eternal and "no one can be saved", but Yui's disintegration here, happened before her birthday, so Shiro thinks there's still enough time to save her, but he's running out of time to do that, so he loses his shit (and the echo in his voice) completely. I̶f̶ ̶i̶t̶'̶s̶ ̶t̶r̶u̶l̶y̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶e̶n̶d̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶Y̶u̶i̶,̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶n̶o̶ ̶o̶n̶e̶ ̶c̶a̶n̶ ̶b̶e̶ ̶s̶a̶v̶e̶d̶, ̶T̶i̶m̶e̶ ̶V̶e̶n̶t̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶r̶e̶s̶t̶a̶r̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶w̶a̶r̶.̶

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

I don't remember Shiro handing out sick days before! Kitaoka's been dying this entire time (and been hospitalized before!) and there was never an indication that his participation was optional. And, yeah, Shiro needs them to die before he can end the Rider Battles, but neither Asakura nor Kitaoka are actually dead by the time Shiro declares Ren the final competitor. Even when Kitaoka was definitely still alive in the previous episode, Shiro was just like Three Is Enough. If the number doesn't even seem to matter, why have so many competitors chewing up the clock?

I would just guess that, the person just have to participate in the fight as a Rider at one point of their life, but they can die by any way. Kitaoka's been dying, so there's no need for Shiro to make sure he dies; Three Is Enough = Three of them killing each other, Kitaoka dying soon on his own terms. For Shiro egging Kitaoka to participate before by reminding him about his illness... probably because like you said "Dude's a fan of Rider Battles" and he wants a potential double/more kill at once (Kitaoka killing other Riders, then inevitably die by his illness later, getting 2/more bodycounts at once)? And surely, Shiro changes now, he prematurely sends Odin to fight even if there are still other Riders, canceling his plan to fight only 1 last Rider, because of course time's running out, starting with Knight. Shiro still expects the other 2 (Zolda and Ouja) to fight. Also I can't talk further about this due to spoilers, the next final episode will surprise you for sure with this one.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

That's a neat take, but I don't recall a word of that actually being stated in an episode of Masked Rider Ryuki. I'm not saying it's wrong, but it's nothing that's been on this show, so I can't really speak to it. I certainly don't feel like it's irrefutable proof of anything.

Yeah there's a recurring Show, Don't Tell element from Kobayashi.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

The bug guys, it seems like they're mostly just Strength In Numbers, plus an early edge from jumping Shinji.

̶F̶r̶e̶s̶h̶ ̶O̶u̶j̶a̶ ̶t̶a̶k̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶a̶ ̶l̶e̶g̶i̶o̶n̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶m̶ ̶i̶s̶ ̶l̶e̶s̶s̶ ̶i̶m̶p̶r̶e̶s̶s̶i̶v̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶n̶ ̶c̶r̶i̶t̶i̶c̶a̶l̶l̶y̶ ̶i̶n̶j̶u̶r̶e̶d̶ ̶R̶y̶u̶k̶i̶-̶w̶h̶o̶-̶c̶a̶n̶'̶t̶-̶p̶o̶s̶e̶-̶f̶o̶r̶-̶F̶i̶n̶a̶l̶-̶V̶e̶n̶t̶ ̶d̶o̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶.̶ Means it's a total onslaught on humans, but not on Riders. This brings up Mirror World discussion again but it seems that, some Mirror Monsters can reappear after they are killed (probably cases like Raydragoons here is 1 Mirror Monster duplicated over and over), which by itself, an unavoidable fate.