[DreadBringer]

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Having it be the most selfish character who decides to live by Yuuji’s code, it’s by far the smartest choice this story offered.

Yeah, actually Kaido was heartbroken of Yuji's heel-turn here. And probably, after all being a wild-card, Kaido's honest to himself for once here, and it takes him seeing an act much worse than any has been done by Kaido (including turning others except himself to police), which is Yuji actually becoming his antithesis. An analysis of how he got here. And Kaido's revenge of smacking back Yuji at his office.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

There’s another thing they do that I thought was interesting, even if it’s not something I think has a ton of juice in it. Basically, what if Kusaka has been right all along?

Yeah, Hanagata was entirely unaware of Yuji's personality change when he assigned him as the new head of Smart Brain. Also been explained by Sh Ranger, that about Orphnoch can't coexist isn't about their morality, but about how Orphnoch is actually a death sentence to humanity. Having Orphnoch King awakened will be the end of the humanity and a new age for Orphnochs which will just make the species on Earth go extinct more quickly. All because Orphnoch, while an evolution for humanity, their lifespan is much shorter, they turn into dust much more quickly. Hanagata, like MaRina and Mihara said, are still the same kind father he was, and he wants to preserve the life on Earth, by making a sacrifice for Orphnoch King. I probably was just saying this so you aren't convinced that Kusaka has been right all along (and even if he does, it's not about his prejudiced view of them, but about their biological system, Right For The Wrong Reasons), that this episode is meant to be a catharsis factor to see Kusaka finally dies.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Solid episode for Kusaka, maybe? Not sure.

Very much agree that it's the best choice that he's never reformed. It's a must. If you (and I sometimes) don't want a character that is inherently anti-heroic turning into smiling sunshine at the end, Kusaka is an even more of a requirement of that. Kusaka's more than just that, he's closer to a villain who just happens to be fighting the threat the heroes are also fighting, and an example of Humans being the Real Monsters, albeit not as horrible as Minami. It's a total karmic death for him. Throughout most of the show, he'd been sabotaging the potential friendship of Takumi and Yuji, and subsequently, any chance of a united front against Smart Brain, just for his own ends, also torturing both about their supposed inherent inhumanity. He's murdered by Yuji, who had finally snapped at this point and joined Smart Brain, all of which is largely his fault. And Yuji does the deed with Kusaka's own Kaixa Gear, which Yuji had recently taken from him. Moreover, he dies alone, the others nearby looking for him, missing him by a few meters, and him unable to get their attention as he fades away like the wretch he was in life. And for Mari never seeing Kusaka again, you'll even feel more of the karmic end for Kusaka in the next episodes.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

I still mostly didn’t like this episode. It wasn’t as disappointing as the last one (hopefully nothing else in Kamen Rider ever is), but I think that was more down to me being prepared this time.

But, y’know, there’s still stuff around the edges to enjoy. I like “troop builder” Rider types, so the Riot Troopers (thank you TV-Nihon splash screen) are right up my alley. (I like how a show with Rider troops has to make them cool enough to be a suit, but lame enough to not be a Name suit. It’s mostly color choices, or the lack of a cool Driver.) Takumi’s side of his phone call with Yuuji was great. It’s half of a really great scene. There’s a neat lighting effect the DP uses to get in and out of Mari’s flashback. I like that Keitaro is playing soccer with Teruo.

It’s like, little things.

I didn’t mention it last time (too busy being a baby), but Soeno had a little speech that feels more and more relevant to my experience with these final Faiz episodes. He’s talking to Sawamura, who feels terrified by whatever is to come. Soeno, though, he’s easy-going about it. Sawamura, in disbelief, wants to know why Soeno isn’t freaking out. Soeno tells him that the world is a chaotic place. You never know what tomorrow’s going to bring, and most of it you can’t do anything about. If you’re lucky, you can protect a little bit of happiness. Just a little bit. And that can be enough, if you let it be. A little bit of happiness is all we can ask for sometimes, and we need to be okay with that.

He also recommends alcohol, which feels equally wise right now.

Riotroopers are the fodder Riders Faiz have. It's so difficult for the one that has to fight both Delta and Snake Orphnoch, where even 1 of them is too much for any Riotroopers. Even Kaido as Riotroopers gets smacked away by human Yuji! Also, probably this is one of the stuff you didn't enjoy, but don't you realize that in this episode they finally mentioned it... with that kid being the Orphnoch King? It should be impactful to the Team Faiz (and possibly Kaido for now?) to see one of their latest member turned out to be...

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Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

The title of this episode is called "Masato, Dying a Glorious Death" which I think is pretty apt. He wanted Mari for himself but he fought to protect her even at the cost of his own life. He had nothing to gain and everything to lose by going to save her which contradicts everything we know about him. He had it coming and it doesn't redeem all of his sins but I respect that in the end, he died like a hero and that's how his allies will remember him. We'll remember him as the a**hole he really was but Kusaka's Last Stand is why I cannot acknowledge him as anything worse than an extreme antihero and his death, however deserved, should be avenged.

Love for only one person (like Mari for Kusaka) isn't meant to be rooted or be glorified as a good thing (though this episode does play it up like that somewhat). Love for someone can be even the main motivation of doing evil things, like for example in other series, White Wizard in Wizard, or in other media, Gendo Ikari in Evangelion. Also good number of Kusaka's cruelty are based by the very qualities that you consider redeeming of him. Because Kusaka is an example of Yandere. Yanderes are people who suffer from personality disorder and can easily become violent and extremely dangerous where in this case, being motivated by their obsessive love to someone whom they have a crush with. He/she would go to extreme lengths to rid of anyone who potentially about to take away and/or harm his/her crush, which includes murdering their rival. Which is one of what Kusaka's character is about, he reacts with extreme violence if he thinks you are planning to do anything to her, or be next to be. He replaces the "cute, delicate, and sweet" facade with one that is strong, supremely competent and handsome, and by that his allies will remember him as hero, because of him being charismatic manipulative bastard and he's successful that they don't know how much of a bastard he was at his death.