[Kamen Rider Die]

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Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

Considering how Hanagata attributes "kindness" to Kusaka, he's seriously out of touch with his grown-up adopted kids. If he can't even understand them, he sure as hell can't understand a complete stranger like Kiba. Now Kiba is doing the exact opposite of what he wants by aligning his goal with Murakami to protect and nourish the King.

But, like, even in the context of scenes that Yuuji and Orphan Daddy have shared, there's zero reason to think Yuuji's going to be okay with sacrificing Orphnochs for humanity. Yuuji (I'm assuming) agreed to work with Orphan Daddy because he'd given up on humanity. He says exactly that, loudly, often.

To have Orphan Daddy go Okay But Instead What If We Let Our Entire Species Die Out So That Humanity Could Thrive... there's not getting someone's deeper motivations, and there's asking someone to do the opposite of their stated goal.

It... it would be like recruiting Keitaro to help you clean clothes, and then midway through telling him that he's actually destroying clothes and assuming he'll be okay with that.

It is an astonishingly bad plan!

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Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

It's like an inversion of that major plot twist from inFamous 2. Socially, it's proven that humans and Orphenochs can co-exist. Biologically, there's a problem, one that not even the Orphenochs fully understand. Their bodies are in a constant state of decay at a rate which is increased by prolonged use of their monster forms and Gears, which use their life as a power source. Guys like Kaido who seldom use them will probably be fine and still get to enjoy a long life as a human. Mihara's fine cause Delta's broken for humans. But Kusaka's artificial compatibility finally ran out and it's only a matter of time before Takumi, who also henshined many times, starts to feel the effects.

The King can complete their mutation but his awakening would mean the end of humanity. If the King is destroyed, future generations of Orphenoch would continue to decay at an unsustainable rate until eventually the gene goes extinct, ending their species instead. Both sides are locked in to a fight to the death and Kusaka was right about something, Takumi needs to choose a side cause a genocide is happening either way.

There's something I find very Promethean about the conflict. Orphenochs have both the fire of Zeus and the power of animals, making them anatomically superior to other organisms except for their decay. Maybe it's another curse from Pandora's Box (mythological, not Martian) to show that humans aren't supposed to get that close to perfection. The good Orphenochs are those who defy their nature and hold on to the inherent goodness in humanity, even if it means giving up on their life. It's fascinating to think about this symbolism and the philosophical question: Why are humans so special?

Neat thoughts! There's some beauty to the idea that the more Orphnochs embrace their identities, the faster they vanish. The flame that burns twice as bright burns half as long, you know?

I just wish, as an idea, it had been given more room to be explored. How would that knowledge have changed Sawada's view of his own humanity, or Yuka's dream?

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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.

I guess I don't see it as that heroic? Accidentally, sure, but Kusaka Fights For Mari is one of his core principles. I think Yuuji knew it was the most reliable button to push to draw Kusaka out. He'll risk death for her, but I think that says more about his bottomless obsession than it does affirm his ability to be a hero.

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Originally Posted by DreadBringer

Yeah, Hanagata was entirely unaware of Yuji's personality change when he assigned him as the new head of Smart Brain.

But he was there for some of it? If Orphan Daddy recruited this kid to save all Orphnochs, the kid agrees, and then the plan was that he thinks the kid is lying about wanting to be rid of humanity... I mean, what? Yuuji murdered Minami (who was trying to destroy Orphnochs so that humanity could survive!) right in front of Orphan Daddy, and then continuously told everyone around him that humanity was a waste of time. Where in there was Orphan Daddy inferring a Just Kidding?

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Originally Posted by DreadBringer

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...

I didn't think this was supposed to be a surprise? It seemed heavily indicated by this point.