[Kamen Rider Die]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fish Sandwich

So seeing Die pop in here with a beautifully written post all about how the emotional resolutions and thematic work of episode 50 of Faiz shine so brightly any quibbles with the plot suddenly seem like a minor concern was a pretty great feeling!

Aw, thanks! I don't like fighting with Kamen Rider shows!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mmicb0b

also I get they wanted to do a moral grey story but the problem is all the Orphenocs other than Takumi who didn't want to kill people die, so the only noteworthy ones by the end were the ones who were evil other than Takumi, and the heroes are all unlikable assholes/idiots it's telling that when Kiba kills Kusaka your not like "NO KIBA DON'T YOUR BETTER THIS" your like "that son of a bitch had it coming a mile away" because of how awful Kusaka has been to Kiba the whole show or in general. Your not supposed to be rooting for the bad guy during his Moral Event Horizon crossing event. TBF I do like how you suggested this is more or less due to him never growing past his hatred

Well, Kaido's still around, and that dude became a much better person by the end of the show. He became a hero!

If you found the characters unlikeable, I can't really argue with that opinion. I will say that you are definitely supposed to dislike Kusaka, so the flaw in the storytelling is more that Yuuji's actions don't feel that conflicted in the moment, and that I can't really dispute.

Overall, though, I guess I just found the cast, flawed as they all were, very easy to invest in emotionally? If they don't click with you, they don't click with you. For me, I cared a lot about the decisions Takumi and Yuuji made over the course of the show.

And, I don't know, I don't think it was that morally grey by the end? There's a lot of the show that is building Takumi into a Kamen Rider, and that means that he has to learn all of the empathy, patience, resolve, and dedication that seems more innate in other characters. This series was more like a prequel for a Faiz Year One that never got made. It entertains a lot of different ideas, but it definitely lands on morals like Help People, Care About Your Friends, Allow Others To Feel Safe, Don't Judge Others, and so on. It's a show about exploring those ideas, not suggesting that they're irrelevant or optional.