[Kamen Rider Die]

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Originally Posted by Switchblade

It's weird. I first watched Kabuto back when I initially got into Kamen Rider in '09 and did my own marathon of the Heisei era. All these years later, though, and I still have the same reaction to the ending of episode 7: "Ugh, not this shit again."

I'm not a huge fan of the Rider vs. Rider dynamic that was really popular in the early '00s. It can lead to some cool fight scenes, but I don't like how often the shows would pit the Riders against each other. One of the big reasons why I like Hibiki is that all of the characters get along and work together. Seeing Yaguruma ready to throw down with Tendou feels like a regression to me.

I guess that's another thing that makes it difficult for me to figure out my misgivings with these episodes, because I don't mind them fighting? At all?

It's completely supported in both the series (ZECT needs Kabuto to join the team or get eliminated) and Yaguruma (Kabuto is a show-off who endangers ZECT by his independence), so having that conflict take place is exactly where the story should go.

...which, yeah, is so obvious and predictable that it's a problem? Like, the predictability of these episodes is so my problem with them. Nothing that happens is wrong, but everything that happens you can see coming a mile away.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Switchblade

That said, I do like the character and I love TheBee. I generally like all of the Kabuto suits, but TheBee stands out as easily my favorite. It's a really good design with all the gold, silver, and black. The Masked Form is probably my favorite example of those, too. It's a really great suit all around.

It's a great design! I wish the Change Wasp move had something akin to the way Kabuto's beetle horn comes up over the eyes, but the suit itself is gorgeous. I like the little stinger that comes down from the toso armor the best. Great touch!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Switchblade

I am very deeply amused by the tofu vendor. The actor's performance is just so aggressively quirky that I can help but enjoy it while also hating it. He really commits to being so bizarre and annoying and I can respect that.

My headcanon is that the tofu vendor purposefully limits the amount of tofu he offers specifically to cause strangers to duel over it. I'd say he witnesses three to four duels a day.