[Kamen Rider Die]

KAMEN RIDER KABUTO - EPISODE 12



Gotta be honest, wasn't really feeling this one.

Weirdly, I think what did work for me was all of the Tendou/Kagami stuff? There's more clarity to what's happening between them, even before you get to the ending. It's wrapped up almost entirely in Tendou's incredibly weird and specific views for how people should act, and less in Kagami's clingy obsessiveness (well, there's still a bunch of that), which is not 100% a direction I thought this story was going to go!

To conclude the They Had Sex metaphor, this episode is about how what Tendou found attractive in Kagami was his independence, so Kagami getting all We Are A Couple was a gigantic turn-off for Tendou. As soon as Kagami reasserts his independence, Tendou's ready to rekindle their partnership. (Hand to god, as soon as Kagami becomes his own man, the first thing Tendou does is invite him over for a home-cooked meal. Metaphors! Sometimes they are not subtle!)

It makes for a weird take on friendship, but one that makes sense for Tendou. (Kagami's really jumping through some hoops for this dude, but he's clearly into craving respect? I don't want to shame his needs!) Tendou views friendship as at best dependency, and at worst, capitulation. Being a friend means diminishing yourself. It means accommodating the needs of others rather than pursuing your own goals. It's the last thing he wants.

What he wants, instead, is to allow everyone to achieve their own greatness. He wants to be able to be the best Tendou there is, and he wants Kagami to be the best Kagami there is. They can't do that if they're trying to fit into someone else's life, so friendships don't work for Tendou.

What he wants is to be Friends With Benefits with Kagami.

The ideal relationship for Tendou is to have Kagami out there, living his life, and for them to work together when there's a reason to do so. To be in each other's lives only when it benefits both of them, and never just because. To work independently to achieve a greatness that can be of use to each other.

It's... I mean, it's not a great resolution for the two of them, and I really appreciate that? There's a selfishness to it from Tendou, and it's not a flattering look on him. But, Episode 12, so this is a totally acceptable new level for their friendship. I want the show to find a status quo that's not great, so that they can both move on (and stop being horrible to each other) and have a better version of this yet to come. It's a gross relationship (Kagami seems a bit like he's settling), but that just means there's room to grow.

So, that was all great. And yet, I felt like this episode was sort of dull?

It's a big step down from 11, I thought. The jokes weren't quite as sharp; the thing with Daisuke and Tendou dueling over who can get the most groupies was pretty tacky, even if it was intentionally so. (Tendou doing the whole Every Woman Is Beautiful thing was... I feel like we're still watching an episode that's equating worth to physical appearance? I don't think the show is critiquing itself as much as it thinks it is?) The scratch ticket segment was funny, but it doesn't exactly elevate the episode. And I don't feel like we learn enough about Daisuke and Gon to care about them yet?

There's a little bit of biographical detail that we're given, but there's no depth added to Daisuke in this one. He's like the make up he applies: all on the surface. It's a fun performance, and I love the Drake suit (and how much his fighting style is dance-oriented), but I don't really feel like I get this character. I don't get why he's doing what he's doing, why he's with Gon, what he wants... this episode needed to create a reason for me to care about Daisuke and Gon, and I don't feel like it did that at all, and it really dragged the episode down for me. Every scene with them just felt like a rehash from 11, and it killed a lot of my curiosity.

The Tendou/Kagami story I thought really landed, really came together, but the Daisuke stuff just bored me to tears. Wasn't really feeling that half of the episode, which is a bummer. Hopefully him and Gon will become more interesting soon!

A QUESTION

A big gag in this one is the new scratch cards that La Salle now offers, and how Tendou lumps in Daisuke's inexplicable status as a Rider with a chance lottery win to create a mental block that can only be solved with way too much French cuisine. (I mean, that's my read. It's not that Tendou always needs to win or whatever, it's that Daisuke getting a Zecter that he resents and winning a scratch lottery is just too much for Tendou to accept. The scratch card is the final straw, basically.) The scratch cards seem to be a pretty big hit, judging by the no-doubt monstrous bill Tendou ends up paying. (And Tendou doesn't even redeem his 100 yen discount!) How do you feel about lotteries? Do you ever buy scratch cards, or play the Powerball?