[Sh Ranger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

KAMEN RIDER KABUTO - EPISODE 17

Pretty fun episode of Kabuto! A lot of ups, and just a few downs.

Let’s tackle the downs first, since they’re less about this episode and more systemic. Namely, they’re all related to this being the first part of a Kabuto two-parter, so get ready for people acting like complete assholes with no clear motivation (yet), and a plot that mostly revolves around When Exactly Did Tendou Figure It All Out.

The first part is the big flaw in this episode, even if I’d say it didn’t really harm the story. Daisuke is almost unconscionably dismissive of Gon here, treating her alternately as a liar; a slacker; a pest; and an anchor. In the same way that the show wants there to be no confusion as to whether Kageyama deserves to burn (gleefully assaulting both women and children in one episode), there’s just wall-to-wall Daisuke being awful in this chapter. Worse, it basically comes out of nowhere? I’m sure (I hope) the next episode will sketch in why Daisuke suddenly didn’t give two shits about Gon’s obvious terror, but here it’s just him getting worse and worse until WAIT HE DOES CARE. It is… I do not love a surrogate father slowly abandoning his ward! It is not a fun thing to watch, especially when it’s like Of Course Daisuke Actually Cares About Gon. There isn’t shock or tension, there’s just this steadily mounting disappointment in both Daisuke as a character, and Kabuto as a show. Him fighting Kabuto at the end, it’s like… where was all of this at any other point in the episode. (He is so disinterested when she says a man grabbed her at night in a park! What the hell, Daisuke?!)

This is a major turning point for Daisuke's character development. He values his freedom, which is why Drake Zecter is attracted to him. Gon is his responsibility, a limit on his freedom since he needs to be emotionally available to her like holding her hand and protecting her from Worms and he doesn't enjoy that commitment. He considers her a burden, a feeling that is mutual considering how difficult Daisuke is to be around.

Gon obviously values her freedom as well, considering she's currently abducted and unhappy about it. But she doesn't want freedom from Daisuke, she feels safe with him even though he can be difficult and considers him her best friend. Her abduction is the catalyst for Daisuke realizing that he cares about something more than making girls beautiful. Gon is a burden he can't live without and she's the only person he truly cares about. Freedom without purpose is meaningless and that little girl gives him the motivation to be a better person.

Everything about their strained relationship in this arc with their conflict of needs and how their separation causes them to open up about their true feelings really connects with me and I really want to see them make up (haha, get it?) and become closer by accepting how they make each other feel safe and valued. I also want to see Kageyama get the Rider Shooting he deserves for splitting them up and generally being a terrible person. I love this arc and how it adds more depth to the unlikely friendship between Daisuke and Gon.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

A QUESTION

Kageyama! Boy oh boy, Kageyama. Him giving Gon that little smile, just before he abducts her? Pretty terrible! On a scale of 1 (Let’s See Where This Goes) to 10 (I’ve Already Wiped Him From My Memory, Like Gon’s Mom’s Face), how done are you with Kageyama?

Yeah, you'd have to be pretty awful to abduct and ransom a little girl like Gon. I'm not sure how your scale works though. I hate Kageyama for his immoral actions but it's for the same reason that I can't forget him. That's like the whole point of his character. He should watch his back now cause Drake's going to make him pay!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Androzani84

Not much to say on the episode, beyond answering the question. I wasn’t quite done with Kageyama at this point, since I knew the best/worst was yet to come. And that’s all I’ll say, beyond this is the third episode of Kamen Rider to be called “Restored Memories”, with the previous 2 being in Agito and Faiz.

Yeah, nice observation, let's add that to the list of episode titles Inoue likes to repeat alongside "[x] Dies".