[DreadBringer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

This is where the Airi scenes sort of let me down, since Airi is treated like an achievement, not an actual person. I can see what the show is going for, maybe, in how Ryuta and Yuuto have to become better if they're going to be worthy of Airi... but, like, that seems to leave Airi's preference out of the equation?

Airi is the oblivious type of the "harem" (... Airimirers) she got. But she's the inverse of what usually happens in media where harem had the target of interest being a guy, with them surrounded by numerous girls, and the guy mostly or never notice about their affection to him. Likely done for meta reasons as well to freely ship him with any member of the harem or freely have him interact closely with any girls without painting it as cheating.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

KAMEN RIDER DEN-O EPISODE 39 - “THE RIDER DISAPPEARS AS WELL”

Spent a couple minutes trying to figure out why I found this Yuuto episode so dull. I mean, I like Yuuto? I like the idea of Yuuto trying to get on with his life instead of pining over Airi? I like the idea of Yuuto trying to get on with his life instead of pining over Airi by going to a grocery store and wrestling Deneb because Deneb won’t stop putting Mushrooms in Yuuto’s food?

That kind of storytelling is all over this episode, tons of little goofy-ass gags: the bit in the beginning where Momotaros is so psyched to get a chance at using Sword Form again to thrash some low-level Imagin that he forgets that he’s supposed to be demonstrating proper swordfighting technique to Ryotaro, so he asks the Imagin and Ryotaro to forget all of Momo’s exuberance and start over with a serious fight; Owner does spoon-flipping tricks, and then misses one, so he runs alongside the DenLiner for exercise; Yuuto kicks an empty bottle that hits Ryotaro in the face ten seconds later, dumping both of them down a hill; just so much fun nonsense in this episode.

I guess that low level Imagin is also fought in the past if Momotaros can possess Ryotaro without much problem and even getting overexcited for that. And Imagins are mostly fought in the past, that'd mean, although you finally appreciate Liner Form's motif and meaning, the Taros Imagins' struggle against Ryotaro would be negated for a good number of times. Momotaros may have a blunder here, but that's how to teach Ryotaro how to fight, by possessing his body and have Ryotaro feel directly the movements for him to be used as a hint. It seems not only Hana/Kohana, Owner also seemingly have superhuman capabilities, but both has never utilized them to save the day. And for you considering Yuuto kicking an empty bottle that it hits Ryotaro in the face, that's Ryotaro's gimmick as unlucky loser, but you only mention it now?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

There’s a point the show is making with all of this Yuuto miserablism, which is why I feel like I’ll enjoy the next instalment better. Den-Parado responds to Ryotaro’s angry hero threats with a simple question: why shouldn’t some pasts be changed? What if the changes could be better? The proof of his argument is at the end of the episode, when Ryotaro returns to a Milk Dipper that’s no longer astronomy-themed and Airimirer-infested, but one that’s a flowery library full of women.

And, look, I don’t know if the show’s trying to say Kai Was Right at the end of this one (I feel like Ryotaro’s devastated reaction says Nope), but seeing all the Airimirers swept away and replaced with a more welcoming, more energetic cafe? I will trade Yuuto for that! Den-Parado was right! Give Deneb a good home and do not rescue Yuuto’s past!

At best, S̶h̶o̶u̶m̶a̶ Kai operates on the end justifies the means mindset (which is one of the dark triads in personality), to only focuses on (what he thinks) the better outcome, regardless of how many victims and bodycounts that he'll eat in his scheme. But then again, it was all talk here, it was merely a lead-up to killing Yuuto and trying to trick Ryotaro into not interfering by showing him that it made for a better present. And for tolerating the women equivalent of Airi's customers instead of the Airimirers, I smell some agenda here... though this one's may be a joke too.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

And, yeah, I think the show is giving this new reality the slightest veneer of Better. Airi’s happiness isn’t worth nothing to Ryotaro, so seeing her no longer tortured and conflicted over Sakurai’s variable existence, that’s going to be something he won’t just want to destroy. There’s some obvious surface benefits to Sakurai not ever being in her life, even if the show’ll inevitably come down on the side of Please Get Along With Yuuto’s Existence. I respect the lead-in with things feeling objectively better, though. Fun twist on an altered reality.

Well, for you to have this thought of Ryotaro having this view of Airi, to have her no longer tortured, do you accept this in his perceptive or not? Because, not that I like this trope, but the keeping the harsh truth from someone is done for that, to make that someone not feel tortured or conflicted?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

THE BAGGAGE CAR

-I like the implication that the other Imagins never brought Den-Parado up to Ryotaro because Kai’s a dick and they hate him. He’s just some pushy jerk in their brains and they’re like No Thanks? That’s an appropriately character-driven reason for why there was this Big Bad that absolutely no one thought to mention before. He sucks! That’s it!

Well, for the very least, there's a good reason of why Ryutaros is so scared of him, although Ryutaros is someone on protagonist side, and the failure is about him not killing Ryotaro. But for the other Imagins, well, the one who killed young Yuuto here is S̶h̶o̶u̶m̶a̶ Kai's underling.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

-Den-Parado, obviously, does not suck. One of my favorite villain moves is when the villain forces a hero to break off a threat to go save some poor soul that the villain just put in jeopardy. He does it to both Ryotaro and Yuuto in this episode, and it’s great. It’s Den-Parado reminding the heroes of how far ahead of them he is, as well as how almost none of this matters to him. It’s Ryotaro saying that every life should be protected, and Den-Parado answering him with a shrug. He’s such a great adversary for Ryotaro.

Being far ahead of the heroes means you don't suck in the threatening part. But that'd mean suck for S̶h̶o̶u̶m̶a̶ Kai's victims (if other Imagins are this), that threatening would mean others are in danger. S̶h̶o̶u̶m̶a̶ Kai may show none-of-this-matters-to-him thing... for now, doesn't mean forever. Remember your words for what you said above for S̶h̶o̶u̶m̶a̶ Kai being seen as a pushy dick to his underlings regarding that.