[DreadBringer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Hard to think that would be the reasoning if they wouldn't even remove Hana from the opening, let alone add in Kai or any of the potential darker/menacing villains. Also, I mean... I don't think Kai's energy really screams More Aggressive Theme Music? He's a snarky coworker, not, like, Gaoh.

Well you got a point there for keeping the opening the same like Hana. Though as you said before Kai's upbeat energy makes him more menacing that way right? Kai is overall just creepy as hell.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

KAMEN RIDER DEN-O EPISODE 41 - “CANDY SCANDAL”

I mean, it’s incredibly charming. The overall story is about how to protect your friends emotionally and physically, and that’s a fun storyline for a show so drenched in hilarious relationships. Mixing Ryotaro’s Den-O training with Deneb’s attempts to build a world of People Who Get Along With Yuuto, that makes for a well-choreographed and dynamic episode.

Spinning it all off of the devastating Zero From two-parter is a smart move, leavening the apocalyptic trauma of the last story with quirky stagings and ridiculous exposition. (The entire Here’s What Zero Form Is Doing scene, along with a broad restatement of Ryotaro’s commitment to reuniting Sakurai and Airi, takes place as Yuuto and Ryotaro are enjoying the entirety of a theme park.) There’s a whimsy to this story that kicks off with that slapstick street robbery of the intro and never lets up. I can’t think of a single scene that isn’t shot through with charm and energy.

The robbery feels like a revisit of the episode 15 and 16 about Ryotaro being the one robbed. Especially as in that 2 parter Airi was the central part of it defusing the situation in everyone, but here, Airi is the victim of the slapstick robbery. The 2 parter was likely a show of her saintly qualities, and I won't doubt that here but I also wonder how would she react to that thief when he's in distress (no, not about him being stopped by Yuuto where it should be done, but him in desperate situation) like at ep. 15-16, that this time it was her who was the target, not her little brother. But the street robbery slapstick caused harm to the other bystanders there, I sincerely hope that Ryotaro or Airi would help those harmed bystanders around them. I know this is about Sakurai talk between Yuuto and Ryotaro, but talking about someone else they know well is a common thing to happen and it's not merely an exposition right? I feel that the Sakurai talk is needed too regarding Ryotaro's views of him of well, probably you're right after all, that Ryotaro also disagrees with Sakurai's methods.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

The main thing, though… this is a Deneb story?

Well, lol'ed again about how Deneb is "insolent" in Yuuto's view that he again possesses Yuuto without his consent that it'll give people a false perception of Yuuto that they think he's that kind guy who gives them candies, and by that he'll just be dumbfounded of all the people's approach to him, and seeing him being set off to Deneb's antics lmao. This in some way feels like Urataros possessing Ryotaro that he gets the sudden fame with girls, that in Yuumi's episode before, Ryotaro got it full with the newfound situation with girls due to Urataros. But with Yuuto's memory problem, this act cleverly has more depth yeah which this is about Deneb trying to give Yuuto a lasting impression on people in an important agenda to keep Yuuto alive.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

The second amazing idea is to have the IOTW plot be that some random girl got a crush on Deneb.

-Only one brief Kai scene, but he still manages to express ennui while somersaulting off a landing onto some boxes. This guy!

I know I know, Deneb is the best boyfriend material (and I'm glad of you acknowleding the beacon of kindness and generosity as the winner in that material, a̶s̶ ̶y̶'̶k̶n̶o̶w̶,̶ ̶g̶i̶r̶l̶s̶ ̶c̶a̶n̶ ̶b̶e̶ ̶i̶n̶t̶o̶ ̶b̶a̶d̶ ̶b̶o̶y̶s̶ ̶i̶n̶s̶t̶e̶a̶d̶), and you also acknowledge the limitless emotional support that Deneb has too? Well, for people being sucker to melodrama and revels in conflict, by that to entertain them, writers give therapists the short supply in many stories, due to the assumption that True Art Is Angsty, and to perpetuate the conflict for the audience. However, while it's understandable that Shouko would fall in love with Deneb by a short time, I feel uneasy on this part of her story instead that there can be people who puts a charming facade and fool her into manipulating her into doing something advantageous to him...

Now now... I feel that you have, lack of understanding about girls here, go learn to Urataros! How is it baffling for Shouko being thrilled with haircuts or new outfits?! That's commonly a girl's thing, or for what memes make out, for someone when they're starting a new day in school or college by maximizing their appearence (while the meme was after they stay long time there they no longer give a fuck about appearences). Jokes aside, I know that you've shown disapproval for high energy traits like the Airimirers, but as the appreciation of Shouko (or Deneb) here is based on her high-energy portrayal (like other parts of this episode like you said), this has been said before, but hope there won't be speaking ill of those not having loud, outspoken, or excitable demeanor (I also feel that Kai's main advantage for you to other villains is about his behavior being like this), deeming those kind of people as "lifeless" or such, treating the difference as disease and viewing them as lower scums in society. Talking about this as this is how majoirty of people view things and this is misguided and unfair. I̶ ̶k̶n̶o̶w̶ ̶D̶e̶n̶e̶b̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶S̶h̶o̶u̶k̶o̶ ̶l̶i̶k̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶b̶o̶w̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶h̶e̶r̶e̶ ̶f̶i̶t̶s̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶w̶e̶i̶r̶d̶n̶e̶s̶s̶ ̶c̶a̶t̶e̶g̶o̶r̶y̶,̶ ̶b̶u̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶d̶e̶s̶c̶r̶i̶p̶t̶i̶o̶n̶ ̶w̶o̶u̶l̶d̶ ̶o̶b̶v̶i̶o̶u̶s̶l̶y̶,̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶m̶o̶r̶e̶ ̶r̶e̶s̶e̶r̶v̶e̶d̶ ̶o̶n̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶r̶e̶ ̶I̶ ̶t̶a̶l̶k̶ ̶a̶b̶o̶u̶t̶ ̶a̶l̶s̶o̶ ̶r̶e̶c̶e̶i̶v̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶t̶e̶r̶m̶ ̶"̶w̶e̶i̶r̶d̶"̶ ̶b̶u̶t̶ ̶a̶s̶ ̶d̶e̶r̶o̶g̶a̶t̶o̶r̶y̶ ̶t̶e̶r̶m̶.̶

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

-Not a ton for Ryotaro to do in this episode, besides interrogate Yuuto enough to dot i’s and cross t’s from the last story. (To recap: Yuuto’s Zero Form burns up other people’s memories of Yuuto in the present, as opposed to memories of Sakurai in the past. If I’m getting that right? It sounds like any memories Yuuto makes with people are now up for grabs.) Still, the training bit with the other Imagin is brilliantly choreographed, and I for sure cheered when Ryotaro caught Momo’s sword strike in his hands. Typical for this episode, it was an inventively shot way to roll out a bunch of exposition regarding Sakurai.

Well yeah as it'll come up more significant for this Shouko thing, regarding burning up other people's memories of Yuuto. Ryotaro catches that sword strike in his hands, but, it's not a wise thing to do in combat (albeit not for Riders' much higher durability to normal humans). If you have the reflexes to block a blade, you also have the reflexes to dodge it. Do the latter and avoid losing a good chunk of your hand. The technique of catching a sword is known in Japan as Shinken Shirahadori, as a part of Martial Arts training. But the real life technique does not actually involve blocking the sword with a bare hand, but preventing the opponent from drawing their sword.