[Kamen Rider Die]

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Originally Posted by cosmicrescend0

With the end of Episode 16, we've offically finished Zi-O's first major arc! I overall remember not having much enjoyment of this beginning part on my first watch, it being a bit too weak and even sloppy in places. Now.....I wouldn't say that I suddenly see this first arc as this hidden gem, the issues I saw during my inital watch are still pretty much there. But like, I feel I have a much better grip on Sougo(something that really hindered my first watch), and much better apperication for these early episodes and what they were trying to do, yknow? This episode just really works as both a solid conclusion to the events so far, and a new beginning for the story to start off of.

It's definitely better than the sum of its parts. I liked a bunch of stuff in the first 16 episodes, but very little of it was related to Sougo's desire to be a Good Despot. So it's VERY WEIRD to reach the end of Episode 16 and feel like that character growth is the most memorable aspect.

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Originally Posted by DreadBringer

But other than that, is it not a delay in storytelling but just a character flaw that had to be worked on?

For me, the problem wasn't that he had a sort of obnoxious flaw, but that the show wasn't doing a lot to explain WHY he had that flaw, and it wasn't letting other characters really interrogate the logical errors in Sougo's claims. Taking Sougo to the Misery Fields of 2068 is something the Time Orphans could've done at literally any point in the show, but they can't, because that would resolve the plot too early. So we get a bunch of people acting like I Want To Be A Good Despot is both wacky nonsense, and an unbeatable argument.

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Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

Oma Zi-O has a ridiculous amount of faith in his younger self, to the point where even being temporarily erased from existence is merely a small inconvenience. But maybe there's a desire for his younger self to surpass him as well, which might be the case now that Geiz is having such a constructive impact on Sougo's mental welfare whenever he's not trying to murder him.

I am super into the idea that the menacing, genocidal warlord from the future is also a huge Sougo fan; some weird decades-removed helicopter dad for himself.

I kind of wish Oma Zi-O was the one doing all of the IWAE stuff in the series. Someone make that video!