[DreadBringer]

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

KAMEN RIDER REVICE EPISODE 8 - “HEAVEN AND HELL BEFALL A FAMILY’S BREAK!?”

It’s a plan that, on the one hand, is laughably minor. Kagerou isn’t subtly manipulating the Igarashi family until they’re defenseless against his machinations; he basically waits until they’re all smiling and then punches Ikki in the face. It’s not… like, this isn’t an Evol(t)-esque long game. Evil’s a Rider that is a sneering opportunist more than he’s a hardworking villain, which is fun to think about more than it’s fun to watch in action. Despite enjoying what came out of Kagerou’s strategy (it’s always really funny when a non-Henshined Rider decks another non-Henshined Rider, the actors just go for it), it’s hard to say the plot of this episode is leaps and bounds better than the laughably thin Stamp Stories of the last few episodes. We’re still in a one-off story realm of not really having the space for multiple twists, so it’s really just half of the episode waiting for Evil to act, and then the other half where he’s acted. Not exactly gonna need a flowchart to follow this plot, no.

Kagerou's in-universe reveal is more devastating on the emotional side rather than the physical damage (like Genta only got plunged into the pool), with the Igarashis learning, which is what to be expected when Kagerou drags out the reveal so that it happens in the family's happiest times. Shown in Ikki, who may have Revice, but the emotional injury from Daiji's supposed betrayal in his eyes, made him all harder to fight back against him. Though even if Kagerou had petty sadistic qualms on Ikki, there are even some parts of him that is slightly better than Vice, ironically, that he didn't blindly attack the other Igarashis and is not a cannibal. But he quite resolves the conflict, pretty quickly, of him having no problem admitting that he's Daiji's demon instead of Daiji himself, even if not telling Ikki would cause a pretty impactful divide between the Igarashis. Good work for a villain, not making it any harder for the family than it already is . So Daiji-Kagerou struggle so far is made of who possesses the body, like something such as Mutsuki with Spider Undead, Emu with M (when he possessed him), o̶r̶ ̶Y̶u̶-̶G̶i̶-̶O̶h̶'̶s̶ ̶Y̶a̶m̶i̶ ̶s̶i̶d̶e̶s̶. I guess I'm looking forward on the different kind of human's struggle with their demons they can give, with Ikki and Daiji's being different.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

But it all works, thanks to keeping the focus on the absolute best thing this show has to offer: the Igarashi family unit. I love that this episode let the first half sprawl some with the family; all these little scenes of them enjoying each other’s company, or goofing on one another, or feeling like an actual family. My appreciation of a Revice episode tends to coincide with how much of Mom and Dad Igarashi we get, so multiple scenes of them being excitable, flirty weirdos was enough to win me over. (I genuinely love how much it seems like the two of them have an active romantic life? They are both still young enough that, despite three grown-ish kids, I 100% believe they still bone on the regular.) The only way the Kagerou stuff in the back half works is if the thing he’s destroying has value to the viewer, and the show was right to center things less on Ikki’s happiness (a thing Ikki says that he doesn’t actively pursue, which is a nicely bittersweet character detail) and more on the entire family’s bond. Thanks to some deft acting and general warmth, there’s a real loss when Kagerou tears it all down.

An episode about finally another family reunion, for celebrating Yukimi's release from the hospital. So this series didn't only take the injuries for a civilian seriously, but didn't handwave her recovery too, with her release being a major plot point as this episode shows. I do like that there's something that is set up about the family members here outside of the most significant one in Ikki as the main character or Daiji with Kagerou.

Genta being set up as Ikki's counterpart here by Yukimi with both having similarity in them not taking care of themselves much, where it's actually the reason of her falling for him... hope this'd be one of Genta's secret according to his actor probably elevating him just like said Ikki, he did take a bold action here of trying to hold Evil in place, though of course a normal human would hold no candle to a Rider, being dropped into the pool... almost if he takes turn of being another Igarashi who gets hospitalized after Yukimi for 8 episodes. Another moral lesson from Yukimi (kinda good that they'd still involve her as much as they can even when hospitalized before, though words can be applicable whenever you're injured or not), where though Ikki already starts small with making a family happy first before going on others (and uses that to guide others as well) and obeys her guidance to walk the path of Kamen Rider, Ikki should start even smaller, making himself happy first. Hero complex is a flaw and it places unfair burden on yourself, where it can sacrifices their own happiness for the sake of others around, an important thing to note is that making people happy means it includes themselves, thus they have to adjust her approach so that they as well as others around can be happy..

Yeah Sakura's exclusive meanness towards the family members doesn't mean that she'd want her family members to suffer or die, including her father. Though still doesn't mean her attitude is ok just because they have 'hidden caring part' for them particularly parents. The parents too need to learn for how males and females can interact without building love, in her with "Tamaki", as she'd befriend the other males at her dojo too y'know... She did her own bold action as well in taking Aguilera head on for her family's sake, but as much as she's great in karate, she's still a normal human, which'd have Aguilera hand her ass, probably showing that she's superhuman in her 'human' self. Just like Baruba against the 'super cop' Ichijou before. I kinda expected Aguilera to step on Sakura after beating her, but she herself claims she'd 'play' with her later.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Good work from the non-Igarashi cast as well, which is a nice bonus. All of the Giffamilia stuff, where they’re barely incognito at the resort, was cute. It’s not, like, villainous, which is an interesting choice. It’s cartoony, and I liked it well enough. Vice’s role as the only one who saw what they were up to got a couple legit laughs out of me, which is maybe the best Vice has worked for me thus far. I liked the episode using him as the frustrated and ignored voice of reason, because it totally makes sense that a) he’d catch on that Deadmans are around, and b) Ikki is so sick of Vice’s constant interruptions and nonsense that he’d completely ignore the devil. All that, and we even get Hiromi and George around the edges, being alternately stern executors of military responsibility, and someone to explain the new DX toy to the audience. Everyone has an important role in the story!

Now Ikki had to cope that despite constantly ignoring Vice, Vice is the right one this time of the family moment in the Minakami Onsen being suspicious, that Daiji's actually Evil and planned to ruin their moment. Though it's not only that, other than the Deadmans disguising as the employees with the staff working together with them, there are other potentially suspicious one, in one of Shiawase-Yu's regulars Ushijima family, who apparently planted a wiretrap on the desk where the siblings are discussing about the surprise for the family. The Igarashi family's deal to keep their land is to open up a freelance consultation service with the son's connection to Fenix, as I realized (the reason they take cases from Yukari or such), and Fenix offering the family their protection in return... even including George and Hiromi joining them in the Minakami Onsen as well.

George is back at his 'tamest' so far, like the ep. 1, acting as Revice's tips and tricks as well as fanboying over past Rider forms in Kong ViStamp, and tolerating Vice more, sort of giving him a guidance that he has to protect Ikki to keep himself from dying, which he does, but unfortunately his supernatural traits just phased through Evil, which is kinda funny too... now I wonder how he can actually eat people if him taking action leads into results like that. Personally, I think Hiromi here, despite becoming a Rider, is now a bit suspicious in jumping into conclusions too quickly that Daiji is evil... though Hiromi is already an impulsive person. This is also a result of George's manipulation on him though, albeit thanks to Kagerou himself (lmao), probably Ikki can clear things up to him as well.

The Deadmans reveal their disguise in front of the family far quicker than I expect, but anyway both Ikki and Daiji have come across the Deadman trio before. I wonder why both of them didn't have a deja vu when "Tamaki" greets them, like thinking that he resembles Julio or such (or Vice claiming that he is Julio). It's understandable for Aguilera as she had shorter hair. I think the episode cements that the Deadmans are falling apart; Olteca being the serious and orderly one, the most 'obedient' among the 3 with him reminding others about Kagerou's deal. Aguilera who is the egostical type who hates being ordered (really, this part of scene really feels familiar after recently completing Decade with the "I hate taking orders" bit) which is obvious that she's the 'boss' type instead of 'leader', being a control freak that wants everything to go her way, gotta find someone who actually takes on 'leader' role to contrast Aguilera's bossing around. Though Julio just fanboys at the other's schemes respectively, either Kagerou's (who takes his part in strangling Aguilera) or Aguilera's.

For Aguilera's henchmen fight against Demons... Demons got a new form Batta Genomix... and again... it's a Rider being given high-jump legs just like various phase 2 Heisei main Riders... and there's actually 2 of them in this series, both Revi Rex and Demons Batta. The finisher Batta Demons Requiem is one of the finishers with smallest amount of energy ehnancement... other than him going Mach in his kick. A bit of Spiderman vs Batman vibe before when Demons fought Evil, with Evil using bat sonars to repel him. For Evil fighting Ikki, Revice had new form in form of Kong with Fourze motif... and it specialized in tanky defense to caught up with Evil's super speed in his new form, also based on previous Riders like Revice, in Jackal with Genm motif... I guess Revice's Jackal using skateboard is a reference to Genm's biking too. Ironically, Evil displays super speed much better than Cheetah Deadman before, despite Jackal being said as 2nd fastest animal instead. The Kong's finisher ... launching their arms at the target. I'd like if that is used as their regular ability instead of a finisher, giving them ranged attack option. The AoE attack before was quite dope though. Kong can fight evenly.. but Evil is still not upstaged.