[DreadBringer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

KAMEN RIDER REVICE EPISODE 28 - “CONQUERING FEAR AT LIGHTNING SPEED! BELIEVE IN YOURSELF AS ONE MIND, ONE BODY!”

Setting the bulk of the episode inside Ikki’s head was the best choice. There’s a moodiness that helps ground the stakes of the episode: Giff and the Deadmans and Vail, they're all encroaching on safe spaces, warping comforting bonds. The Deadmans bathing at Happy Spa, or Veil wearing Genta’s face at the Giffamilia’s nightclub-church-spaceship – it’s all things Ikki cares about, inverted into anxiety and tension. He’s trying to salvage his identity, and everything around him is telling him that he’s living a lie. He wants to be a good son, and a monster wearing his father’s face is tempting him to give up. He wants to protect his home, but it’s already infested with monsters. He’s beset on all sides by temptation and failure.

Other than Vail and Olteca's demise, the other antagonists here are still given setups.

• Aguilera trying to reach out to Giff as he more and more acts on his own, only to get (funnily) slapped by him after it seems that Giff is caressing her face which likely shattered Aguilera's delusion of Giff being her love (this is the only scenario that can advance Aguilera's character, Sakura trying to get her away from Giff won't do anything).
• Tamaki continuing his loyalty to Aguilera (finally his portrayal isn't being a comic relief punching bag here).
• Akaishi still not acting much and only praising Daiji (as well as a setup for Daiji curing Fenix from its corruption).
• Giff getting resurrected.

However, I lost faith of how Revice would handle them (partially the reason Olteca may better stay), given their current track record of them like Kagerou before, and including Ikki fighting himself in this episode if Vice can qualify here (more on that below). Vail was the twist that is done really well before, and actually had him being more fleshed out with good build up using Hiromi and is well-written regarding his conflict with the Igarashis, compared to the others, and so far I only saw Vail as the real potential of being a compelling antagonist (and there's also a setup for Genta, him recovering all of his memories with Buu-san helping him as well as temporarily leaving his family).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

But it doesn’t work. Not even for a second.

It doesn’t work because Ikki being under attack is the least viable way of defeating Ikki psychologically. Ikki doesn’t care about his own well-being or happiness, he only cares about other people. Specifically, he’s fighting this battle in his head because that’s where Vice is, and Vice needs to be rescued.

It’s a really beautiful next step on this journey Ikki and Vice are on – from bickering teammates, to grudging partners, to brothers, to each other’s guardians. It’s a role we’ve not really seen Ikki in before with Vice, which is what made the episode so special. We’ve gotten a whole bunch of stories about Ikki realizing that Vice cares for him, and some backstory that establishes how far back their union started, but this is maybe the first episode where Ikki lays it all on the line to save Vice from servitude to Giff. It’s an acknowledgement that Ikki owes Vice, in a real and tangible way, and it’s time for Ikki to fight for his friend.

I liked it a lot, that whole sequence. It makes this story about self-acceptance so clear and direct; Ikki looking at this weird part of himself and fighting for it to exist, when the world would either corrupt it or revile it. It’s so vulnerable and corny, with the scenes from previous episodes layered over the tearful vow from Ikki to Vice. To go from that to the rousing debut of maybe my favorite suit yet? I couldn’t ask for a better conclusion to this arc.

Ikki's fight with himself involves him waking up in a surreal version of Happy Spa, with his family members acting weird, the more serious Daiji and Sakura instead childishly playing with a plane and stuffing her face with huge foods (in both size and quantity) respectively, and Giftarians taking a bath in the onsen and seductively inviting him to join. That might be some comedy material, but it's left insignificant in the long run, as the next 2 confrontations didn't touch any of the weirdness in the Happy Spa in his head; the first confrontation being Vail facing off Ikki (unless Vail made that version of Happy Spa in Ikki's head to psyche out Ikki).

Like I said above, as a yandere for Genta, Vail's threat to Ikki is done well and is more than just both fighting it out, as he knows there are more of someone he can target with, Vail tried to mind rape Ikki to crush his hopes that his family can be normal and happy, due to how all of them are devils too (of which it's used against Olteca instead), and tried to convince him to leave the family instead.

Of course, this won't work as he.. Vailed to notice what does Ikki actually want, he had made himself suffer constantly before (y'know, like ep. 2 to let himself die when Vice won't comply for instant), thus his persuasion doesn't work albeit Vail is still confident of his power to dispose the Igarashis, which kinda reminds me of Gaim too in Redyue (who also uses illusions for that) trying and failing to convince Kouta to give up saving people due to how he's going to be hated, but not being hated isn't really what Kouta aims thus it failed.

The second one being Ikki fighting Vice within himself, of which Vice gains Ikki's head too. Outside of Vice looking more silly as Ikki like a cheap cosplay, the quality of the writing here isn't better either. There's Vice beating Ikki up physically, but then it's merely about Ikki remembering the time he and Vice spent, and declaring to be Vice's protector, then then fighting back by slashing Vice. And... that's it. It's significantly more flat of a conflict as well as the resolution, compared to the previous Ikki and Vice interactions. What are Vice's thoughts and feelings there? What's in his mind as he beats Ikki up there despite that they're buddies since ep. 13? Even what's the explanation between Vice now having Ikki's head, despite that Vice is recognized as another Ikki even before literally having same head?

And as no way Vice was killed after Ikki slashed him (but it's the moment that had Ikki back as Revice), also what causes Vice to stop his beating of Ikki there and make up with him for the eponymous Revice's debut? I guess this is a prime example (at least to me) of how a tokusatsu won't be complete with the suits or fighting alone, the mere surface, but the characters and stories matter more instead of people fighting in silly colorful costumes, of which the Ikki and Vice conflict here is about the fighting only mostly (and not that much of it too), albeit the character part is highlighted one-sidedly in Ikki, but still won't be enough with his monologue alone.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Thunder Gale! So pretty, that suit. I like the way the pastels completely overtake the black and gray of Jack Revice, the new tomorrow of Revice creating a palette that Revi or Vice couldn’t access, even in tandem. They’re no longer teammates, or partners, or even family. They’re one hero, the end.

The show is called Kamen Rider Revice, but the eponymous Rider has never appeared... until now, takes 28 episodes to do so (albeit the super form is called Revice but with an added 'Jack'). And this is the end of the 2nd arc, but so does Olteca (with Seki Hayata getting flowers) who turned out to only acted as a villain of 1 arc. After all, it's not even final form debut yet, Revice is an upgraded super form. so it'd be similar to Build RabbitRabbit & TankTank for Build equivalent (and Jack Revice kinda looked like Build Hazard, with also berserk side effects). But by that Revice's design looks worse I agree, with too flashy and contrasting color scheme. Though I'd say Revice's performance is more impressive than Olteca's to other Riders, I'd also think the thunder gale theme is also quite random, and unrelated to what's already established before, with Revice having prehistoric motif and previous Riders (and George's still the one to give the Thunder Gale ViStamp..). Volcano Rex does have elemental power in fire and ice, but it's prehistoric related in ice age and as per its namesake, volcanoes being a frequent presence in dinosaur-related themes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

And they aren’t even the only new hero for this episode! George decides to Henshin and make the wiki entry for Kamen Rider Demons even more complicated, soon to rival Kamen Rider Faiz for lengthy lists of onscreen identities. It’s fine, in as much as it was inevitable. You can’t be a fit young man on one of these shows and not eventually, uh, shout DADDY and then turn into a superhero. It’s not out of place in this episode of people drawing a line in the sand and dedicating themselves to a fight (or not, in the case of Aguilera), but it’s not really where the weight of this episode is directed.

This episode features the 3rd user of Demons, which is George. Character-wise here, though I stopped making good assumptions about George since his mostly callous disposal of Hiromi and working with Akaishi even at his 'helpful' moments later (reverting Ikki back after Jack Revice's debut, and the characters like Vice also distrusted him), I guess for this one, George and his concern to the Igarashis (other than refering Sakura as karate girl) is really about him genuinely becoming more good, albeit it's not about him never being bad before, instead it's him developing to be a better person (at least to the Igarashis), likely he did after learning about Igarashi's backstory, or about his conflict with his father (surpassing him and not immediately forgiving him) being about him not being pleased to his father's actions instead of him seeing his father as an obstacle in his goals. It's also good for Masumi's wish for George to not become like him. Other than that, it shows Sakura being fully aligned with Weekend, and offering support to even Masumi or hoping for the Karizakis to make up for the sake of beating Giff.

He had some resemblance to Kuroto before in praising himself or being petty (either conflict to Vice or reaction to outside ViStamp presence), but regarding his father, it's not like Kuroto at all, who framed Masamune for his own benefit. He even learns from Hiromi too, whose Kamen Rider ideals he previously mocked despite being a KR fanboy, to believe more and take action, as being a bystander who just talks big, especially for someone as capable as George (not an average joe who only can be a bystander) would be a waste, more than mocking Hiromi's tenacity to keep fighting as futile. It's likely time for him to finally grasp the true spirit of Kamen Rider franchise, instead of being a superficial KR fanboy; only liking the violence, suit design, and powers, but his actions before being the opposite of KR spirit, manipulating others for his own goal as well as pursuing power without considering morality.

While his alignment may change for good here, he was never an average scientist like he claims, with how he works out and holding his own to Olteca, and it's used to a great effect here, with him using Demons spectacularly, using tricks like webbing Jack Revice around (being the one to resemble Spider-Man the most in fighting), as well as cause physical damage to Olteca (before he regenerates), only being stopped by his Driver's limit.

George may've been impressive against Olteca, but don't know if it's actually Olteca's Phase 4 form (or hell, Giff) being less impressive than what's expected too. It's definitely stronger than Demons with triple Genomix though, as how it beats Holy Live who beats said Demons before. While Olteca does have Giff's regeneration as well as him boasting about it, it may also seem that Olteca had mediocre durability to have attacks from any others including Jeanne cause damage (also parts falling off from Holy Live) to show off the regeneration. Though to be honest, I don't think that Olteca's debut as Demons before had really impressive showings either albeit his Demons is clearly stronger, unless they purposely wanted to make Olteca not much above the heroes with them still being able to push around and fight him off for a bit. Either of Olteca's debut as the bigger fish (Demons, Anomalocaris) wasn't as impressive as the likes of Ark's debut or something.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

It’s a story about Ikki and Vice removing the barriers between them and uniting to defeat Olteca and Giff, which they… mostly do? Olteca’s devoured by Giff, which is the best counterpoint to Ikki and Vice’s triumph of unity as I can think of, at which point Giff bursts from his cocoon and launches into orbit, never to be seen until a few episodes from now probably once Hiromi comes back and Aguilera becomes a Kamen Rider. Wild guess! For now, the point is to give Revice a clean, decisive win, and lay out the storylines for the show to address outside the pressure of All The Demons Are Going Crazy.

There's surprisingly a parallel made up between Ikki and Olteca here (albeit it's obvious that Ikki had the most hatred to Olteca before for good reason, burning himself while using Volcano Rex for example, and declaring him as unforgivable with the lines he crossed), with Olteca's fighting scene against George and Igarashis transitioning into Ikki's confrontation with Vice, as well as Olteca trying to pull out not so different remark on Revice and even... the flashbacks of Olteca being together with other Deadman trio in his demise. Though the latter 2 did nothing to make Olteca look better as Ikki and Vice aren't devils (.. but Revice) and thus isn't the same as piece of shit like Olteca merging with Giff, this quite throws the usual Kamen Rider sthick of hero and villain having similar source/type of power, but it shows it doesn't matter what type of power they use, what matters is the morality of the person and how the power is used, power merely enhances the impact of what they do, if they're evil they can cause worldwide damage, if they're good they can save people from big threats. And for the Deadman trio flashbacks, of course it's Olteca calmly stating that his world domination goal failed, seeing his former allies as something to further that goal.

Otherwise, so my theory previously about Olteca's end being near, like someone such as Sid in Gaim, is actually true. He's only a main antagonist wannabe overall. Just that previous irredeemable villains that are wannabes too like Asakura (who also held a kid at gunpoint) or Kitazaki got their demise at the end of the series instead of middle, which leaves me thinking if Olteca's death happened too fast, if there are still more things they can explore regarding him, like his ambiguous nature if he's human or not (in how Vail smells him, or if Vail refers to his sociopathic nature), or also the Deadman trio's feelings (not mourning, mind you) of what their former ally has become/crossed especially Aguilera's decision to team up with him again (or that's saved for next ones).

Granted though, Olteca's threat has diminished lately with his threat depending on what Vail does (leaving or returning), and then Demons with triple Genomixes being overwhelmed by Holy Live, and despite being the first to reach Phase 4 in Anomalocaris Deadman, at the end of the day, he's only a mere human after he's separated from Giff, so it's plausible to assume he's dying soon. Other than that it's great though that they don't redeem Olteca, keeping him being the worst that he is until his death, and his death too was a karmic one, he spent his time sacrificing a bunch of people for his own benefits, then he ended up becoming the final sacrifice for Giff, w̶h̶i̶c̶h̶'̶d̶ ̶r̶e̶m̶i̶n̶d̶ ̶m̶e̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶S̶c̶i̶s̶s̶o̶r̶s̶ ̶i̶n̶s̶t̶e̶a̶d̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶O̶u̶j̶a̶,̶ ̶i̶f̶ ̶t̶a̶l̶k̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶R̶y̶u̶k̶i̶.