[DreadBringer]

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

KAMEN RIDER REVICE EPISODE 32 - “LOSING THE PLACE YOU BELONG, THE QUEEN’S PRIDE”

So, hey, here’s Aguilera, desperately trying to live the life that she had before, even though it maybe was never worth living in the first place, but it’s all she’s ever known. She wants a final glorious battle with Sakura, because that would make everything in her life feel directed, warranted. The Queen Bee who’s defeated by a Kamen Rider is a fittingly tragic end for a regal monarch of evil; the girl who’s cast out from power and left to eke out a meager existence bereft of purpose or station is a humiliating finale.

The show finally addresses on what the Igarashi family wants to do with Aguilera, as previously both Ikki and Sakura wanting to turn Aguilera back into human, but what Aguilera wants previously was to resurrect Giff, and as it's not what she's hoped for, she still had a not noble but different goal this time, to keep her pride as a former evil queen going by probably having herself go out as a powerful threat. Ikki's problem previously was about forcing what he thinks is good upon others, his busybodiness, of which he now asked Sakura if she's certain about turning Aguilera back into human, of which would not make her a threat anymore (if her evil queen pride is about being that).

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

It’s not a story that completely comes together here, though. Much like the last two-parter, Aguilera’s motivations and goals are kept irritatingly opaque, with only the arguably-accurate Tamaki to sketch in why Aguilera keeps randomly picking fights with a sympathetic Sakura. The idea that Aguilera is clinging to her tattered reputation makes sense, but there’s a specific outcome she’s after that is left just out of reach for the viewer. I mean, it’s a two-parter, we’ll get there, but it makes some of the fighting a little less impactful, emotionally.

Sakura also received some progression in how she had to come to terms with her hesitation, and weakness again, as it's something that power-ups Lovekov's influence on her and thus weakens her and eventually damaged her belt. I guess it makes more sense about how she can't henshin earlier, Lovekov's influence was preventing herself to henshin at the beginning, while here as Jeanne already she got forced out of it. But at the end she decides to act on her own and cleared her doubts that she'd do what Aguilera actually wants instead of forcing what she thinks to be right and 'sensible' for Aguilera by living as normal human.

And in this case. she's the one who insisted Ikki to turn Aguilera back as well, but she changed her mind later. The Weekend didn't do direct action here, but probably they also helped in making Sakura change her mind with Tasuke asking if human life would be compartible with Aguilera, and Masumi stating about how any choices can have their own regrets, as there’re risks to everything, and consequences for any decision you make.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Sakura’s side of things is given a little more spotlight, though, and that’s nice and clear. She wants to do right by Aguilera, but she’s imposing her own values and hopes, rather than trying to understand Aguilera’s specific dilemma. Like, offering Aguilera a gig scrubbing tubs alongside Tamaki?! TERRIBLE. INSULTING. That’s the wrong solution for a girl who was raised to believe she had a destiny, and now has nothing but scorn and pity. Sakura’s refusing to be vulnerable enough to let Aguilera lean on her, and even Lovekov knows that things are headed in the wrong direction.

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Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

Being Tamaki is a thankless job. He's truly devoted to Aguilera, but he always has to compete with Sakura for attention, a battle he cannot win. And when he does manage to get a few seconds with her before Igarashi Invincible shows up, Aguilera treats him like dirt. Why would anybody want to watch Tamaki suffer like this over and over again? It's just depressing!

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Ha ha, it's not great, no. I don't mind it a whole lot, though, honestly. Tamaki was never the most well-rounded character, even when the Giffamilia was a thing. He's devoted to Aguilera to a level that's creepy at points, but heartwarming at other points. He cares about Aguilera like a big sister, when she views him as a subject. The dynamic doesn't make him look cool, but I think it does make sense.

Despite Aguilera leaving Deadmans, she retrains her bratty and haughty attitude, she still regularly gave Tamaki the cold shouder at best, her flashbacks of her time as a child being utilized to avoid his hug, and abuses him physically at worst. By this I never view Aguilera as 100% or close to it for "treating Tamaki well", she regularly abuses him just that at the end she would ensure he's not killed. IIRC there was a praise of how she cares for Tamaki (especially for ep. 23), and really I'm against it that it's ok for them to abuse someone as long as they don't end up dead (especially if you directly preserve them), again for schadenfreude comedy that usually happens between male and female in media ("she's just a tsundere to him!"). Regarding her backstory, so far here her backstory doesn't seem to be a tragic one, she had happy time as a child of the Deadman, though obviously being raised by them would give her warped worldview. The preview can leave her childhood, which seems to be the basis of her character not touched upon much, and it means another poorly handled thing of second-half Revice IMO ._.

Also I guess this confirms that Tamaki is fully redeemed now (at least for me who doubts it before with him having no power), as he now admits that what he and the other 2 did at Deadman before was unforgivable. And other than Aguilera and Sakura, he now gets along better with the other Igarashis too, in him cooking for dinner and is approved by Yukimi, and Ikki being concened about him when he looks after Aguilera. This part is kinda like Vice, of which though Yukimi chewed him out here, it was not out of her previous grudge but about underestimating the bond between Igarashi Family (of which what Vice would hope for now).

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Akaishi is maybe my least-favorite Kamen Rider villain in recent memory. He’s so corny! He’s cackling maniacally in front of his troops, and everyone’s just like What Can You Do, back to work. It makes Akemi, George, and Daiji all look like helpless chumps (George acts like he’s nailed to his chair for this episode), and I’m not clear on why this dude gets to treat Fenix like his own personal Deadmans. It’s a very weird choice, writing and performing Akaishi in this way, and I’m not a fan.

For you, Akaishi resembles Apollo Geist, so then it probably speaks for itself. For another part that seems to be in the center stage more Fenix, and here, after spending his time more in the backseat behind others for his dirty work, Akaishi finally directly committed a real evil deed, and it's an actually nasty one and kinda gives some interest to look for within Akaishi, he brutalizes Akemi, who investigates his schemes, directly along with revealing the Giff eye in his arm, and then sends Giftarians after her, with her fate currently unknown.

I guess this gave Akemi some comparison with Chigusa too, both are ladies who are a part of Fenix and watched its true nature via Akaishi talking about his schemes and are offed earlier than their significance would suggest, but Chigusa went rogue and ironically becomes someone no better than Fenix was by joining Olteca, while Akemi keeps her conscience and acted by investigating Fenix instead. I was at first a bit annoyed with Daiji's 'chivalrious' move towards Akemi before, but it seems that he's right this time.