[DreadBringer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

KAMEN RIDER REVICE EPISODE 37 - “INEVITABLE CLASH! THE DO-OR-DIE DEMON RECAPTURE MISSION!”

We finally slow the story down a bit, with a few deeply-needed dialogue scenes to nestle in alongside the now fairly standard wall-to-wall fight scenes. (This show really loves its action, way more than it likes providing context or nuance to that action. Sort of a big problem for the series!) Specifically, we get to spend a couple scenes delving into Daiji’s humiliated and hollow embrace of Akaishi and Giff. After a few episodes where Daiji’s seemingly-absurd dedication to being a Henchman With A Heart Of Gold to the show’s big bads was gaining clarity, it’s only here where it finally snaps into focus.

It's already teased, but Akemi too, actually a teased major character that is killed earlier. She was presumed dead when she broke into the ViStamp room, of which she was actually captured, but actually that didn't extend her for long. I guess she's killed so the Igarashi siblings can't get their hands on the Giff power she has? And as known here Akaishi also made a scheme to put a rift between Daiji and his family, particularly Ikki, by showing a footage of Revice fighting (soon) Dead-man Akemi. Though as said by others, it's also a severe miscommunication that Ikki and Sakura didn't properly tell about their plan, and that actually does grate on me, I kept yelling inside to explain clearly to Daiji before it's too late or before the conflict escalated. I wonder if Daiji here has some parallel with Sakura, while Daiji now supports extremist methods (Akaishi's) more, Sakura also supports extremist methods (Bon's, Seiko's) before she became Jeanne. Sakura loses that outlook (pointing out that Giff takes away freedom) while Daiji gains that outlook. Now Daiji's the one that gotta be handed this:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

For all the ways Daiji’s changed and grown over the last 30-odd episodes, what this story presupposes is: Maybe he didn’t? The destruction of Kagerou is emblematic of Daiji’s dramatically-rich failings in this storyline; namely, that he’d defeated his own self-loathing, jealousy, fear, resentment, and pessimism. The thing is, as literally every other character has learned over the course of the series, that’s not stuff you defeat, or destroy. It’s stuff you carry around with you forever, and treating it like some invasive organism that’s tricking you into being bad or weak – that’s just self-deception. It’s refusing to take responsibility for your shortcomings, and therefore refusing to examine the triggers that increase their potency. Daiji hasn’t grown by defeating Kagerou; he’s actually avoided the personal growth that everyone else has fought for over the course of the series.

Being the most rigid and logical of the siblings (other than his recent actions to fight off Akaishi), it's kind of expected he'd eventually take the easiest route to preserve the human race, by now siding with Akaishi. Siding with a nutcase like him would mean Daiji is now corrupted to some extent though, sharing some of his extremist views, with the logical part of him is directed into the mistaken belief of cynicism being an indication high intelligence, with how he insists that he knows best answers, and refuses to believe anything differently, forcing others to share their characteristics. And if they don't comply, the usual weapon is ofc mocking opposing worldviews, like it being 'naive', done against Ikki striving to create the best outcome.

From previously one of the cooperative primary and secondary pair, now Daiji and Ikki has standard hostile rivalry that is often done with primary and secondary Riders, he now has bleak worldview he forces to others and looks down on hopeful worldview, which is what many secondary Riders often do too. The family resemblance is also done this late, that Daiji is the one that resembles Junpei, being a pure raging berserker in his Holy Live fight. Daiji does have those self-loathing, jealousy, fear, resentment, and pessimism, but it's only now that he acts upon it, previously he was fine.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Even joining Akaishi in service to Giff… it’s the exact same shit that led him to Fenix! It’s someone giving a structure to his imposter syndrome by telling him how to make the world comprehensible, so long as he fully buys into whatever he's told; it’s rules and morality that exist in their own continuum, where outsiders are simply unaware of the real threats; it’s crucially a thing that lets him feel power and authority over Ikki, because that rivalry never ever ever went away. All of the weird pragmatism Daiji leans on in this story is just the same mixture of righteousness and resentment that colored his character when the show started. Literally nothing’s changed, which is sort of great?

And by above, Micchi now has returned to the franchise. To be specific, I meant Hiromi-cchi. Daiji here is self-righteous, not righteous, don't actually consider this approach as righteousness. I wonder if Hiromi, also previously impulsive and reckless, has changed and would be the one to guide Daiji in his now reckless actions. Other than that, there's another complaint for Daiji here that, mooks shouldn't actually tire a regular Rider, let alone a huge upgrade on that. Peak humans like Sakura (at the very first episode) took them no problem and later Ikki too. But then again, are the Giff Juniors actually drastically buffed now (Phase 1 Deadmans like Kimura's Rafflesia are actually said as stronger, not this one)? Any Riders fighting them seems to be exhausted despite beating each of them without problem, either it Holy Live (if it's the reason he performed worse than Jeanne, depends on how much Hell Gifterian was toying with them), or also Hikaru (still as Over Demons) and Aguilera here. Aguilera got exhausted more than her debut against Vail?