[DreadBringer]

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

KAMEN RIDER REVICE EPISODE 44 - “DEVOTING IT ALL, THE RESULTS OF HIS DETERMINATION”

If there’s a throughline to Daiji’s character, it’s his almost pathological inability to take responsibility for his actions. I could point out specific instances, but, like: we both watched this show. Nearly every Daiji storyline is shifting the blame onto someone else, or refusing to allow for alternate viewpoints, or doubling down on misguided choices until he’s pointing a revolver in his brother’s face. He’s a guy that can’t see why everyone is screaming at him to stop being such a screaming lunatic about things. He’s… he’s this, for virtually the entire second half of the series:

Other than self-righteousness, Daiji here is also about someone who felt that he had come too far, thus he's left with nothing but to continue his self-righteous path. So Genta's words did reach him, but after he's crossed the line like being ready to sic monsters to civilians. This may result in another part of how this conflict can be dragged, but "I've come too far" is a common outcome for someone who had realized what they did is wrong, like feeling they've come too far to deserve redemption, pointless to turn around at that point, or due to realizing that everything they sacrifice was for nothing unless they sacrifice even more to reach their goal which requires to go through with it. In Daiji's case, it's about how he copes with his previous failure, of which the lesson here, other than to forgive yourself before, is about how failures aren't the end of the world. It seems that Daiji, being the most serious, achiever-oriented, and uptight of the Igarashis, has an upbringing that forbids failure, which gotta have Hiromi convince him that failure is ok and you should just try again. It's something that gotta be taught from early on, and me myself also had some of this failure-intolerant feelings too.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

And yet, there’s something sort of charming about Daiji’s fragile ego and almost instinctual self-sabotage. He’s got all of Hiromi’s penchant for screwing up, but without the self-awareness and sheepish warmth that makes Hiromi such a lovable loser. (Hiromi's fan-favorite catchphrase, now retired, is all about how each fight almost killed him!) Daiji’s got a prickly dismissal of anything even approaching a good reason to stop being a weirdo, and his insistence on staying the course – even when the course is The Giant Monster Just Said He Was Definitely Going To Destroy All Of Humanity, That Is What You Are Agreeing To Assist – is one of the most infuriating aspects of this series. I love this show, and I love Daiji, but it’s a fair criticism at this point in the show. Daiji refuses to change.

Daiji almost making a contract with Giff had Ultimate Vice being absorbed through Giff portal, and turns out that Giff's voice/language can be heard in his own dimension. Now this is a proper introduction of who Giff personally is and what he'd want. It seems that Akaishi had some truth about how Giff like how he wanted to keep humans alive and saw the Igarashis as his family, thus Akaishi also refrained from killing humans or especially Igarashis, until his defeat at ep. 41. I wonder if Giff terminated Akaishi's contract due to his decision to kill off the Igarashis to take Daiji for himself. But of course the motive is full on malicious, he wants them as his food source by producing devils. And what changed his mind was how the Igarashis bonded with their devils and the other humans can self-destruct in their devil producing, thus he'd want to kill all humans except Igarashis and repopulate the world with those derived from his blood. Previously there's Tasuke using Nazi salute... and, the real Nazi here is Giff who only wants a world with his bloodline.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

But, yeah, I like that? I like Daiji getting to the deadest of dead ends and being completely bewildered about how to turn around. Like, that’s his one and only flaw, if you want to get back to it: Daiji doesn’t know how to say he screwed up. (And he studied under Hiromi! Hiromi screwed up teaching Daiji to be okay with screwing up! AMAZING. Hiromi!!!) Everything that comes after that initial mistake – killing Kagerou or joining Akaishi, take your pick – is just rationalizations to keep from having to own his mistake. He pushed away his family, when all they wanted him to do was admit he was wrong, because that’s impossible for him. They tried to give him space to figure things out on his own, but that only led to him digging a deeper hole.

Now it's clear the old, complete Daiji is back, and without being blinded by self-righteousness, he'd process the current situation differently, he's tactical like the reliable younger brother Ikki knew, he'd think up ways to deal with problems like Giff, even as Ultimate Revi informs that basic attacks don't work on Giff, of which if it's Kagerou-less Daiji hearing it, it'd further increase his vow to eliminate Ikki as. Shows that resigning into cynical perceptions of reality isn't the level-headed way many think (including Kagerou-less Daiji mocking Ikki), level-headed is finding solutions towards problems. For Kagerou's return, so far he treats it casually, and being really prideful to know that Daiji depends on him. I'd have to see it later if Kagerou's redeemed here but keeps his unpleasant personality, or that Kagerou still needs to be kept in check (but had easier solution now like the curry).

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

So of course it’s a weepy Hiromi speech that turns Daiji towards self-analysis and admission of guilt. Hiromi’s a guy whose whole outlook is that he’ll screw up and try to do better next time, even if he technically hasn’t screwed up yet. He’s the guy that’s going to root for Daiji to acknowledge his error, because Hiromi knows that true strength comes from seeing your flaws, owning them, and using them for good.

Hiromi's back as Demons, and he now fights to survive as well, successfully. He of course still fights to help the Igarashis, in not letting Ikki and Sakura carry all the burden and bringing back Daiji, but as Daiji said long ago, self-preservance is important as you can't save anyone when you're dead. So Hiromi gotta think of surviving, which'd be done if he beat (or in this case, tied) his opponent into submission so that he can u̶s̶e̶ ̶t̶a̶l̶k̶ ̶n̶o̶ ̶j̶u̶t̶s̶u̶ convince them better without being threatened. If it succeed, would be a good outcome for all parties involved. I guess this scene rather worked despite of lack of onscreen interaction between Hiromi and Daiji when they're at Fenix, as the focus is about Daiji's remaining problem of being failure intolerant and Hiromi gave appropriate words as well as having right experience to deal with him.

Though despite the above, the fight between Demons and Holy Live is perhaps more impactful than Over Demons' fight as Hikaru was like an extra muscle for Weekend and the Ushijimas in general are wasted, which'd include the 'rivalry' against Akaishi/Gigademos. But in terms of performance, I would say previous Over Demons fight is leagues better (for those who's still underwhelmed to Over Demons, due to suit or particularly Hikaru hate), it was the time Over Demons finally showed its abilities. Though of course Hiromi didn't have Genomixes for Demons here but the fight with him too is a standard hand to hand beatdown, other than the finisher, albeit with context Hiromi'd make it great that it goes against Holy Live (who beat another Demons - Orteca before in his debut).

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Not a great episode, arc-plot wise (I do not want to talk about Giff this time), but a thrilling conclusion to Daiji’s series-long mental breakdown. I don’t know that I love the idea that Kagerou was waiting for Daiji to hit rock-bottom before giving him a hand up, but it’s a return delivered with so much charm and swagger that I sort of don’t want to be skeptical about it. I just want to appreciate this story of a boy who realized he needed the worst part of himself back, because the best part of himself wasn’t capable of compromise. The strength in Revice characters is all in weakness: Vice’s boisterousness, Lovekov’s cuteness, and Kagerou’s self-loathing. Daiji needs that to even himself out, just as his siblings need their own counterbalance. Kagerou’s disgust offsets Daiji’s conviction, creating a mindset where uncertainty is healthier than self-righteousness. Kagerou lets Daiji see where he’s going wrong, and that’s just as valuable as a new form change. (Which I do like!)

I know that people'd only want to talk which matters to the main plot, but the other stuff is ok to be brought up, of which I also can want to do that. The other fight which is the showdown against Giff, other than Over Demons, I'd say that finally Ultimate Revi and Vice also shows off their capabilities in rather satisfying way here, Giff's ability they inherited here plays an important part, that they can create portals like Giff does (that trapped Ultimate Vice before), and with Evilytylive (what a mouthful name, but the suit looks sick, better than Holy Live), working together (Vice still being attention whore, or being 'possessive', regarding handshake between Ultimate Revi and Evilytylive to celebrate the return of the real brother) to seal Giff, of which ofc it'd not be the end of Giff (dunno why they think so), as Giff can create portals himself, or... Orteca's return, as the reveal of Giff sacrifices being trapped in a bubble, would play a part on it. Hopefully Orteca doesn't return to be redeemed.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Can’t imagine this episode’s gonna be for everyone, because I remember the last few months of Daiji discussion, but I thought this one wrapped up his story in a nice, coherent way. A few odds and ends that I don’t care a ton about, or didn’t matter to the main plot – the death of Karizaki Sr! WHO CARES – but a very solid Daiji story that (I thought) successfully laid out his psychology, and firmly redeemed his character. I’m sure you’ll let me know if you disagree!

The George and Hiromi part showed a difference between how George (as in, the demon-influenced George, according to ep. 43) previously dealt with him, and how he does it now. Instead of gloating about Hiromi being a guinea pig, he now solemnly warns Hiromi over his body condition. Instead of guilt-tripping Hiromi over Daiji, now he just asks if Hiromi would be successful in changing Daiji, the question shows some doubt but isn't used to offend him but hoping for the best for this situation. Instead of mocking Hiromi's heroism (despite being a KR fanboy), he now tried to make Hiromi promise to not throw his life away carelessly. Someone treating another cruelly shouldn't be disguised or romanticized as 'caring deep down', and if they make excuses, it shouldn't be easily bought by people (the audience especially). What George did here is, actual showing of being caring, albeit stern, to Hiromi, but not when Hiromi's in Fenix. Though perhaps the part of George being given Masumi's inner demon now gave stronger proof that George wasn't good before, as sloppy the execution was. Though George felt betrayed by Masumi again, it seems that his words aren't as harsh as I expected, only "senior citizen", and was phrased more like pragmatic time dividing.