[DreadBringer]

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

KAMEN RIDER W EPISODE 5 - ?GIRL? A - PAPA?S A KAMEN RIDER?

So we get a mostly flustered Shotaro in this episode, who basically takes the case on Asuka?s behalf (assuming Akiko would?ve given him a choice not to take the case) while still not really knowing how to deal with a charming child who is convinced that Double is secretly her father. Said father is, naturally, dead ? ALL DADS ARE DEAD ? and her mother has been hiding this fact for like a year, which is completely normal and not a weird, potentially abusive thing to do to your child. It makes Asuka?s emotional state the most precarious thing in an episode field with aquatic snipers and Sonozaki scheming, which is exactly what I want out of Kamen Rider mystery this early in a show.

Though yes he's not good with kids, as he claims, he still tries his best, unlike your example of Takumi yelling at those who bother him. Takumi's a dick including to kids that way, but Shotaro still cares even if he's also, misguided to be unable to go through the truth by claiming that he's friends with W (technically a truth as Phillip is his partner), due to already establishing himself as familiar with Kamen Rider. Asuka's doll is apparently Kamen Rider Knight, like, for this, I'd expect something like Ichigo more. Miyabi's manipulations are further uncovered with her feeding lies to Asuka that she'll visit her dad again when she helps her work at council. Miyabi cares more of Daisaburo's dream compared to her daughter. It'd be obviously hard to take that a parent has died, especially when someone's still a kid, now this one's really distressing, the kid may be alright for now, but in the long term, secrets won't be kept forever especially that Asuka still has long time to live, she'd know that her dad died either way, Shotaro points out too that nothing good comes from lying.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Like, I don?t care about Fuuto?s second wind tower (it?s neat-looking, though) and I don?t really care what happens to Asuka?s mom (she?s a cutthroat politician who is maybe trying to honor her dead husband, if we take her at her word), but I ONE THOUSAND PERCENT don?t want that kid to cry. The monster peril in this episode is almost beside the point to me ? the real tension is in trying to get this kid to understand that Double ain?t her dad, and her dad is never coming home. The stakes of that? it?s good, man. Those are good stakes.

Second wind tower can be something that unwittingly save the day, due to W being W, powered by (W)ind, and hindering Ryubee's plans. Shotaro does call out Miyabi's move as shady. Miyabi hires Shotaro and Akiko as politicians have to deal with hatred and people's distrust, but she still has to perform to restore people's faith. Shotaro agrees due to his goal of preventing anyone cry, which is seen in Asuka's fading smile. Even Genzo, the land owner, also calls out Miyabi's for her manipulating her kid for her own ends, which is the exact reason of the hate for her, her words are transparent and she whitewashes those. This is a case of an asshole making a good point, kids aren't supposed to be a trophy to show off to other people, just typical dirty move from politicians to use their family to further their goals, her words also resemble the hollow "for the future" claims politicans can have. I'd think to enforce this more they should display Asuka in discomfort though, she seems ok that she shares the same dream too.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

DIE-A MEMORIES

-I resent them having an Anomalocaris Dopant, because I will never ever ever remember how to spell that, so I need to have a screenshot of Philip saying it so that I can reference it when writing. THANKS, TOEI.

Akiko also managed to help by pointing out that the shooter isn't present in the pictures which means he's somewhere else, where Phillip deems her as genius, leading Phillip to figure out that he shoots underwater, and the Dopant is Anomalocaris type, thus gotta warn people to stay away from water. For the fight, Shotaro's identity had him being blamed by Makura for abandoning the job. The Bat Shot failed but Phillip explains that the bullet isn't metal, but organism's tooth. Philip needs a vinegar to free himself from the trashcan, and Akiko being revealed to be able to perform some acrobatics in a bridge position (not exactly a piece of cake to do from personal experience).

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Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

The leader and the heart can sometimes be the same person though. There's usually a correlation between them, since the heart inspires people to follow them, believing that their hope will lead to victory. You make a good point though, that Shoutarou brings out the best in others. Even though he struggles to convey his own feelings clearly, which is why Akiko is important in their dynamic. If she's not the heart, then she's at least the heart's advocate, to make people take the heart more seriously. And people definitely need to take the heart seriously.

True, just that still pointing out that your description of Akiko's role sounds strictly leader one. And true that like in previous episode, Akiko does stick up for Shotaro if Philip takes him for granted, albeit she seems to also still hold Shotaro in lower regard compared to other companions like Philip (who she calls super genius) and Terui.

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Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

Mystery genre is about finding the truth, but cynical adults often dismiss kids as fantasists, which in turn causes kids to lose faith in adults who won't listen to them. The social divide makes it difficult for both groups to understand each other.

Correlated with above, this seems to be the reason why the heart isn't taken seriously. Power and abilities are what valued the most by general people. Even Shotaro's that type too where he's mocked as half-boiled, like other main Riders being dismissed as naive. And by extension, I think that, regardless of how well-received a Kamen Rider series is, the message often doesn't land, partly because some people only want to watch toku for actions and special effects, and/or that a kid's show isn't worth getting deep into, or people dismiss the heroes' views and achievements as being favored by story or carried by "plot armor", particularly if it had them surpassing the supposedly more credible hardened people who are trained to make "hard choices". For this, it's about Hikaru, but I kinda like that in Revice, he calls out Tasuke, a pragmatic leader, for forcing his views on other people and that, it's just being a control freak under a guise of doing what's "necessary".