[DreadBringer]

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

KAMEN RIDER OOO EPISODE 24 - “MEMORIES, LOVE, AND THE OCEANIC COMBO”

Let’s talk about the comedy first, because it’s what I remembered the most about why I loved this episode. All of the stuff with Hina and Ankh having to navigate Eiji’s love-impaired mental state was killer. Hina getting bashful when Eiji asks for romantic advice! Ankh getting repeatedly smacked in the head for the immortal OOO gif! Ankh having to get Kazari to hold on a minute before a fight, so that he can get Eiji ready, and Kazari being like Wait What Okay Fine! And Hina and Ankh having to team up to perform an OOO Henshin on Eiji’s unconscious body! It’s laugh out loud funny, and all of this show’s comedic potential shoved into one ridiculous subplot. Any time Hina and Ankh need to work together is great, but having it be to protect a lovestruck Eiji from his own distracted impulses? Genius.

As the previous episode didn't... yeah turns out the beginning of the episode immediately tells that the older Sakura's given name is Yumi. Also, they did implement the Yumi/Yummy joke like what I brought up earlier. Hina being bashful about Eiji asking for romantic advice can hint Hina having a crush on Eiji as well, in how she's flustered, her meaningful looks and touches, and the way she realizes over time that she constantly looks to him. She constantly insists that Eiji only acts like this due to Yummy (double m and ends with y) when talking about confessing his love, indicates Hina wants that from Eiji to her herself. Unlike Yui or Mezool, for the OOO main trio, Ankh is the one who attempts to splash with a bucket of water.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

The pathos side of things works nearly as well, since it’s all about digging into Date’s past and illuminating his strengths. (The stuff with the Sakura sisters… it’s fine? They both wanted what the other had, without seeing how to value what they already had, which is a very OOO way to defuse desire. Much like Date, I was completely ready to be done with their elongated melodrama.) Date’s immune to Yumi’s Love Whammy powers because he finds her superficial beauty to be a huge step down from the vibrant woman he knew as a doctor in Africa. Date fell for Yumi for her selfless dedication to helping people despite her anonymity, and he’s vaguely repulsed by the new shallow version that craves the love of strangers. She was beautiful before because she cared so much about people, and had such big ideas, that it was intoxicating. Now she’s sexy, but it’s nauseating to him.

About falling, Goto does point out about Yumi wanting Date to notice him (which Date stopped before), but Date also rejects the idea of romance in favor of working for his money. Date's noble side is shown here too to go for Rei's (the unlikable one) rescue, who got tied up by Yumi. Rei has something else she's good at other than her looks, she's business savvy. What ends the melodrama, other than revealing their feelings, seems to be the usual on how despite the usual toxic relationship, on dire situations the toxic one (Rei) tried to come to Yumi's aid.... Otherwise, about appreciating Yumi for what she's on inside about being kind and smart, I'd wish that this is more widespread on life to not only use looks as a measure of someone's worth.

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Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

Shinji wasn't even aware of the War part of becoming a Rider. He saw Knight fighting monsters and saving people and assumed Riders were all best buds fighting for justice. He totally refused to play the game at all until the final arc and even then, he realized he was wrong on his own when he couldn't bring himself to kill Ren. It's also left to viewer interpretation whether Ren seriously lost or threw the fight since he didn't want to kill Shinji either. I personally believe the latter.

At first it was on his own, but for the 2nd it was Yui, someone else who also wanted to saved everyone, begging for Shinji to stop (as he was fighting for her sake). About Ren throwing the fight, just wish that Shinji's fighting ability is also acknowledged, as Shinji's also someone who can kick Mirror Monster's ass untransformed, not only Ren. Keiwa's also aware about the danger people face from monster attacks and that the DGP seem to be the only one opposing them, joining it is the way to prevent further harm.

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Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

I'd agree that Ankh becomes a tsundere towards Eiji, Hina and Chiyoko. But him caring about Shiratori's unrequited love triangle with a married man? Depends on whether or not she carries ice pops. I think apathetic characters can exist in various shows, regardless of tone.

The bolded one is what I wanted to inform more people and get more widespread, along with how virtuous characters also exist in darker shows (not limited to the usual good hearted main Rider type). Like how perhaps for Saber being a more lighthearted show, people can view characters like Reika as another righteous straight hero for her joining the SoL for the right reasons, deflecting the blame for her to Isaac ordering her, and treating her abrasive side as colorful quirk (well ofc, like Ankh here). Why wouldn't Ankh be considered tsundere for those people problems too?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

I think this is a complicated moral that needs to be conveyed carefully though, since there's a critical difference between justice and evil disguised as "justice". I don't want viewers to conclude from this episode that justice is wrong or an excuse to commit evil deeds. It's just that justice is a relative term. While Eiji doesn't desire justice for his own sake, he still fights for other people's justice, as long as it doesn't bring harm to others. Maybe we sometimes take for granted how Ishinomori heroes typically subvert the values of conventional heroism shown in other media, so it's important to not take everything at face value and read between the lines to understand what these powerful words actually mean, before we try applying them for ourselves.

Feels that no matter how these kind of stories are handled, there'd be people who get the wrong idea and justify twisted things that they feel strongly for, the Draco in Leather Pants trope. Like, Kanbayashi spent his time mostly attacking people who did actual crimes, like a purse snatcher or corrupt politicians, of which perhaps some audience would view that as justice served and root for making them pay, because otherwise, they'd just keep harming people without anyone punishing them, or those who are too lenient in dealing with them and thus are ineffective. Though then again as I several times said here, people seem to generally never bring up MOTW stuff. A clearer example might be those who put superheroes like Punisher on pedestal for similar reason, going brutal and merciless on criminals.