[DreamSword]

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Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

Yeah, it works like the Mission Memories from Faiz. The power goes to where it's needed. Notice that the torso streams and even the green arms also lose their color. Physicam Transform has grey streams as well, but of course Wing has a lot more grey, as the red power is used to create something that wasn't there before. If you look closely at both, you can even see the accent colors matching the Driver, with Transform having a little orange on the limbs and Wing having a little pink on the wings like Zero One Flying Falcon. Pretty cool, right?

Very cool! Thanks for pointing all of that out!

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Originally Posted by Fish Sandwich

So, having had some time to think about this a little more, I think I've better narrowed down exactly what makes this story feel off to me. I like what DreamSword says about there being cohesion in how honesty in various forms makes everything work out in the end, but the way I see it, if that's the story they were going for, the failure is in how very little of it is really dramatized at all? Baku's arc is a perfect example. It's not as if he has to wrestle with the decision of how close to let Fujimi and Nasuka get or anything -- in the very same scene that becomes an issue, he's simply told what to do, and then does it, and I'm not sure how that actually gave him the confidence to be a better agent?

I dunno if you're referring to my post specifically or not when it comes to the agent stuff, but I will say I didn't see this two-parter so much about his willingness or confidence as an agent(though it is a small part of it), but moreso the efficiency of which he's able to do so. By forming a team, he's able to save the day, unlike last time. And that came about via him taking Zero's' advice to let the Investigators in on the whole thing despite his initial hesitance.

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The problem that feels bigger to me -- which I want to note also hinges entirely on my own personal preconceptions of what kind of show Zeztz is trying to be -- is that I feel like Miyuki deciding not to get on a plane in the end, like Layton13 is saying, is 100% the wrong choice for a plot in this series. As a lesson in general, I think it's fine to say that sometimes it's okay not to force yourself into situations that make you uncomfortable, and it'd be a killer moral for a Kiramager episode, but for Zeztz?

...

but it feels like this story was crying out to establish ZEZTZ as a hero who exists to turn bad dreams that crush people into good dreams that empower them, and to have Baku realize he's capable of that, after mostly fumbling his way through episodes 2 and 3.

I can tell that talking about this show with you is gonna be an experience, because here's the thing: I agree with you, but yet at the same time I don't. Lemme do a quick sidetrack real quick.

I'm part of a group chat with some friends, and we've all been chatting about Zeztz as it airs. Back when episode 2 had just gotten done airing, I actually made the prediction that Baku was going to decide that it wasn't enough to just stop bad dreams, but turn them into good ones. And that he'd showcase that by making Detective Guy the one to stop the bomber in the end:

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Originally Posted by DreamSword

The episode didn't go how I predicted it would. Heck, it didn't even go how I ideally would've wanted it to, but for what it was, I did still like how this three-parter concluded.

But that didn't happen. And to me, that in itself signaled that it wasn't the sort of story that Zeztz was going to be gunning for.

Sure, that could change as time goes on; We're still early in afterall. But personally I see more evidence towards the story not being about what we both initially thought. But again, it's only episode 5. Whatever the "big theme" of Zeztz is(if it'll even have one) might not make itself obvious until later on down the road.

To be clear, I'm not saying you're "wrong" or anything if this two-parter didn't work for you, I just felt it was interesting how we kinda lined up, just in a bit of an off way, if that makes sense.