[DreadBringer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

KAMEN RIDER FOURZE EPISODE 06 - “FULL BLOWN ELECTRIC ASSAULT”

It’s mildly commendable, the way this one follows the Miu route of refusing to rehabilitate the character, because friendships shouldn’t be about fixing someone, they should be about accepting people so they can find the more empathetic and happy versions of themselves. But JK’s awful here. He never really apologizes to Nitta, or shows any real contrition. He’s aware of all of his friendships being transactional and hollow, but his behavior at the end of the episode is… transactional and hollow. (He’s dragged into the KRC as a kind of community service -slash- rehabilitation program, which doesn’t say much about him forming any healthier bonds in the aftermath of nearly being monster-murdered after literally everyone he knows besides Gen would rather abandon him than risk themselves for his safety.) Where Miu’s story was about someone who looked awful being revealed to be confident and highly-motivated, with a genuine interest in other people standing on their own and reaching for their dreams, JK’s just a weird, selfish jerk who someone believes in now, despite all evidence to the contrary. It’s a story where Gen comes off as noble and compelling because JK isn’t worth the effort. That’s great for Gen, but sort of not great for the show.

I feel that this is about indirectly fixing other people by proving their view wrong. JK thinks that no friendships are genuine, not only about him, but also about the friends he made in the party that refuse to help him when he's captured. But Gentaro proves that there are friends who would help just because it's the right thing to do, so the likely most sympathetic case of JK is that, he has always been in fair-weather friend environment. I may feel that Gentaro's ideal can be stronger to be applied on someone that seems winning in JK about dog eat dog environment, rather than if it's done on someone who has been visibly a victim and resorts to taking advantage of others because others did it first (which may have the audience view them as innocent and only blame whole society/their so-called friends that time). I still feel that it's unknown why JK steals the Electric Switch, I don't know about the purpose. I think friendships are also about understanding each other, even though they seem awful from the outside, I want a discussion about the reason why JK chooses to steal Electric Switch, something that just seems like a worthless toy to him, which should be what can repair their relationship better by understanding each other.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

(Honestly, after this episode, it feels like Nitta’s the one who should’ve joined the KRC? Nitta’s story is him being manipulated and betrayed by someone he thought was his friend. What better person to bring into the KRC, to show them that friendships still matter? Also, man, JK’s story here is him stealing the Elec Switch, and Gen going I Don’t Know I Guess Sometimes Friends Steal From You – is this a guy Kengo wants around all of his dad’s stuff?!)

I feel that so far it's a pattern in Fourze that the monster of the weeks are someone who got screwed over by the part of the main cast, not only JK to Nitta, but also Miura to Shun before. Though Miu's a subversion that it can be thought that Miu was screwing over Tamae like Shun to Miura, but actually it's just Tamae's jealousy. Dunno if this is also important to challenge the biases of people who may downplay what the main characters do (other than JK, here, at least in this thread), but exaggerate what the people outside of the main friend's circle do, which, I think should be the real test of Gentaro in making friendship, of which it's good that Gentaro still tries to extend friendship to Miura, Tamae, and Nitta here. I wonder though if JK joining KRC was about JK owing Gentaro for helping him despite betraying him, so JK was forced by Gentaro to do labors he doesn't like (also, JK is good at keeping valuables on his hands, as said before). Sorry to bring up about other series, but I feel that nothing beats something like Kuroto working together with the CR in Ex-Aid about having an awful person teaming up with the heroes (not the MC forcing, but Poppy does bring him in).

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Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

This arc might be the weakest of the introductions, as it establishes JK as this problematic dude who might betray you if you give him the chance, yet all of his most deplorable traits pretty much disappear after this. On my first watch, I thought it was simply another great win for Gentarou, but like, that was a long time ago, before I could really understand Nitta's perspective.

Then again, as I said above, Gentaro doesn't distinguish between the main circle of friends and the other nobodies around, which actually passes his vow of treating everyone as a friend. Gentaro didn't only stop Nitta from beating up JK, but he also stops JK from beating up Nitta when he lost and pointed out that JK did deserve it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

Maybe that makes me sound a little cynical, which I don't want to be, but there are surely people similar to JK who even after learning right from wrong will continue to do wrong to their friends if it benefits them in the short term. Seeing Gentarou go so far for this guy (saving his life is a given of course) after learning how many times he's conned people is harder to accept now and it seems like the show was afraid to show the danger of bringing a wildcard like JK in to the KRC, or rather it couldn't do that without contrasting too hard with the friendship theme. Fortunately, JK is genuinely redeemed here, so I guess we can move on.

Which can be why that those who're trying to redeem actual villains are complained about. I mean, other than people like JK who can be more realistic, wouldn't this also apply to those villains who may be more enjoyable to the audience as their crimes feel more fictional (or to you, to also know more about them inside that makes you have more positive view on them)? And it'd not only personally harm the hero, but villains would endanger many people by pulling this. Like for instance, cases like Sougo to Heure, Aruto to Horobi, or Shoma to Rakia can easily end up with them being betrayed, possibly killed, and have the villain still endanger others without being stopped? Not happened, but a possibility that would always happen against anyone unlikable.