[DreadBringer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

KAMEN RIDER FOURZE EPISODE 35 - ?MONSTER LIVE ON-AIR?

I?ve definitely changed my mind on the second part. I remember originally feeling like the Horoscope introductions were badly paced, relative to the run of the series ? cramming in five Horoscopes over a dozen episodes, where we?d previously gone dozens to introduce a single new one. But with the closure of the Hole in Kyoto creating a reason for greater cosmic energy in Amanogawa, and Libra?s new Eye of Laplace more easily scouting out new Horoscopes (I wish he?d done the Taisen thing of saying HOROSCOPE PARTICLES DETECTED endlessly; missed opportunity), I think it works just fine? It sort of sucks to have to had jump through a bunch of hoops back in the 20s to generate a Horoscope, where here it happens entirely off-screen, but it also speaks to the higher floor of danger the show has for its narrative. Fourze?s leveled up, alongside the cast, so it just makes sense to be All Horoscopes All The Time. We don?t need to keep the show in a storytelling stasis, when there are bigger things on the horizon to worry about.

Though as the KRC pointed out, Fourze also has an upgrade in Cosmic States. And ofc here, Cosmic States doesn't utilize his powers. Also only using single Electric Switch in the Barizun Sword, not combining it with something else. Missed chance to have Cosmic States combine Beat with another Switch to fight against a musician Zodiart. Outside of Libra threatening other Horoscopes to obey him, Libra also insists that he takes credit for the faction's achievement like finding Goto.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

We start off with God, who isn?t another guy that JK wronged or is trying to manipulate ? he?s a friend of JK?s and a guy that JK spends half the episode trying to protect from the KRC. It creates a more contemplative and bittersweet lens for this story ? lit with moody neon and wistful sunset ? where JK has another, equally vital friendship, but one that?s pulling him in a different direction. JK is genuinely protective of God, and wants what?s best for him: first, it?s trying to get the Horoscope Switch away from, then it?s shutting down the radio show that?s harming its listeners, but eventually it?s going along with God?s dream.

But it seems that, which seems to be ignored below (or also here to accuse JK as constantly trying to wrong or manipulate people), there seems to be a change in JK after joining the KRC where JK can be conflicted about his dream hurting his friends and people. But JK seems to still get something tragic of being laughed upon when trying to reach his dream. And though there's a change here, there's a root cause of JK being previously only taking benefit from others in friendship, where he thinks friendship is only temporary and wouldn't last long. This should be a way to stop people's evil by understanding the root cause and finding a way to solve that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

That arc through the episode, it just feels right? I buy it, in a way that still flatters JK?s hard-fought decency and sense of loyalty. It?s not a quick change, him throwing aside the KRC to be more than whatever his dad turned out to be. The episode slowly brings us along with JK, to see him become the performer he always wanted to be, but clearly wasn?t. (To have to stand there and listen to his friends be like That Song We Heard Was Too Good To Be Gene! Jesus!) To get the chance to be the star he always dreamed of, to not squander it or miss his shot like his dad might?ve, and to get to do that alongside a friend who remains the only one to believe in his hidden talent? Isn?t that worth giving up the brief friendship of the KRC? A club he joined a few months ago, that?s bound to disband or transform in a few more months once even more friends graduate? Is it worth missing out on his future in order to honor his present?

This can be portrayed as JK selling out his friends for his dream, but I can feel bad that for someone that, perhaps would be untrustworthy due to the circumstances of him joining, the KRC didn't see JK's conflicted self to try to get Goto to stop the show as it seems to make people hurt himself, albeit it seems that JK consciously started it when Goto reminds him of his dad. It should be ok to go on his own path, like how it should be ok for people who don't join the KRC like Miura joining the photography club, what's not ok is, as a tokusatsu show, to have this directly hurt people by having Capricorn seemingly brainwash the watchers. What'd be a betrayal to KRC is JK knowing that he's hurting people, going against what the KRC stands for. But it's not wrong if one splits from KRC to go after personal dream in a neutral way.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

And that?s why I like this story so much ? in the end, it?s just about high school. The friendships of high school are all-encompassing, until they inevitably evaporate. That?s either beautiful to someone like Gentarou ? a chrysalis to turn us into our ideal selves ? or terrifying to someone like JK, who sees these valuable friendships now as an anchor that?s keeping him from his dreams. The struggle of that, balancing what you owe to the people in your lives now versus what you need to do for your own future, that?s a perfect high school story. It makes sense that Fourze would knock it out of the park, and it?s still slightly unbelievable that they did it with JK.

I actually also relate on how friendships can be temporary and that it's only a fraction of someone's life. It's not only high school too, but this still applies to places like work, and there can be also places where the meeting is even briefer, like I guess, the place where Ryusei and Jiro went to (martial arts training), or likely public places like forum, where people may join for some weeks then disappear forever. This can make me less enticed to form friendships, though this can be just my experience because it seems that others stay in touch later after graduating, but for me, it's always me initiating before with nobody doing it after I moved places, which I still wondered how those formed the friendships to not be one-sided (never having social skills or properly learning it).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

Are you still following Zeztz?

I actually don't watch it, including in the ep. 1 discussion. I only just wanted to say a piece of mind from me. Just a numerous coincidence that the show I'm watching right now, as well as the show that is airing right now, feature the return of Kousei Amano, as well as a character named Tachibana in Fourze's case.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

Unfortunately, yeah, seems like gatekeepers still miss the whole point about Gentarou's motivation despite Yuki literally spelling it out for Yukina and the audience that fighting is simply what he does, not something he forces himself to do out of necessity. Asking him not to fight is asking him not to be Gentarou and that really would be a sacrifice that benefits nobody. Fighting can be a way to protect your friends and depending on the redeemability of the enemy, it can be a way to make new friends.

Followed by the next episode of insisting that chasing after your dream/wish is portrayed as mutually exclusive with loyalty to a friend. It depends on the circumstance tbh like how Capricorn is making the viewer hurt themselves for this one, but many stories portray the former as a bad thing and thus, it'd not help the martyrdom complex, seeing dreams and ambitions as something bad and corrupting that should be curbed.