[SPLIT LIP]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Lucha

Totally agree. And a lot of criticism of Western super heroes has to do with how reactionary they are. So this point has a little bit of peanut butter in its chocolate and a little bit of chocolate in its peanut butter.

Basically.

As long as it's not gross stale peanut butter they stuff in a lot of PB/Chocolate candy.

Quote:

Well, filler is its own problem. Ongoing American stories have lots of filler too. That's an accessibility issue, at least in America. Networks don't like stories that are too complex (which any 24 hour series where every episode is story-centric would be) because it alienates potential new viewers. I feel like that applies doubly to a kids' show.

But the filler is not a problem. It's what the filler is.

Like I said, every episode the rider kills a monster. Why can't he just once get there in time? Kiva was able to save his rocker friend, but that actually hurts his case. Only when someone he cared for personally was in danger did he act with enough speed to save him.

Quote:

And if they're not true heroes until the end, they can't really be true heroes in the middle. Right?

This is completely wrong.

There is no set model of "true hero." That's why I love W. "Nobody's perfect" Narumi Sokichi says. There is no use setting a standard you cannot achieve. There is no shame in not being the best at everything. Being a hero is not a checklist.

W was a true hero from the beginning. Being a true hero is not about skill, or knowledge. It's about the will to act. THAT is heroism. Saving people is heroism. Feeling for the people you save or cannot save is heroism. Want, regret, action, for others. That's heroism. That is what too many riders lack.

Quote:

I guess I'm not really understanding this complaint. Unless they're clairvoyant, how is it possible for a hero to know trouble is going to break out before it does?

I was kind of leading into my narrative point of view.

If you're not going to deconstruct heroes being reactionary, stop writing them as ineffectual heroes. Stop making up situations where people die if you're not going to analyze it or have a reason for people dying. If they just die because, that's bad writing.

Quote:

Since they're not able to predict the future, is it morally justifiable for a hero to draw first blood or throw the first punch?

If these weren't monsters who exist merely to kill and destroy, you might have a point.

But no, there is no moral standing with the majority of Kamen Rider monsters. Especially the Fangire, who've always killed someone in the past before re-emerging in the present.

Drawing first blood on a creature who's entire existence is cruelty and death is not a problem. Letting them kill time and again, is.

Quote:

That said, it is pretty weird how unfeeling Kiva tends to be in the face of all this outright murder.

Exactly.

It's not that murder and death happen, it's that he never reacts. It's just some ambient, normal thing to him, but as I said, not in a deconstructive way.