[Kamen Rider Die]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FreshToku

I consider episodes 29 to 39 to be the end of a distinct arc, even if it technically ends on a cliffhanger. This is when everybody finds their final footing so to speak, the position where they'll take going into the final conflicts. Grease arguably settled into his place a while ago, but we have Gentoku joining the heroes side and even Utsumi becoming a new big threat.

More importantly, the most major players, Banjou, Evolt, Sento (and Katsuragi!), remind the audience one more time about all their whole journeys from the beginning of the show and they all become the most powerful they've ever been. The ending of 39 with a newly returned Sento transforming into Build Genius to the theme song reminded me a lot of the show's first arc ending back in episode 16. It was such a triumphant scene.

About the immediately processing episodes, uuuuuuuh, I'll look forward to your thoughts. I also have liked every side Gentoku and that he has all these sides while still managing to feel somewhat cohesive.

Yeah, I liked how, in retrospect, the first three acts each gave a space for the main Riders to do their But Why Heroism/Villainy stories, and how each act evolved or devolved those reasons. No one was static, no one got their spotlight and was done.

Like, Grease kind-of left behind the I Only Defend Hokuto thing a while back to join Team Build, but the show still took time to acknowledge what that meant for his journey as a character. How does he feel about it? Why is this where he wants to fight, now that the immediate defense of Hokuto and revenge for the Crows isn't an issue? It's not strictly necessary, I don't assume folks were looking forward to Grease splitting or anything, but the show still crossed the Is and dotted the Ts. (I'm certain that's how that expression goes.)

To your point about 39 feeling like the end of the arc, I'd maybe say 40 is that for me? Grease is really the last character who needs to do their But Why Heroism before the final act, and 41 is where the Evolved Evol(t) and Build's Dad stuff really starts to gain speed. That's a minor thing, and I think you make a good point of Build Genius really feeling like an exclamation mark at the end of a sentence.