[Kamen Rider Die]

KAMEN RIDER BUILD EPISODES 44 - 45

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

When you've got maybe the most cunning, charismatic villain in Kamen Rider history with Evol(t), why would you ever give that up to focus on a boring asshole like Buildad? Why?!

Why? Well, for two reasons, Recent Past Kamen Rider Die: first, he's not evil, he's insanely misguided; second, because he's about to die. ALL DADS ARE DEAD.



That's a little later, though. Before that, we get a mixed bag of an episode that starts off trying to fix idiotic plot points from last episode in a way that frustratingly lowers the stakes, and then pulls it all together for a rousing lesson in teamwork and friendship.

Episode 44, man, I don't know. I'm glad there was a little more reason for Grease and Rogue to dash off for the Faust base, and I'm glad that the team's division is so brief, but it's a dumb way to resolve a dumber problem. Two steps backwards, one step forward, you know? Like, their plan was to break in to the Faust base, get caught, hope they were experimented on instead of just being murdered, hope they could break out before being turned into monsters, then hope they could escape the base entirely without being recaptured/tortured/killed, all without telling any of their powerful friends what they were up to? Am... am I remembering this story correctly? Also, am I the only one who recalls that getting to and from occupied Hokuto used to be a perilous journey? Now I guess you can make a run on your lunch break? Between this plot point and the one where Misora delivers herself into the clutches of Evol(t), I genuinely don't know what the writer was thinking.

Much like the last episode, the final sequence in 44 sort-of redeems it. (Not nearly entirely, though.) After an episode of taking it all on himself, feeling the weight of responsibility, Sento's reminded that Team Build is a team, and together they can defeat Evol(t). And they do! It's all bad-ass teamwork and synchronized finishes! It looks great, one aspect of the show that hasn't lost a step.

But then Buildad shows up, leading into episode 45, and we're back to the ups-and-downs again.

So, yeah, no, Buildad was secretly working against Evol(t) all this time! For ten years! During a prolonged civil war! Where god knows how many people died! And he nearly let his son die at least a half-dozen times! But he's sorry, you guys. ("Pobody's nerfect, Takumi." - Buildad) Just... jesus. Again, it's two steps backward, one step forward. The series is so much worse for doing this dumbass story about an uncharismatic lunatic who neglected his family and imperiled his country in order to save the world. It's nice that there's closure, and the flashback scene where Takumi and his dad share one last moment before the Sky Wall disaster is really sweet. But throwing in Buildad, who's barely mentioned until he's all anyone can talk about until he's secretly on their side until he's dead is just, narratively, incredibly ill-conceived. There's both not enough time spent on it (most of the affection Sento should feel is implied, since his dad only appeared in a handful of dialogue-light flashbacks) and way, way too much time spent on it (just as we should be entering the final phase of Evolt's plan we've got this to deal with this for three episodes and it is so weird but dull that it warps everything around it like a black hole). (Science!)

Also, in case the Buildad stuff wasn't enough to get me riled, then the show turns into Dragonball Z?! I get that the show wants us to fear the effects of Evol(t)'s final form (do not love that monster suit!), but that whole planetary destruction sequence does not feel like it belongs in this comparatively grounded sci-fi superhero war story.

I don't like feeling this way about Kamen Rider Build! The fights are still great, the character scenes are still A+ (that food service scene!), and I care about the characters so much. But the plot, with the Lost Bottles and Buildad and Evol(t) Evolved, is just off the rails in the worst ways. I don't know if the show can recover from this. I don't know!