[Fish Sandwich]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Makoto isn't the main character, Takeru is.

That's why the first thing I mentioned was Takeru's development! He's so strong in that arc! Almost every one of those episodes is some major step forward (and occasionally backwards) for him, and what I loved most about Specter's initial rival phase was specifically how it reflects on Takeru. The character interactions in Ghost early on are tight, and the main cast build on each other excellently. As a mysterious adversary, Specter forces Takeru to get his s*** together when it comes to the hero thing, and as a long lost friend who's been suffering immensely, Makoto gives Takeru a chance to prove his dedication to helping people, even when they're shooting at him and stealing his stuff. Which is probably not very smart, and also so wonderfully, distinctly Takeru.

I'm speaking for myself here, obviously, but I've always felt Takeru had to take a real journey to get the point where he's willing to throw away his chance at getting his life back to save Kanon's. Maybe that comes off weak to some people because "well, obviously the hero is going to do that", but to me, it was always less about his moral capacity for that kind of thing (which he had from the start), and more about having the courage to go through with it (which he definitely did not), and that was constantly being challenged throughout the first dozen episodes in ways I found super interesting.

Makoto, I mean, I love the guy, but he's just another supporting character to help show why the real star is worth caring about. And speaking of Takeru's friends, I'm going to go ahead and mention while I've got the chance that, as for Akari only becoming defensible in the back half? One of her coolest moments came before the series even hit the double digit episodes:



And that's just one of them!

Quote:

I sincerely appreciate your ability to argue for what's worked for you in these shows. It's always contrary, but it's never just contrary, so it's fun to talk about.

Thank you so much! Honestly, arguing about Ghost with people on this forum probably taught me everything I know about expressing opinions in a respectful manner.