[Kamen Rider Die]

GodDAMN, y'all! I go to bed, wake up, do a little a bit of work, and when I finally get back to the real work of interacting on the TokuNation boards... folks got feelings about Scissors!

I'm not going to be able to respond to everything individually (Sorry! Still at work!), but I think it's neat how the response to Scissors (not counting the occasional "which one was Scissors") splits between appreciating his role in expanding the role of Riders in the franchise, and appreciating how quickly he was defeated/monster-devoured.

It's definitely something I struggle with, remembering that a lot of what Ryuki's doing was brand-new at the time. From someone who came in through Ex-Aid, the idea of a) multiple Riders b) who were doing this before the POV hero c) fighting against Riders who are clearly evil, that's like... that's the template of Kamen Rider to me. It, yeah, it must've been a huge shock to the audience that Scissors wasn't someone who was misguided, who wasn't to be reasoned with. He's a murderer, and he's more than willing to murder more to get away with it. There's no conflict in Scissors. He's fully, unrepentantly evil AND he's a Rider. That's a massive narrative gift that Kobayashi gave the franchise, because it opens so many new doors as far as what tricks you can pull on the audience. When a new Rider shows up now, who knows what they want or what they're going to do? That's an exciting change for Kamen Rider shows.

Plus, I love that folks are willing to stan for Scissors because of, not in spite of, how quickly he's dropped. That shit, that's like Hardcore Fan 101. Picking some dink to cheer for who gets offed almost as soon as he appears? I get it. I see you. There was a point, early in Build, where I might've claimed that an ornate chair was my third favorite character on the show. I was obsessed with that chair! So, yeah, I don't blame anyone who'd fly the flag for Scissors. Just, personally, the way he kicked the tire on the car after Ren pulls him over? Christ, the way he treats Run Off Of The Road By A Rider Who Wants To Kill You Also You Kidnapped His Friend And He's Pissed About It as, like, being pulled over for speeding: a little annoyed at himself for being in this position, a little frustrated that someone's going to give him shit about something that's not a big deal, a little entertained by the whole thing since he knows it's his fault. Scissors has a lot to enjoy about his brief role on Ryuki. You aren't wrong to be a fan!