[Kamen Rider Die]

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Originally Posted by DreadBringer

I know there are lots of comments before, but not to be attention-seeking, can you also check my replies before?

Sorry! I have been reading everything, even if I don't reply to everything. Shit is... things are hectic. I'm trying to steer a business into new waters, and it's got some stresses associated with it. A ton of extra work, in very weird ways. I got good moments and bad moments. Sometimes, if it's a page of replies since I've logged on, I can manage a sort-of Reply All post, and that's about it. I do love the participation, though! It's a bright spot right now!

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Originally Posted by DreadBringer

All because of the phone signal's fault. But can we also talk on how Goro, despite serving as Kitaoka's contrast before in morality, agreeing with him to do morally questionable things here to ruin someone's life?

Probably you think that the resolution is too easy for the characters? Like it's too simple that they just have Shinji bump to Kitaoka in some place, therefore seeing Kitaoka as the actual Zolda and Goro being alive. The character part is really conveyed well here tho.

I don't know if I'd describe Goro that way? I think of Goro in a very traditional, There's Someone For Everyone way. Like, I think Goro sees something in Kitaoka that no one else sees, and that's why he's dedicated to him. I think he understands that Kitaoka is... let's just say not a perfect person. I think he's okay with doing something bad if Kitaoka asks him to. There're limits, but I don't think for a second that Goro would choose Shinji's mental well-being/possible monster devourment over Kitaoka's need to eliminate his Rider competition. That seems like an easy choice for Goro. Plus, like, tricking Shinji was hilarious.

I actually thought the resolution was the strongest part of the story. It all really came together in that lobby.

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Originally Posted by DreadBringer

Kitaoka plans to defeat other Riders isn't directly fighting him, which adds a variety on how to defeat Riders besides good-ol TATAKAE. This plan is foiled by Yui who shields him when Dragreder tried to eat him. Don't you think this moment is quite bizzare (will be important later, but as for now with no spoilers) that her presence can repel monsters?

I mean, her having untapped monster powers is a pretty easy guess, so, no, I didn't find it hard to handle. Yui's abilities (when the show remembers to spotlight them!) are so nebulous that I'd be more shocked if the show explicitly stated she couldn't do something at this point.

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Originally Posted by DreadBringer

Well yeah, the reason Ren ran away from previous episode, being a Rider in this series means detaching your humanity. And true Ren didn't technically kill Scissors but Volcancer did. Tezuka wants to crack that facade of Ren. And the end of episode showed that side of him somewhat with him not running away again. What do you mean by "Yui and Shinji’s version of him"? But I also have to ask, battle wise (I REALLY want to know about this!!), how did Knight's Final Vent to Raia went out? Did it miss, did it only scrape Raia? etc.? And even if it hit him, how did Raia survive? Is it due to Ren not being able to kill someone that he unconsciously holds back his Final Vent too like Raia?? (but his Final Vent penetrates someone's full body...)

The Yui and Shinji thing, it's about how they see Ren versus how he wants them to see him. Ren wants everyone to know that he's a killer, that he's going to do whatever it takes, brood brood brood MOTORCYCLE. But, like, Shinji and Yui don't really buy that? Yui thinks he's better than that, and Shinji wants to see him as someone who just needs a friend to show them a better way. I think they want to treat him as Not A Killer, so he'll stop thinking of himself as A Killer.

For Knight's Final Vent, I think you're right, in that I don't think Ren really wanted to kill Quarter. He's just not that guy, which is what a lot of this last story was about to me. I think he held off, didn't really give it his all. Maybe there's more to it than that, but that's how I read it.

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Originally Posted by DreadBringer

I find it satisfying that Reiko vandalizes Kitaoka's photo....and him being totally in rage

There's shades to that, though. I think some of it is personal offense (HOW DARE THEY, etc.) and some of it is that his scheme blew up in his face, but I think there's more going on. You could read more into it, if you want. I think there's an element of them all teaming up against him that hurts him, that he doesn't really like to see people be kind, since that means (by default) he's being unkind. I don't think Kitaoka sees himself as some sort of manipulative asshole. He just thinks of himself as playing the game better than these naive dopes. When cunning people like Reiko and In It To Win It types like Ren are telling him he screwed up, I think that's going to hurt.

Or maybe I just like thinking more about Kitaoka? Could be!