[Switchblade]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Everyone's mileage will vary on this, but I think the popularity of the Phase 2 stuff relative to the Phase 1 stuff is a) the easier accessibility of newer series on the internet activated a lot more fans than it used to, and b) as the franchise expands to tell new stories, attack new themes, it increases the number of fans it appeals to. There're probably a ton of folks who couldn't care less about Agito that adored the stories from Gaim, or Build, or whatever.

But, yeah, again, just my take!

As someone who got into Rider back in '09, this is the exact attitude that people used to have about the Showa era vs. the OG Heisei.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

For Professor, I wonder how much of it was trying to swerve the audience. Having Toujou rise up and take out his mentor, it's both a powerful moment for his character (huge emotions!) but also a pretty nice surprise. Professor's a dude who seemed like he was the shape of the endgame, someone who'd be influential in resolving the core dilemma of the show. Instead, nope, bumped off in 42. It's sort-of up to the viewer if that surprise factor (and what it does for Tiger) is worth losing a pretty intriguing character.

And there we go into the thing I love about Tiger: his woefully inept moral code. His professor taught him that a hero is someone who would be willing to sacrifice a friend to save another, but Toujou was only half listening and missed the "would be willing to" part and just got "A hero something something something kill your friends." I love the idea that his entire philosophy is built around the fact that he doesn't understand metaphors.

So, fun story. I was typing that last paragraph and I suddenly remembered an old Kids in the Hall sketch. I feel like this sums up Toujou pretty well: