[DreadBringer]

Dunno if you haven't read my reply above (because you were busy typing ep. 43) or have read but can't add anything, I especially want you to understand the Shinji part.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Toujou and Sano are not doing great. Toujou’s killed his mentor with an eye on true heroism, only to get his newly-solo ass kicked first by Asakura, then by Kitaoka, then by Asakura and Kitaoka. Sano’s looking for a team to join, but he’s ignored by Toujou, beaten by Shinji, mocked by Kitaoka, and threatened by Asakura. (I guess, even at his lowest, Sano knew to steer clear of Ren.) This whole episode is the two newest Riders getting frozen out and hunted. It’s open season on Tiger and Imperer.

I want to talk about the Tiger vs Ouja fight, which happened right after Toujou is eating (Toujou have just finished eating, it wouldn't be good for him to immediately went into action!), that has to be one of the most well-choreographed fight in the series, with both fighters nearly using everything on their arsenal at their fullest. Tiger and Ouja scans their weapon cards, where even if Tiger's Claws got disarmed, Tiger still can fight back because his visor is also a weapon. And then Asakura makes a good use of his contract monsters yet Tiger counters them well, where Tiger summons Destwilder to help, only to get countered by Metalgelas in a monster faceoff. Ouja prepares his Veno Crash (Venosnaker's kick) Final Vent, only to get countered by Tiger's Freeze Vent. Finally, with Tiger running out of options, Ouja uses his Hide Venom (Evildiver) Final Vent where Tiger... avoids by jumping? I only wish that Tiger retrains his claws to block the Final Vent because I don't know if that situation has a Final Vent not killing other Riders or it just narrowly missed Tiger.

Also damn during this sequence.... Ouja should've used Tiger as a human shield like he did to Gai!

And also an oopsie for Kitaoka... Asakura was wounded and knocked unconscious, while the excuses of Riders not killing each other throughout the series was Mirror World time limit (and psychological/physical effect to them)... not this one. This situation should've been an extremely easy kill for Kitaoka with any way like henshin and shoot him, or even at the very least, turn him into police again.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

That element of the episode, how locked out Sano and Toujou are, I thought that was a really sad way to tell their story.

For Toujou, the fact that no one wants to get him... shapes himself as a Rider for a whole. He fully knows that he's an outcast and he thinks only Sano is nice to him after Kagawa. This part will be discussed deeper in the next episode. The book Toujou reading was The Metamorphosis by Kefka.

If you have sympathy for them, why do you think that it's well-deserved for Shinji to beat Sano up? Those sympathising with Imperer wants the best for him which includes... not being treated like that (they want other Riders to accept him more, treat him with respect for example, probably they forget Imperer's untrustworthy traits anyway due to relazting to him). And other than that... Goro is just as dismissive to Sano. And Toujou before the end of the episode also kind of dismisses Sano too, only tolerating him due to Kagawa. Sano overall mirrors Shinji (at the beginning, and even then Shinji's still better than him to deduce about wish granting and how Contract Monster works) a bit in naivety where he knows the least about the war; about how Shiro specifically picks terrible people for the war (including yourself?) who treats others like shit, how the war is settled by killing each other until one Rider remaining, how he thinks money can buy everything including friendship and respect, and the worst one coming up next. Only also add up morally grey traits in him where he can easily betray or kill other people, due to money-oriented part. Even if Shinji gives Sano free orders on Atori... did he deal with Sanako for this (if yes, how?), Shinji's not the owner! And how did Sano still be able to get free drinks later as Sanako seemingly closed down Atori?

For Sano story, does this remind you of, Shinji in 13 Riders? Yeah this is the plot I talked about when discussing 13 Riders. Both constantly searching for partner only to be constantly rejected. The ideal development for Sano should be realizing that this is a battle where Riders kill each other until one man standing so you shouldn't partner up at all. And Sano's so dumb lol that he didn't even realize the "letter" Kitaoka gives is just a huge "manuke" (=fool) word, and if you give that to Asakura.... priceless!

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

For the rest of this episode, uh… not much to say? Shinji and Ren run around Mirror World looking for Yui, who’s still silent and powerful and Shiro-Lit™. Nothing really happens in that plot, but I assume that’s going to be dealt with shortly. Oh, and there’s zero Reiko in this one, so it’s zip for the Ore Journal investigative stuff. Pretty much just Toujou and Sano against the Adults this time out, and, yeah, way more affecting than I thought that story would be.

The part when Shinji mistakes other girls for Yui (are you Metalgelas mistaking others for Asakura?) should've been able to be used as a... comedy material if not for the episode's situation; I've known some commercials where the comedy is mistaking other people for someone they know. There's also usual Ren thing where he just completely ignores Shinji (on his dismay, but Ren's completely got a point) after gaining the bits of the info and just act away. Shiro-Lit™ is Kuuga effect. Another Contract Monster, Psyco-Rogue is killed here.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

It's a weird thing on this show, or maybe even just this episode, where they feel so much lower than everyone else. For Toujou, he's a college student, so he's probably the youngest Rider they've shown so far. For Sano, it's mostly him treating everyone else like a superior (to suck up) and Kitaoka blowing him off as a dumb kid. It really felt like this episode was trying to categorize them as The Youngest Riders, despite everyone in the cast probably being within three years of each other. I mean, according to the Wiki, even Auntie is only a few months older than Yui. It's true! You don't even have to check! I saved you the trouble!

Nope. Toujou is 25, Sano is 21 yeah the youngest but he's the same as Shibaura age-wise. Sanako is 45, and her actor Kazue Tsunogae has passed away in 2018 (So you also use wiki to gain more informations? Well for starter the wiki refered Sanako as grandmother). Here's full info for the character's ages t̶h̶o̶u̶g̶h̶ ̶Y̶u̶i̶ ̶s̶h̶o̶u̶l̶d̶ ̶b̶e̶ ̶1̶9̶.̶