[DreadBringer]

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

I think she's reasonably frustrated with Keitaro here. She's trying to spend time with a guy she likes, and this other guy keeps trying to butt in. She's not very tactful about it, but Keitaro's being a little too aggressive here.

His message to Email Yuka, I think it's that he finally came to terms with IRL Yuka's disinterest. Or, y'know, you probably have to break up with Keitaro a few times before he gets the hint?

Sure, Keitaro's a bit inappropriate here (and you saying "a little too aggressive"... this is still far better than Kaido's hijinks to like, Mari, in fact some people only dislike that part of Kaido, but like every other part of him, because it's too creepy, not to mention Mari being 16 years old), I mean even for "keeps trying to butt in", Keitaro and Yuka iirc only interacted again IRL for now, Keitaro definitely isn't the part to consistently butting in to the point where it becomes unbearable. but I would like for Yuka to find another way, instead of acting like stereotypical snobby girl (I mean, girls can give hints to boys that she likes them without showing/uttering it openly, the opposite can be done, and probably it'd be even better if Yuka done it in an indirect way, indirectly hurting Keitaro too).

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

I guess it doesn't bother me if it's funny to the audience, as long as it's ignored by the characters. Does that make sense? Takumi just rolls his eyes at Kusaka's behavior, which sends a signal that Kusaka's antics aren't anything to emulate. It's not cool. Which, in turn, allows us to laugh at Kusaka being an asshole. It's not empowering or excusing him, it's making his childish petulance something to laugh at him for. We're not laughing with Kusaka, we're laughing at him.

It makes sense, but you saying "great at running down people verbally" indicates to me that it's the asshole act being successful, not impotent, that it gives me a vibe that you like it that Kusaka's so successful of being an asshole that he's so charming in it to win over others with his acts. But I've understand now the funny part also partly due to it being ignored by others, though there are definitely assholes who are consistently the most successful in-universe, like Kitaoka who is the super lawyer, which would mean the asshole acts can't be impotent coming from someone so influental.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Yuka’s story… I love how many interpretations you can pull from it. I love how nuanced and poignant it gets to be. Yuka’s story, it’s the least showy, maybe? But it’s the saddest, and the most interesting to me.

For all the talks about the art discussions and how opinion can't change, I sort of disagree with that, because of someone stated here, and your review here is also an example of changing opinions, based on what I judge from the previous episodes. Oof no, don't cement Kaido's decision as smart! Don't promote dick acts! It'd be benefical for sure, only for Kaido, and obviously the idea of smart to people like him is gaining advantage as much as you can. Yuji makes sense because what he advocate is justice for Orphnoch, which would mean it's meaningless to solely focus on Yuka, if he's on similar position, he would get the similar treatment as Yuka too, so he's the one that has to deal with this. Not to undermine that this is a good thing, but it doesn't have to be something like Yuka's story to have many interpretations. Anything can have many interpretations, but many of them can be clouded by many things like biases or lack of understandings. Like someone is established as selflessly heroic and saves/takes care of someone, particularly of the opposite gender. but people interprets (demonize) them as wanting to suck up to that person to get laid or something. This is apparent in shippers but not necessarily from them.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Mari’s story this episode is no slouch, either. Man, some fun moves in that one this time out.

That's what Sawada wonders too, him the only one that becomes an Orphnoch. Also glad to see you still think about very suspicious way for Kusaka comforting Mari in this episode (it can be mistakenly thought as "Kusaka is actually good guy, look how he interacts with Mari here", nevermind I'm just stirring shit, Kusaka's infamous for good reason). And with Kusaka assuring Mari that the reaction makes sense, what's in him to avoid telling her and went apeshit to Takumi for making her know? (oh wait, probably nvm for the latter)

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

And, I mean, I guess it does, because the other (no pun intended) half of that story is in Takumi’s stuff.

With Kusaka being in steadfast that all Orphnochs should be killed indiscriminately, we got another one that runs on that, which is Minami, but purely on antagonistic side, with him capturing Yuka and experimenting on the other Orphnochs, and deeming her life as worthless. Oh and also, leaving his workers on their fate when the Crab Orphnoch intervenes. Takumi defending Kusaka here is futile because that Orphnoch is killed while running away, and that Kusaka still succeeds in his objective here.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

This episode really drills into the idea of prejudice, of othering, of the ways marginalized cultures are constantly made to defend their right to exist. It’s… man, it is not something I expected a Kamen Rider show to examine this thoroughly or deftly!

Not exactly the most dynamic episode, maybe. Not one that had me leaping out of my seat. (Although, I got very happy seeing Soeno typing out his police report on the goddamn Ore Journal set!) But a real thinker of an episode, with some very interesting looks at its characters.

I really hope this worked for other fans!

So Soeno types on the place that is used to be where Mari lives, for in-series?!

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Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

Perhaps camaraderie was too strong a word for their relationship. They definitely hate each other but there's something that works between them that's hard to explain. Kusaka doesn't really "respect" anybody, not even Mari. Everybody is on a spectrum of least to most contempt and Takumi falls somewhere in the middle between Orphenochs and humans. Takumi has to respect Kusaka on some level in order to have felt inferior to him when they first met. They're aligned by their goal to protect humanity, albeit for completely different reasons. Takumi is a hero of justice. Kusaka is on the side of justice, but he's not of justice, definitely not a hero. He wants to spite the Orphenochs and protect Mari. Everybody else is second to him. He's an antihero, the worst of the worst. But when they fight together, however begrudgingly, they're a pretty effective unit. They're professionals, I guess.

Well, not all horrible is expressed in the same way. Kusaka obviously runs in different way than Kitazaki. Kitazaki is a plain murderer who simply just wants to have fun, no convoluted schemes, just kill to get what he wants. Kusaka wants to have Mari and destroy Smart Brain, he operates by soap opera-ish scheming and manipulating, by that he would keep the people who would be useful to him around, that can be a trait of manipulative sociopaths to be two-faced and keep certain people around as long as they're useful to them but discard them when they're no longer such. Takumi is useful to him as another force to fight Orphnochs, and that's why he can keep him around and seemingly works outside. But obviously he's also a threat to Mari, another part of his goal, so he also schemes to give him and others like Yuji bad name. When their goal is completed, who knows what'll happen that they won't share any mutual goals anymore and him disposing others, but of course, we'll never get to see that. Also what's with you saying "goal to protect humanity"? You summed up there he's not of justice. He can kill Orphnoch and it can indirectly protect humanity but doesn't mean he has a goal to protect humanity. It's actually one of the opposites highlighted between Sento and (Takumi!) Katsuragi in Build, the former wants to protect and atone, while the latter only focused on destroying the enemy. Wanting to destroy something considered an enemy isn't necessarily a goal to protect humanity, and Kusaka is certainly that, even much worse. And you also get Minami here, who also operates on the same way, to exterminante Orphnoch based on racism.

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Originally Posted by Sunred

In case y'all missed it, this was the person behind the voice of the Crab Orphnoch.

Not convinced? Google Satoshi Matsuda and check his filmography.

Oh yeah, Crab, the one Ren witnesses killing Scissors, placing the blame on Volcancer to reassure that he hasn't killed yet. And beat the crap out of him before Shinji came.