[Sh Ranger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fish Sandwich

I gotta stick up for Keitarou here, because this was the image of him I had for the longest time, too, but, and Die has called tons of attention to this throughout, the show itself isn't making fun of him anywhere near the same way the characters in it do. I realized rewatching the series that his optimism, kindheartedness, and upstanding moral behavior are genuinely portrayed as a positive force for most of the people around him, and honestly, I think Takumi looks up to him more than he does to Yuuji, and that's saying a lot.

Yeah, I also think that the most inspirational guy to Takumi is Keitarou. Takumi might be more willing to acknowledge his admiration of Kiba more than Keitarou since Kiba has more macho qualities but Takumi secretly looks up to Keitarou the most as a guy who lives for others' happiness. He doesn't have much direction like Kiba but that honesty and kindness is the foundation of what makes a true hero. Kiba has heroic ideals but lacks the resolution to follow them. He inspires a lot of people, including Takumi, to live better lives but he couldn't live that way. Keitarou never loses sight of what's important though. The only reason he's not the hero is due to his lack of compatibility so instead he's a mentor to Takumi, giving him the motivation to be Faiz and protect dreams. He even had two arcs dedicated to overcoming his fear and prejudice of Orphenochs. It's sad that Kiba lost his way but Takumi knows that Keitarou won't change and doesn't need to. He's the heart of Team Faiz, in a way that surpasses Kiba as the heart of Team Orphenoch. Keitarou is an example of what he believes in by showing others how to be better, instead of just preaching.