[Kamen Rider Die]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

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.

So, after reading these impassioned defenses of Keitaro (yay!) while still thinking of Takkiba of where it's at, here's how I think about where Keitaro and Yuuji figure into Takumi's emotional support system.

Yuuji is like your dad's new girlfriend who you see on the weekends. She's nice and fun and she's trying really hard to connect with you, but she's got her own life and you don't see her that often. She gets built up a little in your mind as meaning more than she really does because your time together is briefer, more fun.

Keitaro is the mom that you spend the rest of the week with. You maybe take her for granted, but she is there for you every minute of every day. She has to be stern sometimes, and you're both around each other when you're not at your best, but her dedication is unwavering.

Yuuji can fix Takumi when parts fall off, but Keitaro's the one who built Takumi.