[DreadBringer]

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

And, it’s an episode anchored by a definitive speech from Hirose to Kenzaki, so this thing’s already got my number.

Which comes from how Kenzaki did the same to her, the moment they talked about here. And coincidenally, what Hirose said is always what I think regarding Rider compared to civilians from the beginning (I've said what she said here really, likely more than once, though probably that got neglected), that, being a Rider, he's one of the few that can fend off the monsters, in this case Undeads. Even if a Rider could put others on danger (which are the monster's choices of course, them employing dirty tactics against heroes), they're the only one that mitigate the damages the monsters can cause to others, without the Riders like Kenzaki, the civilians he want to protect can fare in a significantly worse shape without any resistance!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Kamen Rider is a franchise that, among other things, is about the value of empathy in a world of violence.

Moreso of this in the Showa era, and the reduction of the value of empathy in the world of violence in later Heiseis (more anti-heroic Riders who does good but leans more to fighting monsters part, or outright villainous Riders starting from Ryuki), although that can tell a more interesting story, it can get a flak for straying away from the Rider formula. And actually for Tachibana here, it's about plot mechanics (not explained yet) on how Kenzaki should stop being a Rider. BTW what do you mean for Kenzaki's empathy being used against him for this case? Even for Tachibana, his recklessness is also the thing that get him used by others (Isaka).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

It’s bullshit. It’s a villain move. It makes Kenzaki feel terrible for defending himself. It’s an abuser’s move, gaslighting the victim into feeling at fault for what the abuser is doing. But it only works because Kenzaki feels so responsible for people’s safety that he’s unable to hang around them if he thinks they could be hurt. He’ll do anything to protect people, even if it means cutting all ties to his friends. So he runs away from home, ready for a life of solitude, separate from the people he cares about. But that empathy that’s been weaponized against him by Tachibana, it’s not just a one way street. A Kamen Rider fights because they care about people. But people care about a Kamen Rider so they can fight.

Wow... keep remembering what you said here, hold it until the end of the series. Also there's quite the irony here where now, Kenzaki is the one dismissing and throwing tantrums to Tachibana and his other friends who tries to help him, where Tachibana's belt problems are inherited on Kenzaki too here. "Kamen Rider fights"... well as the previous series taught, it depends on what's the Rider's morality as a human... though I guess here, it would mean a true Kamen Rider ("Kamen Rider sensibility") is the one that cares for people. For someone like Kenzaki, more power gives more responsibility, but for others, more power can give more insanity....

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Mutsuki loses to Hajime because Hajime finally understands that he’s fighting to get back to the people he loves, while Mutsuki thinks he’ll be more powerful by pretending he doesn’t care about Nozomi.

Yami Mutsuki was switching a bit between normal Mutsuki with him being in shock at Nozomi's condition, before the Yami side takes over again. Yami Mutsuki thinks he'll be more powerful by not caring about anyone, likely because of the dirty tactics your adversaries use like for Kenzaki or Hajime, hunting their loved ones for Hajime, or just any person for Kenzaki, so that they're likely to be distraught by grief when they lose either, allowing them to become an easy target. For Hajime gaining strength through thoughts about people he cares... I guess he wants to survive to always be there for them, so he had to win the fight and is more determined in doing so? A̶l̶s̶o̶ ̶w̶i̶t̶h̶ ̶H̶a̶j̶i̶m̶e̶ ̶n̶o̶t̶ ̶n̶e̶e̶d̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶b̶e̶ ̶a̶ ̶m̶o̶n̶s̶t̶e̶r̶.̶.̶.̶.̶ ̶l̶o̶l̶,̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶"̶H̶a̶j̶i̶m̶e̶"̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶m̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶J̶o̶k̶e̶r̶ ̶w̶a̶s̶ ̶f̶r̶o̶m̶ ̶a̶ ̶h̶u̶m̶a̶n̶ ̶U̶n̶d̶e̶a̶d̶.̶ The one that is driving the plot of Hajime losing his humanity, is King who confiscated the cards, but about him...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Even King gets in on the thematic action, being bested thanks to Hirose and Kotaro rallying people to pin down a monster so Blade could finish it off.

Karma right there for King, his demented take of amusement by messing with others bites him back when the same method was used against him in front of a crowd. Though Blade's way of winning here, is commonly considered as the worst way for a fighter to suddenly turn the fight around just because "you have faith in others or something", The Power Of Friendship trope. It's considered as laziest reasons for plot armor and makes the show little bit more shallow, and would rather see them overcoming adversities by more effort and doing something logical; doing things that are fight-related. (though probably the reason for the complaint was about it being overused). And the punch from King form, that's a random nameless move, but it's used as one of the special attacks in Battride War.