[Kamen Rider Die]

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Originally Posted by DreadBringer

I guess if you don't remember much, I will now note what episodes I'm discussing with, in this case, episode 42.

Thanks! That helps!

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Originally Posted by DreadBringer

I wonder for here, what does Hirose have in relation to the main players in this episode; Nozomi, Mutsuki, and Tennoji?

Nothing to do with them as characters, just that this was a spotlight story that used its cast and time effectively. I didn't think the Hirose spotlight story with her "dad" managed it as well.

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Originally Posted by DreadBringer

As I've told you before (and I wasn't trying to spoil, with Mutsuki having yellow glow in ep. 30-ish, he was Yami Mutsuki), Mutsuki was possessed by Spider Undead all this time until now. And Shima's sacrifice began to take effect here, with help from Hikaru's. And probably you'd be disappointed with this one (unless you'd think Mutsuki's insecurities which leads him to be possessed makes him also responsible, but still, even if those are more interesting, never treat your or anyone's headcannon as real ones), but Mutsuki is forgiven because all of his transgressions were Spider Undead's act, and, well, "I need to be stronger" is part of the reason why Spider Undead can possess him, so yeah, the villain here is always Spider Undead (and possessed Mutsuki was anti-villain with him doing bad things but none are in control/what he wants). He's not someone who would resort into doing all the bad things he did from ep. 30-ish to 42, it's all Spider Undead's doing, and as it've been said in ep. 40-41, it was Mutsuki being possessed (and it probably shows that the cast also knew what's going on with Mutsuki). And the fight... wow, it's one species fight, Spider vs Tarantula (Shima's).

I guess I just don't see Mutsuki as blameless? The things he said and did, he meant all of them. The Spider Undead was a voice on his shoulder, not a puppeteer operating a puppet. It preyed on his feelings of insignificance, his need to feel special, his desire for strength. Having Shima and Tiger Queen on his side gave him some breathing room, enough to see that he wasn't the man he wanted to be, but he consciously made every decision up to that point.

If you don't see it that way, that's totally fine, but I can't say that I see him as being an innocent victim in all of this.