[Kamen Rider Die]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreadBringer

though I wonder what's the purpose of bringing Asumu around, he doesn't want to become Oni

I think it's more that Asumu and AsuMum brought Hitomi, who invited Todoroki, who mentioned it to Hinaka, who declared it a date. That's how I'm thinking it came about.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreadBringer

I know, I wrote that in this case, Todoroki's training is necessary, I was leaning more towards Asumu, which the story mirrors, because that one is likely a hobby; no one would force Asumu to join and excel in band.

Sure, which gets to the original metaphor, which is that following through on something you don't immediately like doing, it can not only be helpful for others (Asumu's band/the other Oni), but it can also teach you the value of perseverance. The reward isn't just the skill, it's the knowledge that you can push yourself.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

The fact that Zanki put up a fight against the Bakeneko Douji and Hime with a crippled body and no superpowers and only got defeated cause the Kimono Douji and Hime showed up is bad*ss though! They're lucky he's retired from active duty.

They're so powerful that they kicked his ass from a completely different set.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

There's a weird hierarchy to the villains since it's not like they all live in the same base talking about their evil plans, they're very vague. It's like, you think the black and white cloaked guys seem like a big deal at first, right? But then it turns out, nope, they're just mere puppets for controlling and empowering the Makamou. You never know when someone bigger and more important is going to show up.

There's a thing about the villains that it's probably too early to really talk about, but it's something that occurred to me last night. The villains are getting more human, the deeper we get in the series. The Douji and Hime are largely animalistic, lower life forms. The Clockamou/Puppets are portrayed as more clever, more capable of scheming. And now the Fancy-Dress Douji and Hime are able to move about in human society, indistinguishable from their victims. There's maybe a thing in there about how evil increases with proximity to society, but, like I said, maybe a little early for that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

Or maybe he's Sabaki's former apprentice and his unfortunate resignation is another reason why Sabaki always loses whenever he's onscreen, due to loneliness? Sabaki needs more headcanons apparently.

Based on Ibuki's age, he probably would have been too young to mentor anybody before Akira. Who knows?

Sabaki has had a request in with Takeshi HQ for an apprentice for 11 months. They keep telling him there are no suitable teenagers in all of Japan. Meanwhile, at the goddamn restaurant...

I think Ibuki's old enough to have an apprentice before Akira. Tsutomu only quit the year before, potentially around when Akira started. And Ibuki's been training since he was a teenager, so he might've been active long enough to be onto a second apprentice. Also, we never see Ibuki interact with Tsutomu, so I feel like the show maybe wanted to keep them apart. Finally, Ibuki's someone who started at almost the same age as Tsutomu, so I can see that being a bond between them.