[Sh Ranger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

KAMEN RIDER HIBIKI VOLUME 36 - “HUNGERING SHUKI”

I really love how world-weary Akira is.

There’s always been a maturity to her, something that makes her more grounded and contemplative than Asumu or Hitomi (or is that Midori?), and certainly someone who has exactly zero patience for Kiriya’s… just, Kiriya. She’s someone who thinks before she speaks, and feels things deeply. She’s serious, and she treats things seriously.

The extra juice to her character in this one is that she doesn’t know why she wants to be an Oni anymore. Her parents were killed by a Makamou, and she threw herself into being an Oni. She wanted to destroy Makamou, she was good at her job… it’s a win/win.

Except, she’s getting older, and the hatred that powered her crusade against the Makamou is running out. The death of her parents is a healed wound. What’s left is… you know, it’s a job. She’s good at it, but… if it’s not going to make her feel whole, not going to quell that anger, why do it? Why dedicate your life to something just because you’re good at it?

So now, at Episode 36, we have the But Why Heroism episode for Hibiki.

I appreciate how introspective this episode is, how methodical. Kiriya’s only in a couple scenes, and Akira speaks for the audience by staring blankly at him and thinking Time And A Place My Dude. It’s an episode that’s treating Akira’s doubt as a valid thing, a real concern. She doesn’t just quit or whatever, she’s still doing her job, but she needs to know why she should keep doing it. The fact that multiple characters are trying to work with her, to explain the reasons why you should or shouldn’t be an Oni… I like that? It’s not trying to steer her back into Full-Time Oni, but it’s also an awareness of what Takeshi loses if she bails. She’s not treated like the part-time help, she’s treated like the future of the Oni.

Akira's thoughtfulness makes her such an interesting character, but unfortunately, that can put her in a bad place mentally. It's heartbreaking to hear for me, but even more for Ibuki, to hear his apprentice who he cares about considering that using hatred as a source of power is okay. That's definitely not a healthy way of thinking for Akira, as a person or an Oni. Unfortunately, Ibuki doesn't know how to convince her and Zanki pretty much repeats what he said. Akira isn't getting the advice and help she needs to overcome her hatred and it's not their fault, they don't want her to get hurt and they don't know what to do about it. Ibuki's relationship with Akira isn't as relaxed as Hibiki and Shounen. Ibuki takes his position very seriously and he has a fear of losing Akira's trust and feeling like a failure as a mentor and it's really tough to watch them fall apart like this.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

And then, on the other hand, we’ve got Shuki and Zanki.

Hibiki makes a point midway through the episode, when Asumu wonders if maybe he should become an apprentice, that… shit, how did he phrase it? “Being an Oni... means you have to be an Oni.” It’s, I think, Hibiki’s way of saying that people become Oni because they can’t see themselves as anything else. The kind of dedication and commitment being an Oni takes, coupled with the life-and-death stakes of fighting Makamou and the sacrifices to your personal life… it has to be the entirety of your ambition, the totality of your desire. You only become an Oni if you can’t not be an Oni.

So, what do you do if you’re Zanki or Shuki? What do you do if your body says No? Shuki had to quit being an Oni, and Zanki’s told that if he ever Henshins again he’ll probably die. Zanki was lucky enough to be kept on as Todoroki’s mentor/assistant, but Shuki… god, what must it be like to have to leave behind everything you trained for, everything you were ever good at, everything you believed in? How much would that eat at you? Knowing the world is perpetually in danger, that monsters exist, and you’re… what, arranging flowers? How could that feel like anything less than psychological annihilation?

So we’ve got these two characters in the story, Akira and Shuki, as opposing examples of the drive to be an Oni. Akira doesn’t know if she’s dedicated enough, while Shuki is arguably too dedicated. (Ibuki is maybe onto something with this whole Work/Life Balance initiative!) Zanki exists in the middle, someone who isn’t the hero he used to be, but can still be useful to the next generation.

Which is the other thing I liked about this story, how it feels very generational. Zanki and Shuki feel like the old guard, desperate to feel relevant (Shuki) or mourning the end of their relevance (Zanki). Meanwhile you’ve got Asumu and Akira (and Kiriya, a little), trying to figure out their place in the world, what’s worth their commitment. This push and pull of characters taking to the stage, versus those hogging the spotlight.

Yeah, being an Oni is a way of life. Ibuki especially believes that being an Oni is an obligation to protect people above all else, having been groomed to become an Oni his whole life. The high school student with the greatest drive to become an Oni is Kiriya, but his state of mind needs some work before he can meet the criteria. Shuki is an example of what happens when an Oni is consumed by hatred and the reason why being good at killing Makamou isn't enough to be an Oni. The motivation is important as well. Kiriya and Akira can't move in any direction until they figure out what it is they really want and whether or not that aligns with the Oni lifestyle.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

I just… I really like the questions this episode is raising. I love that it’s centered on Akira. She’s one of my favorite characters on this show, and she deserves every bit of story the show gives her. I mean, she’s no Sabaki, but who can be?

Sabaki's a real team player.

Quote:

Originally Posted by GrandComplete

So trivia time! Hibiki in very early pre-production wasn't supposed to be a Kamen Rider show. Rather Takatera actually wanted it to another reboot of a classic Ishinomori hero. Henshin Ninja Arashi

Nice trivia! You've clearly done your research. I would like to clarify a few points though.

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Originally Posted by GrandComplete

would of

Common mistake. It's either "would have" or "would've".

Quote:

Originally Posted by GrandComplete

Sadly this was not to be however The Armor of Ogre is great reference to the Hibiki pre-production roots.

"Ogre" here is pronounced and spelled with the same kanji as Oni, hence the armor's connection to the Oni Riders.

Quote:

Originally Posted by GrandComplete

The connection is strengthend in the Hibiki novel revealing that the armor was crafted by Arashi father after meeting Past!Hibiki from the movie.

Actually, Movie Hibiki and Novel Hibiki are different characters. The former is from the Sengoku Period and the latter is from the Edo Period, possibly Movie Hibiki's immediate successor and may or may not resemble Hibiki.