[Kamen Rider Die]

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Originally Posted by Androzani84

Believe it or not, this is not the first Toku show debuting in 2005 to reference the story of the honest Axe (which is about a woodcutter who drops his axe in a spring, and the goddess tries to tempt him with gold and silver axes, but when he gets his old axe back, she gives him the other two). It was previously spoofed in Magiranger’s Super Video (Sentai’s answer to the HBVs), with red hero Kai dropping his changer into a spring and the goddess (who looks surprisingly like his mother) offers him either a silver version of it or a gold version of the sixth hero’s changer as a replacement. Despite 75% of his siblings saying “no”, Kai goes with the gold one and ends up learning a lesson about lying.

Bizarre! Thanks!

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Originally Posted by Switchblade

I always felt that the Ibuki thing in these episodes was a really cheap attempt to throw some more interpersonal conflict into the final arc. It doesn't really fit with what we know about Takeshi as an organization or Ibuki as a character. I never bought into that storyline.

Now the Asumu stuff, that did work for me. I was always on Team Don't Make Asumu an Oni and I liked seeing him start going in a different direction. Having him find other ways to help people that doesn't involve hitting CGI crabs with drumsticks is great by me. I can really see him ending up as a member of Takeshi, but one who assists the Oni from the backline, like Ichiro or Midori.

Yeah, the Ibuki parts... it's crazy that no one in the cast is like Ibuki Can't Do This It's Not His Training. I know we've seen the Oni cross-train on different fighting styles, but this is the end of the world. Benching Hibiki because Ibuki's from a famous family... how is everyone okay with this?!

Similarly, it's a little weird that no one (yet) has brought up putting Asumu or Akira into support roles. Although, even then, folks like Midori and Ichiro find themselves thrust into combat on occasion, so I'm guessing the kids would still opt out. Which is I guess the main thing for Takeshi, how all-or-nothing it is. There aren't "safe" jobs in Takeshi, and you never know when you might be called up.

Still, I don't think that's the main problem Akira and Asumu have? It's not that they're scared, or that they don't believe in Takeshi's mission; it's that it's not their passion, not how they best want to give back to the world. They want to live a life doing something they care about, and they're still figuring out what that is.

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Originally Posted by Switchblade

Anyway, I apparently missed highlighting the one Kiriya moment that I liked. I've been meaning to point it out, but you didn't call attention to it and I have no idea what episode it was. It was back when he and Asumu first started their training and Kiriya was failing pathetically at everything, so he showed up with all of his academic trophies to try and impress Hibiki. I loved how hilariously pathetic that whole scene was: "I'm totally worthy of being your apprentice! Look at my French trophy and badge for mathematic excellence!" Fantastic schadenfreude in that scene.

That was in Episode 43! I didn't call it out because, while it is funny, it's also maybe the absolute worst episode to have these kinds of Kiriya shenanigans. I'm on record as being a very big fan of Kiriya's whole thing (he shows up a kids' play to yell at Asumu, amazing), but I am significantly less of a fan when the A-plot is Todoroki Wants To Die.

But, yeah, hilarious. I imagine he'd've even brought a letter from his mom, if he could get her to take his call.