[DreadBringer]

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Oh, okay, gotcha.

I don't think it's a binary thing? I think there's an amount of responsibility that's mature and honest for Kagami to deal with in regards to his time with Shadow, and it's on a spectrum of Blameless to Martyr. Closer to Blameless (I'm not suggesting he was wrong to abandon a posting that required him to fight his friend, someone he knows is a hero), but there's still some negative aspects to him just cutting Kageyama and team loose. Like, when I quit a job because I couldn't work for the owner anymore, I stayed on for a month to help the next guy transition into my role, just to make sure things ran smoothly for the other employees (and customers). I don't feel like Kagami gave any notice? Seems like a bit of a dick move!

Probably not Kagami as overall character other than this one moment, but this is what I talk about showing goodness by only selective care (and typically, about those with guaranteed care like family or friends) being not particularly convincing. Several for protagonist side had caring and siding with your beloved ones being portrayed as good in story and it expects the audience to agree with that, anything else like other characters or consequences be damned (a case of protagonist-centered morality; where character or events being good or evil is based solely on their actions toward the main character or if they are the main characters). Other than that, what do you mean regarding blameless to martyr spectrum for this one? And it being a dick move, that's what I thought as the only other choice if responsibility issues to make things right made someone can't function as a person and isn't being healthy emotionally or processing it which means the other choice, which means neglecting it..

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

KAMEN RIDER KABUTO - EPISODE 15

Like, it treats the previous (incredibly stupid) ZECT plot as Kagami's breaking point; where the old, weak Kagami needs to figure out how to be strong enough to keep from being victimized again. It suggests that Kagami’s ego is something worth protecting, that his confidence has value. He’s been kicked around a lot, and his very life was just treated as a joke. He needs to find some way to prove he can cut it in the fast-paced world of monster detonation, and a solo Worm hunt might be just the way to do that.

Hoo boy, lecturing incoming. While deep down, it's likely Tendou caring for Kagami in his own ways, which is leaving him alone as he wants to prove his worth, by actually contributing to something and accomplishing it, which would mean best done without any help, unfortunately this can be used to excuse people's awful behaviors. The belief that bad things are good for people opens a door for those to use said belief to justify their rotten behavior, any occassions of people behaving awful to others is treated as tough love, even for those that aren't doing so. And those that had problems or showing weakness (no matter how many amounts) on any occassions like Kagami is treated as spineless cowards who can't handle the suffering in life, and those got the blame. It's also how some audiences unfairly bash a character, particularly main one, who had tons of flaws/weaknesses (relatable) and isn't living up to the badassery they expect; they got considered pussies and when they lament about they failure they got treated as crybaby.

And yeah, as someone who you said, wants to see others succeed, Tendou's someone who expects everyone else to live up to unrealistic high standards, and that'd be an automatic social brick wall. Tendou may care deep down, but I think the first scene showed him at one of his nastiest, tearing down someone who's in despair, at least outwardly. While Kagami's dad, although you said he had the same light as Tendou, in contrast to his earlier appearence that reminds me of Blade's Jin dad, comes off as supportive like usually a parent would be.

And talking about Tendou's words of only being saved as something that matters (you can't complain at all), about the audience again, like what's discussed in Ryuki thread in ep. 27, about the misunderstanding of what makes superheroes heroic, not only children, but also for those that carries that since little. Namely that the mindset that heroes are people who beat up bad guys, and the bad guys are bad because the heroes beat them up. In relation to beating up bad guys, some people can think that heroic deeds is as simplistic and limited to saving other's lives, and by that those that are saved have no right to behave in any manner other than being grateful; like objecting to something. While admittedly, someone who acts completely as a jerk to the savior is a complete dick move (and it'll infuriate me, and other audiences), but some people simplify heroic as only about saving other lives can be an uncaring view to it.

There are much more legitimate life problems other than just being saved or not, like Kagami feeling worthless after realizing that he's just a tool used by Kageyama. The view of heroic being only about saving lives can be callous towards anyone's problems as long as they live and not get killed, and while obviously saving others is a good thing to happen, performing heroic deeds is much more than only that, saving is only a part of it, but neglecting the other part isn't complete heroic deeds; what I said is aimed to someone who thinks characters like ideal heroes such as Eiji or anti-heroes such as Kaito as exactly similarly heroic because limiting hero definition as just anyone that can actually save people in need and treating what they do it for (money, recognition, etc.) or any character flaws as something that doesn’t matter, as long as they can save people. Which means that definition only takes "save people" into account and applies to my lecture here, as in KR mostly anyone on protagonistic side regularly kill monsters that attack humans.

Other than Tendou here, Misaki is also someone that frequently chews Kagami for his blunders, though rightfully so. And still does here while he's moping in the food store. Misaki however, I think it had happened other than the part here where it's a reflection on her failing to protect Kagami. Previously, she, like other ZECT members, was heavily against Kabuto being used by Tendou and one of the reasons she chewed out Kagami, but later Kagami rubbed off on her; she decided to entrust Kabuto Zecter to Tendou, and she also shows a bit of defiance against ZECT where she covered Tendou, and was against their policy of eliminating any Zecter users not affiliated with ZECT. And by that, Mishima (Goro) devalues her, claiming her as not knowing anything. So by that Misaki becomes more and more of an equal to Kagami, even before this episode, and for being at the top of ZECT's shit list. Probably with their equal infamy, it can cheer Kagami up, if Misaki told so, with Misaki also being deemed as worthless by Mishima.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

(I super loved Misaki chewing out Tadokoro for him not being more livid about Kageyama using Kagami as bait. Tadokoro is clearly checked out in that scene, spending more time thinking about how his 401K is doing, and if he can put off getting that Check Engine light in his car looked at until his next paycheck, than he is his undeling berating him for a lack of moral fiber. Just take it up with ZECT HR and stop giving him shit about some interoffice attempted murder, okay, god, thank you.)

I mean, Misaki's already doing this before right? She objects to Tadokoro and Mishima about HQ's decision of eliminating non-ZECT Zecter users. Tadokoro did represent about how workers can act as drones and blind loyalty; cult-ish belief to believe that anything their organization did was righteous and for the benefit of everyone, and to never question their rule. It's the classical "to be lawful or good" debate; dilemma between doing the honorable/legal thing, or the compassionate thing? And also many times in history humans have had to choose between what the law system expects of them and what their conscience or the circumstances demand. Tadokoro's firmly on the former though, no struggles between the choices, although Tadokoro seems to care about Misaki and Kagami from previous episodes. It's still unknown yet that why ZECT HQ is practically worshipped though.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

And then there’s all of the very Inoue things in this episode: Juka’s morning mukbang; Misaki’s makeover in La Salle; the way Hiyori is only in it for a couple jokes; Kagami running off crying after Tendou insults him, like the world’s most professionally-dressed four year-old; and the entire thing with two old men at the food cart. All great, and very fun. There’s maybe some tonal whiplash (like, Kagami is wrecked, opening credits, Juka’s morning mukbang), and that detracts a little bit from the stakes for Kagami’s story, but it’s such fun that I don’t really mind it.

I think I'd want to point out that, something like Juka's morning mukbang and Kagami running off crying isn't Inoue thing (unless about some of the camera takes), as the former is established before Inoue takes a part, and the latter happening in many other occassions where the writer isn't Inoue. Tendou offers guidance for Juka yeah, but I don't think that he offered Kagami any guidance here, unless you're counting the part where he acts as a Shadow member. For once, shockingly an identical people isn't about a Worm disguising as one here for the old men here. Daisuke's a white knight who only treats women well (and to speak of this, Kagami's issue of his existence being only seen as worthless and Daisuke's view of gender being something socially acceptable can correlate to me, where this creates male expendability idea in society, to clarify about something I fear in what I talked about Daisuke at his debut, where only women lives are the ones that are important and deserves special treatment and men's lives, like Kagami's to Kageyama, are less important and more disposable - like how Daisuke behaves, but extended to wide range of society) and the way to make him contribute in action is a women asking him for it as he'd oblige (I didn't know what happened in Misaki-Daisuke conversation in previous episode though, both Kagami and her also asked him to cooperate there).

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

A QUESTION

I’m not sure how probing or introspective I want these questions to get, but this episode got me thinking about friendship, and about emotional support. It’s so tricky sometimes, to know the best way to help our friends out when they’re having a tough time. I think both Tendou and Misaki are right about what someone might need to feel better, even if they both might not be right about what Kagami needs. So, and feel free to skip this if it’s way too baring of the emotions, but how would you prefer your friends help you when you’re feeling bad about yourself: by being there for you, or by leaving you alone? I’m definitely more the type to just need some time alone to reset, so maybe Tendou’s distance would be what I’m looking for. I’m sure I’d regret experiencing his tough love, though!

W̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶i̶f̶ ̶i̶t̶'̶s̶ ̶s̶o̶m̶e̶o̶n̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶h̶a̶s̶ ̶n̶o̶ ̶f̶r̶i̶e̶n̶d̶s̶ ̶a̶t̶ ̶a̶l̶l̶,̶ ̶l̶i̶k̶e̶ ̶a̶n̶ ̶o̶u̶t̶c̶a̶s̶t̶ ̶(̶w̶h̶i̶c̶h̶'̶d̶ ̶l̶i̶k̶e̶l̶y̶ ̶g̶u̶a̶r̶a̶n̶t̶e̶e̶d̶ ̶f̶e̶e̶l̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶b̶a̶d̶)̶?̶ I'd be likely the part who prefers to be left alone, though won't automatically reject helps (although helps barely happened anyway). Because those who help can border on toxic positivity (they're well intentioned, but doesn't have the capability to properly help), or even worse, the risk about them betraying you by using your problems as an information to ruin you (moreover with rotten behaviors being justified by others). And as I said above, Tendou's ways would just hurt more for my eyes, it's like the sink-or-swim mentor type, it should be something like Kagami's dad.