[DreadBringer]

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Yeah, but that was a while ago? I don't think Kagami's even close to being the same guy he was back then.

Reminder that, the Ryou episode (ep. 4, the one that resurfaced on ep. 24) took place between the shots I took (the first was ep. 3, the second was ep. 9). Yeah was a mistake for Tsurugi and Jiiya comment.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

KAMEN RIDER KABUTO - EPISODE 24

I could 100% spend this entire post talking about the Ramen Vs La Men battle that runs through the first half of this episode. It is suitably bonkers, with some outstanding comedy routines. (I don’t know that any Kamen Rider episode I’ve ever watched has been as funny for as sustained a time as Kabuto was for the opening of Tsurugi’s restaurant, into the TV coverage, into Juka getting the last word on Tendou’s speech, into the random bystander being Misaki who is not even there for any story purpose, into Misaki’s answer to Which Ramen Do You Think Will Win being buckwheat soba with zero hesitation or need for explanation. That whole scene was non-stop funny, and it kept finding ever more surprising twists. Gold standard for comedy on a Kamen Rider TV episode.) But, I just did that yesterday, so let me talk about what the whole Tsurugi/Tendou thing is doing for the more-important-this-time Hiyori story.

I do like complete coincidence like that, with Misaki is the "unrelated stranger" that is approached as a competition bystander, the audience obviously knows that she's related to the two people competing there, but the reporter who is just reporting the situation doesn't know at all (though, usually, in these kind of situations, I usually want for the in-universe characters to get to know quickly that those separate character they're interacting with are related). Though probably what you said here is a rule of funny, where any violation of continuity, logic, physics, or common sense is permissible if the result gets enough of a laugh, while for other reasons, random things like these isn't as acceptable if like, random for bad things happened. There are other types where any violation is permissible if enough result are given; where other than funny, there's rule of cool, creepy, cute, drama, empathy, glamorous, romantic, scary, sexy, and symbolism. Tsurugi also displays his omniglot skills (he wants to become the top of anything, so that'd apply), when evaluating the food others made for him ("bù hăo chī" for Chinese one's not delicious).

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

The point to the Tsurugi/Tendou story is that you need to support your friends, even when it makes you look bad. (Humility! It’s a central theme!) Tsurugi was so intent on proving his greatness, that he was making himself into a monster. His conflict with Tendou teaches him that losing gracefully is as important as winning, and he should be the bigger man and admit that he was bested.

Well, ego can be one of the main roots of monsters (other than something like money), and proving greatness is usually used negatively. Some do say that, while Tsurugi is worse than Tendou, Tsurugi also received more development than Tendou. And I also have to say, in their first fight, there was a best and most appropriate usage of Cast Off; as Cast Off is breaking the Rider's shell, launching the remains of Masked Form in high velocity where the remains can act as projectile attack, it's best used when you're literally bound by an attack, you break free using Cast Off!

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

It’s a lesson Tendou needs to learn as Hiyori’s insistence on discovering the truth of her past becomes more and more unavoidable. He’s furious at Kagami’s reveal that Hiyori is planning a day-trip to Area X. (Area Eclipse was closed for visitors that day, so she went with her second choice.) He forbids Hiyori to go, and forbids Kagami to help her. It’s all a bit moot, though, since Hiyori isn’t around for these conversations. It’s all happening without her, since she isn’t exactly asking for volunteers to go with her. She never asked for the boys’ help, so she completely doesn’t give a shit when they object. It’s disappointing, but she’s lived with worse disappointment than that.

Which is why it’s so sweet when Kagami turns up to say that he’ll go with her. He fears for her safety (it’s not as dangerous as going to Area Baphomet, but it’s still pretty rough), but he believes her when she says she needs to investigate her past, to find some closure. Kagami gets it, the need to follow your instincts even when everyone else objects. What kind of friend would he be if he stood in her way?

Would this part count as the keeping someone away from the truth trope? Physically in this case, where Hiyori is forbidden to go to visit Area X by both Kagami and Tendou, for good reasons though as apparently, Hiyori isn't a combatant (and I don't think any combatant is able to fend off Worms anyway, like normal humans such as Misaki, where she begs for Kageyama to transform in ep. 20), going in Area X would be a complete suicide (and for how non-combatants can be judged more badly, audiences can bash them for putting themselves into dangerous situation, especially if they knew that, and moreover if they got severe consequences for what they're doing). Hiyori isn't comfortable around people, and it shows again here that other's existence is a bother for her, and she doesn't want Kagami or Tendou to follow her as she just feels uncomfortable around other people. If Kagami is concerned for her being unprotected, then yeah, he had to use his Rider power to solve that (success or not is another matter). And I must object to what you said about the need to follow your instincts when everyone else objects, and that it won't be a good friend if they stand in their way. While yeah, some people can just be overprotective that they're the wrong one to hinder others that they should just go on it, but just completely following your instincts can lead to disastrous consequences, that being completely stubborn to completely ignore anything coming from others (and I mean, even if others are wrong, you can consider their words, while not abandoning what you want, use those words as tips), blocking any room for improvement, like what you said below, that pushing away the people who care about you because they make you feel less than perfect (but gives room for improvement), and even worse, can lead to bad consequences like Kagami's screw up (his triumph moment was ep. 24, but that's just a rare occassion).

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

But Kagami wasn’t the one who was in the wrong. This time, it was Tendou. He kept stalking Hiyori, brooding mysteriously as she set her mind to discovering the truth. Without knowing exactly what secret he’s afraid she’ll unearth, it's hard to say exactly what Tendou’s trying to do here. The most obvious guess is that he’s afraid she’ll learn something that’ll make her look at Tendou differently, something that’d end their friendship for good.

Oh well, Misaki not likely finds Kagami's idiocy to be an endearing trait and pulls Never Change Kagami, while Tadokoro, the one who describes Kagami as that previously, now fiercely forbids Kagami to go to Shibuya? While yeah, Kagami's feeling mindset rewarded him as Gatack, I think that room for development should be encouraged for Kagami, the one that is endearing is actually his sense of morality, keep that while reducing his idiot tendencies and increasing his effectiveness (well in more things than being Rider). With Tendou arriving at the most big damn heroes moment, by that, probably Tendou wouldn't be the one that is in the wrong? Tendou's the one that saves the day once again, and that proves that Hiyori shouldn't insist to go alone, which means Tendou was right in that, and also, his move of stalking Hiyori is in the right. Or probably, if talking about how Tendou is wrong, it's likely more about being morally wrong (which will happen to ubermensch jerks like him) about the Tsurugi and Jiiya situation (and Jiiya is another one Tendou with soft spot on, he'd help him out, at least reminding that Jiiya is the cook worthy of Tsurugi). Also, it seems that Jiiya's cooking also gives a lesson not to judge by looks; Jiiya's cooking looks the least extravagant and more simple, but it's the delicious one! And it seems that almost any Rider is given a capability to fend off monsters, at least the fodders, like Kagami did in this episode (I mean, with bare hands, previously he only shoots them).

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

A QUESTION

Was not expecting this one to be a three-parter! I figured there’d be another two-parter, and then the movie. This story is definitely sprawling on me, especially as it’s doing more and more series plot stuff. Meteorites and secret doors and I really didn’t have a question when I started this paragraph and I thought if I just kept writing one would come to me and it really really hasn’t so here’s an unrelated one that I was thinking about at lunch today: For the last good while, a new Rider’s collectibles include Legend Rider-themed trinkets. Gashats and FullBottles for Kamen Rider Gaim, Lockseeds and Eyecons for Kamen Rider Double, and so forth. What if they went the opposite way? What if the current Rider got old collectibles in their style? What post-Kabuto Legend Rider would you like to see get their own Zecter?

Usually I see your comments where you prioritize only characters, and that plot isn't your cup of tea, and sometimes for phase 1, plots can be a detriment to character stuff instead. For this one it's an exception (and also, I think ZECT is the plot stuff in Kabuto and you thought of them as stupid ones)? For the answer, new things had to be done in the franchise, so old collectibles for current Rider would be a blast to watch, especially if they're made faithfully like the Zecter's personality. I would like to see the non-animal Riders, unlike OOO or Zero-One, like Drive (probably it'll function similarly as Shift Car who moves), or Ex-Aid (probably moving action figure of the Gashat's main characters?)

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

She really deserves to! Tendou's evasions were better than Kagami's, but they still took advantage of Hiyori's trust. And, yeah, it should hopefully let her get more involved in the various Rider plots.

In the same vein of keeping away the truth for good reasons, where it's about preventing spoiling stuff to those that still doesn't know yet, can only said that what happens in Kabuto later will be an ironic of "involved in Rider plots" here.