[Sh Ranger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Switchblade

One of the things that annoys me with Den-O is when people write Ryotaro off as a wimpy loser. This episode is one example of why I think that argument is bunkum. Ryotaro can't fight, that's true. He's never going to be taking on waves of mooks with his martial arts skills. It's not fair to call him weak, though. Where Ryotaro really shines is in the strength of his resolve.

It takes a lot of guts to go into a fight like this episode's without a real chance of winning. But Ryotaro does it just to prove a point. He does it because he's willing to take a beating in order to convince Momotaros that he was wrong and that this partnership isn't going to be just a case of Momo taking his body for joyrides whenever he wants. It's a good way to earn the respect of someone who values strength.

It's that trope where somebody who looks timid and feeble on the surface is actually very strong-willed and independent (and sometimes scary). Ryoutarou is kind of a pushover, letting more athletic people beat him up and tolerating muscle strain from Momotaros possessing his body. But he won't run from a fight and there are limits to what he will allow from Momotaros' delinquent behavior, like he doesn't mind Momotaros having fun with his body as long as he doesn't commit bad deeds. He's definitely not a coward. His strong will is what allows him to resist Momotaros' possession and he even trolls him with the wish, which shows that Ryoutarou has wit as well.

This subtle confident trait that Ryoutarou has is probably what the outwardly confident and confrontational Momotaros relates to and admires and it's Ryoutarou asserting that trait that allows Momotaros to see him as more than just a timid and feeble pushover and closer to an equal, even though Momotaros is still a very selfish and narcissistic person, albeit in a comedic way. It's the opposite for Ryoutarou, who doesn't put much worth in himself but always sees the worth in others. Momotaros' "I'm sorry!" was audibly frustrated and reluctant but he probably wouldn't have said it at all if he didn't respect Ryoutarou's devotion to getting beat up enough to at least concede that he deserved an apology for all the trouble he was caused. Momotaros has an honorable side as well and between that and just how awesome he is, I think there's a lot of reasons why so many people love the character.