[Kamen Rider Die]

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Originally Posted by AkibaSilver

I'm with Fish in considering this just 'the' Den-O arc. I must have seen this, lik, 6 years ago, and it just sums up the show's mission statement in one. Sure, maybe you can't change the big things in time, but you can do small things, and even those small changes can make all the difference. Pre-Sid may not have got that big break, but he no longer has the guilt weighing him down, and that's something. Momotaros is still a hothead, but he's starting to gain the most begrudging respect for this kid he's bonded with. And Ryotaro... yeah, he may not be the most physical, but that doesn't make him not strong. A good, precious boy.

It's a nice little story that's about appreciating what you've got, which is a fun counterpoint to a series about the ability to change the past. Momotaros needs to be okay with Ryotaro having a say over how their partnership works, rather than being greedy and crying about how he's got oversight now. Yamagoshi needs to deal with his circumstances clear-eyed, rather than trying to re-do something he regrets.

And that's above and beyond how this series continues to drill into the Momotaros/Ryotaro partnership as a metaphor for how we can best channel our emotions into helpful and renewable ways... yeah, pretty solid story!

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Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

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.

Episode 4 does a great job of balancing Momotaros' wackier elements with a moral code. He's not just some hedonistic vandal, spoiling for a fight against anyone and everyone. He still views himself as someone worthy of respect, which means he feels bad when his actions are shown to be disrespectful. He's not a good person exactly (he is an imagination monster from the end of time), but you can see a little in Episode 4 how he's starting to see the ways his actions have consequences. It's a start!

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Originally Posted by DreadBringer

Well, Yamagoshi isn't much better yeah, the outcome is still similar even if Yamagoshi got his chance. But, while the outcome is probably bleak and not much better off, the act redeems Yamagoshi. In this time, he'd focused on developing his skills, instead of gaining money (through any means), so Yamagoshi isn't a criminal anymore. They didn't save Yamagoshi, but they redeemed Yamagoshi from becoming a criminal. That shouldn't be overlooked, Yamagoshi is still underachieving, but he's not a scumbag anymore, and probably, the act can save him from being hunted by police for doing crimes.

That's true! I'm not sure it's a huge comfort to Ryotaro and Hana (they seem a little bummed that their actions didn't create a better outcome), but it's at least now a Yamagoshi that isn't burdened (as much?) by regrets. It's almost like The Toxicity Of Regret is a major theme of the show!

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Originally Posted by DreadBringer

I thought this scene should be the wholesome slice-of-life interaction that you'd normally praise for other Rider series, for just someone coming to a place for a coffee, and talk about them being both related to a certain person. But well yeah. Now I wanna ask though, as Ryotaro was injured in previous episode, do you think that doctor or hospital treatment for Ryotaro would be a better replacement than Airi treating him? It'd be the same for me, just Ryotaro getting treatment for his body pains.

I mean, if Airi felt more integral to the plotting, I'd be all over a quiet scene like this. As it is, it feels like I'm checking in with someone who doesn't have a ton to contribute.

And, no, I don't think Ryotaro needed a doctor. Momotaros and Hana were referring to Ryotaro's "injuries" as being more that he's completely out of shape and totally unprepared for strenuous activity. Some rest and probably some pre-fight stretching is all that kid needed.