[Sh Ranger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

KAMEN RIDER KIVA EPISODE 05 - “DUET: STALKER PANIC”

Otoya’s limitless pride is wounded by Zanki’s leather-clad beatdown, so the two of them engage in an epic street fight that Yuri leaves halfway through.

This fight is very humorous! I especially love the part with Shima politely walking through them as both Otoya and Jirou stare at him dumbfounded before the music resumes and they immediately continue punching each other. It's such a cliche fight over a girl which I think is an intentional part of the 1986 setting, but the nonchalant way other characters react to it is what sells it, almost like they're aware of how superfluous it is and just go "whatever" and move on.

Anyway, Jirou, he's very cool. Characters portrayed by Matsuda Kenji are always cool. However, in contrast to the experienced mentor type Zanki, Jirou/Garulu is a flawed antihero type who acts as a rival towards Otoya, as they are both in opposition to prove themselves to Yuri. If Kiva has a Kusaka like some people are saying, I'd say it's Jirou.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

(Even ones who look like Ryotaro being possessed by Urataros, the least-trustworthy look imaginable.)

I noticed this as well. He lacks Urataros' charisma though. You could even say he's sheepish!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Except for Megumi and Yuri, who are pretty much the voices of reason for this episode. (Shizuka’s only in one scene, because if she continued in the Wataru plot she’d shut it down in about two seconds.) It’s up to them to constantly reframe what’s happening as horrible decisions men are making, not anything for their benefit. Megumi gets the scene of the episode, when Nago tries to blame Wataru for spying poorly on Megumi when Nago told him to, and Megumi just goes No One Should Have Been Spying On Me You Idiots.

Yuri is totally a reasonable person, but Megumi? Sure, what she says is true, she does have the right to her own privacy and Nago is self-righteous in his crusade against "evil". But the reason why Wataru looks up to Nago is due to how impressionable Wataru is. Nago is a skilled manipulator and knows all the right things to say to get Wataru on his side, while successfully provoking Megumi with his patronizing to convince Wataru of his perception that she's pitiful, misguided and in need of their protection, due to her immaturity. It's also understandable why Wataru may be reluctant to trust her after she tried to shoot him (as Kiva) in the back. Nago's first action is usually to preach to the enemy what sin they allegedly committed, so they know why he's about to become hostile to them. It's still hypocritical, but at least it's courteous. Even though what Megumi is saying is still right, she lacks the credibility to refute Nago's claims about her. She's not like Yuri who is able to attack an argument using logic without letting her emotions get the better of her.