[DreadBringer]

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Well, I wasn't saying that as a) a universal opinion, or even b) the thesis of this series. It's pretty much just this episode, where the men in it accomplish basically nothing, while the women are the ones actively doing their jobs.

Actually my point was about how ironic for you to say that, while you go on to talk about the misbehaving men, which is likely the part Kiva's refered as sexist.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

(Also, uh... I was not 100% clear on if Nago was going to be Ixa. I love the enthusiasm everyone has for where Nago's story is headed, but if we can maybe keep the discussion to the things that've appeared on the show, that would be great. Thanks!)

Oh right, as I said in the beginning I didn't know much about Kiva other than its Riders (I mean the Rider suit and abilities, not the user or such except Wataru obviously), so a mistake, sorry. I thought the end of the episode will be Nago fighting Kiva, but actually it's not. Also forgot to say this in the beginning, but Kiva's name... a nod to Yuuji Kiba from Faiz? The katakana form of Kiva is Kiba (though it means 'fang' in this case)

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

KAMEN RIDER KIVA EPISODE 06 - “REPLAY: EVERY PERSON GIVES OFF MUSIC”

It’s not a perfect episode (I don’t know that the Sheep Fangire really comes together as a character; pretty weird that Nago just 100% bails on this story after Megumi gets captured), but it’s exactly the episode I needed right now.

That middle section, you know? Where all the cross-cutting between timelines ceases to feel chaotic and instead becomes illuminative, a brilliant burning thread stretching across the decades to unify four people in the defense of life’s eternal beauty. It’s such a perfect moment, and it’s an incredibly Inoue message.

This episode is all about parallels yeah, everything about 1986 and 2008 happens in complete... coincidence (... like some of the writer appeal here before as something that can be Faiz' statement or complaint?). Both moments being Yuri and Megumi being captured by Ryo Itoya, which got into Fangire fighting with Sheep Fangire, and then has an Otoya family member coming through their aid, but gets captured too, and using necklace to help themselves out. And regarding character, other than Sheep Fangire, Ryo Itoya, the Spider Fangire, iirc is a hated character for his stalker tendencies, harassing both Yuri in 1986 and Megumi in 2008, and creepy attitude.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

As they’re working to get out of their bonds, Yuri takes a minute to ask Otoyoa why he’s so much That Way. Why is he expending so much energy on a woman that vocally despises him? (I mean, dude got captured by a decorative vampire monster trying to save her!) Otoya’s been more subdued this episode, genuinely concerned for Yuri’s safety, so we get to see him in a bit more of a contemplative mood. He says that everyone gives off music, and he likes the music she gives off. It’s corny. It is so corny. It honestly brought tears to my eyes. He’s so earnest when he says it to her, this way of seeing the world as a constant symphony, and her singular place in it for him. It’s so vulnerable and sweet that Yuri can’t help but smile to herself about it, even after Otoya ruins the moment by reaffirming his irritating need to woo her at every turn. It’s a more human side to Otoya, a pure belief in everyone’s value, as well as a deeper connection with Yuri. It’s such a strong moment for these two characters.

I always think that womanizers who aren't completely devoid of morals unlike Sheep/Spider Fangire, can be more detrimental to the males instead of the females. Like Otoya's practices can potentially taking away women from a men before, which would obviously devastate them, and as he wants to flirt with women, obviously he will protect the object of affection he has which is women, like his motivation of joining Aozora, which would mean the males would be left to their fate even if there's enough power to do so. It can be 2 choices for womanizers, either they get close to that woman without any regard of her, or treating and focusing on woman with special privilege without any regard of others, so I actually can't accept the view of this part as empathy and non-selfishness, again, because only caring for something that matters to you can be the selfishness instead to be apathetic about anything else. And for expending so much energy on woman who despises him, even the irredeemable creeps would do that too, constantly approaching that woman nonstop like Sheep/Spider Fangire.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Back in 2008, Wataru is trying to understand why Megumi does what she does, where she gets her strength. And she tells him about something her mother used to say, about everyone giving of music, and how she feels the need to protect that music, or something, she doesn’t really know what it all means. It’s a breezy explanation, so typical of Megumi (she’s always got a different move!), that connects all four of our heroes. It’s a thing Otoya said to Yuri, that Yuri said to Megumi, that Megumi said to Wataru. It’s a theme that trickled down from a slimeball in 1986 to his heroic son in 2008. It’s… I mean, again, tears in my eyes. It’s a boy who needed direction, finding it in the words of his father, delivered by a woman he can look up to.

This is the first time Megumi and Wataru interact amicably. I'm not someone who glorifies any form of smack talking and verbal abuse as people bonding or getting close and treat all of it as gentle-ribbing, and for here, to me the indicator of Wataru and Megumi getting closer is them being able to interact cordially (particularly on Megumi's side as Wataru being timid means he's less likely to cause fight to others, but he'd run away instead). And your last point about appreciating people who helped him instead of strangers, this is a nuanced view.... but I hope this won't be a petition for characters like Wataru to...stop giving a fuck about anyone unrelated to them, only care and save the ones who you love, others be damned, basically killing what KR means. And for Aso family always pushing towards success, I hope this won't turn into a notion about how to be resilient you had to be a hardcore previously, who got softened (both girls here) but still can't display any emotional expression.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Not just them, though! We got to see Zanki go full Clawolve (that’s the singular of Clawolves, I did not check the wiki) in a forest brawl that… I don’t know, it was alright. I was already so dialed into the episode emotionally that any fight scenes felt almost tacky to me. It climaxed at that middle section, and the aftermath of that sequence was not super memorable to me. Part of it is that I like dialogue in my fight scenes, and neither Kiva nor Zanki like to chatter. (Kiva did make a fun little noise when he shattered the frozen Sheep Fangire, but that’s not really dialogue.) The fights themselves are decent, and Kiva got a new Gun Form here, but there’s just not enough character to the fight scenes for me. I like ‘em better when they talk!

Yes, Jiro is a Fangire, and fights off other Fangire. The difference between 1986 and 2008 sequence, in 2008 it was the Otoya who fought off the Fangire, but in 1986, as Otoya was a regular human, Jiro was the one to fight instead. And likely you won't talk about this much, but 2 of Kiva's form has shown up, the blue one in ep. 4 which is Garuru form which uses Sword, and now here it's the green one which is Basshaa form. So far Kiva goes like Kuuga in form distribution to have a red main one, then blue melee weapon, and green ranged weapon. You may have preference to dialogues in fighting scene, but don't label those who doesn't suit to someone's preference as bad like no talking in fighting scene. For other media that got praise for no talking in fighting, it's said because sometimes the talking can just distract the fight's raw choreography, one upping, and brutality... though I think KR choreograph are rarely top notch for that...

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Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

I'm not blaming the suit, rather Alia herself. Same with Delta, it didn't just become weaker when Rina was using it. The skill level of the user relative to the opponent is an important factor. The first known user of Delta Gear, Saya, who is also a girl, fought efficiently with it for a long time before she developed side effects. Alia's skill level is better than Rina's for lasting more than like, 5 seconds, and I especially liked that cool parkour spin she did off the pillar! But it was foolish to fight Adel and the Ganmaizers on her own when she could have worked with Edith to come up with a strategy.

Fair enough to talk about outside fight stuff like strategizing with Edith... that'd be a problem within Alia's intelligence (either normally or carried by desperation) instead of fighting skills. Rina as Delta failed epically fighting equal enemies (usual MOTW Orphnoch), while Alia was fighting opponents far beyond the suit's league in Ganmaizers.