[DreadBringer]

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Yeah, I don't think you have to worry about Wataru, who is an incredibly sweet boy, losing his empathy for others. It's not a zero-sum thing. He can find a deeper connection with Megumi and find a deeper connection to humanity. (Or, at the very least, find a way of putting into words something he's felt for a while.) It's kind of a main thing in this story!

Of course not to Wataru, but like before regarding Otoya, I also worry about the audience wishing the story (Wataru) to be turned that way, and act as it's completely ok and fully heroic for him to only care about loved ones (and I get this vibe from yours too to lump Otoya's part of story as empathy and non-selfishness) and ignore the rest. I really want for KR to convey the message that "irrelevant nameless nobodies" and strangers are people too, and that heroism isn't only about saving people.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

I don't think I labeled them as bad? Pretty sure I just voiced my preference. Folks are free to enjoy different kinds of fight scenes! We all process art differently!

And processing art also means people shouldn't limit how others express and create their work (doesn't mean no giving any tips), like preventing others making something that isn't suitable to their preference, and encouraging others to make things only that suit their taste by "this is what I want for..."

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

KAMEN RIDER KIVA EPISODE 07 - “HYMN: THREE-STAR FULL COURSE OF DARKNESS”

There’s a very sweet scene in the middle of this episode that managed to showcase everything I love about Wataru, along with everything I hate about him right now.

Now here... if the term bickering is usually refered as gentle-ribbing between allies, the spat between Megumi and Nago, is clearly not about friendship that acts like bitter enemies outwardly. They're in clear dispute and friction, mostly in Nago's side for showing sexism to her. Neutrality is something a straight hero should display between this to not focusing on giving benefit to only 1 side, make it balanced. And well, the hate of Wataru here, is something I talk about regarding others who fully hate before, about his "weaknesses" (timid and socially-awkward) for a main hero role, and you didn't do it fully towards anyone with this (and has mixed concern to Wataru), but this is still a hate shown for ordinary flaws (naivety, misplaced trust, etc.) where people give passes to dark flaws (greedy, violent, etc.), which is double standard-y to me, especially for the cries of giving characters flaws to make them believable. And don't want to give the implications that people like Wataru deserve the misery like bullying and ostracization they got (I know you also said to want to save Wataru too, but still this is common for fandom to only throw hate to this type of character), and other than that (for you claiming this part isn't dull), the hate of boring and dull can also play a part in this too. Otherwise story wise, of course Nago is the Kusaka, so he'll be charismatic and charming enough to manipulate others, and be successful in doing it, along with Inoue's miscommunication.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

It’s just, Nago is so relentlessly callous and controlling here that it is heartbreaking to watch Wataru get so spun around. When Nago is screaming at Wataru to ignore anyone who would contradict him; that only Nago will ever tell Wataru the truth… DARK! Very dark stuff, and it’s honestly hard to deal with Wataru getting so manipulated.

Though it's maybe hard to deal with Wataru here, it's expected, because Wataru is a doormat, not even someone like Nago, a regular newspaper scout also had Wataru easily swayed. Though still, sense of despair, grittiness, realism, evoking those feelings in stories can be good (though can backfire, everything can) to introduce which shouldn't be used as an example, though of course too much of this (and more again, if it's needlessly added) will turn this to edgy instead, where Inoue frequently veers to edgy territory. It seems that although the children of divorce aspect here is on the later planned date part for Megumi to Wataru where Nago intervenes and turns it into "investigation" instead, but there are actual spat not based on that earlier which is based on Nago's ego and sexism. Other than that, Shizuka seems to play a part in taking Wataru's phone and disrupting his conversations with others. Jiro's bad side is revealed here.