[DreadBringer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

It definitely felt more reminiscent of Hibiki than anything on Kabuto. The Tsurugi stuff was always played as a joke about Tsurugi's cluelessness and pride. Here, it's a story about a kid who feels burned out and dissatisfied with his current path, and meets a passionate instructor in the mountains who gives him support and guidance. That sounds way more like Hibiki to me!

Though probably their background is different (burned out), I was thinking regarding the spoiled child, the child's reaction to the teacher and being teached is similar to Tsurugi's cluelessness and pride. And... I thought "support and guidance" is pushing it. He proclaims he doesn't like kids and is teaching as a way to get laid. He's the type to also mock if the student isn't on his liking... I don't approve of overlooking every questionable stuff you've done in part of contribution to others! (like for example in heroism too, like overlooking for example, them doing it only to get paid, etc. because "the result is them saving the world")

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

KAMEN RIDER KIVA EPISODE 18 - “QUARTET: LISTEN TO THE VOICE IN YOUR HEART”

Like, Otoya teaches Kid Mami this very Hibiki message about following your heart -slash- keeping your beat in the most Kiva way possible: he plays her music so beautiful that she gives up on playing music. It’s not about Otoya’s skill, it’s not even about his dedication to music. It’s about his passion for music, one she doesn’t share. She could train, and get better, but it still wouldn’t make her capable of playing at the same level Otoya does. Worse, she’d be miserable doing it. There’s a skill inside her that she’d be passionate about cultivating (Skeet shooting? Axe throwing?), she just needs to find it for herself.

Weirdly, the rewards of this aren’t just shown in Adult Mami’s commitment to archery, where she’s the most energized and at peace when she’s able to practice her craft. It’s also in Nago’s story, where his job at being IXA and hunting Fangires is no match for his passion: manhunting.

I think there's something that relates into both archery and violin, that both involve the use of bows and has a string that you pull it with. Though dunno if I'm wrong, I'd like for archery and violin to be touched upon in the story. Though the kid Mami before seems to be portrayed as severe as Keiko in Faiz or Amane in Blade in brattiness, the solution seems to be simple here, or that her brattiness in this episode is toned down, that it's just Otoya sharing his way of life to her, doing anything that she wants only (though Otoya's "The Worst" part is him doing anything what he wants...abusing freedom with little regard to others).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

It’s not… I don’t know how happy we’re supposed to be to see Nago laugh with a zeal that is equal parts contentment and psychosis? Like, he was 110% insane at the midpoint in this story, and his catharsis came at the expense of between zero and eight felonies, but he’s completely happy when he gets that button. It’s horrible, and maybe a point is being made here about the trauma of being too passionate for something, but it’s sort of hard to see what that would be. Like, Nago lets the Fangire escape, because he’s only concerned with getting his trophy. That’s tied into the lesson Otoya is teaching, because IXA is Nago’s job, but manhunting is his passion. It’s just, Nago is the only one in the story who suffers for following his passion?

Nago's other quirk is being obsessed by button and collecting them as memento yeah. Nago's self-righteousness gets into his head too much for letting Fangire escape. He'd ought to beat himself up for doing that, as he's been doing that to the other people who do that like Wataru to Oomura.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Or, shit, is he the only one? This whole story is about Wataru feeling like Kiva is some nightmare that is keeping him from his true passion of violin-making. (Although… I squinted a little bit at Wataru’s declaration that he’s only ever wanted to make violins. You quit to play bass! Like, a month ago! This is not some unquenchable thirst you have! You quit making violins more than you make violins!) It’s only through the very Kiva message system of Things Otoya Taught Somebody that Wataru’s able to realize that he shouldn’t be Kiva if it’s only bringing him pain. And then, typical for a superhero, his inaction causes injury, so he’s stuck with the impossibility of dedicating himself to something he’s grown to despise, or feeling guilty for the rest of his life for his abdication.

But then he realizes that he’s only been focusing on the negative consequences of being Kiva. Sure, Wataru’s role as Kiva has thrust him into a world of violence and pain, like Nago’s insanity has for him. But it’s also allowed him to protect people like Mami, this story’s mommy (I see what they probably accidentally did there!), and that’s something he is passionate about. He might view Kiva’s violence as a burden, but he sincerely loves being able to help people. It’s a complicated solution to his dilemma, and one that requires combining multiple truths and viewpoints.

The part of him quitting to play bass didn't really get to me that time, it's probably Wataru being a follower to others, or also being desperate to bond with Keigo. If being Kiva brings pain to Wataru and he feels guilty for him not being there to save others, I guess Wataru should try to make someone a Kiva successor, so he's out of it but there's still someone fighting off Fangires (he briefly thought to leave the fighting to IXA). So from your insight here, Wataru's hatred of Kiva is the violence (I know he said he wants to stop fighting, but didn't really get of it being about violence), but he loves to help people... I'd also think for Wataru, though he's painfully shy, to work this way out by helping people not in fighting way here.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

And to symbolize that new multi-faceted worldview, we get Kiva's new Quaternity Form! Much like Agito’s Trinity Form, it’s Kiva wearing multiple form changes at once. I thought it was okay? Thematically, I love it. It’s a toku representation of everything Wataru learned over this episode, and the three people who taught it to him. It’s him wearing Nago’s insanity, Mami’s courage, and Otoya’s wisdom. Visually… I don’t love it as much! It’s an okay suit, but the resulting fight is just one move set after another. It doesn’t feel more clever, it just feels more powerful. I wish there’d been some added choreography to make it seem greater than the sum of its parts.

Yeah, the semi final form of Kiva, DoGaBaKi Form. The Kiva's equivalent of Agito's Trinity Form (Kuuga forms with Agito's semi final form), changing the color of your hands and torso with the respective form colors. I'd think how Kiva uses Bassha Gun is the best here, maximizing the use with turning the surrounding landscape into water for more flexibility in movement, and if the form allows to use all the weapons it has, maximizing it would be using 2 or more weapons at once (if he only use 1 weapon at once, then it can be done by just usual form change). Although I find the weapon usage good, the finisher's kind of underwhelming... it's just an usual kick like base Kiva... but without even changing the sky into night!