[Kamen Rider Die]

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Originally Posted by Androzani84

Ah yes, one of the most memorable episodes of the show, partially for everyone seemingly being happy at Riki murdering his date (the joke is that in Japan, “to eat” is a euphemism for sex).

Thanks for the explanation! Sort of thought that was what they were getting at, but wondered if I was being too dirty with my inference. I was not!

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Originally Posted by FreshToku

Sorry but I can't help but derive a bit of schadenfreude from how your previous post was singing the praises of the writer and then the very next post is lamenting as the show throws its worst yet at you, haha....... Anyhow, its not like this show was actually made in 1986, nor do I believe its trying to offer any commentary about the norms of the time or whatever. Its just 'oof' all around.

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Originally Posted by FreshToku

Also what!! I'm embarrassed to say I didn't know Mio was played by the same actor as Mari from 555. That's kinda funny to me? Its like if, I dunno, Airi from Den-O and Hina from OOO or something were played by the same person.

The thing I like about The Waitress here and Mari's character in Faiz is that the actor approaches them differently enough for them to feel unique. Like, Mari is standoffish and curt, while The Waitress is clumsy and shy. They're neither of them outgoing and talkative, but they come by their withdrawn behavior in different ways. It's a part that both seems written for one actor, and also played by an actor who wants to stretch some different muscles.

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Originally Posted by Kurona

I will bring up that in Japanese culture, there is a big thing about the potential groom asking the brides' parents (particularly their father) for permission to date or marry their daughter, which I assume is what's going on here. It is something that dates a while back and does extend past childhood. But, well, even putting aside opinions on that...

A) As you've said, Shima is barely at all established as a real father figure for Yuri. At best this is like, dramatically inert and incompetent; and at worst it, yes, comes across as asking a woman's boss for permission to date her.

B) The tradition typically follows the couple already deciding they're in love and want to be with each other? Which is kind of the big thing here! I'm no expert or anything, and perhaps this isn't totally unheard of (and this is the 80s we're talking about rather than modern day or late-2000s Japan), but usually when I hear or read about this it does follow some sort of mutual love. At the very least, as something presented in the show it isn't really great or engaging!

I mean, there's a Western tradition to getting the parents' approval to marry their daughter, but it's usually the last thing you do, not the first. (It's also considered polite, not some final hurdle to clear. If the parents don't approve, it ain't like the couple is breaking up! It just means the wedding is going to be awkward!) It generally helps to know that the person you're going to be marrying even thinks of you in a romantic context?

Like, the main problem with this storyline is that we know that Otoya is obsessed with Yuri, and we know that Jiro is obsessed with Yuri, but we've gotten zero insight into Yuri's feelings for either of them beyond Omnipresent Dismay. It's a storyline that centers all of the drama on How Will These Two Guys Defeat Their Romantic Rival instead of, like, Why Doesn't Yuri Run Screaming From Both Of Them?

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Originally Posted by Kurona

Perhaps I, KivaHater8934 is the last person you wanna be hearing from on this at the moment, but it is pretty illustrative of my issues with the show and I agree with most everything else you said here

The bummer for me, as an Inoue fan, is that this story started off so well for Otoya and Yuri. It jettisoned the more controversial elements of the previous story's conclusion to focus on Otoya's sweetness and Yuri's understandable gratitude for his support when it mattered most. And then the whole episode becomes Otoya and Jiro fighting over her like she's the IXA Knuckle in a pantsuit! I mean, Shima gave her away to Jiro without even telling her, so she might as well be the IXA Knuckle!

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Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

This is where Inoue's talent for writing love triangles really escalates to the next level! While the number of people involved is less than in Faiz, I think the intensity of the love triangle here is increased. Specifically, the fated meeting between Otoya and Maya and the progression of the Jirou-Yuri-Otoya triangle are definitely connected stories.

Yeah, it definitely feels like we're in that phase of the narrative. It doesn't feel like the introduction of Maya and The Waitress, along with all of these group dates, is some coincidence. Putting aside the problem of Yuri's (continuous, inescapable, eternal) lack of agency, there's some real energy to the '86 romantic comedy stuff. I just wish it didn't require a meek Yuri to work!