[Sh Ranger]

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

KAMEN RIDER KIVA EPISODE 43 - “WEDDING MARCH: A TIME OF PARTING”

But Mio’s death… man, that was a failure of storytelling that was consistently funny, right up until I realized they ruined the show.

The staging on all of the Mio and Taiga stuff was surprisingly tone-deaf and amateurish. That wedding! What in the hell was going on with the directing where that wedding scene wasn’t completely reshot! Taiga looks ridiculous, like instead of hosting a vampire-themed wedding, he just decided to dress up like Dracula at a normal wedding, but he would not spend more than $25. The Fangires were always vampire-influenced, but this is just sad. I expected more weirdness from a man who henshins into a snake-UFO-cathedral. His costume here was shockingly basic, and that lack of imagination filtered down into everything in that scene. For a wedding that was supposed to unite the Fangires, why aren’t any of them there? I know this is the two of them, like, eloping, but why is Bishop skulking around instead of actively participating? How is this even a ceremony if no one’s there to see it? The show made a huge deal about how this event would solidify Taiga’s reign as King, and to not even have that addressed was disappointing.

It was a scene I was laughing at (TAIGA’S HAIR!!!), and that just kept going when Mio just up and stabs Taiga in the guts. The little blue blood that comes out of the wound, and Mio staring at her hands, and her screaming I’M SORRY… I laughed hard. Nothing about the score or the acting contained even a trace of subtlety or nuance, and it could easily pass for parody. I loved Mari in Faiz, and this level of work is beneath that actor.

First Hiyori's and now you laugh at Mio's tragic death. SMH.

I don't think any explanation can make me understand your perspective here, but I do have a theory about the lack of audience for the wedding. Bishop may have claimed that it was supposed to be a uniting moment for the Fangires, but that's just his vision. I mean, how many Fangires have actually expressed excitement or approval of this wedding? We've seen way more against them than for them. Bishop considers himself above people, so there's no way he could understand how they think.

Taiga's blue blood is strange though. We've seen Fangires, even a Queen like Maya, bleed red, so why is Taiga's blue? Is that something specific to Kings? I know there's a metaphor about that, but this is a little too literal.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Shima doesn’t exactly mean anything to him personally, so the one scene they have was, like, Tell It To The Dog. Tell that dog you were proud of him, because that relationship is established.

Shima and Buruman have an established relationship?!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Nominally, it explains Mio’s decision at the end of the episode, but I didn’t buy that for a single second. Taiga’s decision to spare her made sense. This is a guy who desperately wants to believe that he is loved, even if he has to get his guts pulled out to prove it. He also has based his entire sense of self-worth on being King of the Fangires, so he is heavily motivated to salvage his relationship with Mio. (Also, trying to kill your loved ones is a pretty big part of Fangire culture, so maybe this didn’t mean the same thing to Taiga as it meant to Mio?) So Taiga denying Mio’s attempt on his life? I buy that. I do not buy Mio sacrificing herself to save Taiga for even a fraction of a goddamn second. It’s utterly incomprehensible, and I am always willing to give Inoue the benefit of the doubt when it comes to character motivations. Mio hated Taiga! She loved Wataru! Wataru wasn’t crazy about her wanting him to kill Taiga, but it’s not like they broke up or anything. There’s no reason, in this episode, for her to risk her life to save Taiga’s. It’s a decision that doesn’t make sense to me at all.

Mio's heroic sacrifice wasn't just about her love though. It was to protect the familial love between Wataru and Taiga. She loved Wataru. And Wataru loved Taiga. So her wanting to kill Taiga was ignoring the effect that would have on Wataru. When Taiga forgave her for manipulating his feelings and trying to kill him, she realized how wrong she was. The end doesn't justify the means. She didn't sacrifice herself to protect Taiga. She sacrificed herself to protect Wataru from the guilt of killing his own brother.