[DreadBringer]

Nothing to say regarding my reply to ep. 40? Still I had a long text in the first place about ep. 41 here. Though yeah I'm currently falling behind in the episodes here, due to other matters (not talking about my Gaim cover in KR watch, but real life stuff).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

KAMEN RIDER KIVA EPISODE 41 - “LULLABY: RELEASE THE HEART”

Like, maybe it’s the Pride Month talking, but this whole Otoya/Maya story could easily be read as a story about finding love wherever you want, regardless of society’s expectations. Similarly, Wataru’s story could easily be read as a story about gender fluidity, and the rejection of binary labels in favor of defining yourself as Yourself. These are stories where characters opt out of impossible choices that don’t reflect their truths, instead finding solace in the knowledge that they’re following their heart. They love themselves, and that’s better than pleasing someone else.

I mostly don’t care if I’m reading too much into this episode. I love it, that Inoue’s work has these sorts of interpretations available to it. One of his big theses is that Labels Are Dumb, and combining that with his usual passions like Self-Actualization and Systems Don’t Care About You gives us these episodes that have some heartwarmingly queer interpretations. It’s the sort of story that allows characters to define themselves according to their own feelings, rather than mold themselves into an unwanted shape. Having this sort of big-tent humanism randomly pop up in the same episode where Saga has a flying saucer fleet and Jiro in Garulu Form fails to murder Otoya while they're both bathing, it’s such a pleasant surprise. I will always be grateful to Inoue for crafting something I’m able to find such positivity in, even if it’s by accident.

The stories where characters go on 'impossible choices' I think don't always not reflecting their truths, can be opposite, and that happens because the choices presented to them won't reflect their truth if they go along any one of them, so they take another option that still solves the problem but reflects their truths. For you to find positivity (though I would not consider being true to yourself as positivity) by accident, well I'd think it depends on the audience on how they take the work... it'd not be determined by actual quality, like if someone can find much more meaning than someone elses do in a work the latter dismissed, and this would also involve someone regarding non-Inoue work that you can probably dismiss.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

It takes a minute to reveal itself, though, which honestly just makes it all the more rewarding. Shima’s abysmal leadership causes Kengo to realize that he’s been trying to hurt Wataru as a way of covering for his own self-loathing, and I’m not even sure if that’s a point in Shima’s favor or not. (He basically tells Nago that his leadership style is belittling his employees until they get better or quit, so that dude can just go completely to hell.) It leads to a truly beautiful scene of Kengo trying to mend fences with Wataru, telling him that Kengo only sees him as a human, and would it be okay if they were bros again. It. Is. So. Lovely. It immediately made me forget the last however many episodes of Kengo being a dismissive prick, because him and Wataru are bros. They are. And you can see it on Wataru’s face! He is smiling through the tears… as he tells Kengo no. No, they can’t be bros, because Wataru can’t live as a human.

I mean, Shima's unpleasant side reveals more here with him becoming more harsh on Nago as well (who opts to protect Wataru), that Shima has the standard brutal view of treating feelings and emotions as weakness (well, he talks about it happening in the past, but it's still an explanation for gaining terrible traits). So I guess Shima's abysmal leadership is something canon. Firstly, treating Kengo as total failure based on one ironically will just weaken the Aozora association's force, due to losing one good worker as a whole (well, in fighting, Kengo's asshole temperament can cause problems in other ways too, but Nago has stayed there for long time and can be worse than Kengo at that time) compared to doing good work albeit not always giving wanted results (albeit it's reverting Kengo back). Secondly, there are some situations where the emotionless ones are actually missing out or failing when they could have gotten the job done more efficiently by displaying some emotions in a calculated way. They fail to do so because their emotional insecurities and emotional hurt are preventing them from displaying their emotions. Emotions managed well is a source of strength, rather than trying to let go of our emotions altogether, we should work towards managing our emotions better. For Kengo here, it's kinda unfair take that due to how enjoyable this episode is, can just forget the dismissive prick period of him, but not if it's something in other series.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

He has to tell Taiga no as well, in the very next scene. No, he can’t join the Fangires. He’s saying no to everyone, because they want him to ignore a part of himself. He can’t be the human that his friends need, and he can’t be the Fangire that his family needs. He’s locked himself away from the world because it’s full of people who want him to conform to their idea of him.

I guess this is the culmination of Wataru's change from his pushover self, that he says no to Taiga who persuades him to go into the path of evil. Taiga's persuasion to treat the humans as livestocks and worthless is exactly the thing Wataru fears before for him hurting others. I guess this fits with Taiga's self, that Sagarc is a snake, a cobra one, and snakes particularly cobra is often depicted as sinister animal due to their menacing-looking hoods and venom, which is likely reflected on Taiga's attitude to Wataru to 'poison' his heart and tempt him into enjoying Fangire's luxuries. Speaking of Sagarc, this is probably the Saga's version of Castle Doran, but Kiva Emperor managed to single-handedly beat it, using new abilities of Zanvat Sword which is firing sword waves (I never see that shit in the games).... probably speaking about the power it holds.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

And then he gets a visit from his mom, in a dream, and it’s perfect. She’s doing that perfect Kiva thing of letting someone else pass along Otoya’s advice to Wataru. Otoya was in love with a Fangire, but he never cared about that label. He didn’t love a Fangire; he loved Maya. He loved her soul, and he knew that she loved his soul. The specifics, the way society viewed that love, he couldn’t have cared less. And that acceptance, that ability to see past the nonsense of systems to find the truth of a person, that’s what made Maya realize that she was really in love with Otoya.

While Otoya sees past the labels that invites xenophobic views for either human or Fangires, Maya is a woman too, so that earns instant soft spot for a (former if settled on Maya?) womanizer. I only want to know though what's the reaction if King's not such a depraved monster (but still dates Maya). Other than that, this shows King as a hypocrite that he refused to kill Maya for cheating on him with Otoya, believing that doing so would prove that he loved her and that love was a proof of weakness, but he was emotionally devastated for seeing Maya's love to Otoya. I don't know if this stance means you should be all about anti-system following what Inoue seems to think here, as system is made to prevent chaos going on (but for King and Taiga, it's to gain advantage over humans), but system would lead into bad nonsense thing of course if it's ruled by someone as rotten as King! He's a sociopath who has cruel ruling of Fangire laws, and his "love" for Maya: he initially claims that he doesn't love her, but seeing her have feelings for Otoya made him very entitled to her being his, even trying to threaten her with Taiga's life, taking her Fangire powers; sparing her from death to make her feel worse than that, and so on. It's not entirely system fault, the other Fangires need to wise up if they're not entirely malicious and overthrow King (well, previously Maya too because she kills her own beings by the love rule) and instill a reasonable one as King, especially if there's Fangires who love humans and wants to stay that way (and probably the ones who love humans propose to work together with humans). Albeit of course the problem is King's sheer strength. But I think how systems can corner or benefit is based on who's in charge (but that includes Maya as well before, but Otoya's womanizing traits and skills can get through Maya). Don't dismantle system, improve it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

So when she sees her son unable to fit into either the Fangire world or the human world, and how worthless that makes him feel, she imparts that wisdom of his father. Wataru isn’t human or Fangire: he’s Wataru. Live in the world, and be true to yourself. Don’t let anyone make you be anything you don’t want to be, and don’t let anyone make you feel less than yourself for not adhering to their labels. It’s a pep talk that’s a million times better than it seemed like it was going to be, because it just side-steps the tokusatsu dilemma in favor of something universal and sensitive. Wataru just needs to stop caring about what the world wants him to be, and find strength in being what he wants to be.

I admit this'd resonate with me, but still would be hard for me to follow, "true to yourself", "don't make you anything you don't want to be", "don't let anyone make you feel less than yourself". I have this issue as well, sometimes feeling conflicted when I make replies that probably will go against the majority here, like if I'm talking about the truth about Inoue only here (his side media work and his TV work), or if I want to point out an enjoyable character's (while even backing up to others about how characters can be liked without making them immune to criticism) negative traits if I feel that people overlook them, though at least in KR fandom, characters like Kusaka is appropriately seen as villainous mostly, but this can apply to morally grey characters. But being paid attention and noticed too is what I'd want as well, and that'd mean one's presence have to be tolerated by others here, and I can feel that to achieve that, you'd have to do what would satisfy others. So there's a dliemma of me talking about what I want to convey, or talking to please others (being tolerated and paid attention is my wish as well). Though still, this is applied to Wataru who is Kamen Rider main hero, so him living as himself regardless of his being, would also uphold his morals like rejecting Taiga above, but still I'm not too faithful in the moral of being true to yourself, despite it resonating with me, as it's not exactly moral message, it can be abused by rotten people who'd reject any suggestion to better themselves, embracing their nature and insists others to mind their own business, like those who keep stealing or murdering others because they enjoy it, which is being true to yourself in horrific way.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

It’s just a really beautiful episode. I loved how it wrapped in the Otoya story in such a thoughtful way. We’re hitting the end of the show, and this episode clears the air enough to let our heroes fight for what they believe in. Otoya’s seen his monster buddies all get turned into roleplay items by King, so he’s ready to fight. Wataru’s back to believing in himself, and that means opposing Taiga. This feels like a well-earned level-up for our heroes, and it’s clearly arriving just when they need it most.

I had a question about the Arms Monster, and it apparently consists of monsters in 1980s, even I questioned if Garuru is actually the same Jiro in 1980s. So they finally show here that, they're turned into weapons due to King's iron-fist rule of the Fangires. Otoya and the Arms Weapons finally bonded for real here, after long hostility between him and Jiro, that previously, they hesitated when ordered by King to kill Otoya.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

Otoya's compassion is one his greatest qualities for sure. His music redeemed Oomura and now his gift of friendship spurred the Arms Monsters to change as well. Jirou especially has come a long way from trying to murder Otoya to risking his life to protect him and that protection now applies to Wataru who is the legacy of Otoya and his love for Maya.

No offense but, I feel that you're elevating Otoya's morality way higher than he should be here. I'd think that if you talk about music, it's about his skills, which I'd not think it's related to morality, albeit yeah I'd cite Otoya redeeming Oomura as one of his most moral moments, because Oomura is a male AND a Fangire. Not Otoya, but there's many outright villainous characters who would be incredibly skilled/knowledgable at art, like Aizen from Bleach being instructor in caligraphy; traits like passion or determination isn't related to moral (there're determined villains who wouldn't give up to defeat like Masamune in Ex-Aid). About redeeming others, I don't think that you'd necessarily need good traits to achieve that, like in Ex-Aid, the one that softens.. uh... Taiga (don't be confused!) is Nico, who although developed to be better too, is someone who is spiteful, petty, selfish, obnoxious, bratty, etc. And even then Nico developing better can be applied to this as well, as Taiga's the reason for it, which is (he's used to be nice in the past, but still he's totally changed) someone selfish, arrogant, downright unpleasant and couldn't care less about any of the patients the Bugsters infected. I'd like to point out too that, Jiro and Otoya is fully friends now, but Jiro trying to kill Otoya before wasn't a one-sided conflict, it was mutual, Otoya had a bone to pick with Jiro as well before, for his behavior to women or being a rival for women's affections. To a lesser extent, he refused to help the Arms Monsters before unless it involves Yuri, though of course they're fully brothers in arms now, but taking long time for that speaks for itself to me.