[DreadBringer]

So the plot's back into the MoTW format along with a civilian asking for help at Happy Spa here, a breather episode. And with a new opening of featuring the Weekend.

And that relates into the duo aspects between Ikki and Vice, pitted against the other comedic duos relating the featured Kuuki Kaidan (with manager Mayu) and the opposing duos Kashiwamochis and Pavlov’s Dogs. Honestly for now, perhaps they should focus more on the other important plot aspects like Weekend after such a big set up of those and these parts can be a slog for the main plot development, but for now, I get the feeling that the ones behind the Deadman can be either (the "twist" type) Mayu with her not being used to the new situation after Kuuki Kaidan's big break and excusing herself in a call or the Kuuki Kaidan (Mogura specifically) with their weird "busy" activities. It's also probably just made as a setup for Ikki and Vice to get up to fight so they can work up on Vice's complications of apparently their henshin and fight as Revice, with eventual Jack Revice debut, and again showing Ikki's growing concern for him, as well as him looking forward with more time to spend with Vice later on as a duo as Vice talked about moments that only can be enjoyed as a duo. Albeit Ikki can still get exasperated with Vice's more reckless actions (which is honestly good)... or Vice being an usual attention whore in front of camera. I'm just wondering if Vice does still have some problems as shown at their comedic duo audition of assaulting the jury (and that Ikki has to restrain him, good thing that Vice would listen to Ikki better as they're now buddies though), or that it's his version of comedy, or obviously, about Jack Revice's debut which can show Ikki's concern biting him back (apparently having Ikki act as Vice's inner demon from the previews).

George here is still "supporting" Ikki by giving new ViStamps such as Neo Batta Genome resembling Zero One's, fitting the current episode's comedic duo focus, but the focus now is showing the rift between them (at least in Ikki's side) with Ikki showing distrust towards George due to his lack of (outer) concern towards Hiromi, and now accusing him of using Ikki as his guinea pig too within his Revice. The parents apparently didn't really notice Ikki showing open hostility to George, different of how he interacted with George before. Apparently a random Fenix member was the one that gave Ikki the Rolling ViStamp. I'm probably can be onboard with a major player of Fenix being an ordinary soldier if he's going to be elevated (but he can just be someone ordered by other major player to give the ViStamp to Ikki), other than more specific positions like George being scientist, Akaishi being director, or Akemi being a doctor. Is that a setup too for likely some infighting inside the Fenix? Otherwise for that George.

The fight with Zero One, the usual stock pause in the finishing moves being named and announced, as well as Revice ja naito catchphrase play. Jack Revice looks sick though, and with the power of utilizing black liquids, giving a symbionte feeling, despite that Jack Revice looks less like Venom unlike Revice Rex Genome. Jack Revice also had one of the better finishers of the additional attacks in the black liquid's barrage and the grinder (though not sure how the grinder can enhance the Rider Kick..). Though I'd like to see the intangible aspects of demons get utilized in battle as Rider's power, like probably controlling their body to be intangible or not.

With the focus (misdirected) lying on mostly the comedic duo environment, the other parts are more of a setup on his episode, of Daiji starting to deal with the unpleasant aspects of Fenix, starting with his concerns regarding Hiromi being dismissed in Akaishi's eyes, and just treating Hiromi as expendable, grooming Daiji as the successor that has to live up. Kagerou shows up again, to taunt Daiji and make them switch places. I wonder what's up with Kagerou here as Ikki isn't related there, what'd he use Daiji's body for if it's regarding Daiji's worry on Hiromi (not enough dynamic shown between them..). And further it shows that how Daiji will act to someone he actually hates (Kagerou) vs someone he doesn't actually hate (Ikki, despite insecurity), that Daiji outright mad to tell him to shut up and get lost.

So much for the redemption talk for Aguilera here, just because she's backstabbed. It's just expected of her to try to form an alliance with Olteca again here, as she's shown to only want Giff like her at the beginning before, and that she herself pointed out that they have the same aim, as shown in their goal parallel in ep. 20 before. Of course it's unknown how it'll play out later, or that if Aguilera now has a trick up to her sleeve to prepare for Olteca's further backstabbing as he now becomes much more cruel and sadistic than their time as teammates. Regarding how she fires Tamaki for being useless here, it can be ambiguous yeah of her being tsundere-ish concerned for him (her picking him up after Revi and Vice separated him from his Demon) or her just treating him like a trash (her daily abuse to him and that she goes back to her evil schemes here). Either way, still far from her being redeemed at this stage and not looking like she's going into any direction.

With Tamaki just being dumped now there's another set up of Sakura taking Tamaki to live on Happy Spa. I wonder and kinda hope that it'd be set up as bigger thing, with Yukimi being familiar against Tamaki Orifu (no, not about Tamaki scheming against Sakura or such, now Tamaki's genuinely friendly with her) than just some comedic hijinks. As previously Tamaki is played up as comic relief again with his over the top reaction while visiting Sakura not unlike when he schemed against her at the karate dojo back then, as well as him wiping his tears with the melted ice cream he constantly holds. I'm infuriated again however with Sakura being abusive to Genta, though Genta irks me with the constant boyfriend talk.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheRaizin

So, I kinda don't like that Aguilera joins forces with Orteca. The man backstabbed her and she thinks it should be fine to join with him again despite the fact that he might pull the curtain on her again. I guess desperate times calls for desperate measures?

Probably it can rub you the wrong way, but I think it's just consistent with Aguilera's character. She has been always obsessed with Giff and that remains so after she got backstabbed. The problem imo before however was her only talking about her obsession with Giff lately. But regardless she'd do anything to get Giff, including when she "helped" the Igarashi brothers fighting Olteca and separating his demon, the aim was to get the Giff ViStamp back.

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Originally Posted by Fish Sandwich

And what was even more exciting than all that might actually be the brief scenes with Tamaki here? I kind of like how you read into Aguilera's decision to cut ties with him at the start as her way of sort of protecting a powerless Julio from getting caught up with Olteca, assuming she had already made the decision to team up with him. Or maybe she really is just being a jerk who only cares about her own goals, right? It's nicely ambiguous that way, but what isn't ambiguous is how adorable a heartbroken Tamaki still walking around with those melted ice cream cones is.

That may be the case, but there have been really many villainous acts got downplayed as just them "merely being kind on their own way", to paint them as innocents or such (and shift the blame into anyone else) that I'd rather not perpetuate this belief of what lies behind a rough behavior (other characters as despicable as Olteca can get this treatment too).

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoldenXtreme

Aguilera has approached Olteca to try and work together, and whether she fired Tamaki out of good will or if she was just using him is left interestingly ambiguous. I'm still rooting for her redemption but she does NOT make it easy sometimes.

I don't know but honestly what's so redeeming about her (with "but she just does not make it easy") lately? If anything this part of the episode showed that she has not made any step towards redemption, her goal is, and has always been is, to resurrect Giff, and if she acts, then it'd be her evil scheme to achieve it and it's her approaching Olteca for Giff. Even previously her temporary team up with the Igarashi siblings was to get Giff ViStamp too.