[Kamen Rider Die]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fish Sandwich

It's a legit really interesting mystery story that somehow takes a completely random assortment of guest stars and manages to build them up into a proper team by the end, to the point where you'd almost forget how odd it is to see these people standing together. And all while staying true to who those characters are, even when they're surly loners who would never join a Sentai in a million years. But GoRider makes it happen! It is going above and beyond the shallow requirements of why it exists (as far as I can tell, 1:Have GoRiders, 2:Remind people Kiriya exists, 3:???) to a degree that's almost comical.

There's a part of me that gets a little sad at the end of this mini-series, when I realize (years on from its airing) that we're never going to see more of this bizarre team. It's a premise that practically begs for more development: Can Kaito resist the desire to use his power for personal gain? Can Kino learn to respect other heroes' viewpoints and agendas? Can Yoko find some way to better define herself outside of a man's shadow? Can Kiriya learn to trust his teammates, rather than play things close to the vest? Can Kenzaki stop shouting that he Didn't Betray Them?

Boy, I would've liked a follow-up to this story.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fish Sandwich

(There was also one detail in particular I loved that I only noticed rewatching it now that I'm more familiar with Japanese, and it's that "Kenzaki's" dialogue is written exactly how Kuroto always talked, back when he was playing the part of the helpful CEO early in Ex-Aid. It's like he's doing the laziest possible impression of Blade, but the viewer might just assume that's how they're choosing to characterize an older Kenzaki or something, so it's only a clear tell in retrospect. Just one more way the script for this miniseries impresses.)

Oh, very cool! Thanks for the info! I really enjoyed how much Kenzaki's actor channeled Unhinged Kuroto for a few scenes, so I'm glad to hear the writing was as on-point for the Hinged Kuroto stuff.