[DreadBringer]

Damn, it started and almost missing out (probably would come back into the Legend Rider thread later).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

KAMEN RIDER ZI-O EPISODE 1 - ?KINGDOM: 2068?

But Sougo? I can?t get a handle on him, as a character? Not even as a protagonist or a hero or a lead, but as a character. He wants to be a king, but like, as a career? That?s ludicrous. I?ve seen plenty of ridiculous motivations in Kamen Rider (and I love Tsurugi, who is a preposterous bundle of Bizarre Achievements in an ascot), but this is beyond the pale. You cannot study to become a king. You can?t fill out an application to be a monarch. There isn?t a good school to major in the regency arts.

Actually what's baffling for me is about how Sougo wants to become a king.... but he doesn't actually work for it. You said he can't study to become a king, while what I thought was about how Sougo is all talk no action, which makes him really delusional, to become king you gotta study to become a wise, responsible, and knowledgable one which are iirc required trait to be a king, yet Sougo doesn't even want to go to study (at college here). So you're viewing things as generic if there's no reason? That seems more about not being fleshed out at this point, because even giving a reason for someone's desire still had them being able to be labeled generic.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

It only gets worse once Tsukuyomi shows up.

Which is not because of Tsukuyomi! She?s one of only two characters in this episode I felt invested in! (Her and Gates, that's it. Give them the show!) She?s great. I love the heroism of her mission; the belief that even the worst of us have a moment where we could?ve been good. Her coming back in time to show Sougo that his dream of becoming a king is really a nightmare for the world, in the hopes of dissuading him before it?s too late, that?s awesome. That?s a Kamen Rider hero. That empathy. (Also, her getting him thrown in a river as a test is some great chaotic energy.)

At this point, yeah, Tsukuyomi is someone on the upper echelon on moral righteousness just like the main Riders (never count out Sougo from this though... he's likely naive and delusional but that isn't a moral flaw), she doesn't only have the good intention to improve the situation and outcome, but also the (Rider) sensibility to try to go for the best outcome for every party involved (other than being forced to KO Banjou), she knew that there was a tyrannical king on her timeline that she tried to fix, but she knows that it doesn't mean that any methods can be used to achieve that good intention, Sougo at this time, while annoying, is a harmless kid, she used the compassionate method to try to guide him on the right path as he's still harmless. Sougo doesn't deserve to be gruesomely killed at this point. And this is like the biggest appreciation for Tsukuyomi I've seen... ever. From what I get she's one of the most generally hated character in the whole franchise (likely for good reason, and likely you'd follow suit too later). It's as if your appreciation of Tsukuyomi here is just like how you appreciate Kai from Den-O.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

And it all comes to a frustratingly plotted finale, where Sougo heroically vows to be a Good Tyrant.

You? you cannot be a good tyrant, my dude. Good Tyranny is an oxymoron. It?s a colossally stupid thing to say, and the fact that this episode views it as a) something that doesn?t require explanation, and b) a thing a hero says? That makes me enormously worried about this series. Enormously.

Not saving innocent stranger, but he did accomplish something here, he stopped the fighting between people who are involved in a fight, or at least despite being dumped into water, he cares more about how the people arguing had stopped, he prioritizes what happens to others here, putting others above him. Otherwise Sougo is one of the most out of touch from reality characters in KR yeah. Though did he talk about being 'demon king' instead of being tyrant? (I watched this on local TV with dubs, so there'd be no subs) Because the term demon doesn't always mean figuratively, it can mean literally as if Sougo becomes someone that is demonic-looking/vibe/darkness power but is good despite the outer look.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

It?s terrible. Tsukuyomi makes sense, as a character who believes that even devils can become angels if you get to them early. Geiz makes sense, as a character who wants to snuff out evil before it becomes a wildfire. Woz even makes sense, as the kind of historian who loses scale and human cost in favor of Narrative and Myth.

Geiz makes sense, but he's in the wrong here as, just like the idea of time travelling to kill Hitler or such, at this point, Sougo hadn?t done anything monstrous enough to warrant his murder. He's the usual anti-heroic secondary Rider who'd dirty his hands to accomplish his goal, and his resemblance to Ren (Akiyama ok? Not Amagasaki) has been a memetic factor (and he truly does resemble him!). But there'd be something that is particularly funny much later regarding that, but this'd be a spoiler. I'd view Geiz' Rider design as worse than Zi-O though. Woz is the most memetic character (IWAE!) in this series and is overall the most beloved (.. or considered the only good thing about Zi-O), though he's the usual hammy and over the top-type. He's an example of how someone helping the protagonist doesn't mean they're good people, Woz wants to raise a brutal ruler and this is the first step of giving Sougo the Zi-O Driver, Woz'd only care about serving the king without regard of him eventually turning the world into hellhole.