[Kamen Rider Die]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GrandComplete

Huh that was kind of fast it almost feels like you kind of done a 180 on Sougo and your investment on the whole conflict between him and the future thanks to humanizing Geiz and Tsukuyomi. I thought it would've taken at least 5 episodes lolm

So, here's a secret, please don't tell anyone else in this thread: I desperately want to like these shows. I hate hating them. For as critical as I can come off, and as angry as I can get about certain things (see below!), I genuinely love Kamen Rider shows. All of them. Every single cast. I was so angry at the first episode of this show because it is so easy to get me on a show's side, and they couldn't even manage that. When they put the merest effort into telling a thematically coherent story with characters I enjoy watching, I'm thrilled.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cosmicrescend0

It's been a while since Ex-Aid, I don't remember if Emu was always the type to be weirdly cryptic about his plans, or its just an odd quirk of Zi-O's writing.

It's a little weird? I can chalk it up to him being a little older now (that adult timbre to his voice!), maybe, but I think it's more to do with how Team Zi-O is going about things? Emu's desperately trying to get the dad to reconsider his actions and be there for his son, while Team Zi-O is all about Rider Kicks and power-ups. It's a little insensitive? And 100% not helping?

Quote:

Originally Posted by cosmicrescend0

I think this is where I first looked at Sougo at anything other than neutral, I think it says alot about him that while he's not giving up on his dreams of becoming King, he does properly recognize how severe Oma Zi-O is as a threat and is willing to die by Tsukuyomi and Geiz's hands, yknow?

Yeah, it's a million miles away from his Sucks To Be You attitude of the premiere. In a way that has a great big flashing HERE IS ONE OF THE THEMES OF THE SHOW over it, Sougo's appraisal of a piece of history (well, future history, but still) takes on a deeper significance when he can connect it to individual struggles. It's not Oma Zi-O Is Bad, it's his friends being hurt by his choices. There's a weight to it, from him understanding that History is a dry fact, but history is something that affected people.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cosmicrescend0

Side note.....I know we briefly talked about Geiz and Tsukuyomi's fashion sense lasttime, but can we talk about Sougo's? I noted he dresses rather plainly in my first watch, but I'd forgotten how Baggy his clothes are, dude's drowning in there. Sougo's actor has a pretty small frame, so maybe they wanted him to look a bit bigger? (But it kinda backfires whenever he puts the Jiku Driver on, it gives him a cinched waist look lmao)

It's summertime! Give these kids a break! Japanese summers can get humid!

Quote:

Originally Posted by cosmicrescend0

Like, how far back does the "Making Sure This Person Doesn't Become A Rider" rewrites go? Do you just make sure they never get the Driver in their hands? For Riders with specific conditions to become one (Smash essence intake, Bugster Virus, etc), do we erase those events as well? What happens to Rider suits who has multiple users, like Build? Erase the Driver from existence i guess, but that opens up another can of worms.....It's an endless rabbit hole, better to not think about it too much.

So, here's the part that makes me madder at this new piece of information than literally anything else in this show: it means Kamen Riders objectively make everything worse. If every single apocalyptic villain and every single rampaging monster can be eliminated because one single hero never gained their powers, Narutaki from Decade was right: Kamen Riders are the villains of these shows.

I hate that idea so much.