[DreadBringer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreamSword

Maybe I'm totally off base here, but I moreso took the whole method of defeating Another Riders to more be the case that they can only be permanently defeated via the Ride Armors. Like, we clearly see our heroes defeating the Monster Riders in combat, it's just that without the proper Ride Armor, the Anothers can just get easily revived a short time afterward.

No you didn't, you're fine here. But yeah there's difference between invincible in battle and the battle stats being proportional to their power and them being able to be returned. Even theoretically if there's an actual mass manufacturing of the Drivers, after a Driver is destroyed, they can give another Driver for them to use (or them having a spare Driver to use).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

KAMEN RIDER ZI-O EPISODE 4 - ?NO CONTINUES 2016?

It?s a set of episodes that draw smartly from Ex-Aid?s version of Teamwork, where it?s more about finding commonality with people you don?t like in order to achieve a shared goal. The heroes of Ex-Aid mostly despised each other, but they still managed some Perfect Co-op when the moment required it. They looked past their conflicting motivations and general messiah/martyr complexes to see that they wanted the same thing, just for different reasons. Achieving their shared goal was a positive for everyone, so it was worth tabling their feuds for a few minutes.

Right, co-op, that's what you meant about Ex-Aid being about teamwork. I don't think they want the same thing though, it's more about they want different thing, but they achieved it using the same method (fighting the same Bugster or such for instance). That way ganging up on a Bugster would be the most benefical for them so they can do it.... because there are a case where despising each other would just hinder each other as expected, like Tsurugi in Kabuto interfering with Tendou's fight.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

That?s pretty much Geiz and Sougo? Geiz isn?t convinced that Oma Zi-O isn?t only a couple charmingly-obtained RideWatches away for Sougo, and Sougo can?t really convince him that there isn?t a chance that Oma Zi-O is where this all ends up. There?s all this mistrust and uncertainty to what the future holds, and what the best course of action is? so maybe it?s easier to focus on the present? On the immediate task? Fighting Another Rider, saving a life, it doesn?t really matter what Sougo thinks of Geiz or what Geiz thinks of Sougo. The outcome is positive, so it?s worth pursuing together.

Sougo does prove here though that he tried to not become Ohma Zi-O, he proved it by correctly piecing together what Emu was trying to do from clues in previous episode and tried to help him convince Another Ex-Aid to give up peacefully. Regarding positive outcome though, I won't be using much on the outcome argument honestly, because something like for example, Kamen Rider formula of the hero having same power source as the villain can be technically creating a good outcome, but doesn't mean said villain becomes innocent, like for example the Zecters being developed by ZECT which had monstrosity like Mishima in charge. Another example is evil vs evil scenario like Evolt killing Namba in Build.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

The Ex-Aid character comparisons from last episode, with Geiz and Hiiro, continue in this episode, but not at all how I?d expected. It?s a little thread about how the bottomless empathy and desire to avoid conflict for Team Zi-O is Tsukuyomi, not Sougo. (He's a sweet kid in this one, though.) While Geiz is the headstrong I?m Not Here To Make Friends grump that made Hiiro go It Me, Sougo listens to Emu plead with a crazed father to stop harming innocents and looks to Tsukuyomi, to say We Have One Of Those On Our Team Too. Sougo sees the way that she holds out hope that people can be better than their worst moment, and sees Emu?s compassion, and really gets how he fits into this group of weirdo teenagers.

I kinda like here that the one that is used as a source of example and inspiration (for guiding others toward more good) is someone like Tsukuyomi, who as you said earlier is someone with actual Kamen Rider sensibility, instead of using an example in someone more morally questionable but is done by the series only because they had more major role and had their negative traits downplayed/ignored by this. This episode also had Geiz' coldness being shaken a bit by a technically side character instead in Emu, who kinda pointed out that Geiz and Hiiro are alike as in which Geiz realized too late, while Geiz noted Hiiro is cold... Geiz himself is also similar. That's also a funny bit in this episode that had me laughing over Geiz having himself exposed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

It?s an episode that massively rehabilitates Sougo?s place in the group from the horrifying disregard of the first couple episodes. He?s starting to see that Geiz and Tsukuyomi aren?t wacky neighbors or impetuous killers, they?re two people who are here to host a year-long intervention for him. The series stakes are legitimized by humanizing them; by seeing Geiz?z anger and Tsukuyomi?s uncertainty, and caring about them both, Sougo has to treat Oma Zi-O as a real threat. He has to be a better person, now, today, for these two kids. He needs to be a positive influence on the world, because he sees how worried they are. His actions matter now.

Uhh... while Sougo can be out of touch from reality, Sougo is always a sweet kid, not only at this episode. It's already established at episode 1 before even if his portrayal is annoying, it's seen in Sougo more concerned about people stop fighting rather than him being thrown to river. Sougo won't despise Geiz or Tsukuyomi, and Tsukuyomi doesn't despise Sougo either. Geiz and Tsukuyomi are real partners so it's obvious they aren't on each other's throats. The only one that bears hatred here is Geiz towards Sougo (though he can be a tsundere), and for now, Tsukuyomi is the one that can rein in Geiz' vengeful murderous desires, so Tsukuyomi's the one that keeps the trio together for now. And I did forget that Sougo did have some development here too of becoming less delusional and more sensitive and thoughtful on the other's situation (based on Sougo's ignorance, not Sougo being uncaring), him realizing that Geiz went through a lot more than what he accused him as before (which angers Geiz as he grabs him by collar).