[DreadBringer]

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

But, by that comparison, Geiz would be Ryuki and Sougo would be Ren. The problem is, Ren is a gigantic asshole. If this show wanted to move Sougo into being a gigantic asshole... I mean, I'd dislike it, but it would make parts of this story easier to follow. They didn't, though. They made him a sweet boy who beat the crap out of what he considers a good friend.

And not even for, like, a ruse or anything. Sougo wasn't undercover, or planning on taking Kuroto down from within. It's not until midway through Episode 10 where he decides to stand against Kuroto. When Sougo's fighting Geiz, the argument is You Are Helping A Villain versus Okay. That doesn't exactly paint Sougo in the best light?

Oh right... how can I forget. Undercover was the word I'm looking for. I do thought Sougo went undercover against Kuroto somewhat. But then again you thought Sougo became cunning instead of always cunning, and I thought Sougo puts a dimwitted act normally unless when it's necessary (ep. 8). I guess it can also be a case of how Sougo's scatter-brained act is too convincing that it can be a criticism for some that he seems inconsistent or the series being tryhard to make him not seem a fool, including him extending his stay to further investigate Kuroto's rule by fighting Geiz, also capturing Eiji and Hina. At least it's not portrayed as if Sougo realized Kuroto is wrong or something, he just stated his true motivation later when taking him down. And to be specific I was refering to scenarios like Ryuki Survive debut or especially when Shinji's the one almost finishing him. Also Geiz constantly looked for excuse to kill Sougo (I refer to the fight where Geiz fought him with Sougo using Geiz's kick to henshin for example, that's started by Geiz), if he can go through that is not known but likely not... i̶t̶'̶d̶ ̶f̶u̶r̶t̶h̶e̶r̶ ̶m̶a̶k̶e̶ ̶h̶i̶m̶ ̶l̶i̶k̶e̶ ̶R̶e̶n̶ ̶n̶o̶t̶ ̶o̶n̶l̶y̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶a̶p̶p̶e̶a̶r̶e̶n̶c̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶o̶u̶g̶h̶.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

KAMEN RIDER ZI-O EPISODE 11 - ?ZI-O ON PARADE 2018?

Right off the bat, we?re going with this overhead shot of Woz delivering the foreword. Beyond just looking dynamic (which nearly all of these shots for the episode will), it?s a fun image of machinery, gears, clockwork. There?s an emphasis on interlocking elements and cooperative movement that feels like a nice clue to this story?s approach.

And then a great big clock! Some of what I like about this shot is the framing, the stillness. There?s also the dissolve out from Woz?z platform of gears onto a working clock, which is a fun transition. But it also elevates a background motif into something Important To The Story, you know? We?re in a loopy time travel story, and we will be seeing a ton of clocks!

And even Sougo's last name is Tokiwa. Toki means time. His uncle also owns a clock shop and repair service. The intro also had Sougo inspecting clocks on his uncle's shop. Other than that Woz here gave a clock for Junichiro to fix.... finally being a customer that abides to Junichiro's needs. Woz seems to be trying to get along with Sougo's relatives too here, albeit probably he can do that to gain favor for Sougo. Woz further shows to be villainous here though (albeit he's affably evil) to act upon elimitating Geiz and prevent Sougo helping him, to ensure that the tyrant comes. But Sougo states Woz as a nice guy against Junichiro. You're right he can'r see the bad in people and that one is blind, or him acting stupid.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

THIS SHOT! Kouta?s telling Sougo that if he can?t trust in his friends to take care of themselves ? if he has to do everything for them, like he?s above them ? then he doesn?t deserve to have them. He deserves to be alone in his power. And then Kouta drops out the floor, leaving the two all-powerful characters literally standing all alone.

"All-powerful"... so both Sougo too? How did you guess that Sougo is also all-powerful? I know that Ohma Zi-O did rule the world but for him to be deemed all-powerful by that first.... For Kouta's advice to Sougo there, it's true that, they're your friends, not your tools. They're individuals who are allowed to act on their own and not be controlled to your own wishes even if it's well-meaning (doesn't mean they're allowed to be given free pass when they're wrong). That'd be potentially using those as pawns in worst case scenario. Ironically, Kouta's advice here would be an anti-Micchy approach, of which Kouta constantly being lenient to him due to their childhood relation thus he won't view Micchy this way, as someone who doesn't view his "friends" as people, but rather an emotional satisfaction and extension of himself, ignoring his friends' thoughts and feelings and forcing his views and methods on them, and would discard those who aren't going along.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

The Time Jackers are trying to recruit Geiz, and this shot really encapsulates the dilemma Geiz is in. The composition is super symmetrical, with Geiz as the central, slightly-out-of-place component. It really sells their strategy towards him, while letting him not quite fit in. The Time Jacker scheme is smart, in that Geiz could be a valuable asset. Geiz wants the same thing they do: the death of Zi-O. But Geiz sees his manipulation of time as more altruistic than the Time Jackers, even if they?re all screwing around with history. Having Geiz be the central piece of this shot, while being visibly uncomfortable? So smart!

True, there's a tease of Ora following Geiz and it makes sense that the Time Jackers would try to recruit Geiz as both wants to kill Zi-O, though with different goals. This is a parallel to Woz, where he's a villain that worked to help Ohma Zi-O that happens to be the cheerful hero, thus he's creating good outcomes for now by giving Sougo more power to help his desire to save the day. While the Time Jacker planned for a hero, albeit anti-heroic one, to help them in fulfilling his goal, that had similar method to Time Jackers, thus he'd create bad outcome by helping Time Jacker's goals. For screwing around with history, I don't know if that alone is wrong, I'd view Time Jackers as being wrong for not creating better outcome than Ohma Zi-O but reshaping it for their own selfish desires as well as the people who got hurt in their plans like the Armored Riders' victims. Geiz is wrong due to targeting the still-noble Sougo for now, and his black and white mentality to Another Riders is unrelated to him time travelling.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Tsukuyomi is AWESOMELY weird in this episode, which I appreciate. She?d been in Time Mom mode a bit too much over the last few stories, so her getting increasingly stressed-out by Sougo?s perplexing behavior was what I loved about her in Episode 1. These two shots, it?s a nice callback joke within the episode, but I like how each one conveys a slightly different emotion? The first one is suspicious, as she?s starting to realize something?s up, and the second one is her just defeated by how insane things are. I like when the Time Orphans get to be weird, emotional teenagers!

I guess it's more of a weird situation than her acting weird. It'd be odd for both her and Woz that Sougo keeps going and coming back with him making statements that are different from his current occupation. And that there's a new consequence too for now that Sougo getting Gaim Arms isn't something that is recorded on Woz's book yet (he's a prophet). Though both Sougos here know Tsukuyomi well and trusts her to help them going on both of their respective mission. Her being exasperated about insane things is the opposite of being weird... she's taking the sane (wo)man role here, actually that's a voice of reason role still. And the part of her getting Sougo into a fight to test... it's not recognized as quirky part of her or such by others.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

I like when Geiz gets to meet other taciturn anti-hero secondaries, because they can instantly see through his bullshit. Geiz is trying to do his grim executioner thing around Kaito, and Kaito?s immediately like Naw You?re Just Mad ?Cause Your Friend Was Mean To You. Kaito thinks it?s sort of adorable, how this kid is trying to be all pro ice around him. The shots are composited so that Kaito literally doesn?t even have to look at Geiz to read him like a book. And Geiz isn?t even looking at Kaito when he declares his intention to kill Sougo, because he?s trying to convince himself. Great blocking and editing here.

Kaito shows off his social mastery again to correctly evaluate that Geiz has hesitation on his part to do his mission. Like usual he reveals something within person that they deny or even don't realize. Other than that, Geiz is ironically dealing with someone that is a bit similar to Sougo, that while Kaito's an anti-hero for most of the series, at the end, as Lord Baron, he turned into an anti-villain who'd want to improve the world, but is done by destroying the current one. Sougo's a more extreme case on both ends, in the original timeline he was a straight hero (if he was the same in his youth as him now) that turned into straight villain, even irredeemable one.