[Kamen Rider Die]

KAMEN RIDER ZI-O EPISODE 24 - “BEST FRIEND 2121”



So, first off:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

I sort of like the implication (or, at least, possibility) that Sougo is creating these alternate future timelines with his premonitions. I'm sure that's not where the show is going with it (feels like more of a Kiramager move?), but it works for me.

ha ha ha WHOOPS

Turns out, that’s exactly where the show is going with it, so that’s sort of neat. I don’t feel like going back to the previous Future Rider episodes to see if I can make a case for everything as a reflection of Sougo’s subconscious (feels like it’d be 50% Obviously and 50% Bit Of A Stretch), but I do appreciate the show opening up such a gigantic can of worms. Because, you know, the Future Riders aren’t the only characters who’ve shown up from the future to interact with Sougo.

There’s also the Time Orphans.

Now, I really don’t think the show is saying that Sougo’s created Geiz and Tsukuyomi. Metaphorically, I’m not sure it’d help this show to make two of Sougo’s most trusted friends (and, uh, Woz, I guess) into figments of his imagination. Maybe, but it’s difficult. But right now, I kinda like Geiz and Tsukuyomi being slightly unmoored by Sougo’s reality-altering powerset, and how even positive desires – like friendship – can have negative consequences when it’s the desire of a god.

Because this is an episode about Sougo’s feelings, pretty much from front to back. There’s not a ton of movement on the schism between Sougo and Tsukuyomi, which is both a bummer and a blessing. It’s a bummer, because this plotline so badly needs Tsukuyomi to make a better case for killing Sougo than just saying We Need To Kill Sougo. But it’s a blessing, because in the rare moments where Tsukuyomi gets to talk about her strategy and its necessity, she sounds like she’s Another Tsukuyomi or something: just bizarrely hypocritical, and disappointingly bloodthirsty.

There’s a bit in this episode where Tsukuyomi and Geiz are bickering over Tsukuyomi’s irritating insistence on asking When Are We Going To Get To The Murdering Sougo Factory at all times, and Geiz asks her if she’s seriously willing to trust Hat Woz. She responds that there’s no time to be choosy about where they get help. It’s… I got SO MAD at that response. Her insane point is that it’s okay to trust in Hat Woz’z mysterious motivations, because it’s expedient, but trusting in Sougo – who, to date, has only used his Terrifying New Power to, uh, save Geiz’z life – is ludicrous. It’s a terrible argument in favor of executing a friend, and that was the point where I gave up on Tsukuyomi’s current plotline making any sense to me. Just gonna assume she’s the Mirror Tsukuyomi, who destroys friendships and hates empathy. It’s easier for me that way.

And since I don’t really care about Tsukuyomi right now, it gives me more of a chance to enjoy how this story is just soaking in how lonely and sad Sougo’s character always was, and how badly he needs his friends back. The separation itself is far more interesting than the reasons behind it. That sad little speech from Uncle about how this weird kid never had anyone to be friends with, and then two teenagers from the future -slash- his dreams arrived to live with him and go on Time Missions (holy shit, remember when this show had time travel?!) but also having meals with him and caring about his grades and believing in him and…

It’s just a nicely melancholy scene, even if it never really sways Tsukuyomi from her Anti-Sougo Brain Worms or whatever is going on with her. I wish this story were about Tsukuyomi’s relatable fear that she might’ve misread someone and now she regrets it, or about how difficult it can be to protect yourself from being hurt when relationships evolve unexpectedly, but I will settle for a story where Sougo misses the only two friends he’s ever had.

Even if he maybe dreamed them up.