[Kamen Rider Die]

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Originally Posted by DreadBringer

I just realized, is your gripe with Tsukuyomi here, a similar one to your gripe on Yuuji's turn on Faiz's finale (Yuuji was outright villainous though)? For her here, wanting to grow out of Time Mom phase (no, this isn't something that I use here to compare with Yuuji), but instead is done on the worst way?

Pretty much, yeah. It's not as big a deal as Yuuji's stuff from the end of Faiz, though, because a) Tsukuyomi isn't nearly as central to the plot as Yuuji was, and b) it all feels incredibly temporary. Yuuji taking over Smart Brain was in just the final few episodes, so there was almost no chance it was going to get swept under the rug. Here, I'd be shocked if Team Zi-O weren't reunited by Episode 28.

It's bringing up a lot of the same frustrations, but for different reasons. With Faiz, I think we as viewers were supposed to be unsure of Yuuji's motivations, say what you will about his actions. With Zi-O, I definitely think the show feels like it's being transparent about Tsukuyomi's motives and goals. They just, uh, don't make a ton of sense? In the details?

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Originally Posted by Daikaijuman54

I love how Kikai's year is 2121, signifying he's the 150th anniversary of Kamen Rider, which is funny since he feels so much like a Showa Rider with a helping of other Ishinomori Heroes, like Kikaider, even the Driver sounds Showa!

Maybe for Rider's sesquicentennial, Toei Studios (a subsidiary of AmazonDisney) will decide to go full Showa with their tribute. Tiny denim jackets for everyone!

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Originally Posted by Fish Sandwich

I guess if I have to point to make here, it's that I feel Zi-O did a great job taking some of those rougher aspects of early Sougo and building something much, much richer around them. This won't be the last time I say something like this, but I very much appreciate how this show was able to take such an outlandish concept for a protagonist and start making him feel like a genuine human being, with real emotional issues we can empathize with and be invested in, all without ever betraying the strange core of his character.

Yeah, this show has been great about working on its original flaws, and nowhere is that more apparent than how easy it is to invest in Sougo's journey. He was my fifth or sixth favorite character in the initial story (can't remember if I liked Uncle better than him, but probably), and now he's the bright spot in an occasionally-unpleasant stretch of storytelling. They did some smart work fleshing out his psychology, and got a little more nuanced with his worldview. If only they'd given Tsukuyomi the same benefit!

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Originally Posted by DreamSword

Personally I don't see it that way. He's very much aware them breaking apart is a possibility: It's one of the reasons it's a big source of conflict throughout both his life and Rento's', it's just that he chooses to keep faith in Geiz and Tsukuyomi's' judgment, just as he declared way back in the early episodes. It's clearly taking a toll on him, but he's keeping on despite that. He's a strong guy with strong convictions, for better or worse.

Maybe! I still think of him as a kid who's willing to believe in something ridiculous so hard that it eventually comes true. He's never felt like the Time Orphans weren't his friends, and I don't think he envisions a future without them. (There was the point where they were going to leave in Episode 16, but that was Sougo at his most self-loathing, and I don't really think that's where his head is anymore.) They're fighting, but they're still friends, and he's just going to keep putting that out there in the universe until the Time Orphans pick up on it.