[Sh Ranger]

So Tsukasa just abandoned all those 2009 kids to the mercy of the Dai Mazines on the Day of Oma, huh? I wonder what DreamSword thinks about this.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

KAMEN RIDER ZI-O EPISODE 27 - ?THE DAY IT ALL BEGAN 2009?

It was fun to watch, though. I like Woz and dislike Hat Woz, so this episode?s triumph of The New Kamen Rider Woz is exactly the sort of story beat that forgives a lot of stalling. (This episode has a lot of stalling!) The cleverness of the Woz/Heure team is really thrilling, and I geeked out over them full-on outsmarting Hat Woz. Woz is just cool, I guess. I like how the performance has modulated a bit more into something that feels less? manic? Woz has been humbled by the strategies of Hat Woz, and he?s come out the other side a man of renewed dedication, but less certainty. He can?t just sit back and let the future play out; he?s going to have to speak up for what he wants.

White Woz is always acting like an insufferable snob, so it felt good to see him defeated by his own words and his enraged reaction to losing control of the situation. It's a moment of petty revenge for Heure as well, for that time he tried to run him over with a car in the Shinobi arc. Now the true Kamen Rider Woz has arrived, heralded by his own IWAE!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Which leads us into Uncle?s speech to Sougo. I really loved it! It?s nothing we didn?t already know about Sougo (he?s hiding how much it hurts him to lose his friends, even briefly), but it reinforces how difficult it?s been for Uncle to be the best guardian for a lonely boy with strange aspirations. Uncle?s constant need to be a positive force has maybe given Sougo the wrong template of adulthood, creating a sad boy who doesn?t want to burden people with his unhappiness. That?s not great for a kid, and it?s probably extra not great for a budding time overlord. Sougo can?t live his life in isolation, smiling through his pain. He needs to be honest and vulnerable in his need for connection, like everyone does. As a corollary to Tsukuyomi?s lesson about putting Sougo on a pedestal, Sougo can?t put himself on a pedestal, either. He needs to treat his emotional concerns with the same validity he treats the emotional concerns of others. He can?t save people unless he can save himself.

I mentioned before that Uncle Tokiwa is the MVP of this show and here's one of the best examples of that. Not only is he the greatest repairman in history, but he also finds the courage to bluntly tell Sougo what he needs to hear. Sougo has been acting like everything's okay, but truthfully, he absolutely deserves the right to be upset about his situation. What Geiz and Tsukuyomi have been doing to him, regardless of their intentions, is not fair. How can he become a king that people can trust, when he can't even trust his closest allies enough to be honest about his feelings? That's an important piece of wisdom Uncle Tokiwa gives him.

BTW, remember the Ridestriker, that bike Sougo virtually never uses? Pay close attention to it next episode, cause you won't get another chance.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Interesting! I think Woz'z actor would've been a good lead Rider, but I can't see him as Sougo.

Watanabe Keisuke wasn't the only one to audition for the role of Sougo. There was also Itagaki Rihito, who was instead cast as Heure. What do you think of a hypothetical Sougo portrayed by Itagaki?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rei

Going back to Woz, I remember many were photoshopping Woz (The rider suit) into black since many were expecting Black Woz to transform. Kinda glad he remained relatively the same.

Agreed. Kamen Rider Woz looks best in silver. No point changing a suit that already looks awesome!