[Kamen Rider Die]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreamSword

I think, when it gets right down to it, I feel like these episodes tried to juggle too much at once?

I'd agree with this, even if I'd, uh, pick the exact opposite thing to expand to full-length. I never felt like the mystery of 2009 sat well beside a modern-day conflict between Geiz and Sougo. Both stories are doing different things, with different objectives, and it made for a frequently disjointed experience.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreamSword

It's a damn shame, and I really did not like how his arc appears to be resolved with Sogo simply going up to him and going "Hey, yeah, sorry, but let's just get over it, I guess."

I didn't really see it that way?

For Hiryuu's side of things, he definitely doesn't seem like he's resolved anything with Sougo. He's screaming in impotent rage, which is usually a sign that someone is not super ready to move on from their trauma. Also, there's that little shot of the Another Zi-O Ridewatcch reforming, which hints at this story getting a follow-up down the line.

For Sougo's side... I mean, this is one of the points of this story, that you can't let yourself get locked into past recriminations or tragedies, nor can you feel guilty for other people's choices. Hiryuu isn't ever going to get anything more from Sougo than an acknowledgement that a horrific accident happened, it happened because Sougo was on the bus, and they were both scarred by it. More than that... like, what can Sougo do besides let this guy feel seen? And hope that he can process his shit?

With an underdeveloped, one-note dude like Hiryuu, I thought Sougo's talk with him was empathetic, while still being realistic.