[DreadBringer]

The y̶u̶r̶i̶ ̶p̶a̶i̶r̶i̶n̶g̶ are going at it again, likely for final time.

I guess one thing that I appreciate a bit was that despite Aguilera leaving Deadmans, she retrains her bratty and haughty attitude, she still regularly gave Tamaki the cold shouder at best, her flashbacks of her time as a child being utilized to avoid his hug, and abuses him physically at worst. By this I never view Aguilera as 100% or close to it for treating Tamaki well, she does but not 100%, she regularly abuses him just that at the end she would ensure he's not killed. Regarding her backstory, so far here her backstory doesn't seem to be a tragic one, she had happy time as a child of the Deadman, though obviously being raised by them would give her warped worldview. The preview had her finally confessing that she "loves" Sakura, but don't know if it'd be finally her end, and would leave her childhood, which seems to be the basis of her character not touched upon much, and it means another poorly handled thing of Revice ._.

Other than that, I do appreciate that the show finally addresses on what the Igarashi family wants to do with Aguilera, as previously both Ikki and Sakura wanting to turn Aguilera back into human, but what Aguilera wants previously was to resurrect Giff, and as it's not what she's hoped for, she still had a not noble but different goal this time, to keep her pride as a former evil queen going by probably having herself go out as a powerful threat. Ikki's problem previously was about forcing what he thinks is good upon others, his busybodiness, of which he now asked Sakura if she's certain about turning Aguilera back into human, of which would not make her a threat anymore (if her evil queen pride is about being that).

Other than that, Sakura also received some progression in how she had to come to terms with her hesitation, and weakness again, as it's something that power-ups Lovekov's influence on her and thus weakens her and eventually damaged her belt. I guess it makes more sense about how she can't henshin earlier, Lovekov's influence was preventing herself to henshin at the beginning, while here as Jeanne already she got forced out of it. But at the end she decides to act on her own and cleared her doubts that she'd do what Aguilera actually wants instead of forcing what she thinks to be right and 'sensible' for Aguilera by living as normal human. And in this case. she's the one who insisted Ikki to turn Aguilera back as well, but she changed her mind later. The Weekend didn't do direct action here, but probably they also helped in making Sakura change her mind with Tasuke asking if human life would be compartible with Aguilera, and Masumi stating about how any choices can have their own regrets, as there’re risks to everything, and consequences for any decision you make.

I guess this confirms that Tamaki is fully redeemed now (at least for me who doubts it before with him having no power), as he now admits that what he and the other 2 did at Deadman before was unforgivable. And other than Aguilera and Sakura, he now gets along better with the other Igarashis too, in him cooking for dinner and is approved by Yukimi, and Ikki being concened about him when he looks after Aguilera. This part is kinda like Vice, of which though Yukimi chewed him out here, it was not out of her previous grudge but about underestimating the bond between Igarashi Family (of which what Vice would hope for now). The part of him talking about the other Deadman members who needed Aguilera despite their atrocities, I actually hope that the members' state would be touched upon, though I don't believe it'd be done or executed well...

For another part that seems to be in the center stage more Fenix, and here, after spending his time more in the backseat behind others for his dirty work, Akaishi finally directly committed a real evil deed, and it's an actually nasty one and kinda gives some interest to look for within Akaishi, he brutalizes Akemi, who investigates his schemes, directly along with revealing the Giff eye in his arm, and then sends Giftarians after her, with her fate currently unknown. As Daiji finally goes upset over the treacherous director, he implies that Akemi was held hostage, though she also can be finished off for bad here, given how Revice sometimes set up someone as a major player, only to be shortly killed off, so far previously it had been done for villains like Haitani and Chigusa, but now it happens to someone at hero side (only Akaishi seems bad now in Fenix) instead in Akemi. I guess this gave Akemi some comparison with Chigusa too, both are ladies who are a part of Fenix and watched its true nature via Akaishi talking about his schemes and are offed earlier than their significance would suggest, but Chigusa went rogue and ironically becomes someone no better than Fenix was by joining Olteca, while Akemi keeps her conscience and acted by investigating Fenix instead. I was at first a bit annoyed with Daiji's 'chivalrious' move towards Akemi before, but it seems that he's right this time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blade Fang

The most interesting from this episode is about Akashi as antagonist.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yarlick

The preview seems to hint that something's going to happen to Aguilera in the upcoming episode.
To be honest, I was way more interested in what was happening in Fenix than what we saw with Sakura.

Good thing though? That means the show can kinda turn around regarding someone who was kinda forgettable and uninteresting before in Akaishi. And Fenix is never background part of Revice anyway so this one's not about inadvertently making smaller things more interesting.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

The rest of this episode, honestly, it feels like I'm watching a different show, titled Kamen Rider Jeanne.

They seem kinda living up though then for keeping Sakura significant and living up to the hype of her potential compared to her 2 older brothers. Many complaints about female Riders are them getting shafted, often are killed, but there are those that can get shafted without being killed like Yua.