[MaskedRiderAsakura]

Honestly, I was pretty concerned about them going this route with Aguilera's story arc myself because of the potential implications. But I felt like the execution of this particular plot thread did a good job of avoiding that issue.


This kinda stands in stark contrast to what happened between Daiji and Kagerou. There, it was made clear that one needed to fully eliminate the other in order to become the best version of himself. But Sakura and Aguilera have always had an unusual bond where one (in a very roundabout way) helped pushed the other past their own weakness. In the earlier episodes, Aguilera was this to Sakura. Now, it kinda feels like Sakura is repaying the favor.

With the context of this two-parter, it felt less like Aguilera simply wanted to die a noble death, and moreso that she was going through a major existential crisis where the only way she knew how to solve it was to die by Sakura's hands. Knowing what we know about Aguilera's backstory and her history with the Deadmans, I feel like it almost would've felt too "empty" to have her die now when she hasn't even really been a major threat in the story for like 10 episodes. I like the idea of her finally being able to overcome her past and become her own person.

Also, FWIW, the stuff with Aguilera and Sakura in this episode is some of the most genuinely heartwarming stuff I've seen in a Rider series and I'm excited to see how their bond develops now that they're firmly fighting on the same side together. I don't feel like she'll get Tamaki'd because even from the beginning, it was clear that Aguilera would be a focal character than Julio. But I like that this also opens up the possibility for Tamaki to grow past Aguilera while she's still around.