[DreadBringer]

Latepost due to getting my hands full previously.

I would say at least Ikki regaining his memories didn't come out of nowhere, as it already had a setup even if it was a few episodes ago, with the reason of Ikki considering a Vice a family that their contract was ongoing. But like before, Ikki's smart and resourceful, and it's consistent here, thus Lovekov revealing herself would had Ikki realizing that Vice's trying to sacrifice herself to get his memories back, though it seems that, like other "cruel" to be kind (well in this case, only the emotional damage to Ikki before), it doesn't need to be done, if it's about Ikki fighting as Revice only, not killing Vice. Though Ikki agreed to choose everyone else over Vice here, albeit obviously saddened by Vice's departure, but the final fight is canceled and turned into them playfully fighting instead, which shows how far they've come that now they can't ever be hostile to each other anymore, and there's some goodness in the varied old powers being used, which makes sense because they aren't looking to quickly kill each other.

The next part of the episodes are simply the cast's activities after all the series, and other than Ikki losing Vice (which is mitigated by him forgetting Vice), this bittersweet ending leans heavily on happy. Ikki returns into playing soccer and being encouraged by his idol Miura to go pro, and he's apparently better than before. Probably due to his fighting as Kamen Rider, but Ikki returning there seems to show that Ikki wants to pursue his dreams instead of which probably made him resentful. Daiji now can shine as the founder of Blue Bird, and getting what he wanted to steer Fenix to the right path. Sakura's now being a normal schoolgirl studying for medical school, dunno what made her interested in that, though it's not exactly nowhere. And Yukimi followed Genta's footsteps, which tbf, she has never ridiculed Genta for his streaming before. So Tamaki and Aguilera canceled their plan to turn themselves in? Though yeah working on Blue Bird is more useful than being imprisoned. Which Orteca still is due to him being left normal human, of which his actions led into only George that wanted to visit him, and also, he got quite appropriate punishment of 666 years, far beyond average human's lifespan, and it's something realistic for crimes that are really severe.

For the series itself, as I and many others have said, Revice started out smooth, if rather quick, but fell apart midway. It was a series that is refreshing to give the main characters full-fledged family (and eventually, being Rider families except Yukimi), and started out in an MOTW format that involved troubled people being used by Deadmans to manifest their inner demons as the monsters to fight, and it transitioned smoothly into the main plot of how being exposed into Riders and demons potentially ruin the Igarashi's harmony, inside or out, but would fulfill the goals of the villains and potentially George. Later the main villain faction breaks apart in quite punching twist. After that though, there's some rough path like the handling of the former generals, sans Orteca (which was the highlight), but it didn't impact the series as a whole, and seemingly getting back to track at ep. 25 for Vail plot twist, making use of Hiromi as a convincing buildup.

But after that, there are too much ideas that the series end up often leaving in half-assed way, like the Ushijimas being a fake family, George focusing on new daddy issues with Masumi, the establishment of Weekend, the three siblings going on different path, other demon conflicts of the Igarashis, building up Giff as an active participant, Giff's underlings fulfilling his goal, even the background of the former generals, and of course Ikki's amnesia. The story quite shuffles focus into what's needed, and some got less focus between these jugglings like the Ushijimas, or even Ikki and Vice with their amnesia used as only the series closure. There's also inconsistency like how Kagerou was killed despite the implication of the previous buildup. The highs of the series at this point was reached only by the side medias like Vail Legacy, and in the series proper, it was ep. 42 due to being similar to said miniseries, with it making use of Hiromi's return and giving a good theme about forgiving yourself with a fight that is related to solve the problem. It'd be better if Revice isn't distracting itself as much from its family focus, like the screentime of Giff's underlings, which is the main theme of Revice and what made it different. Regarding the characters some I want to talk about:

- Ikki presented a problem that is unique to me, about how a Kamen Rider sensibility can be a disadvantage to others instead, about how non-darker flaws also can be troublesome, how even if someone's well-meaning and did something outwardly good (the usual KR MC heroism), doesn't mean they can force what they think is good to them. That sometimes being a busybody that puts others above themselves like many KR MC isn't what they need. Of which the development was to become less of a busybody and stay away from some problems like Daiji vs Kagerou, though at the end it's a full-circle type of others speaking up about the benefit of busybodiness though. But the potential to me is wasted midway with how Ikki was pushed to the sidelines with the numerous focus Revice had to handle, just practically becoming anyone's muscle to help solving problems. I hope there'd be another MC like Ikki (I mean in their story in the series, not the personality), but handled properly unlike Revice which generally fall apart in anything mid part.

- Daiji was established as someone that is insecure, and was working at Fenix, even ep. 3 teased Daiji going apeshit especially on Ikki, but he turns out to be one of the more cooperative secondary Riders, with the one that is malicious being Kagerou instead. He later was established as someone who recognizes Fenix's true nature and wants to guide Fenix to the right path, but he really didn't get much focus for a good amoung of the series, which made Revice unbalanced in establishing its characters. Later Daiji eventually got focus after Kagerou's death as a different version of himself that started out reckless, but later turned self-righteous extremist. It can make him look like a joke overall and got annoying in his rants, but at least it's a consistent turn, displaying when light becomes too hardcore, creating someone that has with us or against us mentality to do something they think is right. And after Kagerou's return, it's good that Daiji's tactical sense often got focus to solve the Igarashi's problems.

- Ironically for what's seen as Kinoshita's favorite, Sakura didn't get much focus at the beginning of the series, other than ep. 3 (karate skills to free herself from custody), until ep. 11. But later she seems to get much focus, while not knowing what to do to justify her significance. I do hope that Kinoshita's dreams would be realized later, but his focus only seems to be about keeping a female character strong and relevant (as in, fighting relevant), which tbf he did of freeing Sakura from female Rider curse, and also giving a female Rider first upgrade, but many of the focus are mostly about her rivalry with Aguilera, which can get repetitive or only appealing to people like shippers (YMMV). The rivalry does contain some character arc though in Sakura accepting her weakness and limit as human which earns her Lovekov and Jeanne, and later turning the rivalry into her favor, but after the start, it's the only focus to the point that her problem with being overprotective to Lovekov happened very late later.

- I'd think Yukimi's one of the better parental figures in KR franchise, she had loads (but not limitless, like being overprotective of Sakura) of wisdom, and most of the time had something to say regarding any family member's distress, and many of what she said was something relevant to the current plotline. Genta also didn't do much at the beginning, only being a bumbling (but always good) dad that gets some misfortune, but he does live up to his mystery later, of him being the host of Vail, and the rest of it being shown on Vail Legacy.

- George started out as a Kamen Rider fanboy who is enigmatic in his goals, but seemingly wanted to create sUltimate Kamen Rider and monitor the Riders for his research, and he's only a fan of the surface part of KR like the fights, explosions, chaos, etc., which, due to his unpleasant drama-seeking nature, also ironically looks down on Kamen Rider values like against Hiromi. Personally, I wish that George would stay the Kamen Rider fanboy and probably had him someone (probably villainous by this) that helps both sides for his goal, and probably turning real life into Kamen Rider show (other than only Evil to Live), without any regard of what's caught in crossfire (so it can be 'realistic'). Probably if later he'd realize the error of his ways and learn the real value of Kamen Rider outside of the surface or such can happen too. But George later suddenly got turned into a calm, collected, and laid-back helper of anyone instead (with Chic as apparent explanation) after Masumi appears in this series and George is established as having daddy issues, his Kamen Rider fanboy aspects outside of designs seem to disappear.

- Hiromi was planned to die in 1st episode, but later got kept in the series, and it's not impacting the series in negative way at least. Hiromi's sense of justice and a desire to be a hero, makes for a good buildup to Vail plot twist, as Hiromi's someone who turned reckless due to that, wanting to jump into the fight to help no matter what, which'd only have his body condition slowly deteriorating, and keeps so as he keeps using Demons Driver, which eventually got it revealing itself as Vail. And after his return, it's good that he grew out of his reckless ways, which is a reminder that being heroic doesn't necessarily mean reckless and always jumping into action, though he will if needed, and he's also a part of the series' late peak at ep. 42, getting through Kagerou-less Daiji through similar problems before.

- At first Aguilera also explored some 'colorful' worldview, as well as unique tactics to get the job done, other than her brattiness as Deadman "leader". But later after being betrayed by Orteca, she's just wasted, mostly only longing for Giff's love (obviously at the beginning she's this, but doesn't mean it's the only thing she did), though at one point she protected Tamaki with her cruel to be kind way and teaming up with Orteca again only to display disgust to him. Probably done as a glimpse of her redemption later. After redemption, she had repaid Sakura several times, but often only acted as extra muscle.

- Julio was the dumb muscle between the Deadman generals, and later posing as Tamaki to infiltrate the Igarashis via Sakura, of which later he's revealed to have a tragic backstory of being bullying victim (actually named Tamaki) with only Yosuke as his friend, until he gives in to peer pressure, and later joined Deadmans and gaining loyalty to Aguilera, and that in the present the two never had a chance to make up as Orteca torments him. After that fight though, the show seems to keep Tamaki out of obligation, not knowing what to do with him, he mostly only made a vow to help Aguilera, though later he gained some footings in making use of the smile commands he received from Yosuke and Aguilera, as a Kamen Rider goal of making others smile.

- Orteca was the brains of the Deadman generals, which appeared outwardly diplomatic and was mild-mannered to solve the problems of the Deadmans including teaming up with Kagerou, and later, hoo boy, after double crossing his colleagues he's revealed as someone so depraved who'd commit any slightest crimes to get what he wanted, though he's still consistent of not committing certain crimes if not benefical (serial killing people is benefical though to him as it'd keep the Riders busy with Giftarians). He's also consistently.. done well, in creating the most hatable villain in his escalating crimes culminating in killing a child, right after his backstory that contained something tragic in father abuse.

- Vail too is odne well as someone serving the most hatable villain role in his consistent villainy to ruin everyone's day, not only in him attacking others, but also in his various methods to gain the upper hand to others like trapping Genta in an alluring or destructive choice, mocking Vice's lifestyle, taunting Kagerou-less Daiji...

- Akaishi had some standout moments, like his sympathy for Tasuke at ep. 40 or perhaps ep. 35 to display Giff's horror to the world, which is in line with his well-intention to keep humans alive, and for fighting wise, the ep. 33 that earned him nanomachines, son memes and his Giffdemos debut (only... debut). But other than that, he wasn't really standout other than proclaiming Giff's wishes, not unlike Aguilera post betrayal. He's established as someone running Deadman and Fenix at the same time, I'd wish we'd see how he keeps his hand busy running multiple organizations at the same time.

- It's a poor choice to turn Giff into active participant, at ep. 43, for a character that is established throughout all the series, he's only active for 4 episodes. That's too little for something that important even if he got quite clear motive to use humans as energy stock and deciding to populate the world with his bloodline so the sources can be stronger. If Giff isn't active for long time, better idea is to keep him as only an ideal like some discussed, to supplement the story, fueling others' agendas. I do think that his fight being anti-climatic is expected though, as Giffard Rex was already established as Giff's match in his debut, and Daiji's in the wrong for submitting to Giff due to him being 'unstoppable'.

- Oh the Ushijimas, they're established as a fake family when Weekend was formed, but Revice wasted a chance to show how a fake family lives compared to dysfunctional family (Karizakis) or mostly harmonic family (Igarashis). Already little focus for Tasuke and Hikaru, Kimiko didn't even appear frequently, with death being her only pivotal moment. Hikaru's a minor repeat of some characters before like Hiromi and Tamaki (post-redemption) too, and his focus was only gained after Kimiko's death, so the fake family member isn't complete anymore. Tasuke later is established as a ruthless leader, but does have soft spot deep down to Hikaru, that part had good exploring about the ways of leading, though that isn't family related, the clash feels like just some people on a team butting heads IMO.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

Daiji and Hiromi have started BLUE BIRD, an organisation born from the ashes of the FENIX. That's clever and I think maybe it pays tribute to the Holy Wing Vistamp. Tamaki and Aguilera are working for them as atonement, while Olteca seems to have some kind of deal with George in exchanged for reduced prison time. Maybe this is George's way of trying to redeem Olteca, by showing him the love he was denied in childhood. A little sad that George is apparently the only one who'll visit him though, since Tamaki and Aguilera should at least give him the chance to reform, whenever his sentence ends.

Orteca's sentence is 666 years. Which is far beyond human's lifespan, but it's also realistic and had happened multiple times in real life too. It's fitting to make use of that in fiction to someone so depraved before, if he wasn't killed instead.