[Kamen Rider Die]

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Originally Posted by Androzani84

Yeah, I can?t say that this film was my jam either. In particular, I really didn?t like how invincible Arkland was until the end reveal, or how anticlimactic pally As got killed off. But I did like the government guy, since he makes a lot of good points and he?s a rare official in fiction who has some common sense.

I mean, Kamen Rider ZAIA is only good in one fight (the one versus Horobi and Jin in the Daybreak Town Arkboretum), and every time afterwards he just gets his ass kicked while laughing maniacally. But, like, even that works towards the story's reveal that he's not trying to defeat MetsubouJinrai, he... well, I mentioned Evolt:



The point of Kamen Rider ZAIA is to power up MetsubouJinrai, and force them into open conflict with humanity. He only ever needs to be strong enough to piss off MetsubouJinrai, and not get killed. He almost managed it!

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Originally Posted by Kurona

It's definitely a film that could be better and I agree with your criticisms; but I definitely feel this is one of the more well-rounded pieces of 01 media. I actually find it pretty well self-contained as a tragedy (mixed feelings about its sequel), and while some of it is a little weak... it's a V-Cin with under an hour to follow up on plot threads from the show, create a new threat, build upon the themes of the ARK and advance past them, and build character dynamics between Horobi, Jin and Fuwa that just weren't there in the show.

It's... a pretty big ask of a single movie like this, especially with one that inevitably has one of the shorter runtimes! So I find it pretty impressive what it is able to achieve in there; and that it smartly does place its focus on the inherent tragedy of Kamen Rider Metsuboujinrai

Structurally, the biggest problems I think this one has is that it's a little slow out of the gate (it sort of takes too many fights to establish what's really going on in the story), and maybe too much of the emotional weight is hung on Horobi's combination of icy contemplation and lack of affect. The Fuwa/Horobi scene helps drag out a lot of what's motivating Horobi towards the movie's climax, and even that's a little thin.

Like, I don't think it's necessarily trying to do too much, but that it's trying to do it through Horobi, which means it takes twice as much work.

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Originally Posted by Enchilada645

You know I did find it completely odd it only took until now for Toei to realize "Hey we should have Monkey Majik do music for Zero-One."

Given well... the Zero-One equipment is voiced by the two lead vocalists.

The important thing is that they got there eventually?

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Originally Posted by GrandComplete

So I saw both of this and RealXTimw in the same day while skipping breakfast and the tone of these two are pretty different I actually don't mind how bleak this one was. Arkland whole philoshophy I think fits Zero-One and kinda wished he was in the actual show.

Yeah, I think the recurring problem for MetsubouJinrai hasn't been that humanity's malice will etc etc, it's that they still haven't gotten humanity to see the Humagears as more than appliances. Letting the movie purposely eliminate Humanity Is Evil as a problem, so as to put the spotlight on Humanity Will Never Voluntarily Support You Over Its Own Comfort, that lets the fight that MetsubouJinrai's in feel muddier and harder to combat.

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Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

Despite all that, I definitely appreciate the message this movie was going for and how it's not afraid to pull the hard punches. A moral about the sin of conformity and the sense of justice in fighting for the principles you believe in, even if they're unpopular and it makes you the "villain" of the story. The way that justice may be absolute, but it's also something that can be terribly misunderstood and perverted to evil, which is why justice isn't an ideal that everybody should unite around without critical thinking.

Hilariously, that third Is's Lecture Room short has Aruto's actor pontificating about the difference between fighting for Justice and fighting for Freedom, so maybe he saw this movie coming? The tragedy of MetsubouJinrai is that they're valuing Justice over Freedom, and fighting for Justice at all costs can be as toxic to the soul as fighting for Malice.

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Originally Posted by Kurona

Azu?s death was sudden, but I felt that fit very well ? since the beginning of the movie you?re led to believe this is yet another instance of her creating an Ark; of setting up this whole thing again. You think it?s going all their way, and then bam ? Arkland has an entirely different philosophy that goes beyond the Ark?s parameters, and everything goes to pieces for the remnants of the Ark. Azu?s sudden death is the best way to demonstrate this immediate shift and make you feel it: the old guard is gone

It's a welcome admission that Oh No The Ark Is Back has definitely run its course as a plot driver. I mean, I love the concept that the Ark as a concept can't ever be defeated, but I don't need Azu to wander the globe and flirt with Corporate Daddies to a point where they go punch Kamen Riders in the face. Time for some different threats!