[PortalTron]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

I don't disagree! One of my main points about this last episode was that it should stick to what what's working (the interpersonal relationships, Desast) rather than shove in every type of traditional story element. I would definitely prefer no Monster of the Week stuff to underwhelming Monster of the Week stuff.

But -- and this is crucial -- I would prefer good Monster of the Week stuff most of all. I don't think it's a big ask, and excluding it because they can't execute it well just feels like an admission of defeat. I don't love that!

While the Monster of the Week is usually a Sub-Plot, I feel it's really welcome to see Monsters with plans and abilities rather than just the grunting punching bag that we've had since Build.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

The biggest sour note for me in this episode was when Kento punted on explaining himself until Touma got his memories back. Like, why not just tell Touma what he doesn't remember? Why wait until it's tragic and sudden? It's like a doctor opting not to remove a giant metal spike in your arm, just in case the arm gets gangrenous and falls off on its own. These are bad, borderline inhumane solutions! You are not being a good friend, Kento!

To be fair, that's pretty much Kento's biggest Challenge that is addressed pretty much from the start: Wanting to take responsibility for matters rather than share the burden. I feel that he is a lot like Taiga (in Ex-Aid) in that both were involved in a past event that caused the main situation we see in the show, and both make poor decisions while attempting to take that burden upon themselves.

Also interesting is that Kento is slightly reminiscent of Aladdin (from the original story). He tends to make poor decisions that end up making things harder for himself and gets called out for it. Also pretty significant that he is introduced with Needle Hedgehog as his secondary book, representing his good-intentioned but prickly stance when it comes to directly helping others.

Something fun to share is that while I haven't seen notes in any of the Saber media after the show, there is a correlation between each Rider's books and their personality, as well as the events happening in the show during each book's debut. It's really cool!