[Fish Sandwich]

Fish Sandwich also watched Kamen Rider Saber Episode 15

Naturally, I love this episode to bits. Just, like, everything I could've possibly wanted out of the conclusion to a stretch of episodes that had me starting to utterly adore a show I was already quite enamored with. It should come as no surprise then that my post from the time takes a very different tack from Die. This is a show made for me, possibly by me, after all. Which I guess means I'm going to be picking on Die for picking on Saber, even though I'll probably feel bad about it later!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

I?m very scared for the future of this show, you guys!

Why??? When you've already been assured by everyone that you've yet to reach the point where the show dramatically improves in quality? Do you think everyone who said that is just lying, or that you alone noticed all these glaring issues with the series' storytelling in its first act? Because, Die, if you're gonna pick on Kamijou-san's actions for being irrational, I'd appreciate you having some more faith in the people around you. Which brings me to my next point:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

With a show like Geats, I immediately knew and loved what it was doing, so it was easy to defend certain elements by thinking about how they were supporting or subverting the main thematic topics of the show. With Saber, I honestly feel super adrift?

It's faith. Like everything in the show comes back to faith. It isn't necessarily the sole theme, but it's the best way to define a motif that ties much of the show's storytelling together. Blades and Buster's introductory episodes have people deciding whether or not to believe in Touma as a new member of Sword of Logos. Episode 5 saw Touma realizing he needs to believe his friend will open up about something important when he's ready. Ren is such a little goblin of a person because his one conviction in life is dangerously thin and flimsy. Touma obtains King of Arthur by believing the book is there. He draws out its full power by believing in his friends. Kento struggles with believing in his friends to help with what he views as personal problems. And now we have this episode, telling a cautionary tale about how once upon a time, Kamen Rider Saber let a tragic event destroy his faith. How he let it crush all his convictions and shatter all his trust, ultimately leading him down the path of darkness. The episode leaves us with the obvious nagging notion that our Saber might have to deal with something like that one day, and the question of if he'll be able to react any differently when that time comes.

Promises are nothing more than empty sentiment, only given power by the people who believe they can fulfil them, and the people who believe they will be fulfilled.

I've said similar things before, and I'll say something similar again -- there's plenty going on in this show already, and much of it is done with far more purpose than it's given credit for. I'm not ~particularly~ intent on finding fault with anyone for not enjoying how Saber chose to lay a lot of this stuff out early on, but I'll readily stand up to note that there IS stuff -- good stuff! -- that's being layed out, even with a development as abrupt as Kamijou revealing more about his motives here.