[DreadBringer]

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

KAMEN RIDER SABER EPISODE 21 - ?SHINE SPLENDIDLY, IN FULL COLORS?

I assume that?s the thing that most people are going to care about from this episode, and I can?t really blame them. The suit design itself, like if Roy Lichtenstein worked for Toei, is one that I was in love with before I even saw Saber, before I even knew what his character was all about. It?s garish in the best possible ways, with them Ben Day dots from old-school comic book coloring adding even more colorful nonsense to a suit that almost literally embodies colorful nonsense.

Yuri fights as a Shadow Saikou, but as an X-Swordsman, he uses more than just his sword, he equips the flashy armor on himself as well, making him feel more like a regular Kamen Rider. Though, other than Yuri's view to be less of a bystander and blend more with the world, in fight Shadow Saikou is well, a shadow and thus already can phase through most attacks like yeti Megid's before? With X-Swordsman armor, he's no longer invulnerable? And actually, Yuri is Rintaro when he's kinda a dick because he also has Daishinji's traits of his bluntness and standoffishness, and here... he also assumes different persona when fighting as an X-Swordsman like Daishinji as Rock Band Slash, but seems that Yuri does that intentionally.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Beyond the aesthetic delights of a suit that makes Slash look like Shadow, there?s the way in which it debuts: I sort of love that this episode has Tassel appear in a plotline that intersects with the main narrative? (I also just like the Old Buddy comedy of Tassel and Yuri. It?s really well done.) It?s Yuri opting to step off the sidelines, where Tassel lives, and join the fight for justice alongside Touma. You need to have Yuri in the Avalon/Wonder World set for at least a little bit in the same episode where he becomes a swordsman once again.

I don't know if you expected this before, but yeah this shows that Tassel isn't just a narrator for the audience. Probably the first episode to make a full revelation of Tassel being a part of the world? (other than vague Yuri in cloak visiting). Overall there's a lot more of him so yeah there's a lot of spoilers for him (of which I also largely still don't know).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

It?s all part of this episode?s broad statement about Touma?s true power, which is his empathy and conviction. The SoL and Reika are scared of him because of how much power he?s accumulated through swords and books, but this episode ? and Touma?s recruitment of Daishinji ? proves that all of that extra crap was only serving to obscure Touma?s actual power, which is his dedication to helping people, no matter what.

Which is why I want to know how was Kamijo and Hayato as a person back when they're still with SoL. What differentiates Touma from them when Kamijo or Hayato are still loyal to them (other than a flashback where Kamijo displays firm determination to save as Saber when the book that absorbs Luna opened... similar to Touma displaying his dedication to helping people), or if it's actually none and that SoL and Reika's suspicions on him are more justified... including how in the franchise, there are characters who are noble but had fall from grace at the end like Yuuji from Faiz or Aruto from Zero-One.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

(That said? this is a very half-and-half episode, which is hilariously apropos for the episode that introduces the Charybdis half of Scylla and Charybdis. The Daishinji fight and the appearance of X-Swordman are tonally and dramatically different, and it really feels like each one should?ve been their own episode.)

I guess even if it's not a formal investigation group like W's Narumi Detective Agency, seems that many Riders would have pseudo-investigating phase, like how here it's the Fantastic Kamiyama Bookstore that does its job due to many more Megid attacks than just Yuki. Mei is given a book that alerts Megid's presence by Sophia, but now Mei relays info using internet from her phone instead. I do appreciate that Mei's quite active in her way of words towards the SoL members, but here I kinda disagree with Mei's solution to Touma needing allies to just smile and then try to recruit (though he's successful in Daishinji here). She also needs to be given a lesson about how talk can be cheap... like Touma here about his vow to save everyone.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

The Daishinji fight, which best expresses Touma?s strength of character exceeding his collectibles and power-ups, that was my favorite part of the episode. I?m never going to be too mad at a finale where an awesome suit debuts to detonate a monster in a quarry, but the heart of this episode was Touma figuring out (accidentally!) how to sway reluctant swordsmen to fight for his cause. It was never going to be sowing doubt about the SoL leadership, or begging for help, or saying the word Promise a lot, or even trying to rekindle feelings of friendship. The thing that was going to convince someone like Daishinji was force of will, and amount of dedication. Daishinji?s suffered, and lost, and lived to fight again. He?s lost his sword for years, but stood by the SoL until he could swing his sword in battle. He needed to see if Touma could fight with that same spirit, that same fire. He got his answer this episode, in the best Touma fight to date.

I actually like that Touma is more versatile in trying to make use of something else other than the sword like how the power can be used from his knowledge of books (of which for several KR, those utilities can be forgotten), but, it's still problematic where he didn't make use of the sword and too much focused on the side-utilities. To be an effective fighter, you gotta make use of everything you can in your arsenal, like for Touma's case here, swordmanship skills aside from the extra powers. Daishinji is established as standoffish due to his lack of social skills, but here as he shows more open appreciation to join Touma, he feels as if he acted as harsh mentor here instead.

Here Touma needs to come to terms that heroes aren't omnipotent, by default; saving any number of people at any given time means even more people aren't being saved. Heroes can't save everybody because reality forbids it. Daishinji already does which as Ogami describes, his sword swings are made heavier by anyone he fails to save. Touma stopping to focus on his failures to save people, also makes him do the same, now matching Daishinji in swordmanship better with weaker form. But, isn't this a kind of "I Was Mad Before But Now I've Seen Things Happen For More Times And Now I'm DOUBLE MAD" motivation for Touma? Motivations working with a multiplier effect.