[DreadBringer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

KAMEN RIDER SABER EPISODE 22 - “EVEN SO, I WISH TO SAVE THEM ALL”

Ren’s easy: he just wants to fight and detonate monsters, which Reika is a-okay with. (Funniest part in the episode is Rintaro being like There’s A Lady Inside That Megid, and Ren being like DON’T WORRY I’LL MURDER HER. He’s so shallow and excitable that he makes regular one-track minds look like the Den-Liner’s acrobatics by comparison.) Rintaro’s equally obvious, in that he’s trying to protect his rapidly-disintegrating family, and assuring that those who left have a home to come back to when they inevitably wise up. Them two aren’t going anywhere any time soon.

Ren only wants to display his power, so yeah he'd make this morally questionable choices. However Rintaro is much more conflicted in how he has to resort into killing civilians to protect the world, being pained that he'd wish there's other way, while in comparison Reika is just unfazed in conveying that to them, perhaps with that even only done to further her agenda. Of which ofc, that's something discussed by both Daishinji and Yuri, who isn't blindly bound to the SoL, at least for Yuri, not until now which shows Touma's positive influence on him, but Daishinji really confirms for the Kamiyama Bookstore that SoL is really the true enemy as Touma said, but dunno about Daishinji's feelings for Kamijo now. Daishinji's interest in weapons lead for him to be caught in some bizzare hijinks with Yuri though to think that Daishinji wants to touch Yuri which Yuri vehemently denies.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

But Ogami… it seems like he should leave, doesn’t it? He seems to intensely dislike Reika, and rightfully so. He was fine with Daishinji leaving, because he trusts Daishinji’s judgment. He’s been the first one, in nearly every fight, to try and de-escalate things with Touma. There doesn’t seem to be a strong reason for a man of his convictions to follow cruel orders from an organization that doesn’t seem to care about its soldiers. (Maybe the SoL has really good tuition reimbursement for Sora? Single dads got it rough!)

Like that there's some real opposition to Reika, with Ogami standing up for Daishinji as Reika continues her gaslighting. However Ogami still submits to her wants currently by fighting Toum. I even feel that this episode quite downplays that problem in Ogami just nonchalantly informing Mei that Touma's alive at the end. Saber's strategy in fighting against Slash doesn't work the 2nd time against Buster. I guess overall Daishinji and Ogami really earned their places in SoL compared to the newcomers, for their time the experience pays off even when they look on par when fighting monsters, but when the Riders are pitted against each other, Touma's creativity doesn't let him stand a chance. I'd perhaps think in KR world for general, being an SoL is a 'privilege', that they're more protected against the Megid, and by extension their family, or betraying SoL perhaps causes more headaches.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

But we get this sweet little scene with Sora, and it all makes sense. He’s a dad. Most of these swordsmen are kids. You don’t leave your kids behind just because things are tough, or because some of them are traitors to a guild of fairytale-powered superheroes. You rein them in when necessary, and you stick around to protect them. Ogami can’t leave, because, like, who’s going to look after Rintaro and Ren? He’s got responsibilities, and that means he’s got to stay in situations he’d maybe rather not.

And Sora here still vouches for Touma which he sees as the ideal team up for his dad. But here, Ogami claims he'd not just take care of Sora, but just all children or overall youngsters. Actually it's a mistake when people assume someone'd be good with kids in general only because they're good with their own kids (or just certain kids they have soft spot with). They can be just apathetic with the others cuz it's not their own. I'd think that this direct confirmation from Ogami is needed to make me assume that instead of just assuming from how he treats Sora.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

It’s another episode of Saber where the drama with Touma’s former comrades dwarfs whatever MotW shenanigans are going on in the foreground. (It’s Touma advocating for the protection of people’s individual dreams, which both makes sense – it’s another facet of his deeply specific empathy – and also is maybe yet another Fiery Declaration too many from Touma. I don’t need a variation every other episode!) It’s all about Touma proving to Ogami that he’s not just some tourist in the SoL, a bystander who lucked into a sword he should’ve never kept. Touma’s the guy who won’t stop fighting for people, ever, even if he’s not convinced that he should be fighting for an organization.

The Remi/Mami stuff was fine, it was whatever; the SoL stuff was amazing, and showcases a grasp of character dynamics and conflicting motivations that match or exceed any other Kamen Rider show. Another huge mark in favor of this show exploring its gigantic, excellent cast!

That'd be one of the reasons Touma is disliked too, in his constant fiery declarations which'd make him seem even more generic and cliched hero protagonist, probably even among KR ones. This episode, perhaps half-comically half-serious, really displays Touma's dedication in fulfilling promises that he autonomously moves to fulfill that while others note that he's unconscious. The twins part doesn't seem to have many effort (which is appropriate to not take much focus?) but it adds something from Touma to vouch for someone who's feeling down that everyone's unique and not worthless when Mami feels that. Otherwise, the series seem to validate erasing memories from victims as Mei gets mad at Yuri for forgetting to erase the twins' memories.