[DreadBringer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

KAMEN RIDER SABER EPISODE 26 - “ENVELOPED IN DARKNESS, HIS SWORD IN HAND”

Pessimism is, in a lot of ways, a coping mechanism. Adversity can multiply, where a tiny setback becomes a major obstacle becomes an insurmountable barrier. We look to the future not as a shining reward or a needed respite, but as the next shoe to drop. Believing that we lack the power or tools to better our situation means it’s not only safer to believe it’ll all get worse, it’s smarter. We’re better off not hoping for things to improve. We’re right to give into a bleak outlook, and just navigate the world with a cloud over our heads.

What should be stopped is actually the view of pessimism as smarter, more mature, and more objective. Some people can be too extreme either way, but only optimism can be viewed as blind or being sheep. Like how people can make negative statements that is blatantly wrong or misinformed, or just outright make up lies based on bias for the sake of criticism,, and there can be still people who blindly buys it (yeah, it's being a sheep for negative side) because of the perceived notion that pessimism is smart. Right or wrong is based on facts, not negative feelings. To represent the optimism in someone like Touma however, a handful of the audience will not buy it, and just accuse the story as giving favoritism to the MC, thus they win and their worldview is favored by default, not acknowledging optimism as important.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

It’s tough to have optimism, but it’s crucial for both our emotional health and our survival as a species. We have to see ourselves as able to control our destinies, and we have to think that we can create a future that’s better than the present. It’s enormously difficult, never more so than when depression makes optimism seem like the cruelest of jokes. But the need to push towards a happier tomorrow creates at least the possibility of that outcome, while surrendering to pessimism practically ensures a tragic result.

In general, yeah, actually to succeed, optimism and idealism is needed to be an incentive for them to try, as those pessimism to believe that our actions don't matter, it can lead into someone being too lazy to try doing anything (any of their actions won't matter anyway), creating a self-fulfilling prophecy that they really can't make the situation better. Other than that, cynicism can be bad for other's well-being as well, as it can be the driving force behind cruelty, like assuming that everyone was out to screw them and thus opting to screw over and exploit everyone else first, which makes them being the ones who directly make the situation worse.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Kento’s story, inevitably, is one of feeling like he doesn’t have any outs. He only saw one path for him, based on his father’s actions. Trapped in the Realm of Shadows, he lived out an endless string of emotionally-eviscerating apocalypses, where no amount of optimism or teamwork could generate a safe resolution. Now he’s back in the world, but he still sees nothing to do but whatever the most isolating path might lead him towards.

His father's actions? Really dunno to jump into conclusions for that. He must've gotten his foresight of the future somewhere, something plot related, like in Realm of Shadows. Otherwise, Kento undergoes similar thing as Izu when creating Zero-Two, having to observe many unpleasant events and outcomes in the simulation... of which that one ends with Izu getting mad at Aruto. And yeah, as you said, Kento is in character with how he was before, as normally he gets along with Touma especially and wants to perform SoL's job but he's also a brooding wreck who carries many burdens, and at one point is consumed by vengeance against Calibur. Now his inner darkness takes over him to the point that as a pessimist, he has good intentions, but opts for the 'easy' way out to solve things. At this point Kento turns into an anti-villain. Kento being the next Calibur is also expected by the fanbase as, Calibur's new suit actor is the same as Espada's.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Touma’s having to grapple with the idea that a cheerful smile and a heartfelt promise might prove unequal to a world where sorrow lasts for millennia and power corrupts all bonds. What do we do when we can’t reach the people we love the most? How do we protect ourselves from the toxicity of that pessimism? How do we find a way to save people for whom salvation feels like ignorance? It’s asking Touma to level up in a way other than collectibles and form changes, which is the most interesting thing a show like this can attempt.

Touma was someone who tries to approach the kid in Primitive Dragon for being depressed, but now, Touma has been so depressed against Kento's situation to the point that the situation's turned around with the kid sympathizing with him instead. The one that is equally devastating was what Kento did to Slash, as Daishinji mourns over his collectible. It's something ironic that Kento as Calibur is the 3rd one who has 'betrayed' the SoL, even though Kento's a milder case that he doesn't only have good intentions like Kamijo, but also tries to do only what he thinks is necessary, but the others didn't take notice of this irony, like, realizing it's not Touma as them (mainly Reika has suspected) who goes off the deep end (not about gaining power though).

Speaking of SoL, the Master Logos here gives the very vibe of extremely despicable villain, and more of Tassel is revealed where his real name is Victor, and he's the protector of Wonder World, which is why he didn't intervene on the events on the main cast. The backstory of the premise explained by Yuri is a bit simple but it's all connected together as they all go on different paths including Tassel.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

Thanks for bringing this up, as I also want to point out how depraved she behaves here.

I've brought this up several times before too, i̶n̶c̶l̶u̶d̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶p̶e̶r̶h̶a̶p̶s̶ ̶f̶e̶m̶a̶l̶e̶ ̶R̶i̶d̶e̶r̶s̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶'̶d̶ ̶l̶i̶k̶e̶ ̶s̶u̶c̶h̶ ̶a̶s̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶A̶s̶o̶ ̶f̶a̶m̶i̶l̶y̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶K̶i̶v̶a̶ (not as terrible people, but as something fitting the stereotype). Sophia here is a damsel in distress (which is a hated type), so yeah, she'd receive no sympathy for perhaps being viewed as only a burden for others here. In general, it seems that some people’s scoring for “good well written female characters” is focusing if they're not "useless" (which Mei can get viewed as) and/or "damsel in distress".

And it seems that to reinforce how 'strong' they're to 'break' the mold, they're given terrible traits (including toxic masculinity, as feminity is viewed as inherent weakness), as this post notes. It also appllies in KR franchise where at this point, mostly the females who become Riders are the ones with those stereotypical 'tough' personality (which means many are asshole ones), while females like Poppy or (sorry, yeah she temporarily going off deep end but otherwise she's all-loving one too) Tsukuyomi aren't prominent Riders, even if they're prominent characters. U̶n̶p̶o̶p̶u̶l̶a̶r̶,̶ ̶b̶u̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶i̶s̶ ̶w̶h̶y̶ ̶I̶ ̶l̶i̶k̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶Z̶i̶-̶O̶,̶ ̶e̶v̶e̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶o̶u̶g̶h̶ ̶b̶o̶t̶h̶ ̶c̶a̶n̶'̶t̶ ̶d̶o̶ ̶a̶n̶y̶t̶h̶i̶n̶g̶,̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶b̶e̶n̶e̶v̶o̶l̶e̶n̶t̶ ̶T̶s̶u̶k̶u̶y̶o̶m̶i̶ ̶m̶a̶k̶e̶s̶ ̶m̶o̶r̶e̶ ̶d̶e̶n̶t̶ ̶a̶g̶a̶i̶n̶s̶t̶ ̶S̶w̶a̶r̶t̶z̶ ̶c̶o̶m̶a̶p̶r̶e̶d̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶c̶o̶l̶d̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶r̶u̶t̶h̶l̶e̶s̶s̶ ̶O̶r̶a̶,̶ ̶e̶v̶e̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶o̶u̶g̶h̶ ̶T̶s̶u̶k̶u̶y̶o̶m̶i̶ ̶d̶o̶e̶s̶ ̶h̶a̶v̶e̶ ̶m̶o̶r̶e̶ ̶a̶d̶v̶a̶n̶t̶a̶g̶e̶s̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶f̶i̶r̶s̶t̶ ̶p̶l̶a̶c̶e̶.̶

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

As a reminder, Reika is only my third least favorite female Rider of the Reiwa Era. Female Riders may have been getting stronger recently, but it doesn't matter to me if the character is unlikable. It should be possible to have a female Rider who is both strong and a good character, like Mage or Na-Go.

I'm someone who'd speak highly of Tycoon and Na-Go's abilities compared to Buffa too (not Geats obviously), but some people can cling to status quo from the character's first impressions, and it seems that some people won't view Na-Go as a strong one (she's also an exceptionally feminine one), especially for her self-doubt in ep. 14-15, calling her (and Tycoon) as only being carried by Geats (or even Buffa, like ignoring that she also doubts Buffa's abilities along with herself and Tycoon's against the final boss, not viewing him as the crutch like Geats) all this time until now.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Androzani84

Really? Slapping us the act that decides whether you see a character as irredeemable? Because by that logic, over 98% of characters in media are irredeemably evil, since guess what, slapping is a common expression of anger, regardless of allegiance.

Context is really important in anything. Other than just viewing the actions alone as the same. Also, it's better to not measure how terrible an action is only by how much injury they inflict on someone. Reika slapping Sophia shows that she feels that she's entitled to do anything she wants in the name and sees everyone as beneath her except Master Logos, she also has regularly gaslit others for example and that has no physical injury, but gaslighting is something nasty.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mesnick

For me personally, the most terrible woman in these shows is still Mai from Gaim. Apparently, for me, inaction is worse than any actions.

Actually what should be stopped is degrading anyone who doesn't contribute in 'useful' way such as fighting or science as being totally useless (or paint them as mere whiners), or painting them as using badass fighters for survival and/or 'deliberately putting others in danger'. There's a fucking difference between "can't do the job" or "won't do the job", typically the former happens to more normal characters. S̶i̶c̶k̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶v̶i̶l̶l̶a̶i̶n̶s̶ ̶(̶n̶o̶t̶ ̶R̶e̶i̶k̶a̶,̶ ̶b̶u̶t̶ ̶o̶t̶h̶e̶r̶s̶)̶ ̶b̶e̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶v̶i̶e̶w̶e̶d̶ ̶a̶s̶ ̶b̶e̶t̶t̶e̶r̶ ̶p̶e̶r̶s̶o̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶s̶e̶ ̶t̶y̶p̶e̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶c̶h̶a̶r̶a̶c̶t̶e̶r̶s̶ ̶(̶d̶e̶e̶m̶e̶d̶ ̶a̶s̶ ̶u̶s̶e̶l̶e̶s̶s̶,̶ ̶b̶o̶r̶i̶n̶g̶,̶ ̶e̶t̶c̶.̶)̶ ̶d̶u̶e̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶'̶a̶c̶t̶i̶o̶n̶'̶ ̶v̶i̶e̶w̶, t̶h̶o̶u̶g̶h̶ ̶I̶'̶m̶ ̶a̶l̶s̶o̶ ̶s̶i̶c̶k̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶G̶a̶i̶'̶s̶ ̶p̶r̶e̶v̶i̶o̶u̶s̶ ̶a̶c̶t̶i̶o̶n̶s̶ ̶b̶e̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶d̶o̶w̶n̶p̶l̶a̶y̶e̶d̶ ̶d̶u̶e̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶h̶i̶m̶ ̶a̶p̶o̶l̶o̶g̶i̶z̶i̶n̶g̶,̶ ̶b̶u̶t̶ ̶i̶t̶'̶s̶ ̶a̶l̶s̶o̶ ̶s̶o̶m̶e̶t̶h̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶r̶e̶a̶l̶l̶y̶ ̶a̶p̶p̶r̶o̶v̶e̶d̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶D̶i̶e̶'̶s̶ ̶t̶h̶r̶e̶a̶d̶s̶.̶

There are many other ways to contribute, like raising morale, tactics and strategy, effective commanding and leading, analysing and figuring out the opponent’s weakness, acting as the tank to absorb damage yourself while your teammates find a way to win, tactical diversion, delaying your opponents (buying time), etc.