[DreadBringer]

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

I don't understand this comment. Sorry!

I mean that you complained about the show setting up a mystery about SoL traitor which Kamijo seeks, but what it eventually gives, in the traitor, is an antagonist you can get engaged with according to this comment.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

KAMEN RIDER SABER EPISODE 35 - “ON THAT VERY DAY, I BECAME GOD”

Boy, that was some amount of plot! It’s an episode crammed with incident, but all in service of resetting the table. Everyone shows up to Promise Park for a swordfight, Master Logos wins, but then Touma wins, but then Master Logos still maybe wins, but then it’s all probably setting up Storious doing his own version of this scheme, but then Luna’s gone anyway. There’s a massive reestablishment of the status quo here (everyone gets their swords and books back), and it made me feel justified in not really caring about the arc-plot stuff in this episode.

I guess this explains why Master Logos brought Bacht back, to be used as his pawn here, though he just laughs as he disintegrates. Other than that, results aside, Master Logos played around everyone like a fiddle, other than Bacht, he also makes use of anyone to achieve his goals like taking advantage of Kento's quest to seal all Seikens (or even probably be the one behind it in hindsight due to corrupting Kurayami), which means only Touma has a chance to stop Master Logos here, and also making use of Shindai sibling's loyalty to fight and consequently add more books for him to use, of which even Touma's victory is used for his advantage too.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

This whole episode is about how much power Touma derives from his hope, and how seeing that hope rewarded, even briefly, allows him to weather more/the same hardship. He’s just dead set on rescuing Luna, no matter how absurdly stacked against him the odds are. (And yet he chides the de-sworded swordsmen for going to the park! A little hypocritical, Touma!) There’s no real plan, no real strategy. Even when Master Logos’s maneuvering drops a new/old book out of the sky, and it should be viewed at least a little skeptically, Touma slaps that thing into his belt and swings for the fences. There’s nothing but hope, and he makes it work.

Really, didn't expect for at least you to have quite accepting reaction towards, well, Luna part here, due to how those previous parts regarding her has been nothing but annoyance, due to the non-intriguing mystery, or the lack of bond that is shown between those three other than just flashbacks, compared to something like Rintaro and Mei. What foils Master Logos' plan here is yeah, Touma and Luna's bond - of which while I understand that some mysteries can be used to solve current problems, I'd think, for this one though, Touma's care is all-encompassing, so it can be just about Touma's dedication to save anyone and not strictly Luna.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

It’s an episode that doesn’t exactly rely on exceptional plotting (folks just show up and get their swords ganked) or on memorable speeches (it’s a real TOUMA! and LUNA! episode of dialogue), but weirdly nails the little moments. Those shots of Touma and Luna existing in the same space. The way Touma keeps putting himself below Luna’s sightline. Kento’s nostalgic reframing of the trio as children again, the last time it all made sense. Even Touma sitting cross-legged in front of Luna and joking/admitting that getting her back has kind of been a giant pain in the ass. All those little beats sell Touma’s struggle and achievement in a way that’ll probably stick with me long after I’ve forgotten how inconsequential the rest of this episode felt.

Here, Mei seems to quick to show open concern for Luna, seemingly by proxy after caring for Touma and Kento. About Sophia's reveal as a Luna clone, yeah it's used to only have her attempt to sacrifice herself in Luna's place, but it's shown that Master Logos don't care about her even one bit as a fake. Both Kento and Ren staying true to their character despite their outward actions of which Ren now no longer aspires to be like Kento, where Kento shields Ren and with Ren mourning over Kento's current state.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Ha ha, I never even thought to wonder about this. She was vacuumed up to a nega-dimension! Why would things like Time and Age work the same there? Also, boy, that explanation sure makes it sound like she's not a real Homo sapiens...

If everything about Luna that has been told to you by the series doesn't indicate it enough that she's not normal...

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Originally Posted by Mesnick

Because Bandai needed to sell one more rider and seiken)
And if within the framework of the plot, then it allows Reika to open up from that very vulnerable side, the absence of which in many modern female riders you complained several posts earlier. Yes, she now follows her brother, but this also adds additional features and depth to her character. Plus, whatever fans of the tougher Sabella say, Ryoga doesn't outshine her sister. Simply because he is too straightforward a character to outshine anyone.

Not that Reika's 'vulnerability' here is well-received by many people, but about vulnerability it's not merely adding that to characters, but also how that it seems that there's a view where characters are only okay to display a breakdown, vulnerability, etc. if they have "proven" themselves to be a bonafide badass (by being unstoppable fighter with terrible personality depicted as tough) of which it'd be praised as humanizing them instead, while otherwise characters who aren't deemed as 'badass' enough showing that are derided as being crybabies, wimps, etc. Actually for the ones I mentioned in those posts, those character types are often given occassional vulnerable moments.

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Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

Other than the famous meme that got us here, I agree that this moment is heroic and rewarding in its own right. Touma's open-ended promise has been hanging over him like the Sword of Damocles for the last 15 years and now he finally got to keep that promise, bringing a smile to Luna's face in a way that truly shows the spirit of Kamen Rider. I'm so happy for both of these childhood best friends to be reunited after all this time, however briefly.

If what you like about Saber extends to even Luna, then I'd also wonder how'd you defend her as Luna (especially on her own) seems to be even worse than Sophia for one of the most hated in the franchise. About Reika, yeah, the hate she receives is mostly after Ryoga is introduced where it's more of disappointment that her character is ruined since then instead of inherently viewing her as bad as a whole. And I wonder what'd be the time limit for promises to you if that this is fulfilled very long time after, but all before those time Touma can be accused as breaking promises.