[Sh Ranger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreadBringer

Medias often deliberately not call out these kind of actions so that they can keep continue doing that as a source of comedy for audience (and not losing profits for the producers) - also bringing this up can get that person accused as having "no sense of humor". I thought other source of comedy is selective too like the goofy ones can come off as cringe instead of funny (the Sophia one isn't comedy though). Many of the audiences measure character sympathy by how entertaining or interesting they're, those who deserve to suffer are those who fail to entertain them or being too lame (being a loser, though there's a limit or that they can be liked due to their misfortunes).

If entertaining is the main criteria for whether a character deserves to be the target of schadenfreude, then I definitely think Mei should be excluded from that treatment. Entertaining is like one of Mei's main character traits, so Reika almost maiming her should go against that. Considering general consensus of Reika's creepy behavior, if the staff's intention was for this to be comedic for its own sake, then they probably didn't get the desired results, as a lot of people think she's pathetic now. I honestly don't mind if people who enjoy this kind of comedy call me boring for disagreeing with them, that just shows they lack an open mind to see other perspectives, like how I think Mei is a lovable and helpful character and thus don't want any severe bad things to happen to her unless they directly serve the narrative.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

KAMEN RIDER SABER EPISODE 46 - ?FAREWELL, MY DEAR HERO?

Touma and Storious are both writers. They?ve got similar origins ? talented writer gets touched by the cosmic and gains power. They?ve got similar catchphrases, which I think is perfect. They both talk about deciding how stories end, but they?re saying opposite things. Because only Touma cares about the audience.

Storious wanted fame, notoriety, acclaim. When he found out that he couldn?t call himself the genius behind his poetry, he turned his back on the idea of human curiosity and endeavor. All creation was pointless because no one could receive credit for it. He wants to decide how the story ends because it represents regained control, and the chance to create something all his own. He?s an author who only writes for applause, and despises a world where he can't claim greatness.

Touma only writes for his audience, to make people happy, to share a piece of himself with the world. He doesn?t care about accolades; he cares how his stories make readers think about each other, or understand themselves. His writing is a bridge between people, and he couldn?t care less if the materials of that bridge come from some magic book. The point is only ever the reaction from the readers, and the chance to see what they do with the story. He wants to decide how the story ends because everyone should get a say in storytelling, and no one should get to decide that for others.

This episode has like, the ultimate Touma speech IMO and it's where Storious clicks in to place as the final villain. Storious fell in to despair after finding out that humans can't write any original stories, as they're all predetermined in the Omniscient Tome. So he decided he would write one big story to end them all, believing that destruction is the only action that holds any meaning.

Touma's answer to this nihilistic angst? "Who cares?" I love that line, as it meets Storious' hopeless philosophy from the same angle, to show why that way of thinking is flawed.

"Who cares if everything is unoriginal?"

The worth of stories isn't in their originality, but in their ability to reach people's hearts and make them think about topics in ways they haven't considered before. After millennia of storytelling, all the tropes have been done and recycled over and over again, but for someone, they're experiencing it for the first time. It's original to them! Everything is derivative, but it's that derivation that give those stories meaning, allowing them to surpass the boundaries of time and reach new audiences that the writer never even imagined.

That's why Touma and the others keep fighting, cause it's humans who decide the value of the world and their individual lives. Magic or not, the Omniscient Tome is a collection of pages. Pages are ephemeral. The stories don't exist only in those pages, they exist in the world, immortalized in people's hearts, where they really matter. Kamen Rider Storious' face is a book, as he can't see the true meaning beyond those pages, which is pitiful for a man who once had so much wonder in his heart.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

I like this show taking a beat before the end to really delve into the concept of storytelling, and how different storytellers feel about it. Just a refreshing, unique bit of business, right up until Touma gets kicked into a pit and falls into the void, never to return.

Have faith in Touma. He'll decide how this story ends!

EDIT: If you haven't already watched the ED for this episode, then I recommend you do. It's a special edition!