[DreadBringer]

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

She's always been protective of her brother, but this is ramping things up into a more irritating jealousy angle that... I mean, it's problematic, I think we can all agree. Even if you end up viewing it as a sibling's devotion, or an idolization, it's still super weird that this grown woman is infuriated by her brother maybe-flirting with Mei. It's not that funny, and it unnecessarily harms Reika's character.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

KAMEN RIDER SABER: SWORD OF LOGOS SAGA

Literally the only good parts are the ones whose goofy yet heartwarming antics are the most incongruent with the specials' overarching narrative: Ren and Desast, Reika and Ryoga. Those couple scenes buried in the back half of the second part are maybe the only redeeming qualities of a two-part special that quickly and decisively reminded me of everything I disliked about Saber.

Regarding you liking Reika's antics here while not for ep. 48, are you viewing her idolizing Ryoga separately as her irritating jealousy to others who interact with him? Because I do think that the infuritation comes from how much she adores him, she'd keep the most precious thing to her away from others. Unless you're thinking that only the adoring part can be done without that jealousy (but Reika's a jerk so, not a decent person like Juka Tendou, the irritating jealousy is expected). Otherwise, Ren and Desast actually get along better than I expected here, I mean they do in their final battle, but previously it was them being unwittingly pulled towards each other while only showing clear dislike, but here they're playing games together with them casually making suggestions like for Desast to enjoy the food slowly and better.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Like, Kamijo. This could’ve been the special that made sense of Kamijo’s incredibly weird personality and objectives. Instead, the chronological retelling just makes everything he does more ridiculous and inexplicable. Every attempt to soften his villainy by portraying it as misguided just makes him look like buffoon, and his motivations still feel abrupt and unconvincing. He should come off as a guy that tried to make sense of his best friend’s depression and fell into the same trap of pessimism that doomed Hayato; instead, he mostly comes off as a guy that abandons everything he ever believed in to honor the ghost of a friend he didn’t seem all that close to. Hayato’s fall makes sense – he’s scared for his child, and succumbs to a fatalism that destroys any hope he might try and bestow upon his son. Kento’s fall makes sense – his guilt keeps him from prioritizing his desires in a healthy way, so he invites more shame and guilt as a way of defining himself. Kamijo’s just some weirdo who was a hero right up until he became a Megid-collaborating apocalyptic psychopath.

I do view Reika's jealousy antics as sibling's devotion, but that, along with Kamijo's part here, is the reason why I don't put caring for family or loved ones on pedestal as much as many other people. Devotion toward loved ones can mean, literally only towards them, but mistreating everyone else enough to be apathetic or is ok with screwing them over for the loved one's sake. Regardless of Kamijo not making sense, I gotta say that Kamijo seems to be someone who only cares about his comrades, or perhaps only Hayato. What he only cares is the issues between his comrades. He may only have viewed his swordsman duty as an obligation to please his comrades, instead of actually doing that for genuine desire, to not care about that in comparison to searching what breaks the SoL apart, like teaming up with Megid to accomplish that. It's what happens when someone is only shown getting along with their comrades and doing good to them, doesn't necessarily mean the outer circle is a part of it. Then it'd be quite unreasonable to assume Touma is similar to previous Caliburs of being drunk with power as he has shown more devotion towards the public he protects.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

It doesn’t help that, by laying things out chronologically, we’re left to shrug at how little explanation goes into the mechanisms that drove the early story. Luna’s never been seen, until she is, the very second Isaac is telling someone she’s never been seen. Calibur teams up with the Megid for power, and then does nothing for fifteen years. It’s all… none of this deserves to be taken literally. The backstory of a show like this should work on fairytale logic, the Once Upon A Time of it all; explaining it makes it so much worse. The second Kamijo tells us that he didn’t really curse Kento into an early grave – he actually shunted him to a nega-realm for safe-keeping, but got murdered before he could explain any of that to anyone, he wasn’t really a villain you guys, not really – he becomes a pathetic character that reads like the world’s most unnecessary and hilarious retcon. Let him be a doomed villain, not some ineffective dope. There’s weight in mystery, and this show’s early run – typified by these specials and their recap – frequently ruined it by trotting out terrible explanations.

To explain, the part 1 would be done between ep. 16-17 (16.5), and the part 2 is done between ep. 35-36 (35.5). Kamijo is a (anti-)villain regardless if he's an ineffective dope or pathetic, because he has done bad things. Otherwise, seems that there are more shown regarding Isaac, in how he'd talk about protecting the world to the swordsmen, while ofc keeping his smarmy nature. So Isaac didn't really bring up about the reasons why he'd want to protect the world at that time, but perhaps was just the type who lies against other swordsmen, though he slipped a bit against Hayato who is now more suspicious. Later he only talked about the world being boring to recreate it in his image. If Sophia already existed long ago when Daishinji and Ogami are "young recruits" (even if same actor), then that should mean Luna is significantly older than Kentouma too. Daishinji displays his lack of social tact more here, being outright rude to people sharing their stories or the way they're talking. The first Espada and Kenzan, Kyoichiro Shinsen and Amane Kagami, looks incompetent as fighters to be killed because that their attack launches the opening themselves.