[Kamen Rider Die]

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Originally Posted by Layton13

That said, the Phase 1 this episode may be one of my least favorite suits ever xD

It literally looks like someone threw a trashbag over an existing suit, painted it purple and glued leftovers to it xD

It's a very unusual design for what I thought was supposed to be a flatworm? It's... not very flat.

That said, I love the very videogame gimmick of needing to do more damage than it can regenerate, so it's just the Kamen Riders spamming powerful attacks with every tool available. Always entertaining to see the heroes just punish a monster.

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Originally Posted by Switchblade

Now we're really getting into the part where the show starts taking off for me. Sakura is absolutely my favorite of the Igarashi siblings and probably my favorite character on the entire show. Finally getting her out into the spotlight absolutely kicks the show up to another level.

I just... I like the choices Sakura's actor makes. It's restrained in a way that's more affecting than if she was super dramatic and demonstrative. Misora from Build's actor would frequently do the same thing, and it always always always got my attention. In a scene with Ikki's boiling-over nosiness and Daiji's caustic need to point out his authority, being quiet is the best move as a scene partner.

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Originally Posted by Androzani84

And let?s actually get to this episode?s feature, focusing on the toy that came out the day before the episode aired (continuing the theme of antagonists? belts appearing in-show 6-7 weeks before they get released as DX toys)

Thanks for the fun skit!

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Originally Posted by DreamSword

I'll save my full thoughts for the next episode.

Thanks for the screencaps!

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Originally Posted by Enchilada645

Which you know it makes sense, very much a family of overprotective siblings/parents, especially since we're only just coming out of the Evil Arc that Daiji was a part of and I feel that's a big driving factor in everyone reacting to Sakura's proclamations of wanting to fight like they did.

I can see that? There's a point where Sakura's considering her teacher's motivation, and wondering if it's valid to hurt others to protect your family if there's no other option, and Daiji's like It Is Never Right To Summon Inner Demons To Attack People Because You're Hurting Emotionally and you know he's talking about himself as much as he's talking about Sakura's teacher. While things are generally escalating in the Deadmans department, they are specifically escalating for the Igarashi family. Daiji and Ikki (and Mom) are a little worried that a headstrong Sakura could get herself pretty badly hurt as everyone else is getting sucked into monster fights!

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Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

A kid talking about how they want to become invincible and beat everybody is typical kid behavior, but as a young adult, it sounds insufferably pretentious and edgy!

I guess I don't see it that way? Sakura strikes me as a fairly normal teenager: someone who had a conception of herself at a young age that doesn't match the woman she's turning into, which is going to be a bumpy road to navigate for a little while. (Tillie Walden's memoir Spinning is a great insight into a young athlete who finds herself less fulfilled in her teens by what was once her passion, and I highly recommend it.) Like, she knows it's weird to only get stronger, but she doesn't know what else she should be yet. That's why she throws herself into these weird conflicts that could get her killed; maybe this is the reason she worked hard to become stronger.

Like, I really think Sakura's a relatable and unique character for a Kamen Rider show -- we don't usually get stories about teen girls trying to define themselves -- despite her motivation being one that's landed on a ton of great characters over the years: how do we find our motivation and resolve, when we thought having power would make that clear to us?