[DreadBringer]

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

This is a weird scenario where, unless someone else pops up in the next two episodes, the final boss isn't really the final threat. Juuga's important to defeat, but the real problem here is Ikki's vanishing memory. That's the thing that needs to be resolved for this series to have a happy ending, not beating up a son who missed having a final moment with his dad.

Yeah, I know and this is common people's take of why Juuga happens, it's to accelerate Ikki's amnesia, which actually is a case of conflict ball done to proceed the story (and as some said, anyone can take George's place here). Doesn't change the argument that he still shouldn't be downgraded as a bit more than MOTW to do that, especially due to how this starts so late, or that usual KR padding for the series to end in 50 (igarashi) episodes.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

KAMEN RIDER REVICE EPISODE 49 - “AFTER THE BATTLE ENDS… ONLY THE DEMON REMAINS”

I mean, sure, the climax of this episode involves Vice pretending he ate Ikki’s forgotten family, and he’s even covered in ketchup as fake blood. And sure, the middle section of this episode is a Wacky Roommates montage that lovingly evokes the first few stories these two shared, where a rambunctious devil was irritating a young man but they both came off like they loved it. But that’s all just sweetness to cover up what’s really going on here. It’s Vice truly becoming Ikki: sacrificing himself – and maybe even the memories he shared with his closest friend – as a way of saving his family.

I'd tolerate Vice's antics in this episode, as unlike many other cruel to be kind approaches, this one's genuinely has no other solution to solve Ikki's problem (while other cruel to be kind scenario got the audience, or sometimes people, subjectively paint that method as the only way), as per how the contract worked, and for here, hating Vice is the main objective here, instead of the usual side effect of someone being cruel to be kind. And perhaps, there are no real damage done to everyone, other than emotional damage to Ikki alone. Though I predicted it, I genuinely laughed too seeing Sakura and Yukimi holding ketchup bottles at the end. Other than that, this is also a display of teamwork done by all the cast (except Ikki), to have everyone being onboard with Vice's plan to return Ikki's memories, and have each of them serve their roles well, probably even some of the civilians there. The cast perhaps can make a good movie/TV show team too by this!

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

It’s hilarious to think that Ikki as we knew him for a season is largely absent from this episode, since Vice so ably fills that role in the narrative now. He’s protecting his family, and getting overinvolved, and eventually forcing the issue that Ikki might attempt to dodge. This is, as a concluding installment for the Revice TV series, the most basic Day 1 Ikki story imaginable. I love that.

Turns out George still appeared after last seen breaking down over Masumi, and not only that the "date" Hiromi asked him before actually happened here, he's quite significant here to use his scientist knowledge to theorize something (which he didn't do so due to being temporarily villainous). About how the contract between Ikki and Vice hasn't ended because .... and Ikki previously acknowledged Vice as something more than a partner, family.

That'd be normally touching, if not for how it's the actual cause of the tragedy in this episode. Though the amnesia arc is quite a waste especially for Ikki's role, I do feel bad at how in Ikki's POV here, Vice is truly the scumbag he despised at the beginning of the series, though now he had hard time accepting it due to Vice being his actual partner for so long. It personally hits home for me as, though I often assume the worst of people, that assumption turning to be the truth is also my biggest fear, and Ikki would go through that here regarding how he hated Vice at first for justified reasons.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

It’s not the tightest episode because of that, though. There’s as little a risk that Ikki has forgotten his family for good as there is a risk that Vice actually devoured Daiji and Sakura. (Yukimi… like, non-zero chance of that. He’s got a history of trying to eat her!) There might be consequences, but Ikki is definitely getting his memories back before the series concludes; we’re outright told that Ikki defeating Vice should resolve the contract and render it null and void. (I don’t… think this show understands how contracts work? If I sign a contract saying I’ll pay you $500 to build me a chair, and then you build me a chair, I don’t also get the $500 back at the end of the contract. That’s more me lending you something, not paying you something. Demon contracts are very peculiar!) So much of this generally enjoyable and occasionally somber episode is spent waiting for the shape of the resolution to reveal itself, and that’s gonna knock a few points off.

Ikki not being able to fit in with his family and later leaving them also at least increases the impact of Ikki's amnesia, despite that it's only him forgetting, not others. The Igarashis trying to get him back is a more difficult task than imagined, and it requires more than just reminding him that they're his family, but also reminding him of their quirks, banters, etc. A̶t̶ ̶l̶e̶a̶s̶t̶ ̶i̶t̶'̶s̶ ̶m̶o̶r̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶n̶ ̶A̶r̶u̶t̶o̶ ̶t̶e̶a̶c̶h̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶n̶e̶w̶ ̶I̶z̶u̶ ̶a̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶e̶n̶d̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶Z̶e̶r̶o̶-̶O̶n̶e̶.̶ A loss of a family member would be hard to swallow, even if it's only one member, and now, it'd be what potentially happened to Ikki, had he killed Vice and that his memories would return by that.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

But I do like the resolution, that Vice needs to give himself up to save Ikki’s happiness. This was never a show where Vice turned bad, or feuded with Ikki in a serious way. There’s a wholesomeness to their dynamic that even Saber’s friendliness and empathy can’t touch. That this weirdly plotted show decided to put all their chips on Ikki Versus His Own Id But Out Of Kindness as the final story that got told… wild. That shit is WILD. Such a fun treat for those of us who hung around and put our faith in the creators to land this thing effectively.

Your mileage may vary, as it always does, as to whether this feels like an emotionally-fulfilling conclusion to Kamen Rider Revice. For me, it’s probably the only ending I can see myself enjoying. For a show about family and embracing every aspect of ourselves to then make the final conflict between family and embracing every aspect of ourselves… yeah. Yeah, that works for me.

So Ikki's amnesia stuff is only used to wrap-up the story. Kinda explains why it's so little brought up before, despite it being the lead character's arc. Now I know the reason why it's so left out, but this doesn't change my view of how it's another Revice wasted potential that it made Ikki seem overshadowed in the 2nd half of the show instead (after what I think, is a good MC potential of exploring hero complex problems). This isn't saying it's a bad part of Ikki but saying that this should be done in more prevalent part of the series than just using it as a closure.