[Sh Ranger]

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

KAMEN RIDER DEN-O SPECIAL - ?PRETTY DEN-O ON THE SCENE!?

It?s literally just Momo and a friend -slash- partner -slash- host body -slash- terrified young person. That?s it. It?s nice to have the other Imagin, and the Den-Liner, and Naomi, but that?s just icing on a pretty delicious cake. (God knows The Plot Of The TV Show ?Kamen Rider Den-O? is fairly irrelevant to a thing feeling Den-O.) The chemistry between Momotaros and his story?s scene partner, the energy between them as they right wrongs and protect memories, that?s the crucial ingredient. Anything less is a miss, and anything more is optional.

Yeah, to have Kamen Rider Den-O, you still need Den-O, which at this point the Imagins can become on their own now that they have permanent physical bodies. However, if Ryoutarou's not around to fill the protagonist role anymore, then that's the benefit of having these guest protagonists like Yu, Koutarou, Mitsuru and Anna instead. The story can be whatever, as long as it's thematically relevant, which is why something like Den-O is so versatile that it can keep going even in the Reiwa Era.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Which is not to say that the non-Momo parts of this thing didn?t work, because I thought what was here was pretty sweet. It?s a 20-odd minute special, and none of it is particularly challenging, plot-wise. If you haven?t guessed the identity of Melon before she says her first line, I can?t imagine what you made of Den-O?s year-long mystery. (You might?ve even been more perplexed than me! I?m actually worried for you!) But it?s not the sort of story that relies on big twists or precise structure ? I mean, the bad guys are Shocker. This is stage show-level storytelling.

This is basically a simplified copy of the exact same plot twist that Yonemura previously used in Let's Go Kamen Riders. So anybody who's watched that should totally know what's happening here. The only difference with Melon is that she wears glasses, whereas Anna's mother doesn't, but that can be easily explained with contacts. I thought Anna was decent enough as a protagonist, showing some courage and kindness. Honestly, I only wish that she got to fight longer as the titular Pretty Den-O, before Momotaros went solo for his Hissatsu Waza Reiwa Version.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

-Which this movie also had! It?s a cleaner version of the second TV show version, the all-Imagin one.

I'm glad you enjoyed that as well, since I recall you didn't appreciate the original Imagin Version.