[DreadBringer]

Episode 20 really highlights the dangerous mentality of Accel refusing to be questioned, in how he rejects and berates W for trying to reason with him he's relentlessly brutal in trying to take down Makiko, the supposed Dopant, in her human form due to her taking everything away from him as W Memory owner.

According to Shotaro, the value expected from Kamen Rider is to hate the criminal act, not the criminal itself - which means not killing someone after they no longer pose a threat. And ofc, at this stage, Accel berates Shotaro as naive (yeah, half-boiled is just the substitute mockery for this) and attacks. Even Akiko, who shills Accel before, now instead jumps in Shotaro's defense, and Accel de-henshins, but declares his hatred against Fuuto again, claiming that the city and people there are rotten. If Terui refers to 'rotten' here as in people who object to him, including condemning non-toxic flaw like being "naive", then he'd possess self-righteous views, "with us or against us" mentality, telling them they have no right to stop him after finding the supposed monster, viewing everyone but him as in the wrong.

Even Akiko too laments that the 'cool, sharp, and capable' Terui have really violent side, reminding that in that kind of person, negative traits aren't the part of their coolness (e.g. "chad") and can't be played up as admirable like Terui's brutality, despite some audiences doing so. Philip suspects personal connection between the freezing attacks and Terui, while describing hard-boiled as those who ruthlessly pursue their belief, having iron will, which refers to Terui. This one's not shilling though, more like talking about why being hard-boiled doesn't actually work, going against Shotaro's values - a deconstruction. Phillip outright labels Accel as insane - Terui lashes out again for being a "know-it-all" regarding his feelings, but Philip's rational is put in good use here, he acknowledges that, but is also why Terui had to tell them to actually solve the problem, the very reason he hired the protagonist trio. W claims that Accel losing composure reduces his fighting effectivity.

Makiko's son Kiyoshi being cold to his mother, made Accel jump into the conclusion that Makiko is so despicable that the son won't defend her and resumes his attack. Accel also assumes Shotaro lets the supposed criminal continue her attack unprovoked, which seems to be how the Fuuto people is 'rotten' in his eyes, and Accel claims he's just doing his job as officer. W points out that Accel was only fighting for vendetta, though Accel admits that as he reverts to Terui. Duty as officer? More like Terui knows nothing/being blinded about that, as murdering criminals constantly with no trial or conviction is a criminal act itself, especially that it comes from a cop himself, not from a vigilante.

Which, as Shotaro pointed out, the consequence of revenge and violence is that being blinded by it so much that Terui almost killed the wrong person, after telling his story that his family was killed by a freezing attack and his father bringing up W Memory... Especially in series like W where the Dopants are like Riders, only strong in their Dopant form, but is completely normal in human form which can be easily subdued. And contrary to popular belief that when someone is angered so much (except those that literally have anger as actual superpower) they can mow anything in their way, the reason why those traits are often glorified by fanbase and wish heroes tap into that more, instead you won't be able to keep clear head with W saying it reduces Accel's fighting capabilities.

Their clearer head allows to reveal the truth that the real reason of Makiko's infamy is due to Kiyoshi, finally gets through Terui's thick head that he almost killed an innocent (while the real culprit of Terui's family is discussed by Saeko and Wakana). By that Terui is still disgusted but conflicted at Shotaro's "naivety". Akiko admits to him that Shotaro is half-boiled, but the scene plays it out as acknowledging it as endearing part of Shotaro instead, reminds me of Kagami in Kabuto being 'praised' for his idiocy due to him rushing to do the right things. By this, Terui handcuffs Kiyoshi instead, Shotaro at least succeeded making Terui change a bit to play by his rules (actually law rules are like that in the first place) there, with his half-boiled traits held in higher regard (even Shotaro only calmly denies it there).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

"Going after people without thinking twice is logical".... Yeah, that sounds like the kind of contradiction that edgy guys would come up with. Empathy and hatred can both cloud a person's judgment and the latter is clearly detrimental here, since Terui was about to kill the wrong man.

Yeah, Terui's personality seems closer to fellow serious red jacket-wearing big bro Ryouga than Rintarou, although Mei did show some respect to Ryouga as well. All three Riders are similar in their values and sense of loyalty, so Akiko's and Mei's romantic preferences may also be similar.

About that contradiction, unfortunately the consequences of those trait isn't always shown in other characters possessing those traits in other media, or worse, in addition to portraying actual morality - compassionate stances, as being ineffective (while thinking that being heroic/moral is simply destroying evil), where their accomplishment feels like because it's "plot armor" or handed to them. Even though mistakes may occur, some people may insist that, it's not those "hard-boiled" traits that caused the problem, they just needed to change some key decisions and it'd end well. About what you said before of something like impulsiveness or recklessness saving the day, those too can lead into unpleasant outcomes like Terui did here eh?

Like most of the secondary Riders, Terui's initially an anti-hero, as while he's a cop doing his job (not a corrupt one), he had several unpleasant traits like being driven by personal reasons like hatred and revenge, the brutality and violence in carrying his will, and the self-righteousness to reject reasoning until now, all which are needed to be kept in check. Even if anti-heroes are subcategory of heroes, doesn't mean they don't have to work towards becoming better persons all-round, though indeed Terui concedes here after he did dismiss people like Shotaro as naive. For what you said of empathy clouding a person's judgment, it just proves that goody two shoes aren't perfect unlike what people complain about them, they're also flawed (which they should work upon, commonly naivety for KR), albeit those flaws aren't making them lean to grey morality unlike hatred.