[DreadBringer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

KAMEN RIDER W EPISODE 25 - “P’S GAME - THE STICKY FINGERED DOLL”

It’s hard to say anything except It’s The Doll Episode, you know? The visual is such a winner that this episode is almost entirely that, and only a little around the edges with which to compete. (Saeko and Doctor Slenderman, plus a very brief scene of Wakana being compelled to submit her Driver for augmentation. It’s incredibly tangential, and all set-up for upcoming stories, as the Sonozaki stuff has generally been of late.) The concept of a killer doll on a murder spree… like, what the hell else is there to say? The doll brawls with a middle-aged woman and shoves her out a window; the doll causes a car accident by trying murder the driver; the doll knocks out both Makura and Jinno, because we’re still in a phase of the show where Shotaro and Philip’s identity is sort of a secret; the doll SOMEHOW GETS A KNIFE; the doll almost single-handedly defeats Accel and Double in a fight; the doll grabs Double’s gun and blasts both Riders; the doll gets a Memory Break to the face. Like, again, what the hell else is there to say?

I don't know if they're intending to make this one a pseudo-horror story, or these are intentional so this 2-parter won't be too scary, that the doll's attacks in silly manners, as well as comical sound effects around those. Similar to ep. 11, the doll tries to weaponize a car by ramming Accel as he avoids (well, not that it will be deadly to KR, deadly to humans though), but not only that, the doll dismantled the car and throw its remains into Accel. The doll puts further fight by ordinary means.. spraying Accel with a water hose then tangling him with it. Akiko threatening the doll can be important as a distraction for Accel to use electric variant of Engine to zap it. It reminds me of Kuuga, where someone else did a move that is ineffective at first glance, but turns out to be effective as distraction (in Kuuga's case, cops shooting Grongi with a gun). No Memory ejected from the doll after its defeat, which means the doll wasn't the Dopant, but controlled by a Dopant. Still somehow the doll is able to withstand multiple KR attacks unscathed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

DIE-A MEMORIES

Now, though… I don’t know, man, I sort of get it. She’s ridiculous, but it’s hard not to find her insanity charming in an opposite way to how Terui acknowledges Shotaro’s prowess while bemoaning his demeanor. Akiko’s dopey as hell, but I can sort of see how Terui would be all in on that sort of lady. He’s not humorless, he’s just wry. I think he digs her high-energy pseudo-competence, not least because Shotaro sincerely does not. (Sometimes relationships start as a way to spite a third party! It’s not the weirdest reason to start dating someone!) Maybe it’s just a factor of me finding Akiko so much more enjoyable this go-around, but I can sort of see the chemistry between them two now.

Akiko didn't live up to her words before for forbidding Shotaro to waste money in hard-boiled detective books, unless she meant that what she 'wastes' in The Girl and Her Doll's Home is nowhere compared to Shotaro's. Though Akiko's infamous for slipper, this'd be what I think her meanest moment, by pushing Shotaro down the upper level ground (though Shotaro tugs her hand to save Rika), due to him not playing with dolls, but also shilling Terui again as the reliable one to help. About Shotaro complaining to Jinno about Akiko clinging to Terui, despite that he still keeps his unpleasant behavior, what is Shotaro thinking? Jinno shills Terui as well. Obviously Jinno dismisses Shotaro as being jealous.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

-I especially love that Terui is the only one to believe Akiko’s story – I think a big part of Shotaro’s lack of belief was that it was happening to Akiko – while also immediately undercutting her appreciation by pointing out that it was mostly based on evidence, not on blind faith. It’s a start?

Now Akiko's the one really got the bad luck, that she's accused of murdering Karakita, getting cornered by the main cop cast (Shotaro, Terui, Jinno, Makura). It'd be harder for Akiko's denial to sound sensible here (about her explaining that the doll killed Karakita and is cursed), that she's already weird from the first place. But still, this is a (albeit tech-involved) supernatural world, so other than this being a case of the weirdo being right, this should sound much more sensible compared to real world talk. Shotaro also denies her explanation as cursed doll sounding ridiculous (and too old playing with dolls... well that'd mean Shotaro sees Akiko in her actual age at least), though this can also be Shotaro rubbing it off on her for her annoying antics before. Makura's being a jerk again here, to abuse his authority here by excusing "obstruction of justice" (though resisting arrest is a misdemeanor) but also mocking Shotaro who stops him.