[Kamen Rider Die]

KAMEN RIDER W EPISODE 48 - “THE REMAINING U - PARTNERS FOREVER”



I like that the final dilemma for Shotaro to overcome is how to be the best partner for Philip.

If Shotaro has an arc on the show (big if!), it’s becoming the man that Sokichi knew he could become. Shotaro was this teen detective in shortpants, cosplaying as a hardboiled gumshoe, but Sokichi saw more in Shotaro. He saw a sympathetic hero that cared enough to feel the pain his city was enduring, and work everyday to make it better. He saw a partner for Philip, someone who could create a place for a lost kid to feel like he belonged. This whole series has been Shotaro working to become not just Sokichi, but the successor to Sokichi.

And the last step, naturally, was having to make the tough call and let Philip go out on his own terms.

It’s the real obstacle for Shotaro in this last story. Kazu’s an interesting final villain – we’ll get to him – but his eventual defeat is both academic and inevitable. The core dilemma for Shotaro is accepting that Philip has a right to determine his own fate, and part of being a good partner is allowing him to make that choice. Shotaro’s main strength is how deeply he feels, but his main weakness is refusing to accept that other people may feel just as deeply. Philip comes off as the drily analytical member of Double, but Shotaro’s insistence on not sacrificing Philip only meant that Philip was doomed to slowly fade away while his sister was destroyed by Kazu. Shotaro’s needs were put in opposition to Philip’s, and Shotaro couldn’t see how his own pain was equal to Philip’s. The only way for Double to win was for Shotaro and Philip to work together, no matter the outcome. The only way they could lose would be as individuals.

It all makes for a sweet final story, no matter the shape of the actual final episode. This one’s the big conclusion, where a thematically-relevant villain meets their end in a thrilling battle with our heroes. So much of the beginning is about Shotaro and Philip laying out their anxieties: Shotaro, that he’d be pulling the trigger that kills his partner; Philip, that Shotaro’s reluctance wouldn’t save Philip, and would also doom Fuuto. But the back half is where all of that becomes a pyrotechnic delight, with Shotaro single-handedly storming the Foundation X plant to show how Fuuto will not lack for a Kamen Rider, even when Double is done, and then our two-in-one hero taking on the Utopia Dopant.

Kazu’s an intriguing final opponent for Double, regardless of how late he entered the story, or the use of Foundation X throughout the last dozen episodes. Kazu’s dream is a faceless world of nothing but him and Saeko, which is a direct rebuttal to the vibrancy of Fuuto, and a sort of neat reflection of the drama between Shotaro and Philip. Kazu has been concocting this apocalyptic strategy as a gift to Saeko, to try and win her over. Except, Saeko’s never wanted that, or him. Kazu’s selfish indulgence of his own feelings over Saeko’s autonomy is the villainous counterpart to Shotaro’s disregard of Philip’s dying wish. Both Kazu and Shotaro think they can trick and ignore their way into an outcome that gets them what they need, even if it’s hurting the people they say they’re doing it for. As far as last opponents go, Shotaro’s Emotions With Philip’s Demeanor is as on-target as you can get.

This whole two-parter… man, it’s so good. It’s everything I’d want from a W finale, executed with commitment and precision. Double defeats Utopia by caring too much! Goddamn! It’s a gorgeously sentimental finale (Shotaro finally feeling like he can wear Sokichi’s hat!) wedded to a rousingly superheroic finish. Perfect ending for this show, man. Perfect.

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DIE-A MEMORIES



-That whole catch scene at the beach!!! They’re just two brothers, and children, so Akiko makes them work out their tension by playing catch. Adorable.

-Saeko’s death… best Sonozaki death since Kirihiko. I love that she’s equally sacrificing herself to save Wakana as she is to spurn some dipshit dude who thought he could own her, and that’s 100% why I love Saeko in the final third of this show. Even her saving Wakana… she’s partially doing it because it’s contrary, and also Wakana’s death only matters to Saeko if she does it herself. Such a great, prickly lieutenant.

-We finally get to see why Wakana flipped over to Ryuube’s side so many episodes ago, and it’s a tiny detail that mostly doesn’t matter. Wakana believed in Ryuube’s hopes that the Gaia Impact would be a type of salvation for the planet, but it doesn’t explain at all a) why she turned into Episode 1 Saeko overnight, and b) immediately tried to murder Philip. Most of Wakana’s Act 3 arc only works if you look at the very, very end of it, and sort of ignore the first few episodes of it. Not great!

-Santa gets his face back, just to immediately lose it. Ironic!