[Sh Ranger]

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Originally Posted by DreamSword

For anyone who might not be in the know, in Japan, being on a first name basis with someone you care about is a sign of great love and respect, so basically Akiko is essentially asking for the bare minimum from, you know, her husband. Meanwhile, with Terui's' insistence on calling her by her title, he's essentially saying "No, our marriage is purely business."

On the other hand, given name calling with someone you're not close with is poor etiquette, such as Gentarou calling Kengo like that since they first met. Between spouses, "anata" is quite common, meaning polite "you", but often translated as a pet name like honey or darling, which Terui would never dare use.

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Originally Posted by DreamSword

Speaking of Akiko, that fall towards the end makes no sense. In order for that scene to work, Akiko would either have to be falling incredibly slowly, or Aoi and Terui would need to be moving at supersonic speed. Kinda takes the tension and drama out of the whole scene for me.

Terui's just that bad*ss. Don't ask him questions.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreamSword

And last, I did not much care for how the film's' final message ends up being "If you want redemption you need to find a lover." Not just because of my own disposition, but also because it's very forced, especially in the context of W as a whole. Terui's' whole "I was only able to change because of you, Akiko!" is total nonsense, as Terui's' growth was due to various different factors, and Akiko most certainly wasn't one of them.

I think it's more general, like, "If you want redemption, you need to find love." For Terui, that's the romantic kind, but that doesn't necessarily apply to Aoi even if she mistakes it for that. Familial and platonic love are also important and Terui would later get new familial love with Haruna.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Yeah, as much as my memory was that Akiko always came off more like a little sister than a romantic partner, even for Kamen Rider (although... Specter), there's an element to Terui's ability to be emotionally vulnerable that kind of makes these two perfect for each other. They're both flawed, but in sort of complimentary ways?

Everybody's flawed, so it's a good idea to find a partner whose strengths can balance out your flaws and vice versa, or rather, "find someone that you want". That's a pretty apt moral for one of the major themes of Double.