[DreadBringer]

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Originally Posted by Fish Sandwich

Episode 4 -- "The Doll and the Pianist"

She's especially moody today because when Rinko showed up right before Shunpei, she happened to walk in on Haruto and Koyomi using the unique Ring she wears to do... something.

To me, Shunpei being clumsy and not intentionally displease others is significantly more likable than his debut scene of chasing around Haruto, with him actually being a nice guy trying to help the choking Haruto, just that he unintentionally causes damages like knocking over a vase, with him also acknowledging his faults.

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Originally Posted by Fish Sandwich

I also appreciate Medusa carrying around a cute little photo of the Gate for Cat Sidhe to demonstrate his monster form by slicing up dramatically with his claws.

Though Haruto is hypercompetent, maybe the story can end faster if the bosses actually face Wizard, who only has base form at this point. It's expected for villain power hierarchy to go up for tokus, as the characters would start in base form before obtaining final form later.

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Originally Posted by Fish Sandwich

The initial bout with Cat Sidhe opens up with a good showing of his agile and wild fighting style as he takes on Wizard in Flame Style, but the real fun comes when Haruto turns the tables by busting out Water Style once more, this time debuting the Liquid Ring, effortlessly confounding Cat Sidhe as he nonchalantly lets attacks flow right through him and reshapes his body around the Phantom in all sorts of different holds, like the world's weirdest pro wrestling match.

Yeah, this is what left a lasting impression on me for the Wizard fight in this episode, about the Water Style's ability to be ultra flexible in the fight, like a water that constantly changes its shape in the space it occupies. Hypothetically, it can be 'combined' with Flame Style by having the heat melt Wizard's body so it turns from solid to water.

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Originally Posted by Fish Sandwich

Takagi's super grumpy and still mostly concerned with the contest in spite of being targeted by a monster, but he at least gets Haruto's interest by mentioning that the piano is his hope.

Though not as severe, Takagi does kinda remind me of another VOTW of a Komura KR show, Suetsugu from Gavv ep. 7-8, in how they excel in an art, while feeling that they never accomplished enough and becoming super grumpy and bitter over it, taking out their issues on others too, brushing off any help given by others, though Suetsugu takes it up a notch in throwing a paint on someone. For someone that is highly competitive, Takagi is also a potential baddie, writing-wise, if he'd be made to be someone who'd want to win at all costs, like sabotaging other competitors or such, as it's common for a competitive scene to have someone being bitter over a prospect of losing, that 2nd place is the first loser, driving them to do whatever it takes to win, and that being toxic and ruthless is encouraged and justified.

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Originally Posted by Fish Sandwich

Takagi isn't too thrilled about the idea of bodyguards he didn't ask for getting in his space, so Haruto and Rinko settle for watching from outside his apartment for any sign of danger. Rinko gets to work her detective skills a little here by having gathered some info on Takagi, revealing that while he is exactly the kind of prodigy that's been sweeping competitions since he was little, he's currently in a huge slump, failing to win any more such awards, explaining why he's so focused on tomorrow's contest, and also why he's so darn surly.

Some characters that excel in certain fields do get used as the info dumps for some of the in-universe characters and the audience. Not a complaint, but dunno if perhaps how they managed to obtain that info is shown onscreen, their role and contribution may feel more impactful. This isn't the only case where an intelligence part of the team isn't shown in how they gather info, just them showing up and giving info on other characters, so dunno if it'd be harder to be implemented.

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Originally Posted by Fish Sandwich

She probably took it a little personally earlier when Shunpei mentioned Rinko's excellent support skills during the earlier fight while trying desperately to make casual conversation.

This'd be insecurity, but taken into a more negative direction of jealousy in her actually putting others down to raise herself up. It's her reasoning yeah, but jealousy is a negative trait. As one of the heroes' allies though, obviously she's not a bad person, with her also being involved in trying to help Takagi, but yeah, there's spectrum, there can be jerks who are overall still good, which typically the more unpleasant good guy allies of many medias are (likely basic requirement).

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Originally Posted by Fish Sandwich

It's probably quite the risk for the initial story focused on Koyomi, really. Especially if the previous three episodes made you welcome the presence of Rinko and Shunpei with open arms, it's easy to imagine all the active hostility making Koyomi look like a total jerk. She's presented at her absolute least flattering here, but that's also what makes the story interesting.

While this may be an interesting story, yeah, perhaps this still shouldn't negate how Koyomi is being a jerk, though dunno if this is a one-time behavior (she's already cold and aloof for 4 episodes currently) like for instance, Ichijou in first 3 episodes of Kuuga. Some people seem to only deem one as a jerk, if they're mean/bad for the sake of it, while thinking that if they're fleshed out/given a reason or treat certain someone nicely, it's all justified. I hope I don't sound like a hater here, and I often get accused if I criticize a character's behavior. Many would perhaps justify one wanting to drive out something that 'disturbs' their quiet, but yeah it's a dick move to just drive people away just for irrational dislike, or taking out your issues on others if there's inner thoughts, something I often experience, and they should have their own reasons too.

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Originally Posted by Fish Sandwich

Getting back to the story at hand, Rinko is quite conscious of how undesired the presence of her and Shunpei is by Koyomi, but Haruto is quick to say it's nothing worth getting hung up on. It's a peak into how close Haruto and Koyomi are to one another, because as Haruto is talking about how Koyomi was the same way around him at first too, it's with a familiarity and certainty that sort of seems beyond the scope of the six months they've actually known each other.

The conflict is actually acknowledged in the story here that Rinko is aware that her and Shunpei is unwelcome. So this is actually a good buildup for further character progression to get to know them better in asking how to get along with Koyomi. I don't feel that it's just Koyomi getting used to it, but Haruto might have a trick up to his sleeve of his own to get through Koyomi as in how he said, accepting everything about her.

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Originally Posted by Fish Sandwich

We already know who the pianist is, but it turns out the doll is Koyomi -- not a Phantom, and not quite human, but an existence that's only kept animated by magical power. Magical power that Medusa easily sucks dry, leaving Koyomi seemingly dead, and a panicked Shunpei to call Haruto, bringing the whole story together.

The reveal of Koyomi's identity as a doll is done early, while usually these kinds of surprising revelations would be done at the mid or late show. This being done early might give more setup but perhaps can feel less impactful to some. Maybe the stakes for the show would be added if Wizard's source of energy is a living being that has a risk of dying and losing it forever, rather than a source that is always readily available? Such as electric sockets to recharge electric gadgets. This'd of course, can create/justify a trope that is hated by many for good reason, damsel in distress.

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Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

That's why threads like this are useful to persuade haters to reconsider their opinion of underrated great heroines like Koyomi, Hiyori and Hirose. Don't let despair win!

The other important thing is also spreading this info to more people, which, for threads, it seems to be limited to the ones who opened those threads, and in my case, so far it just seems unsuccessful to try promoting this informations to others, as what I said above already about getting into these threads. My goal wouldn't be about persuading the haters directly (individually), but more so that this information is more widespread and getting closer to be acknowledged as general consensus in the fanbase so the hating takes are more likely to be viewed as wrong.

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Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

Well, they can't say Hiyori was just there during the 30s episode range, since she was not there. I think it shows how much I like Hiyori that my only complaint is that she wasn't there enough.

Yeah, being absent also further doesn't help Hiyori's case, and also Koyomi's case, being absent for most of the show is a common complaint for her (I know both are absent due to irl stuff and those people know too, but still). But about 'just there', it can also apply during those characters' actual appearence, perhaps unlike for example, Drake, Zangetsu, or Lazer who were absent for a good part of the show, but they still got praised on how they were onscreen.

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Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

Depends on the setting and heroine's abilities. Like, I agree with the complaint that Kiriko's role as a cop was quickly forgotten and she got reduced to a damsel (Spinning Wheel is a song about 3 guys wanting to protect her). But I disagree with the complaint that she was denied being a Rider, since it was already explained in-universe why that's impossible, in contrast to Mei where that argument is actually valid.

Though there can be certain plot aspects that has in-universe explanations, many people would not accept it and that, it's still problematic to include that subplot/explanation in the story and the producers should've never included it in the first place (perhaps an example is complaining about character switching sides several times even though their motivation is explained). I do usually get more defensive of something that has explanations or meaning too, but dunno if my defense of those is valid or just me grasping on straws in defending them, tbh.

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Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

I think it's only fair to judge heroines based on what they can and should be able to do, rather than what people wish they would do. Koyomi is a magically-animated doll that needs to be recharged regularly, so of course she has limits on how much she can do and people need to respect that.

It's the fair approach indeed, but some people may have a different view of media than the above. Not agree with this, but while you'd think Koyomi being a limited doll gives far more tolerance on how much she can engage, people may view it as problematic or sexist to limit a female in for instance, a support role rather than giving them as much wide of a scope as the others and be fair, including using various reasons as 'excuses' so that the female would be like that, including making Koyomi a doll that needs recharging in the first place and purposely limit her contribution for some reason.