[Kamen Rider Die]

KAMEN RIDER OOO EPISODE 48 - “MEDALS FOR TOMORROW, UNDERWEAR, AND ARMS TO REACH OUT WITH”



Just a perfect ending, despite the various imperfect parts.

(Those imperfect parts: I don’t think the Uva/Maki/ApOOOcalypse stuff has any fun moves on it, that’s the main one. It’s a very Might As Well ending for both of them, but it does exactly what you need it do for the main story and Maki’s arc, so it’s not really a big complaint. Also, the attack of the Pseudo-Yummies on the city is fine to give the Births and Satonaka something to do, but it’s really just giving them something to do. Could’ve cut all that without losing much of anything.)

It’s a very sweet and sad ending for Ankh, which is what needed to happen for this finale to work. It’d be hard to argue that this isn’t a season about Ankh, first and foremost; even Eiji’s story here is about how Ankh has helped him change and grow. Letting Ankh sacrifice the life that he was after to help his friend, because it only became that life through his friendship, that’s as poignant and poetic an ending as you can get, even before we start talking about hands reaching out and all that. Ankh–

So, I’ve been writing this for about half an hour, and I’ve probably rewritten the first two paragraphs about three times each. That’s not typical for me! I usually just write down whatever I’m thinking, and then proof it during the post. But with this one… I don’t know, at a loss for words? I like it, for sure. I probably even love it. But I don’t know how to talk about it?

It’s just, like, the perfect ending; the end, whole though, full review. Talking about why it works as an ending is just: see the write-ups for the previous 47 episodes. Nothing here is a huge shock or a startling turn. Ankh’s motivation, while rarely stated by him in ways that aren’t moody and antagonistic, is still pretty goddamn clear. Eiji’s series-long inability to accept help and let others share his burden is another huge story point over a half-dozen individual stories, if not the background noise of the entire series. Those arcs conclude here in smart ways, but also in the only ways they could end – the precision of this series wouldn’t allow for, like, the Neo-Greeed of 2032 to show up as a stinger. Ankh has to give up the life he wanted, and in doing so have finally lived a life; Eiji has to let his friends reach out to him, and in doing so have the strength to reach back. That’s it. That’s the only ending possible. The mechanics of that can be fun and even thrilling (Eiji’s scheme with the Cell Medals is very clever!), but that sort of stuff is the final dab of paint on a canvas that’s been drying for the last two episodes. It’s a nice addition, but the story was already locked in.

And that makes this all so hard to talk about at the finish line. Parenthetical second paragraph aside, there’s really nothing to talk about here that wouldn’t just be talking about the entire series as a whole. This is the way the story had to end, and then it did. It’s great for that. It’s beautiful for that. But it’s also turned this show into one complete story, like Maki would’ve wanted, and that leaves only reflection, not analysis.

I did like this one a lot, though. Really good final episode.