[Kamen Rider Die]

KAMEN RIDER FOURZE EPISODE 25 - “THE PROBLEM WITH GRADUATING”



It’s so Kamen Rider to have the story where Shun is at his most cartoonish – he literally dresses as America Clown for this episode’s cliffhanger – to be the one that takes the Shun/Miu relationship the most seriously.

As much as I enjoy Shun’s romantic flights of fancy, partially for how it exposes Gentarou’s romantic (and also Romantic) nature in pursuit of an idealized high school experience for his buds, I really like how much this episode grounds Shun in regret and a more mature level of admiration for Miu. Shun dated Miu because she was the most popular girl in school, and he was the most popular boy in school, and that was the end of the equation for him; she was arm candy, not a serious emotional investment. Then she wised up, self-actualized, and he figured out what he was missing. That’s the part I like the best: this isn’t a story about Shun being a horndog or a possessive weirdo or whatever, this is Shun realizing that he’s fallen in love with the Miu who leads the KRC, and that Miu’s worth looking like a clown for.

But Miu isn’t making it easy on him, because she’s got her own problems to deal with, and those problems do not have time for Shun’s grandiose attempts at reconciliation.

My favorite thing about Miu is that she’s genuinely good at her job. The easy way to do a show like this would’ve been to have Miu as some flighty brat who pushes people around without anything motivating her besides her need for attention, while the rest of the Club indulges her as they overcome her distractions and obstacles. But that’s not what this show does. Miu’s spotlight two-parter establishes her as a hard worker and a supremely motivated character – sure, it’s tuned towards popularity contests, but she is running full-tilt on whatever she sets her mind to. Having her declare herself the leader of the KRC and then whip these dorks and delinquents into shape is one of the many things that makes this such a fun show to watch. She became her best self in the KRC, and did something that finally mattered. She’s not ready to give that up yet.

It’s a melancholy story to tell, Shun and Miu graduating. Shun sees their time as a success, but one he can move on from while planning a future with Miu. It’s like football – the season ends and you move on, knowing that the team will continue on without you. But for Miu, the KRC is where she was the version of herself she liked the best – without that purpose and structure, there’s a team that will be great without her, and a girl that won’t have the chance to be her best self. She wants to prepare her friends to excel without her, but she also wants to excel with them. That idea of the KRC being a thing that she wishes she’d found early enough to really appreciate it, that’s a very bittersweet story to tell.

Which I am very happy about! I love a wistful story about moving on, especially when it can be a metaphor for adolescence wrapped up in a Zodiart mystery. Miu acquits herself incredibly well, which was expected (my favorite!), but Shun steps up his game to deliver an alternately on-brand ridiculous performance – every overreaction, every fantasy, throwing himself down a hill in despair – as well as a surprisingly subtle exploration of his genuine love for the woman Miu’s turned into. (That scene on the hill, where he seems so happy to have been able to get to know the real Miu over the last few months… amazing. Amazing!) The monster-fighting aspects are something I’ll probably feel more interested in with the next episode, because this one was all Miu and Shun. I am rooting for these two to be happy!