[DreadBringer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

KAMEN RIDER FOURZE EPISODE 39 - “THE NEW SCHOOL RULES”

So, befitting the topic, let’s push off the discussion of the main plot of this episode – Sugiura’s dictatorship – to briefly touch on Emoto, whose presence in this episode is charming (the actor’s just got a real genial vibe to his wistful recollections and occasional flashes of hollowed-out warnings) while still feeling vaguely perfunctory, like we hit Episode 39 so it’s time to get a few more nuggets about how Emoto, Gamou, and Kengo’s dad fit together way back when. I don’t know that any of the information is new (at the very least, it doesn’t exactly feel revelatory), but Emoto’s tone here makes things slightly more dangerous and imminent. Like, it’s a good scene, but it never quite feels like it’s supposed to be in this story? This episode, sure; the Horoscopes meeting is like the B-side to this Emoto subplot. But it’s sort of random how we get to it, and Sugiura’s disappearance to deal with Gentarou feels mildly out of character – isn’t this an important seminar that he’s just bailing on to deal with Gen right this second? I mean, he has to leave so Kengo can monopolize Emoto’s time with Switch business, but that just puts more of a spotlight on how contrived this bit of backstory is to a largely separate story.

It's indeed a common and normal rule for a school to forbid students from having specialized outfit, hairstyle, or accessories. This episode, even the Horoscopes, describe this as suppressing the freedom and individuality of students, where schools are a place to make students obedient as Sayaka said, with the dark implication so that they won't question the corruption around them and can be controlled like pawns, with Keisuke being literally brainwashed by Taurus later. Now this is done by a student, including a council, rather than Satake or Ohsugi before. It should be clear that if Zodiart corrupts the user, it's what made Sugiura become a dictator as Gentaro already know he's Taurus. Otherwise, this episode seems to show that Gentaro's firmly on chaotic side of good. People has positive connotations with the term law and negative with chaotic, but good doesn't equate lawful, where it's chaotic for Gentaro to focus very strongly on individual rights and freedoms, and will strongly resist any form of oppression of themselves or anyone else, like the law and rules, relying on conscience rather than conduct to do good.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

But that separate story is real good! It mostly includes everyone in it, although Miu and Shun’s contributions continue to feel like the production team is grasping at straws to keep them involved, especially with stories that are centered on the school campus. I like the premise, though – the school’s doing a fun fascism, which Kamen Riders are uniquely suited to take down. Creating a reason for Gentraou to have to defeat the villain while Fourze is magically barred from fighting, that’s cute. I like a complication like that, to force Gen and JK (if no one else) to have to use their wits when their dance skills and/or double dutch skills fail them, and pummeling is off the table. Getting to watch them dress up in goofy uniforms and go undercover… like, that’s such an Act One version of this show? It’s low-stakes, just this whole thing about overbearing rules and lack of individuality, dressed up in goose-stepping hall monitors and breakdancing competitions for people’s souls. There’s for sure going to be a second part to this story that delves into Sayaka’s accident and Sugiura’s motivation and it’s probably going to be slightly tragic, but this one’s just loopy nonsense, orbiting a story about control and safety and what we lose when we don’t let our lives have any risk.

The one who uses a Switch is instead Fourze's base form, showing off new variations of Giantfoot attacks (can be from side too), with Cosmic States only beating up Taurus with Barizun Sword. Gentaro roots for JK against Sugiura because the current context is about him trying to dismantle to council's rules, but I wonder if this is in more neutral situation, it might be natural for people to think Gentaro would root for his friends (means the one that hangs out with him visibly, but it's just more about them being major character that the story follows) over random people, but Gentaro wants to befriend everyone, so this should extend to the dance competitors too. I guess it was a mistake for me to assume JK should be less athletic than Miu, because he constantly runs from trouble, but he gotta be athletic to some degree like Miu as a breakdancer, and there's a reason why JK is the one the story made to be another Power Dizer user, alongside the one called King and Queen.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

There’s, again, a real classic appeal to that kind of Fourze story. If it splits up the cast a little too much (I think we get one KRC scene in the Rabbit Hatch?), then at least it shifts around the characters for a variety of fun groupings – Kengo/Yuuki/Tomoko and JK/Ryuusei/Gen, then Ryuusei/Kengo/Tomoko and Gen/Yuuki. (JK is off enjoying the addictive pleasures of enforcing a fascist regime, surely nothing that has any modern or historic parallels, just some flight of fancy from a TV show designed to sell toys to Japanese children.) Otherwise, we’re in a full-on Amanogawa High episode, filled with returning background characters, and largely set within school grounds. As this show goes further afield for space camps and school trips and spring breaks and exchange programs, it’s sort of nice to just spend a couple episodes with the normal student body, dealing with ridiculous school rules. It’s a throwback in the best way possible.

Ohsugi's antagonism to the KRC before was also about disobeying rules such as Yuki adding space-themed books in the library. Ohsugi still has some subtext with Gentaro even before joining KRC like getting him to talk in his room because he's lonely, but he still seems to respect rules more to praise Gentaro for finally behaving 'properly' like uniform and hairstyle, but still, wonder what'd be Ohsugi's reaction towards the rules enforced by the student council. If Miu and Shun being involved at this point is shoehorned, them graduating and being busy on college may be the right call. I wonder if Kengo can know Meteor's Switches too and act as technical support for both Riders, but Ryusei gotta keeping his secret outside of KRC may limit communication between him and the other members too in fight.