[Sh Ranger]

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

KAMEN RIDER FOURZE EPISODE 43 - ?LIGHT AND DARKNESS TWINS?

Like, I want to applaud this show for leaning into Yuuki?s mounting absurdity to devise an episode whose first-half conceit ? that a deranged Yuuki is gleefully cartwheeling through school, vandalizing people and property alike in the good name of Space ? is the most believable fake-out ever broadcast under the Kamen Rider banner, but at the same time that sort of doesn?t portray Yuuki?s performance and character development in the best light, if you?ll pardon the pun. The only reason the first chunk of this story can work is that Yuuki?s become such a bonkers character over the last 40-odd episodes that we can all sort of see her tagging a few dozen schoolmates in order to celebrate space. It?s not a million miles away from praying to a rocket for guidance, or bringing Hayabusa everywhere (even though I love that puppet), or cramming space books haphazardly on library shelves, or whatever else comes to mind when you think back to Yuuki?s comedic highlights. This is an episode that really foregrounds how overblown Yuuki?s performance has gotten, and I don?t know if that?s making lemonade out of lemons, or just hanging a lantern on an unavoidable topic.

Other than dropping Miu off a building, Gemini's mischief montage could be played in pretty much any of the last 10 episodes without seeming out of place for what Yuki has become. Maybe closing the Kyoto Hole made the Tokyo Hole louder to her, hence her increased insanity occurring alongside increased Horoscope frequency. I agree that this is not a Yuki I particularly care about as an individual, only caring due to the fact that Gentarou cares about her as a friend and I generally care about Gentarou and his friends. Sucks that this and the Aquarius arc (which I enjoyed) both talk about how great Yuki is while regularly showing the opposite of that. Well, I think there are much worse heroines out there anyway.

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Originally Posted by DreadBringer

Feels Gemini just blow her cover quickly when Kengo guesses that the real Yuki is the one Fourze is beating up.

Good development moment for Kengo though, showing he's now attuned enough to his friends that he can identify the imposter before Tomoko can detect the Cosmic Energy imbalance.

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Originally Posted by Switchblade

Skipped these, but I at least have my notes from last time:

I think it's unfair to blame Sengen for bad acting though, as it seems like the fault is mostly with Sanjo's scripts that make Yuki too ridiculous to portray convincingly.

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Originally Posted by Switchblade

The image from my original quote isn't come through so I've reposted it here:

You're going to have to explain who that purple guy is.

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Originally Posted by Androzani84

Let?s just hope Ryusei and Tomoko don?t break up, otherwise that couple?s ticket is worthless.

Hard to stay mad at Yuki when she supports the best ship.

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Originally Posted by Fish Sandwich

I also like how it highlights the villainy of Gamou in a way that's also highlighting his humanity? The whole plot happens entirely because, in his own twisted way, he longs for the companionship of someone he feels he can truly relate to, and that's a neat angle for the final boss of Fourze. To have a hero who seeks out and embraces people specifically for being different than him, and a villain that fails to see the value in anyone who can't/won't follow the exact same path he does, and then give that conflict some nuance with the underlying notion that neither of them wants to be alone.

Yeah, like, Gamou isn't actively malicious, he just has a big ambition for humanity's advancement and considers everybody else expendable in his pursuit of that, which sadly makes friendship a painful concept for him to consider. Otherwise, he's a pretty amicable guy and similar to Gentarou, a man who takes a straight and narrow road towards his dream.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

First, can we please talk about Tomoko?s adorable movie outfit? She?s like a chubby-cheeked Lara Croft, and it's incredibly distracting, but in a good way. If I?m forced to talk about something else ? how dare you, I thought we were all Team Tomoko over here

Again, boy, can we please just talk about Tomoko?s adorable W cosplay?! They shoulda cast that lady in every revival, and the world was sadly robbed of the sight of her as a series of chubby-cheeked Legendary Riders in Zi-O. Also, hey, Accel! I love that suit!

Agreed on both Tomoko and Accel!

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Now, the actual response: Is there actually a Dark Nebula? I don't remember if 45-48 elaborate on it, but Emoto specifically tells us before he dies that every punished Horoscope was secretly saved in his M-BUS station, and no one really went to the Dark Nebula. But the Net Movies continue to treat the Dark Nebula like an actual thing that people were sent to as a punishment, including the Sonoda films. So, like, is it even a real thing? Or just some nonsense Emoto told to Gamou?

I imagine Gamou who hears the voice of space would be aware of whether or not the Dark Nebula exists, so probably.

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Originally Posted by DreamSword

It's sorta like an early version of the DVD specials we'd get in later seasons like the Legend of Alain stuff from Ghost, for example.

Alain was never a wasted character though. Even Ghost haters praise his development arc, which Heroic Legend of Alain offered even more of. I think Saionji is a more appropriate comparison for Sonoda, with his anticlimactic early death and only getting focus in a post-show Hyper Battle to explore his relationship with Ryu and Igarashi. The Science Trio don't have any big fans, right? (looks at Fish)