Kamen Rider Den-O Episodes 21-24 (Spoilers)
Man, I've really neglected this show. It started with the break caused by the golf tournament and after that I just sort of put the show off. (What can I say? Den-O so far kind of resolves a story within 2 episodes, so I don't feel much compulsion to watch after I finish any two episode arc.)
21 - 22: I know Ryu is a child. Everyone (in the show) keeps saying so. Yet I find I don't much care for his picking a fight with Yuto. And for making Yuto waste a card. :( The cliffhanger ending of 21 is totally misleading. Nothing even remotely exciting happens after that.
I think I understand why the fight is there, though. Rider vs. Rider has to happen sometimes, and this is as good a time as any. And it gives more excuse for Yuto to upbraid Ryotaro (I don't care if he doesn't really deserve it; makes for a nice drama anyway).
So the regulars all worry over nothing about what might happen if Yuto introduces himself to Airi, since she doesn't even remember yuto's name. Can't say I'm surprised, although there was a time or two that I did have my doubt. And I'm inclined to believe the owner about this Yuto being the one from a decade ago (and I would still persist in my barely-based-on-any-evidence theory that there is only one Yuto Sakurai).
I get a feeling that this set of episodes doesn't really care much about the contract holder and treats those scenes almost as afterthoughts. I mean, I have no idea what the important memory of the contract holder is. (Just see him running like he was late.) The imagin is marginally interesting, yet if he can't split himself in two, I would have dismissed him completely.
I like that the regulars get more screentime (and this seems to be the first time Naomi appears outside of Denliner). Something I notice, especially here: Ryotaro's imagins usually have a one-track mind, except Ura, I think, yet I fear I don't find Ura very interesting. (He is rather normal; maybe there is a compliment in there somewhere, like, unlike the others, he is less likely to cause trouble for Ryo.)
Maybe it is petty of Yuto to hold out such an unenlightening answer, but he does keep his promise. (Why, if he just tells them at the beginning of 22, I wouldn't get to see all the hilarity that ensues at the selling stand.) Besides, he does say, over and over, that he is not here to make friends.
Umm...slicing the monsters in pieces? I'm sure I'll get used to this kind of things one day. ^^;
23 - 24: Maybe I haven't tried very hard, but I just don't care for Sieg. (Might have to skip the movie if he is in it.) There is a way to do a prince-like character well, but I'm sorry to say Sieg is not it. The saddest thing is I can't even really support my opinions...
...or maybe I could try a little. See, this pretty imagin comes out of practically nowhere and has no sympathetic story attached to him in 23. He is, like, everyone has to scramble to do his bidding, and it doesn't seem to me that he has no clue that he has inconvenienced other people.
(Turns out he really does not have a clue, since no one bothers to slap some sense into him like Hana does in 24. But this seems a little too late for me.)
As for the episodes themselves, they are interesting enough. Carrying a baby, Sieg!Ryo simply walks up to the house of the baby's mother, to return the baby to her. Alas, Sieg's thoughtlessness causes Ryo to be taken into custody (the police thought him a kidnapper). Anyway, I love how his imagins try to help him out (well, maybe not Kin, who just promptly goes to sleep ^^). But their efforts were wasted since Sieg was the one who succeeded in freeing Ryo. (It was the least (and one of the few good things) he could do, since he caused problems in the first place.)
It is weird that Sieg forms a contract with the baby (or with its mother; not sure I really understand this part). So where does Sieg come from? Surely he exists before/outside of the baby. (He talks as if he used to lead some other group of people. Surely that wasn't all in his deluded mind?)
I kind of like that the imagin this time doesn't really want to exert himself (he will fulfill the wish as long as it (the wish) is not too difficult, LOL).
Not at all surprised with Wing Form since I never thought Sieg would use the Den-O belt. Sadly, I couldn't be less enthusiastic with a new form's debut if I tried. (To provide a little context, I hadn't seen Wing Form before 24, so I probably should be more interested.) Not that there is anything specifically wrong with the form; only that I'm probably unfavorably biased toward Sieg. (Hope I didn't unintentionally say I liked him; I just couldn't find a good phrase.)
Ryu seems to have a habit of collecting stray animals. (And Ryu!Ryo looks good with them.) Kind of makes me smile that Sieg seems like one of Ryu's lost pets/strays (since Ryu essentially picks him up from--er--wherever). Of course, "the world revolves around me" Sieg would never realize that; the idea of a beautiful swan as a stray is simply ludicrous.
That's it from me for now. I'm sure I'm forgetting something obvious.
21 - 22: I know Ryu is a child. Everyone (in the show) keeps saying so. Yet I find I don't much care for his picking a fight with Yuto. And for making Yuto waste a card. :( The cliffhanger ending of 21 is totally misleading. Nothing even remotely exciting happens after that.
I think I understand why the fight is there, though. Rider vs. Rider has to happen sometimes, and this is as good a time as any. And it gives more excuse for Yuto to upbraid Ryotaro (I don't care if he doesn't really deserve it; makes for a nice drama anyway).
So the regulars all worry over nothing about what might happen if Yuto introduces himself to Airi, since she doesn't even remember yuto's name. Can't say I'm surprised, although there was a time or two that I did have my doubt. And I'm inclined to believe the owner about this Yuto being the one from a decade ago (and I would still persist in my barely-based-on-any-evidence theory that there is only one Yuto Sakurai).
I get a feeling that this set of episodes doesn't really care much about the contract holder and treats those scenes almost as afterthoughts. I mean, I have no idea what the important memory of the contract holder is. (Just see him running like he was late.) The imagin is marginally interesting, yet if he can't split himself in two, I would have dismissed him completely.
I like that the regulars get more screentime (and this seems to be the first time Naomi appears outside of Denliner). Something I notice, especially here: Ryotaro's imagins usually have a one-track mind, except Ura, I think, yet I fear I don't find Ura very interesting. (He is rather normal; maybe there is a compliment in there somewhere, like, unlike the others, he is less likely to cause trouble for Ryo.)
Maybe it is petty of Yuto to hold out such an unenlightening answer, but he does keep his promise. (Why, if he just tells them at the beginning of 22, I wouldn't get to see all the hilarity that ensues at the selling stand.) Besides, he does say, over and over, that he is not here to make friends.
Umm...slicing the monsters in pieces? I'm sure I'll get used to this kind of things one day. ^^;
23 - 24: Maybe I haven't tried very hard, but I just don't care for Sieg. (Might have to skip the movie if he is in it.) There is a way to do a prince-like character well, but I'm sorry to say Sieg is not it. The saddest thing is I can't even really support my opinions...
...or maybe I could try a little. See, this pretty imagin comes out of practically nowhere and has no sympathetic story attached to him in 23. He is, like, everyone has to scramble to do his bidding, and it doesn't seem to me that he has no clue that he has inconvenienced other people.
(Turns out he really does not have a clue, since no one bothers to slap some sense into him like Hana does in 24. But this seems a little too late for me.)
As for the episodes themselves, they are interesting enough. Carrying a baby, Sieg!Ryo simply walks up to the house of the baby's mother, to return the baby to her. Alas, Sieg's thoughtlessness causes Ryo to be taken into custody (the police thought him a kidnapper). Anyway, I love how his imagins try to help him out (well, maybe not Kin, who just promptly goes to sleep ^^). But their efforts were wasted since Sieg was the one who succeeded in freeing Ryo. (It was the least (and one of the few good things) he could do, since he caused problems in the first place.)
It is weird that Sieg forms a contract with the baby (or with its mother; not sure I really understand this part). So where does Sieg come from? Surely he exists before/outside of the baby. (He talks as if he used to lead some other group of people. Surely that wasn't all in his deluded mind?)
I kind of like that the imagin this time doesn't really want to exert himself (he will fulfill the wish as long as it (the wish) is not too difficult, LOL).
Not at all surprised with Wing Form since I never thought Sieg would use the Den-O belt. Sadly, I couldn't be less enthusiastic with a new form's debut if I tried. (To provide a little context, I hadn't seen Wing Form before 24, so I probably should be more interested.) Not that there is anything specifically wrong with the form; only that I'm probably unfavorably biased toward Sieg. (Hope I didn't unintentionally say I liked him; I just couldn't find a good phrase.)
Ryu seems to have a habit of collecting stray animals. (And Ryu!Ryo looks good with them.) Kind of makes me smile that Sieg seems like one of Ryu's lost pets/strays (since Ryu essentially picks him up from--er--wherever). Of course, "the world revolves around me" Sieg would never realize that; the idea of a beautiful swan as a stray is simply ludicrous.
That's it from me for now. I'm sure I'm forgetting something obvious.