#(though I may not feel up to watching Zi-O I expect it to hit like a lead train O_o)

[firebirdsdaughter]

Random Writing Tidbit Zi-O’s Back!...

... Ish?

So this isn’t the Ryusoul Tidbit of the day, that’s gonna come later.

But I finally felt well enough to think about Zi-O again, and look around in the tag a bit and now I feel a little better about some stuff. I’m still not a huge fan of arcs where the protagonists fight each other, but that’s just a general preference. Like, I don’t like it when William Shakespeare does it, and I’m a die-hard Shakespeare geek, it’s just a plot choice I’m not a huge fan of. Which is a little odd, considering how much of an angst bird I am...

Which brings me to this. I started this tidbit bc when I have overly emotional reactions to stuff, sometimes I can reason it out and solve it by writing. It took a little more than that this time (I blame being sick and no sleep), but after a couple days of calming and consideration, I feel better.

And I finished it.

It’s not great or anything, but I’m actually rather fond of it now.

He’s been angry before. In fact, he’s usually angry.

He’s never been this angry. Especially not at so many people.

There’s Ouma Zi-O, for causing all of this. Kuro Woz for constantly getting in the way. Shiro Woz, too, for even making this an option, pushing them so far. Another Zi-O for being a product, a reminder of the damage he caused. Zi-O himself, for making everything so much harder and complicated than it ever should have been. Even her, just a little, for going that far.

He’s ashamed at some of the anger, directed against his will at people who don’t really deserve it—well, some of them don’t.

But most of all?

He’s angry at himself.

He should have just taken the hit and pulled the trigger. If he had done that, things might have been different.

But he didn’t. And now it’s too late. He failed, and now this is where they are. He’s the only one left. All he can do now is take the one alternative available. The only one they know works. And then perhaps all those people who died will live.

No matter how he looks at it, one person’s life isn’t worth this.

Not even a… Friend’s.

He should have just accepted the burden from the start. He’s the soldier. If one of them truly has to do this, has to carry this crime, it should be him. No one else.

If he finishes it now, what will the future be? He’d never imagined how completing the mission might actually effect time. If Ouma Zi-O never exists, then things will go differently. Neither he nor she will ever go back in time—and without them the bus will never explode.

Maybe there will another her, come the new 2068. One who’s born into a peaceful world, where she never sees her father or her comrades die fighting an impossible opponent. Maybe…

Maybe there will be a new Sougo. One who grows up with his parents, and never has a dream that tells him he needs to be a king.

That’s the most comfort he can afford himself.

He pushed her to her death. His only choice is to kill Sougo.

But maybe the new versions can live better, fuller lives in the future this will create.

Even though they won’t be the ones he knew, not anymore. And they won’t know him.

Maybe there will be a new him, too. One whose father is never made hard-hearted by the world’s destruction. Who never has to be a soldier. Who never sees death. Who never loses his best friend. Who never has to kill someone he cares about.

Maybe they’ll even find each other again, somehow, some way.

It will a future where he has no place. Where he’s nothing but an angry, guilty ghost. Shiro Woz can gild it all he likes—there will nothing for him in that timeline, and no one. No past, present, or future.

Nothing but regrets he alone can recall. 

But what are his options?

Fight and win. Or fight and die.

Or… Both.

Or both.

Tense? What is tense? Also added some of the head canon I had about Geiz’s father, since we’ve had nothing about his family at all.

I don’t know what it is w/ me writing jerkass fathers. KR must be rubbing off on me. Quick! I need to write a good dad! DX

[firebirdsdaughter]

Zi-O 16 is SUBBED???...

... WOW. O-T was faster than usual. Maybe they had time off for Christmas and just wanted to get it done? You really didn’t have to do this guys, but thank you so much!

Anyway, below as usual. I make no claims about length bc I always seem to get it wrong...

No order:

OH MY GOD. Geiz used his name! When he says he’s giving up on being king, Geiz’s response is a surprised ‘Sougo...?’ And he doesn’t even really sound happy? Like, I think that part of him was like ‘yes this dream turns out badly for everyone,’ but the part that was getting fond of Sougo was also aware of how much the dream meant to nice¡Sougo... Like, he sounds sorta big brotherly concerned... Careful, Geiz, your feelings are showing.

These three are shaping up to be a ‘I don’t care how their relationship is defined that just need to stay together’ group for me. Honestly, I do have a lot of those in Toku, but I really love these three, and I hope they don’t have to end up separated.

I also have this theory that the Time Mazines (gonna spell it different every post! ^^) and Ziku Drivers somehow make you immune to the ripple effect? Bc otherwise it’s too painful to consider that one day, when they finally manage to succeed in preventing the badness, that Geiz and Tsukuyomi are going to permanently forget Sougo, bc in the new future they’d have no reason to know him... Or... If they get retconned... Oh god, if Sougo found out changing it would mean sacrificing his friends (I use the word ‘friends’ bc it’s a general term for people one has bonded w/)... Like, there’d be versions of them, but not the ones he knew... He’d still do it to save the world, but the ANGST! I LOVE IT! (provided it got fixed? bc I’m a wuss who loves only happy endings) Though that probably won’t happen bc it was Build’s finale, so it’s WAY too soon to be reusing it.

Also, in the scene before he throws the Driver? LOOK AT HIS HAND. The poor boy is clutching that thing so hard, his knuckles are white and his hand is shaking. Sougo.exe has stopped working.

Also, saw the hesitation on Geiz’s part, too. Oh, you poor children. Your emotions are all messed up.

Seriously, for gods’ sakes, you are all CHILDREN you shouldn’t be going through this!

Still. If we’d completely changed the past, I would have expected the robots to just vanish like Puma Zi-O and his box did (WHY WERE YOU SITTING IN A BOX IN AN EMPTY FIELD PUMA ZI-O I FEEL LIKE THERE ARE BETTER PLACES FOR YOU TO SIT!)

Also, I kinda of the opinion that Geiz has the Ex-Aid Watch bc he ran back to the clock shop after ditching Woz and Tsukasa and grabbed all the Watches still there.

I am also on the ‘let Geiz win something please’ train, but I’m pretty sure Sougo was teasing him. I feel like their gonna be those two who always seem to argue, w/ Sougo being a little troll and Geiz falling for it and getting mad every time (bc you know he will, he’s too straight-laced not to! god, the poor boy is such an easy mark to tease!), but in the end, they’ll beat the hell out of anyone else who tries to mess with the other. And then Tsukuyomi’s just like ‘yeah, these are my idiots, and if you mess with them, I’ll shoot you in the face and kick your shins out.’

Like, if we use family dynamics... Geiz is the grumpy, serious big brother who constantly gets teased by his trollish little brother, which Sougo, and then poor Tsukuyomi’s the only sane sibling in the house.

Honestly, though, Geiz is such a pure and adorable tsundere, I’m not sure I could resist teasing him a little.

Junichiro here w/ the weirdly specific foreshadowing. You know what, someone else theorised that maybe he’s an alternate version of Sougo that came back to do something, so now I feel validated in that thought. My hope is that, if true, he’s from a bad future and is trying to guide his younger self toward a better future. But that may just be my desperate search for good father figures in KR. (Director Kagami, Shouichi, we salute you, gentlemen)

Speaking of fathers, it seems it’s ‘bring your son to work day’ this time w/ the Time Jackets. Also, Swartz do you... Do you have to do that to reanimate the robot? Couldn’t you... I dunno... Do something else?

Also Sougo looked so sad when he commented that Geiz and Tsukuyomi weren’t coming back. Poor baby. It’s okay, it’s only episode 16. We got a while to go.

Geiz, not acting very committed to leaving... Seriously, though, did it really take you this long to get to the Time Mazines? Sougo got all the way home, then left home, went to the grocery store, and started back. I feel like that was plenty of time. I think you two were stalling.

Also, Uhr/Heuhre I saw that pepper hit the ground, please wipe it off, honey, you’re gonna get sick.

Also, Woz shaking his head at the belt like it’s part of the discussion. ‘Can you believe him right now?’ And the belt’s just like ‘yeah, I know, right?’

Careful, Geiz. Looking slightly concerned there. Seriously, though. They could have just left. They have no reason to think this would effect the future much at this point. Or hell, Geiz could have just left. But no, w’re gonna get out and rush back over w/ Tsukuyomi for... Reasons.

Sougo’s like ‘no belts here, WE DIE LIKE MEN!’

Woz is a terrible security guard and Uhr/Heuhre is an excellent thief.

Oh, god, I missed that before. Geiz literally yells for Sougo to dodge (and then later Sougo is still surprised they’re there--Sougo, who did you think yelled that?). And then when Sougo doesn’t, he’s legit upset and throws the sign. Oh, baby, you are so hopeless. He literally does not actually want Sougo to die if he can help it.

Geiz and Tsukuyomi are both like ‘ugh this goddamn noble idiot unfortunately we kind of love him.’

Okay... Since we’re saying ‘subjects’ again, I’m gonna wax random about something... I think I mentioned somewhere before that I don’t think ‘king’ is gonna end up necessarily meaning ‘someone who rules’ exactly. This was kind enforced by how I interpreted what Junichiro said earlier? Now, this is just my interpretation, so I can’t say anything for sure, but he said that he wanted to work for a famous clock company, and he didn’t follow that, but now he owns his own store, so in a way, his dream did come true (was pretty much the gist, I think). So, like, the point being, dreams don’t always come true in exactly the way you expect or imagine. ‘King’ can be a nickname. It can be used on a smaller level than ‘the world.’ I, for instance, could be called ‘King of the sticky-note cranes.’ The fact is, there’s multiple ways to interpret what a ‘king’ is, I’m thinking that might come into play somehow. Or... I’m just overthinking everything after Build. Get me started on the ‘that Driver’ subject...

Okay, but, Geiz was already ready to transform. When we cut back to him, he’s got the Driver and his Ride Watch up already. He was already gonna go help. Oh, my baby.

Also, I’m sorry, sweetie, but your henshin looks really silly while running. At least your clothes were pretty presentable this ep.

And, like I said, Sougo is surprised. Also, Geiz is mad about him putting himself in danger, they’re so cute! But seriously, wtf Sougo. How did you not hear his voice earlier? And what, did you think the sign threw itself?

Sougo is like ‘holy crap you do actually like me.’

Also Tsukasa hoping around like some longe-legged pink frog.

So, we now know Tsukasa definitely has his own plan, but I’m still believing that he’s trickster mentoring it and his end goal is a good one.

I feel like Geiz could handle Kisshan, though it would probably be a rough fight. I think at this point he could probably hold his own against Tsukasa for a bit (not win yet, though--it’s a bloody ten year experience gap, and Geiz is just eighteen)? But he definitely can’t handle both of them at once alone.

Yeah, I don’t think anyone is expecting Tsukasa to be predictably on a side...

I love Ora/Hora just sitting down on a bucket in the background.

Sougo and Tsukuyomi are like ‘No! Our grumpy tsundere!’

Okay, how long has Uhr/Heuhre had that Driver? Now I’m worried they did something to it.

Love how Tsukuyomi just ducks out of the way and abandons Sougo his fate. Actually, it’s probably bc she assumed he’d duck, too. XD

Tsukuyomi’s just like ‘my boys are idiots I’ll deal with this! Follow me!’ Seriously, when we see her later, she seems no worse for wear. Not a scratch or mud on her clothes or anything. She was able to keep him busy just fine, though I can understand the FaizPhone might not pack enough power to actually take him out. Hey, Toei, please let her transform. The Zi-Ot3 would be unstoppable! Well, some of the time. When they could focus. ^^

Geiz is like, ‘aw, crap, we need numbers. Shit.’

Sougo’s like ‘okay, A) didn't you use my name earlier? and B) have you lost your mind?’

Geez, you two. Stare more dramatically into each others’ eyes. Real secondary and primary drama here.

I joke, but I love this. Sougo knows he can trust Geiz, bc Geiz is incapable of being anything other than who he is, which is unbendingly honest, honourable, and incredibly steadfast. He’s like Keiichiro. Probably couldn’t lie if his life depended on it (though maybe if other people’s did), doesn’t understand deception, easy to manipulate bc he’s so straightforward. He’s incredibly trustworthy. And Geiz is starting to trust Sougo, too. I do love the idea of the trio making their own ‘side’ in all of this. Like, before, Woz said that Tsukuyomi and Geiz weren’t on Sougo’s side and he was, and at the time that was true about those two. But now, it’s become clear that Woz is on Puma Zi-O’s side, not actually Tokiwa Sougo’s side, and Geiz and Tsukuyomi are shaping up to be the ones who are on Sougo’s actual side--as in, the Sougo in question, to whom Woz was speaking at the time (whose side Woz is certainly not on). God, here I am repeating my fanfic now. But I liked the way I explained it there! And maybe someone didn’t read it or something...

Of course, whether Geiz is actually gonna have the will to keep that promise... Hee hee... Sorry, I have this really depressing thing involving promises w/ these three.

But seriously, though, this is so nostalgic. Let’s stare intensely at each other some more!

Okay, but also when'd id they move away from the wall?

Ignoring Woz to continue staring dramatically at each other. That’s valid.

Also, the fact that Woz apparently hauled that ladder over there in total silence just to make this speech.

Also, Woz, no one is there. To quote Tsukasa, who are you talking to?

Masahiro’s a really good actor actually. Like, his voicing here is great I love it.

I’M STILL GETTING A KICK OUT HOW THE LADDER’S STILL THERE AND HE DIDN’T USE IT. We just hate Woz that much apparently.

I’m so excited for the day when there’s a fight and they’re all just throwing Ride Watches right, left, and centre...

Big sister Time Jacket is annoyed she has to help her little brother.

More bad CGI mech fights. I LOVE IT.

Still waiting for that ‘HEY! SAY!’/‘HEI! SEI!’ chant again.

YOU TWO ARE SO GOOD AT THE TEAMWORK!!!!!

Also, have I mentioned Keisuke does an excellent evil smile? Yeah, Woz is fucking creepy y’all.

Oh, right. Gotta listen to this jerk laugh again... Whatever dude, young you is taking you down.

I love Tsukuyomi getting excited about how good the for looks.

Geiz in the corner like ‘yeah, this is my fault, I can’t really say anything here...’

Tsukuyomi’s like ‘wtf are entrance exams?’

So... Here’s the question. Is Recap Room Woz reflective of Story Woz’s actual intentions? Bc Recap Room Woz seems happy that history is changing... Though Woz was wearing that creepy smile when the gears turned before... AUGH WHAT IS YOUR GOAL HERE YOU ASSHOLE!

Also, it still totally looks like your Rider form is marching into the Recap Room to kill you.

Gotta be honest. Regrettably... I love it. I’m so sorry. I love it. I love the goofy glow-in-the-dark. I love the clunky, plastic kid-watch look. I love this mess so much.

Preview: Kanji became a Kamen Rider using a magic silver gold, and decided to change his look to purple rather than gold (it’ll be hilarious if the character is literally Kinji I would love it--at least have him speak bad english!). As for New Woz... Don’t talk to me about New Woz. New Woz has confused Firebird.exe so badly it has stopped functioning. But the fact that he’s got a new-fangled future book and Woz has a normal book is funny. Also, the shots w/ Geiz and Sougo in the back, looking on like ‘WTF?????’

Virtual orange chocolate if you read this far (love that stuff some of the only chocolate I’ll eat dark). I LOVE reluctant friendship and dramatic stare downs and trust and... I love the Zi-Ot3, okay. I love it. Excited to see Kinji again, confused as hell in regards to Woz and Woz, curious what Tsukasa’s goal is (also Jinga is over now, right, so he doesn’t have to run back and forth... That’s probably why they waited ‘til now so he’d be done filming Jinga). Also curious to see more of the Time Jackets--aka grumpy time murder fam that hates each other.

Oh, yeah, and have I-

[firebirdsdaughter]

Onward!...

... To the O-T subs of Zi-O 21! Yay!

Also, fair warning, this will probably include spoilers for Ryuki. If anyone hasn’t watched it yet and doesn’t want anything spoiled.

In no order:

Still sad we didn’t get to see Geiz coming home. :(

Sworz and Herue’s family moment is still kinda sweet, despite them being who they are.

This, too, is Decade’s fault.

I LOVE THE ZI-OT3 INVESTIGATING!

Like I said in an earlier post today, I think I understand why it’s Ryuga and not Ryuki. Bc at the end of Ryuki, everything was reset and the events of the series never happened. Shinji didn’t just forget he was a Kamen Rider, he never was one in the first place. But just bc it didn’t happen doesn’t mean that somewhere, some place, the Mirror World ever went away completely. Maybe it somehow preserved Ryuga, and he’s just been hanging out, hiding in the new Shinji’s reflection? Waiting for something like this...

Poor Shinji. Given his reaction later, I’m wondering if he considers himself responsible--which raises my question of if he was actually trying to kill himself bc he thought that might stop the attacks, or if he was just so terrified he covered up everything and accidentally sealed himself in in a panic.

Hands, who thinks Kido is an idiot? ... Goddamnit, Ron.

I love the Zi-Ot3 having planning sessions, too.

Sou Okuno remains adorable and it is so unfair.

Like I said. Geiz is one of those people where if punching it doesn’t work, you just punch harder--and if you break your arm doing it? So be it.

He starts the sentence neutral, then switches to first person. Just... Decides it’s gonna be him. Bc he’s the soldier, and fighting with his life is the only thing he’s ever done.

Sougo clearly doesn’t quite understand the seriousness of the situation, clearly thinks they’re still brainstorming, (honestly don’t blame him--most people wouldn’t be expecting someone to actually be meaning to go through w/ that), but Tsukuyomi is clearly well aware of the fact that Geiz will absolutely do this, and she’s not happy.

Junichiro does the only acceptable impression of Kuro Woz ever.

WAS THE LEAF PILE MOVING IMPORTANT?

Shinji doesn’t just have no memory of it, he has double no memory of it! (that may have been a reference to that)

Kuro Woz begins to, well, Woz, and Sougo walks away. I LOVE THIS. Force the manipulative jerk to walk after you!

KWoz remains incapable of picking up on tacit cues. Seriously, dude, even I am clear on how uncomfortable Sougo is w/ this. And I am awful at tacit cues.

ELBOW HIM IN THE STOMACH SOUGO!

Okay... This seems a little more like they’re talking about something e don’t know about... But he’s still noting it might kill him, so my other comments do still hold. But other than some protectiveness that he’s in denial about, why does he think it has to be him? Did Shiro Woz do something? Was there more to that vision than we saw?

Well, maybe Tsukuyomi doesn’t know? She’s pretty against it.

The little face twitch after she reminds him Sougo didn’t like the idea either. I think he’s secretly touched Sougo cares, but too Tsundere to admit it.

No, we weren’t waiting. We just knew if we stood still for five minutes, you’d be somewhere in the scenery, creepily dropping eves.

WAGA KYUURANGERS.

I can never hear that the same again.

I am still extremely uncomfortable w/ this phrasing. I’ve seen people connecting it to PreCure, where it’s the villain’s goal? And while I don’t watch PreCure, I absolutely agree. That’s not a normal way of referring to a peaceful era. It’s suspicious. Makes me think that either time literally is stopped, or that it’s ‘peaceful’ bc it’s all controlled by the future Nooks or something.

My hope for this is that they make a third timeline, and the point of the story is that we forge our own destinies, and sometimes not knowing exactly what the future holds is a good thing. Not everything is predetermined, that freedom is more important than martially imposed ‘peace’--and that even if things are apparently doomed to end w/ you murdering half the world, there’s always something you can do to change things. In a world where a lot of young people are suffering under the exacting expectations of others (and this is not saying Japan specifically, this is a thing everywhere), I feel like that would be a great message for kids. Wow. Okay. Got a bit mushy there.

Hm... Honestly, this translation makes Geiz sound more suspicious of it than anything--though given the flashback, I do think that the ‘peace’ part sounds good to them. However... Well, I have some other things to say on this subject, but we can get to that lower down.

THAT’S NOT THE FACE OF A PERSON I TRUST.

Poor Shinji, he’s so scared! He’s gotta have been seeing his reflection be like ‘hey, you wanna go murder this guy right, I’m gonna do it!’ so much he can’t even bear to look at it... Oh, sweetie... Ron! Come get Shinji he’s making me cry!

Need I remind anyone that I hate Shiro Woz?

Not you, Keisuke, you’re an angel and I’m thrilled you’re here.

WAGA KYUURANGERS.

Ahem. Okay, anyway. This is another reason why I’m confused as to whether or not Toei wants me to think Geiz is actually going to switch ‘sides’ or something or not. He jumps in to defend Shinji w/out a single hesitation, and I really think there’s meant to be parallels between this and his initial stance towards Sougo. Like, that one scene w/ the flashback to Goggles (WHO IN TIME IS GOGGLES THE DEAD PERSON?) seemed to be meant to indicate that he was starting to believe Shiro Woz--but here? It’s coming across as the opposite. WHICH IS IT TOEI?

I will continue to believe that they will not do that to my precious tsundere baby until they actually do. And when/if (please dear gods I hope it doesn’t) that happens... Tea and shirts? I’ll make cookies?

G T F O Shiro Woz. No one wants your approval at all, esp not Geiz.

No! Poor Shinji... Ron, come help Shinji! Ron! ... What’s that? Not until the special? But that’s in March! We’ll be in another arc by then! Goddamnit, Ron.

I’m making a dumb joke, I have no clue if Ren is gonna be back in the special. I would be excited if he was, though.

Don’t listen to him, Shinji. You Rider Kicked him in the face in another... Another... A timeline twice removed? Or maybe once? Maybe they just never altered the Ryuki timeline since it did that one it’s own?

Ah, sweet justice.

Can’t believe I’m cheering for this asshole. But I just really dislike Shiro Woz.

Okay, Heure, you jerking Shiro Woz around is valid, but that dig at Geiz was unnecessary.

Also, even though there’s (well, was?) a ‘justifiable’ reason for what Shiro Woz was doing, Geiz remains unhappy about it.

... Okay, why did we get a ‘gasp’ reaction from Shiro Woz to that? What exactly happened on your ‘Day of Ouma,’ you snake? Oh what am I saying. Like he’d give me a straight answer.

Goddamit, Geiz. DX

We knew you were gonna do this, though.

Sougo finally arrives, and actually understands that Geiz has no chill whatsoever and will absolutely do this shit.

But it seriously kinda does feel like Geiz’s mentality is ‘I’m a soldier, I have to be willing to fight to the death’ sort of thing. Or maybe even ‘I’m the soldier so I’m more expendable’ (which the angst part of me kinda wants to be something that comes up--‘I’m the fighter, I’m the one who dies’ sort of thing; and then the other two smack him for it).

I just love Geiz as the ‘protector’ part of the triangle. Like, I feel like he’s starting to fall into it? Like, willing to protect the other two w/ his life (not that they don’t all protect each other, but... Do you know what I mean?).

Friendship moments are hard for Geiz, but this is still a good one. He’s literally getting forced to face the fact that Sougo cares about him and doesn’t want him to kamikaze attack.

I love this, though. Before, we saw that Sougo was uncomfortable w/ the Zi-O II Ride Watch, and its implications for his future. But he’d rather use an item that may very well be either a step or even a lock into him becoming the Demon King he was so disturbed and upset by before, than let Geiz die. Might be bad news for the world, but...

Makes me wonder if there’s gonna be a ‘I won’t let you turn into Ouma Zi-O even if I die’ thing, except it’s not ‘fight you to the death’ thing and more ‘I’ll keep trying to keep you good even if it gets me killed/I have to sacrifice myself.’

Oh my god. Like if there’s a way to keep Sougo from becoming Ouma Zi-O (like, w/out killing him), but it was, like, fatal. Geiz would absolutely do it. Or try to. Hell, maybe even both him or Tsukuyomi. Or they’d both try to do it, but also try to protect each other from it... Like she tries to stun him so he can’t, and he tries to beat here there, or something... There I go.

THE TRIUMPHANT MUSIC! And you just know it’s gonna cut out. XD

My guess is that it failed bc Sougo was secretly doubting his future. Like, he’s wholeheartedly ready to use it bc he doesn’t want Geiz sacrificing himself, but he’s still scared it’ll turn him into Ouma Zi-O? And maybe he has to be confident in his abilities before it will work? Me make sense? Who would do that.

Well, one thing I’ll say for him. Another Ryuga is cool.

Okay, okay. Here’s the last thing, I swear. If they’re trying to imply that Geiz is gonna turn on Sougo... No one told Gaku before he voiced those two ‘Zi-O!’s. That sounded way too frightened and concerned for someone you’re starting to doubt.

I swear, I’ve heard that music somewhere...

I loved how everyone’s reactions to this sequence was literally ‘well, I assume they’re showing us everything is backwards, but I couldn’t read kanji to begin w/, so...’ ^^ XD

Wow, nice on the signs O-T! How much harder was it to do the subtitles backwards?

Mirror¡Sougo is bouncy like bunny!

Mirror¡Sougo tries to be creepy, but regular Sougo doesn’t even register it. This kid would be both a joy and a risk in a horror situation.

I love the way Sougo dodges the ‘eye blocks’ when Mirror¡Sougo transforms, and Mirror¡Sougo hits one back w/ his sword when Sougo transforms... It’s cool.

Preview: Oh, yeah. Geiz dies next week. Now where’s my new favourite picture... XD I will love it if there’s a situation where Sougo is able to see out of the Mirror World and sees what’s happening. I mean, Another Ryuga can look out, why not Sougo? Maybe that’ll be what finally seals the deal on him actually using the Watch?

See, this ‘opening’ ‘creating ‘cutting open’ the future stuff rings to me like the goal is that thing I mentioned above. About choosing one’s own destiny, no matter hat tries to shape you.

Anyway, I like the Zi-O II suit. Excited for ep 22. ^^

That’s all, folks! (wonder how long it’ll be before I get sued for that XD). Virtual red velvet cupcakes for anyone who read all of that. And if you don’t like those, then... Well, pick your favourite flavour! ^^ And if you don’t like cupcakes, then pick a sweet you do like.

Anyway, I’m having a good time and enjoying this. I love the Zi-Ot3, in case that wasn’t clear, and atm I’m looking forward to 22. Of course, things could always turn out... Unfortunately, but I still have tea and shirts on standby.

... Now I want read velvet cupcakes again...

(If you count the number of bolded words in this post, you get a hardy handshake!)

[firebirdsdaughter]

Okay...

Finally sitting down to watch Zi-O ep 4...

Let’s game?

Well, no, actually no, we won’t, but I was trying to be thematic.

And in no particular order:

Okay, that explains it. When I saw the preview images it looked like they were talking to Emu, and then Geiz and Sougo both henshined and took a knee for some reason. It’s actually the other way round.

Geez, Emu. Since when were you this uncommunicative and unhelpful? That’s Taiga’s job!

Like seriously, you know these two are Kamen Riders. Just explain yourself to them instead of making weird vague statements.

Geiz at it again w/ the grump. Have I mentioned--you know where that’s going.

Tsukuyomi w/ the intercede again. I’m liking this trio.

Okay, I wanna know who Goggles is. The guy whose hand Geiz was holding in that future-flashback? A friend? Brother? This being Toei it’s unlikely to be a boyfriend, but it’s still possible. He looks like he mighta been a nice fellow, I’m sorry he died.

I guess this is a lot to take in, and Sougo is generally pretty slow on the uptake, it appears, so... But looks like he’s getting it now.

Tsukuyomi, I really hope you’re aware just how much of a problem child you just decided to adopt.

I actually agree w/ someone else I saw, I think. I kinda wish they would give her a better reason than ‘I don’t know’ for this. Like, I’m liking the idea that she doesn’t want her childhood friend to technically become a murderer by killing someone who is, at that point, still innocent, but this ‘I don’t know’ thing is kinda... meh to me. It doesn’t feel touching or sweet, and is even kinda out of character... But that’s just me. She’s super great, but she otherwise seems so decisive and confident that it’s a little odd.

OH MY GOD IT’S THAT CHURCH! I mean--it’s that wizard Bugster!

Fun fact, that Church is not just a Toei set. I have seen it in about FIVE other shows I think (don’t ask me to name them all, I can’t--but Kaname Jun was in one I think)

AH! Brave is here! But it’s back in 2016, episode... 2? Or maybe 3, but it would be when Hiiro literally just got there, so he’s still an ass. I mean, I still love him. But he was an ass.

Geiz, mister straight forward, just fucking informs them he’s from the future, I love him.

Maybe this has something to do w/ Hiiro’s sense that he should help them before... Aside from grumpy secondary solidarity, ofc.

‘From your perspective,’ Geiz, you are literally from 2068. I’m pretty sure, excepting folks from 2069 onward, that that’s the future from everyone’s perspective.

Also, to get this out of the way: AAAAAAH! SETO IS SO PRETTY! OH MY GOD I LOVE HIM SO MUCH EVEN WHEN HE’S A DICK! AND ESPECIALLY WHEN HE’S NOT!

Note: I don’t love him because he’s a dick, but what I love is grumpy, pretty much jerky characters who come out of that bc they start caring about someone or something (again, in Hiiro’s case). Did that make sense?

Also, I’m actually giggling bc of how much of a pompous ass my grumpy surgeon son was. The fact that this is literally like, right after he first showed up, means that he’s at peak dickishness and it’s really funny to look back.

Kids pulling on Geiz. God, honey, what were you expecting when you put that thing on? Well, at least they’re aware of how goofy it is.

On that note, ARE WE EVER GONNA SEE YOU WITHOUT IT?

Also, dear god, someone get this boy some fashion advice. I’ve SEEN that preview image sweetie. You canNOT dress yourself.

Oh my god, it’s the hospital helipad. Now I’m nostalgic.

Okay. Emu can teleport to game worlds now? Al... Alright then. You know what, whatever.

And Emu’s getting thrown around again. Some things never change. What’s still funny about this is still that Ijima Hiroki is (still) not a short man. He’s 5′ 10″. This, to me, makes how much Emu get’s thrown around utterly hilarious.

See, Emu. This is what happens when you don’t pull a Taiga, and discuss things w/ people. You’re the one who forced Hiiro to learn that, why are you doing it?

Aw, Sougo appreciates that Tsukuyomi is trying to save the future w/out killing him. Good kids.

Where’s that B99 ‘cool motive still murder’ picture? I mean, I know it’s a kid. But dude... You don’t have the right to other people’s lives (or body parts) just bc your son is dying.

Hm... I know people are thinking it’s named after Hiiro, but... What if it’s named after his dad? I mean, Kagami Haima was the director of the hospital, he had to start somewhere. To me that feels more logical? Bc it’s only been two years since Ex-Aid, that’s awfully fast to name a medical procedure... But it’s just a thought.

You know what, I bet Hiiro feels bad for brushing Geiz off in the past, so now he’s like ‘I must do everything I can to help these kids out bc when I met them before I was a jerk.’ Part of his ‘stop being an anti-social grump’ attempt. And he’s worried about Emu.

Does the Time Majin have an AI? How did it know to fly up to the roof right then? Is it telepathically connected to Sougo now?

So Uhr is helping Ora/Hora out? Maybe there is hope for a villain-family dynamic after all...

Also apparently that’s Takeru’s mech? Takeru has a mech? I really need to finish Ghost... But it’s either just for the sake of cameo, or it’s related to how Geiz got the Ghost Ride Watch. Now I’m wondering if he maybe stole the Drive and Ghost Watches from the Time Jackers? But if that’s the case, why did they have them? They usually use the Another Rider Watches...? Are Takeru and Shinnosuke okay? Oh my god, did Takeru die again? Actually, I guess Shinnoksuke also died a lot in that one movie so... Oh dear.

Is Sougo transforming in tiny spaces gonna be a thing now?

Come to think... Since the opening, we haven’t seen Woz. What’s prophet boy up to?

This tiny gremlin child who I adore and want to pinch the cheeks of just giggling to himself in his busted mech like a five year old.

Sorry, Geiz, you can’t beat the bounce.

Sougo just fucking slams this thing w/ the Time Majin.

And so, the path toward very reluctant and at first very awkward friendship begins. Let’s a-go kids!

But also god that boy is skinny. Honey, do you even HAVE hips? Are you okay?

Geiz is having feelings but is very confused right now. Punching things is generally a good venting method.

And the boys are still very bad at not being good at teamwork. Like, they’re already synchronising in pretty much every fight they’ve been in--not just in henshins but in attacks and so on.

Emu that looks NOTHING LIKE YOU, WHY would you call it a doppelgänger.

Since this is after Hiiro first showed up, it means that the two of them still don’t like each other (bc it took them a while to get there), so I’m not surprised that he wouldn’t call Hiiro immediately if something came up. Plus this may not show up bc CR relied on reports by witnesses and were in an abandoned warehouse. But then why is Emu...? Oh, I don’t know.

Was his henshin really always that deep?

Oh! There he is! Woz! I was wondering where you were! So, uh... Where were you?

Geiz: ‘Oh no, not again!’

Wow, he did the hoppity hop thing!

HE HAS GIANT BUMPS ON HIS ARMS! I LOVE THE GIANT BUMPERS ON HIS ARMS!

(I think they’re meant to be buttons?)

Aaaaand, right on cue, there Woz goes again.

Emu just like ‘okay then, let’s roll w/ this then, I guess!’

Wait, but the Brave and Snipe (and Genm, and then there’s Para-DX, and Poppy, and Cronus... Though I guess those last ones may not end up existing since they’re post-this?) Watches don’t seem to be in-show, so... Does that mean that Hiiro and Taiga keep their powers? Bc there was a Crozz-Z Ride Watch, so I now understand Ryuuga losing his, but there were so many Riders in Ex-Aid... Though maybe there’s a whole butterfly thing that simply by removing the primary everything is effected. Bc if you had to account for each individual Rider... Imagine how complex and difficult shows like Ryuki and Gaim would be to explain/sort through.

Hiroki has such a nice smile. Actually, pretty much everyone is Ex-Aid had a nice smile when they smiled.

Oh, god, yes. I really hope that the Rider trying to teach Sougo how to do the finisher in some way (miming for Emu, explaining for Sento) is a thing every time... Though I guess since they couldn’t get Gentaro we won’t get to see him do it... But maybe Takumi will? (I’ve never actually watched Faiz, so I have no idea what the finisher looks like)

Oh, hey. When Sougo hits him it says it in... Kanji, I think? But in Japanese characters of some kind instead of English.

ATTACK OF THE SUBTITLES!

Geiz standing of to the side trying to act cool while these two dorks help this man up.

... He’s wearing socks and... You know what, this is Japan. They’re probably his shoes for inside, and because he was running out to the ambulance with his dying son, he didn’t bother to change.

I love how Emu is like ‘who could we possibly... OH! That asshole!’ (again bc this is the very early season, back hen we didn’t like each other)

HE SAID IT! I guess they cut away so Seto didn’t actually have to eat the cake. Apparent he doesn’t actually like sweets? Maybe bc he’s such a sweetie. ^^

I really love it when the ones playing the ‘serious grumps’ are really adorably dorky and super nice. Like apparently, Seto was the funny and fun one, which I find so cute and hilarious.

Sougo here, getting into the groove of things during his second rodeo.

Emu’s like ‘are you two together?’ and Geiz is like ‘someone shoot me.’

Awwww. Of course Hiiro saved him. Though they haven’t shown us anything yet... So, maybe, even in the altered timeline, he and Emu still ends dup becoming close somehow? Can I pretend that’s the case? Seriously, Hiiro needs that kid. Otherwise he’s just gonna continue forgetting how to be human.

Why do you need another plate? But I think it’s cute how Junichiro is making so much food. I wonder if it’ll be like Mario in Zyuohger, where when he find out (if he doesn’t already know) he decides to just make life at the shop as homey as possible.

Geiz, maybe you should start using his name? Just to, you know, keep Uncle from getting suspicious?

ALSO WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU WEARING WHY... I just can’t anymore. I love my dorky fashion disaster assassin son.

Here we are w/ the intense staring again. Wouldn’t be KR w/out it.

Geiz and Tsukuyomi be like ‘wow no pressure.’ Seriously, Geiz looks like he’s having a small panic attack back there.

He looks very pretty, though.

Aw, they’re keeping their Ride Watches together!

Well, there’s clearly a friendship theme, so I’m hoping there’s a level of deepening the bonds that just started forming in this episode. Unfortunately, I know nothing about Faiz other than apparently Kaixa is a horrible person (given that the preview images imply he’s strangling some poor girl, I am inclined to agree), so I can’t make any guesses there.

All I ask for Christmas is ONE episode where Geiz doesn’t wear that damn collar thing. I know it’s only been four eps but just ONE.

And, in final news, looks like they’re switching the Watches around.

Okay! Well, that's that for now. Now, my head hurts and I still want pizza, so... Not much else to say. Imaginary pizza for anyone who read all of this, you really didn’t need to do that.

I’m gonna pretend Hiiro and Emu are still friends somehow. Having a good time here, looks like we’re looking at another solid trio and I love it. Also, w/ OOO and Ghost apparently coming up... Good times.