So.

[gekidasa]

I finished Ryuki.

Comments

[dimmie.livejournal.com]

*huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuug* ;___;

[gekidasa.livejournal.com]

You know, having been spoiled DID... well, change what my reaction might have been. I didn't BAWW like I might have if I hadn't know everyone would die. :/

Except Goro-chan, because THAT I did not expect at all. In fact I had no idea it wasn't Kitaoka till the suit came off. DDDDD:

And well, Shinji, that was so sad, I didn't expect the MAIN CHARACTER to die in the second to last ep. But I did know he would, so...

But other than that... Kitaoka was obviously dying since episode 47, and I think it was... well, he made peace with it, he said he was satisfied with his life, he thanked Goro-chan for being with him and he even got Reiko to agree to go on a date with him. As for him and Reiko being Ryuki's Tsurugi/Misaki or Kotaro/Yuka, I wss more orz than D: (even though obviously Kitaoka/Reiko was before either of those).

I did hope that there would be more indication from Reiko that it was mutual though.

As for Asakura, love him as a villain, but his death was sad. He went out with a bang, like a great villain should.

And Ren... seemed like they killed him because they had to, you know?




Anyway, it wasn't Blade levels of sad, but yeah, having been spoiled changed what my reaction might have been.

I have no idea how I feel about the reset button end though. :D

[dimmie.livejournal.com]

I can't speak for that because I knew like... two years in advance how the series would end. Not in minute detail, but I knew that everyone died, that Shinji died in the second to last episode and the Ren died last, after winning the game. But personally, that didn't take much of the feeling of DDDDDDDD: at each of the deaths for me. Probably because I'm a crybaby, but also because I felt they were all executed so well. Asakura went the only way he really could at that point. Goro and Kitaoka were just beautiful because they both knew they were marching to death, and even in death they went together, because Goro-chan couldn't let his sensei go alone. Ren, I just found it really touching that he knew he was dying, but he still wanted to see Eri one more time, he wanted to see that she would live and the whole thing hadn't been in vain. And then he died just as she opened her eyes, like he was trading his life for hers right there, which is really what he'd done from the very beginning.

Shinji was just.... gh. That was just cruel. The guy goes through this ridiculous rollercoaster of feelings and doubts, his own little downward spiral to insanity, comes around it and finds his resolution... only to get killed by random mirror monster #57 doing what he'd vowed to do from the moment he became a Rider and somewhat forgotten along the way: protecting innocent people. Guh. Cue bitter bitch tears for days until I could make myself watch the finale.

And the reset button I thought was actually the saddest part of all. Because you follow this story of a horrible game with no winners, and then you see this new world where none of it ever happened, except it did, but everyone is so happy now, so back to their normal selves, back to who they would have been without the Rider game in the first place. And you don't know if you want to be happy for them for having a second chance at life or sad because they'll never know that this is their second chance. That they already tried (at least) once before and it all went so terribly wrong, so this time they should really try to make things work out - but they'll never know, because they're living on happily oblivious of everything they've done, of what they meant for each other, of what they learned from each other, for better or worse. And then to drive the knife even deeper into your heart, they show Ren and Shinji in that last scene, back to that "outta my way" dance of theirs from back in episode 1, and you realize that this is Ren and Shinji, brothers and partners for life, and they don't even know each other. They probably never will. They'll probably never meet again, and each of them will go on with his life never knowing that they passed by their best friend once and shrugged him off just like that. God. I could not stop baaaaaaaaaaaw'ing.

And that's not even bringing Yui and Shiro trapped forever in the mirror, but finally together, and happy together in death in a way they never could be in life.

So, yeah. This was such a bitter ending for me. It was supposed to be a "happy ending", but in some ways, it felt even more bitter than Faiz or Blade. Because Faiz was such a miserable ending but you had it coming a mile away, there wasn't really any other way for some of those characters. And Blade was painful, but at the same time... I can't really say it made me sad. It made me cry for Kenzaki, but at the same time it made me happy because it was such a Kenzaki thing to do, I wouldn't have expected anything less of him. And with Ryuki, you have this rocks fall everyone dies resolution executed so emotionally, then followed by a "lol j/k you guys, happy endings for all! \o/" , and it's just such an empty "happiness" because... it's not a happy ending when you don't have a beginning. It left me feeling hollow, like I wanted to be sad for this sad story I just watched, but I couldn't, because it never happened. And I just loved the way they did that, the way they played me up and got me real good on the last joke. Damn trolls. </3

[gekidasa.livejournal.com]

I think maybe part of it is aso I watched so late and... it's nto that I didnt' fidn it emotional, it was that it was like, from ep 48 forward, it was just punch after punch after punch, so I was more kind of just... you know, rolling with the punches. I still haven't really processed it.

Another thing is, "everyone dies" was the only CONCRETE spoiler I knew, but in between references people say, and in reading a sentence here or there before hitting the back button at places like Igadevil's, and also in the evasions you guys would make when talking about stuff (not your fault, I love you guys for being so careful to keep me as unspoiled as possible), I actually picked up a lot of pieces of the puzzle. I knew there was a reset button since Ryuki no Sekai, for instance. But the thing is I didn't put the puzzle together right... which is okay, I love the fact that I didn't figure it out and that there were so many surprised along the way. But I guess... I prepared myself for certain things that I assumed were a done deal, and then OTHER stuff happened instead and it was all kind of... a roller coaster and it left me kind of shell shocked, to be honest.

also because I felt they were all executed so well

Oh, definitely, I agree. It was all really well done. The one I wasn't so sure about was Ren's, I guess because I was kind numb by it all, specially the nobody really on aspect of it, and I hadn't thought about it as deeply as you had. But now that you've brought it to my attention, yeah. That.

So, yeah. This was such a bitter ending for me. (A bunch of brilliant stuff... ) and it's just such an empty "happiness" because... it's not a happy ending when you don't have a beginning. It left me feeling hollow, like I wanted to be sad for this sad story I just watched, but I couldn't, because it never happened. And I just loved the way they did that, the way they played me up and got me real good on the last joke. Damn trolls.

THIS. SO MUCH THIS.

You just expressed my feelings about the end perfectly, much better than I could have because it's such a jumble of feelings and thoughts still, that I just couldn't put them in order, but, yeah. What you said. Exactly. *_*

[gekidasa.livejournal.com]

Oh, and also, about the end, and how it's actually sadder than if they left it at everyone dying because now it didnt happen and they never knew, that was my guess for the end of ONORE DIKEIDO that had me wibbling contemplating it, precisely because of this, because the characters went through so much, changed so much, and then to have it all go back to the beginning with them not know about all these other amazing people that changed them and changed their lives, that's just heart breaking. ;____;

[dimmie.livejournal.com]

Yeah, this is actually what I meant when you brought up that possibility and I said "I'm pretty sure that won't happen, because of something I can't mention now". What I meant was, I'm pretty sure that won't happen, because Ryuki already been there, done that. :D

And ALSO, this is what I wanted to say from the very beginning of Decade, about the reasons I never wanted the returning Riders to be the original guys, neither the alternates, nor the ones in the last episode. Because the "originals" coming back to be in continuity with Decade ruins so many good endings that need to just be left alone - including Kabuto's and Faiz's and Blade's, but most of all, Ryuki's. There's no fanservice in the world that'll make me want Shinji back in the Ryuki suit, ruining his second chance at a life not made of pain on top of more pain, a life just being his obliviously happy moron self without ever having to take on the burden of being a Rider on his shoulders again.

[gekidasa.livejournal.com]

..So pretty much my comments today can be summed up with "WHAT DIMMIE SAID" :D/


Much as the "happy" ending is cruel in its own way... it does leave open a window for personal canon and fic that others close. Thinking mainly of Hoppers here, and how they had such a short window of time, and that necessarily cuts down on the amount of exploring one can do and remain within the dark corners of canon. In this case, yeah, Shinji and Ren don't know each other anymore, they don't know what they were to each other, and yes, without the Rider battle their relationship will likely never be as deep or as close as it was, but nothing say they can't follow an alternate path and end up being bros for life all the same.

And there's Kitaoka, and... given that it's the Rider battle that was removed, it means that he's still got just that one year to live, but I hope this time around he does get together with Reiko in time. ;__;

...Why the heck isn't Asakura in prison though?





Also, Ren and Shinji may be my favorite Rider friendship. (Meaning bros for life type of relationship, like Tendou and Kagami, or Tsukasa and Yusuke, not relationships like the Hoppers' or Kitaoka and Goro-chan's, because there were other elements there, whether or not one slashes them).

[dimmie.livejournal.com]

Yeah, my tinhat makes good use of the "reset button means anything goes" theory. As I said on that Top 5s meme where you asked about my ship moments, in my personal canon, after reset button Shinji totally meets Miho again anyway and has his happily ever. :D

[gekidasa.livejournal.com]

Shinji DESERVES happily ever after. I know I talked mostly about Kitaoka, but I do adore Shinji, he's such a sweetie. ;___;

[dimmie.livejournal.com]

He does! He deserves a happy ending, and he deserves delicious BOOBIES in it! D:

Too bad Hajime is tapping that now, poor rejected Shinji. T_T

[gekidasa.livejournal.com]

...That would be a really amusing fic, actually. :D

[dimmie.livejournal.com]

No it wouldn't actually, because Amane would be bitching about it for the rest of EVER. And boy, that little vixen can bitch. D:

[gekidasa.livejournal.com]

So this whole discussion abotu reset buttons and the alternate!original riders in Decade has me thinking about the Hoppers in Decade and how it's kind of valid to assume this is a world where they survived \:D/

[dimmie.livejournal.com]

This is a world where they don't exist, sensei. :D

[gekidasa.livejournal.com]

*kicks you* >:

I know that. I'm talkign about the Hoppers that show up in Kuuga world in Decade.

[dimmie.livejournal.com]

Ah, okay. I still don't want them to have a happy ending, though. :D It's not the Hoppers I know and love if they have a happily ever after. :D;;

[gekidasa.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but dont' you sometimes wish they'd at leasst had more time?

[dimmie.livejournal.com]

....not really. I'm really ok with their story as it is. It just feels right, like it started in the right place, and ended in the right place. They never had time on their side, to me it feels like the time they had together between ZECT and Hopperdom was already more than they bargained for. The whole tragedy of their relationship (as partners, brothers, friends, whatever) is that they were never meant to be happy on each other's side, and that's what I love about them. Not the what could have been, but what actually was.

That's just me, but that's how I see them. :D;

[gekidasa.livejournal.com]

Well, so am I, but that doesn't mean I can't want movieverse!Yaguruma/Kageyama, for instance. I just don't see how that, or saying, well, for today I'll think about what might have happened undermines their actual story, nor does it mean I don't think their story is great as it is.

But fine, I get it, I'll shut up about it. :D/

[dimmie.livejournal.com]

I never said it did undermine anything, for the record. :D I said that's how I see them, but I never said my view is the only right one. :Dv

[gekidasa.livejournal.com]

I guess sometimes it (wrongly) feels a little like that, probably because you'd set down your preferences or ideas about all of these characters long before I watched, so sometimes it's a little like running into a wall, if I'm just bouncing ideas around, you know?

I'm sorry I get a little defensive about it, it's just that I'm used to having someone with whom to do what you've already done with all these characters. Anyway, not your fault, sorry about that.♡


Doesn't Ryuki have a HBV?

[dimmie.livejournal.com]

It does, but it's super lame and not worth your time unless you really want the completionist tour. It's about Agito-with-another-voice coming out of nowhere to team up with Ryuki against a mirror monster, and then Knight, Zolda and Ouja show up and are all hippy trippy kumbayah "let's hold hands and be ~nakama~ y'all", and they attack together like a sentai team from the wrong side of hell... it's just very very bad. :D;;