Hino Eiji

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OOO episodes 11-12

“I’m just trying to do what needs to be done.”

—Hino Eiji

Firstly, yes, that is what Eiji does, and that’s why he’s effective, he just does what he needs to get shit done. And that’s why he’s a hero, even though he doesn’t think of himself as one. He doesn’t do it for any other reason, other than someone has to.

Gotou finally understood. Up until he’s looked down on Eiji because he doesn’t behave or measure up to the idea that Gotou has of what a hero should be. He doesn’t think on a grand scale, of saving the world, just of helping in the here and now.

Gotou has finally realized that he’s spent all this time wanting to save the world without actually getting much accomplished, and he’s opened himself up to being used by Dr Maki because of a desire that he’s not actually doing anything about. He also realized that in the meantime Eiji has actually done more with his simple approach of helping whoever needs it, however he can.

So this leads two things. The first being that he’s only going to make a difference by doing whatever he can, whatever “needs to be done”, whether it is shooting Greeds with bazookas or just bringing new candroids to Eiji. I think that he’s come to accept that, and that he’s okay with it (which, by the way, I imagine is what opens the door to him actually becoming the man he needs to be in order to be a hero in his own right). The other is that he has let of his resentment of Eiji, and is willing to stand with him, and have his back. The moment Gotou holds out his hand to help Eiji get up after the fight was awesome, because you know that’s the moment that another great rider partnership is born.

“Brofists forever” and all that.

ETA: Just watched 13-14 and it was a bit premature to think Gotou had goten over all his issues :D;

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OOO eps 9-10: In which we find out Eiji’s backstory in full

1. Ankh is being pwned by both Hina and Chiyoko, in very different ways. And by Satonaka, actually. So basically by any woman he meets.

2. Like I already posted, Eiji and Hina are adorable together. Him being instinctively protective of her is cute, obviously, but there’s also the way she’s coming to understand him, in particular how she realizes that Eiji is the man he is because of what happened in the village. And because of it, there’s understanding and support growing there… it reminds me a little of Natsumi and Tsukasa before Hibiki world, before Yonemura made her more damsel in distress than supportive friend and partner.

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OOO’s supporting characters in eps 7-8

So I’m thinking I’ve reached the point in OOO in which it hits its stride and characters and dynamics start to get interesting.

I still don’t really OOO‘s various suit designs, I’m not really into the whole props during battle aspect of the action (particularly the mantis appendages/weapons), but the underlying Buddhist theme makes it very interesting, Hino Eiji is quite likable, Ankh is fascinating, and at this point characters I knew I’d like are starting to get more screentime… and characters I didn’t expect to care much about one way or the other have snuck up on me.

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OOO episodes 5-6: ‘Give and take’

Wanting things isn’t bad in and of itself. What’s important is what you do with those feelings.

1. I like Eiji more and more. I like how he doesn’t judge anyone for their desires/excesses, but instead is able to put himself in their position and understand where they’re coming from. He observes and understands, doesn’t judge, but does sort of… guide through example, I guess.

2. I had absolutely no interest in Hina at the start, but she became interesting to me the moment she said that she has come to realize that she used to cling to her brother, but that she has realized that she has to stand on her own two feet and can’t use something (her brother) as a crutch.

3. I loved the exchange between Gotou and Eiji: Gotou questioning how Eiji can save the world if he can’t even control one Greed, and Eiji thinking to himself that Gotou thinks big while he prefers to focus on what’s in front of him. Says a lot about both of them.

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Kamen Rider OOO 4

And so, Kamen Rider OOO catch-up begins!

I’d actually already watched episode 4, but never posted about it/kind of forgot, so I rewatched. Very quick thoughts to follow, mostly it basically goes back to what episode 3 had already touched on:

1. Humans beings are consumed by their desires… or are they? Ankh tells Eiji that this is the reason that it’s not worth it to save them. Eiji believes that humans can overcome those desires, but even if they can’t, it’s not his place to judge:

Eiji: I don’t get to decide someone else’s worth.
Ankh: Well, I do.

2. Better the devil you know. Ankh would rather by annoyed than humans (Eiji) than betrayed by Greed (Kazari)… even though Eiji tells him, again, that the first chance he gets he’ll defeat him and save Hina’s brother. I suppose the difference is that Eiji is being upfront about it. Just like he’s told Eiji upfront that the minute he thinks Eiji has become useless, he’ll “get rid” of him.

3. And again, why Eiji does what he does…

I’m not a nice guy at all. (…) I reach out to help because I don’t want to feel (regret). That’s all.

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Kamen Rider Os episode 3

No computer, can’t watch stuff as often as I’d like, much less blog, yada yada yada. But I did catch up on last week’s Os!

The episode starts off where ep 2 left off, with Ankh encountering Hina, who is the younger sister of the cop whose body he’s taken over. The little encounter serves to drive home, again, just how inhuman Ankh is. He basically coldly considers the situation, accessing the cop’s memories of his sister to figure out why she’s run to hug him, and once he understands their relationship, determines that because she cares for his brother, she will be in the way and the easiest thing will be to kill her and be rid of her. Eiji tries to stop him, and the point is made that without the belt, Eiji doesn’t stand a chance, and would be unable to stop Ankh from doing anything he pleases. So he uses his only leverage, which is to threaten to throw the belt in the river, which effectively stops Ankh from killing Hina.

So once again, the pull and push between Eiji and Ankh is brought to the spotlight, and this conflict is clearly going to be the central focus of the series… at least until Ankh starts developing more of a conscience. Which I am assuming will happen at some point. And again, I really like this dynamic.

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