Kamen Rider Drive Episode 26 - Where is Chaser headed to?

[kuroihikari]

But he IS a robot. Why are you comparing him to Fangires and Orphenochs?

It's not like the writer pretended he wasn't a robot from the start. We've had him reprogrammed twice already. It's a major plot-point. It's not something that's out of the blue.

The problem is when you pretend the development is about him: it's not. He was indeed just a plot device for most of the first half. Assuming he was more than that will get you nowhere.

Did that person just cease to exist now? And is it okay to accept that "because he's a robot"?

It was not a person. And yes it's okay. Because he was a robot. With programming. If he was a person, it would've been under all that layers of programming, which was Kiriko and Shin's goal to eliminate.

That is, up until now when he was granted his own agency to make his choices.

It's just like how mind-control operates in fiction: The characters who are under mind-control are basically given free pass as characters.

 

[HurricaneDragon]

But he IS a robot. Why are you comparing him to Fangires and Orphenochs?

It's not like the writer pretended he wasn't a robot from the start. We've had him reprogrammed twice already. It's a major plot-point. It's not something that's out of the blue.

The problem is when you pretend the development is about him: it's not. He was indeed just a plot device for most of the first half. Assuming he was more than that will get you nowhere.

To point out the problem with how this played out and how shallow it was. They can't be pushing how these robots developed minds of their own and went crazy one minute but then the next all of this - it's contradictory, for one thing.

And as I pointed out, at least one of those times he "broke free" from the reprogramming and was pretty cheesed about it.

The problem with that assertion is that he wasn't being treated that way. The only time reprogramming was really brought into things in the way you're suggesting was after Medic did it. Before, while he had been altered, he was still treated like a character rather than a tool - the fact that Shinnosuke and Kiriko were able to get through to him and the fact that he took them into account are both evidence of this. The fact that they tried rather than just going "No, you're just a victim of magical mind control!" shows they believed he could be "gotten through to" - and that is the crux of this issue. He was being treated more like a character with amnesia than he was a character under some kind of spell or programming.

At least some viewers have commented how "this is Gou and Chase's story, not Shinnosuke's!" in these threads from what I've seen, and that wouldn't be such a common misconception if he was performing his role of "just a plot device" well. I understand what you're saying, and I do think that may have been the intention of the writer now that you've pointed it out, my point is that they did a crappy job of it even so, and if you look at things, it's probably more so they could line up toy releases right more than anything.

It was not a person. And yes it's okay. Because he was a robot. With programming. If he was a person, it would've been under all that layers of programming, which was Kiriko and Shin's goal to eliminate.

That is, up until now when he was granted his own agency to make his choices.

I disagree with that. It wasn't presented as such, at least not well, and more to the point, that still doesn't change how unbelievably shallow it is. "He's a robot" may explain it, but even then, it's still a shallow explanation. Rather than have him be aware of his actions and think for himself and reflect on what he's been up to now, even if it's just two operatives conflicting with each other, it's just so damn shallow.

Was he really? It looks more like he defaulted to his old programming. If this is all these "characters" are, why should we care about any of them? Why should we be invested in any of the villains or even Chase going forward? They're not human and after this, I see no reason to believe they have sentience or humanity - they're just robots following their programming, apparently. Honestly, Heart and Brain come off as more human than Chase right now.

 

[Undrave]

I'm hoping this isn't the last of Chase's inner conflict about destroying Roidmudes. He has the Proto Drive Shift Car so maybe he could go into a 'reset mode' where he doesn't destroy the viral core. Maybe he'll try to convinceo ther Roidmudes to turn good? That it's possible to coexist with humans? Maybe he'll kiss Kiriko like she REALLY REALLY obviously want...

 

[Zensrive]

I like where Drive is heading now, gearing up and aiming for full throttle!
Chase's Kamen Rider form is kinda squeaky clean, kinda inverted from his corrupted proto form.
I wonder who hard-wired the instinct to save humanity inside him? Krim?

 

[Undrave]

The new suit IS pretty cool. I like how the helmet is still asymetrical despite being cleaner. Nice touch.

Though for some reason I keep having trouble remembering his colors... why do I keep imagining him as being beige and violet instead of that silvery blue? Kamen Rider Blitzwing??

 

[Hangyakuno]

If this is all simply an issue of being able to cheat character development by having a character you can freely change at will

This is always happen. Sanjo love this trick.
Either use mob talk about this change or make his character so flexible...

 

[NeonZ]

Was he really? It looks more like he defaulted to his old programming. If this is all these "characters" are, why should we care about any of them? Why should we be invested in any of the villains or even Chase going forward? They're not human and after this, I see no reason to believe they have sentience or humanity - they're just robots following their programming, apparently. Honestly, Heart and Brain come off as more human than Chase right now.

If he were just operating on base programming he wouldn't have protected Heart at all though. But still, in spite of some minor conflict, antagonist Chase had always only been in that position due to being brainwashed/reprogrammed. The first time he just could be gotten through easier because Brain didn't tamper with his directive to protect humans, only erasing his memories and adding new ones, while the second time Medic changed that base directive itself. Still, it was all basically brain control, he never was siding with the Roidmudes out of his own choices.

His character development was handled exactly like if it were a human in his position. The fact that he protected Heart at all in spite of being formerly brainwashed to work for him shows that he wasn't just operating like a calculating machine. Now, this whole subplot lasted way longer than it should, but that's the problem with mind control stories in general. I don't see why a human character would be necessarily more attached to the people who messed with his mind in the first place. It was a less "evil" brainwashing, but it still was one, and one that made him work for people who were originally his enemies.

 

[Liac0s]

The first time he just could be gotten through easier because Brain didn't tamper with his directive to protect humans, only erasing his memories and adding new ones, while the second time Medic changed that base directive itself. Still, it was all basically brain control, he never was siding with the Roidmudes out of his own choices.

This is the main problem with many seasons.. You get a quite good plot, but it's messed up because it's not explained enough..

As of now we know that Chase was hard-codded to Protect the Humans. This episode confirmed it by Chase saying it himself. What does that mean? It means that Medic didn't change the subject (aka the humans) in that line. If she did, then she could have easily deleted the whole line. When a line (ex. for a function) is hard-codded in a program, there's no possible way to delete or change that line, unless you have the tools that were used to create that line in the very beginning. In other words, Krim CAN delete or alter that line at any time, but Medic couldn't, just like Brain. She merely found a way to keep the function (to protect) while "masking"/"blocking" the subject (the humans), while adding on top of it the new subject (the roidmudes).

I wish they took the root of having only the function be hard-codded, so that Chase would have to protect something, but that something would be of his OWN choice. It's obvious that he is still a Roidmude, hence has free will and thought, but it's still sad to see that he is siding with the humans due to it being hard-codded in him. Though it's still reasonable for him being hard-codded to protect the humans. I hope Krim will actually get to delete that line in the future, but as of now it's only logical for him not to want to.

 

[lazycoconut]

I wish they took the root of having only the function be hard-codded, so that Chase would have to protect something, but that something would be of his OWN choice. It's obvious that he is still a Roidmude, hence has free will and thought, but it's still sad to see that he is siding with the humans due to it being hard-codded in him. Though it's still reasonable for him being hard-codded to protect the humans. I hope Krim will actually get to delete that line in the future, but as of now it's only logical for him not to want to.

It's not sad. It's perfectly reasonable. Yes, Chase should have a choice; but if he chooses to protect Roidmudes, he is no better than Heart, Brain and Medic, and should be treated accordingly.

Honestly, Heart and Brain come off as more human than Chase right now.

Well, Chase is a "prototype" Roidmude, so it makes more sense that the finished product is more advanced than he ...

Maybe he'll kiss Kiriko like she REALLY REALLY obviously want...

I can't blame her, he does have almost heart-shaped lips

 

[Solari]

What I'm unsure about is how Chase survived being destroyed...
was it perhaps only the changes made by Brain and Medic that were destroyed?


Kamen Rider Chaser's debut was pretty awesome though!