Kamen Rider Gaim - Lock 03 "Shocking! My Rival's Bananas Transformation!?"

[kuroihikari]

Because heaven forbid we teach kids that it isnt just about how much money we can bring home that matters.

Call me idealistic but I think it isnt a bad message for kids that when it comes to work, it isnt only about how much money you'll make out of it (still very impt, i wont disagree) but what good your job does for the community or other people in general.

Looking at the context of those 2 siblings and where Kota got his money from makes me more sympathetic towards the sister too. Basically you have Kota who just quit his 2 jobs saying that they can live off his winnings playing cosplay Pokemon from now on.

And I know many people have provided for their family with professional poker winnings, maybe MTG Pro Tour circuit, probably even sponsored WoW guild raid instance whatevers, and there's nothing wrong with that.

But for the kids watching Gaim, is that really something I'd want them to learn at this stage? That if you can make money off playing a game (in-universe Inves is still just a game regardless of the inherent danger present there, the people of that world are as infatuated with it like ours are with say, idk basketball?) there's no point in going thru school as well as looking for a job? If you want to play the game, play it because you really want to, not just because you can make money out of it.

The idealistic side of me says that everyone should follow Confucius' adage about earning a living doing something you love and not working a single day of your life. However, the realistic side of me knows that's not how the world works. It's probably nice that we get to see both sides of that fence.

As for Kaito, I agree, Kouta's lack of competitiveness is something that is bothersome. And interestingly enough, the show comes pretty close to disputing another Confucian ideal: That of competition of one's self over competition with others.

 

[Kamen Rider Extreme]

I just got to say, it's not like he's getting the money from "illegal" means. It's prize money. So his sister wouldn't respect him if he was a boxer? If his sister won the lottery, she wouldn't take the money?

Work at a crappy job(s) and be miserable, but it'll be o.k. as long as you're providing a service for others. What type of slave mentality are they teaching there children over there.

 

[Hell Kaiser Andy]

Her reason for it being bad is a bit flawed.

But really, it's not that he's being an athlete and getting money. It's more like he's a professional Beyblader in a world where that isn't a big deal.

 

[Hidden Masta]

So in a world where someone is constantly recording Team Gaim's dances and battles how does Ryugen hide the fact that he's in Gaim from his schoolmates? I mean those girls watched Gaim fighting they didn't see Ryugen in the background?

 

[Hell Kaiser Andy]

So in a world where someone is constantly recording Team Gaim's dances and battles how does Ryugen hide the fact that he's in Gaim from his schoolmates? I mean those girls watched Gaim fighting they didn't see Ryugen in the background?

The talk in that scene pretty much put it Beat Riders are poor people who should be ignored. It's only because Kouta is stepping into the ring now.

 

[Lynxara]

I think the "threat" is the whiny douche with the banana on his head, who hasn't figured out that a spear is not a sword.

It's not even supposed to be a spear, it's clearly a lance. Which the belt calls a spear. And the suit actor wields as a sword? But the thing is so short, I think trying to use it like a lance or spear would honestly be even goofier-looking.

This goes back to the in-suit stuff hewing too close to the toy line again. The prop is emulating the toy proportions, and the toy lance is very short, but probably just to prevent kids from snapping it in half easily. Making the prop lance longer wouldn't be the end of the world, Toei.

Her reason for it being bad is a bit flawed.

I think from Akira's POV, Kota's Inves game payout probably smacked of something too good to be true. And in the real world, if a windfall seems too good to be true, it probably is. She probably just doesn't want Kota to turn into someone who's always pursuing get-rich-quick schemes, because he's developed the expectation of getting piles of money for doing what he wanted to do anyway. That's fine as long as it lasts, but it often doesn't. Even the most fun-looking career is going to have parts that aren't actually fun.

In this case, Akira wouldn't know exactly why, but her intuition is probably correct. Even pursing a career in sports or entertainment is grueling and requires a lot of hard work we just don't see Kota put in. That's because Kota's not winning through hard work or dedication, he's winning because he's the only Armored Rider. It'll be really interesting to see if the story does anything with the idea of, say, Kota's Inves income dwindling as more teams get Armored Riders, and the playing field evens out.

 

[Eldar]

I just got to say, it's not like he's getting the money from "illegal" means. It's prize money. So his sister wouldn't respect him if he was a boxer? If his sister won the lottery, she wouldn't take the money?

It's not comparable to boxing at all. Boxers fight people who aren't coerced into the ring. Kouta is fighting and killing animals who were forced into fighting by magic fruits. What he is doing is just bloodsport. But I guess since he is making money that is alright.

 

[kuroihikari]

This goes back to the in-suit stuff hewing too close to the toy line again. The prop is emulating the toy proportions, and the toy lance is very short, but probably just to prevent kids from snapping it in half easily. Making the prop lance longer wouldn't be the end of the world, Toei.

A lance would be utterly useless (or style-less) in a man-on-man fight, though. Unless they make his fighting style involving a lot of cradling the lance with one hand and charging enemies with it making him both insanely fast and insanely strong.

The visuals indeed imply it's a lance (and it would be perfect as long one if he was riding on the bike), but I think the lengthened version is supposed to be an epee- or foil- like weapon. I wish he fought as a fencer so that it would made more sense.

I think from Akira's POV, Kota's Inves game payout probably smacked of something too good to be true. And in the real world, if a windfall seems too good to be true, it probably is. She probably just doesn't want Kota to turn into someone who's always pursuing get-rich-quick schemes, because he's developed the expectation of getting piles of money for doing what he wanted to do anyway. That's fine as long as it lasts, but it often doesn't. Even the most fun-looking career is going to have parts that aren't actually fun.

In this case, Akira wouldn't know exactly why, but her intuition is probably correct. Even pursing a career in sports or entertainment is grueling and requires a lot of hard work we just don't see Kota put in. That's because Kota's not winning through hard work or dedication, he's winning because he's the only Armored Rider. It'll be really interesting to see if the story does anything with the idea of, say, Kota's Inves income dwindling as more teams get Armored Riders, and the playing field evens out.

This is what I've been trying to figure out. For my normal cultural mindset, Akira's reaction would be my first reaction, and I think you nailed it right on the head: about it being too good to be true. I probably would only be convinced of its viability until I know exactly how it works and the risks involved.

As a viewer I know that Kota isn't doing any harm doing what he does (so far), so I can be open-minded about it. But Akira doesn't know that.

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On another note, Sid making them ride the bikes and sending them into the Forest actually helps Yggdrasil out because they'll eventually have to clear out the Invess while they're in there. Makes harvesting all those lock seeds much easier.

 

[Jadiack]

I don't think Gaim's sister is telling him to get a job and disregard how you feel for the community's sake - but that what he's doing now, which is just being lucky enough to find the Belt, effortlessly knock around Invess every once in a while - is practically like having money fall in your lap effortlessly.

She doesn't want it cause she doesn't think it's been earned, because Kouta really isn't doing something that affects anyone but himself. She's probably of the mindset that if you get paid for something, what you do should provide equal value to that person, which she doesn't think Invess fight matches do at all.

 

[toni2212]

I don't think Akira not wanting the money because it is bad, but because the money is in her view, something that Kouta got after winning a tournament. It's quite the same as you winning a game tournament prize, but your parents refuse to receive any part of the money since in their eyes, it's not a real job. Thus the main point of what this episode tries to tell us is there's a bit difference of earning money and getting money.

In perspective, I can perceive this episode's whole point of teaching Kouta to become a proper adult. He starts as someone who wants to be an adult that can take care of himself but is not satisfied since he has to sacrifice the things that he loves just for the sake of taking care of himself. But then he is presented with the opportunity to be able to do the things that he loves while at the same time still gets some money for doing the things that he loves. Meanwhile his sister can be said to present the POV of a parents, and how the POV of a parents perceive about that type of money he's getting.