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Honestly, for as much flack as I give Reiwa Rider for having subpar characterization I will give them this: Isamu Fuwa is one of the best and most refereshing secondary riders we have had in years because he feels like a subversion if not outright deconstruction of the secondary rider archetype.
Like think about it, Fuwa starts as almost stereotypical Secondary Rider: he’s angry and bitter and hates the kaijin due to trauma he had relating to them (at least they didn’t kill his girlfriend) and slowly starts to come around those flaws. But at the halfway point they reveal that Fuwas memories/past was fake implant by Gai and he has to wrestle with that and find new drive to fight on. And thats genuinely a great subversion/playing with the trope: By giving Fuwa the most “secondary rider 101″ esq backstory only to reveal that it was fake actually, the writers showed that they are willing to play with the tropes if it makes for a more interesting story and fits the themes of that season, which it did both imho as 01 was all about technology and our relationship with it. It also really fits the “your past doesn’t make who you are but your present actions and mindset do” theme Rider has, as Fuwa is who he is not because of his fake past, but because of what he chooses to do in the present.
Like think about it, Fuwa starts as almost stereotypical Secondary Rider: he’s angry and bitter and hates the kaijin due to trauma he had relating to them (at least they didn’t kill his girlfriend) and slowly starts to come around those flaws. But at the halfway point they reveal that Fuwas memories/past was fake implant by Gai and he has to wrestle with that and find new drive to fight on. And thats genuinely a great subversion/playing with the trope: By giving Fuwa the most “secondary rider 101″ esq backstory only to reveal that it was fake actually, the writers showed that they are willing to play with the tropes if it makes for a more interesting story and fits the themes of that season, which it did both imho as 01 was all about technology and our relationship with it. It also really fits the “your past doesn’t make who you are but your present actions and mindset do” theme Rider has, as Fuwa is who he is not because of his fake past, but because of what he chooses to do in the present.
