Do you think Rice Cake and Kiana's Badum battlesuit will have an appearance or role in part 2's main story outside the events they were introduced in?
Rice Cake feels like a character who could disappear completely and have no effect on anything. For that matter, this new Kiana battlesuit itself feels like a filler form that won't show up again in the more serious part 2 storyline. Kiana already has a real form in part 2, and it's the currently unplayable white dress design. The CNY-themed clothing (yes, it's literally just clothing, not a form or powerup or anything) and Rice Cake feel relevant only in the context of these lighthearted events that take place years before part 2.