[Kamen Rider Die]

MASKED RIDER RYUKI EPISODE 12




Not bad! I think this one I half enjoyed, and half was glad this story could be over.

For the half I enjoyed, man, a lot of it was Shinji. I think he's the MVP of this one. He does what little he can to ground Ren's story, create some drama in it. Plus, like, he gets the only jokes in this one again. That whole thing of him saving Ren by trying to defuse the fight Ren starts, the part about him trying to name drop his EiC and the thugs are like Who and then Shinji's just Oh Cool I'm Going To Get My Ass Kicked Now, that stuff was an episode highlight. His need to protect Ren, to help him through a tough time by throwing himself in front of punches, that's the Masked Rider Ryuki I love.

The resolution of the whole Secret Science Club thing, I liked how it affected the characters more than I liked it for what was happening in the plot. It's nice to have one beat hit two characters, to intertwine Ren's grief and rage with Yui's guilt and shame. (My biggest gripe over these two episodes is that the show isolates the two characters who have the most skin in the game, plot-wise. A few moments of Yui and Ren processing the events of Secret Science Club together, even if it's just Ren's declaration of heroic vengeance and Yui silently hiding her guilt, I think that would've done the conclusion a world of good. Or, better yet, having their search for answers take place at the same time, with Ren's anger increasing at the same time as Yui's alarm. I don't know, I don't want to backseat showrun, it just feels like a missed opportunity.) This episode, it does a lot to explain their stakes, to make it feel more personal for both of them. Yui, her wanting answers about her brother, the need to know the truth no matter what, it's a strong motivation. But now that we know her fate was wrapped up in Shiro's choices, it makes that truth feel weightier, more dangerous. And Ren, seeing that he's forced to work with the monster who destroyed his happiness, that's not only very Kamen Rider, but it explains his motivation in a way that humanizes his struggle. Every time he Henshins, he has to draw on the power of the monster who hurt Eri, he has to harness that power for good. For both Yui and Ren, that's bleak, and dramatically rich. It's a solid reframing of the supporting cast of this show.

Still, I don't know if that was all worth these two episodes. The Ejima stuff, I'm just not that invested in a guy I never heard of before, wandering around pointing a Yu-Gi-Oh card at reflective surfaces? It's fine, in that the monster plot can be about them trying to corner and kill this one dude. That's something that feels more exciting and comprehensible than the previous episode. The Reiko plot is just about her becoming open to the possibility of new explanations to the mysterious disappearances she's been investigating, which, okay. (That conversation she has with the train conductor, where he's just People Disappearing Is Unusual and Reiko's just Huh That's True, it was killing me. Some eagle-eyed analysis from Masked Rider Ryuki! Thank you for spelling it out for those of us watching at home!) It'll likely move that plot more into the Paranormal Investigator genre, so Reiko might get more of a shot of interacting in the main story. Into that idea, for sure.

This episode, I think it was decent. It had a lot to overcome with me from the last episode, and I think it largely steered out of the skid. Some fun stuff to enjoy, and we got some much needed context and backstory for Ren and Yui. Not my favorite Ryuki story, though, and I'm glad to move on from it.