[Kamen Rider Die]

KAMEN RIDER HIBIKI VOLUME 38 - "FAILED SLAYING SOUND"



"My mind's awake
There's always a hundred things to think about
When to escape
Is the only question left in doubt"

-Standard Fare, "Suitcase"

This is one of those where I'm not sure if I'm in the right headspace to really enjoy a Kamen Rider episode (no politics in the thread), but I watched it, so I might as well write it up.

I thought this one was pretty shitty? Like, for the first time, I get the criticisms about the second phase of Hibiki. This episode just fluctuated between emotional scenes that were incredibly wrong for the characters, and dopey monster sequences that felt dropped in from another show entirely. Everything in this one, except for one character's story, just... I mean, that Nails On A Chalkboard move by the Hime was how I felt watching most of this episode.

There will probably be plenty of things I'll rip apart from this episode (or I'll just bail in a couple paragraphs, we'll play it by ear), so let me start by saying the Ibuki stuff from this episode, and only the Ibuki stuff from this episode, worked great. The only honest moment in this entire episode was when Ibuki is explaining to Zanki how much he feels he let Akira down. It's raw and visceral, a side of the normally self-assured Ibuki that we never get to see. Here, he's a parent who had their kid run away, and he doesn't know what to do. He blames himself for not understanding her better, for not guarding her from her fears and doubts. He's doubting himself, for the first time ever. It's a very sweet scene that gives gravity and stakes to Ibuki's side of the story with Akira, something that was missing from the last episode.

So then the episode shits all over it by having Zanki punch Ibuki in the face.

It's a stupid way to end that scene. It takes all of the real emotion and douses it in bravado and nonsense. It moves Zanki from his usual cool demeanor into just being an aggressive asshole. It sucks. It made me sad.

The Zanki/Todoroki thing that came after was equally dumb to me. Todoroki demanding that the critically injured Zanki start fighting with him again is unconscionably thoughtless, and Zanki's tough love abandonment is infuriating. It's a scene where not only do I not buy anything either character is doing, but it was making me angry just to watch. It's bullshit drama.

The main story, the Hibiki/Asumu stuff... I don't know. I like how parental and concerned Hibiki is in this one (there's a shot near the end where he's watching Asumu meditate in the forest, and he just looks so proud, it's very cute), but the advice he gives Asumu just isn't on-topic? Asumu isn't stressed, he's avoiding his problems. He doesn't need to tune out his captain and Kiriya, he needs to confront their claims. The whole idea of him needing to blank out his mind... that's just him ignoring the problems! Again! Still! It's such weirdly incorrect advice.

The rest of the plot, with Kiriya hanging around just to be an asshole, it's fine. It's dumb, the whole plot is so stupid (I don't think someone playing the whistle needs this much instruction!), but it's not the worst part of this episode. (Zanki. All of the Zanki stuff is the worst.) There's some legitimate laughs to be had in how transparently Kiriya is tagging along and not acknowledging it. He's so one-note that I can't even get mad at him for playing that one-note during every scene. It's just funny to me. I don't know. Probably bad taste.

(I honestly don't want to talk about the monster plot at all. It completely didn't belong in a Hibiki episode, up to and including the villains attacking the heroes at the end. Utterly incorrect plot for Hibiki.)

Really, really disliked this episode. Again, probably not the right time for me to be watching it, so this is all super subjective. If this one worked for you, please let me know!