Kamen Rider Zeztz Case #31- "Afflict" Discussion
 

Attacked by a mysterious black Zeztz, Baku is forced to confront a terrifying truth!

Ah, so there's a Council of CODE who is above Zero. And it looks like they want 3 to clean house...

It's nice to see that after making peace with Minami as his sister, Baku did the same with his secret agent parents.

It took 31 episodes but Baku FINALLY sees Zero, in human form, in the flesh. Even if Zero is just paying his respects to his agents and to warn Baku that CODE is coming for him and his allies. But you can't help but notice that Zero seems to be restraining himself somewhat around Baku.

No Orderm in the OP yet?

There's something hilarious to me that the secret base had a stash of energy drinks on the off chance they needed to keep people awake and away from dream assassins.

That Zeztz onesie looks so adorable. Also, DARK ZEZTZ! Triple Zeztz in one scene! They even recreate the visual in Visions of Impact punching Dark Zeztz!

Out from the CODE frying pan, into the Sieg fire. I'm not sure if nightmares are a result of human sin versus human fear, but I think it really puts into perspective how Sieg views the world and humanity in general. Also what does it mean for Nem that she can create Nightmares? What is her "sin" that results in them existing?

NOX, don't call a mothers' daughter a "toy," though deep down it feels like Odaka is loyal to his duty to protect Nem.

I was going to feel bad for Impact that it couldn't defeat it's doppelganger, but it had the powers of all of Zeztz' other forms so I guess it's to be expected.

Oh no, the baby Nightmares! And they're still nightmare fuel! RUN NEM!!!

Fujimi taking to those pull-ups so well Oliver Queen would probably approve.

We see Baku and his dad with the Zeroider (youngest a Rider has ever been introduced to their bike) and Zero is there looking...probably as paternalistic as one can while trying to hide their true feelings/connection to a kid. "You've really grown," and Baku's other dad taking a step back like his work is done and it's time for Baku to spend time with his bio dad.

Dark Zeztz throwing all of Baku's near deaths at him...deaths that were deliberately sent after him by Nightmares to stop him from becoming Zeztz, Zero's dream. Because deep down Zero's dream WAS FOR HIS SON TO BECOME ZEZTZ. That's right, Zero is Baku's dad!

It's a nice parallel of having Nem and Baku confront their single parents on opposite sides of this Nightmare conflict at the same time.

Next week: Zeztz rides his bike once again for the first time! Zero gets arrested? Nasuka confronts Odaka!

I knew I was in for a real treat of an episode the moment they deliberately didn't put the Japanese subtitles for Zero's first line. It stuck out especially because the scene right before that which establishes the basic premise likewise consciously chooses to do so in English, as if specifically reminding you how the rule for that works before it's broken. And sure enough, it's broken there for a particular purpose, in that it's another plot thread in a ZEZTZ episode where the answer is given to the audience before the question, obscured mostly by the lack of immediate context.

I think the way that reveal ends up playing out is *crazy* slick in its delivery. Like, before even talking about the narrative value of it or anything, just how it's cut together at the very end and the flow of the dialogue and everything is fantastic. I love that there isn't actually a specific line from Baku that quite hits that note of really spelling out what he's realizing as he's realizing it? It's tricky for me to describe the nuance exactly, but it's almost like the scene skips over doing the most obvious part in a way that I felt made it a lot more subtle and neat. (Plus, rhyming the father/son conversation with a mother/daughter one was also cute.)

The delivery in general is definitely the thing I can praise most this week. It's another Kamihoriuchi episode, and the whole time I was watching it, it was really driving home for me how blessed we are as Rider fans to have this guy as a director? There's such strong intent behind so many little things, something about ZEZTZ in general that I think I'm going to end up longing for when we move on to some other show that might not put the same level of care into things like the tiniest bits of body language in a scene. And the stuff that's more flashy and in your face, I mean, I'm definitely going to miss fight scenes that get to do all these weird transitions and cuts that can only make sense because this is a show where the fights take place in dreams.

All that, and the story they're telling is itself another one I'm especially excited about. Zero has always been a particularly fun character to watch for me, so the escalation of the plot forcing him and Baku to sort out their past and determine their future and all that, of course I'm going to be interested in where that's all heading. My mind was being blown in real-time here as Fujimi starting pitching the idea that all of Baku's accidents might be a result of somebody else's bad dreams. Again, it's just a lot of fun to watch play out, as is stuff like a Nightmare ZEZTZ that sort of plays with viewer expectations if you're a fan who might assume, much like Baku, that you're looking at Zero as some kinda Proto ZEZTZ at first. Because this is another two-parter about unraveling Baku's secret past with CODE, this will be pretty much exactly the same praise I just gave 29, but I really like how much the episode sorts out for you by the end while still having this sense that there's a deeper, more critical layer to some of the elements that's like, right there, in all our faces, but still isn't being said out loud quite yet.

I really liked this episode a lot and hey it looks like we did get the pay off to what the producer said in that interview back in November about Baku's bad luck being a core part of the plot/mystery. Also the reveal of Zero being Baku's father puts a lot of things into perspective, It makes a lot sense why in the premonition Zero was relatively kind to Baku and treated him with kid gloves/gave him a lot of leeway compared to the way 3 treated him(presumably the rest of CODE would've as well). It also explains why he's been so hesitant to take aggressive actions against Baku like 3 wants. It does also make me think back to episode 16 where he promised to tell Baku CODEs secrets if he completed his mission by the book, yeah 3 says that it's one of Zero's jokes but now I'm beginning to wonder if that was actually the case and perhaps he was being sincere (of course if Nox hadn't destroyed the Zeroider). Like sure maybe if it was any other agent he probably would've been lying but since it was Baku I feel like there's a somewhat decent chance he would have told him at least a few secrets.

I also like Zero's actors performance here as well where you can see some hesitation when he tries to put his hand on Baku's shoulder. I feel like he's really torn between his duty/mission for CODE and his affection for Baku. Don't get me wrong this revelation doesn't absolve Zero of his questionable actions (like even if he does have some affection toward Baku he still let him die in the premonition) but I feel like there's definitely some nuance here and I'm interested in seeing where it goes.

Also fun fact, the Zeztz Darkness Nightmare is voiced by the VA who does the sounds/lines in the Zeztz Driver.

Welp, I was right.