Yeah, let's not talking about these things that affect the plot until after they have already done so. And you've spoiled plot development of a entirely different series too! Shame!

Cool! My favorite thing about Hyper Kabuto hasn't even appeared yet.

I agree that Kabuki at least has a sympathetic and tragic villain motivation, compared to Caucasus and the ZECT/Neo-ZECT guys anyway. The fun and entertainment you find in Hibiki's movie, fair enough, I can't really contest that if it's your opinion, but I think God Speed Love had that appeal for me, in the thrilling action, the dark humor and Caucasus was pretty awesome as a Rider, even if he's not thematically deep or interesting to think about as a character. If I had to try and make sense of ZECT's insane plan, I think Outrageous, the crazy guy that he is, decided humans could somehow live on figuratively in the Worms. It doesn't really solve the water shortage though.

Hibiki's movie doesn't really align with the show continuity either, since Armed Form's debut is completely different. Regarding your point about Hiyori's death not contributing anything substantial, I think it's worse with Akira's death since she literally only appears so she can get killed which doesn't give me enough reason to be sad, especially since that version of Akira isn't even the Akira I care about. At least Hiyori's death is something that has foreshadowing and pacing, even if it didn't work for everyone.

oh my god

the episode post for 27 is just going to be a million screencaps and a million accompanying paragraphs about how beautiful this episode is

the direction

it

it is so good you guys

i think im just going to watch it forever

this thread is now permanently about kamen rider kabuto episode 27

mods please change thread title

You don't want it to be 27 forever because then you won't get to 29 and 30, both of which make this look tame.

This post is going to have 43 more pictures than normal. Forty. Three. And I'm still going light on how many cool things there are to talk about.

Well this is gonna be a long read.

It ain't short to write it, neither!

Still color me excited!

Edit: I just realized with my hair getting longer it kind of looks like tendou's.

By this point in the season, everybody needs a haircut.. .even the fans!

KAMEN RIDER KABUTO - EPISODE 27

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I cannot believe how much of a swing this was, enjoyment-wise, from yesterday's movie. Where that was a grueling slog through a story that seemed to want to punish me for caring about the Kabuto series, this was a gift. A gift that felt like it was for me and me alone; something secret that was constructed with love, held for fourteen years plus change, left for me to find when I needed it most. If a TV show ever wanted to confess its love to me, I can't think of a better way.

I mean, GON IS BACK, which alone had my heart expanding like the goddamn Grinch as all the Whos in Whoville sang out. I honestly never thought she'd be back? With Daisuke being such a Special Guest Star these days, I didn't dare dream that we'd get another Daisuke and Gon story. But here we are, and it's great. Gon's connection to Daisuke, rekindled through the Proustian attributes of strawberry milk, sets off a heartwarming tale of Gon needing Daisuke back in her life. Not because she's scared, or abandoned, or lonely. (She actually is doing pretty well with her mom, which is nice!) It's just because she wants Daisuke back in her life.

I really love the simplicity of that, the emphasis on it not being Gon in danger from ZECT or the Worms or whatever. It's actually Daisuke in danger, which is a pretty fun way to invert that story. He's been framed for murder, and Tendou's affection for Gon allows him to put aside his absolute loathing of Daisuke to pitch in on his defense. (Although, come on, he was never going to call the cops on Daisuke. One, he doesn't really care about human justice. Two, he would've beaten up Daisuke and then handed him over in person. Tendou's just screwing with him.)

It's a very fun story, and that's not even counting the Tsurugi Is Broke subplot, which is... again, it is a gift, just for me. It's perfect, top to bottom, not least because it also incorporates Gon, who is treated in such an A-List way that I'm assuming she was the original actor for Kamen Rider V3 and y'all just never told me. (If this is true, I will truck with Showa.) She is utilized as though every minute she's not onscreen is a waste, and I get that appraisal.

But, above and beyond the killer storytelling, this thing is gorgeous, from curtain to curtain. There are about a billion things from this episode I want to shout out as being gallery-worthy, so let's get started:

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This sequence of Kageyama and the Worm Widow (I've honestly forgotten her name, sorry) really sets the stage for an energetically and innovatively designed episode. The entire scene of the Worm Widow talking to Kageyama, she never moves. She stands there, threatening him, slapping him around, and she does it all stationary. Even beyond how cool an idea that is (she doesn't even need to move to whip Kageyama's ass), the episode tops it with this awesome in-camera form change. The Worm Widow is in her Worm form when she's closing her pincer on Kageyama's arm. He shakes it off (as she releases him), and then the camera spins left to see the Worm in Widow form. It's a simple trick (the actor is in Widow costume and probably has the Worm claw lowered below the lens of the camera), but in the moment it's thrilling.

And then she ends the scene by continuing her walk along the ledge, forcing Kageyama to move out of her way.

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I love this dumb gag. It's Kagami suggesting that the name "Kagami Arata” on the 35-year old Masked Rider Project files was a typo, and not some indication that he and his family are central to a global conspiracy. He's so pleased with his ridiculous theory, and he's smiling like he's solved the Murder on the Orient Express. Tendou tells him, basically, that he's too simple-minded to figure this one out. And Kagami turns, smiling, still not processing how Tendou just insulted him. SMASH CUT end of scene. It's a joke that exists a little in the camerawork (the same shot holds on the two of them from Kagami's glee to Tendou's insult to Kagami's "Huh?”) and a lot in the editing. Just that brief moment of Kagami retaining his pride, right before it's dashed when his brain (eventually) catches up, and that's the end of the scene... so funny.

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You. Could. Hang. This. Shot. In. A. Gallery. Look at that framing! Look at how the focus is on Gon! Look at how the focus on Daisuke never resolves, because he is absent from Gon's life! This whole sequence is great, Gon waking up from months as Yuriko, combining the happiness of a normal girl with the adventurous mentor to Daisuke, needing to find him again. But these shots are... they are so considered, so able to take a one-person scene and fill it with enough details that you are 100% clear on what's going on with Gon. Plus, just, like, aesthetically... so beautiful! This shot!

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So much of this sequence is about how Goro and the Worm Widow are the same. They're not the top dogs, but they are confident in their abilities and willing to do whatever's necessary to accomplish their goals. So we start their scene with this shot of the two of them on a rooftop, same black suits, same body language. This isn't the usual bullshit where ZECT is in a dark warehouse with, like, one chair. This is bright, this is exposed. There's no fear of discovery with these two. They do what they want.

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Even these little reaction shots: the same height, focused on their eyes and words. It's casual. There's no subterfuge or posturing. All of that cityscape in the background, it's reemphasizing that this is their world. They aren't monsters at the edge of humanity or a militarized organization of nebulous authority: they are the structure of this world. The time for feints, for mystery, that's over. This meeting is a flex, for both sides.

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Love love love the rack focus on this shot. It's such a ballsy trick, changing the focus depth until it looks like the Worm Widow is right behind Kageyama (who has clearly already forgotten his lesson in humility from earlier this episode), and then cutting to her hand on Kageyama's shoulder, literally right behind him. It's another one of those relatively simple shots that, edited together this well, makes the Worm Widow feel suitably monstrous. (Although, punking out Kageyama, it's not the toughest feat? Always appreciated, though.)

And then Goro ends the scene by forcing Kageyama to move out of his way, just like the Worm Widow did earlier. It's a scene that's all about how similar Goro and the Worm Widow are, from start to finish. (She even quotes Goro to her underlings in the next shot!)

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Such a great shot to emphasize how isolated Daisuke is without Gon, how hollow things are by himself. It's beautiful, but no one's happy. I love it.

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I can't do it justice in this screencap, but this shot of Jiiya collapsing from exhaustion and his feet shoot straight up in the air... it's cartoonish, and I mean that as a total compliment. The Tsurugi/Jiiya plot in this one is the most insane yet (more insane than when Tsurugi thought ramen was a French dish called La Men, so understand how bonkers this is going to get), and the show needs to calibrate our expectations early. Jiiya fainting like he's in a Looney Tunes short, yes, perfectly applied to this story.

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Look at the intro this dude gets! He is in about two minutes of this episode! He exists to be a potential rival, and is murdered by the Worms to frame Daisuke! And they give him this over-the-top-even-for-Kabuto intro! It's funny, yes, absolutely, but it does serve an important purpose in the narrative. You give a guy this type of opening, I think he's a new Rider, or some recurring character. I do not think he's going to be murdered two scenes from now.

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This fight! Having two make-up artists duel like they're samurai, it is fantastic. The camerawork on this one doesn't for a second treat this as anything less than a dramatic battle between two skilled warriors. It is so committed to the joke that it almost transcends being a joke. It's ludicrous until I'm like Oh Thank God Daisuke Won. I am totally in the bag for this dumb rivalry!

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Oh, the look on Gon's face. It's this perfect mix of confusion and revulsion, all while Tsurugi is permanently locked-in on his I Am Killing This face. I can't believe how seamlessly Gon fits into Tsurugi's world, but maybe I shouldn't be? Her whole dynamic with Daisuke was being in charge of a man who is too weird to exist in the regular world, so her being "babysat” by Tsurugi is a decent warmup for when she reunites with Daisuke.

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What can I even say about this joyous nonsense? Look at them. Look at Jiiya being soothed by Gon, Gon being "soothed” by Tsurugi, Tsurugi wearing his I Am Killing This face, and Tendou wondering if any of them will survive if he leaves. If they made a statue of this scene, I'd buy it.

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And then it goes exactly where you'd expect, with Gon having to run everything. The idea of all of these bill collectors harassing a child for outstanding balances is maybe too ridiculous, even for this episode, but I’ve got to assume that the sort of vendors who are enabling Tsurugi's lifestyle by extending him credit are probably not easily shamed. You've got to be pretty goddamn weird to have an ongoing financial relationship with Jiiya and Tsurugi. (Or maybe normal business owners in Japan are good with payment in silverware?) We are probably talking about a fishmonger who won his business by outwitting a water spirit or something. These are not accredited businesses, most likely.

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I just like this shot of all of the bills being dropped on a sleeping Jiiya? It's just really nice to look at.

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Another great gag, where the camera holds on Tsurugi as the weight of his bankruptcy forces him to his knees. It's unbelievably dramatic, but: Tsurugi! Unbelievably dramatic is actually him toning it down from jaw-droppingly dramatic!

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Everything in this premise is brilliant. Tsurugi needs a job, so he becomes a delivery man. He keeps Daisuke's change (oh, Daisuke, a fugitive from justice, orders food that Tsurugi delivers, not a bizarre development at all) because he needs to rebuild his fortune, as though that is something everyone in the world would want to happen. It's that standard Tsurugi thing, that nobility thing, where his success is something everyone in the world should feel grateful to assist. It's a nice inversion of Tendou's philosophy, where individual greatness improves the world. For Tsurugi, it's more like he's the world, and his greatness improves individuals. Anything that makes him more great, makes the world more great. So when Tsurugi realizes he'll need more money than he's keeping from Daisuke's change, he grabs Daisuke by the shoulders and demands more money. It... Tsurugi doesn't know how jobs work! How did he get hired? Who sat down with Tsurugi and said This Guy Should Be Representing My Business? Why was that interview scene not in this episode?!

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Another gag that's all about keeping the camera still as the joke escalates. The cops are at the motel to arrest Daisuke. Daisuke closes his door. Tsurugi's just standing there, confused. Daisuke opens the door, pushes Tsurugi out of the way, and then closes the door again. Then the cops rush in. I don't know if it's a shot where Tsurugi's actor forgot to get out of the way so the cops could move to the doorway or what, but it's hilarious that Daisuke pushes this random delivery person out of the way so the cops have a straight shot to his door. It makes no sense? If it was a lady delivering his food, sure, absolutely. But why does he care that this dude is in the way? It feels like a blown take that someone in the edit bay was like Oh This Is The Take.

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Perfect gag construction, perfect camera placement. Tsurugi's in the hallway, blissfully/typically unaware of what's happening around him as Daisuke bursts out of the hotel room. He's followed by the cops, covered in the noodles Tsurugi delivered. And the last cop stops to politely hand the empty bowl back to Tsurugi. I was dying at that last shot.

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And then this really sweet scene to end things on for me. Daisuke's asking Tendou not to turn him in, and Tendou grudgingly agrees. The camera stays on Daisuke's grateful face, letting Tendou go out of frame as he chides Daisuke for being awful. Then Tendou reappears, back in focus, as he tells Daisuke that the only reason he's getting any help is because of Gon.

And just like that, the episode refocuses all of its energy on what we're all missing: Gon and Daisuke. Seeing them back together again, it's something I want so bad it's unreal. There's all this great humor in this episode, all of these funny side-stories and diversions. But then the camera focuses, and the story focuses, and the visuals and plot are working in harmony to make us feel what Daisuke feels: hope.

Gon remembers him. What a gift.

A QUESTION

So many outstanding images in this episode. What was your favorite screencap from this one?

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In terms of how well done it is, that shot of Gon looking over her shoulder to the magazine photo of Daisuke in the foreground is super impressive. But I'd be lying if I didn't say that my favourite of your choice of screencaps was "Fish bill!" I too would be airing my grievances about not being paid to a little girl too...

You should go drink some strawberry milk too! Who knows what kind of hidden memories you'll suddenly unlock.

I forgot just how freaking hilarious Kabuto can be. I remembered certain bits like the make-up duel (although I thought it was with Tendou, not some random dude), but I forgot that it went beyond just a few small moments. I cannot over stress how much I love Tsurugi as the show's primary source of comic relief. What I think makes him work so well is that the humor is so closely tied to who he is as a character. I have some well-documented issues with some of the way Kamen Rider does humor in the Neo Heisei era: screaming, flailing, making weird faces, etc. What's so great about Tsurugi is that it doesn't feel like he's trying to be silly, it's just that his arrogance and absolute lack of life skills often intersect in really funny ways, usually drawing in the other characters around him.

My favorite screen shot is the one with Gon treating Jiiya while Tsurugi awkwardly pats her head. It's such a delightfully odd moment and I absolutely loved it.

I found it a bit weird seeing Tsurugi hanging out with Gon, at first. Daisuke's first period on the show ended right before Sasword showed up, so it felt like we were seeing characters from two different eras of Kabuto interacting with each other. It works, though, and I hope Gon sticks around more even when Daisuke's actor takes off again because I honestly don't remember if she did or not.

I absolute agree with you, though, Die: this episode was fantastic.

Ah yes, the Ultimate Supreme Make-Up episode, one of the two highlights of the season (the other being Kageyama singing “Bocchama” his favourite birthday song).

Speaking of the scene, the quickly killed rival is played by Hiroyuki Matsumoto, best known as Nephrite in the live action Sailor Moon, who would later play Gamel in Kamen Rider OOO. He also guest starred in Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger.

That one. Strawberry milk is the MVP of this show.

I'm glad to see you're as excited as I was about Gon/Yuriko's return and her heartwarming reunion with Daisuke! When she left and you thought her role was over, a part of me wanted to subtly imply to you that she'd come back soon but I ultimately decided it would be more rewarding for you to find out on your own. Now that I think about it, I don't recall expecting her to come back when I first watched either, but the show is so much better with her in it to balance out all those weirdos (Tsurugi thinks he's babysitting Yuriko but it's totally the other way around). It's nice to see Daisuke's character development finally rewarded by having her back by his side.

Tsurugi is a guy who will purchase an entire store's supply of meat to Win At Shopping, so my assumption is that the Fish Bill is large.

Paaaassss. I feel like if I'm repressing any memories, I've probably done it for a pretty good reason. If anything, I can think of at least one movie I've seen recently that I wish I could repress the memories of...

Even from his first story, there's an earnestness to his failures. He firmly believes I Am Killing This, and he thinks he's being humble as he kills it.

Tendou's look is the thing that really sells me on that shot. There's a line he has before that shot, where Gon's like I'll Pitch In and Tendou says, "I won't be responsible for what happens." Gon has to volunteer to help Tsurugi because Tsurugi just worked his valet nearly to death. Tendou does not feel great about leaving Gon in that house!

Having people say that Daisuke's availability wasn't great, and then seeing Gon in scenes with Tsurugi and Jiiya... yeah, that setup works for me. I can see her running that household in some very fun ways.

It was so good!

I knew I knew him from somewhere! Gamel! Thank you!

It's just a very sweet shot, no pun intended. She looks adorable, reading a magazine and having a snack. It's so domestic.

I am so glad I didn't know she came back! It made that previous story hit harder, and it let me appreciate the intervening time without being all When Are We Going To Get To The Gon Factory. This was a very pleasant surprise!

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My screencap of choice was going to be that shot of Gon looking over her shoulder to the magazine with Daisuke on it.

It was, right up until I came in here to see that, not only did Die pick up on that and use it, his entire post on the episode is an extended art gallery dedicated to one of the most irreplaceable talents behind Daisuke – Ryuuta Tasaki.

Tasaki directed Daisuke's debut episodes, 11 and 12, which I noted had great direction, as well as Daisuke and Gon's initial sendoff in 17 and 18, which I don't think I made as big a deal about, but rest assured they were also quite gorgeous. It could be said these episodes mark a sort of conclusion to a Drake trilogy of sorts, and Tasaki pulled out all the stops for the visuals on this first half of the grand finale. It's stunning, to the point I'm not even worried about just reiterating things Die already said, because they seriously bear repeating.

Even with all those screencaps, I'm not sure you can totally grasp just how well shot this episode is without seeing it in motion. I knew from the opening credits what to expect, and it blew away even those high expectations. If you want to know what I'm talking about when I say Tasaki excels at clarity, do yourself a favor, sit down, and watch this exact episode, because I don't think there's a better demonstration of the things he can do better than any other director at Toei. The sheer amount of consideration when it comes to knowing where the camera will start in a shot, how it needs to move, where it will end up, and what's going to be where in the frame is staggering. Composition is the name of the game here; Tasaki is very conscious of how motion and framing communicate information to the viewer, and he brings that attention to detail to even the most minor of scenes.

Note that Die's massive gallery didn't include a single picture with a Kamen Rider in it. And since these things bear repeating, I'll say again: the exciting fight scene is one of the least impressive things in the episode. And it's still shot fantastically, too! Narratively, it's on the obligatory side of things; just a straightforward team up between Kabuto and Gatack at the end to take on some run-of-the-mill Worms, which is probably why it escaped Die's mention. But for how short it is, it packs in a lot of fun touches. A lot of good angles throughout, and even Tasaki's own take on the "1!2!3!" alternating between both belts leading up to simultaneous Kicks. It's cool action that will leave you perfectly satisfied, and yet it wouldn't even crack a top 10 list of most visually interesting scenes in here.

It really is in all the little things, you know? Small touches like being literally shown the kanji in Kagami's name on ZECT's files comically rearrange themselves (complete with a goofy sound effect) as he ponders his genius idea that they were maybe reading it wrong the whole time, or that bit with the cop handing the bowl to Tsurugi, which is the kind of minor thing I'm coming to understand is more likely on-set improvisation from the directors than a specific command from the script, so I'm cool just assuming that it was Tasaki's work too, rather than the writer's. This episode is, at the very least, a high-water mark when it comes to direction for Kabuto. Without a doubt. I was sure of that the second I saw Die's post, because that made it clear I wasn't simply imagining how mind-blowingly above average it was. I was thinking he'd maybe give a few shots a quick mention or two, before moving right on, leaving me a huge opening to do what's become my usual thing of praising Rider directors. And I mean, I did have a huge opening, in the end. Die got to say all he did, and I still had more than enough room to say what I wanted to – it's just that good people.

A huge part of why I wasn't expecting the huge gallery was because this episode also marks the return of one of the other most irreplaceable talents behind Daisuke – Die's potential archenemy turned eternal love, Toshiki Inoue, who starts a block of four episodes with this one. It's a solid script with a ton to compliment, with some of the usual caveats, such as that Hiyori's lines can be counted on one hand. But even then, her one scene allows her to be snippy with Tendou and react a tiny bit to Gon's return, so Inoue didn't totally leave me hanging on that front.

Everywhere else I look though, I mean, I'd have to stretch even harder for things to complain about. The episode does a great job building up Daisuke's current, rather melancholic status quo, easing him back into the forefront as Gon's quest to meet up with him again takes shape. There's a typical Inoue boldness to how quickly things swing back from the bittersweet note we last left these two on; a confidence the viewer will want to see that undone that I can't say is misplaced. The key is that, while Gon gets her memories back almost immediately, the crux of the drama is the work it takes to get them in the same place. They have to earn that reunion, and with how much Daisuke has on his plate being impersonated by a murderous Worm, things aren't looking great by the time the cliffhanger hits.

It's an engaging plot all around, and I also have mad respect for how it actively chooses to involve Tsurugi in a major capacity, even getting interactions with Daisuke and Gon, when in a lot of ways Tsurugi seemed introduced to be a sort of broad replacement for Daisuke as Tendou's rival, who could be in the show on a more permanent basis. Having Tsurugi be a part of the proceedings allows the show to demonstrate how unique his identity has quickly become. In a show about eccentrics, Tsurugi is, perhaps, the man who stands at the top of being eccentric, and he's a delight because of it.

Very impressive, very fun episode of Kabuto, any way you slice it. It's got a script that knows what it's doing, and direction that REALLY knows what it's doing.

So, here's something I really liked about the Kamen Rider action in this one.

When we're watching Gatack take on the Worms, I feel like I'm seeing his fighting style more than I have before. (It's that clarity you're talking about!) Like, we've seen Gatack in solo action and in team spots, but here it was like I was really able to process how his fighting style was unique.

Gatack fights with his whole body. It's Kagami's boundless enthusiasm and inability to think things through, but as a combat technique. He's getting in close with every Worm, body-checking them, flipping them over his shoulder. Tendou's style is precise. Daisuke's style is distant. Tsurugi's style is angry. Kageyama's style is defeat. But Kagami's style is bold, is excitable.

I never really felt that until this episode.

I'm so glad everyone else loved this one, too! It is nice to know that I am/we are not just locking onto things that may not be there for other people. It's one of my favorite things, being able to flip out over these shows and have other people flip out as well. Fun feeling!

That stood out to me, too! I was watching some of the DVD interviews, and there's a bit in the one with Kagami's actor, Yuuki Satou, where he mentions Gatack's sort of wild, varied, wrestling-esque style, where he credits those ideas to Gatack's suit actor, Makoto Itou, so if that's the case, props to him for finding his own body language to play off of Kabuto's. There was actually a moment from when the two of them are breaking into Area X (just downtown from Area Epsilon) with Hiyori a few episodes back where I remember being struck by one particular shot of Kabuto and Gatack in frame together where you could tell that Kagami was just like... breathing a lot heavier, or something. It really went to a new level here, but you can always see a ton of energy in Gatack, and I love that about him. He's played the way excitable lead Riders usually are, and that's Kagami in a nutshell.

KAMEN RIDER KABUTO - EPISODE 28

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I don't know if I'm going to have a lot to say about this one!

I really enjoyed it, don't get me wrong. It's an enormously pleasant conclusion to the Gon/Daisuke story. I am as powerless against Gon's adorable belief in Daisuke as Tendou is, so her single-minded dedication to clearing his name and keeping him safe... yeah, god, totally onboard with that.

And the direction... maybe not as tight as the last one (there's a smidge too much shakiness in the fight camerawork), but still finding some fun shots here and there. Watching Gatack do an elbow drop on a Worm is worth my attention, if nothing else.

I love all of these characters, so getting to see them all team-up and bounce off of each other (this episode ropes in Tsurugi to a non-Tsurugi plot, and it casts him in exactly the light you'd think it would), that's pretty outstanding. It feels more like a movie than the movie did.

But... yeah, I don't actually have a ton to say about it, really?

Some of it is that I went overboard with talking about the first part of this story, and the second episode is basically the story saying Yes Yes, That That. There're no huge deviations or massive twists. Tendou is still caring for Jiiya, and helping Daisuke because it would make Gon happy. Daisuke is still phenomenally bad at taking care of himself. (There is a part when he's in the equipment room by the crane, and he hears the cops coming for him, so goes to hide in the corner, then realizes there's a door. Was he going to just stand in a dark corner and hope the cops didn't see him?) Tsurugi is still being greedy and presumptuous. Hiyori doesn't even show up in this episode, and Misaki exists to tell Tsurugi he's being sort of a dick about Daisuke's (presumed) death, so I hope you don't want to see more than one lady on this show. (Even the Worm Widow only gets one scene!)

Like, the stuff with Tsurugi is legitimately different from last episode, so let's touch on that. It's a bit convoluted, and I appreciate the script untangling it for me. It's all about how Tsurugi is suddenly hot for/fascinated by Misaki, since she reminds him of the Worm he was hot for/fascinated by/murdered a couple episodes ago, who reminded him of his sister. (I don't... I really don't want to delve too much into exactly what sort of relationship Tsurugi wants to have with these women. Jiiya says Tsurugi's looking to replace his sister, and I'm happy to leave it at that.) So now, transitive property, Tsurugi is being way too forward with Misaki. It's extra troubling for Misaki, since Daisuke was just murdered by a Worm, and Tsurugi's like Let Me Buy You Lunch. (Ironically, Daisuke would probably consider that a fitting tribute!)

She's pissed at him because he doesn't seem to have any reaction to another Rider getting murdered, and... I like what it does for Tsurugi, how it exposes the ways he feels like he's letting down his sister's memory by being a callous, self-involved blowhard, but I'm honestly not sure what Misaki's problem is? Tsurugi never even met this guy before (that he's aware of), and Misaki's maybe shared three words with Tsurugi before this. Tsurugi only got hauled into this because they begged him. I'm not sure how broken up he's supposed to be? Or why it matters to Misaki? It's clearly there to give us a little more insight into Tsurugi's trauma, humanizing him some, as well as giving Kagami an opportunity to empathize with Tsurugi, humanizing him further. It's just, Misaki being so judgmental... I don't know, it felt a little forced to me.

Luckily, there's all of the Gon and Daisuke stuff, which is delightful. It, once again, isn't really shocking anyone with new takes on our favorites. (Gon even pulls out a Daisuke Is Daisuke, so you can tell that Inoue didn't feel like cluttering this reunion up with any bold new ideas.) It's great, though. Just real charming to see Gon care for Daisuke, and for Daisuke to care for Gon.

It... I really, really enjoyed this episode. But, man, it's impossible to talk about it because of how comfortable the whole thing is. It's fan-service. It's all callbacks, all Greatest Hits. (They even do the tear-jerking Partners thing, but this time as a heartwarming victory!) It is designed to leverage your investment in previous relationships to make you happy. That's not a bad thing! I was so happy watching these last two episodes! But past a certain point, it's like... I don't have anything to say about them? It's a fun story about putting Daisuke and Gon back together (while also threading Tsurugi more into the story going forward), and it's very sweet to watch that.

I honestly don't know what else to say about this one?

A QUESTION

Sorry to come up so short on this one! Definitely felt a bit wrung out after 27, and this one was such a straight-forward continuation that I just couldn't find a grip on it to talk about things. There's a great big WTF moment at the end, though, with Hyper Kabuto showing up to defeat a bunch of Worms and menace our heroes... including Tendou?! It's nothing I feel like talking about yet (there's almost no context), but I'm curious about how other fans took that epilogue. How did you feel the first time you saw the end of this episode? (And please, no spoilers for what that scene might set up!)

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/.../kabuto28c.png
https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/.../kabuto28d.png

I don't remember my first reaction upon getting to this episode or its end, but I'm sure 'mild confusion and intrigue' was it.

This point in the show, we've had like five riders running around and all of whom have some pretty wild personalities! You talk about all of them so fervently that I'm curious how at this time you would rank them in terms of how much you like them (I assume Hiyori still surpasses all of them though!).

I think Kabuto is the one series to give us a whole arc dedicated to teasing the Final Form being obtained. (I don’t count Kuuga and Zi-O, since their whole shows are dedicated to getting stronger anyway). Other than that, I don’t have much to say about the ending. I can say that the video game has a bonus level where you fight Hyper Kabuto with regular Kabuto.

Anyway, next time will be a lot more interesting for me to talk about.

I don't know if I should do this, but yeah... I want to post this screenshot though... even the subtitle was reversed!

https://media.discordapp.net/attachm...22/reverse.png

Yeah as usual, Kabuto's main draw is the visuals, with Kabuto being a popcorn spectacle that is made to look cool.

Kagami at the beginning wants to make peace between ZECT and Neo ZECT, but Kagami participated without question, only that he had to be tied in with the title character, by that they know, they have to fight against the system. Probably he's firmly on ZECT side but he wants for ZECT not to overpunish those that are against him. Although Yamato seems to exhibit a display of honor here, he's a full-blown villain though. And the one that is not a bad guy among the 3 Riders who use Kabutech is Oda a.k.a Kamen Rider Hercus. Yamato is a zealot for ZECT, and his final words are his alleigance to it while he burns like Ultraman Taro using Ultra Dynamite, and if not for Kagami here, he believes that anyone who betrayed ZECT must be destroyed.

Hiyori died due to an exposure of the meteor dust btw. Probably the intelligence part is in this movie, where as pointed out, Tendou is manipulative here and plays both ZECT and Neo ZECT like a fiddle; Tendou manipulates the Riders into fighting, Kagami into giving him intel on the space station, Neo-ZECT into trusting him, and then betrayed almost everyone.

This movie is a prequel to the TV series where time travel is used to improve things where if in this movie, the meteor impact is enormous and dried the ocean, then Hyper Kabuto time travelling to the past to crash the present meteor into the first meteor, foiling Mishima's plan and minimizing the impact of the first meteor, into only damaging Shibuya and creates the birth of the Kabuto timeline you enjoy. Daisuke being a freedom fighter makes sense as he proclaims himself to be a wind which blows everywhere freely, so it fits his character to seek for that if, at least in Neo-ZECT's eyes, he's deprived of it. I thought you'd give a leeway on Hiyori smiling here, but actually no. Ironically Hiyori is uncharacteristically more upbeat here, despite the analogy mentioned above where Tokyo Tower got reduced to horrible mess which symbolizes miserable characters with pointless lives. Hiyori still has that personality too in the ending, altered timeline scene however, albeit this explains the source of the angelic entity she draws; it's based on Hyper Kabuto/Tendou, and him disappearing in an altered timeline. There's another likely flaw here too where in main series Hiyori remembers being trapped in a room, not under rubble, and only seeing Tendou from a distance, not knowing who he was. I want to ask though, wdym about Morishita (Megumi) being as close to her character from that show?

This is something about OOC, which I also detest if this happened (I'll give dislikes far more to adaptations, if they do something that far deviates from the original source, with OOC being one of them). but to make it fair, you gave more free pass if the OOC is about an attempt (emphasis on attempt, funny or not depends, like for example just turning anyone to assholes) at giving comedy (rule of funny)? I think for example in the franchise, Missing Ace's characters all turned into varying degrees of jerk (GSL's OOC is bad though, no defense for that). That won't be a fair judgment IMO though.

Pre Den-O movies had a tendency to spoil something from the main series, like previously in Faiz, where Takumi is actually an Orphnoch. In this case for God Speed Love, it spoils that Tendou and Hiyori are sisters. So yeah, Tendou had selective care towards family, like Juka, but as for why Tendou also cares for as much to Hiyori, it's the same as Juka's, Hiyori being Tendou's sister, they bring the best of him. So yeah, Yui Satonaka was actually sick in this film, and it was the beginning of her dwindling on the main series...

Agree with this one. This is a post-apocalyptic planet where water is in short supply and ZECT is apparently the saviors of humanity, there should be a good reason for why there's another organization. It's unclear why Neo-ZECT wants freedom. And with you describing Neo-ZECT as terrorists and anarchists, probably that's the explanation of them wanting freedom; those 2 are the ones that take freedom to the extremes where they want to do anything that they feel like, and what I fear for those bringing up "freedom" (taking it to the extremes to do whatever they please), with the only rant from them being "doesn't like being ordered". It's also unclear where do they suspect ZECT as evil.

Kizukeba I came too far...

Can't talk about this more as the plot for Kabuto recently is to uncover what lies behind ZECT, but in this movie yeah, Riku is also the main antagonist alongside Mishima.

Caucasus, the Golden Rider, parallels Odin yeah as been already said, both are golden Rider, ZECT's most powerful soldier and the biggest threat Tendou and Kagami have to contend with, the obstacle that has to be defeated if you want to win, appears as the final Rider after the other Riders are fighting each other - or when the hero calls/draws him out, something that the hero needs his super form with, blue rose petal to golden feathers, time based power in Hyper Clock Up time travel and Time Vent. So I guess, this is your limits regarding melodrama.

Haven't seen much of the franchise's movies so can't say much. I wouldn't care if the discussion is about something that is a part of my happier times or the opposite though (so yeah, like if others have differing views about the movie, or if I'm still allowed to do this), I think I just jumped if a discussion comes and it's about something I know and followed, whenever liked or disliked, which I can participate.

I don't want to fall back on an old meme, but They're Good Dogs Brent. I honestly like them all? They all bring such different energies that I'm loathe to say any are worse than the others. (Other than, uh, TheWorst.) However! Let me see if I can make this work.

I'd probably put Daisuke at the bottom of the list, despite how much I love his interactions with Gon and Tendou. He just isn't on the show enough to feel as vital as the other Riders (it's really just those three Gon stories?), and he doesn't really have a lot of screentime with the rest of the cast.

Then Tsurugi, since he's an incredibly fun character, just not someone I'm ready to see as more than a supporting character. He's fantastic in small doses, but probably not someone I'm aching to spend an entire episode with. Still, the show's made great strides in connecting him to the main story and theme, so I could probably bump him higher up the list in time.

Then Kagami, because he is a good dog. He is loyal and excitable and has Very Big Feelings, and that is never not fun to watch.

And then tendou, because there's no way to avoid putting the title character at the top of the list if you like a show. He's the core around which everything in the show orbits, which means all success is in some way due to him. I don't think he'd have it any other way!

Neat! I look forward to it!

That was a very cool thing the subbing team did. I don't know if they swiped that from the official Japanese subs, but it's a great gag.

I

I did not know that was a thing in the TV series.

I just assumed it was for the movie.

I am going to walk away now.

And this is why you nesd to be careful and double check stuff when talking anout potential spoilers

Wow, poor Kageyama :lol

After how goofy 27 was, I'm really impressed that 28 was able to take that set-up and skew it into something much more dramatic. The Gon stuff continued to be really strong, though, and I am all about the moment at the end where Daisuke puts the beanie back on her.

I liked the extensive use of Masked Forms in the big Rider brawl, too. Those forms are the kind of things that later Rider shows would eventually phase out - like what happened with the Level 1 forms in Ex-Aid - so it's cool to see them still getting extensive use here as we're getting into the show's second half.

The big thing about this episode, though, is that now that we're through 28 that means that we're going into 29 next. Episodes 29 and 30 are some of the most memorable episodes of the entire series. I hope you have a bell pepper and a copy of the Backdraft soundtrack, because the heat will be on!

No, that's about right.

Honestly, I thought it was pretty easy to connect the dots, so Dread didn't say anything wrong. If you believe that the movie was an overwritten timeline, then considering how Tendo and Hiyori were both alive during the Meteor of 99, when the timeline diverges, their sibling relationship isn't a variable like the oceans.

Maybe the inconsistencies between the show and movie regarding how that scene happens are what make people dissociate. Blame time travel.

Before this thread, if you asked me what memories I had of Kabuto, I would have said the Grandma-always-said line and these two episodes. They, uh. They left An Impression. :lol

I watched 29 last night. It is even more gloriously bonkers than I remembered.

Oh my god it's That two-parter

https://i.imgur.com/j5XsOOD.png

I don't even remember this teasing for Hyper Form happening.

Not that it's surprising I wouldn't, when the whole point of rewatching Kabuto is reminding myself of the countless moments and plot threads I've forgotten over the years. It's hard to see why such a jarring last minute wouldn't leave more of an impression, but then, it's also easy to see why such an unconnected last minute wouldn't.

As neat of a sequence as that is, obviously this episode really ends with Daisuke and Gon back together, all nice and content, which is as heartwarming as you'd expect. These two are an unbeatable duo who add a ton of heart to any story they're in, and that's something I've never forgotten. The way the Worm impersonating Daisuke plot is solved by Gon knowing exactly which one to give the Drake Grip to with zero explanation presented to the audience is just perfect. Because, really, are you going to question the fact that she can just tell? A detailed reasoning would only undercut the impact of seeing things finally work out for them in the end.

Speaking of working, while it's a minor thing, I have to mention my favorite gag in the episode, where Kagami and Misaki are waiting on their orders at their usual noodle shop, and as the food is being prepared offscreen, you can distinctly hear the sound of things violently shattering to pieces... which suddenly makes sense as soon as Tsurugi hands them their bowls a moment later. It's a tiny bit of sound work, but it got huge laughs out of me. It's not even acknowledged in any way by the characters, which gives the impression it wasn't something intended to be in there from the start, but implying Tsurugi destroys an entire kitchen to make two people some soba only makes it even funnier when seconds later he's begging them for cash as though they should grateful for the opportunity to donate to his relief fund. Bless his heart, he's trying; he really is.

ZECT is also trying, and failing, in their whole scheme to replace Drake with a more loyal Worm Drake. Love the way all the Riders are called in after Daisuke's "death" to go avenge him. It's like some kind of mob movie or something where all these guys who don't really get along are summoned to pull one last job as part of some unspoken code of honor, with the twist here being that none of these four guys are here for the same reason. Kagami is the only one who's directly concerned about seeing justice done; Tendou is already assuming there are layers they aren't being made aware of, and is mostly here to crack the case; Tsurugi just showed up because he heard they'd be defeating Worms, and is back to selling noodles within the same day; and Kageyama, the guy who stalks little girls at night, is naturally lying through his teeth about this entire manufactured situation.

There's a great bit when the four of them are all transforming to fight Drake where Kageyama is visibly grinning at Kagami, and I loved that so much because once again, you can tell how satisfied with himself he is for manipulating him. With the exception of licking other people's ice cream, and probably kicking puppies, nothing makes Kageyama happier than setting up an innocent man's murder, and that's the kind of thing that's earned him the title of TheWorst.

Let's talk about that fight for a bit, though. It's no wonder I only vaguely remembered the Rider-on-Rider fight by the water focused around Daisuke from episode 18, because it turns there was another one! I've probably had both of these tangled up in my head the whole time. This one is just cool in its own right, and I really can't stress enough how much I love the four Riders all rolling up in a perfect line to transform. Ordinarily, that would convey teamwork and heroism, but it's all a complete lie here, because the viewer already knows the real Daisuke is the one in their crosshairs. Just a really interesting contrast. And of course, it's hard to go wrong with an Inoue episode where a Rider narrowly escapes death by being washed away in a river.

So yeah, when you break it down, there's definitely quite a bit going on in this one, and it's still boatloads of fun with the same capable direction, but I can see what Die means about it being a bit of a struggle to say too much meaningful about. It definitely hurt not seeing Hiyori's name in the credits? But like, if we're making this sound like an underwhelming conclusion to this two-parter, allow me to reframe that last point – it's an episode of Kabuto with no Hiyori whatsoever, and I still think it's great.

It's rigid. And for a suit that paints the Kabuto suit blue and add more shoulder pads and chest armor and a new helmet, it is BEAUTIFUL. Also it is Kamen Rider G3 2.0. :lolol

Yes, Gon is a recurring character, not a guest star, but of course none would talk about her returning before, if it's spoiler to you (judging by your reaction here). And about your remark here regarding Gon doing pretty well with her mom (, that's the reason why I thought you'd have that kind of reaction in GSL's Hiyori. Some KR series have been engaging in amnesiac and some of them are without clear reason (there are clear ones though like Build's Sento), and Gon's (and Hiyori) a case of this, I mean that's where Yuriko's Gon name came from, where she first had an amnesia of her mom, then after regaining her memories of her mom, then she also suddenly forgot those that are in present like Daisuke, what would you say regarding that, memories only? Gon wants Daisuke back because she reads a magazine featuring him and she remembers him again. And right, Tendou doesn't really care about human justice... that means when there are no Riders or Worms in Kabuto world... well that's why people shouldn't limit heroism as only those that beat up bad guys (and saving lives in the process).

But, above and beyond the killer storytelling, this thing is gorgeous, from curtain to curtain. There are about a billion things from this episode I want to shout out as being gallery-worthy, so let’s get started:

Name's Rena Mamiya. Yeah.. they really are the same, and not for this reason alone, including how this is their world (if you're mad with GSL, in the part where Mishima's endgame being shown, then..). Can you explain better what's for you if this scene isn't about ZECT in dark warehouse, but bright and exposed? Personally I think Rena here gives me Ra-Baruba-De vibes, of her just standing there, threatening others, while stationary, with the expression that I think is similar. And you're wrong for stating that they aren't the top dogs, if anything, they're the closest ones to it; Rena's the first executive leader Worm. And actually, you can't say that punking out Kageyama is not the toughest feat; Kageyama previously was able to knock out Hiyori with a punch in the gut as human form, that's something someone like Asakura did in Ryuki (to Reiko, in similar fashion), but well, non-fodder monsters punking out any human isn't the toughest feat in general (even Tendou and Kagami has mostly shown to take on fodder Worms only iirc).

I actually think this is a clever gag. Japan words/letters sometimes aren't separated by space, so grouping different letters can make for a different meaning, so Kagami just assumes based on that; where both the surname (as Japan's naming order is surname-Kagami then personal name-Arata) and the personal name is 2 kanji letter - making it Kaga Bishin. But of course Kagami is dumb for instantly jumping to the conclusion without thinking it through further.

I don't know if cartoonish isn't a compliment for you, it'll be a compliment word for these places. If Tsurugi wants to be the top of babysitting, then he had to work with his asocial and elitist personality, because he needs to tend someone, likely those that are much lower status than him, and the top of that field should give full compassion for them! Tendou would blow him out of water in this for sure, because Tendou already had soft spot for little girls like Gon. I don't understand yet the bill collectors assaulting Gon with various outrageous bills...

The rival isn't important for overall story, but he's important for Daisuke, as his position as the definitive make up artist is challenged, so in Daisuke's perceptive. Audience perception isn't completely the same as the in-universe character's perception (primary example: dead loved ones for certain characters, those dead characters may be posthumous but it's forever for those characters who lost them). As someone who had played games like Climax Heroes and followed which Rider (not the story) in most of the series, it's already known to me that he's not another Rider. So while the cooking rivalry with Tendou against Yaguruma is just done by the participants cooking as usual with someone (Hiyori) as a jury, then the (earlier!) make-up rivalry with Tendou against Daisuke, with them just doing make ups on Misaki, and altering things that suit them better, then the sports rivalry with Tendou against Tsurugi is watching 1-on-1 sport matches, which means physical rivalry is physical (sports) and the non-physical rivalry (cooking, and previous make up) is just the participants doing the thing they're asked for by themselves. This one though, I wonder too how would they settle their rivalry if there are no subjects for make up (I'd expect for them gathering, likely the previous female Daisuke tended, for her to see by herself whose make up is better), but this one's a combat make-up rivalry (although sorry, but I'd probably prefer the make up scene not to be done in flurry hands, just to see the choreograph in make up combat with more detail, but I understand the purpose; it's parodying pummel duels usually done in combat with fists), and they're giving make ups to each other males instead.

What happened to Tsurugi's ramen business previously? And I mean, Tsurugi's someone who's Tendou 2.0, and he wants to be at top of everything right? (quoted as replacing the gods with a slash of his sword), well yeah this one's cooking too with him delivering a ramen, and he did too with the La Men restaurant (which I asked here), but why wouldn't he pull a Tendou and apply in multiple job fields, but for Tsurugi, it's more serious work instead of temporary like Tendou did only to figure out Worm disguises. I would like to see that. And again, shows Worm's disguise as catastrophic where disguise can frame someone innocent to ruin their lives (and like where I said that saving lives is only a part of heroism instead of the only form of it, your lives being ruined without a fault of your own is a big problem either, it's not just someone being killed), and Worms have started to disguise someone still living, and both of them are after Juka, previously WorMisaki and then the Worm Daisuke here.

https://challengerscomics.com/images...kabuto27n1.png

Well it just seems that nearly everyone thinks the same way as you do in those posts. And not talknig about the good ones like this, but also when something isn't really good. There are really a hivemind thing that goes in groups, including internet, and people like you would hold the biggest influence here. People agree to those that influences the most in the group, and those that doesn't, are treated with scorn. except likely those that are as much influental.

But I do drink box milks almost everyday, and that includes strawberry milk too! Nothing happened to me regarding memories, can you back up your claim?!

hey i just spent a day and a half not looking at this thread because i was trying to cool off after being sad and angry about it so let's see how this gooooooes

KAMEN RIDER KABUTO - EPISODE 29

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/.../kabuto29a.png

Cooking is weirdly central to Kamen Rider, as a franchise. It's something I was thinking about recently, and I guess this episode that is 1000% about a battle for the soul of cooking is maybe a decent place to unpack some of those thoughts.

Above and beyond the decades of shows set in restaurants and cafes (and adjacent to donut trucks), the idea of cooking being a reflection of the goodness of a soul, that's pretty prominent? Shouichi from Agito springs to mind, but Tendou is quickly displacing him as my main example of A Kamen Rider Who Cooks. It makes sense to have a cooking Kamen Rider. It's a great shorthand for a lot of things about the character. It's a skill that requires training to excel at, but is also largely considered an art that needs an innate talent. It's about mindfulness and control, but still needs passion, desire. More than anything, it's about providing for others, working hard to make other people happy. Of all of the occupations a main character can have, being a chef or a cook... those are maybe the most Kamen Rider to me?

So to have a story that asks if those skills could ever be twisted to evil, to be used in pursuit of control over others? Yes. Yes, a hundred times. There are parts of this episode that scream for the novelty-oriented Canon But Not Really shrug of the wilder HBVs, but the theme of good versus evil, of compassion versus selfishness, of heartfelt sacrifice versus eternal dominance... yeah, this is fully a Kamen Rider episode to me.

It's a funny one, and we'll get to that, but it's also so dialed-in to the dramatic side of its jokes. There're a ton of long takes in this one, these shots that just keep going and going. It allows the jokes to play, but also allows the scenes to feel grounded, to let the reactions feel genuine. The idea of The Dark Chef needing to prove his greatness is completely in-theme for Kabuto as a show, despite the wackiness of the premise. The long takes keep his menace from being washed out with gags, so his appearances feel tense, unpredictable. The food prep scenes, the tryouts for Kagami Outrageous, Tadokoro's soba thing... it's all longer takes than you'd think, considering how often quick cuts amplify the humor. But that's not what the production team does here. Everything spreads out a little more, blending humor with menace with foreboding with excitement. It's a pretty good dish!

And, yeah, a hilarious episode. The idea of just going all-in on Iron Chef But Kamen Rider... again, it sounds like an HBV, but every step of the story makes that idea totally logical. The random appearance of the Dark Knife (subtitles on this episode start off calling it the Dark Knife, then The Dark Chef calls it the Black Knife, but I like Dark Knife better) in the beginning feels like a curse is put on the show, drawing everyone into this insane world where battles are conducted in the language of flavor. But so much of this show is built around honoring the power of cooking (one of Tendou and Hiyori's most memorable arguments was resolved with flavor!) that it's inevitable that Tendou would feel personally invested in it.

But, god, every joke in this thing lands, no matter how large or small. Right from the jump, Kagami is pointedly musing to Tendou if Hyper Kabuto will be a non-weird Rider for once, and Tendou's like Yes Gatack It Sure Would Be Nice If We Had A Non-Weird Rider For A Change. It's a sort of casual rivalry that I'm glad to see the show still has a look towards, where Tendou will tolerate some gentle ribbing from Kagami, but there is a limit. That joke... again, it's this really long take that keeps it from going overboard, and it's paced like two people are just talking. It's a joke that isn't trying to make itself bigger than it needs to be, while still leaving nothing on the table. Precisely targeted laughs in this one.

Honestly, nothing that's really a bum note here? You could argue that the Worm battle is tacked on (it comes out of nowhere, and the show cuts away from it super fast), but it still includes a three-Rider fight with a killer Kabuto finish. And it tosses in Hyper Kabuto to lurk menacingly at the edges. And Kagami sees Tsurugi go into a full-on Worm Tantrum, which is a pretty big action-y cliffhanger for an episode that eschews Rider stuff for over two-thirds of its run-time. It's maybe inelegantly added to the recipe, but it makes for some welcome closing notes.

Nothing bad to say about this one!

A QUESTION

One of the funniest bits in this episode is maybe the most vestigial. It's when Tsurugi proudly shows off his first paycheck to Jiiya... for 73 yen. At the low amount, Tsurugi boasts that it's because he is terrible at his job, and he has now Won At Penalties. (There is a tiny drop-in sound effect in 28 of Tsurugi slinging his carrying case around, smashing the bowls inside, so this plot point tracks!) Jiiya is, classically, overcome with pride for Tsurugi, and it's adorable. It's nice to see Tsurugi expanding his excellence to include being the worst at things (watch out Kageyama, I guess), which is maybe more his wheelhouse than he comprehends. What's something you're reliably terrible at? (For me, it's mistyping the word "episode”. Every time! Every single time! I can't make my fingers type that word correctly!)

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/.../kabuto29b.png

I kind of consider this and the next episode to be the final part of a trilogy started with Ryuki's Megumi arc and continued with Blade's amnesia arc: the mid-series comic relief episodes where Inoue just goes full-on ridiculous. It's the final show to have dedicated screwball episodes and it's probably the most aggressively silly of the three.

I have been waiting to get to these episodes since you started the Kabuto thread and I have enjoyed them every bit as much as I did the first time. Everything about this arc is just so delightfully over-the-top and weird, from the crazy intense performance of the evil chef to the fact that it's an arc about an evil chef. What I really like is that it doesn't feel like a huge departure from normal Kabuto, it's just that certain elements and character traits are dialed up to 11. Kagami's dad judging a cooking contest in a cheap basement Kitchen Stadium? Not that much objectively weirder than anything else he's done. Him floating up into the sky on obvious wires while an inflatable halo awkwardly dangles over his head? Objectively weirder, but still incredibly funny.

Meanwhile, they also manage to slip Kagami discovering that Tsurugi is a Worm in, which is actually a very serious and major moment.

Yeah, this is something of an infamous episode, mostly because they decided to use Tendou’s actors legitimate cooking skills as the focus of an episode rather than a source of jokes. Also, some people think the show drops in quality after this two-parter. I am not one of them.

The Dark Chef is played by Shinnosuke Abe, who’s previous Rider appearance was as Kiba’s bastard of a cousin in the first two episodes of Faiz. He also portrayed Eiji’s old travelling buddy in an early two-parter in OOO. Outside of these guest spots, he’s best known as Impactor Logia, a recurring villain in Chouseishin Gransazer.

What can I reliably do unreliably. Write with my right hand (I’m a southpaw through and through)

That's what's so impressive to me about this episode: it's actually pretty normal and straightforward? It's still a show about Worms infiltrating human society to cause chaos; it's still a show where Tendou fights to protect the ability of others to excel; it's still a show where Tendou has an adversary who's Him But More. The details of the conflict are memorably bizarre (it's an episode where a magic cooking knife is entrusted to Tendou and Kagami Outrageous hosts a cooking cage match, after all), but the themes and structure are 100% Kabuto. It's not an episode that sacrifices coherency or relevancy for the sake of jokes.

Rena is one of the instigator of this episode with her conspiring with others to label Daisuke as dead and have the other characters gang up on real Daisuke. Tendou seeing Daisuke Worm almost attacking Juka gave me chills, as where you said, he was helping Daisuke for Gon's sake, but Tendou won't forgive those that attecked Juka. If it happened for real... he could've gone hard to Daisuke, especially given their previous animosity. And for caring to Jiiya, for Tendou, it seems to be similar to Gon, where he can potentially help out Tsurugi. only for Jiiya's sake, like what he did to Daisuke for Gon. Tsurugi still makes ramen but takes over the shop Kagami and Misaki are eating in (still what happened to his restaurant?).

Well yeah, Tsurugi had a crush with Misaki here, and that did came from his moments with WorMisaki. And probably, it's true that, it takes someone that a jerk cares for to make them realize their flaws. After all, some jerks on stories have morality pets that brings their better side, such as Sento/Misora to Banjou at first. Especially when the morality pets are those that won't hesitate to call out the jerks who care for them, which can potentially make them a better person not only in 1 case. Seems (cmiiw) that naturally, people would want to listen more to someone that they care about, including jerks. Others calling out Tsurugi for what he did is brushed off by him because he treats them as inferior and their words aren't worth considering to him. But when Misaki, the one that Tsurugi had a crush on here, does that, he considers it more as she's someone he puts on pedestal, and immediately realizes that she's right that he's selfish. I wonder then what makes Mika seemingly isn't someone like Tsurugi, that she can call him selfish, if their upbringing should've been similar as they're raised by same parents.

Because of course treating other's death as something insignificant is bad. Yeah, if someone's a stranger you've never met before, you don't need to mourn like you do for loved ones (like I had recently), but to treat death as something that has no weight at all (y'know, But For Me It Was Tuesday thing like Bison on SF movie) is bad and callous, and they need to be called out. It may not affect Misaki, and it's probably true that Misaki is judgmental (someone who's professional can be like that), but what is wrong for someone to act out against something that doesn't affect them? Should everyone be selfish and don't give a damn (because of it being "more realistic") about anything that doesn't affect them negatively, and only responds when they or something that matters to them are jeopardized?

Yeah, and it paid off at the end, where Gon managed to give the Drake Zecter to the real Daisuke, from her belief. I guess from what I catch, it's because of the real Daisuke being faster to reach out to Gon and the Daisuke Worm being more forced to beg? (well, there's a case of the real one hesitating more though in other case of real vs impostor) And Daisuke finally did a make up on Gon, which is, well, as Gon is a girl (albeit little kid), and Daisuke only caring for girls too otherwise (but Gon being someone close instead of object of affection).

Who became Hyper Kabuto again in its earlier appearence? What I thought was only that, it's bound to happen for Hyper Kabuto, as he's someone who can travel through time.

I somehow managed to completely forget that this was the episode where Kagami saw Tsurugi turn into a Worm. (The very brief mapo tofu contest? That part I remembered, haha.) It is also slightly more grounded than I remember it being; I think, if I were to describe it now, it would be Kamen Rider Kabuto But Turned Up To Eleven.

Tho with all the hilarious spectacle - and there is so much to enjoy - my favorite bit is still the Kagami and Tendo conversation about Maybe This Rider Won't Be A Lunatic conversation :lol And then everything slowly (?) descends into madness and shenanigans ensue. Man, this one was so much more fun to watch knowing what was coming :D

I am, by the way, reliably terrible at blood draws. I have never in my life gotten a vein on the first try, which tends to make patients cranky. I really, really cannot blame them.

Only thing I have to say is mapo tofu is the best. :rock:
One of my favorite Chinese foods. If there was a top 5 dead or alive ranking for Chinese food mapo tofu should be number 1.