I might be wrong about this, but I think there are actually occasions in the show where Dyna Diver is just sitting on the ground completely immobile, and the show just doesn't call attention to it? A lot of aquatic super robot components would either be amphibious, or just fly, but I'm pretty sure Gauma genuinely can't move on his own without a nearby body of water.

It is very lucky for the Dynazenon Alliance that this battle against the Kaiju Eugenicists is happening within the Japanese archipelago, rather than, like, New Mexico.

SSSS.DYNAZENON EPISODE 4 - “WHAT IS THIS THUMPING HEART?”

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/...nazenon04a.png

Just a perfectly ridiculous episode of Dynazenon, where the bits of longform storytelling – the burgeoning friendship of Yume and Yomogi, the demystification of the Kaiju Eugenicists, and Koyomi’s reconnection with Yomogi’s boss – are just the springboards for non-stop humor and relentless absurdity.

My absolute favorite joke in this episode, and kind of the prime example of how fun this episode is with how it’s still managing to talk about things like unintended and unavoidable consequences for how we treat each other (even a goofy episode of this show is still incredibly smart!), is… there’s that little declaration the team does when they combine, and they shout COMBINE DRAGON DYNAZENON, but this time Yomogi coughs at the end, because he has a cold. It’s such a dumb little touch, but I had to pause the episode from laughing. There’s a mundanity to how this show approaches piloting an otherdimensional giant robot, and it’s endlessly entertaining.

I kind of don’t even know what else to say about this one, other than that it was incredibly funny, and I laughed a lot? Almost all I can do is list the comedic scenes that peppered this episode, like Gauma dropping everything to try and fight Sizumu at the school, and losing because he can’t stop announcing his move before he does it; or Chise pointing out that Koyomi can’t need a day off because he already has every day off; or the way Chise pilots Dyna Soldier to run without moving its arms; or the little scared body language the animators give Dyna Soldier when Chise’s piloting it; or anything Chise does in this episode, spotlight episode for that kid, we need more Chise in Dynazenon.

Again, it’s all still in service to things like plots – Yomogi trying to figure out his crush on Yume – or themes – the ways we affect each other without even realizing it, so we need to be more conscious of our goals and motivations – but all of that is so completely beside the point, which is that this one was hilarious. I don’t care about what else it was doing, despite it doing those things well, because I couldn’t stop laughing watching it. The end!!!

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/...nazenon04b.png

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

This chick is Yume's' imaginary friend and no one will ever convince me otherwise.

Can't go wrong with 90s Simpsons. Now I wanna binge Knight Rider because of this. :lolol

That green creature on the karaoke monitor looks like one of the Tamagotchi creatures.

I almost immediately assumed it was Yume's older sister after Episode 1. If not, I like that she's just got a normal, supportive friend?

My original summary still stands. That being “Never let Chise drive a mecha”.

Also the start of Yume having the same naming sense as Shinnosuke, even when in this case, Gauma has a perfectly serviceable name for what she names the “Something Beam”.

This week’s monster is named Didoras, after the consumer behaviour known as the Diderot Effect, wherein adding one new item to a collection of older ones leads to a need to buy more newer items.

And finally, since he finally has significant dialogue, I can discuss Sizumu’s prior experiences with Toku. His VA Kouki Uchiyama made his acting debut as a child actor in Ultraman Cosmos, before voicing Desast in Kamen Rider Saber and Kamen Rider Outsiders and Phillip in most Kamen Rider W related media since 2021.

I'm sorry or you're welcome!

Incorrect! They should let her drive all of the mecha!

...I want to say something at least vaguely of substance about the episode, but I keep getting distracted by what a perfect, beautiful little frame of animation this is. I know a picture is worth a thousand words, but like, I'm actually not sure what I can add here.