Cool analysis highlighting the relationship between Tsukuyomi/Geiz and Sougo! Never would've thought of it that way...

I mean. Isn't that the point? It's the next major step to becoming Oma-Zi-O, Woz even says Zi-O II is the form used on the Day of Oma? Makes sense to me!

Zi-O II is a real game changer though, it's not merely Sougo becoming more powerful, it's something that is outright horrific. Firstly, Zi-O II has a look that resembles Ohma Zi-O, by how Sougo now accepts his evil impulses inside that he was denial about. Then even holding it in his hand allows Sougo to casually reset the timeline to rewind it so Geiz survives. That's how Sougo becomes more powerful now, it creates a situation that was unthinkable before in others; Tsukuyomi, someone who previously is compassionate enough to had faith in Sougo (also claims it in this episode) and helped him from the start, freaks out at seeing this, and is the opposite one to what she said regarding good influence Sougo had to Geiz, she's now the one suggesting to kill Sougo here. And then White Woz, who is even more unfazed and unflappable than Black Woz in a more sinister way in his more ruthless schemes, had his composure broken here, he's outright livid to shake Black Woz for answers and then retreats leaving Geiz behind, losing his absolute control of the future and likely he just gave the dictator he's trying to stop even greater power.

It's the opposite, Geiz has grown as person thanks to Sougo... but Tsukuyomi takes turn to be more drastic here thanks to Sougo. But this also has a part of miscommunication that Sougo claims he has accepts his dark side, but that creates a misunderstanding that Sougo really is tampering in people?s lives and with time on a whim and has accepted that he?ll become Oma Zi-O. It's good to seeing things from other perspectives and understanding others better, but it can be misused too by instead justifying other people who had gone bad due to the hidden traumas, while ignoring those who are wronged due to that. The asking questions part is sometimes just used as a weakness for people like Shinji who'd want the best outcome for anyone that it'd make them hesitate more, the hard choices that can put others at disadvantage. There are compromises, but the important thing should be not deliberately harming the unlucky few to achieve something or in the name of priority, if there are those that are unlucky it should only happen due to already taking care of someone else and not being biased.

This addresses on how someone like Sougo can turn into genocidal warlord like Ohma Zi-O, because Sougo has a hidden dark side that he's in denial about, of which it grows bigger and bigger until that side fully consumes him. While everyone may have hidden darker impulses, moral fortitude is something that decides if they can hold onto their moral principles more strongly than others, and Sougo would have weaker one than some other KR characters, to lose into his dark side eventually as Ohma Zi-O. Now though Sougo accepts it's a part of himself, it's probably a work on him strengthening his moral fortitude, so he'd know he had the dark side but he'd try harder to not let himself succumb to it. Working on moral fortitude is likely the key to prevent Ohma Zi-O's rule.

Otherwise, while people can be complicated or having multiple sides, there can be still those who are more good, more evil, or more neutral than others, it's a mistake to only cherry-pick an action like a single moral act and use that as an argument to equalize everyone's moral spectrum of 'everyone has good and bad', usually used to talk down heroes in favor of the villains they justify. Someone should be looked at bigger picture to evaluate if they're doing more good or more bad (not good/bad outcome for here, like villainous organizations creating the birth of heroic Kamen Riders with its invention). For Sougo here, he had the capacity of evil but his goods far outweigh the bad more, but that's the root of his rise to Ohma Zi-O which still should be taken into account.

This was really lovely! Thank you so much for sharing it!

I think it's also that Sougo needs to stop thinking of Oma Zi-O as some single bad decision he might make someday, but instead as a series of conscious choices he's making daily. There's a part of him that could become that villain, and it won't happen in an instant. Dark Sougo is always going to be there, in a way, so Sougo needs to find some way to stop avoiding that part of himself and figure out how to make something positive out of it. Which, you're right, can lead to some helpful introspection and self-analysis.

Maybe a little, but I have faith in this show (like every Kamen Rider Heisei show) to both forget about Zi-O II's power level when it's inconvenient to the plot, as well as very quickly introduce villains who are even more ludicrously powerful. It's the Circle of Toku!

Pretty much! A lot of Sougo's arc so far is him not only gaining the power of Oma Zi-O, but also becoming more cognizant of how serious the temptation of power is. Like I was talking about above, this story is Sougo having to accept that he has the capacity for evil in a broader sense than just Gotta Be On Best Behavior On Oma Day. People can make bad decisions constantly, for any reason, and it's important to understand that. Sougo's power as Zi-O II draws from both Zi-O and Oma Zi-O - two Zi-O's, you might say - and that's a tricky line to walk.

Yeah, I know it's par for the course in Tokusatsu. Maybe it's the fact that he can rewind time and gaze into the future is a pretty big cheat compared to other Riders. Does it make sense? Yes. But my main issue pretty much stems later in the shows run, which is why I bring it up.

Not hating on Zi-O II, it's a neat idea, but power levels can be pretty bonkers at times, and I'd usually save something like this for later, but hey, it's still fun.

KAMEN RIDER ZI-O EPISODE 23 - “IT’S KIKAI! 2121”

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/zio/zio23a.png

We’re back in Future Rider territory, and it’s a bit of a mixed bag.

I liked the stuff with Kikai, the same as probably everyone else. They went for a terrifically goofy late-Showa vibe to everything (Rento’s all-denim outfit! With bell bottoms!) and it was the right move. Rento himself is a stalwart defender of humanity and a friend to children, with a charming lack of guile. And as much fun as it was to see Rento walk stiffly and smile slightly unnervingly, it was equally entertaining to watch Kamen Rider Kikai full-on punch an old lady in the face. I mean, it was a killer robot old lady, but it still looked pretty funny. Really good time hanging out in 2121.

And I also liked it for how it slowly built out this episode’s theme of How Can We Trust Something Dangerous. That’s the trouble Team Zi-O (which is, uh, pretty much just Sougo and Geiz this episode) is having with Zi-O II’s recent creation. In the future, Rento is sworn to protect humanity, but there’s a part of him that could become evil and destructive. It’s the same thing in the present, as Geiz has to decide between putting his faith in Sougo’s ability to be a force for good, or siding with Tsukuyomi’s newfound bloodlust/realism. We’re in a story where everyone’s just a little bit afraid of someone else’s power.

The rest of the episode was a weird mix of character plotting I’m not totally on-board with (yet?), and comedic storytelling that’s right up my alley.

The specific struggle between Geiz’z belief in Sougo and Tsukuyomi’s pragmatism/impatience feels less an outgrowth of recent events than some writerly shift towards Internal Conflict, and I’d need a lot more from Tsukuyomi than I’ve gotten to buy into it. For someone who traveled back in time specifically to avert a time execution, she’s uncharacteristically all-in on killing Sougo immediately. There’s for sure a story to tell about Tsukuyomi reconsidering her beliefs, but we haven’t been given the incremental beats of the story that Geiz got for his arc. I’m okay with this story as some bump in the road for the team dynamic, but it’s not exactly hitting the Geiz/Sougo heights of Episode 16.

The comedy parts, though! Those were great! Coming back to Sougo’s established Terrible Math Skills as the bridge to get him dozing off and seeing the future was great, but Geiz’z Helicopter Time Dad stuff was even better. He’s so mad when he thinks Sougo is cheating on a test! He’s so mad when Sougo isn’t studying hard enough! It’s adorable!

(I don’t 100% believe in Tsukuyomi’s turn on Sougo – she’s scared, I get that, but she is all WHY HAVEN’T YOU MURDERED SOUGO YET GEIZ in basically every scene here, without bothering to sketch out why she’s so insistent – but I kinda loved how she’s the new Grim Executioner to Geiz’z Time Dad this episode. Geiz trying desperately to get Sougo to take his education seriously, while Tsukuyomi schemes to kill Zi-O… it’s a cute switch-up, even if half of it lacks explanation.)

I’m hoping the larger arc stuff for Team Zi-O clears up more in the next episode, but if it doesn’t? We still got a fun story about putting your faith in something dangerous, some great action sequences, a clever Another Rider (wood is the opposite of metal, I guess), some funny gags, and the Time Orphans sort of continuously creating Oma Zi-O, no matter what they do. (Woz at the end pointing out that emotionally isolating Sougo and trying to destroy him is a pretty great way to make a genocidal despot!) It wasn’t a perfect episode, but I had a good time with it.

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/zio/zio23b.png

I'll be real, I don't really like what they did with Tsukuyomi in this like set of episodes... despite her fear it felt too... jarring? I feel that's the right word. That being said I absolutely loved all of Geiz's bits this episode, real good stuff.

That being said, Kikai is my absolute favorite of the Mirai Riders. He's got a fun personality, he's played by the dude who played Reboot Kikaider in the Kikaider Reboot/Special Episode of Gaim, and he's got a fun somewhat fleshed out backstory. I mean a yellow armored and red eyed mechanical rider fighting to stop a mechanical menace? That's the kind of show I'd totally watch!

Also the fact that he uses the Guardian Grunt suit from Build as a base was a real good decision. Just like... it gives him such a different and unique feel and it's absolutely my favorite design.

We're onto the BGM Preview again, we've got the Kikaider Preview theme which is still my favorite BGM Swap of the bunch. And Future Guardian which... I probably would never use as a BGM Swap unless I was absolutely forced to.

Zero's Legend Episode Previews Corner - EP 24 Preview:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLHH9PkLEPk

It's jarring, for sure. I gave it a pass at the end of Episode 22, because I figured we'd get an explanation for it here. Instead, when we see Tsukuyomi for the first time in this episode, she's already teamed up with Hat Woz and is hassling Geiz about not offing Sougo yet. There's no insight into her decision-making or psychology, which is, like, the bare minimum that a turn like this requires.

The other big problem - and, arguably, the bigger problem - is that it takes a Tsukuyomi development that fundamentally alters her character's relationship with Sougo and goes Wow I Wonder How This Is Affecting Geiz. It immediately pivots the story onto Geiz having to choose between his two friends, and that's super lame. We've gotten stories before about Geiz choosing Sougo over his mission! Let us have the Tsukuyomi/Sougo version of that story!

Ha ha, I wondered if he was! He looked familiar, but I didn't go look it up. Stealth Heisei Rider tribute!

Kikai is the best Future Rider, fite me.

He's pretty neat!

Zenryoku Zen-ah wait. got my wires crossed, wrong Kikai hero! Onto Episode 23!

-Love everything related to the "Sougo tries to cheat on his exams using his future sight, backfiring terribly" gag. The bit where Geiz chastises hin on the dangers of flunking? Too good..

-My favorite Future Rider is here!!!! I absolutely adore Kikai. Really fun concept for the future, with a very sweet protag to match! (Theres something about having a robot as a protag that always excites me?)* Makes me wish this got a Rider Time like Shinobi.....

-Tsukuyomi's with White Woz now. She doesnt really add anything to her argument that wasnt in last ep, and thats kinda furstrating? At least tell me something interesting will happen with the status quo being slightly altered....

-Dear God. Forgot about the CGI bug running around during this arc. I dont like it, not one bit.

There was something about these episodes that I really didn't like at the time. I cannot remember what it was, though. What did you say back then, past me?

Valid, but not especially helpful. I want to say my beef was something with the nature of how Sougo traveled to the future. I don't know what it was, but that feels right to me.

He's probably the best one so far, but he's not my personal favorite. That's a conversation for awhile down the road, though.

The funniest part to me was Geiz trying to impress upon Sougo the absolute seriousness of having to repeat a year in school.

Geiz is a Time Orphan from the Misery Fields of 2068! I didn't think he came from a place with a strong educational system? Maybe that's just one more way Oma Zi-O is a Nice Tyrant: encouraging kids to study hard or else.

I sort of like the implication (or, at least, possibility) that Sougo is creating these alternate future timelines with his premonitions. I'm sure that's not where the show is going with it (feels like more of a Kiramager move?), but it works for me.

So I forgot mention this but I love "Izanagi" the OP and I hate how progressivly shorter it gets each time. Speaking of the music the Special has it own original BGM not just stock music or reused from something else. Not only that it shocklingly do you know who composed the BGM? The same band that sang the OP!
https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=...6LykRPIwyxD_d8
I've never seen that happened where the band that sang a op would also compose thr BGM or at the very least never in toku.

So one minor nitpick I have with this special and it not a knock aganist the actor but I wished that the actor who played Icchi/Hattari was the same guy Rentaro was trying to protect in Episode 17. That way it would help build off the two relationship as well as connecting back to ZI-O.

I love how we just simply reused the Dustards from Fourze no changes made! Not even simple repaint I think adds to the low budget charm of this special. Speaking of monsters the Dark Ninja is fittingly enough a retool of Another Shinobi
https://www.kamen-rider-official.com...8/main_image/1

Maybe Kamen Rider Shinobi was doing a stealth 10th Anniversary tribute to Fourze?

Ah yes, Proto Zero-One! Or Zero-One: Bad End! Satellites, corrupted robots, a yellow Kamen Rider with red eyes? This must be the Bad End for Reiwa: The First Generation. I like his design, a really clever retool of the Guardian suit, and the gold is so nice to look at.

Now to more important things. It is very weird, coming off of the ZI-O II episode where I was all in on where ZI-O will take us, but then the next I had this bitter taste in my mouth on how they handled it. Suddenly because Sougo has new time powers, this makes Tsukuyomi doubtful and proceed to go rogue, taking Geiz with her.

??? Did she not hear what Sougo said as he transformed? It's so weird for her to do this. It kind of makes sense as to why she's wary, Sougo is growing in power and is looking very similar to Ohma ZI-O now. But it just feels odd. But oh well, it shan't take long.

Edit: slightly offtopic to the episode, but prior to a certain plot line down the line, I... may or may not have mistaken Tsukuyomi and Geiz to be siblings. They sure do act like they are!

Yeah, it's... like I said, there's a way to do this story that I'd be into. A story where Tsukuyomi feels the walls closing in, while Geiz is the voice of caution, that could be very cool! But doing that story means building out Tsukuyomi's perspective, and finding a path to logically move her from It's Okay If Sougo Gets More Powerful all the way to Sougo Is Too Powerful And We Need To Kill Him. This story shortcuts the part you 1000% cannot shortcut, though, and it critically wounds this plot. There's just no attention paid to Tsukuyomi's viewpoint; all she does is yell at Geiz to stop believing in Sougo, and all the show does is focus on the boys' anxiety.

The one in which an emotionless superhero beats up an old person (insert Captain Marvel screenshot for comic effect)

Anyway, this week’s MiRider is a homage to Rider’s “younger brother” Kikaider, which has gained something of an inverse reputation (by which I mean, Rider is remembered as a silly show, despite being dark, while Kikaider is remembered as a dark show, despite being pretty silly).

Before my usual things, I’ll list off specific Kikaider references you might not get. (Beyond this being the same crew who did the reboot move).

Kikai’s first finisher, Kikai Da Hakai Da (lit. Kikai Will Destroy), references Kikaider’s iconic nemesis Hakkaider.

His second finisher, Fullmetal The End, references Kikaider’s main finisher, Denji End.

The bad Future setting and concept of the hero going bad are lifted from the 90s movie “Mechanical Violator Hakkaider”, albeit with none of the overt religious symbolism (the movie WAS an Inoue script).

Another Kikai being made of wood references Pinocchio, the book that inspired Kikaider to begin with (insert Aquaman screenshot for comic effect)

And last, but not least, the next show after Kikaider was Zero-One
And now, on to….

Miridewatch Playlist: I Am Justice Mix

https://youtube.com/watch?v=sAeJeEDL_qc

“A metal body with a burning heart. Kamen Rider Kikai”

And the song I went with was the obvious choice of Go Go Kikaider, specifically the version from the reboot movie.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=qYaT7iT3Onk

And as a bonus, a translation (I’m not aping Fish’s last comment, I planned to do this for a while)

Switch On! 1! 2! 3!

Electrical sparks rush through his body.

Jiro, change! Kikaider

Lure the DARK Robots into a trap

Jinzō Ningen Kikaider

Change, Change, Go! G-Go Go, G-Go Go



Switch On! 1! 2! 3!

He has come in his Side Machine.

Jiro, change! Kikaider

Give chase to the DARK Robots

Jinzō Ningen Kikaider

Change, Change, Go! G-Go Go
, G-Go Go



Switch On! 1! 2! 3!

The aircraft does a great swing.

Jiro, Change! Kikaider

Send the DARK Robots flying

Jinzō Ningen Kikaider

Change, Change, Go! G-Go Go
, G-Go Go



Switch On! 1! 2! 3!

Justice and evil marked by blue and red.

Jiro, change! Kikaider

Break the DARK Robots into scrap

Jinzō Ningen Kikaider

Change, Change, Go! G-Go Go
, G-Go Go

And for Another Kikai, I went with the equally obvious choice of Hakkaider no Uta

https://youtube.com/watch?v=cessCH_dlDw

As for the compare and contrast, Rento is a machine who fights for humans to be free from their oppression at the hands of the Humanoise. Meanwhile, the stick insect is a mindless machine going around attacking people, while Heure is someone working to create a future where people are oppressed by a Demon King.

Since nobody else has brought up which Sentai actor is portraying this arc's Mirider, I guess I'll do it. Machina Rento's actor is Irie Jingi, who was previously Lupinranger's arch enemy Zamigo Delma. And when I say "previously", I literally mean last week. This episode aired on the same day as the premiere of Super Sentai Strongest Battle (a miniseries designed to push Sentai premieres from February to March), following the finale of LupinPatren. Which means Irie finished his work on that show and was then immediately cast for this role. Like sure, there's Sento and Ryuuga in Zi-O and Kaito in Donbrothers, but those are more deliberate examples. Zamigo and Rento are totally different though. Don't you think that's weird?

Regarding my opinion of Kikai, I honestly don't think he's that great. My observations in this thread tell me that's an unpopular opinion, but I'll explain so people can understand why I think that. Firstly, he's not a ninja. Secondly, the suit. The crossed wrench and screwdriver on his face and Driver look stupid, like he's some kind of robot pirate or something. Which is kind of appropriate within his story where he's a criminal to the other Humanoiz, but I maintain that it's poorly executed. Thirdly, while I could see Shinobi and Quiz as being protagonists in their own setting, I don't feel like Rento has that same protagonist quality.

2121 marks the 100th anniversary of Kikai Sentai Zenkaiger, which also has "Kikai" in the title. It also marks the 150th anniversary of Kamen Rider, hence the Showa references.

Tsukuyomi is a practical person. She's more concerned with the growing threat of Zi-O's power, disregarding how Sougo chooses to apply that power for good. While Geiz is more emotional. He's had the opportunity to get to know Sougo as a person through their conflict, so he's more inclined to judge Sougo as a person. Tsukuyomi is affected by that conflict, but she's mostly an observer, so she doesn't have the important personal perspective that Geiz has. All she had was a fragile faith, which she has now given up on.

The 機 (ki) in 機械 (kikai) is pronounced the same as 木 (ki) which means wood.

Especially when you consider that Oma Sougo in his youth would have been ostracized by default, due to the lack of Geiz and anybody who would take his dream seriously.

.... Huh, you watched Kiramager?

I didn't think it in a literal way, but yeah, I agree they act like siblings. They may as well be, considering how their families are pretty much all dead in the future.

I love it! Thanks for sharing!

He'd probably need a more robust supporting cast than a typical Rider, but I think there's still potential there. Maybe some kindly brother and sister could take him in, help understand the value of protecting humanity? Maybe Rento was the name of the brother's dog? I don't know, I'm just spit-balling here.

I don't know that I see here as a particularly practical person? She's always felt like a more naturally empathetic person, as compared to Geiz'z brutal pragmatism. Like, that was always the Time Orphan dynamic: she was the Time Mom, he was the Grim Executioner. She was the one who wanted to help shepherd Sougo towards a more just and caring application of power, while Geiz was the one screaming at Sougo to destroy his Driver before it was too late.

Like, in the last episode she was telling Sougo that they weren't afraid of him becoming Oma Zi-O, even as he was accruing the very power that defined Oma Zi-O's rule. (She never seemed particularly nervous about Sougo obtaining the powers of past Riders?) I don't think Tsukuyomi's story has ever been about viewing Sougo as some Time Mission or whatever.

I've picked up bits and pieces, but it's not a show I've really sat down with.

Like most things, practicality is only good in moderation. Tsukuyomi's ability to express empathy is part of social aptitude, a means of keeping the peace. In her case, it's a necessary skill for steering Sougo in the right direction, in much the same way Sougo uses his innocent image to manipulate people. But her whole presence here was to prevent a bad future. She didn't befriend Sougo for the sake of being his friend.

When Tsukuyomi was telling Sougo she wasn't scared of his power, I think she was trying more to convince herself. I mean, you said yourself that she is scared. The whole moral of that Ryuki arc was accepting that everybody's capable of doing bad things. She can't plausibly claim that Sougo could never hurt a fly when she's already seen how future Sougo killed half the planet. The difference between the Time Orphans is that Tsukuyomi is concerned with what Sougo can do, while Geiz is concerned with what he will do.

Cool! Take your time. There's a lot of seasons.

Huh? You think Ohma Zi-O is something smaller? Zi-O II is only his super form, not the end of his power. This talk here seems to paint Zi-O II as something superior to even Ohma Zi-O to describe it as combination of it and Zi-O. Otherwise, how about my other arguments for "capacity for evil" that it can be used for unfair judgment for characters or misused?

Rento's world is something that ain't pretty, even without Ohma Zi-O's rule. While it was previously only an implication for a world where Geiz Revive wins, in Kikai's world, while outwardly it looks peaceful, humanity is secluded to a small space and the reality it consisted of Humanoise attack. They ask if their target is a machine or a human, but they'd already know to attack and kill. The world is instead taken over by Humanoise, but the positive side of that world is that, Kikai can stand up against the rule, unlike the invincible Ohma Zi-O. For him punching an old lady, well, the hammer of justice is unisex so it's good to have it being done :p.

The answer would be something outside of the series, with Shirakura's explanations making little sense creating plot inconsistencies. Different writers can really create something like this ._. Though like I said before, Zi-O II is a such game changer to turn 2 characters into OOc-phase in Tsukuyomi and White Woz who cracks and loses his composure. It could be about how Zi-O II shows more resemblance to Ohma Zi-O, which'd mean Sougo now has a real chance to become Ohma Zi-O, as the basis of the belief before was, as you said putting him on pedestal that it's not believable Sougo would become Ohma Zi-O due to his kindness and is always doing the right thing, but now Zi-O II veers closer into Ohma Zi-O.

Other than the comedy parts, it's also something bigger than that to further show how horrific Sougo is now, while the Humanoise attacks were Sougo's dream, it's a potentially prophetic one, in Kamen Rider Kikai reprogrammed as a Humanoise in the body of a Kamen Rider. His dream being prophetic is actually a smart one for Geiz to then try getting him to sleep instead to gain more information. There's also something regarding how Another Kikai is different, it's a parasite and none of the Time Jackers created it. Sougo also later used the vision to help his enemy Heure to run, but that also shows further of Swartz's cruelty, he'd use him to test Another Kikai's power.

I'm not regularly on this forum anymore aside from SHF news and such but I had to pop in to say the Zi-O II arc praise made me happy. That's an arc that always resonated with me a lot and I might even say is just my favourite part of Zi-O; and I kind of thought it was only a me thing? Like, I didn't think many people disliked it, but it felt like I was the only one that considered it really good. So it's cool to see so many people giving it pretty much the exact same positives I always thought of it as having :)

It helps as well mind that it's surrounded by the really fun Future Riders arc concept, especially when it's immediately followed up with Kikai, my personal favourite for his setting. I remember at the time someone said here that Shinobi is the coolest and Quiz has the character drama going for him, but Kikai's setting is so fleshed out that it's the one they could easily see becoming a series the most. And honestly I'm still out here waiting for Kamen Rider Terminator! Maybe I should just watch the Hakaider movie already...

(Fish Sandwich also watched Kamen Rider Zi-O - EP23)

So, first of all, after a few years, it's just now occurring to me what the real commonality between the Miriders is, and I'd just like to take a second to walk everyone through this all at once:

- Shinichirou Shirakura and Naomi Takebe were producers on Kamen Rider Zi-O, which was written by Kento Shimoyama and Nobuhiro Mouri
- Shinobi is played by Hideya Tawada, who had a starring role in Shuriken Sentai Ninninger, which was produced by Takebe and written by Shimoyama and Mouri
- Quiz is played by Katsuhiro Suzuki, who had a starring role in Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters, which was produced by Takebe and written in part by Shimoyama and Mouri
- Kikai is played by Jingi Irie, who had a starring role in Kikaider Reboot, a movie produced by Shirakura and written by Shimoyama, and which had a promotional crossover with Kamen Rider Gaim, produced by Takebe, in an episode written by Mouri.

*Whew*! It's all one big conspiracy theory, I tell ya'. Toei only has five actors, and even fewer writers and producers!

Anyway, getting to the episode at hand, my post from the time is a real microcosm of some general feelings I had toward the show at the time, a lot of which seems rather quaint to my present self, in retrospect.

- I mention how I was actively critical of Zi-O despite enjoying it a ton, and really, that was always all according to plan. In my experience, Rider shows I start thinking of as perfect right out of the gate end up leaving me feeling a little burned by the end (I have very complicated feelings about Gaim!), and that had just happened a tiny bit with Build as Zi-O was starting, so I think I made it a point to try and... well, actually, now that I think about it, it sort of overlaps with what EP22 was about thematically? Rather than put Zi-O up on some pedestal to be shattered later, I figured I'd enjoy it more if I was actively embracing the complexity of its quality from the start, rather than ignoring any potential faults. Not that I was thinking about it that consciously, I'm sure. That decision was probably inspired, more than anything, by how much nitpicking I constantly did with Ex-Aid, embittered Ghost fan that I was, which was itself a conscious decision to prevent that show from becoming another Gaim for me. Ex-Aid fought hard and won my unfailing respect by the end, becoming one of those series I only ever seem to like more the more time passes. I gave Zi-O the same treatment, and here I am a few years down the line, translating insert songs and reminiscing at length about the halcyon days of the show being on the air, so, once again -- all according to plan.

- Die went with calling Tsukuyomi "Time Mom"; I went with calling her a plank of wood, which I still feel a little bad about. I also don't think I was out of line with that remark. Tsukuyomi is a character I always felt the show struggled with making particularly interesting, and it got the point where I named an entire concept after her -- The Tsukuyomi Zone. It's basically the pet name I gave to this weird pattern of thinking I've noticed in myself, where if I feel the right sort of sustained apathy about a character or whatever else, it eventually becomes pity, and that pity in turn becomes genuine affection. Prime examples of other toku characters located firmly in The Tsukuyomi Zone for me include Mihara from Faiz, as well as Yui from Ryuki, who probably would've been the namesake of this phenomenon if I had realized it was a thing prior to 2019. I'm uh, I'm not sure what all this says about me as a person or not, but at any rate, I kinda like Tsukuyomi now! Some of it is for reasons Die has yet to get to, but just, in general, I don't know, I really softened up on her over time. All of this is sort of irrelevant to how I feel about her role in this particular plot though, which is going to lean on the negative side either way. I was honestly 100% on board with the concept of what's going on here, but like I mentioned at the time, and just like Die noticed too, the crucial problem for me is that Tsukuyomi's feelings about Sougo basically immediately stop being about her. It's a rather glaring disservice to a character who so faithfully serves so many others despite never being rewarded for her tireless efforts... kind of like a mother...

- I talk about how excited I was about the prospect of only seeing Zi-O II a bunch at the expense of the base form, and that speaks volumes about just how much I loved that previous episode. It's borderline out of character for me to ever being saying something like that, and now that the show is over, one of the things I really love about Zi-O ended up being how much it keeps the older suits in action. This was right after Build, as well, where Sento went between episode 30 all the way to the finale without using RabbitTank a single time, so again, I appreciated the change of pace. And Zi-O II didn't even end up being my favorite Zi-O form in the long run! But that Ryuki two-parter was just *that* good, that in the moment, I basically couldn't think of anything else.

I think we've just got two different reads on Tsukuyomi's thought process, which is totally fair. I see Tsukuyomi as someone who impetuously traveled to the past to try and be a positive influence on a future dictator, but was won over by his charming enthusiasm and guileless decency. She was someone who was scared that Sougo would gain power and use it maliciously, not just scared of him having power at all. The idea of her having any sort of distance from Sougo, and steering him more directly... yeah, not my take.

But I appreciate you sharing your view! Neat to get another person's take.

I don't see that in the piece you quoted? I've seen enough Figuarts to know that Sougo's got a few more upgrades coming. Sorry if there was some confusion!

Yeah, it's part of this episode's theme of Trusting Someone Dangerous, where even the Time Jackers can't trust each other. Solid thematic work!

Welcome back! And, yeah, those Ryuki episodes were really terrific. I like when shows can treat emotional and psychological issues as something constant within us that we need to reckon with, rather than the cheap plot of Sougo's A Jerk This Week or whatever. Definitely makes for a more resonant, memorable story.

Even more than All Dads Are Dead, the real legacy of Heisei Rider is Everyone's In Everything.

This might sound weird, considering I've written hundreds of pages of Kamen Rider criticism over the last few years, but I'm not that critical of these shows? Certainly not consciously. I just like watching these shows, and then my brain can't stop cracking episodes open, and then I've written a bunch. But the shows themselves? I like 'em all. I can't go in with a Don't Break My Heart attitude, because, honestly? They never could. I like watching Kamen Rider, the end.

(That said! There will always be moments that frustrate and disappoint me! I am okay with that, though! I embrace the darkness and the light, as I carve a path to Revice!)

This is one of the most Fish Sandwich things I've ever read, so thank you for that. Not even a little surprised that you have a habit of eventually loving boring characters that a show never figured out how to use properly. That completely tracks. I'm so grateful for this insight into your psychology that I'm not even going to make a Jean joke!

As well as you shouldn't! If anything, I could call The Jean Zone the place where a character ends up when they don't even have to do all that much to clearly be one of the most awesome people in their show anyway. Jean's mere presence elevates every scene of Kuuga he's in from start to finish, and that's the crucial distinction between him and someone in The Tsukuyomi Zone. I have never been apathetic towards Jean! Never!

KAMEN RIDER ZI-O EPISODE 24 - “BEST FRIEND 2121”

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/zio/zio24a.png

So, first off:

ha ha ha WHOOPS

Turns out, that’s exactly where the show is going with it, so that’s sort of neat. I don’t feel like going back to the previous Future Rider episodes to see if I can make a case for everything as a reflection of Sougo’s subconscious (feels like it’d be 50% Obviously and 50% Bit Of A Stretch), but I do appreciate the show opening up such a gigantic can of worms. Because, you know, the Future Riders aren’t the only characters who’ve shown up from the future to interact with Sougo.

There’s also the Time Orphans.

Now, I really don’t think the show is saying that Sougo’s created Geiz and Tsukuyomi. Metaphorically, I’m not sure it’d help this show to make two of Sougo’s most trusted friends (and, uh, Woz, I guess) into figments of his imagination. Maybe, but it’s difficult. But right now, I kinda like Geiz and Tsukuyomi being slightly unmoored by Sougo’s reality-altering powerset, and how even positive desires – like friendship – can have negative consequences when it’s the desire of a god.

Because this is an episode about Sougo’s feelings, pretty much from front to back. There’s not a ton of movement on the schism between Sougo and Tsukuyomi, which is both a bummer and a blessing. It’s a bummer, because this plotline so badly needs Tsukuyomi to make a better case for killing Sougo than just saying We Need To Kill Sougo. But it’s a blessing, because in the rare moments where Tsukuyomi gets to talk about her strategy and its necessity, she sounds like she’s Another Tsukuyomi or something: just bizarrely hypocritical, and disappointingly bloodthirsty.

There’s a bit in this episode where Tsukuyomi and Geiz are bickering over Tsukuyomi’s irritating insistence on asking When Are We Going To Get To The Murdering Sougo Factory at all times, and Geiz asks her if she’s seriously willing to trust Hat Woz. She responds that there’s no time to be choosy about where they get help. It’s… I got SO MAD at that response. Her insane point is that it’s okay to trust in Hat Woz’z mysterious motivations, because it’s expedient, but trusting in Sougo – who, to date, has only used his Terrifying New Power to, uh, save Geiz’z life – is ludicrous. It’s a terrible argument in favor of executing a friend, and that was the point where I gave up on Tsukuyomi’s current plotline making any sense to me. Just gonna assume she’s the Mirror Tsukuyomi, who destroys friendships and hates empathy. It’s easier for me that way.

And since I don’t really care about Tsukuyomi right now, it gives me more of a chance to enjoy how this story is just soaking in how lonely and sad Sougo’s character always was, and how badly he needs his friends back. The separation itself is far more interesting than the reasons behind it. That sad little speech from Uncle about how this weird kid never had anyone to be friends with, and then two teenagers from the future -slash- his dreams arrived to live with him and go on Time Missions (holy shit, remember when this show had time travel?!) but also having meals with him and caring about his grades and believing in him and…

It’s just a nicely melancholy scene, even if it never really sways Tsukuyomi from her Anti-Sougo Brain Worms or whatever is going on with her. I wish this story were about Tsukuyomi’s relatable fear that she might’ve misread someone and now she regrets it, or about how difficult it can be to protect yourself from being hurt when relationships evolve unexpectedly, but I will settle for a story where Sougo misses the only two friends he’s ever had.

Even if he maybe dreamed them up.

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/zio/zio24b.png

Aaaaaahhh Tsukasa save me! We're in one of two points in Tsukuyomi's role where she's just so weirdly written. But, in my opinion, it's only two! And we're almost there at ending it!


I like this concept that Sougo's kingly dreams drove everything 'normal' to him away. A normal life, a normal dream, a normal childhood, normal friends, everything. The fact that he had a childhood robot toy as his only friend and later became an alternate future with his powers is kinda sad. You dreamt up your toy to become your friend?

All these make it so that giving Sougo powers was really the activation to the ticking time bomb that is his rise to power as Ohma ZI-O.

How rude, when Woz has been so supportive of Sougo's dreams from the beginning!

I do remember being somewhat sad at Tsukiyomi's decisions in this episode, but I'm also sad to say only 'somewhat' because I really couldn't muster up much care for her to begin with. She's just barely above the level of the Time Jackers for me, and around this point of the show I'm pretty sure she hit the same level as them in terms of how much I don't care. Like, one of them gets turned into the Another Rider this episode and that sounds like it should maybe be a big deal but it's so absolutely not.

Oh yeah Futuring Kikai is cool. Kamen Rider Woz just roboticising some unwitting civilians is another really great moment I like. Maybe it's hypocritical of me to be so charmed every time this guy does something awful and selfish for the sake of 'saving the day', but then I'm hard on Tsukiyomi for wanting Sougo dead ^_^;;;

I absolutely love Rento Makina/Kikai.

Sure, there's the face value stuff in that he embodies alot of tropes I love: Especially robot characters. Heck, his name can easily be read as "Rented Machine."

And yeah, the very premise of his show, dreamed up in the imagination of Sogo or otherwise, is totally something that I would watch, but really, the main thing that grabbed me was just how well he tied into everything.

To me, the biggest takeaway of this arc was about how no friendship is perfect. No matter how close or how well you jive with someone, there's going to be a disagreement, a conflict, or something that's going to cause some sort of rift in the relationship, and the true test of your friendship comes in how you handle it.

Kikai embodies that in his timeline with how his psychotic trigger causes him to lash out at those he cares about, which also provides a great way at mirroring Sogo's' own fear in how he might one day become Oma Zi-O and drive away those he loves: A way better way at exhibiting many of the ideas discussed in the Ryuki two-parter, in my opinion.

But in the end, those touched by Rento's' kindness still have faith in him and his better half, allowing the gap to be bridged, showing that Sogo has that same sort of faith in not only himself, but in Geiz and Tsukuyomi as well. It's really touching and is especially powerful to me specifically as someone who's currently in friendships with people that have mental health issues, or heck, just plain had fights with people over whatever reason.

Also, the implication that Rento is literally Sogo's' toy robot is just plain adorable.

I dunno 100% if Rento will end up being my favorite character in Zi-O, but man does he have a really strong case for it right now. Would be very surprised if anyone ended up surpassing him at this point.

Such a shame he didn't get a mini-series like Shinobi did, though an anime or a movie could've been cool. Maybe some douchebag on the internet, heck, this very website, could even review them! But alas.

Wonderful pair of episodes. My favorite in the show so far.

So remember how I said I don't really see Oma Zi-O as a pure evil "bwahaha" villain as like, I feel a lot of people do? This plotline right here, where we sort of just delve into Sougo himself and the pure loneliness that comes with his dream. Like we've seen him have acquaintances and classmates at school, but that's all they are. They aren't any real friends, there's even a point in the beginning episode's where he sort of longingly looks at a bunch of teen's who are talking about what they're going to do when they hang out.

It's sad. It's absolutely tragic is what it is, and that tragedy is likely what sort of pushed Sougo onto that path of Oma Zi-O as a person when it comes to his actions in basically making Earth a wasteland by the time of 2068. And that's what makes Oma Zi-O all the more interesting for me. You see sort of like, the clues and the small nudges in Sougo's life that leads him towards the person he eventually becomes. But the thing is... we're very far removed from the initial path because of Geiz and Tsukuyomi, even if things are rough right now. They've had influence and impact on Sougo and it'll be interesting to see where it leads.

Wow... I had a lot to say on this huh? More so than usual haha...

Anyway, next time we get to my favorite Arc in the show... with probably the worst BGM Swap I've heard thus far. So given the contents for next time, we've got Toki no Ouja which is my preferred choice for this particular BGM Swap... and a deep pitched version of Over Quartzer that just feels so wrong... I would've taken a reversed Over Quartzer like was suggested back during the Ryuga Two-Parter!

Zero's Legend Episode Previews Corner - EP 25 Preview:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UL7_hNd_OU8

It's an incredibly bittersweet ending to the Kikai plot, despite it being possibly fictitious. That moment when Rento tells Sougo that they'll always be best friends, and Sougo's like What, and it's clear that Rento was just the part of Sougo that's impossibly lonely and feels like an outcast. Just a heartbreaker, that note.

I'm still a fan of Tsukuyomi, despite this dumb plot, but I cannot say the same for the Time Jackers! I, uh, completely didn't mention their weird Time Jerks plot! It was interesting for a minute, when Ora maybe cared about Heure, but then the show's like Ha Ha NOPE and Ora's the same duplicitous scumbag as Swartz. Awesome twist! Completely negated my brief interest in Ora's character!

There's a bit in this episode that's sweet and sad and beautiful, when Sougo tells those kids that he's in fight with his friends, but it'll get better soon.

It's kind of a stupidly optimistic thing to say. Tsukuyomi wants to kill Sougo, and she's making a somehow-not-terrible case that's getting Geiz'z reluctant support. This isn't some brief row; this is a conspiracy to commit murder.

But it's Sougo, and this is how he sees things. The Time Orphans are his friends, and they'll all be friends again. He doesn't know why they're mad at him, exactly. He's not working to patch things up. But they're friends, forever, and he trusts that they'll figure that out, just like he did.

It's the sort of... like, these are the only friends Sougo's ever had. The idea that friendships can end, even if you don't want them to, it's literally not in his brain. So he just doesn't give up on Geiz and Tsukuyomi. Just like with Geiz earlier in the season, it doesn't matter if Tsukuyomi doesn't think they're friends anymore, because Sougo is still her friend. It's a heartbreaking amount of naivete, but it's really beautiful.

For sure. The Sougo that never met the Time Orphans, it's easy to see him being so disconnected from other people that he'd consider a partial global genocide to be a pretty nice way of ruling the planet. But just by coming back in time and entering Sougo's life, the Time Orphans have helped create the conditions for a more heroic Sougo... who they are now trying to murder.

Friendships, man! Shit can get complicated!

It's Episode 24!

-Very lovely for the show to express another form of Sougo using his time-warping powers unconciously while concluding the "Cheating on your exams with time powers" joke with all the questions on the exam being the ones Sougo dreamt about.

-Tsukuyomi.......You all have essentially said what I've been thinking about her in this arc, (The Tsukuyomi Zone is *such* a good term, going to use that from now on!) so here's another tangent: I really like the dinner scene with White Woz and the kids? Not because of the conversation that took place, just how sharply the vibe contrasts with the mealtime scenes at 9-to-5. Sure, they often a lot in those scenes, and I have no clue how good Uncle's cooking is compared to White Woz's, but like! It's home for these guys! A lovely place they can all come back to after Rider Kicking all day! I'm not really good at expressing my feelings about the visual direction of a episode other than "woah, pretty neat!", but like. I always remember the eating scenes in 9-to-5 would often use angles where you can see everyone at the table? Whereas this scene often has a lot of cutting back to Tsuku, Geiz, Tsuku in focus, now Geiz's in focus! Not really sure that was the intention, but it just makes the vibe feel a whole lot colder, yknow?

-We got our first bit of Time Jacker "drama", past their occasional squabbling. Using one of their own just seems like a better idea than grabbing any civilian off the street, but what do I know? My general thoughts on the Time Jackers on my inital watch was that they always felt like "This show needs villians, i guess." They're always there but they don't do much and aren't very interesting.....This time around, I hope I can get even a speck more of apperication for them.

Yeah, the Hat Woz dinner scene is something I was really looking forward to, because it was a chance to get to hear Tsukuyomi's side of things, away from monster battles and whatnot. Didn't-- didn't really go how I wanted it! But there's some neat staging there, where they're split by the flowers and staring down at their plates. It's immediately clear that neither of them are particularly happy with the current status quo, even if Geiz is the only one willing to point out how unnecessary it is.

(He also does this pouty thing where he ducks the lower half of his face into his collar, and it's adorably uncomfortable. Geiz is not good with expressing his emotions! Or advocating for literally anything besides sacrificing himself!)

Maybe y'all can help me out with this, because I mostly didn't get the Kikai Watch stuff.

So, Swartz sticks the Another Kikai facehugger onto Heure, to give the Another Kikai form some solidity. Another Riders need host bodies. But, twist, Ora is working with Team Hat Woz (Guest-Starring Zi-O) in order to create a Kikai Watch... that she promptly uses on Heure to make the exact same Another Kikai that they had before the fight got started.

I... what? Why was the Time Jacker plan to create a watch that was the equivalent of the monster that already existed?

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/zio/nothanks.png

This was pretty much me after Tsukuyomi tried to explain why it was cool to team up with a dude who has been manipulating them for weeks and has any number of ulterior motives under his hat, but they need to murder their good friend and staunch ally right now because he might be a real problem at some point in the future.

1)The facehugger is some unknown entity spawned from some kid's dream. Sure, you can take the hugger and go about your plan, but isn't that a bit too unpredictable? It could suddenly run off someday, or start turning into a hamster instead of a Another Rider? What if it suddenly dies? What if it turns on them? It's much safer having the Rider's power in a easy to use/control form of a Ridewatch.

2) *shrugs* Ridewatches are important, man. As well as the "easier way to utilize a Rider's power," i guess we're supposed to assume there's an equally important reason the Time Jackers need thos Ridewatches specifically (as opposed to backing already existing Riders to be King or whatever) as much as White Woz needs the future-flavored ones, or something like that?

Kikai being a manifestation of Sougo wanting a friend is bittersweet, but what's with the human extinction plot? Did Sougo subconsciously want to burn society or something? I mean, if so then Ohma Zi-O suddenly makes a lot of sense.

I was going to discuss the idea that all the MiRiders are reflections of Sougo’s issues, but part of it gets super spoilery, so I’ll hold off. Instead, I’ll discuss how they all embody the aspects of a Kamen Rider.

Shinobi embodies the aspect of justice from evil, being given an inherently evil power set, yet choosing to do good with it.

Quiz embodies the tough choices some of them have to make, and whether their solutions are the right answer.

And finally Kikai is the friend to children and protector of smiles.

Phew. Thank god we didn’t end up going with TN watches Zi-O. This was my first choice and I definitely didn’t have much to say. Anyway, join us next time for an Another Rider somebody guessed back when episode 3 came out.

They have a very locked-in aesthetic, and they'll sacrifice anything to keep their collection from veering away from the baseline. I admire their curatorial dedication! Would that my own collections were as rigorously designed...

I took it as Sougo seeing himself as an outcast, but one who fears his own power. He wants to protect people, but secretly worries he might be endangering them. A dream where Everyone's In Danger feels like the kind of stress dream he'd have.

I'm sure you would've had plenty to contribute! Don't sell yourself short.

Previously, Sougo has come into terms for his inner dark side, but actually this episode now proves again that Sougo wants to become a benevolent overlord. Though the main trio are now conflicted, Sougo still thinks of them as friends when asked who they're, and his actions later were pleading Geiz to save Tsukuyomi even if it results in his future demise. He then protects the children refugees after Kikai went rogue, and saving Kikai later. And it's not like Sougo creates Geiz and Tsukuyomi, the Sougo creating thing only happened when he obtained Zi-O II. Actually his creation is probably the alternate timeline White Woz came from, also coming from his previous dream about Shinobi turning into Kamen Rider, which creates Geiz Revive timeline. The previous Mirror Sougo was about Sougo likely scheming to become Ohma Zi-O, but Geiz Revive timeline may exist because he desperately wants to avoid becoming Ohma Zi-O to the point where he wants someone to kill him. Where now the next dream he does is Kikai via his subconscious fears and stresses about his friends abandoning him, and he unknowingly created that monster now.

I just realized, is your gripe with Tsukuyomi here, a similar one to your gripe on Yuuji's turn on Faiz's finale (Yuuji was outright villainous though)? For her here, wanting to grow out of Time Mom phase (no, this isn't something that I use here to compare with Yuuji), but instead is done on the worst way? But anyway I've said that Tsukuyomi is one of the most hated character in the franchise (t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶i̶s̶ ̶s̶o̶ ̶s̶e̶v̶e̶r̶e̶ ̶e̶v̶e̶n̶ ̶F̶i̶s̶h̶ ̶d̶o̶e̶s̶n̶'̶t̶ ̶s̶t̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶u̶p̶ ̶a̶g̶a̶i̶n̶s̶t̶ ̶h̶e̶r̶,̶ ̶I̶ ̶t̶h̶o̶u̶g̶h̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶t̶o̶o̶ ̶f̶r̶o̶m̶ ̶h̶o̶w̶ ̶h̶e̶ ̶n̶e̶v̶e̶r̶ ̶b̶r̶o̶u̶g̶h̶t̶ ̶h̶e̶r̶ ̶u̶p̶ ̶p̶r̶i̶o̶r̶,̶ ̶t̶h̶o̶u̶g̶h̶ ̶t̶u̶r̶n̶s̶ ̶o̶u̶t̶ ̶n̶o̶t̶ ̶n̶o̶w̶), probably you now should understand that better, if not for some episodes before. But as I said before this is real life, writer stuff problem. I guess I understand the complaint here as while Sougo as Zi-O II is terrifying, even as he didn't save Geiz's life, but Tsukuyomi's own life here too, but it's potentially about Sougo shaping the future as he wishes, White Woz is somehow free from suspicions and is apparently viewed as better in her eyes. I mean, she actually was appropriately suspicious for Black Woz before! Whose affable personality is at least genuine and didn't go for the lengths White Woz had! I don't know if White Woz is also meant to conceal his sinister side like Kusaka does in Faiz to the supporting cast, but that'd also meant the series did poor job for White Woz too.

Though other than the Sougo stuff here, regarding Junichiro talking about Sougo being lonely other than the time orphans (Geiz starting from ep. 15) as real friends, Tsukuyomi was still completely amiable and courteous to Junichiro, appreciating him and bowing while thanking him, which is something that is clearly retrained from previous Tsukuyomi portrayals (for "Mirror Tsukuyomi"). There's something worse about Sougo losing his 2 real friends for now, actually it's potentially a self-fulfilling prophecy Tsukuyomi pulled out of fear, that Sougo would be left with Black Woz, which although a friend and helper for Sougo, he wants to create Ohma Zi-O, so Black Woz is essentially Sougo's corruptor (there can be toxic friend influence!) and he'd be more susceptible to that, now by expanding Sougo's dark side inside (which although there, is tiny now to his good) as he accepted it now.

Have no place to talk about the Time Jackers above thus would be here... Though it may not sit well with you, yeah, Ora is intended to be a total scumbag, not on Swartz's level, but still one. I̶ ̶h̶a̶t̶e̶ ̶h̶e̶r̶ ̶b̶e̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶c̶a̶l̶l̶e̶d̶ ̶a̶ ̶(̶s̶e̶c̶o̶n̶d̶a̶r̶y̶)̶ ̶h̶e̶r̶o̶i̶n̶e̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶Z̶i̶-̶O̶ ̶d̶u̶e̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶h̶e̶r̶ ̶ ̶b̶e̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶a̶n̶o̶t̶h̶e̶r̶ ̶m̶a̶j̶o̶r̶ ̶f̶e̶m̶a̶l̶e̶ ̶s̶m̶h̶ ̶d̶u̶e̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶a̶ ̶c̶o̶u̶n̶t̶r̶y̶ ̶w̶i̶t̶h̶o̶u̶t̶ ̶E̶n̶g̶l̶i̶s̶h̶ ̶a̶s̶ ̶f̶i̶r̶s̶t̶ ̶l̶a̶n̶g̶u̶a̶g̶e̶. It wouldn't be a writing problem like the dumb plot about Tsukuyomi, it's intentional. It's a running pattern for Ora that she does doing something nice for someone else, it's either because the action directly benefits her personally or a setup to make the other person drop their guard so that she can do something absolutely horrendous. She's a sociopath who sees everything or everyone around her as a means to an end and is capable of feigning empathy to manipulate the people around her. She kickstarted the plot here by mainpulating the heroes that eventually had her getting to know Another Kikai's password from Tsukuyomi and helped with Geiz's hesitation she snatched the Watch and killed Tsukuyomi in the process. It's foiled by Sougo's Zi-O II powers though.

I liked this arc, mostly because of Kikai, but the Zi-O portion was nice too.

I love how Kikai's year is 2121, signifying he's the 150th anniversary of Kamen Rider, which is funny since he feels so much like a Showa Rider with a helping of other Ishinomori Heroes, like Kikaider, even the Driver sounds Showa! It's also fun how he only appears in dreams, and Sougo imagined him much like Shinobi back when French Woz debuted. Not to mention his design, while a remodel of the Guardians from Build (which were great suits on their own), but it's a fun design that invokes retro robots with a dash of modernity.

Speaking of design, it's interesting how real (or I guess in this case dream?) Kikai is a machine, while Another Kikai looks like a tree, the complete opposite of Kikai in just about every aspect in how it's completely organic, straight down to the fact that it's some weird alien thing instead of just planting the Ridewatch into somebody.

I will admit, the Zi-O portion isn't as good as some of the other Zi-O portions for previous (and future) episodes, but it was nice. Sougo constantly trying to stay awake to finish exams before ultimately falling asleep, then when he's needed to sleep so he can find out if Kikai has any weaknesses, he just can't seem to sleep (which reminds me of the dream arc in W), was pretty funny. Though the Time Jackers are almost always a mixed bag in the story, with Swartz just not being the guy you would trust even if he's your own teammate, kind of works for the role of Villain he sits in, though so far, they're pretty much just Sentai Villains without the quirks in human form.