Actually no, it's just people having severely lack of knowledge regarding media, not getting exposed enough to media. Yeah many people in Indonesia are like that, only knowing handful of media or media traits, that are mainstream (typically the ones who got aired in TV, like Naruto for anime).

Like Sh Ranger said, Bima has a right to defend himself from the attacks. As long as ofc, he doesn't use excessive force, especially that if it's normal humans. I disagree with the notion of how heroes must not look out for themselves which some people say (and must be permanently in hardships), it's ok to be your best selves in your heroism (in this case, not being injured against the main threat). But this is one of villain's tactics to get the hero to stop, a hostage situation where they deliberately made heroes' choice potentially harm the people they'd protect. The end never justify the means, but unintentional bad outcome doesn't make the heroes bad.

Yeah, this one is nice for VUDO actually acting like what they're established as, of them wanting to bring life to Parallel World, but it comes at the cost of depriving the Earth from life itself. It's a situation where only one side can win, and VUDO doesn't care regarding the existing life. Though still Rasputin feels just like he wants to rule the world like typical overlord.

George went the way of Kiriya Kujo.

But hey, Andre, the kid who got beaten with a traffic cone, got to live, so that's something. Still a very violent episode though for sure.

The first half of the episode actually has a very interesting hook: With Ray in a coma from his injuries, Mikhail has to step back into the foray as the only one who can possibly stand up to the Vudo Empire.

I also liked how they called back to how Mikhail discovered that Ray could become Bima in the first place: With Mikhail offering a blood transfusion to save Ray's' life. They did link blood in the first episode, afterall. Unfortunately, it's part of what left Mikhail weak enough to be captured by Vudo.

The second half, while nice, is simply a reaffirmation of Ray's' heroic resolve. He might be battered and beaten down, but he's still willing to put his life on the line to save the planet he loves so dearly, with the fight against the Valcus Monster being a nearly one-sided beat down until Bima can find the perfect opening to exploit. It's a victory, but things are only looking to get worse from here.

But, yeah, the whole episode played out like a cross between a hospital soap opera and a superhero show, and I rather dug it. If there's one thing that BIMA has nailed almost consistently it's the atmosphere that it's gunning for, and I'm a sucker for that kind of thing. The longer it goes, the more I'm looking at it like Kuuga-lite(something I've seen OOO called), and trust me, that's only a compliment in my eyes.

For a show billed as kid's show (yeah, it's what Reino Barack established the show as, adult viewers are just bonus), they went the brutal way in George's fate, that he was outright killed, in a brutal way, albeit offscreen.

Yeah, Mikhail having the same blood type as Ray, and a really rare one at that, AB negative, is something that isn't just a throwaway here or small meaningful event just to keep the main protagonist alive.

Valcus Monster's brutality earns him 2 Helios Blaster shots.

It must be frustrating for Ray's family, that his adoption means they don't share blood and thus they can't help him the way they want to. Good thing Mikhail remembered he was a viable donor from their link in the first episode. However, not so good about VUDO capturing him in his weakened state. This is a major turning point for the show.

This was the first episode of Bima I watched RAW. I recall the subs were taking longer than usual that week and I was in suspense to find out what would happen to Ray.

Yeah, impalement via giant scorpion stinger isn't exactly the most pleasant way to go.

Yeah, and I imagine they feel atleast somewhat responsible for what happened too, given how they tailed him to the power plant for a pettyreason.

Wait, Gills!?


Anyway, there are two plots going on in this episode: The usual monster of the week plot, which features Cobra Commander up there stealing Indonesia's' gasoline supply, and then the plans that the Vudo Empire has for Mikhail.

And right up front, Randy proposes what I was thinking when it came to Mikhail: That he might actually be Reza; Having been taken prisoner instead of killed.

Another theory I'd had was that perhaps Reza had become Iron Mask after the previous one was retired, but this episode kinda shoots that down immediately. Speaking of Vudo, I did like how much Rasputin surprised me this episode; showing that he's not just your typical dumb, angry boss.

Because see, it seemed like such a cliche moment at first; saving Mikhail from being killed by Iron Mask for seemingly no reason. But then came the climax of the episode, wherein a new foe shows his face. A Dark Bima, powered by the Black Power Stone. And if it's somehow not a mind-controlled Mikhail I won't know what to think given the very obvious setup.

The Cobra plot by comparison is very standard, though it does have the funny angle of Rasputin trying for a stealthy approach, only to I guess not realize that Ray's' Power Stone can literally detect whenever they do, well, just about anything. Probably the smartest monster to date though, given that he just immediately nopes outta there as soon as Bima shows up. Very much unlike the Gills from Agito.

Very much looking forward to see more of this Black Bima in action next episode!

There's definitely a strong case for Mikhail being Reza at this point. I can see why you also suspected Topeng Besi, maybe due to his intense focus on Bima, but he still has his own story for another time to explain that.

Rasputin's pulling the old Rita Repulsa move of "make evil [x] to destroy [x]". I mean, he did have five Power Stones sitting around, with only Topeng Besi using Biru. May as well use another one to put more pressure on Bima. And if Mikhail's the user for Power Stone Hitam, then.... Well, I'll save that talk for next episode.

Yeah that was certainly a factor. Also partly due to how Iron Mask has been reluctant to fight Bima directly for some time now.

Makes me wonder if we could have a whole team of different Bimas, each with their own Power Stone: The Bima Rangers!

Mikhail under the influence of the Black Power Stone goes under a new name: Azazel.

It's telling that Bima only survives and wins the day in the end due to a conflict of interest between Azazel and Iron Mask.

Outside of that... there really wasn't much to this one? Once Azazel makes his exit he basically stays gone, and the Gills plot is very straightforward with Gas Boss making amends with his family. Bima threatening him directly was a pretty cool scene to see play out though.

As I've said before, that's not to say the episode was bad, it was just very direct and to the point. Though the hook at the end, with Azazel being promoted as the new Commander of Vudo over Iron Mask makes for some intrigue.

But... yeah. Not really much to say about this one other than that I liked what I saw, and I'm looking forward to more.

Although Bima doesn't have compatibility with every Power Stone and Azazel exclusively uses Hitam, there's still enough Stones and characters to have a hypothetical team of Satria Rangers!

And it's a bad*ss name for sure! Azazel has his own equivalent of Helios as well, Taranis. While Helios uses fire and wind elemental abilities, Taranis uses opposing darkness and thunder. I enjoyed this first fight between Bima and Azazel a lot!

For another PR reference here, I think Mikhail's and Topeng Besi's rivalry is similar to Trent's and Zeltrax's, with their contention for the top general spot. However, this also shows another side of Topeng Besi, that his rivalry isn't only limited to Bima, but to other Satria as well. He wants to destroy Satria, not affiliate with them and definitely not serve under them, so his demotion under the brainwashed Mikhail is a serious problem for him. Of course, it's also a serious problem for Ray, who's lost a mentor and gained an enemy.

Makes me wonder if he has a bit of disdain for Satria Motors then, haha.

Azazel offers some good advice, which is surprisingly pertinent to the episode at hand.

I won't lie, a good chunk of this was a bit hard to sit through for me, given that half the episode is about Rena trying to romance Ray.

But, taken at face value without personal grievances, I can see what the overall story of this one is going for and, to that end, I think it was all pulled off well enough to still keep me engaged.

The episode highlights how Ray's' duty as Bima has diminished his ability to protect that which he cherishes most. While understandable, due to him now being a defender of the world and all, the crux of the climax is only able to happen because he broke his promise to Rena, without having any sort of priority towards making it up to her.

Oh, yeah, I should probably explain what exactly it is that's happening with this one, huh? It's a beach episode, with Ray, Belinda, Rena, and Rena's' friends all staying together at a resort. The result is some actually quite pretty scenery being used throughout the episode!

In addition to that though, Vudo sends its latest monster, the Decade Genome--I mean, the Megalodon Monster, to steal a machine known as the ZU Formula, which is an energy cannon that can pierce mountains no problem. Azazel is focused on the cannon, whereas Iron Mask is more concerned with making Bima suffer. With an easy way to do that; Having the Megalodon possess Rena. And what a fierce fight it puts up as a result!

There are also some Inoue aspects to this episode, given that due to Rena being entirely out of the loop she has a serious misunderstanding about everything that's going on with Ray. Makes me think the second part to this tale is gonna end with Rena turning into dust.

Anyway, sister pining for brother aspects aside, the soap opera drama and the solid cinematography carried this episode for sure. So I won't complain too much.

Also, Ray looks surprisingly good in a Hawaiian jacket, I must admit.

You know I joked about Azazel's' intro advice before, but I do legit like how they've been handling it, given that it highlights how, brainwashed or not, it is still Mikhail under all of that make-up.

And he's sort of the main star of this episode, isn't he? Like, I'm sure the writers more intended for the growing bond between Ray and Rena to be the major selling point, given that it makes for the climax of the episode and all, but Azazel is just so cool there's just no way to upstage that!

The fight between Azazel and Bima, while featuring some cliches(Azazel standing on Bima's' blade!) is still very fun to watch, and my joke about Inoue last episode ended up being quite prophetic given that this episode features them clashing in the water. Taranis not being two different colors like Helios is actually a great touch; Emphasizing how Taranis, unlike Helios, is a weapon made only for destruction rather than salvation.

On the Megalodon side of things, however, I did like how the story took into account the very obvious solution of just tracking the laptop belonging to Belinda's' dad. And seeing that Randy could actually throw down was a really nice treat. And of course, that very last bit of the episode, with Iron Mask blowing up the ship while Azazel is on it? That's a great hook.

Overall, as action climaxes go, this one was alot of fun.

If he had more free time, he'd totally start his own Anti-Satria Motors for no other reason than to put them out of business.

That's something I enjoy about Satria Series in general, getting to see some new settings outside of the ones in Japan that Toei reuse over and over again. Lots of cool vistas in Indonesia and it's refreshing to see something unique for Tokusatsu like the tropical atmosphere of the resort in these two episodes. Makes a nice backdrop for all the drama between Ray, Rena and Belinda as well, since vacation plots are usually an excuse for that kind of thing.

Azazel is cool for sure! So cool that even as a villain, he can still give good moral advice to the kids!

However, I do need to talk about the Ray and Rena plot as well, since that's a pretty big deal for the new status quo. I think this conclusion actually pushes back on the weird romance thing, as the whole "Mochi" flashback is something from their childhood, likely before Rena developed any of those additional feelings for Ray. I like how Ray used that memory to subtly lead Rena to figure out his identity. It was a cute scene, with Ray showing that even with his responsibility as Bima, he will always be around to protect his little sister!

Misunderstanding, check. Love triangle, check. Bodies of water, check. It's very Inoue.

Speaking of writers, now would be an appropriate time to talk about the impending staff change. Like Blade and Hibiki, Bima was also affected by this phenomenon. Due to the lack of discussion about Bima, I'm not sure what's the consensus for whether this is good or bad and I'm not sure about the reason either. The head writer for Episode 1-15 was Hayase Masato, but Nakazawa Takeshi takes over for 16-26.

If you want my general opinion though, I think both writers have their merits and some of my favorite episodes are in the second half. The main downside is that we're never seeing Belinda ever again, sadly. That's all I can say for now without spoiling anything.

I really do gotta give them props for all of the filming on location that they do. It really does help with the world building of the show with having such a variety of different locations that Bima needs to be in.

It was a cute scene for sure. And it made alot of sense too, as at this point there really is no reason to keep Rena out of the loop.

Hoo boy. Thanks for the heads up on that. I'm not the kinda guy who automatically starts doomsaying at that sort of thing; Yamamura was still able to capture the essence of Kamen Rider Decade when he took over, afterall, but it is definitely a shame when a writer's' work gets ripped away from them regardless.

Wow, that's a big shame. Belinda was just starting to come into her own as a character and a part of the cast. I guess the new guy just couldn't think of anything to do with her?

Oh yeah, I somehow forgot it happened in Decade as well. Hibiki's was the most infamous extreme case, while Blade and Decade changed the flavor a little but otherwise stayed pretty faithful to what those shows were about. Fortunately, I think Bima definitely fits with the latter example.

And to this day, I still don't even know where Imai Shoji went.

Her involvement with the ZU formula through her father was some genuinely intriguing new information about the character, after previously being a device for the Ray and Rena plot. I would've liked to see how Hayase planned to keep exploring Belinda as her own character, but it seems like Nakazawa for some reason wasn't at all interested in the cool biker girl. :(

I wonder by this how'd you think that Reza can end up evil, other than perhaps, being only brainwashed.

Now I wonder what'd differentiate cowardice or being rationale in that escape.

People's' upbringing has a big influence on their moral fiber. Reza was like five when he was taken. Not a stretch to think he'd be molded into a devout follower of Vudo.

Whether or not the action was done out of fear.

I will say, the general atmosphere of BIMA has definitely been retained despite the writer change.

Not that I think the writing was as much of a big factor for this specific episode, given that it's about 80% action, with all of it involving Iron Mask.

I did love the irony in how it was Iron Mask who ended up weakening the mind control on Mikhail, even if indirectly, which also in turn leads to showcasing how Rasputin is no pushover.

The other half of the action has to do with Iron Mask trying to settle the score with Bima, and man, Iron Mask really has leveled up since the two last fought. Both fights are choreographed well, but the fight with Bima is definitely the better of the two, with Iron Mask showing off alot more of what the Blue Power Stone can do.

That all being said, what plot stuff is in this episode really does jump things ahead a great deal. Randy theorizes that both his and Ray's' birth parents might still be alive, as keeping them enslaved would be a practical move on Vudo's' part. Mikhail meanwhile is not only struggling with resisting his mind control, but it's revealed that he is infact Reza, and he meets two mysterious people who know his real identity.

Really, the whole episode is kinda framed like one you'd see at the very end of a typical toku story, which makes me very interested in where exactly the rest of the show is headed, given that we still have nine more episodes to go. Not to mention four more Power Stones left unaccounted for.

Guess I'll find out tomorrow!

I'd immediately think Azazel was more intimidating than Topeng Besi, who can feel underwhelming to me despite his high position.

In this case, Topeng Besi and Azazel's rivalry can result in the people being free and safe from the loser's threat and make things easier for Bima, should either of them win and eliminate the other. That shouldn't mean either of them are doing something good right (for the winner)?

Thanks to the creation of Azazel, we know Rasputin is totally the kind of guy who prefers to take prisoners. Makes sense with his goal of siphoning Earth's natural resources that he'd be against wasting potential assets. Humans can also be considered natural resources, in a dark way. Literally dark in Azazel's case. Based on Randy's conjecture about this, it seems pretty likely that the two mysterious people in Parallel World are the Bramasaktis, or at least a vision of them, which would explain why they know Reza's name.

Right, they're both villains and their rivalry is essentially, "who's the better villain?". If either one were eliminated, the survivor would compensate by committing even more evil deeds.

This was easily my least liked episode so far.

The main issue is pacing. This is two different episodes glued together and played at double speed, making for a sharp contrast of what the show has been up to now.

There's the defeat of Iron Mask, with Bima gaining the Blue Power Stone, and then there's the return of Azazel, which at first is framed though he became his own entity, but apparently not? Oh, this also qualifies as a recap episode too, for some reason.

And while the extended action sequences are cool and all, shoving these two things back to back together not only doesn't allow much in the way of breathing room, but also in turn removes a key element from BIMA; And that's the introspection that came with nearly every step forward in the plot. The very brief conversation with Randy doesn't even qualify.

We never learn what exactly Iron Mask's' deal was. There's no period where Ray has to learn how to best utilize his new powers, and the bout against Azazel is almost entirely just that, a fight. Very little room is left for exploration or discussion. Both of the big events of this episode should be treated as major deals, but they're just glanced over for the sake of more fights, and that's a real shame in my book.

Also, they direct Ray to start having a deeper voice whenever he's Bima now, which is such an out of nowhere thing to do this late into things. I found it very unnatural sounding and distracting.

Just... yeah. It's not like this episode is outright awful or anything, but I wasn't much a fan of just how much it stood against the signature style BIMA had been going with up to this point.

So this displays the standard human traits of how, your loved ones being targeted will enrage them the most, among all the VUDO targets. Megalodon Monster would be more human version of Kamen Rider Abyss' Contract Monster. And now Ray reveals his identity towards Rena as Bima, using how "mochi gembul" is the only thing Ray would say as a family member. And the flashback seems to show that it's actually the adopted kid ("outsider") teasing the blood family here.

As Taranis doesn't seem to have abilities like Bima Blue Storm or Red Fire, I'd think it seems unnecessary to fold it into only a blade, using it in the "bow" mode will give more range to figtht.

Yeah, that's one of the surprising things in this series of the ship being blown up by Topeng Besi.

True, but I meant that, this should be remembered into many other clashes as well. Even including the parties with lesser evil, of which they're still evil (lesser evil after all).

Feels like the plot of Episode 16 was too small to fit two episodes yet too big to fit one and this is the result for Episode 17. An awesome climax at the start, followed by.... Stuff that I mostly forgot. So yeah, let's talk about that climactic fight between Bima and Topeng Besi, I guess.

In case you needed another reason for why Helios is half blue and half wind elemental, now we have Bima using Power Stone Biru in his new left gauntlet claw. Merah and Biru have special synergy that can gradually bring out more potential in Helios. Wind helps fire to spread and fire helps wind to rise.

But if the enemy manages to evade Taranis' ranged attacks and get too close, then switching to blade mode would be a practical choice.

It actually does. Black Thunder, which is its equivalent to Helios' Red Fire.

That makes alot sense. Not sure if that was the plan from the getgo, but either way, it ended up really working out.

I feel like even if I hadn't been told that there was a writer change, that I would've gotten the feeling of there being one once this episode hit.

It has alot of the usual telltale signs of such: The quick shooing out of old characters for new ones, the overall air and pacing being much different from the pre-established style, and a hard left turn in terms of plot focus.

Now, granted, BIMA's' already existing elements do lend itself to these things a bit more than most other Toku shows, what with the importance of the Power Stones already having been established and how there's only so many episodes of the show left, but even so, it's all there.

That being said... I did overall like this episode for what it was!

Don't get me wrong, the soap opera elements getting extremely downplayed for the sake of standard Toku high energy is a shame for me, as I rather liked BIMA's' signature style up to now. But, accepting the situation for what it is, I do still like the more standard Tokusatsu energy, and I really liked what they brought to the climax of the episode.

I think it helps that when it comes to Shadow Crisis, they started off with the Zacros Monster, wielder of the Purple Power Stone and my favorite design of the four. Not only does him being an illusionist make for some really cool imagery and a unique fighting style, but the guy just has some great charisma in not only how he presents himself, but also in how, while he does have a job to do in getting the Stones back, he also gets his jollies in messing with Ray's head.

Would I have preferred the change to have not happened? Yeah, most likely. Especially given the new style means less overall character focus. But if the rest of the show is as fun as the last third of this episode was? I think I'll still be in for a good time.

Yeah, I guess this part would be when Topeng Besi raises his threatening level a bit, after feeling that the MOTW put a better fight than the 2nd in command. Not that Topeng Besi was curbstomped before, but still.

The foreshadowing before of how Mikhail is the only one who can transfer his blood to Ray leads to this, that this is actually Secret Siblings revealation. With Ray's younger brother being named Reza, some also has nicknamed him overall, "Rezazel".

I find that to be a pretty funny nickname, not gonna lie. Though I suppose it's better than "Azazeza"

You have no idea how tempted I was to just make the thumbnail the Reverse Uno card.

Because it was such a fun turnabout, this episode. Not only in Bima threatening to rip out Zacros' Power Stone, but also in outright denying his notion that family and bonds amongst people are worthless.

Randy being the biggest surprise though, with him being more than willing to throw down in order to save Rena.

I'm really gonna miss Zacros though, as he's easily become my favorite of the Monsters in BIMA. Not only do his powers lend to some really creative energy and visuals throughout this two-parter, but the way the guy carried himself was really charismatic to me.

But uh, that said, Bima forgetting to claim the Purple Power Stone after his victory is a bit of a shame. Was really looking forward to seeing what new power and/or weapon that he'd gain after obtaining it. Though the prospect of Rasputin specifically filling them with hatred makes for a rather interesting plot hook, which I assume ties into the Grand Gator talked about last episode.

But yeah, the action, combined with the theme of how having those that love and support you can help get you through the toughest of times made for a very fun sit. Yeah, I'll forever be disappointed that alot of what was previously established in this show will now never be properly followed up on, but if the rest of the show manages to be anywhere near as fun as the majority of these last two episodes were, I think it'll make for it, in its own way.

And with that, I must now announce that updates to this thread will be going on a short hiatus, as I'm actually going on vacation tomorrow! So yeah, no episode posts for about a week, but I'll still of course respond to anything you guys have to say.

The defeat of Topeng Besi does give Bima something, in his upgrades with Power Stone Biru. Regarding the fight, now Topeng Besi's increased threat is about him having duplicated ability, or him not feeling any pain due to being animated armor.

The only revelation for Topeng Besi for now is that he's an animated armor. And yeah, for now it can be disappointing that we never learn his deal at that time, but stay tuned actually.

I think it's cool how Rena and Randy are actively supporting Ray in his Bima adventures now. The Zacros arc really shows their strong sibling connection, as Bima proves that his familial love is his strength rather than the weakness Zacros mistook it for and Rena and Randy prove they can be pretty capable on their own as well.

Not sure if Hayase would've written something like this after revealing Bima's identity to Rena, but Nakazawa totally made up here for his below average first impression and I'd say he has a strong grasp on his vision for the show from now on.

Same here! I love his charisma, his perpetual unnerving smile and how his name sounds similar to Kamen Rider ZX. Him going first was a cool way to establish Shadow Crisis as an elite team of monsters, but that also means the coolest member has already gone.

Power Stone Ungu already gave Bima his theme song, Seperti Bintang. That's better than any weapon! :p

Back from my hiatus real quick to play catch-up with Bima since Dreamsword decided to go on break. And also because I told him I'd probably follow along as well so here we are. I watched 19 Episodes over the past 6 days and I have thoughts on Bima. It won't be anything too big, especially since I'll only be doing light thoughts episode by episode.

But for broad thoughts, uh... the Bima suit is fire, I was not expecting to have Seperti Bintang on loop constantly in my life, and it's rather refreshing to see Toku related activities take place in a new locale. Also I don't think I'll ever get over the gut punch that is Episode 10 and 11 being intro'd by Rasputin and Iron Mask respectively, with Azazel later getting in on the fun for a 3 episode streak starting with 13.

Note that these Episode bits were also written partially while watching the episodes themselves so they might end up slightly reactionary.

Episode 1: The sound design, lol! It's hilarious at points in how bad it is. You can definitely tell this is a first time job for people but there?s still a lot of effort put into it. It's a good establishing episode though, also I dig our grunts, as they're pretty nice and distinct.

Episode 2: Okay so Mikhail and Ray's talks in the bright shiny dimension give me Ultraman Vibes if I'm being honest. The action is pretty cool too, though this really is just more of a continuation of Episode 1 so I don't have much to say. I can't believe we also have the Indonesian Quarry for our fights too. Also Seven Power Stones huh? Wonder if when Bima gets all 7 he'll glow gold and have rock songs blasting out as he fights.

Episode 3: I think my favorite scene of this episode were the grunts suddenly appearing behind the crowd that was watching the musicians play and no one even noticed. Next time we cut back, panic! Not much to say on this episode, but I am enjoying the suits a lot.

Episode 4: All hail the hypnotoad! There's something hysterical about Iron Mask asking Rasputin how the monster this time will cause trouble only for Rasputin to laugh. Ten minutes later when we get the real plan by redoing that scene via a flashback, I end up being horrified. It's a very messed up way to go, just hypnotizing someone into committing suicide.

Episode 5: We've got a conclusion to the hypnosis episode, also holy shit, I was not expecting there to be like a numbered set of casualties. It was interesting to see this all wrap up, though I do wonder if we'll ever see reporter dude again. That being said, Episode 4 and 5 mark where I think the sound design gets better which is honestly great. We've got a bit more mystery in the overarching plot piling up... very interested to see how this all goes.

Episode 6: Oh hey reporter dude is back, glad to see he's reoccurring. Also holy shit, we're just going for full economic crisis? These villainous plots are going surprisingly big for standard monster of the week affair! Also the transforming blowing out the lights was sick.

Episode 7: Yo Garuda Strike is pretty sick, and the guest story this week was honestly rather nice to see with the father and son, their issues, reconciliation and understanding of one another. There's also something funny about Ray watching the news and just doing the fist pump while shaking his head like "Yeah, yeah" at the end there.

Episode 8: Okay I really dig that reporter dude, George, is just here to stay, it's great. Also if Rasputin gets all 7 Power Stones he's totally turning into Super Rasputin, clearly. That being said, holy inflation Bima, we've got attacks on the food market now! This show does amuse me in various ways though, purely because our big cliffhanger this time is Bima getting crate doors closed on him.

Episode 9: Okay that opening narration bit of "people are relying on the monster" came out of nowhere for me because there wasn't even that implication in the last episode. That being said we conclude our cliffhanger... by having the crate doors just open wide as Bima stands there. This show makes me laugh when it probably shouldn?t but also I just find Bima very endearing as a show at the moment. "What power is this?!" That my dear octopus monster friend was a Rider Kick.

Episode 10: A scorpion monster who stings people with electricity and causes them to hallucinate that people are it... that's wow. I was not expecting the traffic cone beatdown, holy shit! You know, I've got to say I enjoy Iron Mask purely because while the monster is apologizing he dramatically runs over and spin kicks it. I was also not expecting this to be a turning point episode with Mikhail suddenly getting involved more than usual but hey I'm here for it!

Episode 11: We continue Mikhael getting more involved by doing a blood transfusion? Like I had my suspicions of him way before... but this is definitely starting to confirm them. Also can I just say, it's been a while since I've seen a Toku Hero so grievously hurt they need an actual operation to save them? Did... did the scorpion monster kill George? Oh god, George actually died?! Holy hell! Another surprise this episode was Mikhael getting captured due to him being out in the open for too long, I wasn't sure if it'd happen or not. Things are definitely picking up.

Episode 12: Okay so with both Scorpion and now Snake doing this... did they finally figure out that they should add notable changes to the monsters when they absorb humans? Because I'm pretty sure the other monsters did not do this. Randy has a theory that lines up with mine... that Reza and Mikhail are one in the same. Looks like Sisil is taking up George's line of work. That being said we've got a Rival Recolor confronting Bima now, very exciting!

Episode 13: Okay no wait I need to address this, the name Azazel, him being a dark color swap of Bima? OH NO HE'S HOT! Aside from the shakeup with Azazel and Iron Mask now deciding to have one of my favorite pastimes of villain infighting, there's not much to say for this episode aside from Vudo continuing their tactic of supply stealing which I do enjoy for our monster of the week plots. I did like Bima pulling a Batman though on the Oil CEO guy, it was a fun scene to watch! Curious to see how Azazel takes things going forward now that we've got our new power dynamic introduced.

Episode 14: I suppose this is our 'beach' episode, I say that but it's mostly set dressing. Beautiful set dressing though as I once again have to compliment the locations here, big breath of fresh air. I will admit I was not expecting a slightly more absurd plot this week of science advancing so hard that laser blasts can drill holes into mountains and its main usage is for tunneling. Definitely helps Azazel's schemes come off as different, also Iron Mask is putting a lot more work in now which is nice.

Episode 15: Azazel is so cool, I mean seriously. Like, dark recolor, that glorious name, black and gold recolor of Helios, he reverse grips with it, and he does that standing on the sword bit against Bima? I must say, "OH NO HE'S HOT!" once more. Also this is the set of episodes where Rena finally finds out Ray's identity as Bima, it was a nice moment I'll be honest. It was also really cool to see Ray get so fired up, there was a good intensity to everything. Was not expecting Iron Mask to say "screw it, we ball" and just explode his ship to kill Azazel. That?s definitely a way to end the episode.

Episode 16: Oh huh, was not expecting Sisil to show back up given the last we saw of her was like a good several episodes back. So we get full confirmation on Mikhail/Azazel being Reza from Rasputin himself, curious to see when that'll come out to the rest of the cast. Also this plane field fight between Iron Mask and Bima is cool. Yet again, Indonesia has some real good locations to film at.

Episode 17: You know I was hoping for some kind of double Rider action inevitably on the off chance Azazel decides to defect... was not expecting Bima to just take matters into his own hands and do it himself tbh. Also wow I was not expecting Iron Mask to just get offed straight in the cold opening. But hey Bima's got a cool new hand guard! This episode also gave me whiplash in how fast it flew by with certain things. Definitely feels like a growing pains episode given the whole new writer thing I heard about. Also is this a pseudo-clipshow episode? What?! And is it just me or is Bima's voice pitched lower now?

Episode 18: I?m always a fan of a show that gets its own Four Saint Beasts, so getting Shadow Crisis as we kick into endgame is pretty great. Zacros has a pretty cool energy to him, in that he fights via countering his opponent and pulls off some rather fun choreography while sitting too. The climax being him just basically not taking the fight with Bima seriously on the bus was a highlight. I also like how we get like the lead in to our intro song becoming an insert song only for Bima to just be nope'd out of the bus.

Episode 19: We continue where we left off and get some fun stuff like Randy just deciding to leap in to help Rena while making no sense in the process and he gets to wield Helios for a bit. Like Randy my man, I'm glad you've gotten more involved, but you could have just been straightforward and not go on a ramble about what Rena was cooking for dinner. Then we get the climax which is an insanely trippy sequence involving the Zacros Monster. Admittedly not a total loss for Rasputin because apparently the Power Stone just insta-returns to him and is apparently imbued with Zacros' hatred for Bima. And we've got our next general lined up for next time, Karax.

Overall:

It's interesting to watch this show improve upon itself in the small technical aspects as time goes on. Very much interested to see if it manages to stick the landing, but it's a rather fun show regardless at the moment.

I have returned from vacation! Let's see what you all have to say...

Him not feeling pain wasn't really a detail I picked up on, given that many of his bouts weren't too dissimilar from other monsters. Just figured he was a powerful foe.

Yeah, it for sure gives the impression that this writer knows what he wants to gun for and is doing his best to present it. A shame old stuff couldn't get wrapped in the cleanest way, but it is what it is.

Not gonna lie, the old Toku theme song power up starting only for Bima to immediately get sucker punched gave me a good laugh.

Would you be opposed to Super Bima blasting a hard rock version of Seperti Bingtang over the audio as he fights? I know I sure wouldn't!

While I knew I had to clip Garuda Strike the moment I saw it, I also need to make up my lack of highlighting another incredibly over the top but awesome action sequence in this episode. That is, Bima drawing his bow and spinning around with such force that it creates a sonic boom that kills the surrounding mooks. It was so dumb that I couldn't help but absolutely love it.

I'm glad you noted the Batman scene because that was for sure a major highlight of the episode. One thing I really love about Ray is just how many aspects there is to his personality all throughout the show; Which in turn compliments the different ways he handles specific tasks as Bima. It's some surprisingly solid character work that I wasn't really expecting.

Watching Bima actually feels really different compared to actual Indonesian soap operas (low end shows of no redeeming qualities). The signature style of those soap operas involve something like shouting in the middle of road while a car is ramming to you, pounding sound in each single tension with the camera panning close to the actor/actress' face, etc.

Zacros Monster is the most memorable foe to me, and yeah Shadow Crisis gave a better presence and threat than Topeng Besi (for now...). He stands out with his unfailing politeness while confronting Bima, while not reducing his sinister part.

Cuz Ungu is the name of the band that sung Seperti Bintang.

One of my favorite episodes of Spider-Man: The Animated Series is one where Peter, as Spider-Man, visits a sickly girl in the hospital, and talks to her about how he's only human like everyone else, and imparting hope into her that anyone can rise up to meet the challenges that life throws at them.

Meanwhile, one of my least liked episodes of Kamen Rider Revice are a two-parter in which a mother trying to save her deathly sick child is painted as a bad person and that the correct course of action was simply sick back and have faith that one day her child in desperate need of surgery will just magically get better through sheer will power.

Thankfully, despite having elements of the latter, this episode is far more in line with the former, and I really, really dug it.

The premise being that a child who's in need of immediate heart surgery makes a call out to Bima in the hopes that his hero will be able to save him without the need of a surgery that's noted to be a coin flip in terms of survivability.

And while premises like this are things I'm usually a sucker for regardless, especially in terms of their real life parallels, the ultimate message that Ray as Bima imparts onto Dion(the child) is one that is every bit as practical as it is heartwarming: Faith and courage are things that are absolutely needed in order to live life to its fullest, but even so, everyone has big fears and obstacles that life will throw at them, and waiting around for others to save you while taking no action of your own isn't going to result in much of anything.

Even heroes like Bima get scared, and even they can't always win every single battle, but if they gave up and ran away, nothing would get solved. Not only is the message itself a very realistic one, but I loved the touch to Ray's' character that tied into it; At first, Ray is simply saying all of this just to impart some hope into Dion, but the message ends up getting thrown back at him when the Crow Monster shows up. In a bit of an ironic way, Bima gives the lesson to Dion, who then in turn ends up imparting that same lesson onto Ray. And because this is Toku, it ends up resulting in a wicked powerup.

God Helios not only looks cool and grants Bima the power to fly, but it can also speak English! Like, I get the possibility that its early showing in the episode itself was probably just Ray's' own inner voice talking to him, but I do find it funny to think that Helios spoke English this whole time and just no one noticed.

Speaking of that scene, this episode featured some surprisingly cool cinematography, with shots such as Ray talking to his reflection and the hospital room being adorned with Bima merchandise and crayon drawings.

All in all, I think it's safe to say that this new writer has for sure found his voice and how he wants to impart it into BIMA, and I fully support it.

Your hope would be answered (along with Topeng Besi, if I may add).

Unfortunately, the Shadow Crisis being beaten isn't detrimental to the villains, it's the win-win scenario where one of them being beaten would mean the Power Stone can be used to power up Grand Gator.

There's something pretty satisfying about Bima showing up at the hospital to give Dion some courage to face the surgery he needs to live. Shows that Ray has really embraced his role as a hero who helps people and likewise how the people have also warmed to him as a symbol of hope.

Of course, the other thing that has changed is the action, which has improved significantly since the show started. Bima God Helios' debut was awesome! The garuda got his wings and it wasn't only from Merah and Biru working together to empower Helios, but also from Ray believing in his own hope to face the adversity, becoming the proof that Dion needed to accept it as well.

The second member of Shadow Crisis, Karax, also has a good design, being a raven monster with ice powers from Power Stone Putih, which is thematically appropriate since ravens commonly live in cold habitats. But despite being one of the elite, he gets taken out in only one episode, just like Lizarion did.

I think this standalone episode works great though, as it makes a smooth transition to the final arc. Regarding that English voice, he should sound a little familiar! You'll see very soon.

Far as I can tell though, there's still nothing stopping Bima from just, ya know, grabbing the Power Stone outside of his own forgetfulness.

Huh. I actually didn't know that about Ravens. I'm guessing we don't have a Water Stone then, given that the Blue Stone is Wind.

But yeah, as one of the few one off episodes that BIMA has, this was all around great.

No that is not some dumb edit I made, this is legit.

And really, do I at all need to sell you on the rest of this episode? That's all you need to know for a hook, right?

Alright, fine. So uh, turns out that Gackt was the mysterious voice from last episode, and not only that, but he's a Satria too. And alongside him comes not only the third member of Shadow Crisis, but an escapee from the Parallel World.

The blood pumping action that Gackt brings along with him aside, there's a surprising amount of world building contained in this episode. As the girl who escaped from Vudo highlights just how much her home world has suffered, while simultaneously establishing that not everyone in that world supports the invasion that Rasputin has put into motion.

And of course there's the Wolf Monster, wielder of the Green Power Stone with the element of Earth. Not exactly sure how Earth ties into a sonic boom creating howl, but sure, I can roll with it. Interestingly, he doesn't seem to recognize Gackt, despite the two seemingly having the same goals in mind.

The episode overall is very much setup for the next one, but really, Gackt showing up out of nowhere in an Indonesian Tokusatsu production did all the carrying in terms of momentum.

Decade's' Gackt cameo wishes it was this good.