That part legit took me by surprise. I don't think I've ever heard that song in a Japanese production before.

Losing sight of what's important can be costly.

When Jack Moon decides to send in a clone of himself powered by the Thunder Key, a divide between the motives of Kenji and SHOT soon forms.

And it's a cool showcase of how the grander takeaway of this adventure differs between Kenji and SHOT. SHOT remains focused on protecting the people of Akebono; Pure defense.

Kenji, however, has gotten used to the Toku formula of new toy, new powers, beat the bad guy. Combine that with his own trait of trying to find the simplest solution of whatever problem is directly infront of him and his idea of justice is primarily defeating the bad guys. Especially Jack Moon after the defeat Kenji suffered before.

And Jack Moon, well, he totally jives with that idea. Infact, he encourages Ryukendo to get as strong as he can, and as quickly as he can too. But yet he also recognizes just how rash his rival is being. He teaches Kenji in the same way a parent lets their child touch a hot stove; Go ahead, use the Thunder Key without any proper preparation and watch what happens.

Had Kenji not been so focused on one goal and one goal only, he also could've appealed to Jack Moon's' ego and told him to wait if he wants a truly strong rival to fight. But again, his primary motivation throughout the episode is to take Jack Moon out as quickly as possible, and both him and Gekiryuken end up worse off for it. It's a rather neat subversion on the formula we've gotten so far when it comes to obtaining new keys, and I dug it.

I suppose, then, that this technically counts as our first two-parter of the show, as I imagine the next episode will be dealing with the direct aftermath of this one, and I am very interested in seeing where it will go.

I'll be honest, didn't really jive with this one. In fact, I didn't really care for most of it. Like the start to it was pretty good, but once the clone Jack Moon starts attacking that's when things just fall apart for me.

There's a casual tone to a lot of this series, and it kind of just clashes with everything in this episode. Especially when we get to my major gripe of Ryukendo as a whole which is well, we kind of just cut to things happening and people saying things without any real setup or explanation. We kind of just have scenes to have scenes at times and it feels clunky.

Like the entire time leading up to the plan I was like "Okay what is the plan? Why aren't we like getting any kind of hint towards it? They're just saying 'we're making a plan, follow the plan' without any real buildup towards it" and that took me out of most of SHOT's sequences this episode.

It's actually a really good plan! I just wish it was set up better?

And that's not going into the end of it where like, there was no tension whatsoever and any kind of drama just felt forced when there was nothing to really warrant it.

Like Kenji inserting the unfiltered key into the GekiRyuKen and being unable to handle its power works on paper. Execution just fell entirely flat for me because of the way they decided to handle it.

I dunno, I didn't feel like this episode had that usual tone, really. Maybe the "training" scene with Kenji at the start did, but otherwise, I felt it carried itself fairly seriously outside of the few comedic bits they threw in.

I mean, sure, but it's not like they keep us waiting about what SHOT wants to do. And not to mention, I really don't feel like that was the important part of the episode, in like any way? Yes, the plan to keep Jack Moon trapped exists, but the more important aspect is that Kenji is acting reckless and arguably lazy, which is what the episode more focuses on. Character over plot and all that.

The entire thing was about temptation and Jack Moon playing on Kenji's' mental state at the time. Heck, the scene where Fudo talks to Kenji about all the new keys they've been getting outright foreshadowed the climax of the episode. Felt like a pretty natural conclusion to me.

My biggest issue with this one is that I don't know what it's trying to say.

It seems like the ultimate lesson here is how Kenji has become too reliant on new products rather than working on his core fundamentals.

And while that does line up with a couple of previous episodes, it's ultimately undermined by everyone needing to rely on the new Thunder Key by the end anyway, with Kenji really only remembering he has to prioritize others.

It's also weird in that a majority of the episode doesn't even really focus on Kenji or even Gekiryuken. Kenji's talked about a few times, more specifically him as Ryukendo and how much the hero means to the city, but alot of the episode is moreso about the city banding together in an attempt to defend themselves.

Which, admittedly, was nice to see. How this big city acts like a closely-knit, small town community especially in a time of crisis. Even Shigeru, the nerdy kid from the second episode, gets to make a surprise return. Really it almost made me wish that both this episode and the previous one had taken an entirely different angle and focused almost entirely on the townsfolk.

In the end, it's not an ideal ending to this two-parter, but it does atleast feel appropriately "epic" for what appears to be a season finale of sorts. The scale is bigger, the atmosphere is more dire even if it is still a bit quirky, and the final battle ups the power scale to a solid degree. I just wish its final message were made a bit more clear cut.

Yeah this one didn't really do it for me either.

It's clear this is like the end of act one but the way both this and the prior episode are shot and presented, doesn't really feel like it? Everything feels off.

It's also bold of this show which has made a habit of in/out of universe pushing the toys constantly to go "No relying on all these new toys is bad" as like the central theme before just going "We need to use the new toy!" at the end. They wanted to have their cake and eat it too I guess.

Yeah, it's a very odd decision to say the least. Like, it'd still be a bit weak, but if they instead tried to have the message of "Have an idea of what you're doing before using the new superweapon" that probably would've worked out alot better.

This was one of the better recap episodes I've seen in recent times.

It's just alot of fun from start to finish. Not only in terms of the meta humor but also the surprising amount of character development for Fudo.

Now, it's not perfect. I didn't like Fudo losing his memory at the end, but I can see why they did it, and at the very least it did help lead to a fun way of ending the episode off.

Speaking of which, that bit at the end where we get a preview of two new enemies coming to town! Lady Gold is whatever to me, but the suit that the new Castor Warrior has? Oh yeah, I dig it. I just hope it doesn't mean that Jack Moon is going to end up replaced.

Overall, I felt this was a nice balance of recap alongside its own original, insane story that makes the whole thing very fun to sit through.

What a cool way to properly start the second act!

Now, the plot itself is nothing ground breaking. Many have seen the Twilight Zone episode about rumors and trust and whatnot, and this follows the same idea.

But, everything that they manage to do surrounding that baseline is really neat. It gives the opportunity to showcase just what the new bad guy, Lady Gold, is like and capable of, and in turn gives us a preview of the next Castor Warrior.

The camera and model work done surrounding the Giant Ryukendo is also really neat to look at, which of course makes the other cool action scenes in the episode(that super speed fight!) all the better. The episode itself just keeps on building momentum, and I was for sure along for the ride.

There are also some new scenes added to the opening sequence starting with this episode, thus previewing more new toys that we'll be seeing the future I'm sure. One of them reminds me of the Battlizer from Power Rangers Wild Force, which given it aired four years before Ryukendo did, I wouldn't be surprised if it was the actual inspiration.

While the episode does lack in the usual comedy and character development that previous episodes have showcased, they do still manage to have some solid character interactions throughout, and what few comedic moments there are do land. It's overall a great hook for what's to come, and I hope the coming episodes won't disappoint.

This is probably my favourite episode of the series after two watches (with 36 being a close second). I think it was the introduction of a female villain in a fancy outfit.

She makes quite the first impression, that's for sure.

Our proper introduction to Koichi, who is Ryukendo's' version of Leangle from Kamen Rider Blade.

And while he's meant to be the focus of the episode, I was way more attached to like, everything else in it. I don't immediately hate the guy or anything, but everything else was just way more interesting.

Because really, alot of this episode was more in line with something you'd typically see in GARO Crimson Moon than in your average Ryukendo episode: A zombie virus outbreak with the episode even imitating the standard aspects of those types of movies.

I get that it was meant to show off how much cooler and more effective Koichi was than SHOT, but really alot of his interactions make him look way more socially dumb than it does cool and mysterious. Lucky for him that Kaori has alot of patience. I also didn't see the logic in him saying SHOT fought ineffectively after Ryugunoh does the sickest maneuver we've seen all show.

In the end, it's fine. I just felt the focal point was misplaced.

These are the seeds for the future development of this character. Well, and a new character who knows how to fight "correctly" is practically a clich? of the genre.

Oh it is, and the episodes plays up those tropes for all they're worth. I just found the other stuff more interesting, is all.

With a title like that, you might think Ryujinoh is the focus of the episode.

And like, sure, the question of where his allegiance lies is part of the episode, but he's surprisingly very out of focus for this one.

Instead we get an episode that, while I overall rather liked it, has a premise that stands in very stark contrast with some select episodes of the first act: Fudo venturing into the Power Spot in order to activate a new key for Ryukendo.

It makes me wonder if Ryukendo has like 10 different writers on staff, or if everyone just collectively realized how hypocritical the message of "Don't rely on the keys" was coming across, because Fudo should be the last person to suggest that a new key is the answer to Rock Crimson's' rampage.

But again, the setup might be weak, but I thought alot of what the episode had to offer was pretty cool. The set design is really neat to look at, the actions scenes with Ryugunoh are stylish, and while character development is on the backend for this one, the interactions and showcasing of heroism with Fudo and Kenji are great to see.

We're also fed a small hint at an overarching plot, with the new Dagger gotten from the key apparently being a piece for unlocking an ancient seal of some kind. Not to mention Koichi's' hatred of SHOT and his apparent theft of something called the Dragon Core. I found them to be interesting enough hooks, and the shot at the end implying that this is the first episode of the show's' second two-parter got me intrigued as to what exactly they plan to do.

Very cool episode all around, even if Fudo got taken out of character a bit in order for it to work.

This was a really weird one to experience.

As far as dream/nightmare episodes go, it's not the worst I've seen, but the entire thing felt really weird to sit through.

The main takeaway(or atleast, I think it is), is we learn what Koichi's' grudge against SHOT is about: That the commander is responsible for the death of his parents, and Koichi is out for revenge.

And the thing is, I kinda just shrug it off because I barely know a dang thing about Koichi outside of that. I feel like this plot would've been better served further down in the show's' run, when the audience got more time to warm up to or learn about the guy. Rather than, you know, the episode immediately after his proper introduction.

A certain other toku reviewer would probably be very happy to be fed instant answers to questions, but me? Not only do I like me a bit of a mystery, but I tend not to care too much about a character explanation, much less how tragic it is, unless I have any idea who the person is. God forbid if I dislike the character outright. Coincidentally, Kiriko and Medic, both from Kamen Rider Drive, serves as examples of this(I finished watching that recently).

That's not even getting into the credits sequence, which seems to imply that the big focal point of the episode was supposed to be the Cop Girls and like... how? They were such a minor part of the overall episode. It'd be like if Kaori was suddenly front and center when she had a grand total of two scenes in this one. And that's not even getting into how half the nightmares in this episode don't offer much of an insight into much of, well, anything. Was the police chicks having a standard falling dream really necessary?

The episode isn't a total wash though, as while again, I felt not alot for it, it does still offer character insight to Koichi. And the nightmare that Kenji has, showing a bit of his training days and how much he doesn't like his arranged marriage situation was nice to see. Plus the electric shock joke gave me a giggle as it had Kingdom Hearts I vibes. And while her involvement was minimal, showing what Kaori still hasn't fully gotten over what happened to her back in episode 2 was also a nice bit of character insight, even if it wasn't strictly necessary.

I just wish we'd been given a bit more breathing room before this episode had hit, that's all.

I still don't give a crap about Koichi, and I don't know if I ever will.

This episode is all about getting the full context for what went on between him and the commander, as well as perhaps offering him some peace.

And, you know, on paper, that's all well and good, but in terms of execution and overall context, I just can't bring myself to get into it. And it's mainly due to how little I care about Koichi as a character.

Infact I ended up more rolling my eyes at certain points than others. Ryujinoh takes out Thunder Ryukendo no problem because of course he does. The day is saved not by any mutual understanding but by time travel suddenly becoming possible. And the Dragon Core never has anything to say in any of this.

Combine all that with how Koichi's' actions make me not at all sympathize with him and this episode was kind of tough to sit through. But on the bright side, this entire arc should hopefully be over now, so maybe we can get back to the stuff that normally makes Ryukendo really work. And I certainly don't mean the hinted romance towards the end. Yikes.

Atleast it was cool seeing the return of the Toku Storm Drain Tunnels.

It's incredible how much better the show is when it's not focused on Koichi.

This episode cemented in my mind that Koichi just isn't main focus material, as here, as a side character, I liked him alot better.

No, this episode is instead all about Komachi, the ghost lady. Her past regrets, why she's so attached to Kenji, and what she decides to do with the little time she's given to return to the living world.

This episode was a fantastic return to form after the drag that was the Ryujinoh arc. More world building via the unique flower that used to bloom in Akebono, the wonderful supporting cast(via Komachi), and showcasing just what Kenji is willing to do for the people he cares about.

The only part that I could see people possibly taking issue with is the very last scene, which, while the episode itself even lampshades how it somewhat undercuts the absolutely fantastic scene that came before it, I also understand not wanting to get rid of a valued member of the cast for good. It's kinda like a less extreme case of the ending of Kamen Rider W, you know?

I guess if I had to dish out any sort of real critique, it's that there isn't much to the action this time around. But when the atmosphere and characterization is so good I really can't complain, you know? I guess it would've been nice for Fudo to be around too, but given the hinted at connection between him and Komachi, I imagine they're saving that specific interaction for a later episode. And if it's anywhere near as good as this one was, I'm all for it.

Sarina is a manipulative brat and I want her thrown off a bridge.

Look, were I pretentious, I could maybe talk about how this episode has some sort of commentary about the nature of lying or whatever.

But I frankly don't care, because the plot that Fudo is forced to take care of an annoying brat, only to then pretend as if she never did anything wrong and is, infact, better and smarter than her, really got on my nerves.

Now, the episode's not a total wash, as the world building for Akebono is as strong as ever, and there are a couple solid gags that got a laugh out me like Gekiryuken hiding from Rukkus. Not to mention the new finisher we get to see Ryugunoh do is really, really cool.

But the plot? Yeah, nah, it's for the birds.

Ah, Ryujinoh. The Kamen Rider Chalice/Leangle of the show. :lolol

Oh he's very much Leangle. That said, I can give him this: I don't outright dislike him like I do Mutsuki. I just find him kinda bland.

Jack Moon is back, but his time is limited.

I know I compared him to Koragg of Power Rangers Mystic Force before, but they ended up taking his character in a much different direction.

The episode provides alot of insight into Jack Moon's' past action, as well as what exactly his deal is. That being that he basically has a split personality; Just not in the sense that media usually portrays it.

It makes his sendoff episode actually rather compelling overall. Sure, the show could've maybe made an attempt at redemption, but bottom line is that Jack Moon is still out to cause mayhem, just on his own selfish terms rather than anything towards what the Jamanga want.

This scenario speaks alot to Kenji's' character too. He is a fellow swordsman afterall, and as such understands where Jack Moon is coming from in wanting to die in an honorable battle. He doesn't exactly like the scenario, but he still feels empathy, and decides to give Jack Moon the best send off he can; An uninterrupted one on one duel.

The editing, the atmosphere, the character drama, it all came together really well in this one. And while Kenji and Jack Moon are the stars, it was nice to see that Fudo and, surprisingly, Koichi had some nice moments too. Namely in how the episode keeps it ambiguous as to whether the the two fought off screen or not. Either Fudo fought Koichi off, giving him more awesomeness points, or he managed to convince Koichi to stand down, meaning that Koichi isn't beyond reason or empathy either.

It's a shame that Jack Moon is no more, but I rather liked how they ended his arc overall, even if you could make a cas efor taking it in the opposite direction.

I have come to the conclusion that Ryukendo is at its best when it's being a shitpost.

Because really, this and episode 3 have been some of the biggest highlights in the show so far, and for very similar reasons.

The baseline plot, that the townsfolk put together a tournament to see who will lead their new vigilante group against the Jamanga seems simple enough, but there's alot of stuff going on here that makes the episode absolutely wild.

And just like episode 3, I dare not spoil everything here. All I'll say is that Umi returns, Rock Crimson Returns, and playing up Koichi's' quirks for laughs works way better than trying to play them for drama. This episode was a wonderful time, even if its conclusion probably isn't going to stick.

This felt like a mess.

If you want the short version, this is essentially three different episodes all glued together and then presented with the tone only appropriate for one of them.

You have people losing faith in SHOT due to a new protector showing up, the love triangle between Kenji, Kaori, and Rin, and last but arguably most importantly, the death of Goryugun, which is presented as the least important aspect.

And it's that final part that was the nail in the coffin for me with this episode. Because really, it's be a bit rough, but you could probably find a way to balance the A and B plots of this episode well enough, but that final bit, which comes in during the climax of the episode and is then treated almost as an afterthought?

Yeah, I was not okay with that.

There's not nearly enough weight given to the event to make it have an impact, and the timing and pacing of it all takes what should be a major blow to our heroes and presents it as if it's just an event that sorta happened. This is in way stark contrast to the amount of respect that Ryugunoh has been given in most other episodes, and I don't like it.

In regards to the other aspects of the episode... they're fine, I guess. Rin is probably the big highlight in all this, showcasing her maturity in the situation despite her own feelings for Kenji. And to give the A plot some credit, we did get shown just how fickle the trust of Akebono was pretty early on in the show's' run. But again, the entire thing is just soured by what should be the most important event of the episode being treated like it's just some sort of background element.

Not a fan of this one, not at all.

Now this was more like it.

Pretty much the entirety of this episode is dedicated to the fallout that occurs now that Ryugunoh is out of the picture, and I am here for it.

The character drama is on high, Baron Bloody is an intriguing new villain, Koichi gets a plot hook that's far more interesting than anything he had before, and even the townsfolk aren't left out, with alot of their secrets getting exposed.

I could see alot of modern viewers considering it as relatively minor, but I think the piece of the episode that impressed me the most was actually that bit I used for the thumbnail. The episode sets itself up for the easiest "misunderstood for gay" joke ever, and yet it... doesn't take it.

Instead the moment is actually treated with some grace; with those around Kenji either not minding at all that he might have a thing for Fudo, or understanding immediately that he's talking about Fudo being his ideal work partner. Either way, it's a surprisingly progressive move for a show made in 2006, and is really only rivaled by Faiz's' obvious relationship between its two male leads.

Anyway, the atmosphere all around for this one was really good, and everyone in the cast was very likable in their own way; either via their actions or their interactions. The action this time around wasn't much to speak of, but it's clear that that wasn't anywhere near the main focus. Overall this was a really enjoyable episode and it's so nice to see Ryukendo be back on its feet again.

Oh, also, new ED out of nowhere. It's alright.

I'm usually not one for love triangles, but I rather liked this episode.

As Dr. Worm revives some fallen Demons, Rin gets asked out on a date by Hiroshi, the son of the head of Akebono.

And while I could see some thinking that the monster plot is a bit underutilized, the character stuff surrounding Rin and her conflicting feelings about both Kenji and Hiroshi really did work for me to help carry the episode.

It helps that no one is portrayed as outright in the wrong in this situation. Kenji doesn't realize his feelings until Rin is threatened to be taken away, Rin considers leaving due to Kenji never returning her feelings, and Hiroshi is honestly a sweet guy who just wants what's best for Rin, and takes his defeat gracefully.

The easy route would've definitely been to have Hiroshi be a shallow, unpleasant guy, but no. He's honestly in love and is doing his best to treat Rin right. I actually felt bad for him in the end. I actually would not have minded if he had gotten with Rin and the show then ran with the Kenji and Kaori ship; Which, you know, a bit of a missed opportunity, not having Kaori show up here.

There's other stuff surrounding the scenario too, like the magic nerd who's had a crush on Rin since day 1 still not having the guts to talk to her, the funny stuff with the police chiefs sitting in on the date, etc. But if you're into romance plots, I don't think this one does too bad, and it's very much the main focus. Even if the title and the hook at the end suggest something big coming next episode.

Guess Ryukendo beat Kamen Rider to the punch on diving things into quarters too, huh?

Ya know I like this idea Ryukendo has of capping off every season/quarter with some goofy special.

It results in one of the best ways of handling its recap episodes ontop of just having alot of fun with itself and its characters. And I've said it before, alot of times Ryukendo is at its best when it's gunning for the ridiculous.

Now, do I think this recap ep is as good as the last one? No, but it's still fun.

The game show aspect is a very smart way of incorporating the recap elements, and the character humor is still as top notch as ever. Stuff like Koichi somehow setting up an entire table inbetween Kenji and Fudo with the latter two not noticing and everyone dissing Rin's' date gave me a hearty laugh.

In retrospect, it does mean that the previous episode is a bit of a weird one to end a season on, but given how I liked that one, I don't really mind. This was just a nice, relaxed sit to prep us for what's next, and I'm here for it.

This episode had some of the best directing in the entire show.

The premise? A bunch of kids are getting sucked into a horror game, and it's up to Ryukendo(and later Ryugunoh) to bust them out.

Despite what the thumbnail might suggest, the atmosphere and cinematography all throughout the episode was top notch. Being very foreboding and haunting, and the virtual world feeling very lifeless and empty.

But yet that doesn't stop the episode from having some great comedy too. It's only a couple of moments, but every comedic beat lands perfectly, and all without compromising the otherwise serious nature of the episode either. It's the sort of perfect blend that I see less and less of as time goes on.

And of course there's Ryugunoh's' new form, Magna Ryugunoh, which is very cool looking and has a great debut showing to boot. The new transformation sequence, the new guns,; It all comes together surprisingly well. And wisely, there's no Ryujinoh nor Thunder Ryukendo to run the risk of both making them look weak and Magna Ryugunoh look unimpressive.

This was just a great episode all around. Awesome stuff.

This one episode is better than the entirety of Kamen Rider Drive.

When Baron Bloody decides to invade Akebono with a squadron of Androids, SHOT manages to capture and modify one, and name her Maria.

What follows is an episode centered around Fudo, whether he realizes it or not, teaching Maria about life and love. Ultimately leading up to her doing one of the most human things anyone could imagine.

It really speaks to the emotional strength of the story and atmosphere when you make me care deeply about a one off character who doesn't so much as say a single word. I ended up liking Maria and way she played off of Fudo alot, making the dramatic beats hit all the harder.

The episode never misses a beat either. Even the ending is one of a somber note, with SHOT reflecting on how tragic Maria's' loss is, as well as her situation. Her negative traits were the result of her creator, not her, and that she was able to evolve passed them proved that she and the other androids had hearts all along. It's a concept Drive tried to pull but utterly failed at, so to see it done so well here, in one single episode, was a fantastic surprise.

Quarter 3 sure is off to an incredibly strong start for Ryukendo, no doubt.

What happens when the Great Infernal King decides that he just wants the Caster Warriors done and dealt with?

A monster that can take control of Gekiryuken, that's what.

Now, the show has been foreshadowing how SHOT, Akebono, and the Jamanga are all more closely connected than what one might think. They share the magic chant of "Bereke", afterall.

So that, combined with the many cues that Ryukendo has already been taking from Kamen Rider? It only makes sense that everyone shares a magic pool and this episode showcases the whole "it's not the tool, it's how you use it" moral stance that Kamen Rider can be known for.

But beyond that, the episode lives off of the character drama with Kenji, and doesn't miss a beat. His efforts and eventual victory on literally reaching out to Gekiryuken are all very emotionally satisfying, and God Ryukendo is a really cool form with an equally neat gimmick weapon to match. If this is Ryukendo's' final form, then I'm satisfied.

Q3 really does seem to be where Ryukendo has hit is stride, and I really hope to not be proven wrong anytime soon.

Oh, they also played the second half of the OP as the ending song for this one, which was a great move.

Well, next episode is where we have a bit of a shake-up. Not a retool, Takara’s Toku shows tend to shake things up in the second half.

Interesting. Let's see where this goes.

Turns out that shakeup was a brand new OP and ED. Both music and visuals.

The new OP, I mean, it's okay? I definitely prefer the first one on both levels. And if you thought the first song felt more like an insert than an OP, then boy are you gonna for sure feel the exact same way with the new one.

As for the ED, they're fun. This time we've got a red light green light game being played instead of soccer. I think I slightly prefer the soccer, but as for the music, I think I like this song better overall. So overall this new package is a bit of a mixed bag, but nothing bad.

In terms of today's' episode in and of itself... I mean, it's alright I guess. Pretty standard Ryukendo all things considered.

The demon drags indecisive people into a tunnel to feed off their fears, and the Cop Besties are caught in the thick of it. The dilemma being whether or not one of them should head off to SWAT or not. In the end they choose they'd rather stick together, which is certainly a valid choice even if I myself don't agree. There's some solid comedy and action along the way.

Just, yeah, it's all very simple all things considered. Not that that's a bad thing, mind you, but it does leave me with little else to make a big note of than the new OP and ED. Oh, and that there's been very little Koichi in the past string of episodes which, I mean, I'm not exactly complaining about. Though I assume he'll be at the forefront soon once Takara is done showing off God Ryukendo. Maybe Koichi's' upgrade will be Devil Ryujinoh, or something.

Anyway, yeah, decent episode.

Setoyama finally gets his own episode!

And it's actually a really cool one all around: Not only is it a focus episode on someone who never got one, but the premise itself is a very cool one.

The plot: Setoyama needs to deliver a briefcase full of Caster Keys that he hasn't been able to decipher to National Defense. Meanwhile, an armored bank car attempts to deliver a case of 10 million yen to the Akebono Bank.

Of course the cases get switched when both parties end up under attack; And what results is a scenario in which, at least initially, SHOT has to deal with something the police should be handling while the Akebono PD gets in over their heads chasing after the Jamanga.

While said premise isn't utilized to its fullest extent, the rest of the episode has so much good going for it that I don't really mind. The action is alot of fun, and features a really awesome looking group Henshin between God Ryukendo and Magna Ryugunoh. And connected to that, the episode features the best use of the commercial inserts I've seen from any show in a long while.

But really, the star of the show is Setoyama, who shows that even if he is a bit of a scaredy-cat, he's able to step up when needed, and while his magic might not be the best, he can for sure still wield it effectively. His actor brought alot of charisma to the role and pulled off the Harry Potter look flawlessly.

This was just a really fun ride all the way through. Great stuff.

I just don't think that Koichi makes for a good lead character.

I mean, the episode in and of itself was fine, but most of what I liked about it was despite Koichi, not due to him. Not even bolstered by him.

The premise being that Dr. Worm creates a demon that has the power to fill people with a singular intense emotion. And while you might think that could make for some fun character humor, Koichi still manages to make it boring.

He's filled with happiness, but he doesn't really act any different. He just smiles alot. Meanwhile we have Fudo, who gets filled with immense sadness, and it's played for all the comedic value that it's worth. It almost made me wish that Fudo were the lead on this one instead.

Still, I guess in terms of an episode wherein the primary goal is to have Koichi lighten up a bit, it does the job. I just didn't find it very engaging.

It's funny how much better of a character Koichi's' transformation device is than him.

When a demon that can travel through mirrors starts locking people's' faces behind cages, Zanryujin's' crush, Kaori, is the first to be affected.

Zanryujin's' crush on Kaori comes out of nowhere, sure, but it does lead to alot of interesting characterization for him, as well as some rather nice moments between him and Koichi, really selling the idea of the two being friends.

Which again brings me back to how much better Koichi is as a side character than a main one. Him supporting his friend made him actually rather likable throughout the episode, and the genuinely awesome finishing move that Ryujinoh gets at the end of the episode sure helps.

I also gotta say what a shame it is that Ryukendo has so few monster suits, because many of their designs are rather creative despite their initial simplicity. But I suppose their relative scarcity is a part of what makes them so special, right? Plus, I will never fault this show for all of the villains having very different ways of executing their plans.

Add in that Setoyama gets to continue being useful with his magic and this made for an all around enjoyable episode. Maybe Ryujinoh is finally coming into his own in terms of my personal tastes.

Ryukendo really is peak whenever it embraces craziness.

Because really, the idea of a giant umbrella being the main opponent just sounds stupid on paper, but is made incredibly fun here.

Kobashiri the cop is the main character of this one, with his jealousy of God Ryukendo being the main catalyst for creating the dreaded Demon Umbrella, which in turn has the power to infect others with extreme jealousy.

And yeah, Kobashiri himself is a rather likable character! Kenji says it best himself, that Kobashiri's' determination is admirable. Combine that with an intro straight out of something from GARO(in that it imitates old movies), and the new Burning Ryukendo form, which has one of the coolest finishers in the show?

Yeah, I had alot of fun with this episode. From the public domain music to the various character interactions throughout the episode, this was just a great ride from start to finish, and is a great example as to why I love tokusatsu as a medium. I'm excited to see what other upgrades Ryukendo, both the show and the superhero, have in store.

The mayor's' son, Hiroshi, is back, and here to help the police put on a show!

So of course some love triangle elements show up, but they're actually surprisingly downplayed.

The episode is moreso about Hiroshi and Kenji learning to see eye to eye, all while the Jamanga raid the center that the stage show is taking place in. All while Kenji is unable to transform due to his hilariously weaksauce weakness.

It makes for a surprising amount of fun, actually, as it leads to a bunch of shots and sequences that one doesn't typically see in Toku, and proves that Memory of Heroez was onto something by having half its stages be set inside of office buildings. They can be surprisingly fun!

But of course, that's not all that the episode has to offer, as it right away teases us with the latest scheme from Baron Bloody: Reanimating the corpse of Jack Moon and turning it into Mechni-Moon. His time in the episode is short, and very smartly saved for the climax, but it does make quite the impression, as I legit got upset that Jack Moon had been treated this way. And that's a good thing!

That said, the episode ends on the note that Rin will need to choose between Hiroshi and Kenji eventually, and uh, maybe I'm dense, but was she shipping the two at the end there? Cause I honestly have no idea what else she could mean given her gesture. Maybe seeing both of them as friends...?

Anyway, it's another fun episode with a pinch of darkness thrown in. A darkness that I imagine will fully come to fruition in the next episode.

So I've been absent for a bit, mostly because I couldn't keep up for various reasons, mostly real life related, though partially the show kind of just, repelling me. I'll be frank? Episodes 11 and 12 are probably the worst power-up/form debut debuts I've seen in a while. That said, I'm back and doing it in binges as a result. I'm currently up to 26 as of binging so hopefully I'll be catching up soon but I do want to get my thoughts out.

General thoughts though is that I'm finally jiving with the OP because they just added more stuff to it. Also the second ED has popped up for me and while I enjoy it, I'm not sure it fits well with the ED visuals they already have. If it's used to accent extra scenes they filmed it works fine enough though.

Note that these were written after I watched each episode, as I wanted to give an accurate watch of everything.

Ryukendo Catchup Corner Part 1:

Episode 13: This was... alright? It was kind of just there as a recap episode if I'm being honest (and apparently there's more, oh no). I've seen shows handle this better and while the character work is fine, getting back into the show with this episode after taking a break just didn't really do anything for me.

Episode 14: Also alright tbh. We've got an interesting plot this time which makes me think more and more about how Akebono's community is just bipolar (affectionate). And we've got some new characters coming into play on both the hero and villain sides. Also is like... is Jack Moon dead? He's in the redux of the OP we get with the other Generals but like he's kind of just not around anymore and if so um, what a terrible anticlimactic way to go out and it only sours my opinion on Episodes 11 and 12 even further.

Episode 15: Okay this was a pretty cool episode since I'm always a fan of infection plotlines and of course this is very much our new hero intro via Ryujinoh this episode. Pretty standard but I'm interested to see how the Koichi stuff goes given he's well versed in everything going, even more so than our heroes.

Episode 16: For a new toy debut this works surprisingly well. It really speaks to how far we've come in this short amount of episodes that we have Fudo actively risking his already injured life for the sake of getting Kenji a new weapon. The camaraderie on display is honestly great to see, as was Ryugunoh?s trek through the Power Spot. Oh and also Rock Crimson is a cool villain suit.

Episode 17: I think the one thing I appreciate is the fact that Akebono Tower is just, still damaged from Rock Crimson's debut. It gets into how I just love the world-building in this show, though the side cast this time didn't have like the most interesting usage even with wacky dream shenanigans in place. But hey we get to learn a bit more about Koich's deal is and I instantly don't believe the Commander going "I killed them" and confirming Koichi's words. I've seen way too much media where "I killed them" means something entirely, especially in regards to guilt.

Episode 18: Trauma is a hell of a thing to weaponize, but hey, if it works it works and it nearly worked here! Also I called it, the whole "what I did was the same as killing them" remark of guilt. Figured there was a different angle here. Though admittedly the way this whole bit was resolved felt a bit haphazard, but given how Ryukendo is I can't really be surprised. I still find it silly that we're treating an elemental armament as a legitimate upgrade after Fire and Aqua, but hey we finally get Thunder Ryukendo again after a good chunk of not using it and we finally get its Beast King.

I mean, it might've been a good thing that this was the episode that you came back too, given that as a recap episode, it does bring one back up to speed on everything that's happened so far.

Yeah, Akebono is very easily lead. For both better and worse.

You must really love the Sonic comics then.

Fudo continues to impress as the show goes on. Of the three heroes, he's definitely been my favorite.

Yeah it's a pretty standard setup in terms of the Commander, but thanks for pointing out that attention to detail about Akebono Tower! I totally forgot to in my post, haha.

Thunder Eagle is pretty dope. I can see why the OP hid it until now.