It's a very neat suit!

Maybe the insert theme can only be heard underwater?

As the previous episode didn't... yeah turns out the beginning of the episode immediately tells that the older Sakura's given name is Yumi. Also, they did implement the Yumi/Yummy joke like what I brought up earlier. Hina being bashful about Eiji asking for romantic advice can hint Hina having a crush on Eiji as well, in how she's flustered, her meaningful looks and touches, and the way she realizes over time that she constantly looks to him. She constantly insists that Eiji only acts like this due to Yummy (double m and ends with y) when talking about confessing his love, indicates Hina wants that from Eiji to her herself. Unlike Yui or Mezool, for the OOO main trio, Ankh is the one who attempts to splash with a bucket of water.

About falling, Goto does point out about Yumi wanting Date to notice him (which Date stopped before), but Date also rejects the idea of romance in favor of working for his money. Date's noble side is shown here too to go for Rei's (the unlikable one) rescue, who got tied up by Yumi. Rei has something else she's good at other than her looks, she's business savvy. What ends the melodrama, other than revealing their feelings, seems to be the usual on how despite the usual toxic relationship, on dire situations the toxic one (Rei) tried to come to Yumi's aid.... Otherwise, about appreciating Yumi for what she's on inside about being kind and smart, I'd wish that this is more widespread on life to not only use looks as a measure of someone's worth.

At first it was on his own, but for the 2nd it was Yui, someone else who also wanted to saved everyone, begging for Shinji to stop (as he was fighting for her sake). About Ren throwing the fight, just wish that Shinji's fighting ability is also acknowledged, as Shinji's also someone who can kick Mirror Monster's ass untransformed, not only Ren. Keiwa's also aware about the danger people face from monster attacks and that the DGP seem to be the only one opposing them, joining it is the way to prevent further harm.

The bolded one is what I wanted to inform more people and get more widespread, along with how virtuous characters also exist in darker shows (not limited to the usual good hearted main Rider type). Like how perhaps for Saber being a more lighthearted show, people can view characters like Reika as another righteous straight hero for her joining the SoL for the right reasons, deflecting the blame for her to Isaac ordering her, and treating her abrasive side as colorful quirk (well ofc, like Ankh here). Why wouldn't Ankh be considered tsundere for those people problems too?

Feels that no matter how these kind of stories are handled, there'd be people who get the wrong idea and justify twisted things that they feel strongly for, the Draco in Leather Pants trope. Like, Kanbayashi spent his time mostly attacking people who did actual crimes, like a purse snatcher or corrupt politicians, of which perhaps some audience would view that as justice served and root for making them pay, because otherwise, they'd just keep harming people without anyone punishing them, or those who are too lenient in dealing with them and thus are ineffective. Though then again as I several times said here, people seem to generally never bring up MOTW stuff. A clearer example might be those who put superheroes like Punisher on pedestal for similar reason, going brutal and merciless on criminals.

I didn't really get into this because it's a spoiler for upcoming stories, but there's also a very specific part of Date's as yet unrevealed backstory that is making him prioritize making money over romance, and I'm pretty sure Yumi is aware of it, which is why she doesn't press the topic as she's being put into the ambulance.

Probably not the peak of comedy for OOO, but love drunk Eiji is definitely a high point. I'm pretty sure that Cazali shrugging was at least briefly a meme.

Great two-parter for Date, even before he took his shirt off. Every time we get more development for him, I just like him even more. The show spent a lot of time building up Gotou as the show's obvious secondary Rider, but Date is so much fun and fits in so well that it doesn't feel like an unfair bait-and-switch. I'll have more to say about this much later in the series than I originally expected to.

I'm watching the old Over-Time subs from back in the day and... oh man, did they make a translation choice when Ankh was snapping at Eiji in the opening scene.

Last thing I'll mention is something that took a little bit of research. I remembered that there was some kind of figure for the "Love Combo" form of OOO. I was thinking a Figuart, but it turns out it was a) part of the absolutely bonkers OOO line of SICs (this show was made for SIC and its gonzo aesthetics) and b) it was just one of Bandai's many, many "hey, look at this thing that we made but we're never going to mass produce" figure reveals.

Uh, yeah. He's saying "idiot"! Just leave it at that, you weirdos!

Say what you will about Bandai's tendency to show off toys they never produce (MUGEN GHOST WHEN), but it is 100% thematically appropriate for them to show off an OOO figure you'd really want but can't ever get. It's a teachable moment about desire!

Yeah there’s a reason I’ve never been a fan of OverTime’s subs in general.

KAMEN RIDER OOO EPISODE 25 - “A BOXER, A LEFT HAND, AND A BIRD YUMMY”

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/ooo/ooo25a.png

One of the perils of a rewatch like this one is when you hit an episode that only really works to its full potential if you buy into its misdirection. There’s a sweet little story here about a boxer trying to overcome his secret desire to stay in the ring, but the episode (sadly) switches out from that premise pretty quickly, spending the majority of its second half on the very real possibility that Ankh has spawned the new Yummy that everyone’s trying to stop.

And I can’t really engage with that in the way the episode needs me to, despite the tension being so goddamn watchable.

The show goes to enormous lengths to make Ankh not only the prime suspect but the only conceivable suspect, with his normal smirking indifference curdling into suspicious obfuscation. Eiji and Gotou immediately realize that only Ankh’s Core Medals could spawn a Bird Yummy, so this can’t be Uva or Kazari. The presence of an Ankh hand around the events only drives home to the audience that Gotou and Eiji’s theories are correct. And then we get the end fight scene, where Ankh gives Eiji strategically unsound Medals, while a Greeed hand blocks Birth’s shot. It’s an entire second half that’s shouting at the audience that Ankh must be behind this.

And I’m sure the first time I watched this, I totally bought into it. Everything about this episode is in the shape of damning (if circumstantial) evidence, and Ankh resolutely refuses to provide anything resembling an alibi or a defense. Eiji’s desperate for Ankh to tell him he’s wrong, but Ankh just smirks his way out of the scenes. It seems, for all the world, that Ankh is the culprit.

As long as you don’t notice the recurring details (even inserted in the TITLE via a red herring) that point to a completely different possibility, of course.

I kind of love it for that, even if I’m not connecting with this episode on the same level it’d prefer. It’s blatantly obvious what’s really going on here, if you pay close attention. The pre-credits scene practically screams it, while the very specific phrasing of the flashback to Ankh and Eiji’s conversations about Ankh’s lack of regeneration – the specific things Kobayashi needs you to keep in mind – gives you all the clues you need to connect the dots. Even the story going on with the boxer, about a man warring against his own body… big clues! Incredibly big clues about what’s really going on here!

Hopefully we’ll get a chance to talk more about that soon.

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/ooo/ooo25b.png

If I remember right Ankh was supposed to become the main Villain in an earlier draft of the series before the natural charisma between his and Eiji’s actors was noticed (and the same natural disasters that led to Gokaiger to get significantly more veteran actors to return to their roles caused other rewrites for OOO). So I wonder if this was initially intended to be the start of that plot point?

I’ll probably have more to say for the next episode, but for now, we’re at the debut of… whatever you want to call the other Ankh (I’ve seen Lefty, Kid Ankh and Ankh Lost all see use)

This does seem like a natural point in the story for an Ankh heel turn, which is part of the reason why this episode works so well on initial viewing: we've solidified our Secondary, we've given our hero the last big form change, and we've cleared the decks of a couple major antagonists. Everything in the show metatextually feels like it'd be natural for Ankh to be the villain here!

"Ankh Lost" is how I mostly see it labeled online and through merch, so that's what this thread will eventually use.