Tying in Tsukuyomi to Soichi was a great idea and makes for a better growth for her character. I didn't quite understand why at first, but getting through Agito slowly got me realizing why Soichi and Tsukuyomi were paired up for this one.

Seeing G3 mass produced is neat! Ill-equipped it may be, still. But hey, it only took around a Decade and a half to get it, right?

I had been wondering what they would do with the one show that already an an Another Rider, at least in name. I wasn't quite expecting this!

Fun how they played with that fact.

The second phase of tribute episodes was generally better received than the first, as you can see from these last two.

I kinda wonder if they save many of the ones where they weren't sure who they'd be able to get back until later and had more time to develop them? At any rate, most of these are quite fun.

I would think so, yeah.

(Fish Sandwich also watched Kamen Rider Zi-O - EP31)

There's not too much I can think to say about this episode that I either didn't already say years ago, or that isn't just something it seems like everyone thinks about this episode. It's a great time, a strong start to another string of episodes written by Nobuhiro Mouri, and a very promising beginning to Teruaki Sugihara directing episodes of Kamen Rider. I think I'll have a bit more to say after Die watches the conclusion to this one.

No, I'm just making a statement of my own. Sougo definitely doesn't talk about that. Though I thought before that giving up on themselves is related to determination and giving up and turn pessimistic means the opposite of that.

This gives something to know more from Tsukuyomi, and this is something that obviously I didn't talk before due to spoilers, but it's something teased in Heisei Generations movie with Tsukuyomi not recognizing that name when Ataru refers her as that, it's shown here that Tsukuyomi had amnesia and it's not her real name. But what 'different goal' Tsukuyomi actually have by this? There's nothing changed regarding that, unless you're likely talking about speculations in the future, she's still someone who wants to change the future for the better and guide Sougo on the right path. Nothing different in goal. Other than that, Tsukuyomi here is just depicted as having similar power to Time Jackers to Z̶A̶ ̶W̶A̶R̶U̶D̶O̶ stop time, not necessarily that she's one of them. She just can stop time. I don't know how Tsukuyomi can narrate her backstory when she forgot though, Woz was the one that has extensive knowledge for the future of which he's too sueful.

True, regarding how Zi-O is an anniversary show that makes use of past Riders, amnesiac Shouichi would be suitable pick to use against amnesiac Tsukuyomi. The other pick could be someone like Sento, but Zi-O's first tribute was Build, so for characters meant to be shrouded in mystery like her.... Despite that though, Sento also pulls the past being pointless when questioned by Banjou about how Sento prefers being Build rather than looking for his past (though he'd act rash when his past was involved). Of which Tsukuyomi also doesn't seem to be someone mainly seeking for her past (not that she isn't fully unaffected by her past stuff), her goal is not changed from her other appearence, to create better future for others. But finding your past can be also really damn important to accomplish your current goal too though! Regardless of how your personal feelings towards them are though, Swartz and Tsukuyomi's confrontation at ep. 28 was really meaningful and their feud continues here (d̶i̶d̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ ̶u̶s̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶t̶e̶r̶m̶ ̶'̶d̶o̶-̶g̶o̶o̶d̶e̶r̶'̶ ̶h̶e̶r̶e̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶i̶g̶n̶o̶r̶e̶ ̶T̶s̶u̶k̶u̶y̶o̶m̶i̶ ̶a̶t̶ ̶e̶p̶.̶ ̶2̶1̶-̶2̶8̶?̶), Swartz's the main one related to Tsukuyomi.

As Agito is stylized as AgitΩ, Sougo thinks it's Agitomega of which is a gag that Woz has to correct (s̶o̶ ̶e̶v̶e̶n̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶a̶ ̶g̶a̶g̶,̶ ̶w̶r̶o̶n̶g̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶n̶g̶s̶ ̶a̶r̶e̶ ̶c̶o̶r̶r̶e̶c̶t̶e̶d̶!̶). Don't know if Shouichi pulls stupid and exposable move or that it's actually a smart one for others, as his restaurant has Agito namesake and thus Sougo easily uncovers the problem by searching towards it. Another(er) Agito being zombie attack makes it a one of a kind among Another Riders, it's different from others that There can only be a single Kamen Rider Agito active, anyone else just becomes either an offshoot creature like Gills or the original Another Agito. It means that the Time Jackers' Another Agito can exist in hordes, though Shouichi isn't entirely affected by the Another Watch making alterations to his timeline. The other problem, likely more about the Rider device, is the limit of Quiz's power, as Woz uses it, he doesn't get an answer as his question was not predetermined. So that still means somehow Quiz still exists despite White Woz's timeline erased.

I mean, the OOO episodes are so weird that I'm not sure I'd look to anyone's uncharacteristic activities in that story as proof of a mystery. Could just be some bizarre writing choices!

It's really a winner, yeah.

It feels like they wanted to front-load the series with actors they could get back, and then eventually deal with the shows they couldn't get anyone big back for.

It's so good that I wasn't even furious that Ozawa and Houjou weren't in it! (Yet?)

Good catch!

The difference is that her past is now potentially tied up in the Time Jackers schemes, and her powers are a new development. Her immediate priorities have changed, and she has a personal goal of understanding her own mysteries. Like, she can still have a long-term goal of Saving The Future, while having a personal goal of uncovering her past. They don't have to overwrite each other or anything.

Woz doesn't have any additional information to share, but it sure as shit doesn't stop him from commandeering Tsukuyomi's speech.

KAMEN RIDER ZI-O EPISODE 32 - “2001 - UNKNOWN MEMORIES”

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/zio/zio32a.png

I mean, if you have to do a story where Tsukuyomi decides not to investigate the Troubling Mysteries of her past until later in the season, Shouichi’s the Rider you want to be the guest-star.

He’s a guy that never valued his past more than his present, so that’s absolutely going to be the lesson he imparts to Tsukuyomi. (Also, his past was just dumb stuff on a boat with an Agito Jesus, so you can see why he wouldn’t advise anyone to dig into their repressed memories.) It helps that it’s a lesson that the whole cast ends up learning at different points, making it more of an overall theme of the series than some random one-off life lesson. In the same way that Geiz was so focused on the needs of the future that he risked losing a friendship in the present, Tsukuyomi is so spun around about the Troubling Mysteries of her past that she runs out on the friends who need her right now. In both cases, it’s an overemphasis on the individual over the group. The Time Orphans take on all this weight, and view their problems as Their Problems, rather than something that their friends can help with. More than that, they miss the ways that their worries can be alleviated by focusing on the connections they have right this second. Keeping things present-tense can also keep you grounded, and it can let you better appreciate the support systems you have available to you. Probably pretty tough for four-dimensional commandos to understand, but it’s something worth keeping in mind.

The rest of the episode was good, but nothing that’s really worth unpacking.

Sometimes that happens! The whole back half of this episode is a gigantic battle against Evil Agito and a bunch Another Agito mooks, and it was definitely fun to watch. It just… it’s a big fight! It’s got a new song! (I think! I mostly don’t notice the music in these shows!) A ton of things explode! I mostly don’t care! Your mileage may vary (and I’m sure at least one person is going to tell me that the fight at the end of Episode 32 is one of their favorite Zi-O moments), but I found the whole back half of this episode to be entertaining, but weightless. There’s no real strategy to defeating the villains; it’s just overwhelming power. I don’t really understand why the Agito Ridewatch creates an exact duplicate of Agito, instead of the usual Another Rider thing. (I don’t even understand how the Anotherer Agito even exists without a Ridewatch as the power source?) The episode basically ended for me after the scene with Tsukuyomi and Shouichi at Restaurant Agito. The rest was fun, but nothing worth digging into.

As long as I’m griping a bit about an episode I enjoyed… like, Anotherer Agito wasn’t anybody? Just some monster? That’s– that’s it? Why was it so dead set on attacking G3 guys? What was even the strategy, besides causing mayhem? Was it just to get Shouichi to appear? If so, why not target him directly? And what was the plan once Heure had the Agito Ridewatch? Part of the reason I didn’t care much about the final battle is that the escalation of the Anotherer Agito plot was so tough to follow. There’s a ton of monsters to fight, but it’s pretty vague about what the monsters or villains are even trying to achieve in this story.

This episode ended up being a step down from the last one for me, but still a fun installment with plenty to recommend it. Great to see Shouichi in action, especially as Agito Trinity. (Woz’z absolute fanboy freakout was an episode highlight, if not a series highlight.) Tsukuyomi’s story, despite the COMPLETE AND TOTAL FAILURE of never saying Tsukuyomi Is Tsukuyomi, was a fun riff on a series staple. The villain and monster stuff was poorly explained and seemed to be only concerned with providing bodies to be detonated, but those detonations were pretty fun to watch.

…okay, now everyone can talk about the song during the fight while I try not to lose my mind over next episode’s return of two of my favorite Hibiki characters.

YES, I SAID IT.

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/zio/zio32b.png

The insert song that played was BELIEVE YOURSELF which played in just about every episode in the first half of Agito. It coming on along with the big fight scene is probably just about everybody's biggest memory and takeaway from this episode. For me personally? Yeah, it's like, a lot of flashy and good fun, which is usually the most I hope for from these guest-star episodes.

Also what, the Time Jacker's plan makes no sense? Next you're going to tell me that Sougo still wants to be king, or that Woz goes Iwae in this episode...!

The Zi-O Trinity and Agito Trinity fight is probably one of my favorites. It feels like a little snippet of a movie fight. Real fun stuff. Also Woz's fanboy freakout is great, so is the ensuing argument:

Geiz: I told you to quit embarrassing me!
Woz: Quiet, right shoulder
Sougo: You're both shoulders though...

And just Tsukuyomi being so done with it while Shoichi is like "Yeah, what a great friendship."

Speaking of Tsukuyomi though, real good stuff. Slight missed opportunity on some stuff but I'll talk about that at a later date. But yeah, overall good set of episodes and I consider the Blade, Agito, and our next tribute episodes a real good streak of episodes.

Speaking of next episodes, we've got two BGM Swaps this time. The obvious one and then a special one because of what shows up next episode and the date in which these episodes aired.

Zero's Legend Episode Previews Corner - EP 33 Preview:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qi71CqFXZ34

This two-parter was more like it.

After a big string of episodes that try to cram in a whole lot of what amounts to nothing, these two episodes do a great job at staying focused, giving good character development, and treating the returning characters with their due respect.

I was already on board as soon as I saw what they did with Another Agito(such a good meta gag!), but the above combined with some great action, wonderful character humor, and the return of Agito Trinity absolutely sold it for me. I really wish that Zi-O Trinity had debuted here, rather than just popping out of nowhere in the Blade tribute.

But most importantly, Tsukuyomi finally got her due, and having her be the one to learn from Shoichi was the obvious best choice they could've made.

Still, I do wish atleast one other character could have come back...


Makoto Hikawa, or as I call him, the REAL main character of Agito!

What started off as an obvious expy of Ichijo from Kuuga ended up evolving into a unique character in their own right. In a plot that made absolutely no sense, Hikawa and the G3 Police were always there to deliver with great character comedy and solid development. I'm not exaggerating that when it came down to it, I was basically watching Agito solely for them. They're the source of all of my favorite moments from Agito, and I'm so glad they ended up the way they did.

Fair, but also this one felt like made even less sense than normal? Anotherer Agito is running around when the story begins, but we don't even get the Agito Ridewatch until way later, plus I just-- I don't understand what the Time Jackers want here. Their whole Make A New King schtick was riddled with flaws and full of Time Nonsense, but at least it created a vaguely coherent strategy. This was just messy; less convoluted, but in a more unappealing way.

None of them went hysterically blind or kicked one another in the nuts, so it's a big step up over the camaraderie of Team G3.

Super big bummer that Anotherer Agito didn't turn out to be Hikawa or Ozawa or Houjou. (Or Kino or Ryou, but less of a bummer there.) While it was great to be reminded that G3's best operator/equipper was -- hilariously -- Shouichi, it sucks to not get to see Shouichi reconnect with the members of Team G3. It seems greedy to ask for more than Shouichi and Mana (and Omuro...?), but I was a little crestfallen to leave this episode without more G3 folks.

(Fish Sandwich also watched Kamen Rider Zi-O - EP32)

I feel like that big action climax Die mostly doesn't care about was a huge moment for this series, in a lot of ways, so allow me to try and unpack the significance of that a bit.

Like, the whole feeling of this two-parter, I'd describe it like watching a Rider summer movie, but it was two episodes of the show in the spring instead. There's some very commendable work the show does to make Tsukuyomi a more rounded character in there, sure. I honestly really love everything they do with her here. Especially after I had complained that the show was writing her like a prop, it was wonderful to have a story where she was a developed character with genuine emotions that I could sympathize with as a viewer, and be invested in for how they affect her, and not her friends.

That all feels secondary to what a big party this arc is in my mind, though.

The overwhelming feeling I get from these episodes, and what that climax in particular symbolizes for me, is how dang fun they are, and I feel like they sort of speak to Zi-O as a whole in a way. It was a show that was always doing whatever it thought would be entertaining in the moment, even if it came at the expense of precise plot logic or whatever other finer details. But when that goes right -- and I feel it went right more often than not -- you get something that feels exactly like these two particular episodes about Agito feel -- a celebration of Heisei Kamen Rider.

It's the simplest thing, but it seems this particular arc resonated with basically everyone who watched the show, from people who were sour about certain elements, to people like me who were pretty much on the same wavelength from day one, and I don't think that's just some coincidence. There's an extremely approachable warmth to these ones, and a focus more on simple joys than trying to craft some huge daring narrative. Hence the movie comparison, since a lot of those are ultimately most concerned with getting us to a huge exciting fight scene in the end, just like these two episodes.

There's no huge twist to Shouichi, for example. His emotional baggage was all resolved nearly two decades prior, so he's here to be a friendly mentor character who helps out the current heroes, which is super uncomplicated, and also something a lot of people are going to want to see out of Zi-O. It's fundamentally happy, and that sense of constant wish fulfillment carries directly into the climax. As soon as everyone heard there was a Zi-O Trinity, what was the Rider everyone thought of? Well now you get to see that exact team-up, and everyone's favorite hype man Woz even comments on it! Have you been disappointed that Zi-O hasn't used any old music for the Legend Riders? Well here's one of the most iconic insert songs of the era playing in all its glory.

And I mean, speaking personally, I will never forget the first time I watched that scene. That exact moment where I heard the first .5 seconds of that guitar and was just like "no WAY dude!" Here I was, a Kamen Rider fan for years who had a strong attachment to that exact song, and now it was playing in Zi-O! Totally unprecedented! Totally surprising! Totally amazing! And then Sugihara's kinetic direction, already a huge highlight of the entire two-parter, just hits this insane peak, culminating in a perfectly executed double Rider Kick that ends on a shot so good, he'll go on to use it in at least two more movies after this. Because, again, this was a movie as two episodes. The visual flair was so far above was you usually get week after week. It felt like such an *event*, and I was so happy to be there for it.

So yeah, loads and loads of sentimental value wrapped up in these ones. Actually, I mentioned how Trinity was my pick for best suit design of 2019, but what I neglected to bring up was how the whole joke I did in that thread was to borrow a gag I was still thinking about from these episodes even like 8 months later:

And apparently I really did like that gag, too, because it was also my favorite comedic scene of the year:

Not to mention how, even among the wealth of choices offered by Zi-O alone, Shouichi was my choice for favorite returning character:

And of course I picked Sugihara for favorite director:

...Which is no surprise, when my explanation for my favorite fight scene was literally just the lyrics to BELIEVE YOURSELF:

...And I want to stress here, ALL of this was written when Zero-One was already a quarter in, and I was still *this* hyped about these episodes. I said episode 28 is probably my overall favorite, but I also said in that post linked up top that this one is, and really, in either case, I think I'm right.

I'm glad this one meant so much to you! The end of this episode honestly won't stick in my head more than Shouichi making Tsukuyomi lunch and telling her not to stress about her past when her present is so supportive, but you did an amazing job describing your feelings. Thanks for sharing!

So does Switchblade, Tokunation's resident rabid Hibiki stan, have strong thoughts about the guest cast for this arc? Yes. Yes, he does.

Story time!

So nine years ago it was the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who, one of my all-time favorite TV shows. As part of the celebration, the BBC released a short mini-episode online that included the return of Paul McGann, the 8th Doctor, who had only appeared in one made-for-TV movie until that point (he's like the ZX of Doctor Who, as a relevant comparison). The fact that he was in this mini-episode was a big surprise as there had been no advanced teases of it at all. The only reason I knew that it was coming was because I'd read a spoiler on a message board right before I clicked on the video.

I am generally someone who doesn't care about spoilers; I very much believe the enjoyment is in the journey more than the destination. The above example is one of the few times when learning something about a story in advance... well, it didn't ruin the experience, per say, but I've always wished that I'd gone into it blind because as much as I loved it, I feel like it would have been even better to go in without knowing that Paul McGann was going to be in it. Zi-O's use of Believe Yourself is another one of those situations.

I had read, either here or somewhere else, that the song showed up during this episode. The moment when it does is my aforementioned favorite moment in all of Zi-O. I still wish I could have felt what it was like to experience that without knowing it was coming, though.

Aw, that's a shame. I'm glad you had such a positive experience with this song showing up, though!

I could never not love this moment. As we discussed with the Decade watch thread, Agito has a very special place in my heart and these episodes did such a great job of paying homage to it.

That's awesome. I thought I was an Agito fan, but, boy, that song did not sound familiar to me at all. (I just thought it was some new Zi-O fight song?)

I love a lot of things about Kamen Rider, but the fight songs and insert music... it's like I'm missing that band of data entirely; zero receptors for that. I like the theme songs generally, some more than others, but I literally could not tell you a single piece of Heisei music I remembered from Kamen Rider outside the opening credits or, like, Shonen Yo. (Which is basically Hibiki's theme song, so I feel like it counts?) Can't spin up an interest in it.

Long story short, I am genuinely happy to hear that this fight scene meant so much to everyone, despite not having any emotional connection to it.

That's pretty easy! It's another reference to the whole seeds of Agito plotline. The Agito change is this spectrum, going from people like Mana(only exhibit supernatural abilites) to people like Ryou(partially evolved, an imperfect variant with drawbacks) to people like Shouichi(considered to be complete and perfect form)! So, if the Ridewatch obtains Agito's full power, the Another Agito will naturally evolve in a complete Agito when using it! (Kino has never really been confirmed where he laid on the spectrum, but considering Gills is also pretty-monster like, I guess that's proper confirmation on where he lies, in a bizzare sort of way?)

As for where the original Ridewatch came from.....*shrugs* Probably the same place Swartz pulled the Another Zi-O Ridewatch. Ridewatches work in mysterious ways, so don't think about it too hard.

(Anyway I was actually geeking out super hard at that detail when I first watched this arc, seeing them go out of their way to reference Agito's (often bizzare) lore in every step for this MOTW made me so happy as a Agito fan!)

I surprisingly don't much to say other than "holy shit that rocked!" or it's already something someone else already mentioned, but yeah, this is my favorite arc (in terms of Legend Rider content) in Zi-O by a mile. It really feels like they finally found a good balance between slathering the viewer with fanservice and making sure said tribute content adds to whatever Team Zi-O's up to in a meaningful way, after how long the tributes wildly ricocheted in quality. Glad they found their footing in the end!

I think it's fantastic that half of this story's Time Jacker plot can have an ultra-detailed explanation that directly homages Agito's frequently baffling mythology, and the other half can be filed under IDK Who Even Cares.

Kamen Rider! And the Kamen Rider fandom! I love them both so much!

Thanks for the insight!

It's really good. (Although, I definitely feel like everyone else enjoyed it about 12% more than I did?) I always liked when this show could treat the Legend Riders as mentors (the Ex-Aid arc was an early highlight), so a bigger focus on these middle-aged heroes as Heisei Dads is exactly where I want this show to go. I love how Shouichi gives Sougo the Agito power, instead of losing it and never remembering why. It's a choice this guy makes to literally pass his power on to the next generation, content in his victories and ready to move to the sidelines. It's less Sougo as a brash usurper, and more as the beneficiary of twenty years worth of power and wisdom.

It's nice to end these stories happy for everyone involved, you know?

So yeah, I’m one of the few people who this string of episodes (Blade-Hibiki) did nothing for. Mostly because of how they feel like they came from a different show altogether when it comes to handling the Legend Rider elements. And unlike Fish or Switchblade, Believe Yourself playing didn’t evoke anything in me (I’ve never really liked the song, even after rewatching this after watching Agito. Give me Dead or Alive, rebirth or Full Force any day).

And talking of Agito songs, it’s time for this.

Ridewatch Playlist: Fantastic Religious Lore that Never Comes Up Mix

This time, we’re doing the one series where they never released the Secondary’s Ridewatch (though it does exist canonically as of the V-Cinema, and they did release his super form).

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

“Awakening the soul, power of the land. The evolving Rider is… Agito”

And like with Kuuga, I’m here to explain where the prefixes for these watches come from, given that Agito’s gear was the last before it became commonplace in Japan for henshin heroes to have their equipment announce the transformations and attacks. In this case, Ground = from “Ground Form”

And despite my mini-disdain above, I still went with Believe Yourself for this watch. https://youtube.com/watch?v=SJnbPjIsRuU

“Beyond evolution! The warrior shining like the sun, Agito Shining Form”

Shining = from “Shining Rider Kick”

And here is where we go with the second version of the theme (which was not easy to find) Kamen Rider Agito 24.7 https://youtube.com/watch?v=Q9XGL7nKNPI

“Weapons and armour now empower G3, G3-X”

Launcher = Refers to G3-X’s main weapon, the GG-02 Salamander, a launcher.

And here is where I learned Agito apparently had a song for the movie, namely Jiken Da (It’s a Case) https://youtube.com/watch?v=iBwzKafCYyU

“Fighting with pure instinct, the evolution Rider is Gills”

Heel Claw = from “Gills Heel Claw”

And we close off with this, Stranger in the Dark https://youtube.com/watch?v=nkAFvmWmcII

And now for the list of unreleased watches. This time, there were no winners.

Kamen Rider Agito (Storm Form)
Kamen Rider Agito (Flame Form)
Kamen Rider Agito (Trinity Form)
Kamen Rider Agito (Burning Form)
Kamen Rider Exceed Gills
Another Agito
Kamen Rider G3
Kamen Rider G4

And now for the compare and contrast, this time Another Agito contrasts Shouichi, Kaoru and the concept of Agito as a whole. Whereas Shouichi lost his memories and Kaoru lost himself in delusions of grandeur, both were able to hold onto reality in the end. Another Agito on the other hand lost their whole identity and became a mindless beast, obsessed with nothing but following orders. Meanwhile, while the Seed of Agito was meant to allow humanity to survive against the evil god and his minions, and only one person can actually become Agito, with anyone else close enough transforming into offshoots, Another Agito is a virus that infects anyone it finds, effectively assuring that humanity would eventually go extinct once everyone is infected.

Also, due to lack of time to show a few bodies flying out, Sougo and Shouichi basically murdered a few guys during their “six-nity”, as Tv-Nihon put it.

Next time, the Heisei Era ends by bringing back the most successful actor to come out of Hibiki.

I totally agree with you about this arc. :thumb: For me, I don't really have a lot of strong emotions about Agito, so the fanservice is kind of lost on me. If Hikawa or Hojo were here, I might have been more interested. And yeah, in addition to Agito having the worst soundtrack IMO, Believe Yourself is totally lame and whiny and I'm glad it's not just me who doesn't like it. This is one of the examples where I inserted Over Quartzer, a song that I respect. The mysterious backstory of Tsukuyomi comes out of nowhere, other than a shot in the OP and a little line of foreshadowing in Heisei Generations Forever. I suppose it makes some sense that she reveals it now, since she only recently started to trust Sougo, but the way that leads in to the memory loss narrative of this arc is so contrived.

If I had to praise something about this arc, I thought the use of Another Agito was very practical. No point making a new suit when Another Agito is already a thing and fits the Another Rider aesthetic.

I'm sure nobody begrudges that at all. :p

Oh yeah, I almost forgot to share this.

Armour Time! Agito!

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachmen...gitoArmor.webp

Just like a good amount of folks, I lost it at the use of Trinity in this episode, not only because Agito has a trinity-based form, but because Woz felt dedicated to commit to the bit, which made this one of the funniest scenes in Zi-O. I also don't believe I've mentioned this before, but I find it funny how the characters eventually get tired of Woz's speeches (i.e., Tsukasa and Tsukuyomi), but I will never get tired of listening to them.

It's a good pair of episodes, and I like how Agito got to actually join the cast in the fight rather than just give a new collectable to Sougo and call it a day, it's just nice to see, especially since this is someone we don't see often. Do have to admit, that Zi-O tends to juggle with its Legend Rider tributes and Zi-O's story, though this is more of something from the last few episodes, the Agito arc was at least a little more balanced.

And now Tsukuyomi knows she can use ZA WARUDO!!! Toki wo tomare! (I had to make this joke again since it's just too perfect, though not as much as Cronus in Ex-Aid.)

(edit) I also really love Agito's Armor Time, much like Kuuga's, because it's such a simple design, given the early Heisei Riders didn't have too much in the way of collectible gimmicks and whatnot, and I love how his horns work on the shoulders. It's just a real shame a lot of these never became physical suits, though I understand that they wanted to market the most popular, or at least Heisei Phase 2, since Decade handled Phase 1.

The Legend Rider elements may be handled differently, but I think the last four episodes have been good-to-excellent in how they've managed to keep a tight focus on Team Zi-O and their relationships. I think that's worth something?

I just assumed that Tsukuyomi has been aching to talk about this, and it's only after SEVEN MONTHS of teamwork that Sougo asks her about herself. These kids don't do a great job of emotionally supporting Tsukuyomi, no matter what Shouichi says. I mean, sure, she sometimes tries to guilt one of them into murdering the other, but still!

It honestly never gets old. Even as he's grudgingly engaged in combat as a retainer of Sougo, his heart is still in being a hype man. It's the sort of character detail I love, where someone's just got a weird hobby/passion that they need to incorporate into their Kamen Riding or whatever. It's neat!

KAMEN RIDER ZI-O EPISODE 33 - “2005 - REJOICE! RESOUND! REVERBERATE!”

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/zio/zio33a.png

“Someone's gonna find us out
And eventually it'll all come crashing down around us
Ten years ago we drove around and wondered what to do with the rest of our lives
Turns out when you burn through decades nothing much survives”

-We Cut Corners, “Ten Years”

I mean, look: I get it.

Kiriya is a lot of people’s least-favorite character in Hibiki, if not the Kamen Rider franchise as a whole. (Maybe even all of fiction!) He’s, at best, a callow youth with daddy issues that helps a show about raising children explore how best to engage with troubled kids. At worst, he’s an unsympathetic drag on a show that never needed his help, and a distraction from more compelling plotlines.

I kinda love him, though?

Of all the ways an anniversary show could try to create an epilogue for Hibiki, I think The Next Generation is the way to go. Hibiki himself ain’t coming back, which also sort of counts out Asumu. (Like, you could check in on Asumu and see if he’s a doctor or teacher or whatever, but you can’t put him in two episodes of Zi-O unless Actual 2005 Hibiki makes an appearance.) So a look at a more grizzled Todoroki is perfect, as is trying to answer the question So Is Kiriya Still The Worst Or What.

And he mostly is! He’s pretending to be Hibiki, complete with the Hibiki Salute that I assume killed Switchblade stone dead in 2019, leaving his ghost to haunt these boards and remind people that Hibiki was a 29-episode series. It’s terrifically fake, Kiriya’s bullshit. He’s mostly just torturing Team Zi-O, making them do a bunch of physical training in order to distract them from hunting down Another Hibiki.

The way he’s screwing with them is what kept me from seeing Yuuto in the performance, which I admit was pretty tough. (I've seen way more Yuuto things, and way more recently.) Kiriya’s always vacillating between Unearned Self-Regard and Mopey Bitterness, and the middle-ground of those swings is him snickering at someone else’s misfortune. He’s still so childish, you know? He’s petty, and a liar. Todoroki warns Tsukuyomi that Kiriya’s just a failure who dragged his apprentice down with him, and the episode mostly bears that out.

But.

The thing I liked best about Kiriya was that he was so much work for Hibiki. Asumu was a bright, sensitive kid with a ton of people rooting for him. Kiriya was a little shit who kept weirdly failing upwards. But kids like that maybe need a mentor like Hibiki more than a kid like Asumu, and that’s a worthy point for a show to make. There was always, for me at least, the idea that Kiriya wasn’t irredeemable. The version of Kiriya that everyone hates, that didn’t really go anywhere. That’s the part that Todoroki knows, and the part that gets the spotlight in this episode. But the part of him that could maybe be better, find the humility that eluded him, that was always peeking around the edges in Kamen Rider Hibiki. There’s an explanation to Kiriya’s actions – his post-show history – that I’m really anxious to hear. Todoroki may have written Kiriya off, but like Hibiki, I sure haven’t.

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/zio/zio33b.png

…

C’mon, I’m not gonna do you like that. I'm not going to write about this episode only in ways that flatter everyone's least favorite Kiriya/Hibiki. I will talk about some non-Kiriya stuff, too!

Tons of great Kamen Rider Hibiki callbacks in this episode: Todoroki’s one guitar song, and the way his fight music was full of shredding; a brief camping scene; that shot of Heure leaping backwards into a tree is I’d swear the type of shot they used on Hibiki; the word Makamou, which I love; and all of that training, which is as much a Hibiki callback as the Echoing Oni screens in the pre-credit sequence. This episode did a terrific job of evoking Hibiki throughout, and I couldn’t’ve been happier.

Even the little (very funny!) runner with Woz trying to figure out how to celebrate Sougo’s birthday – which is coming up in only three days for all of us! – feels of a piece with Asumu’s relationship with Hibiki, and how hard it can be to tell the people we admire how we feel about them. It’s easy to be over-the-top or theatrical, but it’s hard to be real. Woz’z incredibly charming attempts to Make The Biggest Deal are, as Tsukuyomi, exactly the wrong way to celebrate Sougo. They’re the right way to celebrate Zi-O, but not Sougo. The ability to see past the hero to the person underneath is, again, a pretty big Hibiki theme!

This was completely what I wanted from a Hibiki tribute. Todoroki doesn’t do a whole lot other than look grizzled, but I’m okay with that. This was a story about Kiriya’s frayed bond with his apprentice, and how the world views Kiriya, and that’s enough for me. I’m curious how this’ll reflect on where Sougo’s at in his journey, though. I’d think it’s going to be a look at how these Kamen Riders won’t just exist as fun Heisei Dads like Shouichi; mentors kinda got their own stuff to deal with, emotionally! I guess I’ll find out in a couple days!

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/zio/zio33c.png
https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/zio/zio33d.png

So um... first off can I say I love how our timing has essentially made it to where we've gotten Sougo's Birthday Episodes C-Plot like near close to the date as possible here? Like incredible, I honestly didn't think about it until now.

Anyway Kiriya... uh... so how do I put this... since this is my first time seeing this character. And I don't know if Zi-O like pulled their punches with him. But... I don't find him that bad? Like, he's not really what I'd call intolerable and just what basic knowledge of the second half of Hibiki I have, it feels like this Arc was meant to sort of address him as a character. Kinda like how the Decade Hibiki Arc wanted to tackle a lot of more broad stuff in terms of "fixing" Hibiki.

Anyway this was a fun episode, the 9-5-DO Gags continue strong. Also one fun bit about the first fight is I love Sougo and Geiz trying to figure out what to use against Another Hibiki to like feel him out. Sougo using Kuuga because this episode aired on the last week of Heisei I think. While Geiz pulled a Super Hero Time Reference because correct me if I'm wrong, Magiranger (the wizard Sentai) aired alongside Hibiki.

Anyway this is probably the first time in a long while we've gotten only a singular BGM Swap. Obviously this one being a Hibiki themed one as well.

Zero's Legend Episode Previews Corner - EP 34 Preview:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klB3YNAAg_U

I have little to no knowledge on Hibiki, I don't even know any of the riders apart from Hibiki and Ibuki as I keep mixing Todoroki and Zanki around even after this episode.

But when I saw this guy walk up and say "I'm Hibiki." I went: "Naaaaaaahhh." You don't even look like or sound like him! But I don't hate him either, at least in this one, because I am unknowledgeable about Hibiki as a whole. I don't know this guy, who is this guy, why do people hate him, is he a Kamen Rider, why is he called Transformed Kyosuke but also Kamen Rider Kyoki, is he Hibiki? Probably not! Who and where's Asumu? Where is Hibiki?!

No, I just blocked that from my memory. Decent chance of correctly guessing what my afterlife will consist of, though.

Asumu's actor has retired from the business. Hibiki's actor a) may not have been willing to return to the show given his very public thoughts on its rework and b) was blacklisted in the industry at the time due to a harassment scandal (I've heard a lot of conflicting information about that, including accounts where he was either the perpetrator or the victim).

So yeah, these episodes. Obviously, I am not a fan of who they brought back as the main guest character. The best choices were unavailable for reasons mentioned above, but I would have taken pretty much any other character over Kiriya, including the shoplifter who beat up Asumu or Asumu's CGI dream sheep.
That's not to say that this is a bad Kiriya story; 14 years later and he's still a fuck-up, which is pretty appropriate. He's a failure as a mentor; that also makes sense. It's a story that makes good use of the character, it's just that the show picked the absolute worst character to make a story about. At least we got Todoroki, though, and Todoroki is always a welcome sight.

As a side note, I was not a fan of how this story got started. The kid playing the apprentice just happening to be an old acquaintance of Sougo's who we've never heard of before reminded me too much of the Another Zi-O guy. It doesn't help that this won't be the last time Zi-O goes back to this well.

This is an episode where Kiriya a) pretends to be a hero that he isn't; b) pretends to be of a higher status than he is; c) allegedly failed so badly at being a mentor that he helped create Another Hibiki; and d) makes our heroes do a bunch of grueling busywork as a distraction... and you are STILL arguably seeing him in the most flattering light ever. And I'm a fan of his!

Kiriya's a very tough character-type in general, and his role in Hibiki was not to most people's taste. He's pretty fun here, though? I especially like how close to the surface his abandonment/daddy issues still are. His motivations are still hilariously transparent.

Neat! I think you could also view the Kuuga usage as the closest alternative to a Hibiki Ridewatch, since Kamen Rider Hibiki was, like, Fun Kuuga.

Honestly, none of that is even necessary to both understand and appreciate/"appreciate" Kiriya in this episode. He is viewed -- both in-story and through the fandom -- as a giant phony and a total pain-in-the-ass. Todoroki is more or less the audience stand-in at this point in the story.

At the same time, Kiriya's troubled in a way that could engender sympathy (YMMV), so he's not a total write-off.

He's great! I love that he got older, and grittier, but he didn't just turn into Zanki. That would've been the obvious move, but it's nice that Todoroki is still sort of this weird loner who genuinely loves rocking out. Maybe my favorite non-Sabaki Oni?

Well, I’m not forgetting this this time.

Armour Time! Hibiki!
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachmen...bikiArmor.webp

As for why specifically only Todoroki showed up… aside from what Switchblade already mentioned, Ibuki’s actor was doing a guest spot over on Sentai at around this time, while Zanki’s was doing voiceover work for Yu-Gi-Oh and wouldn’t be available until the next filming block. As for Akira… well like Asumu, the character appearing wouldn’t make sense, but even discounting that, the actress seems to have become a cosplayer/YouTuber. And does anyone really think the Tachibana guys or the recurring Oni played by the show’s suit cast could hold an episode?

Speaking of casting, the kid playing Tsutomu later went on to play Ultraman Z’s bad guy (well, technically, the poor sap possessed by said bad guy. He later hijacks Wajima from Wizard) and got his face in the DX toyline. https://youtube.com/watch?v=yEwHQ6K2NRM

One thing I recall from when I was skulking around TN without being a member during this period: Someone who didn’t like this episode (I forget who. Maybe, Fish will know) saying that they should’ve done a plot about Sougo’s birthday in the OOO arc. Meanwhile, on another site, I commented that every kid in Sougo’s class seems to have some absurd dream that is well within their talents (which will come back around when we get to the V-Cinema).

Next time: The Heisei truck has been decommissioned, it’s time to ship out the Reiwa truck. Back when this episode first aired, I meant to point out what the first Rider episode in Heisei was so people could do a bookend (Namely, the episode of Black RX with a robot that can control scrap metal), but I forgot about it (I did do it for that week’s Sentai episode)

On the other hand, it's sort of perfect for me (and maybe me alone) that Sougo's birthday lands in a Hibiki story, since I like to think that Woz'z anxiety over crafting the perfect birthday celebration for Sougo is a reference to one of the greatest Todoroki storylines of all time:

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

It does feel like the kind of thing Sougo should've asked her that time when they were paired up in Episode 7. But I imagine Tsukuyomi would've been too guarded to be candid about it.

Oh hey, the Hibiki arc was my fifth choice for the hypothetical TN Watches thread. I guess I should talk about it, huh?

Same here! People complain about Kiriya for how much trouble he causes, but that's exactly what I appreciate about his contribution to the story. He's the catalyst for Shounen's internal conflict, by making him think about what it means to be an Oni and an independent person. There are a lot of reasons why I'm critical of the second half of Hibiki. Kiriya isn't one of those things though!

Todoroki seems a little self-righteous here. When he wasn't much younger than Kiriya is in the present, he screwed up a lot as well before he finally figured out how to be an authentic Oni. He doesn't have the perspective of being a mentor either, so he doesn't understand how difficult that can be and maybe expects Kiriya to be more like Zanki. People may begrudge Kiriya's return, but that's why I think it's such a good decision. A chance to re-evaluate a resented character and learn that even an a**hole like him can change and become a better person. That's what Hibiki's all about, right? To learn. That goes for us viewers as well. Kiriya's means are misguided here, but it's clear that he definitely cares about his disciple Tsutomu and wishes for his success, which is a side of him we haven't really seen before. Hibiki has rubbed off on him and that's a victory for the show.

That's what I loved about Ibuki, how passionate he is about being a good mentor and his fear of failing Akira. So yeah, an arc that explores Kiriya's personal problems now that's he's a mentor himself, I think that's a really cool premise! And a good moral that mentors aren't always wise and that you're never too old to keep learning new things about life.

I recall that was a very tragic episode of Liveman! I also recall there was a 3 week interval between the last of Showa and the first of Heisei. Not quite as terrible as 2020's 6 week hiatus, but it was still a lot at the time!

Then I think some other words for this can convey it better (at least to me), like additional goal rather than different personal goal or such. I don't know why goals like saving the future is degraded in this type of talks as something long-term and seems to be considered inherent here (like unfairly deeming something that is less interesting as generic when the total amount may be the same), people can have different goal and there are those who accomplishes great things due to their great power/intelligence but has entirely selfish goal, and the goals that seem 'generic' or 'inherent' or 'long-term' like saving the future is necessary to differentiate between outwardly similar outcomes.

While Shouichi's past wasn't that important, there are different past that others might have. The past can be probably a key to solve a present day problem. Applying to Tsukuyomi as it's not known yet here. I'd think that it may be important to dig up the past, but Tsukuyomi had to be less stressed for it and for that she did get it, as what I said before, her primary goal is still to change the future for the better and guide Sougo on the right path. While she can get more knowledge regarding her past on her way ahead, those 2 can still be done without looking for her past which means yeah she can less stressing about the past to focus on her primary goal. And sorry, but her running out of the friends who need her also partially has part in Tsukuyomi that sided with White Woz, that she now admits of being hypocritical that she plotted against Sougo for his time manipulation power, but turns out that Tsukuyomi also can manipulate time. Actually I also kinda expected if Tsukuyomi had different reaction to Shouichi's cooking or such (not hoping it to be in rude way though), like for Shouichi being a great chef, Tsukuyomi is also used to eating foods from another great chef in Junichiro thus her reaction is more ordinary or such, but actually no.

It was answered here regarding Zi-O and Agito Trinity, yeah the part you missed when talked about Zi-O Trinity should be something for Den-O tribute. And of course that's actually the better part for this fight to have the Agito nod and Woz actually talking about that. And I guess Shouichi naming his restaurant after Agito is underutilized that it wasn't used to target him with that either unlike Sougo's search engine use. Other than that yeah I'm actually not a fan of mook fights though it's necessary to show off abilities, but Another(er) Agito here is the mook type of enemy, made as a virus that spreads to others from a leader, and they keep the civilian's clothing intact like Masquerade Dopant (also pathetically weak).

I can sort of see Todoroki's side of things, though. For one, him and Kiriya never seemed to overlap much, storyline-wise, so I can't imagine Todoroki has a lot of patience for Kiriya's... for Kiriya. Kiriya's just some shitty coworker who is leaving the hard work for others, and that's on top of taking a title he didn't earn. Are there mitigating circumstances? Yeah, maybe! But it's not like Kiriya is Todoroki's project or anything.

(That's a note about the Oni that I'm glad this episode tossed in: this is a job for these guys. All the Oni in Japan aren't good friends or found family or whatever Phase 2 is all about. These guys are hardworking defenders of Japan, but it's work. I love that note!)

Yeah, no, I'm just giving Agito's show a hard time here. I did not like the stories about Shouichi's past! Or spending time puzzling out what happened on the Akatsuki-go!

I also don't think anyone's left to look for Kamen Rider Agito, villain-wise? The Spooky Man stuff was pretty well wrapped up, as far as open combat with monsters is concerned. Probably fine to call his restaurant that?

The beginning of the Kikai Arc and this two parter has a very introspective feel to it. Lots of shots with very few characters emphasizing how Team ZI-O is fracturing apart. So let's talk Tsukuyomi here the biggest failing is that she's been relgated to the background for so long that thsi switch feels too fast for what happening to her character I wished she was more involved before for greater impact on the story. But on the other hand I understand where she coming from with context with what happened last episode. We audience have the benefit of seeing the entire story play out with Mirror!Sougo but everyone else was locked out of the loop in that one so Sougo whole deal of accepting his own darkness and begin showing the same power as Ohma is the catalyst for their falling out though I do think alining with White Woz was a bit too much.

And how could we forget about Kikai himself there something so glorysly Showa about him from his denim outfit, too the school of kids flocking him and the rural countryside of 2121 that brings a nice vibe to the guy. And the Kikaider refrenace are pretty easy to figure out even if you havrn't seen it but ever wonder why Kikai had ice themed finishers? Well the actor also played Zamigo from Lupinranger vs Patranger who had ice powers so that was a cool touch.

They really did a great job on all of the Very Seventies elements of Kikai and his world. His tiny denim jacket somehow managed to become iconic to me in only two appearances. I'm gonna remember that long after I forget Zi-O's real name.

(That's not true. I will always remember the way Woz says "Tokiwa Sougo" in the opening of each episode. I guarantee that you just heard it the same way in your head right now.)

I mean for you there was an option for you liking him, because Kiriya's someone who stirrs shit and would cause more drama and chaos (and treated as fun and interesting..). In opposite, a character who is people's favorite of KR franchise as a whole was Kiriya's nemesis, Kuroto, someone that is sociopathic and has god complex. And Kiriya's actually a rarer case too of someone like this not being liked, while for you, the one that you didn't like was so far the likes of Kotaro in Den-O. And due to how he's a worst, which is acknowledged here, this can leave a bitter taste in the mouth to see how Kiriya can get the high position as an Oni trainer in the first place right here despite his behavior, if not about how his behavior got rewarded in Hibiki before by him turning into a Rider and thus likely having some paragon status.

Kiriya is obviously not irredeemable, if many shows featuring people with similar behaviors like secondary Riders (that Yuuto too) can attest. I guess it'd be the presentation of this kind of character here regarding how Kiriya probably gets away with too much stuff with his behavior or even being rewarded and have it being excused by him just being different instead. Though for the ones who don't like him, I'd also think that deeming a character as worse than the most despicable villains due to them annoying the audience more (i̶n̶c̶l̶u̶d̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ ̶b̶u̶t̶ ̶n̶o̶t̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶K̶i̶r̶i̶y̶a̶) to be personal bias. Actually I'm someone who wouldn't want for Asumu to become a Rider, rather him learning from Hibiki in another field of life, but I like about how in their training, Asumu's the one who is superior compared to Kiriya, despite about how outwardly it'd imply otherwise with Kiriya being more physically imposing than Asumu, and also 'oozes' more 'power' via his aggressive and hostile behavior, while Asumu's peaceful and the type who can be a pushover too by that.

So by evoking Hibiki, it means that this episode had the first half Hibiki in its setting which'd be more unusual in Kamen Rider, where the 2nd half of it had Hibiki's setting use the more 'generic' ones as in the city.

I guess there's fundamental difference of how Asumu and Hibiki are normal folks, while Woz is someone absurd as well as was quite evil at least previously. Sougo is someone who wants to become a kind overlord to save the world, while Woz would do anything to make him Ohma Zi-O, but is against Sougo's wishes by encouraging Sougo to give in his dark traits (would mean Woz doesn't see Sougo as the hero tbh, his idol for sure, but more of his dictator), or eliminating his friends who are in Woz's way (disguised as in Sougo's way), like especially Geiz to insist Sougo not rescuing him. I guess it's not about how hard to tell the feelings to the people we admire, but Woz has been constantly going against what Sougo wants all this time due to how he's the bad side regarding the premise of someone sweet turning dictator. Here, for this episode Woz kinda realizes about how his treatment of Sougo can be something bad instead after Tsukuyomi flipped out on his callousness. Some of the talking some sense that is much needed for Sougo's corruptor.

Yeah, I always liked how Asumu's story wasn't about directly following in Hibiki's footsteps and becoming an Oni. The ending of Hibiki was super meta, in the ways it talked about putting Kamen Rider away and maybe coming back to it someday, or just in shows ending and fans moving on to the next one. The lesson Kamen Rider shows teach kids isn't literally How To Be A Kamen Rider, and so it shouldn't be that way for Asumu.

KAMEN RIDER ZI-O EPISODE 34 - “2019 - THE HEISEI ONI AND THE REIWA ONI”

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/zio/zio34a.png

“This crop withstood the months of snow
The scavengers and blight
Tuned every ear towards a tiny lengthening of light
And found a way to rise.”

-John K. Samson, “Winter Wheat”

Kamen Rider Hibiki was always really two shows, happening simultaneously. It was a series about how to grow up, and a series about how best to raise a child. The second part is the element I found the most fascinating, and it’s that part this episode focuses on.

We had a dozen stories about mentors for Sougo or Geiz; Heisei Dads stopping by to impart a little wisdom and move on with their lives. The Hibiki thing was to show the work of that guidance and responsibility. If we’re used to our teenage leads being complex and works-in-progress, maybe it’s time to see their mentors in the same light.

Kiriya was a kid who lost his dad, and felt a hollowness because of that. He measured himself up against a heroic ghost, something in which he’d always feel diminished by comparison. Every academic or athletic success was a cry for approval he could never get. His abrasive personality – just, like, his whole personality – was a kid who wanted to be told he was good enough, and to feel like someone cared about him, but didn’t know how to be vulnerable enough to ask for those things.

He eventually trained under Hibiki, and that probably didn’t help him too much, psychologically. He just ended up replacing a dead hero of a dad with a living hero of a father-figure. Hibiki probably cared for him as a mentor, but couldn’t fill the emotional void that motivated Kiriya. Kiriya… he’s a collection of all of his traumas and triumphs, just like anyone.

Just like your parents, probably.

It’s a smart story to do in a kids' show, eventually. To demystify parenthood. Shows like this usually deify parenthood, show parents as unfailing beacons of positivity and support – that, or demonize them as cold-hearted villains for their lack of warmth and attention. They show parents like Kiriya saw them: idols to worship and fear.

But parents, like children, don’t arrive fully-formed. They’re like Kiriya, with his apprentice. They have kids by accident, or with hope for the future, or to fill a void in themselves, or to prove something to the world, or or or. They bring their own baggage to the table, and screw up without even noticing. They think of how their parents did things, and try to calibrate off of that. They struggle, constantly, to turn a child into an adult.

I loved this episode. I loved how it didn’t redeem Kiriya, so much as it tried to provide a larger context for why he’s still an insufferable prick after all these years, despite becoming a mentor and a hero. Because it’s… those things don’t negate each other, or act in conflict, you know? Being a parent is as complicated and terrifying as growing up, just from the opposite side. Kiriya never really figured his shit out, because Figuring Your Shit Out isn’t a prerequisite for being a parent. He screwed things up by trying to be Hibiki, when all Tsutomu ever wanted was Kiriya. He didn’t want Kiriya’s mentor, because he didn’t know that guy. He wanted his mentor to be proud of him, and that’s all that mattered.

Even the Woz/Sougo story is looped into the idea of how best to care for someone, as comedic as the plot was. The lesson there is the same lesson that Kiriya learns: just, show up. That’s Step 1 of being a parent, and probably the most important one. It doesn’t mean that everything’s going to work out, or that you’ll get an infinite number of chances to figure things out. But it raises the floor from the worst outcomes, creating space to recover from mistakes. Kiriya’s triumph in saving Tsutomu is all in the simple fact that he wouldn’t abandon Tsutomu, that he said Hey Man, I’m Here For You. That’s the most important thing we get from guidance, really. Being seen, listened to. It’s the most valuable skill a mentor can have.

If it took Kiriya a little bit too long to see the value in himself as a mentor, there’s some beauty in how his self-improvement came as the result of being a good father-figure to a troubled teenager. The symmetry of that, him accidentally growing into what he needed as a kid… God, what a tribute to what Kamen Rider Hibiki was like as a TV show.

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/zio/zio34b.png

Yeah I really liked this episode too. You're definitely right in that they don't really try to redeem Kiriya in a sense. But they do allow him to sort of take that next step forward. Though I'm sure not too many people were probably happy about him being able to transform into Hibiki, even if it was a one and done thing.

Overall though it's really nice and while I had no real attachment to Hibiki as a series, I thought it was a rather nice tribute. Also I liked the birthday party with Sougo at the end. If only because there's something about how it so neatly and blatantly tells you about the passage of time alongside other events. Just mentions of Christmas, New Years, Sougo's graduation, etc. Time is passing and we're feeling it pass.

Next time... oh man, these episodes. I'd say these break the streak of really nice Rider Tribute episodes even if I don't outright hate them. In fact there are aspects about them I adore and love a lot. It's just uh... it's a lot different than our new usual.

As is our BGM Swaps. I mean the obvious Kiva vibes, of course it's going to be the usual Kiva BGM Swap. But we've got a wily Giant Space Flea from Nowhere interrupting things too. So much so that the most appropriate extra BGM Swap is using the Ultraman Ginga Preview Theme.

Zero's Legend Episode Previews Corner - EP 35 Preview:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrmdHcwJxj4