... did I say all that?!

I must have been pretty deep into disliking Inoue's stuff at the time. Must have been watching Faiz or something :p

EPISODE 15: "Armor"

The good thing about the previous episodes doing all that setup is that these ones get to waste no time at all getting to the point. There's a mysterious beetle thing flying around, and everyone's time is getting taken up trying to figure out what its deal is. Including Ichijou, who it seems is going to be missing out on his own birthday because of the situation. The emphasis here is firmly on the police, taking some time to give Sasayama her first shot at a bigger role in a plot, and in general offering up more of that delightful grounded seriousness that becomes so amusing when you consider the stuff these overworked cops have to contend with. News of a giant artificial beetle thing flying rapidly towards Tokyo barely elicits more than an annoyed sigh from them at this point. It's like "Oh, another one of these cases... alright, go get some eyewitness accounts and blurry photos and we'll all meet back to discuss how likely it is this thing wants us all dead."

https://i.imgur.com/eOR8RQUl.png

Sakurako and Yuusuke, who has been seeing weird flashes of the beetle in his head, are also trying to figure out the mystery, and they're a lot more relaxed about it. Sakurako has managed to decipher text that seems to point to an insect capable of becoming armor for a horse, which sounds wrong to her, but Yuusuke, going with the flow as ever, thinks the idea sounds cool, and is convinced that whatever this thing is, it must be something good. On his way to deal with the latest Unidentified Lifeform, the beetle even shows up to hover by his bike for a little bit.

The Unidentified Lifeform in question is Me-Gyarido-Gi, who in the last episode developed something of an obsession with driving a truck, and is now going around backing into anyone unfortunate enough to be in his way. It's one of the more memorable Grongi gimmicks, and it makes a lot of sense when you realize that, since he's based on a hermit crab, the truck is essentially his "shell". Very clever!

Back at the police station, Enokida explains to Sasayama the special circumstances surrounding Ichijou's birthday after he refuses to accept a gift from her. Ichijou's life outside of work is so shrouded in mystery, characters asking him about having a girlfriend is a running gag. This is the first time the show has delved into his past, and the reveal that his father, also a police officer, died on his 10th birthday certainly explains a lot about why he is the way he is. Especially since it turns out telling Ichijou to take things seriously was apparently something of a catchphrase for him, which sheds some light on why Ichijou was so upset with Yuusuke back in episode 2. It's just a quick little mention, but it's a real slick way to build the character. Anyway, ever since that day, Ichijou's birthday has been an occasion that brings some complex feelings for him, but he makes it a point to try and visit his mom (a nurse, further showing that public service is a way of life for this family) every year. Which isn't looking like it's going to happen with everything going on.

The action scene that closes out the episode is amazing. It's mostly Kuuga riding to a place on his bike, but there's the rather unusual twist that he's actually riding through extremely congested traffic, and we see loads of civilians reacting to him driving by. Combined with the triumphant rock background music, the effect is just awesome. Trying to depict the ways society reacts to a hero show playing out around them was, of course, one of Kuuga's big goals, so to have this scene of people going "Is that #4?" with a mix of trepidation and excitement, it's super fresh. It's very rare to get this many extras in a bike scene in Rider, and because of that, it sticks out just as much as the trial action does.

https://i.imgur.com/VjMW6bdl.png

What else sticks out is the big ol' beetle robot thing that attaches itself to the Try Chaser. Uh, it's called Gouram, by the way. I should probably just establish that to make things simpler. Despite the fears of Ichijou and the rest of the police, Gouram is basically Kuuga's best friend. Its sole purpose is to help Kuuga do hero stuff, and to that end, it does indeed become armor for a horse. Or a bike. What's the difference, right? It's a cute example of Kuuga doing it's best to make everything seem plausible within the setting, akin to how the Pegasus Bowgun is a crossbow with a pistol grip. There are modern touches, but it still reasonably seems like a piece of equipment the ancient Kuuga could've had. But now Gouram's been revived in the present, and it's ready to help Yuusuke as he charges headfirst into Gyarido's truck... and a cliffhanger!

THUMBS UP COUNTING CORNER

This one marks the first time in a while two episodes in a row have had thumbs up.

https://i.imgur.com/oz2E6Fdm.png

Total thumbs up count: 29+1 = 30

EPISODE 16: "Creed"

Gyarido wins the game of chicken when Kuuga swerves away from the truck at the last second, and proceeds to punish him by attempting to smash up his bike with him still on it. Another great example of how to handle form-changing occurs when Yuusuke thinks to leap out of the way with Dragon Form, taking the fight to Gyarido and seemingly destroying him. Actually, can I take a second to specifically mention how much I love Dragon Form? I hesitate to call it my favorite when all of Kuuga's forms are so equally perfect, but it packs in so many elements that are way up my alley. The lightweight, slick design. The agile, dynamic fighting style. The scavenging for a stick every battle. The Showa style exaggerated hand motions when he doesn't have a weapon. The jumping shtick that's as Kamen Rider as you can get. The simple fact that blue is my favorite color. It's all there, man.

https://i.imgur.com/SnS2Iwsl.png

What was I talking about again? Oh, right. After the battle, Ichijou and Yuusuke are surprised to find the Try Gouram doesn't have so much as a scratch from being rammed into by a huge truck, and bring it to Enokida for further research. Ichijou is informed by Sasayama that his mother has collapsed, but doesn't seem all that concerned. Ichijou must be real heartless... is what you might think if you don't know Ichijou very well. Luckily, this episode is here to clear up any misunderstandings. Starting with Enokida explaining to Sasayama that Ichijou is dedicating himself this hard to work because of who he is, and not simply because he's a police officer.

In general, this is a great episode when it comes to fleshing out the supporting cast. You've got Sasayama, who gets a little bit of backstory on top of everything else. You've got my boy Jean, not updated on the situation with Gouram, stopping by to tell Sakurako how he feels like he can't face Mika now that he's lost the fragments her father left behind, just in case you think Jean doesn't feel bad about his poorly timed words to her back in episode 7. Plus, obviously, there's Enokida, who doesn't really have development here, but is a huge presence, contributing a ton to the plot, and just generally being cool. On top of the plot with his mother, Ichijou even gets a scene convincing the higher-ups to overlook the Gouram case that demonstrates the police are smart enough to recognize how helpful #4's presence has been.

Yuusuke gets a chance to further prove his usefulness when Gyarido goes back into action, which means Kuuga is on the scene with the Try Gouram once again. This time, he doesn't chicken out and just goes straight to ramming the truck. Yeah, this is the episode where Kuuga performs a finishing move on a vehicle so hard it kills the monster that was inside it. These episodes are by Katsuya Watanabe, whose direction I'm generally finding to be Kuuga's blandest, but dude. DUDE. This moment is just awesome.

https://i.imgur.com/sDwfyQel.png

On that note, there's some good use of practical effects throughout this episode, including actual explosions, a rarity for Kuuga, as well as the much more common "things on fire", something that always works for this show, and Yuusuke and Ichijou talking in the aftermath of the fight is no exception. Gouram, presumably exhausted from all the awesomeness, decides to take a nap, turning back into fragments and falling off the Try Chaser, leaving it back to normal. I'm not sure how clear I've made this yet, but I really love Gouram. It's two great things about Kuuga put together. One, that it's an upgrade with situational use, since it runs out of energy, keeping the normal Try Chaser relevant, and two, that Kuuga loves bike action so much the bike gets the first super mode. It's a whole new flavor of bulky fun to complement the trial action, and I couldn't be happier.

Wrapping up the story, we see Ichijou actually does take a second out to call his mother, and the conversation they have is short in length, but heavy on character development. They basically roast each other for not working harder, and then hang up, but it's obvious from the way they're talking how much they care about each other. And from there, from how much their attitudes mirror each other, it comes together why Ichijou commits himself so hard to being a cop. He doesn't simply find his job fun the way a workaholic like Enokida does. He just comes from a family who takes things seriously. Their belief in duty, their creed, if you will, demands they always give their best. Ichijou was ignoring the situation with his mom not because he doesn't care about her, but because he does. Because he wants to live up to that standard at all times. It's once again an example of Kuuga communicating a lot without saying much, and it's a great note to end a solid pair of episodes on.

THUMBS UP COUNTING CORNER

This one marks the first even-numbered episode without a thumbs up in sight.

Total thumbs up count: 30+0 = 30

In retrospect, it always shocks me the pace of just how much Kuuga was shilling toys and how much merch it had to sell. I always think of that as something that came later, with earlier shows being much lighter on it -- but here we've got the Arcle, then the weapons associated with its forms; the bike; the figures for all those; and now the Gouram! And it won't be that much longer till [SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER] either.

And yet, much like OOO when it isn't showing off a burping axe (disclaimer: I LOVE the axe), everything just feels so naturally integrated. It's why it is so surprising! Everything feels planned for and purposeful, with no excess of toys or anything that becomes redundant. All of it feels like something that naturally fits in the mythos and lore of Kuuga, even if we don't really find out that much about it. It's neat.

Ha ha, NICE TRY. Please rank the Kuuga forms shown to date, from your least favorite to most favorite. NO TIES.

Personally, of the 4 "common" forms, I think Titan is probably my favorite, as it's the most visually distinct from the other three. But yeah, I love all of Kuuga's' forms.

Here's mine, rising included

1. Amazing Mighty
2. Mighty
3. Growing
4. Dragon
5. Rising Dragon
6. Rising Mighty
7. Pegasus
8. Rising Pegasus
9. Rising Titan
10. Titan
11. Ultimate

Huh, kinda surprising Ultimate is at the bottom after making this list. *scratches head*

See, this is exactly why I refuse to try and put my favorite Kuuga forms in order. They're all so good, it's impossible to say one is better than another without immediately going "wait, but that other one is really cool too..."

Everyone: Here's my ranking for the Kuuga forms, that wasn't so difficult.

https://challengerscomics.com/images...uga/thumbs.png

God bless you, never change.

"What's your favourite Kuuga form?"

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EWF5BZxU0Aghju5.jpg

Gamers are rather chaotic and evil, so it fits.

If modern Kamen Rider is going to keep pretending bikes are relevant to them, then I wished they'd take a page from Gouram and just have the bike be a bigger, giant monster of a machine. Filming shots of it fake-ramming things and baddies is surely easier and something that can be done plenty through a whole year as opposed to doing stunts and even riding it across whole streets!

Yeah, when I think about Phase 2 Heisei, the one show that put a ton of emphasis on the Rider's vehicle and spent a bunch of stories tweaking and evolving it, was Drive... when it was a car.

Would it seem that Sasayama is the one that isn't overworked with her being able to launch her trivial stuff like that such as presents to Ichijou? Good to see the cops being used to the abnormal stuff going besides them, though the differences this time seems to be that Gouram is seemingly an inanimate object (but shaped like living being) that can cause havoc by itself like sentient beings.

I was confused at first about this, a beetle that can turn into horse armor (I forgot to take account about the beetle's size). And the Gouram effect around him, sorry, seems to be a testament of early 2000s special effects, and the type usually appeared in my country's television program.

Sure the truck being a shell for hermit crab is clever, but I find it hilarious that even for a Grongi with superhuman stats, the one threatening others are your everyday human objects, his Isuzu Elf truck. A truck ramming into people and others is something mundane happening in human lives. Any humans like drunk driver can do what Gyarido does! Granted, polices can't deal with him like they can with humans driving like that due to him being Grongi (they probably can still stop the truck the way they do to human drivers) but still...

Though Ichijou takes his job seriously in ep. 2, I for some reason think Ichijou was just significantly meaner that time, as he can still do the cop job independently alongside a superpowered civilian. I wonder if Enokida just figures out Ichijou's backstory or Ichijou opening up to her (and probably can open up to Sasayama at the beginning?). I've read a news where a cop dies for trying to save people on river like Ichijou's dad, and unfortunately there were some callous comments, being puzzled why a cop that "can't swim" like that can pass.

So have #4 gained humanity's trust by this time?

The Gouram attaching itself to TryChaser has a significantly better effect than when the bettle flies around him somehow. Motorcycles are often treated as the modern day equivalent of horses, so it makes sense that Gouram adapts to a modern era and replace the horse part with bike part. Kuuga himself has many Grongi vibes so yeah it's plausible for the cops to be feared of Gouram, but it's the 2nd "Unidentified Life Form stuff" that is an ally.

At least Jean's probably unintentionally lose the fragments here, unlike in ep. 7 where he just rambles about his own gain. Finally Ichijou gets through the cops and no need a complicated plan to convince. And poor Enokida with the Gouram's sthick which damages the equipments? For Ichijou being perceived as heartless, it's already refuted before where his family wants serious dedication in work above everything else before it's about the mom so yeah...

How does the attack on vehicle affect Gyarido? AoE?

Yeah, the explosion effects here is significantly better too than the previous episodes. What's the pattern of Gouram functioning or not? (or suddenly dying at ep. 15 end)

But... but my favorite is Amazing Mighty.

EPISODE 17: "Preparation"

Hey, you all like recap episodes, right? No? Well I'm going to talk about why this is a good one anyway.

https://i.imgur.com/tGyUIril.png

See, unlike a lot of people, I actually appreciate the value of an episode like this. They're obviously never going to be exciting to established fans following the series, but there are practical benefits to them I don't think should be understated.

From the production perspective, obviously, assembling a "new" product out of old material is just a dream come true for the bean counters, and when Kuuga is spending all this money on elaborate ruins and church sets, I think it's only fair they take at least a week to breathe. An episode with minimal new content also provides a perfect opportunity to give up-and-coming staff a shot at working on that next level in an environment with less consequences. This episode was directed by Nobuhiro Suzumura, one of the show's assistant directors, who made his debut with Kuuga, and who has gone on to have a long career with Toei, directing proper episodes of shows here and there, as well as seemingly being a go-to guy for spin-offs, handling stuff like Ex-Aid's Another Ending trilogy and the ROGUE miniseries from Build. On the writing end, the episode is the work of both Katsura Murayama, one of the two people responsible for creating all the fictional bits of culture in Kuuga like the Grongi language, and Tsuyoshi Kida, who would of course go on to be a main writer for both Hibiki and Wizard.

The other thing about a recap episode that I think often goes overlooked is simply that not everyone watches an entire TV show from the start. This is probably becoming more and more unthinkable in the age of streaming, but it's entirely likely there were people walking in on Kuuga at, say, the sixth episode, or the eleventh, or even this exact one, and providing a succinct explanation of the show would've legitimately been helpful to them. And that's what I think I want to say about this episode the most. As a recap episode, it's exceedingly clear and concise. Boring, yes, but also extremely practical. It fills you in on everything you need to know about Kuuga. He's a guy who transforms to fight monsters who want to kill people. Here's his secret identity. Here are all his friends, and what they do. Here are the police, who matter immensely. Here are Kuuga's different forms. Here are the Grongi, this is what "we" know about them, this is what we don't. It's an effective little video encyclopedia on Kuuga, and there's a certain novelty to Fumihiko Tachiki getting to do narration beyond one word in a preview each week. Also, while I'm on a trivia kick, for those who don't know, Tachiki would later do the narration in Double, as well as providing the voice for the Gaia Memories. Suffice it to say, he's got a cool voice, which is another point in this episode's favor.

The actual new material here consists of roughly seven minutes of new footage, which centers simply on a new Grongi, Me-Gadora-Da (the tiger one!), going to wreck up the place, and Kuuga's efforts to stop him. And I do mean effort. The timestamps here mean I can say with certainty that Yuusuke was fighting this dude for several hours straight. I know he works hard for people's smiles, but man, I hope he got a good night's sleep after all that. The good news about it taking so long is that you get more cool nighttime action, concluding the episode with Kuuga's second ever Mighty Kick, and more cool shots of things lit by fire, which, again, always works in this show. I'm pleasantly surprised by this episode. It's not doing much, but what it does, it does very well.

https://i.imgur.com/XddmVbMl.png

THUMBS UP COUNTING CORNER

I went through all the trouble of debating with myself whether or not a thumbs up we've seen before counts twice (it doesn't), and then the episode saves me the trouble by not having any at all.

Total thumbs up count: 30+0 = 30

Dang dude, hours? I actually didn't catch that when I watched this ep initially. Mad respect there, Yusuke.

It's a downright crime that a recap clip show for Kuuga had no thumbs up. Like-- like come on. That's like Den-O without Ore Sanjou! Like W without counting up crimes! Like Fourze without friendship! Like-- like Kuuga without Thumbs up!

The other element of a show like this having an episode just recapping everything up till this point is that, well, what other way was there to find out what had happened before? Internet access was limited, and what was there certainly wasn't capable of hosting video clips on this scale. VHSes probably weren't out for a while and after that all that's there is hearsay. Back in the day clip shows served a valuable purpose of being the only way people could catch up and recall what happened!

I wonder if there was some Japanese schoolkid who had this as their first-ever Kuuga episode. Turn on the TV, and there's all this action and excitement for a half-hour. You can't believe it. Eyes wide, jaw hanging. The next day at school, it's all you can talk about. This superhero fighting so many monsters and he's changing colors all the time, and it's the best thing ever. The next week, you race out of bed, throw yourself in front of the TV... and get to watch people decipher runes on a computer and talk about monsters in a conference room and maybe if you're lucky see someone make curry. That kid must've been crestfallen.

I'm kidding, mostly. I can't imagine a kid who liked the clip show would've been disappointed with the next episode. (I honestly don't remember what it was, but it probably wasn't terrible. There's still Kuuga in it, you know?) I just think it'd be funny to see this one and assume every other one was going to be just like it. The whiplash of pacing between a clip show and regular Kuuga... seems like it could result in a few kids wondering what happened!

Other than the recap part I will only talk about the new part. Still not getting the appeal of recap but I guess it explains more about the Grongis. Like how they have human/monster form, an ancient warrior race, awakened by #0. Probably yeah not everyone watches from the start but I guess there are other sources other than recap to get informations from the series and catch up like internet.

Kuuga fights Gadora for hours?! Well I guess at least Kuuga also didn't struggle (as in, the opponent gaining upper hand like in Badzuu fight), he just holds his own steadily until eventually wins. The other new scene the episode has is simply yet other police force being injured by Gadora and Yusuke being concerned over them.

Honestly, part of me worries any time this happens that I just missed a thumb somewhere in there? I mean, I pretty sure I didn't. It's a pretty strong reflex at this point, and, unlike a normal episode, there isn't exactly an engrossing narrative going on to distract me. But still. I've kind of had it in my head for years that like every episode of this show was just filled with the things, and it's surprising to find out how much restraint it actually had.

In 2000? I really don't think so. There were probably blogs and stuff doing... basically what I'm doing right now, but those would've certainly been all text, and the home video releases of Kuuga didn't start until towards the end of the show, and didn't finish until well into Agito's run on TV.

Heck, taking all that into account, even the people who were following the show probably didn't mind seeing some of those clips a second time. It's a better reminder than just reading a text summary or seeing some static pictures in a magazine.

In 2000, fanboards (ie places like this) are just starting out, so you're pre-all that. I'm far too young to remember it, but you'd probably still be relying on alt.whatever groups in the West, and something similar in Japan. Completely different Internet to what we're used to today.

Yeah, speaking as an Old, it was likely going to be a newsgroup or a BBS on AOL or CompuServe or something. Actual websites, they just weren't indexed enough to be a hub for people to share information. Which is not to say that fan websites didn't exist in 2000! It's just that they weren't sharing information as thoroughly or as reliably. Most folks were still getting information from fanzines and newsletters. Like animals!

Yeah, and when Kuuga was aired at my country (same year it was aired in Japan, just behind by several months), dial-up modem was a luxury that most kids watching the show had no access to anyway. You keep up the old-fashioned way: watch the show from Mon to Fri at around 6pm-ish, and if you miss an episode, you'd just ask a classmate to break it down for you (everyone was into Kuuga at the time) the next day.

During the time of Ryuki (the last time I watched KR show through TV) though, access to bootleg CDs and Internet has become way more common. I remember the first ever online recap I read was on Ryuki, and the person actually wrote it in a narrative novel style, even taking the liberty to describe imaginary character thoughts in a given scene. It's borderline fanfic territory, but I enjoyed reading that and was impressed by the dedication.

Just out of curiosity, when was this for you? 2000 and 2002, or did they air a fair few years later?

EPISODE 18: "Loss"

This is the third episode of the series written by Inoue, and it's considerably more tight than his last two attempts, which lends some credence to my theory he had to rush that two-parter out the door. This one, on the other hand, is a very good episode that, crucially, has a clear focus, and little to no fat. Right from the cold open, it's clear how much better this one is going to go. Yuusuke is outside Pole Pole, practicing his musical talent banging on a random assortment of trash cans and buckets, when Nana comes out to admire the show. He explains he's going to perform for the kids at Minori's school later, and that he hopes it makes them happy, to which, Nana, who of course is Yuusuke's number one fangirl, replies that anyone would be happy around Yuusuke. So, right away, Inoue is making better use of the supporting characters, and that line from Nana, that really is the heart of the story here. How much Yuusuke's presence means to everyone.

It's something that consistently rings throughout the episode, such as the very first scene after the opening, where Ichijou calls Sakruako to ask about the Gouram (which gets its name here), and Sakurako assumes he was trying to get in touch with Yuusuke. Because why wouldn't he be, right? Ichijou's always asking him for help. Then right after that, we see Enokida trying to figure out how the Gouram works, and of course, who should come up in the conversation, but Yuusuke? The lack of fluff in this episode is seriously impressive. Shortly thereafter, Ichijou shows why Sakurako made the assumption she did by calling up Yuusuke to deal with the latest Unidentified Lifeform. He rides on over, and transforms to fight, with computer-generated visuals that look they stepped right out of a PS2!

https://i.imgur.com/VadKyoKl.png

It's fun to joke, but I don't really mean that as an insult. I actually wanted to point this transformation out specifically because it seems like the CG model they were using has gradually started blending better into scenes over time. It's a quick effect you don't get a lot of time to look at anyway, which is good, but for a show in 2000 being pumped out weekly, I don't think this is particularly awful CG.

Anyway, the battle goes well enough for Kuuga at first, but when Me-Ginoga-De, a monstrous mushroom with poisonous powers, decides to take a bite out of him, things go from good to bad real quick. Within seconds, Kuuga is gasping for air and having convulsions, weakened to the point he reverts to Growing Form, in another one of the guest appearances the show was kind enough to keep giving it long after its purpose was served. I always loved that. This is where the plot gets serious. It broke formula by having the fight scene in the middle instead of at the end, and it quickly becomes apparent why that is. Yuusuke spends the rest of the runtime hospitalized. Which means Tsubaki has to ditch another date to come help out.

Actually, I want to talk about that scene for a second. It's always been the single biggest scene I think of whenever I think of what's great about Kuuga's supporting cast. It's the fact that they all have lives. They have properly fleshed out personalities with wants and desires beyond the function they serve in helping Yuusuke and Ichijou, and what Inoue did with Tsubaki, introducing this whole ladies' man aspect to him on top of his serious side and existing mad scientist tendencies, is like the epitome of that. The idea that basically every time Ichijou needs him for something, he has this whole social life outside of work he has to drop. The weird compliments he gives to his date. I love all that stuff. It's why Tsubaki is my favorite. Because I see scenes like this, and I can go on to picture this whole daily routine of Tsubaki trying to pick up chicks with nothing but his good looks, and probably a whole array of black comedy coroner-themed catcalls that rarely, if ever, have the intended effect. Just going around getting slapped by women for saying s*** like "Hey baby, are you a corpse? Because I sure would love to examine you thoroughly." Is any of that canon? Absolutely not, but the stuff that is canon gives me room to fill in those blanks, and that's a testament to how good the show's characterization is.

Anyways, the rest of the episode naturally deals with everyone reacting to this sudden crisis, and it's more good characterization all around. One thing I especially appreciated about this episode was all the good callbacks to previous events, which, again, suggests to me Inoue had really been studying up. The charms the kids at the preschool gave to Yuusuke for his birthday back in episode 10 are featured heavily. Minori echoes the dialogue from the same episode about her and Yuusuke doing what they can in their respective places. There's even a bit in there where Sugita takes a second to lament the death of one of the guys from the scene in episode 4 where Kuuga narrowly saved him from Mebio! How crazy is that?! It's super solid drama, and all fits nicely around that central point of what a big inspiration and help Yuusuke has been to the people in his life.

The climax for the episode is an awesome sequence of the police, armed with gas masks and gas bullets, trying to take on Ginoga on their own. It doesn't go great, but they win major points for effort. Compared to how they were at the start, it's seriously impressive how long they manage to put up a good fight. Just as well, too, because things aren't looking great for Yuusuke at the hospital. Especially once his heart stops beating. Uh oh.

https://i.imgur.com/XN60F27l.png

THUMBS UP COUNTING CORNER

A neat twist this time, as Ichijou sums up Yuusuke's impact with a thumbs up.

https://i.imgur.com/Sv2i4kSm.png

Total thumbs up count: 30+1 = 31

EPISODE 19: "Artifact"

Now, somewhat bizarrely, despite this being a direct continuation from last episode, we're now back to Arakawa as the writer, with Ishida taking over from Takao Nagaishi on directing duties. On the writing end, you'd never notice, which either proves how good a job Inoue did, or how much Arakawa's series composition credit means. On the directing end, however, I think it's a clear step up. Lots of pretty visuals as usual, including Ishida's latest creative spin on shooting a Grongi scene, standing them all in front of a huge neon sign and messing with the focus and the frame rate. But what was consistently most impressive about his direction this episode was the audio. There was a lot of spectacular use of ambient noise to enhance the atmosphere, with an especially big highlight being the scene where Tsubaki is calling Ichijou to inform him of Yuusuke's death, switching between a cold silence where Tsubaki is, and ominous sirens with Ichijou.

Oh, yeah, and Yuusuke's dead, by the way.

https://i.imgur.com/29I6RnFl.png

Nobody's very happy about that when they get the news. Heck, Tsubaki isn't very happy being the one to give people the news. But despite not being happy, some of them aren't all that worried. In particular, Sakurako threw herself into her work to discover a line of ancient text that actually seems to suggest Kuuga dying is less of a problem than you'd imagine. So right there, the episode get its free pass on the fake death of the protagonist. It's a good way to handle the resurrection in a way that doesn't feel cheap. The mystery of the stone in Kuuga's belt has been a plot thread since the start of the series, so doing this plot here and now, it feels like a pretty natural escalation to see it pull off this remarkable feat. It deepens that mystery by starting to show you how much power the stone possesses, all the more so when there's a different line of text Sakurako deciphers suggesting the best thing to do while Kuuga's dead is nothing at all. Which hopefully doesn't mean it was a bad idea for Tsubaki to try defibrillating Yuusuke, but, eh, I'm sure it's nothing to worry about.

There's honestly not much to really say about the plot beyond this. It's an episode that succeeds largely on that strong atmosphere, with the story only having a few real beats between "Kuuga is dead", and "Kuuga is back". Much of it is a more dour version of last episode, with the cast just reacting to what's going on. It probably doesn't sound very good put like that, like the plot is too thin, but I don't think it's something you'd really notice actually watching the episode. It does too great a job pulling you into the story for that. Besides, it's only natural that Kamen Rider Kuuga would grind to a halt when Kuuga himself is dead, right? Like, if there were ever an episode to slow things down this much, this would be it.

And when Kuuga finally does make his return, it's worth the wait. Right when it turns out the gas bullets aren't working on Ginoga anymore, and everything seems hopeless for the police, he shows back up to save the day. In Growing Form. I cannot tell you how much I love this. Nobody would question it if Yuusuke showed up in Mighty Form. It doesn't make a big difference to the emotional beat the narrative is hitting. But they put in the thought to say that Yuusuke isn't at full strength after just waking up from being dead for half a day. They put in the effort to establish Ginoga is more frail than your average Grongi. So why not take advantage of that perfect opportunity to give Growing Form its time in the spotlight? It's such a cool scene, and the way Kuuga has to do a Rider Kick three times before it works is insanely memorable. The only bad thing I can say about it is that I have to immediately retract my statement about the CG getting better, because oh man, does Kuuga flashing Ichijou that thumbs up at the end look conspicuous. Ishida is usually great at using a quick blurry camera shake or some other trick to disguise the suit actor not being in the same place as Odagiri, so I really have no clue why they decided to take this approach here.

https://i.imgur.com/PNSwZZLl.png

On the bright side, the episode ends with Kuuga giving Ichijou a thumbs up! How can you go wrong?

THUMBS UP COUNTING CORNER

Something of a callback to episode 4 this time.

https://i.imgur.com/ZtX2fUFm.png
https://i.imgur.com/AZsehDFm.png

Total thumbs up count: 31+2 = 33

EPISODE 20: "Smile"

This episode serves as a stand-alone epilogue to the previous two, presumably to even the numbers back up after the recap episode, and while at first it seems obvious that this should've been the one out of the three handled by a different writer and director, watching through it, I totally get why Arakawa and Ishida would want to apply their talents to this one, because it's probably the best out of this whole little trilogy.

Things get off to a great start when the episode opens with Yuusuke, out of nowhere, telling Ichijou he wants to start saying "super transformation" when he changes forms. It feels like an exchange produced as a result of a conversation between the sponsors and the staff that probably ended with the staff saying "okay, but we still aren't saying Kamen Rider in the series!" But while I question the way this idea made it into the show on a meta level, I don't question how the scene uses this goofy idea of Yuusuke's to highlight how happy Ichijou is to have him back, even having to hold up a hand to hide a smile that might ruin his stoic image. It's a real sweet moment, and at a hair under 40 seconds, this cold open does in fact tell you what the premise of the episode is. Yuusuke is back, and everyone, including him, is extremely happy to be alive right now. All that doom and gloom from last week is done with, and we're moving forward.

This time, instead of seeing all the supporting characters be sad, we see them just hanging out with Yuusuke. There are some particular highlights on that front. First off, there's a fist bump between Yuusuke and Jean I just have to mention. Because of course my boy Jean is the only one cool enough to get a fist bump from Yuusuke. Second is Yuusuke getting checked out by Tsubaki, a scene that serves the functional purpose of further highlighting the mysterious nature of the stone in Kuuga's belt, but becomes hilarious when one of Yuusuke's usual attempts to ward off Tsubaki getting a little too close for comfort turns into an impromptu arm wrestling match that lets Odagiri show he can mug like nobody's business. There's also a visit to Sakurako that explains the stone is called the Amadam, but, really, the arm wrestling match is where it's at.

https://i.imgur.com/3FTGekZl.png

It's not just the comedy that's on point this episode though, even if Yuusuke's impression of Ichijou is killer. A lot of these scenes do a good job building the characters. Yuusuke finally getting to pay that visit to the preschool is great for how it reinforces that cheering kids up is far more of a passion for him than fighting monsters, which, admittedly, isn't a revelation, but these scenes are always really heartwarming, and the show spaces them out well so that they don't get old. The best character bit in this whole episode though has got to be Ichijou and Yuusuke having a conversation about their parents. It highlights the similarity in their backstory of being raised largely by their mothers after losing their fathers at a young age, adding yet more truth to Ichijou's assertion that they're similar people from way back in episode 6. Despite the subject matter, there's a lighthearted tone to the whole conversation that fits with the episode's theme of everyone getting along and being happy. Except for the Grongi, who have a minor role here being angry, which, big surprise. I mostly just want to mention it since it's yet another weird Ishida Grongi scene, and those are always a treat, no matter the length. This one plays with the focus and the lighting to the point where it looks like if you had a nightmare about being abducted by aliens or something. It's super creepy, and I love it.

https://i.imgur.com/QaN1Xewl.png

There is still a monster for this episode, though. It turns out Ginoga's exploded bits can actually regenerate into clones, which is bad news for everyone. Especially viewers with sensitive stomachs. I don't know who made the props for this episode, but they are nasty. Just, weird bubbling masses and severed hands and stuff. Gross. I was practically cheering when Yuusuke decides to take a blowtorch to the blob in the lab. The world is better off without that thing. Burn it, Yuusuke! Burn it to the ground!

https://i.imgur.com/g3p3Hf4l.png

Having been made aware of the situation, Yuusuke heads out on the Try Chaser (which, for the record, gets a new control panel here after the last one was smashed in the recap episode) to deal with a clone that's more or less grown into a proper monster. It's a real feel good climax, ending things with some more trial action, and a good old fashioned Rider Kick. So things get a little disgusting for a bit, but the episode brings it back to that uplifting atmosphere when all is said and done, with more banter between Yuusuke and Ichijou, as well as a hint that something has changed about Kuuga, wrapping up this storyline, and setting the stage for the next. This episode is great. I wouldn't recommend watching it while eating (!), but it's a supremely enjoyable conclusion to a trilogy of episodes that each have something to offer.

THUMBS UP COUNTING CORNER

Appropriate for the upbeat mood, this one takes a bit more out of the thumbs budget than usual lately.

https://i.imgur.com/rvnVXyKm.png
https://i.imgur.com/M7XwPgpm.png
https://i.imgur.com/eBUcjWCm.png

Total thumbs up count: 33+3 = 36

Gosh, I really enjoyed reading that post. I wish I had something more substantive to say, but all I've got is that I really enjoyed reading that post. Really outstanding work.

Episodes like these make me really miss practical effects in live-action shows.

I kind of feel bad looking back on my initial watches of Rider seasons, because I'm so... engrossed in the material, so ready to take everything at face value, so suspending of my disbelief; that unless something is shockingly bad like that Kuuga Growing animation, I just accept it and don't think much of it. What I'm talking about is phenomenal prop/set design, or stunts that must have been incredibly risky or difficult to do and shoot; I just take them as part of the thing I'm watching rather than being able to admire and appreciate that effort.

Case in point, I do not remember that bubbling mass Godai blowtorches looking that real, holy hell! That-- that's straight out of The Thing or something, what the heck?! That's amazing! I hate it but, you know, I'm supposed to hate it! Good job on making me hate it, that's disgusting!

Very enjoyable and nostalgic to read, as always. That whole thing about Goudai dying was very much a Big Deal back then, half of us truly believed that's really it for him and that Ichijou's gonna take over. Of course, by the end of it, everyone's like "well what do you expect, of course I knew he's not going to die, he's the main character for god's sake!"

I watched Kuuga in 2000, so yes, same year. After that, they skipped Agito (so I never got the chance to watch it) and chose to re-air Kuuga a couple more times, that's how popular Kuuga was (Agito might have eventually been aired at some point, but definitely not in 2001 and not in the prime-time spot Kuuga occupied).

Ryuki was aired in 2004, so we're two years behind on that I believe.

Surely this is right but GDI Nana don't treat the world as centered only for you two. Admiring him sure but forcing others to do the same and even dictacting them? Sheesh... How about learning Yusuke's admirable personality too instead?

I was caught off guard when they give a shot of his legs for Ginoga... with him wearing heeled boots. And long hair too, I thought it was a female Grongi with thick makeups, but then I hear the voice... The bite is a one hit kill? And other than the fight being in middle it ends very quickly too. As here Kuuga reverts to Growing Form when weakened, would that happen if Kuuga fights regularly too, where he got beaten up until he can barely stand?

But poor Tsubaki cannot keep on his dates due to his new Kuuga caretaker occupation. Headcannons aside Tsubaki wasn't slapped around by woman though. The break up all happened due to "that jerk" Ichijou!

I didn't realize the one Sugita mourns was the one from episode 4. I thought it was someone else.

Dunno if this is harsh, but I can't help to joke about his name here... Yusuke go die!

Yeah, the reaction for Godai's companions, Sakurako specifically, isn't as severe as what's thought. Especially that most, if not all of them, disagreed with the idea of Yusuke becoming Kuuga. And Minori didn't hold back the truth against the children that he's hospitalized... This moment should be their worst worries, happened for real. But I guess they also have developed to instead believe in Yusuke? Even if Tsubaki hasn't told any of them Yusuke's enhanced body due to the Kuuga belt. They now should realize there are good things of Yusuke becoming Kuuga, including Sakurako knowing more about the stone, namely, his transient state. I wonder if Tsubaki defibrillating Yusuke actually worsens the state he was in, or any of medical practice just won't work on him as this Kuuga state is incompartible to any real world logic and operates on its own system?

So Ginogo is truly more frail than usual Grongi (and his bite can be a compensation?)? Where it allows Growing Form to be the only successful incomplete Rider Form. Even so what makes the gas bullets not working on Ginoga anymore? Grongis can upgrade their body? Growing Form's Kick is 1/3th the strength of Mighty Form's. Kuuga doesn't follow the trope Came Back Strong it seems here.

Yusuke frequently talks about his Rider experiences and moments, so it's normal for him to do this. Will him saying super transformation actually affect? Ichijou probably represents some of those like peoplle here who are unable to give that much response in discussions.

Reminder the visit to Sakurako is the one giving Jean and Yusuke fist bump. Other than comedy, was the purpose of the improptu arm wrestling is to test Yusuke's condition?

Do the children like Yusuke for his skills, his attitude? Ah possibly both, though dunno which one of them the children prefers. Yeah I'm getting that vibe too with Yusuke and Ichijou discussing their parents. And Yusuke you don't need to pretend to be Ichijou there, Enokida's main focus now has been shifted to you after Gouram stuff! I wonder what kind of lunch Enokida (or just that institute) makes, or if she was just bluffing, but at least you get free stuff that way if you oblige, Yusuke... OK, their lunch at Pore Pore, dunno somehow there are coincidentally bunch of (mafia looking) suits in the main table Yusuke and Ichijou eats.

Though I have to say that's one of the most convincing special effects Kuuga made to be that scary! :p

No one hasn't found the solution of the cloning yet and Kuuga just killing him the usual way? They should do something with the blob (which starts off as very small), like burning it above? Were they burning it then spraying it with water like the scene previously kill it for good?

I don't have much to say about a lot of that post (sorry!), but this is one thing I can comment on. I've heard that Growing Form's kick is "one third the strength" before, and while I'm not sure if there's an official thing somewhere that says that, going strictly by the episode, I think that's a misinterpretation of what happens.

Kuuga does two kicks that don't "stick", basically, and then for the third one, he takes a second to... concentrate, I guess, which turns the little gems on his ankles red, like in Mighty Form (I think the new So-Do figure is even literally including extra stickers for this?), implying that while he wasn't able to use the form itself, that last kick had all the same power, and thus was able to destroy Ginoga. I don't think it was supposed to be simply about the kicks adding up.

EPISODE 21: "Secrets"

https://i.imgur.com/gy2vh6ol.png

This episode opens with a killer view of the moon through a gap between some trees that quickly pans down to reveal a nearby patrol car. It's a very nice, exaggerated visual... aside from the awkward way the moon visibly jitters when the camera moves, since it's just a special effect. Oh well. All the same, it's an awesome, moody beginning that really sets the tone for these episodes. There will be a lot of creepy things happening at night, starting with Gooma attacking that aforementioned patrol car during one of his mysterious flights between Tokyo and Nagano, where the whole Grongi mess started. That's very much the theme for this one, as the title might clue you in. It's all about moving the series' overarching plot threads forward, centering on the police's ongoing investigation into the Unidentified Lifeforms, with particular attention being called to the fact that nobody is actually sure what the Grongi even want yet.

Being Kuuga, there are, of course, other things going on in the background. Yuusuke is off with Sakurako and Jean to go see the progress being made researching Gouram, which could've turned out to be real awkward if Enokida's mom didn't wake her up barely an hour before they arrived... in the middle of the afternoon. Yeah, Enokida's sleep schedule isn't in a great place right now, reflective of a bad habit of pulling all-nighters analyzing all manner of things relating to both Gouram and the Unidentified Lifeforms. Very important work, obviously, but that's probably not much consolation to her son Sayuru. This is more or less the main subplot for these episodes, and it's still crazy to me this is a thing the show made room for. The research chunk of the episode also ties into the investigative angle, naturally, in particular calling attention to how when Grongi blow up, the explosion is centered around their belts, unlike the beltless clone of Ginoga from episode 20, which simply melted when destroyed. Hm.

Speaking of the Grongi, there's a ton going on with them here. The primary monster this time is Me-Garume-Re (the chameleon one!), who's out taking advantage of his power of invisibility to murder hapless victims and, rather distressingly, is also announcing the location of his next killing to people at the scene of each crime. Apparently this makes "the game" more "fun" for him, which, uh, whatever he's talking about, can't be good news. As though this weren't enough by itself, we also get our first appearance from a new face who promises to be yet more trouble for our heroes. Well, I say "face", but we don't actually get a lot of that this episode. More credit where credit is due for Katsuya Watanabe, the direction in that introductory scene is pretty stylish. It's not the wild, alien feel Ishida likes to go for, which I prefer, but there's a real grimy crime thriller vibe to all these Grongi hanging out in a poorly lit room waiting to meet a mysterious new associate. Mysterious to us, anyway. The other Grongi go way, way back with this guy, but all we know for now is that he has a rather familiar haircut, and a sweet scarf.

https://i.imgur.com/RbEo9Brl.png

Meanwhile, a bunch of cops have gathered to stop Garume's next murder, which becomes ironic when it turns out they're the victims. Garume is great in these episodes. There's something so fun to hate about his cocky attitude. Dude is standing up on high ledges with his hands on his hips to assert maximum dominance, taunting all these officers and even outright calling them stupid when they try shooting him. The invisibility thing is probably what does the trick. Like all Grongi, there's almost nothing a regular human can do to stop him anyway, but you can just tell how much enjoyment he gets out of the added ability to sow confusion and fear on top of that.

Now, in case all this Grongi action wasn't enough, the obligatory Kuuga fight for the episode actually sees Yuusuke going up against Gooma again, bringing us full circle with him at night, although Kuuga's a lot less helpless than those cops from the beginning. It's a super cool throwdown in another memorable location, with a swaying spotlight illuminating an otherwise faintly lit warehouse. Gooma puts up a solid fight considering Yuusuke had nearly 20 episodes to improve his skills, but ultimately, Kuuga has him on the ropes, and ready for a good Rider Kick. Now, in case all this Grongi action still wasn't enough for you, Gooma gets lucky when Kuuga is interrupted by the sudden arrival of that mysterious new guy, who comes crashing into the warehouse on a motorcycle, with his helmet covering his face, as though he were some sort of... kinda like a... like a masked rider, or something.

https://i.imgur.com/b7GI5s9l.png

Man, this was one busy episode.

THUMBS UP COUNTING CORNER

Nothing too fancy this time.

https://i.imgur.com/3BZF32Vm.png

Total thumbs up count: 36+1 = 37

EPISODE 22: "Game"

The Grongi on the motorcycle distracts Kuuga long enough for Gooma to slip out, and leaves himself right after. Which is just as well for me. Why bother talking about exciting superhero action when I could be talking about Jean, instead?

Okay, well, to be fair, this is actually more about Enokida's plot. She's still throwing herself into her work as hard as ever, having completely forgotten a promise she made to Sayuru to spend time with him, being a little preoccupied. No, scratch that. A lot preoccupied, considering she ends up working straight through to the next morning, which, thanks to the ever-helpful timestamps, I can tell you for a fact means Enokida was working about 14 hours straight. Winding back to the night before, though, Jean is listening in on Enokida's phone call with her mother quite intently. Wait, no, I'm underselling it again. He's listening extremely intently.

https://i.imgur.com/051STm5l.png

Sakurako practically has to drag him out of the room since they're supposed to be leaving, and when they grab a bite to eat later, she questions what seems to have him so upset. Jean, man of mystery that he is, tries to dodge the question, however. I definitely feel for Sakurako on this one. After all, I'm still trying to figure out if he collects stamps or not. Alas, it's not that easy.

Another thing that's not easy is tracking down the Grongi, but the police have two solid ideas of where they might be hiding out, and Ichijou and Yuusuke split up to check them out. The location Yuusuke goes to is a total bust. Ichijou, on the other hand, hits the motherlode, failing to get much in the way of useful intel, beyond further confirmation that the Grongi have learned to speak Japanese, before the woman with the rose tattoo knocks him out cold. Yuusuke finds him, and when he wakes up the next morning, their conversation quickly turns to the more pressing matter of Garume's next announced killing, which is coming up in a few hours. (Yet another occasion the timestamps add to the ticking clock element, by the way.)

An element of the plot that's interesting to note here (and forgive me in advance for all the numbers I'm about to throw your way) is that Garume was one of the Grongi introduced way back in episode 3, and this episode makes reference to a previous encounter with him that happened offscreen, in the gap between episodes 6 and 7. This is apparent due to Yuusuke referencing the events happening between the cases of Unidentified Lifeforms #10 and #11, who we never actually saw. Badzuu was #6, and the episode after he was defeated, things picked up with Badjisu, who was #14. Episode 7 even opened with a conversation between Sugita and Ichijou making specific reference to the Unidentified Lifeform cases that happened in that gap. And there have been other gaps in the count since. While I'm sure the time skips were simply to keep the show more or less in "real time" the way Rider shows generally are, I'm totally unaware if there was a motive for creating these offscreen Kuuga adventures beyond it being logical the Grongi would be active more than twice a month. It seems like the kind of stuff that would be chronicled in some comic spin-off or something, but to my (limited) knowledge, these extra Grongi have never gotten more than names.

Putting the trivia aside, what's important to take away is that, while an invisible enemy might have been tricky to deal with for a Kuuga that only had Mighty and Dragon Forms to work with, Yuusuke now has Pegasus Form's enhanced senses to give him the edge against Garume's visual trickery. The good news there being Pegasus Form is finally getting a second appearance. The bad news is that Yuusuke isn't too sure how easy it'll be to line up a shot with all the buildings and whatnot getting in the way in an urban environment. Yuusuke does have one idea to deal with that though: asking Gouram for a lift. Bit of an oddball plan, but hey, Sakurako does manage to find some ancient text that might point to what Yuusuke wants.

In the meantime, there's a quick scene at Pole Pole I definitely need to talk about, which involves a forlorn Nana coming in to reveal one of Garume's recent victims was actually her acting teacher. It's a pretty emotional scene, and the idea of a Grongi murder hitting so close to home like this is very much the kind of thing Kuuga would think to do. That idea that you never think it could happen to you, until it does, and all that. More of the realism the show loves so much. Which is why it's very, very strange this plot beat is such a minor, offhand piece of the episode. Nana only had one scene in each of these episodes, and her first didn't do anything to set this up, nor do we actually see the murder in question take place. It comes off like there were entire scenes cut out of the episode, and I'm just not sure how I feel about that. Heck, Nana's entire interest in acting has been offscreen so far, which also doesn't help. These episodes don't have a proper emotional core the way most Kuuga two-parters do, and I don't think they really needed one. This story is very specifically about elaborating on the literal world of the show, answering long-standing questions and introducing new ones, which makes this scene an oddity. It doesn't drag the episode down, but it's just a tiny bit too disconnected to elevate it, the way it was probably supposed to.

Still, there are some big answers here, and they don't get much bigger than when Garume finally explains to the police why the Grongi are killing people. As it turns out, it really is just a game. Something that keeps the Grongi amused. It might be more than that, too, but that's their core goal. There's no scheme for world domination or anything like that going on. These guys are in it for the thrill of the hunt at best, and just because they like the sound of your screams at worst. Garume maybe falls somewhere in the middle. I get the impression he picked up Japanese so thoroughly more to mock his prey than to blend in with society, but, no matter what, he's owed a thorough beatdown from Kuuga at this point. The police are able to keep him visible long enough for Mighty Form to get some hits in, but the second Garume can, he runs for the hills, but that's no problem for Kuuga, who puts that plan from earlier into action, sniping Garume from the skies with Gouram's help.

https://i.imgur.com/wBhBIPQl.png

And that's pretty much it for this two-parter. It ends not too different to how it began, with Ichijou hoping the mystery of what Gooma is up to gets solved soon, since, you know, that thread is still just as loose as when the story started. These episodes move loads of different pieces around on the board without much in the way of a singular goal, but, aside from my misgivings with Nana's role, I'm hesitant to call it an issue. It all feels too deliberate in what it's doing. This two-parter, from the outset, wasn't trying to be a self-contained story. It's two straight episodes of twists and turns as the show readies to move into the back half, getting invested viewers even more invested than before. In that larger context, I think it really succeeds, despite lacking the cohesion of some other episodes.

THUMBS UP COUNTING CORNER

Nothing fancy here either.

https://i.imgur.com/Y9kAo6Cm.png

Total thumbs up count: 37+1 = 38

This episode I really look back on as the big example of how my subs failed me hard. Garume's revelation of this being a game is supposed to be just that, a revelation; but it's something I just knew about the Grongi since like, their first dialogue scene! It really hampered what should be such an incredible, significant mome--

Oh, shoot, this is the first episode Gouram lifts Pegasus! I CAN FINALLY CONTINUE POSTING THESE!!!

The sheer coolness factor of a Grongi who's similar to the OG Kamen Riders though...

I'm not really a Showa guy (can't remember if I've mentioned that), but even I was into that Grongi's design. Dudes on motorcycles should always wear scarves. I think I'm more insistent on that than helmets!

Frankly, Kuuga should have used the 'snipe them from the skies' method a lot more often and make the Grongi afraid to go out in the open!

You know how it's hard to get motorcycle licenses these days? Well, back then, the problem was "Flying Beetle" licences. Super expensive, can't afford to do it too many times.

Sometimes to search for the texts, you can't stay in your office. Now Sakurako has to go to the Gouram's experiment place, where she meets Enokida. Wow Enokida's being relatable for staying up all night and waking up very late. I wonder if she's obliged to go to her institute on time or the place's not that strict. I just noticed the cloned Ginoga doesn't have a belt, where it just melts. Does that mean it's the end of Ginoga?

This may be one of the most dangerous and scary Grongi yet, because when it's invisible you can't even know if you're being hunted until it's too late. O̶b̶v̶i̶o̶u̶s̶l̶y̶ ̶w̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶h̶e̶ ̶s̶a̶y̶s̶ ̶a̶r̶e̶n̶'̶t̶ ̶g̶o̶o̶d̶ ̶n̶e̶w̶s̶,̶ ̶i̶t̶'̶s̶ ̶a̶b̶o̶u̶t̶ ̶n̶e̶x̶t̶ ̶l̶o̶c̶a̶t̶i̶o̶n̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶m̶u̶r̶d̶e̶r̶.̶ Oh I also forget to mention this. I finally know now the role of Sasayama in the police; so she's the informant but stays in the headquarters.

The consequence of charging it without knowing anything about what will you face. To be fair being invisible obviously they can't see anything. The cops should just evacuate others from the spot Garume arrives.... though probably one of them has to stay to hear the next spot Garume will come. It's surely fun for Garume to see the confusion and futility humans show that he keeps doing that. Also are the cops using their old guns again as the bullets just bounce off Garume's body without any effect like in earlier part of the series.

Well, even Growing Kuuga is more impactul to Grongi than the cops so yeah.... Gooma obviously has his flight to take advantage of the sticking-to-the-ground Mighty Form. The new guy doesn't seem to has Grongi attributes but he acts like a Grongi by calling him Kuuga.... and yeah he does give masked rider vibes... those that watched newer series first would probably think it's a debut of a secondary/tertiary/etc. Rider!

Damn eavesdropping Jean.... what will you do with the information about Enokida's familial ties you gain?

Did they eat at (again) 24 hours restaurant? Because it seems that they left Enokida at very late night.

They think Grongis speaking Japanese may be a danger... because they potentially can sneak in daily human activities... do you actually think so? Grongis have no obligation to communicate with humans anyway to kill them and also Grongis have distinct traits like the tattoos.

The cops and humans refer to Grongis via numbers so probably good way to keep track, as you are hearing more about the numbers than the Grongi's names. I just feel that most of Kuugas are 2-parters with 1 Grongis of the week so the only difference is the Grongi number, but if there are no off-screen parts like this, there would just be a lot less Grongis to fight, but the show would still give the same screentime and portion of each Grongis.

So this episode teaches me that Pegasus' enhanced senses are more than just tracking someone from distance but also... detecting invisibility. This is Yusuke's development! He claimed it himself he knows now how Gouram works, therefore he makes better use for it. Also if Kuuga Mighty improves his attacks by training to jump kick, what does Pegasus Form do to improve his attacks for a finisher? I haven't seen any of finisher attempt other than Mighty.

Yeah especially if it's Garume, you don't even know if you're hunted, but you instantly die anyway. Other Grongis (probably except the Bee ones) at least is visible so that you have a chance to escape, not necessarily successful but still. So Minori has 2 occupations to help out at Pole Pole and teach kids... do her schedules not interrupt each other? Because she was helping at morning (9.45 a.m) there. Protecting other people's smiles means preventing this tragedy to happen to anyone! With Kuuga killing the races that would kill humans.

At least the police figures out its weakness where bright light can disable his invisibility for 5 minutes. But still using the same bullets? Oh well Yusuke can track him down now. I'm quite amused and a bit baffled that Kuuga was surprised when Garume goes invisible again...I mean didn't you listen Ichijou warning you about Garume's invisibility right before that, lol.

EPISODE 23: "Uneasiness"

Toshiki Inoue is back on writing duties for these ones, and he's basically doing a sequel to episodes 5 and 6. Possibly the kind of sequel that might as well be a remake? We'll work this out as we go along, but given this one also starts with a cold open of Sakurako in a room with Jean, getting worried about things, it's certainly looking pretty similar. The first key difference is that this time, she's specifically worried about some text she's translated, which the audience is kept in the dark about for the time being. Familiar or not, this scene does hit all three of my personal criteria for a great Kuuga cold open. It's under a minute, has only as much dialogue as is needed, and properly establishes the central concept of the plot. Good stuff.

https://i.imgur.com/aQ13z7Yl.png

After the opening, Nana shows up to Pole Pole, where a conversation with Pops quickly brushes the whole "teacher got violently murdered" plot point under a rug so we can get back to more Pops Puns, which only makes me further question why the idea was introduced in the first place when the show seems actively uninterested in exploring it at the moment. Beyond that, the scene's only other purpose is to have Nana ask where Yuusuke is, so we can find out he's off to the university, where he asks where Sakurako is, which fortunately isn't just so we can find out she's off asking where someone is, ending this chain before it becomes the entire plot of the episode, which, thinking about it, might've actually looped around into being kind of impressive.

Before we see what she's up to, there's a quick scene with the police reiterating the revelations about the Grongi from the last episodes, which I'm going to be generous and say is helpful for viewers who missed a week back in the day. Things start getting exciting when the scene shifts to Gooma, over in Nagano, performing some kind of crazy demonic chanting to summon forth... something. It came out of the ground like magic, so it's probably pretty cool though. Whatever it is, Gooma seems super happy about it. Ichijou meets up with Yuusuke to discuss everything that's been going on. In a touch I really love, when Ichijou asks him, mostly rhetorically, how many Grongi casualties he thinks there have been up to this point, Yuusuke replies with the exact correct number of 1,389. It's a subtle thing, but it shows how heavily all this weighs on Yuusuke, despite his carefree attitude. Ichijou is bringing this up because he figures going after the Grongi from the source, taking down their leader, would be the best approach to keep that number as low as possible. The problem being figuring out who that is. Gooma's constant trips to Nagano point to Unidentified Lifeform #0 being their leader, and Ichijou even theorizes here that the woman with the rose tattoo could actually be #0. It's not a bad guess, considering the information available. After all, she's clearly in a position of authority, and we've never seen what her monster form looks like. For all anyone knows right now, it might be her.

Getting back to Sakurako, it turns out she's with Tsubaki, intent on asking him about any changes that have happened to Yuusuke lately. One thing I want to note about this scene is how much it reinforces my fan theory about Tsubaki being kind of a creeper, because on either end of the conversation, he makes some pretty embarrassingly bad-taste comments to Sakurako, culminating in him abruptly trying to ask her out to lunch, which, sheesh. I think Inoue was having even more fun with Tsubaki than I am. In-between looking for a date anywhere he can find one, however, Tsubaki explains that Yuusuke thinks the electrical shocks he's been feeling as Kuuga over the past few episodes are a sign that he's becoming stronger, which has Tsubaki pretty optimistic, since the Grongi have been getting more and more fierce themselves lately. Sakurako, on the other hand, thinks this might have a connection to the text she translated earlier, and that's what she's afraid of. She asks Tsubaki about the possibility that Kuuga might actually use up all his energy that way, but it's apparent even she's not too sure what she's talking about right now. On the way back, Sakurako is handed a lighter as a promotional gift before she boards her train... which mantis-like monster Me-Garima-Ba also enters. Is she following Sakurako? What's the nature of the mysterious incense-looking thing she's wearing? Why isn't she flipping out and murdering people right then and there? Hopefully you haven't cracked this case already, because this is the big mystery for these episodes.

Yuusuke goes to see Tsubaki himself, and is surprised to find out that Sakurako was there earlier. Tsubaki fills him in on how anxious she was about the electric shocks, and also throws out the possibility him using the defibrillator on Yuusuke when he was "dead" actually caused them, but it's a little hard to tell how serious he's being, considering he's still cracking jokes about Sakurako coming just to see his face. To be fair, this did all start happening after Yuusuke came back. Sakurako, it turns out, isn't much more informed than anyone, confessing to Ichijou she's hitting a point where the ancient texts are getting more mysterious, and more difficult to decipher as a result. But at the very end of the episode, as Kuuga takes on Garima, we finally find out what she's figured out that's got her so concerned. It's a passage cryptically describing the sun being swallowed by darkness when a "holy spring" dries up, and a "fearsome warrior" appears like lightning. That last bit being the connection she's worried about. Definitely not the kind of ancient prophecy that sounds like good news!

https://i.imgur.com/EEv7tjrl.png

THUMBS UP COUNTING CORNER

Just a couple of thumbs here.

https://i.imgur.com/DZXz9Axm.png
https://i.imgur.com/lj40gSGm.png

Total thumbs up count: 38+2 = 40

EPISODE 24: "Strengthening"

It's made readily apparent how strong the Grongi are becoming when Kuuga's fight with Garima ends with her taking a direct hit from the Try Gouram and still living. It still hurts her, and she quickly retreats to lick her wounds, but for a finishing move that was blowing up entire shipping trucks and the Grongi inside them, you'd expect a better result. Yuusuke is looking on the bright side as usual, though, telling Ichijou he thinks he's finally starting to understand how to harness the extra power of the electrical shocks, planning to head to Enokida for help with the matter, but not before checking in on Sakurako. She's obviously feeling pretty low right now, to the point she's stooped to shameless product placement.

https://i.imgur.com/rUfJaEbl.png

Putting aside how happy McDonald's must've been to have one of Japan's biggest heroes call their food delicious (even when cold!), this is actually another very Yuusuke moment that I think Inoue did a great job with. He's here to talk about why she's so upset, but he doesn't bluntly ask about that right away, instead sliding into that only after getting her to smile first with by talking with his mouth full like a goofball. Like with Chouno, it's maybe not quite how Arakawa writes him, with his followup prodding of "we're friends, so you can tell me anything" being a bit more of a platitude than usual, but the sentiment is still nice, and it's still evident that Yuusuke puts other people's emotions above everything else. Sakurako shows him what she deciphered, but Yuusuke is confident it's completely unrelated to what's happening to him right now. He points out that a warrior who "appears like lightning" doesn't actually describe him, since he's a warrior from whom lightning is appearing. Simple logic, but he might have a point. There's still a lot of mystery surrounding the text, but the visit from Yuusuke succeeds in cheering Sakurako back up, and he heads off to see Enokida.

Meanwhile, Ichijou and Sugita are trying to track down the mystery behind Garima's targets. First they realize a bunch of the victims were carrying those same lighters being given out that Sakurako has, so they go to check the store that was handing them out. Then they realize the victims who had the lighters all boarded a nearby train around the same time. Then they realize some of the victims who didn't have lighters boarded the train around the same time. Then they realize the victims who didn't board the train were probably already on the... the... thetrain...

*snoring*

Oh, sorry, I must've fallen asleep for a second there. Yeah, allow me to throw a bone to anyone who thinks I take it too easy on this show: the mystery plot this time just isn't a mystery. Inoue seems to be under the impression there was something ambiguous about Garima's actions, with the lighters presumably meant to be a red herring, but it's just... way too obvious she's tracking down the people who were on that train car. It's not all that unusual to have episodes of Kuuga where the viewers have more clues than the heroes do, but here it's too easy to connect those dots before them, rendering the investigation scenes here utterly limp. Despite the joke above, I'm not actually bored to death watching it. It's not a huge chunk of the episode or anything, but the fact that the only defense I can come up with amounts to "at least you don't have to see that much of it" kind of underscores the problem. This is another example of Inoue not having a solid grasp on Kuuga's style, and it dragging the story down. Anyways, the eventual, inevitable result of all this is Sakurako being warned she's a target just in time for Garima to show up anyway.

A little behind this, Enokida has provided Yuusuke an isolated room to do... whatever it is he does. The show doesn't dwell on it too much, perhaps ironically figuring this part of the plot wasn't ambiguous. So let's play detective ourselves here. Yuusuke specifically mentioned to Sakurako he wanted a room to shut himself in, we see insane amounts of flashing electricity from in there, and when he's done, he's visibly dripping sweat. Those are our facts. It's not too hard to figure out from there that Yuusuke presumably wanted a safe space to just let all that power loose to see what it did, and get a feel for it, but once again, this story's priorities are maybe not totally straight. At any rate, Yuusuke catches up to Sakurako in the nick of time, and gives Garima everything he's got. That means it's finally time for the Rising forms!

https://i.imgur.com/r6i9Zpzl.png

I also want to take a second to specifically talk about this shot which I found neat. It depicts Titan Form's initial shift to Rising Titan, and, since the designs physically nearly identical, they seem to have accomplished this with the simple but effective method of digitally editing the hue of Kuuga's armor in post, only using CG for the belt, the addition on the sword... and the torso, for some reason. It's identical to Titan's normal torso as far as I can tell, so why that spot in particular needed the extra treatment, I have no clue. Whatever the reasons, the end result was a fairly convincing shot that I took notice of specifically because of how much I didn't notice it, if that makes sense. Although the torso becomes glaring when you know what you're looking for.

Rising Titan, though! Definitely just as cool as the original, and also like the original, its debut consists of nothing but it annihilating the enemy with a single stab to the guts, although this time the monster comes to him. It's a short fight, but while it doesn't do a whole lot to show off what's so special about these new golden powers, Kuuga does destroy with a single hit an enemy previously shown to survive even Gouram's power, so it's clear enough this is an upgrade. And that's pretty much it for the episode, aside from a brief hint that Sakurako is still a little worried, and the "to be continued" screen completing its own little arc, as the lightning from the past few episodes becomes a radiant golden glow instead. Attention to detail like that is appreciated. Which is why these episodes are once again, not the show's best material. For different reasons than the Chouno episodes. These ones are focused enough, but between the combination of Sakurako's arc being too redundant for an A-plot, and the barely mysterious mystery B-plot, there's not a ton here to get particularly excited about. Just about serviceable, with some cool action, and some solid movement on the overarching plot, but little more.

THUMBS UP COUNTING CORNER

A few more thumbs here too.

https://i.imgur.com/qHPf9SRm.png
https://i.imgur.com/1uf10Qfm.png
https://i.imgur.com/jq0E2yKm.png

Total thumbs up count: 40+3 = 43

Yeah, boy, did not love the setup for Rising Titan here. It's bonkers that a show that's so relentlessly present-tense and dedicated to the minutiae of its storytelling was like, Nah, everyone'll figure this out, we don't have to have any dialogue supporting it. Bonkers.

I feel like ancient prophecies in general, and ancient prophecies on Kamen Rider in specific? Always bad news. Like, even the ones that sound like good news ("It says here that The Warrior Of Scarlet And Coal Will Get Free Ice Cream At Sundown.") inevitably lead to tragedy (someone's dad is killed by an ice cream truck, flinging Rocket Pops into everyone's hands).

If there's only one thing I learned from Amazons, and there is, it's that it's best to have a burger or two if you've been killing monsters. It was all a Kuuga callback and I never even realized it!

If Japanese TV shows have taught me anything, it's that McDonald's and Pizza Hut are eternal, even in alternate histories where they shouldn't even exist.