SHOTARO HIDARI HARDBOILED DELUSION DIARY EPISODE 8 - “WHAT IF AKIKO WAS A HOUSEWIFE?”

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It is very funny to me that we have a Delusion Diary on the topic of Akiko getting married, with only 17 episodes left to go in the series, and a) Shotaro never considers the possibility of Akiko getting married to Terui, and b) Terui doesn’t show a preference towards Akiko getting married in the future. Kind of hard to feel like the show always planned on Akiko and Terui getting together, if this is how the concept first got handled.

But it’s non-canonical, and still very charming. Since it’s covering the last four episodes, it starts off as a gritty crime drama before devolving into a slapstick samurai duel. It’s one of those Delusion Diaries where Shotaro is 100% along for the ride, sputtering ineffectually at diegetic stagehands and mysteriously-resurrecting husbands. His reactions to every increasingly bizarre turn are matched by everyone else’s commitment to playing their nonsense as straightforward as possible. It’s exceptionally funny, even for the type of ridiculous idiocy these shorts traditionally get up to. (Akiko suddenly having a revolver!!!)

So, yeah, solid short! Just sort of surprising that there’s no sense of Terui-interest – in either direction – during a story about Akiko being married.

(PROGRAMMING NOTE: My next week starts off incredibly packed, so I’m jumping ahead on this one because Monday night is almost definitely going to be a night off. Thanks for your understanding!)

I enjoy how even two episodes later, Shotaro's delusions are not safe from him binging an old-style Samurai show from the Nightmare Arc.

Shotaro's delusions have some real Thank God I'm The Only Normal Person Here energy, which feels so utterly dead-on to his character that I'm always a little reluctant to cite these specials as being non-canonical.

This arc reminds me a bit of Raymond Chandler's "Farewell, My Lovely." That was also a book that concerned a man getting out of prison and trying to reconnect with the woman he loved, only to learn the hard way that she wasn't who he thought she was. Ended a lot worse for him than Bitou, but this is maybe the arc of the show that most resembles one of Chandler's specific novels.

Good suit, but I remember there being something janky with the Figuart. No idea what, but a lot of people were disappointed with it back in the day.

Doesn't bother me, personally, but I've spent the last decade watching modern Ultraman, where they usually don't even bother trying to make the weapons look like they were sized for an adult.

For fanbase though, Akiko would be the one seen as least necessary member, she's considered useless, or a load, with them viewing her as leading the team to trouble (Shotaro fights as W and is the hidari half of it). For this part, even the other 2 does not approve of Philip's move of asking Terui to become his partner, that it's stupid question for Philip, and Akiko, as what she did in ep. 4, calls out Philip again for degrading Shotaro (as weak), defending him that Shotaro isn't merely a tool to fight as W, his... half-boiled persona also makes things work. Now again his half-boiled trait is viewed in a good light, and indeed, even though he can't live up to Sokichi, he can be impactful in different way, like his moral being something that kept Terui in check from killing an innocent.

As being W can't work, Phillip can only hand Accel his Cyclone Memory for him to use with Engine Blade, performing a Maximum Drive with green-wind slashes which are enough to keep Weather at bay, losing the bear carving. Now I wonder if the reverse can happen, with W using other Memories than the 6 they use, if W uses Engine then he'd got lighter grey side other than Engine's power? Terui actually thanked Phillip and praised the memory, while keeping his stone-faced expression. This also alarms Phillip about how Terui can withstand Cyclone's power, bringing back Shroud's words before that he suspects his true partner is Terui. Shotaro had a mental breakdown over the fact that he can't become W anymore, even ignoring Akiko's invitation to go back from the bungalow.

Sokichi's message on the bear carving, "Nobody's Perfect", intended to expose the truth to Bitou (about Suzuko being true culprit) but not emotionally hurting him, but it's intended for everyone like Shotaro believing in Suzuko. This is a reminder of how, as Sokichi said, humans aren't perfect and they can make mistakes, but that's something ok, they don't deserve contempt for it, either from others or themselves. It reminds Phillip as well that W needs Shotaro's kindness, as it's not intended to be a perfect killing machine. Being a Kamen Rider prioritizes helping others, there are wide range of morally good trait and deeds in addition to “saving people” (by beating up the enemy) that should be displayed (also why I like mundane utility trope for superpowers). Like what Shotaro remind Terui in his debut, being a Kamen Rider isn't about hating the criminals and exert overboard punishment, but only the criminal act.

The bear carving's purpose is finally seen here, it holds Zone Memory, and Shotaro exposes Suzuko that she's a Dopant. Sokichi hid the Zone Memory there, where Suzuko used that while Maruo used Beast to attack. Shotaro insists for Suzuko to apologize to Bitou for sacrificing his 10 years seemingly for nothing, but obviously, being in position of power (this time's true as no W for Shotaro; either 'Double' or 'Win') Suzuko is ecstatic of getting her Memory back, turning into Zone Dopant to teleport Shotaro into heights outside the building in a chessboard motif. Big mistake for Shotaro, revealing a Memory in front of its user without countermeasures as he can't be W. Zone leaves and drops Shotaro above a canal. This is kinda plot armor, don't see why she'd leave him in a relatively safer place from heights (albeit tbf fall from heights to water will still injure or kill), and she even claims he can grind his teeth in afterlife (indicates intent to kill). True as mistakes are the way to learn lessons, as well as despite that nobody is perfect, doesn't mean they should stagnate and improve themselves, like keep the moral approach but prepare countermeasures better.

The form is linked with the infinite knowledge of the true Gaia Memory as well, shown in W's Crystal Server, the iridescent band going down the middle of W's body. Due to said knowledge, W is able to analyze every aspect of the enemy... knowledge is power indeed, fight smart, not only fight hard (albeit all the knowledge are just handed there). Among its finishers, I'd tolerate Bicker Finalusion (the energy beam one) better, but I'd wish that for hyped up 4 Gaia Memories usage, the Bicker Charge Break would be more spectacular. Probably showcasing each of the Gaia Memories ability, like creating fire tornado + thousand cuts using spiraling stretching sword.

And the devil is Philip, the 'little devil'. For here, yes, this is the testament on Shotaro being the heart of Fuuto which Philip finally acknowledges. And for Shroud not understanding him, obviously villains can't comprehend why virtue is valuable, they look down on virtues as weakness, that is why they champion and celebrate their cruel ways (even for good intentions). And many fanbase also look down on these traits perceiving them as soft and wouldn't get it no matter what. Well, though Shroud opposes Ryubee, she does it for revenge and doesn't care how many innocents would it take to get her revenge as other than technically aiding Terui and the main cast, with her also pushing them to embrace destructive tendencies more, she's the one behind Isaka as well (including his murder of Terui's family), and Isaka's shown to want to oppose Ryubee as well. O̶u̶t̶s̶i̶d̶e̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶g̶e̶t̶t̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶l̶a̶u̶g̶h̶s̶ ̶s̶t̶u̶f̶f̶,̶ ̶s̶h̶e̶'̶s̶ ̶d̶o̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶K̶e̶k̶e̶r̶a̶'̶s̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶e̶a̶r̶l̶y̶.̶

It's not a big deal, but there was a point when Double was blocking Zone's attacks with this dinky shield and I thought Imagine How Easy This Would Be With An Adult-Sized Shield.

Ha ha, the "fanbase" can say what they want, but I'd give Akiko the nod over Shotaro. She's the Chief!

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This is like 25% relevant, but allow me to present Tomoko Fourze in the Shoutarou cosplay.

Tomoko cosplay is always relevant, in any thread.

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KAMEN RIDER W EPISODE 33 - “Y’S TRAGEDY - THE WOMAN IN SEARCH OF YESTERDAY”

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Remember Kirihiko?

It’s kind of amazing to think of how little has changed since he was killed. An episode like this should feel like dredging up the forgotten past, but instead it feels like you could’ve done it the episode after Kirihiko got, uh, forcibly divorced. Isaka’s no factor in this one. Terui’s here, but only really in an Additional Kamen Rider way, not in any sense that affects the trajectory of the mystery. Wakana’s pissy about Saeko, which is a thing from practically the debut episode. And Shotaro is in full-on Cosplay Detective mode, ready to play up his deductive skills for a pretty girl. The show hasn’t really budged an inch since Kirihiko left, which is either a testament to Shotaro honoring Kirihiko’s memory by preserving Fuuto in amber (or at least the amber light of a sunset), or it’s this show not really having distinct phases of aesthetic/structural design. You choose!

But here’s Kirihiko’s sister, arriving in Fuuto to trick Shotaro into trying to murder Saeko, and all for reasons that demand a second part to this mystery. What looked at first like a simple story about revenge, actually turns into… a try-out for the Museum? I don’t really understand the Why yet (Yuuko is actually a fake identity designed to manipulate Shotaro, so it’s hard to say if what Yukie actually wants is to be a Museum officer), and the How is equally mystifying – why doesn’t Saeko get out of the way of the attack? There’s showing strength by not canceling an event after a threat, and then there’s standing there while a Maximum Drive is being targeted at your face. I can see why Yukie would assume taking out a top Museum lieutenant could be a power move, but why does Saeko just stand there? Weird sequence.

I did like the episode overall, though. Yuuko and Shotaro have instant, charming chemistry – the two of them playing as cats was really sweet. The low-hanging fruit is pointing out that OF COURSE Shotaro would fall for a woman who wears a hat well, but he really seems to enjoy her willingness to embrace absurdity in the pursuit of an objective. She’s fun, in the same dumb, embarrassing ways that he’s fun. They’d’ve made a fun couple, if she actually existed.

Really, though, this isn’t an episode for delving into Yuuko/Yukie’s relationship with her late brother, or with her employment goals. It’s an episode for a pretty appealing action sequence… or is that two action sequences? The gimmick of running the fight back a second time, with Shotaro accidentally going on a rampage, is incredibly fun to watch. Keeping all the same choreography and dialogue is disconcerting, with a kind of hilarious inevitability that gets more tense as it goes along. As far as Dopant powers go, this is one of the most compelling and cinematic. Not sure what Yuuko/Yukie’s whole deal is yet, but I like her strategy! It’s honestly smarter than Isaka’s stuff so far!

So, yeah, pretty fun episode for the Dopant scheme, but a little weird how much Kirihiko’s sister appearing doesn’t feel like a call back to a show twenty episodes in the rearview. I guess Team Double’s stability should be praised?

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DIE-A MEMORIES

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-A lot of very lovely images in this one, so naturally it was an Ishida episode. Take a look at those two screencaps, and then add in the rooftop gangster scene, all the cat search stuff, and the entire attack on Saeko’s conference. Amazing!

-I definitely, definitely remembered this setup – that Yuuko was Kirihiko’s sister – so the eventual reveal was not as much of a bombshell for me as it was for Shotaro. That’s about all I remember, though, so next episode should hopefully be a bit more surprising to me.

I think I really liked this two parter, probably because the idea that Kirihiko was mostly forgotten after his death didn’t fully sit with me. It’s nice to see someone cared enough to avenge his death. Even if their method seems needlessly complicated.

And I’m commenting, so you know I’m ringing the…

Sentai-lert!

Specifically, our guest character Yukie is played by Kaoru Hirata, who previosuly held the supporting role of Yuka Yamazaki in Mahou Sentai Magiranger (the one 2005 show Seitchblade has a full-on sitcom arch nemesis sitch with).