KAMEN RIDER KABUTO - EPISODE 21

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This is as back-to-basics as I feel like Kabuto can get, a swing back from the insanity of those Inoue episodes. It's an approach that makes for a pleasant enough experience, with a mix of positives and negatives.

The big positive is, like, Kagami! It's a Kagami spotlight episode! It's not really one that's showing any new sides of Kagami, but more a story about reaffirming his qualities. He's impetuous, he's gullible, he's earnest, he's committed, he's prone to bouts of self-sacrifice, he's not great at working in a team. All of those core attributes get a workout here, with Kagami trying to save a young boy from a nest of Worms.

It's a decent plot, with a few little twists. The main one is that, for an episode that's only vaguely interested in exploring what, if any, strategy there is to the Worms activity at the factory, there's some emphasis placed at the end that they are up to something. It addresses one of my biggest problems in the episode, and something that's been a minor distraction for most of the series. Namely, what in the hell do the Worms want? They'll murder some people, impersonate others, they seem to understand that ZECT is their enemy... it's relentlessly vague, with a threat that seems to increase or decrease in relation to the episode's plot. There's not a consistent sense of danger, and I liked that this one eventually revealed that, yeah, it is super weird that all of these Worms are just hanging out at a factory for days on end.

The other big part of the story this time is A New Zecter, which... I mean, we just did A New Zecter story, and that's only five episodes after the last A New Zecter story. We're only on 21, and this is our fourth A New Zecter story. What is this, Ex-Aid? And the plot for this one is... I like the new Zecter. (I've actually heard of Gatack, which is nice!) A Zecter that needs to be tamed, mastered, that's a fun idea. The way the Gatack Zecter scenes are shot, like it's some wild animal you shouldn't get too close to, those are all great. The only problem is, it's all leading up to Kagami risking his safety by demanding the Gatack Zecter's power to save Makoto, the boy at the factory, and it's a bit of a hurdle for me.

Because we already did a story about Kagami becoming a ZECT Rider, and he quit because they immediately ordered him to kill Kabuto. The same thing would happen again, wouldn't it? Haven't we closed the door on Kagami becoming a ZECT Rider?

The episode finds a little cover for it, mainly through Kagami's attitude. While the script never has anyone outright say You Had This Job Before And You Quit (you'd think Misaki would bring it up, especially if she's trying to talk Kagami out of it), Kagami's demeanor is a lot more solemn than when he was TheBee, and it's clear that he will do whatever it takes to save Makoto. I'm guessing he's already done the math that this will put him in conflict with Tendou, and he's okay with it.

Speaking of Tendou, it's a very nice little plotline he's in with Hiyori, Tsurugi, and Jiiya. It's not a subplot that's really doing a ton, mostly playing up Jiiya and Tendou's culinary skills while letting Tsurugi be his Upbeat And Condescending self. (When he runs down La Salle and pats himself on the back for deigning to eat commoner food!) It's very sweet, though, with Tsurugi as a spoiled Fancy Lad, while a nonplussed Hiyori treats him like some bizarre approximation of a human being. Everyone in it is funny, and I could probably watch an entire episode of Tendou and Hiyori serving food to Tsurugi. (Moment of the episode is when Hiyori tells Tendou he's going to have to be the chef, and he's like Okay But Things Are About To Get Nuts. He knows the expectations of this plot!) It's more about weaving all of these characters together, letting them bounce off one another, than really learning anything new.

Which is maybe the best way to describe this episode? As much as Kagami gets the spotlight here, and I do love that he did, nothing in this episode is revelatory. He's an easy character to root for, because of how much of an underdog he is compared to everyone else on the show. (Makoto is not thrilled to have to depend on Kagami for his safety!) Like, he completely forgets that the person he talks to at the factory might be a Worm, and I'm not convinced that the exposed Worms couldn't've talked him out of shooting them if they'd just said they had a skin condition or something. He wants to be of use so badly, but he's so bad at everything. His character is more or less defined by his Very Big Feelings, not a laundry list of successes. Seeing him bumble through a spotlight episode that ends with him being hospitalized... yeah, sounds like an episode about Kagami!

A QUESTION

It's Christmas Day as I'm typing this, and I hope it is/was a good one for you. This isn't in any way a Christmas episode of Kabuto (I mean, it's almost Tsurugi's birthday in this one, and the world will be celebrating his divinity, but that's maybe a bit of a stretch), but we can always pretend it is. If you could give one physical gift to a character from Kabuto, what would it be and who would you give it to?

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This is relevant to the question of the day but man maaaaaaaaaan is having “big feelings” and not a lot of successes a mood for me.

This episode… it’s a prelude to another episode which is much funnier and more awesome. But I still had this to say when I first watched it.

Which I later realised made Kagami a less memetic version of Mutsuki (remember him. “Saikou da”, not getting any power ups, having to announce Chalice’s attacks when using his cards?).

I love this episode and the next one. The A-plot with Kagami and the Worm nest is really tense and engaging. I really like how they play Makoto. I was legitimately uncertain if he was a Worm or not and I’ve seen this episode before. Yes, everyone tells him that the kid is a Worm, but the show gives us enough to question it that we can understand where Kagami is coming from.

The part I like the most, though – and this is one of the moments from Kabuto that has absolutely stuck with me for the long term - is when Tendou gets brought into the picture. I don't know if there's a scene in the entire series that
better encapsulates Tendou and Kagami's relationship - and Tendou's character in general. Kagami is hospitalized after going off on some damn fool idealistic crusade and Misaki calls Tendou for help. Tendou immediately says no and hangs up the phone. Then he shows up anyway. For me that is probably one of the most iconic Tendou moments in the entire series.

Oh man, that one made me laugh.

There's a reason why Kagami is the POV character for the series!

It's definitely one of the smarter points in the story. Kagami is terrible at figuring out who's a Worm (in many episodes!), and the Worms end up duplicating him. It's entirely possible that Makoto is some sort of trap for him. His belief that Makoto is a real boy who needs his help is 100% Kagami: he's probably being tricked, but the chance that he's not has got him all-in on saving this kid. Kagami's dedication and faith... they're both his greatest weaknesses and his greatest strengths.

I mean, it's a good one, but it's also a very typical Tendou scene to me. The whole No I Won't Help But I Helped Anyway Except Not How You Wanted is... it's 90% of the Tendou/Kagami dynamic? It's a fun scene, but I'm not sure it stands out more to me than when Tendou gave Kagami the win against the Worm a few episodes back, or when he shows up at the baseball field to blow up Kagami's fake brother. This was a good one, though! Glad it's one that you remembered.

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This episode and the next are rather pivotal ones for Kabuto as a series, so it's maybe not too surprising that the A plot here is one I've managed to keep a solid recollection of even as so many others leave me drawing a blank.

The atmosphere is unquestionably great throughout, and I think that's key to how strong an impression it left. Right from the first scene, that introduces the Gatack Zecter, it's just way too memorable to forget. A tiny robot beetle brutalizing Tadokoro is some big metal box, with the injuries being left to the viewer's imagination, only showing us the outside view, as the walls of the box keep getting dented from the implied violence going on inside... it's like something out a horror movie, right down to the creepy ambient sounds and appropriately moody lack of light... even if that last thing is how ZECT rolls all the time anyway. It's also delightful in that way I love from Kamen Rider, because the big scary monster in this movie is, again, a tiny robot beetle. One colored in a bright, appealing blue, at that. That gap between the seriousness with which the situation is being played and the inherent silliness that comes with the genre is what I live for, and as such, "tiny robot beetle beats people up in box" would likely crack a top 3 list of things from Kabuto I remember most vividly. It's a great intro sequence, with typical strong direction from Tasaki, and it sets the stage perfectly for an episode that feels like it's going above and beyond from start to finish.

Which is perhaps a weird thing to say? I don't really disagree with Die that this is a solid back-to-basics episode not doing anything too unexpected, but, let's see, how do I put this...? It feels way more focused than normal to me, and I think that's what's making up for how well-trodden much of the ground here already is. It's solid like a diamond.

Kagami's character is encapsulated perfectly, to a level not even other episodes focused on him can quite claim. They really packed in every last aspect of his personality. He's supremely easy to root for here, and you can start to see some growth from the last time he was trying to slap on a Belt and be a Rider. It's interesting to note that Kagami is the sole character in the show we've actually seen becoming a Rider, too. Tendou was simply waiting on the Zecter for years before we meet him in the premiere, and everyone else, including Kageyama, just kind of has theirs when we see them transform for the first time. I kinda like this touch because I think it makes Kagami that much more easy to identify with, and I give the show bonus points for having his motivation to become both TheBee and Gatack be an in-the-moment desire to protect people. Again, most other Riders in this show have some big life philosophy or belief or whatever that drives them, but your boy Kagami is doing this because he sees an opportunity to save lives, and that's what matters to him, simple as that.

Tendou's love of cooking gets some great attention, with him finally finding another cook on his level. The usual gag of him saying he refuses to help and then helping is done fantastically on both ends, with him bluntly hanging up on Misaki in a hilarious fashion, and then having his usual quoting of his grandmother subtly show his respect for Kagami when he goes to save him, which he also does in an epic sequence involving Kabuto getting tackled out of a high up window by the Worm and Casting Off in midair. It's pushing the limits of what the show's budget can even allow for right now, and is shot in a way that pretty cleverly works around those limitations. It's a brief sequence in terms of length, but it's clear some real effort went into it.

And as my final proof it's an almost definitive episode of Kabuto, Hiyori gets to say "nande boku ga...", which makes any episode of this show twice as good as it would be otherwise. And in an episode that's already firing on all cylinders, to boot! There's not a thing to really complain about with this one. Great direction, and an impeccable script from Yonemura, with tense drama and comic relief that somehow doesn't get in the way of that. Can't wait to see the back half.

Hope you had a happy holiday(s) that wasn't too busy! If I was Kamen Rider Santa, I'd get Kagami a mackerel. I have it on good word that he appreciates those.

It's a little surprising to me that folks keep calling 21 out as One Of The Good Ones, since I found it to be sort of... stale, maybe? It's solid, like you said, but the way that it doesn't really push the characters forward (Kagami's plot is a mix of his stint as TheBee and the two-parter where he needs to prove himself) is... or, it's finding a different shading to Kagami, and accentuating his personality, but it felt like it was missing any sort of surprise to it?

Like, that's where it felt weak to me: I didn't learn anything new about Kagami in this episode, but it's an episode devoted to explaining Kagami.

would you also get him an invoice for it though

;)

I have to assure you that I'm not a fan of gatekeeping and policing opinions either, and had personal experience with that too, but the opposite end ain't pretty either, which is why rules are put in places like Tokunation. But well I just hate bad behavior being given free passes. That's indirect offending and lowkey as bad as breaking those rules. And talking up of it as only "art" for fiction, some people, whether kids or adults, overestimate their immunity against being influenced by the shows they watch. They can keep saying that its just fiction, and they know what's reality and what's fiction, so I won't be influenced by those shows, but if they keep watching more and more of those shows, their resistance may slowly erode, and eventually they will gradually start to agree that, for example, "doing bad things for the greater good" has some merits. Worse, they might even get to the point where they think "doing bad things for the greater good" is the morally right thing to do. This behavior should be disproved too like those gatekeepers; and parental guidance are recommended when kids watch TV shows: kids need to be told that oftentimes, what happens in the plot of a TV show does not reflect reality, while problematic faves can be owned by anyone (including me), they shouldn't act in real life like how characters in those TV shows do, or rationalize those.

It's not doing great for Tsurugi's humility, but my point refers more to the others that are victimized by Tsurugi, which will had even worse experience, and just asked to forgive Tsurugi without valid reason. Tsurugi can easily get away with a lot by this, just like many people only due to having powerful position. Ironically "how to be a good emperor" lecture aside, this behavior can potentially shape a dictator.

Like I said before, ZECT members are mostly professional ones (and some can take that to a disturbing degree like Yaguruma and Kageyama with Perfect Harmony), so most of their scenes are them doing ZECT job. A good part of it can be antagonistic though, like them hunting Kabuto user, so Misaki, Higashi, Mishima, etc. spend their times hunting Tendou, while Kagami (the one that can ruin their job) is the one that had more conflict about Kabuto being Tendou and asked for informations from him instead, while later Misaki also follows suit. Or trying to recruit other Rider users like Daisuke to ZECT (both Misaki and Kagami did). And just because those are maybe less memorable than Phantom Thief Shadow, doesn't negate what they're doing, like trying to investigate which Worm between 2 Yukis in ep. 3, Shadow hunt and figuring out the traitor (which exposes the Worm too) in ep. 12-14, etc.

Well yeah, every bad guy since Kuuga had a motive of some kind behind their attacks. Grongis were playing Gegeru. The Unknown were targetting people with Agito Seed which had potential to overthrow. The Orphnochs were trying to create more of their kind and had to kill humans in order to do so. The Worms? Well, so far they replace humans. They also somehow take a page from the Grongi and sometimes target only specific types of people? Otherwise I can't talk more about this because this is spoilerific.

Kagami, apart from wanting to beat Worms, if his boasts about killing Worms by himself is any indication, he knows that he's a bad luck magnet, he knows that he's a wreck, he knows that he's a buffoon, his motive is that he also wants to be special, he wants to be cool and badass, by that he wants to be a Rider to contribute more and be cool. He got to experience it a bit as TheBee. By that he'd jump in a chance to become a Rider with Gatack Zecter being there.

Closed the door on Kagami becoming ZECT Rider? Are you sure? Of course you won't do this because this will be spoiler (although this part of the plot isn't a plot twist like Banno being revealed surprisingly as actual villain), but if you ask someone who are Kabuto's Riders; primary, secondary, tertiary, etc. Probably this episode also reinforces about how Kagami is the morally upstanding one, closer to typical main Riders, with how caring and devoted he was to saving Makoto, who he just met and a stranger in a factory. But this reinforces Tendou and Misaki's opinion about Kagami where he's hotheaded, naive, and can be an idiot who doesn't think things through. While this is Kagami's weakness, I want people to stay balanced if evaluating characters, like not only addressing Kagami's weakness but overlooking egoistic fighters like Tsurugi, team infighting for ego reasons also can be disastrious!

So Tendou has also met his other match, in Jiiya, for culinary skills. But of course, Jiiya's skill is only in culinary, while for perfect one like Tendou, his skill in any field is as high as culinay. It seems that Tendou have a soft spot towards those that can cook well, which apart from Hiyori, which was the one person he treats as well as Juka, he's also doing the same to Jiiya, which will be more prevalent in the next episode. Kabuto seems to be the one series where the restaurant's food and menu is played up more, as food is seemingly one of the stepping stones for several issues; like Hiyori figuring out Tendou being a killer or not, or Gon recovering her memories.

It's not a good one, for me. I'd choose Kagami for the character I gave a present, and the gift would likely be a self-defense weapon to help with his bad luck magnet. I don't think other characters except for a few would fully accept gifts if they aren't elite enough for their tastes though.

Sou sou, sore sore, "dour" and "moody" (though 'grimdark' can be used for these kind of medias by some people). What I mean by "how's for him if directly compared to other characters of the same type" means if compared to other morally ambiguous characters in the franchise (as cmiiw, but typically those that are dour features a good number of grey-zone characters), which yeah, you did here for Yaguruma, Kageama, Tendou (especially that you said you don't like him, but you like Tsurugi, which is basically Tendou 2.0), and Daisuke, but it can be franchise wide, like Zolda you mentioned there.