I just finished Blade myself and honestly I don't have alot to add, show was great start to finish. And while some of the more meme worthy shots did kind of take me outta the show at times, the show has alot of heart and is sometimes breathtakingly good. And honestly, Zi-O's Blade tribute adds amazingly to this, and I'm gonna be sad when Zi-O ends with everything returning to normal, I do secretly hope Faiz and Blade's powers are kept so they actually get a happy end.

I'm just happy that unlike Ryuki and some of Faiz I was able to watch this without Tv-Nihon subs (No seriously what the fuck does It is time de gozaru mean? I asked people who speak/study Japanese and even they couldn't give me a straight answer as to what it means and why Tv-Nihon chose to keep it in fucking subs)

Sadly I can't watch Hibiki yet due to me building a new PC, I found some Kabuto scrubs that I don't have to download so I'm happy with that. So Kabuto next!

^I am so supremely happy you watched Blade and loved it! I watched it a month ago myself, and it's easily a 9/10 and my absolutely favorite Rider show, period. I agree that when it's good, it's breathtakingly good and it's largely consistently good throughout the show! Also the single best endgame and finale in all of Rider IMO. If you want better subs for Ryuki and Faiz that aren't TVN Hit me up, I gotchu fam.

Decided to start giving Hibiki a try as I wind down my last 5 Heisei Rider seasons.

Every single thing about that first episode was so, so weird and that opening scene felt like a fever dream; but I can't say I dislike it

You are in for a hell of a ride. Hang on, enjoy it, and stop after episode 29.

With Zi-O getting close to its final stretch, a series of coincidentally well-timed events has once again pushed me into rewatching more Kamen Rider. Except this time, I might be going a bit overboard. You see, with an era of Rider coming to a close, it made sense to go back to the series that where it all began for me personally. While that idea was floating around in my head, we also got a brand new Ryuki special, i.e. the other show where it all began for me. Then, as though that weren't enough, it took me long enough to commit to this idea that we've worked our way up Zi-O's Den-O tribute. What do these three shows have in common? That's right, they're all written by Yasuko Kobayashi, who is, of course, a personal favorite of mine, which is probably inevitable, when both of the shows that got me huge into Tokusatsu were helmed by her. So what to do, besides watch them all again... AT ONCE!

https://i.imgur.com/nN3l1t7.jpg

Not literally, though. I'm not as cool as Kougami. But what I am doing is going two episodes at a time through Ryuki, Den-O, and OOO, in order, as part of a weird experiment I've wanted to try. Will watching these shows in such close proximity reveal new secrets about the way they compare and contrast? Will the evolution of the franchise over a decade become obvious to see? Will I go completely insane at some point during this process?!

I don't know, but I feel like I've been in a bit of a slump when it comes to posting around here lately, and I've really missed talking about shows I'm watching in a kinda sorta blog style, so, assuming I can keep this up, I'm going to try in pop in here as often as possible to share some thoughts on each show as I do.

Ryuki 1-2:

I love this show so much. I'll have to try and restrain myself from repeating that too much because it goes without saying, but to this day, Ryuki really defines a whole lot of what I want to see in a Rider show. Ironic given what a huge departure from the formula it was at the time, but still. From stuff as central as the intense interpersonal drama between the Riders, to things as seemingly minor as the glass shattering effect when the opening starts playing, I just couldn't get enough of this show at the time. Especially the glass shattering thing. Stuff like the music in Kuuga and everything was cool too, but I'm convinced Ryuki is the entire reason I'm so obsessed with seeing Rider shows have a cool transition to their theme songs even now. Ryuki in general takes a lot of advantage of having mirror imagery everywhere, too. Even the episode titles (can you call them that if it's just the number?) are shown with a reflection.

Anyways, the plot's just getting started, but these episodes definitely do a great job laying down the groundwork. You can tell this is basically the buddy cop Rider show because the first episode ends with Ryuki and Knight running away from explosions together. Universal film language for "these two mismatched guys are going to go through a lot together and probably end up as friends". I also like the effort put in to establish Shinji's character. We're introduced to him as the total goof that makes him stand out from the franchise's other leads, but even this early we start to see the layers that make him work so well as a protagonist, with him realizing the gravity of the Mirror Monsters killing people in the second episode. When he properly becomes Ryuki, he actually gets to look cool in the fight scene, too, in contrast to the utter humiliation that was his first "battle". I always loved that about Shinji. You could maybe argue the logic of him being competent enough right out of the gate to swat projectiles away and do sweet poses during his Rider Kick (man do I love his Rider Kick), but come on, he has to be good at something, right?

Den-O 1-2:

I'll say this to start! Of the three Riders Kobayashi wrote, Den-O is actually the one I consider my favorite. We'll see if that somehow changes, but something about this show is just magic to me. It's so insanely approachable and likable I've never once questioned why it did so well in Japan. The tone and style Den-O had, I think really informed the "Neo-Heisei" formula, but even now it stands on its own it terms of how quirky it is, while still telling reasonably serious stories. It's very character-driven, and when those characters have such well-defined personalities, simply watching them interact has a huge amount of mileage.

The show makes it pretty clear right away by introducing Ryoutarou somehow stuck in a tree while on a bicycle that there's going to be a large amount of exaggeration to things, but that's what makes it all work. Everybody is just hyper-charged enough that it's impossible for them to be boring. In Ryoutarou's case, showing him being so impossibly pathetic at first also makes his arc that much more satisfying when it pays off. Still, Den-O also knows how to dial it back when appropriate, and the very first Victim of the Week arc has some surprisingly heavy emotion to it, considering it's so early into the series. I also didn't remember that part of the plot until I rewatched it, but the premise definitely explains why this show strikes such a chord with me. It takes guys like Drive and Wizard nearly a dozen episodes to save Christmas, but Den-O does it in two. I also adore the jazzy, easy listening background music, so that's another point in its favor.

OOO 1-2:

I'd be lying if I said this wasn't the best couplet of episodes I watched tonight, though. First of all, if we want to talk background music? I mean, the whole Ska thing? Pure perfection. Such a unique identity compared to the usual. But most importantly, you can tell Kobayashi's only gotten better at this over the years. The frantic pacing in these episodes is insanely tight compared to the slow burn of Ryuki or Den-O's leisurely attitude. Consequently, I feel like way more was established in way less time. We've got an introduction to our hero that tops even Ryoutarou's, interesting side characters, four villains with diverse, unique personalities, the renegade villain teaming up the protagonist, two different Monsters of the Week, an insanely memorable second episode climax, and somehow during all this they even make time to effortlessly establish things as minor as the etymology of OOO's name. Holy crap!

The thing about OOO's is that even though, or perhaps, because it was literally the first Rider show I ever watched, as well as the one airing at the time (I think it was like halfway through when I started?), I've always taken it for granted. So every time I look back at it, with more and more context, I feel so, so lucky such a stellar show happened to be on the air at the time. Like, these first two episodes are straight up flawless on a level that almost rivals Kuuga. Even that aforementioned second episode climax is nearly on the level of Kuuga's famous transformation into Mighty Form, with some extremely strong character development from Eiji, and a unique fight scene to top it off. Seriously, is it any wonder I fell so head over heels for this franchise when one of my very first experiences with it was seeing a dude on a motorcycle riding on a bridge made of octopus robots to slice up a giant monster with a sword? You'd have to be heartless not to. The effects even look remarkably good considering how bad these things can go. Definitely a huge difference from that spider monster in Ryuki.

Kobayashi is someone I'd rank as my favourite writer too! She's not just penned OOO and Den-O - my first and third favourite Rider series respectively - she also, somehow, managed to write some of my favourite Sentais in Go-Busters and Toqger as well. This woman is just too powerful for this Earth.

After I've finished Hibiki; the only Heisei Riders I won't have seen are Kuuga, Ryuki, Faiz and Blade. And while I plan to watch all four in air order, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't looking so so forward to Ryuki. I've heard so much good about it and it's done by my favourite writer, so there's a lot to look forward to there.

That said, something odd I find in common with Kobayashi's shows in my experience is that while I like them at the time; I tend to think of them as kinda meh but then as time goes on, I begin to like them more and more -- OOO, Den-O and Go-Busters are shows that just kept getting better in retrospect the more I found myself thinking about them. So I'm fully preparing for myself to be shrugging at Ryuki on first viewing before finding myself singing its praises as the best show to ever exist come 2021.

Man, this has already turned out to be super fun. It's neat seeing how three very different shows still follow similar rhythms. Three very different shows that all somehow come back down to the good guy hero's interactions with a way less stand-up foil, and in this particular case, three two-parters revolving around defining those relationships.

Ryuki 3-4:

Now, of course, the actual nature of those relationships varies a lot between the shows, and for Ryuki, Shinji and Ren's dynamic set a gold standard for Rider rivalries that's still being used all these years later. An antihero with an icy demeanor to contrast with a hotblooded protagonist was hardly something Ryuki invented, obviously, but certain cliches never go out of style, you know? This stuff makes for good drama, and when you're a show that can deliver it in a fairly nuanced way like Ryuki can, all the better.

One thing that jumped out at me constantly as I was watching these episodes was how the show seems to almost go out of its way to avoid awkward info dumps, no matter how effective they might have been for exposition. There's no scene where somebody starts explaining things in elaborate detail all at once, which is something a lot of shows would not have qualms about doing early on. But these episodes do a great job at keeping the pacing feeling natural while still filling the viewer in on a lot. The beats the story hits lead logically into one another perfectly. It's easy to take for granted, but having Shinji start figuring out Ren's backstory by accidentally grabbing his necklace when they get into a fight is infinitely more interesting and true to the characters than if Yui or somebody just told him outright.

One other little thing I want to mention is that in episode 3, we see Shinji specifically learn from a mistake he made fighting Knight while battling the Mirror Monster. It's another one of Shinji's many awesome moments, and the way he earns it makes it even cooler. It's another sign that's he not as stupid as he looks.

Den-O 3-4:

Similarly, Ryoutarou gets to show a shocking amount of spine here, sticking up for himself when Momotaros starts taking advantage of him, and ultimately earning his respect in the end. These episodes are simple but great. Being able to summarize the plot in one sentence like that just shows how focused it is, and watching it all play out is tons of fun. This two-parter embodies pretty much everything that makes me love Den-O. Funny jokes, heartwarming character moments, and a little touch of bittersweetness with the Victim of the Week plot to add the all-important emotional texture to the story. I also have a soft spot for Plat Form, so seeing it get some good use is an easy win for me. Real good stuff.

I'm also already impressed all over again by both Takeru Satoh and Seiji Takaiwa's ability to play multiple characters, and they're only up to two so far. Which, I mean, is kind of a lot anyway, but this is Den-O we're talking about. For Takaiwa especially, I have to imagine playing Zi-O Trinity is a cakewalk after making it through this show.

OOO 3-4:

Once again though, it's impossible to deny that OOO is wearing the crown here. It's basically all the good points of those other two shows and then some. Meaning it's packed with crap happening. There's no way I could possibly cover it all. Just like with Den-O, these episodes have always stuck out in my memory and encapsulate the series they're a part of completely, which in this case means strong themes, strong characters, strong action, strong incorporation of the merchandise into the story, a strong story in general...

It's just strong, okay? I genuinely can't think of any particular elements to single out because everything is on such a high level. The only thing I can think to mention is how bummed it always makes me when OOO whiffs on that Rider Kick. Poor guy gets such a cool finishing move, barely gets to use it, and then when he does, he almost never kills any monsters with it. It's so sad.

You're going to find that Den-O is a lot more formulaic than the other two. The first third of the show is basically "two-parter that introduces new Imagin" -> "two-parter that develops new Imagin" -> repeat. It's still a really fun show, but it is pretty repetitive early on.

Ryuki 5-6:

Alright, now we're talking! Move over, Leangle, these episodes debut the REAL Strongest Rider, my man Scissors. Or as I like to call him, Snip Snip McMonster-Nip.

...

Yeah, let's just go with Scissors. In all seriousness, though, I genuinely do love the guy. The impact he has for only appearing in two episodes is huge, and probably not just for me, either. I don't think only being an ironic joke is enough to get you a Ride Watch ahead of a million way more long-lived characters.

This story arc is really the first time Ryuki makes it clear how things are going to go. Before this, for all the fuss they make, Ren and Shinji going at it doesn't seem too different from Agito's Riders butting heads, right? What's the big deal? And then along comes this guy, who is called a Kamen Rider despite being a serial killing psychopath, and manages to get himself killed horribly shortly after his debut. This one character essentially completely rewrote the book on what a Kamen Rider was all by himself. So even if Cronus had way more endurance, even if Evol was more successful in his goals, or even if Duke was more of a jerk, they all owe something to this guy. So pay your respects, alright? These episodes are great, and even ignoring the context of the franchise, they stand on their own. Highlights include Shinji getting awesome dramatic entrances as Ryuki in both of them, as well as Knight clearly being distraught watching Scissors die, further fleshing out the mystery of his character and giving the scene more weight than the simple shock of it happening.

Den-O 5-6:

These episodes are good too, but, unfortunately, it's hard not for Urataros to look lame next to a cool guy like Scissors. Although the monster in this arc IS, coincidentally or not, also a crab. So that's one more secret I wouldn't have caught if I wasn't watching these shows together. Ura is an extremely fun character, of course. He's the natural foil for Momo from his personality to his color scheme, so the show can only benefit from having him around.

OOO 5-6:

These episodes are terrible because there's no crab monster. Boo! Come on, Kobayashi, you had a perfect opportunity for the hat trick. Despite this glaring issue, I will, ever so begrudgingly, admit that there's a lot to like about these episodes. Like the continued exploration of the theme of desire in a remarkably nuanced way. Or Kougami firmly establishing himself as the man. Or GataKiriBa's awesome debut. Or that famous shot of OOO pretending a vending machine is a bike (which was even in the opening for the episode!).

Oh, who am I kidding, these episodes are fantastic as always for this show. Speaking of GataKiriBa, now that I'm past both the first instance of OOO losing a Medal (which I forgot to mention last time) and the debut of the first Combo, I should really elaborate on how utterly insane it is how naturally all the merch fits into this show. I don't know if Kobayashi learned a lot from writing Shinkenger's onslaught of robots or what, but all the stuff in OOO doesn't only work, it frequently works on multiple levels.

Let's just look at how much the simple idea of the heroes and villains trading out medals accomplishes for a second. One, it streamlines OOO's options, making things easier to digest for the viewer. Two, it also limits his options, creating potential interesting dilemmas during fights. Three, it creates excitement when OOO finally gets his hands on a new medal or just an old favorite you haven't seen in a while. Four, the villains can lose or gain huge amounts of power at any given time, naturally shifting them in or out of the spotlight. Five, the very concept of everybody running around desperately grabbing for these things inherently fits the thematic concept of OOO as a story about want.

I could probably think of some more, too, but you get the idea. This show is amazing. I'm actually kind of angry at it right now because I feel like I'm making Den-O look terrible by comparison with how little I had to say about it in this post. But there's just no getting around it. OOO is amazing.

Oh, believe me, I don't need to go on any time trippin' ride back through the show to find that out. When I first watched Den-O, I actually got burnt out on it right before Zeronos' debut and it wasn't until I came back probably a couple months later that I truly started to fall in love with it. It was long enough ago I don't remember the details (like if it had to do with something outside the show as well), but it definitely felt like a bit of a slog to get through for a bit there.

Fun fact: this actually isn't a coincidence. The first 5 enemy Imagin in Den-O are references to Ryuki riders; being of course Kobayashi's only other Rider work at the time.

Bat Imagin = Knight
Chameleon Imagin = Verde
Crust Imagin = Scissors
Crow Imagin = Odin
Rhino Imagin = Gai

I don't think there's any actual deeper connection beyond just choosing species - for all I know there might be some small references hidden in the motives of the characters of the week? Like I said, haven't watched Ryuki yet, so I woldn't know - but it's a cute nod nonetheless.

Enjoy your brief glimpse at GataKiriBa. The CGI for the multiplication gimmick was too expensive to do on the show more than once, so it only shows up in movies after this point.

It also appears again in episode 16 but your point still stands because that is indeed the last time it is used. It only appeared twice in the show, for the exact reason you mentioned. Some movies after but that’s it.

Why do I know that? Because I have rewatched OOO recently, the first Rider show I ever watched a second time, and man, it was great. This show is so good. I was hooked instantly, didn’t stop and then it was over. OOO is really, really good.

Just finished Episode 29 of Hibiki. Given that I've been told this is where the previous writer's tenure ends and for the remaining 20 episodes the show is retooled and written by probably my least favourite writer for Rider and in general goes downhill, I figure this is a good place to take a break and evaluate how I feel about it before moving on.

I've adored this so far. It's a completely different feel from any other Rider series I've watched - which, I mean, it wasn't originally meant to be a Rider series, so that makes sense - and in the best ways possible.

I like the 'secret protagonist' thing the series has going on, to start. A bit like how Kabuto was centred around Kagami's journey; the main character of this isn't Hibiki himself, who instead serves as a sort of mentor to Asumu. What perhaps make this potentially more interesting is that Asumu isn't out to save the world and in regards to wanting to be a Rider, is at best undecided and conflicted -- he's just a normal kid living his life, with amazing people walking into it to help and guide him along the way.

The rest of the characters are so, so likeable. Hibiki and Ibuki are really similar in that they're wise, older mentors with a bit of a goofy side to them; but it works out Ibuki's student Akira is a counterpart to Asumu; so it's nice to see a similar dynamic showing what Hibiki and Asumu could be. Talking of Akira, my god; I like that for once we have a female side character who's actually involved in battles. I get a bit sick these days of just watching the likes of Misora and Tsukiyomi sort of, stand on the sidelines and not do much. But Akira's not even out of school and she's getting stuck in! She might not be an Oni just yet but I really like seeing her involve herself in battles in a different type of way as part of her training.

Todoroki and Zanki feel slightly disconnected to the rest of the cast given how close-knit and personal most everyone else is to Asumu, but it works out and they're still very enjoyable characters. Todoroki's a big goofball, and given that the only other time I've seen him is when he's a complete badass in Zi-O, it's kinda funny and it makes me wonder where it's gonna go. I also like the little glimpses of Sabaki, Danki and Eiki we see -- in perhaps the weirdest comparison I can make, it feels similar to the Teen Titans cartoon where we saw cameos of other heroes around the world. It makes the world just feel that bit bigger and developed. Do kinda wish some of them had more unique weapons, though; there's more instruments than drums, trumpets and guitars.

Something that strikes me about the series in particular though is that despite there of course being a big ongoing fight against demons and there clearly being some sort of overarching scheme developing in the background... Hibiki is a super chilled out series. Not quite in the same way as Den-O or anything, but there's still something very cosy and comfortable about it. Everyone gets on and helps each other with their problems and none of them are assholes about anything or presuming anything; they're just really calm and friendly with each other. It's not something I want for every Rider series or anything since at some point you do need some drama and conflict, but it's a very nice change of pace and just makes me like these characters even more.

A minor touch I really like? Hibiki is a show centered around tradition and hard training; with the Oni drawing their powers from mystical sources and hunting down mythical creatures. Great emphasis is put on how much they need to build themselves up and learn multiple styles of music; ancient styles of it passed down through the centuries.
... and yet they not only don't look down on modern technology, they consistently rely on it. Phones, vehicles, even their disc animals and weapons; all of it is either everyday commonplace technology or specifically designed by scientists in their midst. And it's just very casually a standard part of these mystical Onis' equipment and fighting styles. Usually you'd get older characters rolling their eyes about how the new young 'uns are relying too much on cars instead of walking or animals or something; or you'd at least get a single early episode where these characters have to learn to accept tech. But the show doesn't bother with that rubbish and just has it be a thing, and it feels so naturally integrated and the lack of conflict towards it contributes to that super chilled-out atmosphere I love about the show.
It's hardly the core of the best things about Hibiki, but it's something very rare that I enjoyed a lot and had to mention. It's pretty cool.

Also can I give a shoutout to that opening and how almost every episode it seems to have a different instrument? Much like the show it's very chilled out and gives you something different to look forward to each time. It's nice.

I keep saying "it's nice" but that really is the show in a nutshell so far. It's just so fucking nice.

Now let's see if everyone was right and I hate what Inoue does with this set-up and how not-Zeronos comes in and apparently wrecks everything

I agree with just about everything you say there, Hibiki is a solid, unique and just generally likeable and pleasant series.

And...just reading through, I must admit I was bearing a solid half-cringe thinking of the stuff you were praising and the directions the rest of the series takes them. Let's just say there is no doubt things are going to happen that you are not going to like. Godspeed.

:cry

So for today's fun coincidences, Ryuki and OOO both feature the hero finally moving into the designated cafe/restaurant/whatever of the series, while Den-O and OOO both feature stories about a dysfunctional couple. I'm pretty sure there's no deep meaning to any of that, but still, I might as well point it out.

Ryuki 7-8:

These episodes ruin the point of rewatching all of Kobayashi's Rider shows since they're written by good ol' Toshiki Inoue. However, this is where the secret, secondary purpose I have for doing this becomes clear. I really went off on Rider Time: Ryuki to a level I honestly feel a bit bad about in retrospect, basically saying everything relating to Ryuki Inoue touches is crap, but that ignores the huge gray area that I can't actually remember off the top of my head which episodes of the show itself he wrote. So obviously, if nothing else, they blend in pretty decently, right? I also thought he had a notably solid grasp on Blade's style and characters when I was going back through that show, so maybe that's actually the case here, too?

Eh, more or less. This is only two episodes by the guy, so as we see more I'll obviously update my opinion, but right now, I think everything I dislike about the way he writes Ryuki compared to Kobayashi is definitely there, but also inherently less irksome when it's in the context a few episodes of a much longer show compared to a big summer movie or a special where I feel like there's more expectations to be had. And to be fair, Inoue is far from the only person guilty of writing a subpar Rider movie and/or special.

Still, his idea of Ryuki, I feel, loses some of the layers. Particularly when it comes to, well, Ryuki. Shinji, whenever written by Inoue, seems to drop a few IQ points and also probably drinks way too much coffee. Note how in every single episode so far except the first, Shinji gets at least once awesome hero moment cool enough I've felt the need to comment on. Nothing like that happens here. We also don't see him ever calm down for a second and maybe show a smarter side of himself like he does in Kobayashi's episodes.

Here's the trick, though. He's just leaning into what makes Shinji different from his guys in Agito, or pretty much any Rider protagonist up to that point. Sure, Shouichi could be a goof out of the suit, but Agito was a skilled warrior driven by instinct who barely talked for most of the show. The way I see it, Inoue was trying to have fun with the show's concepts, and that's great. This is what I mean about context. It's easier for me to rationalize this arc as just being an off day for Shinji, because it's silly to think every single trait of a character needs to come up in every single episode, versus something like a movie where I feel you probably should try to put in all the elements you can. And, crucially, the episodes are fun. After the fake out with Scissors, Zolda is a Rider who's actually here to stay, and between Kitaoka and Gorou, there's a lot of stuff introduced here that'll make you sit back and ask "how was there even a show without these guys?".

The exposition here is also handled pretty creatively. Having Kitaoka brag about how good a lawyer he is to Shinji? Expected. Doing in while in the middle of a car chase? Awesome. I also always loved the scenes where they're basically going on a date. Following Kitaoka around on his high-class lifestyle really rubs in the kind of character he is perfectly, while also quickly building a dynamic between him and Shinji. It's like what I said about Ren's backstory. It's easy to take for granted, but I can't help but feel there's a version of this story in some alternate timeline where the script just called for Kitaoka to stand around in some boring hallway saying all the same dialogue, accomplishing the same goal but in a way less interesting style. And a lack of style is just not something you should be able to say about anything involving Kitaoka.

Den-O 7-8:

These episodes are rock solid. The nature of the guest character's dilemma allows the show to start digging into its themes of memory to a larger extent than it has up to this point, and all the characters are used to great effect. Ryoutarou getting hit in the face by five different kinds of balls within seconds of one another is probably the most hilarious gag in the series so far, and seeing him reduced to limping around for the entirety of the back half shows why I love the guy so much. He doesn't exactly have the kind of duality Shinji has, but despite genuinely being as meek as he looks (at first), the simple fact that the guy can even get out of bed in the morning goes to show that he's way more tough than he gets credit for.

It probably helps that he has such a great sister looking out for him. I love how absurdly calm and cheerful Airi is at all times. This arc also ends by hinting at some bigger things to come with her, which is probably the first real hint of a capital P Plot this show has actually dropped. A dude in a trench coat standing around is a little too lacking in context for me to feel comfortable counting (like, how do you even speculate on that by itself?), so I really think this is it.

OOO 7-8:

As usual, OOO is over here making those other shows look like chumps by comparison, flexing that razor sharp writing you can only get from a writer who's been around the block before... on those other shows, but still. While we're talking about protagonists, I really should stress how great Eiji is. Shinji has duality, and Ryoutarou's got depth, but Eiji has layers. The continued hinting at his backstory is great, his relationship with Ankh where he's essentially a dog on a leash pulling its owner around is great, his endearing optimism at all times is great, his surprisingly realistic worldview is great...

See, I'm doing it again. It's just one part of the show and I could go on about it forever. But I have to hold myself back, so I can find time to mention the further exploration of the central theme in the Victim of the Week plot, or finally mention Gotou already, or the creative use of all the different Medal abilities in the fight scenes. Or I could talk about how funny and awesome Chiyoko is.

There's just too dang much on offer here. Every episode of OOO comes packed with like three times the amount of Rider goodness as your average Rider show. It's nuts.

Now that you say that, I think I have heard that before. Interesting.

Don't worry, the show helpfully had Kougami watching the last episode in his office just so they can get a little more mileage out of the footage. I made sure to savor it while I could. :lol

It's fine though. I've always been more about LaToraTah anyway.

If it's any consolation, we'll all be here to commiserate with you on this when it's over. :p

Well, with Kagami becoming Kabuto in Zi-O, I decided to rewatch Kabuto, and hopefully finish it this time (I don't even remember why I dropped it last time I watched...)

I really enjoyed how much Kabuto set up Kagami, and I had forgotten how much of the first episode is about him over Tendou. Honestly, I think it would have been fun to reduce some of Tendou's scenes in this episode to make Tendou's reveal as Kabuto more of a twist. That way, Kagami's encounter with him in the alley makes him seem more like an eccentric stranger by removing the scenes that show him already having a belt.
I enjoy that Kagami is the one to go on the traditional hero's journey in this series as we see him grow from an employee to a hero, and that's really set in motion by being rejected by the Kabuto zector, poor guy.

Don't worry, Kagami. It may be called Kabuto, but you're really the MC :lol

Nobody will think less of you for stopping here.

(I'm actually at about the same point in my latest Hibiki rewatch; I'm dragging my feet in getting to 28 and 29, though, because I know that it means the show will be over again and I love spending time with these characters so much.)

If I recall, doesn't Hibiki 29 end with everyone just...Hanging out together?
Makes for a pretty solid ending to a chill and unique series :lol

I actually just (binged) watched Hibiki and gotta say, the run up to 1 - 29 was a comfy as fuck show. The fact the series starts with a musical number really sets the tone and I love it.

30+ wasn't bad, but it was so jarring to go from a comfy show about musical Onis to Kamen Rider.

Overall I liked it but eh more of the first half would've made me happy.

Now for Kabuto

It does, yeah. That's part of why I recommend it as a stopping point. Not only do you avoid the Inoue dreck, but it ends on a reasonably content note.

Ryuki 9-10:

Another trip into the Inoue Zone as Zolda's introductory arc more or less wraps up. I'd be lying if I said these episodes are anything other than quite good. Everything ties together in a really solid way, leaving Kitaoka as a character with enough layers and likability that anyone would want to see more of him. There's also a lot of great humor here, which is something I find Inoue actually excels at writing, to the point it's almost a shame melodrama seems to be his preferred style. There's a few tasteful hints of that toward the end here, but the emphasis is definitely on delivering a straightforward, fun story.

I'll probably say the exact opposite of this about Den-O quite a bit during these posts, but one of the things about Ryuki is that even though it has that darker edge to its setting and a lot of pretty macabre plot developments, and I think that's the way people tend to look at it, there is a lighter side to it, and that's often what I find myself thinking about looking back on the show. The ORE Journal crew in particular adds a lot to a series that I think would've been too serious for its own good without them.

Also, I forgot just how much damage Zolda's Final Vent actually does. It's no wonder he barely gets to use it.

Den-O 9-10:

You know, I think I might've lied about burning out on Den-O before Zeronos showed up. I had the weirdest feeling during a certain scene in episode 9 where I suddenly realized I felt bored, but like, bored 7 or 8 years ago. And now I'm pretty sure I actually quit around here for a bit and it was basically Ryutaros that got me loving the show. We'll get to him though.

The point is, it seems strange to me that I would've felt that way when these episodes do a huge amount to mix up the formula a bit. Having Kintaros essentially be a Monster of the Week who happens to have impeccable manners and a strong sense of honor is a great idea, and considering the kind of company Ryoutarou has been keeping up to this point, he's probably one of the nicest characters in the whole show. It's hard not to love the guy the way he's portrayed here, and that means these episodes did their job perfectly. While also making time to flesh out Hana, which is a nice bonus.

Oh, and just to get a head start on that saying the opposite about Den-O thing, I love how despite being a pretty wacky hero, they always make Den-O look legitimately cool in battle. From the way he puts the Den-Gasher together to his finishing moves, there's a lot of oomph to the way he fights that didn't have to be there. But it is, and the show is better for it.

OOO 9-10:

Alright, so, I've been doing a crap job so far actually describing why this show is so good due to how overwhelming it all is, but I recently realized I'm an idiot, and the perfect way to compartmentalize my thoughts has actually been staring me in the face literally since the second episode. So without further ado, here's three thoughts I had about what I saw this time, on Kamen Rider OOO.

Firstly, the supporting cast in this show is extremely well-defined. In a show about desire, even a character like Satonaka, who's essentially a total enigma, feels like she has some aspirations in life, and that adds tons of believability to things. I mean, what's more human and relatable than having a dream? It's a fairly large cast, and none of the characters quite gel together into homogeneous groups that can share traits while giving off the illusion of being individuals, so managing them all is an impressive feat. Yet, OOO pulls this off, and already by this point, I can tell you Gotou is clearly not satisfied with his position in life, I can tell you the newly introduced Maki is maybe a bit too obsessed with endings, heck, I can even tell you Uva mostly just wants what's his, or that Gamel just wants to do whatever, and they're bad guys. Even in Kamen Rider, you can totally get away with giving them no personality, but OOO, showing off as always, comes right out of the gate with four of them, and they all have their own thing going on.

Secondly, Eiji is probably one of the best Rider protagonists ever? I don't like making bold claims like that (I even softened it by saying "one of"!), but this guy would stand out as a unique and multi-faceted hero compared to just about anyone, even outside the narrow realm of tokusatsu. He flips so many conventions on their heads while still somehow landing back at being an easily likable, charming lead. He's extremely nice, caring, and selfless, yet utterly lacks the usual naivete associated with that, because he's also extremely world-weary and more than a bit shell shocked. He's simple in his thoughts and actions most of the time, but whenever someone tries to take advantage of him, he takes advantage right back. He's driven to do anything to save everyone he can, but the show is more than willing to explore the downsides to that attitude. To this day, there just aren't any Rider leads quite like him.

And thirdly, this arc is a straight up masterpiece. It's all the best elements of OOO out in full force. Creative action scenes tying together a story that goes very in-depth on its topic of choice, which in this case, is finally opening up about the kind of experiences Eiji has had in life. So you can probably guess why I felt inspired to write all that up there. While all this is happening, of course, we still have time for a ton of other stuff, including Gotou coming into focus in a really cool way as we see him put in a position where he has to protect a bunch of people from Yummies for a bit with nothing more than a handgun and his own wits. All because he wanted to ask Dr. Maki about his idea for a system to let a regular person use Medals. So, essentially, the show underscores Gotou's desire for more power by showing you firsthand how much effort he has to put in to do a fraction of what OOO can accomplish. Are you guys getting how tight this show's writing is yet? Do I even need to explain this? These are two extremely memorable episodes, with some of the best moments in a show filled to the brim with best moments.

https://i.imgur.com/oEY5tSH.jpg

There's the reason why I just love Eiji as a character so much. He's charming, but he's not perfect. He's a goof, but he's not dumb. He's strong, but he's not invincible. Like, there's so much to Eiji that one of his best traits is merely how human he is. There are really moments where you feel he's just caught in something bigger, and he's doing all he can merely to help as much as he can.

Anyway, more of Kabuto, and wow, Kagami really gets shit on. Has to go through the trauma of losing his brother again, is basically on the border of losing his job (By the way, how bad is the economy that Kagami works for a secret government organization and he still needs too jobs?), and Tendou is just emitting constant smug towards him nonstop, all the while, his coworker is just being the biggest bitch possible.
Like, wow. I know Hiyori was unaware of what happened to make him so depressed, but jesus. I know she has her own traumas and stuff, but how, in a show featuring a character literally as smug as Tsukasa, she comes off as the most unlikeable? :lol

Speaking of, I feel Tendou isn't as bad as Tsukasa because he hides his higher than thou personality towards characters he likes, acting like a confidant everyman towards Hiyori to win her over. Meanwhile, Tsukasa acts like an asshole to everyone, and everyone loves him for it.
It always feels like Kagami is going "WHAT THE FUCK, TENDOU!?" to him as he just walks on by. It helps create a balance knowing the real MC is just as annoyed by him :lol

Ryuki 11-12:

After getting beat up particularly bad, Ren gets an oddly specific case of memory loss that provides a convenient opportunity to finally delve into his backstory, and by extension, the backstory of the series as a whole. I can't make that premise sound anything but arbitrary, but like I've said about Ryuki before, I find this is a much more engaging way to go about exposition than just telling us plot points in a straightforward manner. The things the viewer wonders about Ren become mysteries to him too, so we're kind of on the same page as he retraces his steps.

The end result is a really solid set of episodes, and if nothing else it's worth it to find out that apparently, Ren has ticked off basically every random goon in Japan in his spare time. The show is also safely back in Kobayashi's hands, so Shinji gets to do cool hero things like faking out a monster who knocks his gear away when he summons it by deliberately summoning a piece of gear simply to use as a distraction. Almost like he's actually clever or something.

Den-O 11-12:

We've traded one guest writer for another as Shouji Yonemura takes over for an arc. Now, he's nowhere near the troublemaker Inoue is, so there's not much need to discuss how much his vision or whatever lines up with the series. This is a perfectly good if unremarkable pair of episodes. The story is perhaps a bit on the sappy side, but that's not too far off from how Den-O usually rolls anyway, and in terms of further endearing me to Kintaros, it does its job wonderfully. Although it's definitely a good thing Den-O's world operates on cartoon logic, because otherwise he would've straight up murdered a guy before the theme song even plays.

OOO 11-12:

Meanwhile, in the future, which is also the past now, Shouji Yonemura decides to write an arc of OOO at the exact same spot, in terms of episode numbers. Firstly, it's pretty much indistinguishable from the episodes Kobayashi has written so far, which is just about the highest praise I can think of. Those episodes of Den-O were good, but I still feel like a few things were off in places. Here? I'm trying to be as nitpicky as possible and I've got nothing. I guess it's not as good as the last arc? But, how could it be? Secondly, it doesn't just exist to be pointless filler until the real writer gets back, because the story here gives a major amount of focus to Gotou for the first time, forming a pretty pivotal chapter in his character arc as he learns some truths about both himself and Eiji. It's a great plot driven by characters that, as always, have very strong personalities and clearly defined goals in life. And thirdly, I can't think of a third thing, so I probably won't actually be using this format every time if I don't need to.

Wow, these episodes with Daisuke in Kabuto are surreal. Whenever he's on screen (And not in a fight), it honestly feels like a different show :lol

Also, it's kind of funny how much Kagami gets shit on. Typically, the bar/hangout for the main character is the one place where they can relax. Here, Hiyori hates him, Tendou is mocking him (Well, in the past few episodes, he's been cold to establish they're not friends), and Kagami is just trying to be friendly with everyone. Meanwhile, he was forced to pick between being TheBee or sticking with Tendou's side, he's being hounded because everyone who can transform outside of TheBee doesn't want to join ZECT and somehow it's his fault, and it seems the only person who acts decent towards him is Juka.

Kagami has nerves of steel and a heart of gold. I love him~

4 episodes into post-retool Hibiki and... wow. That armed saber 2-parter was the most Inoue of episodes. And I mean that in some of the worst ways.

All of Inoue's characters that try to be over the top and larger than life, to me, come across as just really annoying and aggravating; and the guy who made the armed saber is really no exception. It completely goes against the tone previously set and it really doesn't help that the main cast now feels a lot more flanderised.

Also, basically no Asumu in this episode. I know it's supposed to focus on Hibiki's development since it's his powerup - though, lol, we saw no development from him and learned nothing about him - but it just feels so empty without the 'secret protagonist'. 30/31 weren't fantastic and Kiriya is annoying; but it's nothing compared to how unbearable and out of place 32/33 here was. This is not a good sign.

Blade, episode 12. What a sad ending to Hajime's little plot line, something I'm really not used to in Rider. It almost feels a little out of left-field, but it's not too farfetched that Jin would be really salty at his boat going up in flames. Meanwhile, Tachibana is both an idiot and a dick. Nothing different to the last couple of episodes, really.

For me, the absolute nadir is the Shuki arc. I won’t spoil it for you, but it’s very infuriating.

Personally, I finished my own Hibiki rewatch at 29 last night and I intend to rewatch Daimajin Kanon next, since it’s basically Hibiki 2.

Ryuki 13-14:

This show is kicking into gear at this point, if it wasn't before. With all the groundwork laid down, the show is free to start moving forward, which means Riders, Riders, and at least one more Rider. Even now, I don't think any other multi-Rider show quite captures the same feeling of excitement as whenever a Rider makes his debut in Ryuki. Kabuto probably comes closest with some of its earlier introductions like TheBee, but in Ryuki, you really get this feeling that all of these guys have a chance to be on the same "level", so to speak. Sure, they might end up being a Scissors who barely hangs in there for one arc, but they might also end up hanging around for the rest of the show, effectively becoming a main character. You can't tell until it happens, and that's the suspense of it all.

And if you're really cool, you end up being Raia. I love this guy so much, and even seeing just his first couple episodes is a lightning bolt reminder why. He's purpose-built to maximize the potential of the lead characters. I'm pretty sure no one's even said his name yet and he's already had more effect on Ren than anybody in the show not named Kanzaki. Heck, he hasn't even met Shinji yet, but he's a little preoccupied anyway thanks to Kitaoka deliberately tricking him into thinking he killed Zolda. The development for Shinji here is really great, and you get to see firsthand how much this utterly breaks him. It's the kind of very human writing that Kobayashi excels at, and his reaction when the ruse is revealed is one of the most memorable moments of the show for me. Ren also shows some growth, illustrated wonderfully by two bookending scenes of everyone having dinner together. Not that he's any less frosty, mind you.

Den-O 13-14:

Yeah, Ryutaros definitely makes this show for me. Among other things, but still, these episodes are without a doubt some of the strongest of the show to this point. They actually touch on the overarching plot a little, the pacing is tight, and the formula gets some twists here or there to keep things feeling fresh. Namely that Gun Form shows up right there in the first half, robbing Sword Form of an appearance for a second episode in a row (which the show is more than happy to work into the humor), and also perfectly fitting Ryutaros' personality. Like, I don't think the one who's essentially a 7-year-old on a permanent sugar high has the patience to wait that extra week. Nor does he have any sense of self-control whatsoever. Or a functional moral compass. But hey, at least he likes puppies.

That's exactly what's so great about him though. The Taros are all perfectly geared to play off one another, so I guess thinking about it, it's only natural this would be the point where the show takes off. The slow buildup definitely wasn't a mistake, though. Despite arguably throwing off the pacing, I think without those single arcs in-between each Imagin's debut, it wouldn't actually feel like there was a status quo being shaken up when the next one shows debuts. As a good example of the benefits of this, there's a scene towards the end here where Momotaros, Urataros, and Kintaros all agree to put aside their differences to try and kick Ryutaros out of Ryoutarou, even though they all kind of hate each other. As you'd expect from Den-O, it's pretty hilarious, but if Kintaros had only joined the crew a week ago, it simply wouldn't land the same way.

Oh, and as a minor aside, there's a part in 14 where Takeru Satoh goes to pick up a dog and it jumps out of the way of his arms with such perfect timing that's it actually funnier than any of the actual gags in the episode.

OOO 13-14:

Firstly, this episode continues Gotou's gradually journey to learning humility while also contrasting his excessive pride against Ankh's excessive temper. I probably don't even need to tell you at this point the episodes are good. Gotou's arc is a highlight of the series for how it subverts expectations (back in 2010 being having a huge chip on your shoulder and a grudge against the main character was a surefire way to get yourself a Rider belt by the halfway mark), and Ankh similarly gets to remind everyone he legitimately is a villain working with the good guys only because it's convenient for him, with an attitude problem that goes well beyond simply frowning a lot.

Secondly, there's some impressive suit acting all over Kamen Rider, but the amount of personality Ankh conveys through his body language when he's literally an arm is seriously impressive.

Thirdly, Candroids are the bomb. I still haven't pinpointed exactly why they feel so much better than comparable merchandising ploys in other shows from around the same time, but something about the way they're used to help move the plots along feels so natural when it really shouldn't at all.

Ryuki 15-16:

Another trip into the Inoue Zone brings us a new Rider who thinks he's as cool as Raia, but is really just some boring Gai. I think he's my least favorite Rider in the show, but that's mostly by default. Like everyone in Ryuki, he at least looks cool, and his character is the kind that's fun to hate, even if he's already about to have major competition in that department.

Everything I said about Inoue's version of this show from his last set of episodes still applies here. Shinji is way more ineffectual than usual (which is fine because the story here isn't focused on him), the comedy is really strong, and I've also noticed the ORE Journal crew seems to get more attention when he's writing, so I definitely can't complain. He also handles Raia really well here, even if I can't help but find it weird how his idea of stopping the Rider War currently amounts to stalking Ren everywhere he goes. As with some of the other plot points in Ryuki so far, it's a little... bold, to put it politely, but the development Ren gets as a result of it is more than worth the slightly odd setup. My boy Tezuka also gets to finally meet Shinji here, forming one of the most legendary teams in all of Kamen Rider as far as I'm concerned.

Also, and I preemptively apologize for still being hung up on this, but I can't help but comment on how amazingly Inoue builds the chemistry between Raia and Gai during their first meeting here. You can just feel the tension as they barely acknowledge one another's presence. It really is love at first sight. :p

Den-O 15-16:

These episodes blew me away. As far as raw comedy is concerned, this is Den-O firing on all cylinders. The plot of a hostage scenario gone horribly off the rails is supremely compelling, and all the more so because it's not immediately clear what it has to do with the Imagin running amok. That's treated like a subplot for a huge chunk of the first episode, which on top of mixing up the formula significantly, further calls to attention how completely absurd everything happening is. If you wanna know what's so hilarious about Den-O, this is one to watch.

https://i.imgur.com/abvzMmY.jpg

Nearly every single character in the show gets a chance to shine, too. It's an extremely impressive script all around, once again from Shouji Yonemura, although what I didn't notice back in episodes 11 and 12 is that Kobayashi is still credited with dialogue editing. It really goes to show how crucial her voice is to Den-O. So crucial, in fact, that these are actually the very last episodes by a guest writer. Yes, there were only four.

OOO 15-16:

Firstly, this is the now obligatory "season finale" arc Rider generally does now before going on break for New Year's, which means it's total madness. You've got all the villains trying to play one another, our heroes getting into fights, GataKiriBa making it's second and final appearance (it will be missed), a big CGI monster to go with that last thing, and somehow there's still time for Kamen Rider Birth's debut in there. And that's still not everything that happens!

Secondly, on the subject of villains, the Greed are to Rider baddies what Eiji is to Rider leads. They're like a million times more interesting than everyone else, and especially after guys like Evolt wore out their welcome for me, I find it easy to appreciate how much they have going on. Four villains, with four subtly different motivations, with four hugely different methods, with four wildly different kinds of Monsters of the Week, just so it's literally impossible to be bored watching this show.

And thirdly, it's always great seeing how much use the Ride Vendors get. Not only is it genius to have the hobo Rider rent a bike instead of owning one, the way they work means everyone's driving around on them constantly. Like I said about Blade, it's not all that uncommon for Heisei Rider shows to pretend everywhere is within walking distance of everywhere else, so it's nice whenever they don't.

I don't know how much it has to do with nostalgia, but the Ride Vendor might be my second-favourite bike in the franchise. It's got a really nice design and being a literal vending machine is just amazing.

Absolute favourite is probably due to nostalgia and happens to be from Ryuki, though I think it'll probably be commented on by Fish Sandwich when they get there.

Ryuki 17-18:

Episode 17 has a lot of team building going on for Shinji and Tezuka, while also following up on Ren's wavering resolve, something Tezuka's predictions (which, of course, are always right) said are going to end badly, which, since I wasn't clear about that last time, is actually the reason he's been following Ren around. It's a good time as always, and since it's an episode by Kobayashi, Ryuki even gets to do a cool thing where he kinda kicks off of Raia to get up to a Monster. It's not the absolute most awesome moment he's had, but I feel the need to stress that the action scenes when she's writing almost always have at least one bit like this. It's not even just that I want to see Shinji look cool (though that's definitely part of it), it's that having the hero use quick thinking and guile to turn the tables on a powerful opponent is a central part of any interesting superhero fight, and this show almost always nails that.

Episode 18 debuts our third new Rider in a really short span, but I think I'll save talking about him for next time. What's most interesting here is that it's the first time we actually get to see Shirou recruiting somebody, which is inherently super neat. There's also a truly epic example of dramatic irony where Kitaoka makes an offhand sarcastic remark wondering if there wasn't anyone less ill-mannered available to be a Rider after meeting Gai for the first time. Oh, man, if only he knew.

Den-O 17-18:

These episodes lean more heavily into the drama than any Den-O arc yet and are also completely amazing. The overarching plot finally starts moving after spending a considerable amount of time barely budging, and in the process we also see the growth of the main characters starting to take root. Ryoutarou proves to be more proactive than he's given credit for (which means, among other things, more Plat Form, guaranteeing this arc gets a thumbs up from me), and it becomes evident how much the Imagin have actually started to care about him. Especially Momotaros, who's really a total sweetheart even by this point.

I struggle with how to accurately get across how excellent this arc is, because so much of it is in little moments and details I don't want to sit here listing. It just loses so much merely being described, you know? Talking about the comedy especially is pretty much pointless, when it would take me so much longer to attempt to explain why something is funny than it would to just watch the gag and laugh.

OOO 17-18:

Firstly, describing why Birth is so awesome is no trouble at all. He's part of that really cool little era we unfortunately seem to be out of now where secondary Riders were specifically designed to contrast with the leads more than they compared, with a neat, pared down version of the series' main gimmick to boot. Now, as I've established, OOO kicks the s*** out of other shows when it comes to making gimmicks work, so of course, the relationship between OOO and Birth is insanely strong in that regard. Cell Medals were an established part of the show from the beginning, so having them be Birth's power source versus Core Medals is as natural as it gets. It also fits the obvious high tech bent of his design that after 800 years of scientific progress, it's possible to have a belt that can get comparable power to OOO out of way less. But of course, OOO gives off more of a mystical vibe to his powers anyway, so the contrast also works that way. There's a lot of believability to Birth's existence within the setting. You see stuff like his weapons that are magnetized to attract Medals, and it just all makes sense.

Secondly, the guy under the suit ain't too shabby himself. I think it's pretty indisputable that Date is a huge fan favorite. I mean, it's literally a fact that certain elements of OOO's plot were reworked because people liked him. And it's not hard to see why. He's cool enough on his own merits even today, but I'll refer you back to my point a few posts ago about having a huge chip on your shoulder and a grudge against the main character getting you a belt. At the time especially, nobody else, besides maybe Ibuki I guess, was anything like this guy. He's lighthearted. He's chill. He's nice. He doesn't hate OOO's guts for some contrived reason. Yet, thanks to the nuanced characterization of this show, there's still drama to be had between him and Eiji, because they're two completely different kinds of nice guy, and that's before mentioning the whole issue of Ankh also being after Medals. Birth and OOO also have THE worst teamwork in battles. It's honestly kind of stressful how often their attacks nearly hit each other because they never bother to coordinate at all. It's actually pretty clever. I feel like this is the "realistic" version of what a new Rider showing up would be like, you know? I don't think any other show has bothered to show Riders that have to learn how to deal with each other's presence on such a basic level like this before or since.

And thirdly, the Yummy this arc has the gimmick of splitting into two Yummies midway through the first episode. Which is a super smart card for the show to play right here, because that means there's an extra Yummy that's allowed to actually die before the second part, giving Birth a chance to show his skills without undercutting the moment with the usual routine of the monster suddenly escaping. OOO also gets to do his Rider Kick one more time, although I still don't feel totally satisfied, because it was in combination with Birth's finisher.

Ryuki 19-20:

Gai's master plan comes together here, and I have to give him some credit, it IS way more fun to have half a dozen Riders in one room than the usual two or three. Unfortunately for him though, he just can't compete with Ouja when it comes to being a total sack of crap.

I also have to give credit to Kanzaki, because the battle between the Riders DOES get way more heated the second this guy shows up. Which sucks for... well, all the other Riders (except Gai, who was ironically pretty happy about it), but as someone watching the show? I mean, does anybody who's seen it not like Ouja? Asakura is the perfect anti-Shinji to spice up the plot at this point. Just when it starts to seem like things are looking up a bit with Ren almost mellowing out and Tezuka showing up, here comes this complete madman who for the next stretch of the show will cause Shinji to question his entire goal as a Rider while smacking around just about everyone in the process. He's a big deal, and you couldn't ask for a better villain.

Den-O 19-20:

Let me say this to start! Zeronos is one of my favorite secondary Riders out there, so I couldn't be happier about being back at this point in Den-O. It's already started to hit its stride, but now that Yuuto's here there's no looking back. Also, Yuuto showing up means Deneb showing up. I rest my case.

The plot here does a great job at the usual routine of building a new status quo now that there's new main characters. Yuuto looks down on Ryoutarou for obvious reasons, but it's interesting to note that by this point in the story, Ryoutarou has a personal stake in things, and is clearly starting to become more assertive, even if just a little. Yuuto himself is also in a bit more of a glass house than he realizes, too. Sure, on the surface he seems like your fairly typical jerky, too cool rival type, but this is Den-O, so the truth is a little more nuanced than that. You can kind of tell from stuff like the way he throws childish temper tantrums around Deneb that his behavior is less due to any legitimate gripes he might have, and more to do with the fact that's he's secretly a little on the immature side. Deneb is even characterized as something of a doting parent to drive this home. It's a great dynamic, and the best part is, none of this is even the reason I love Zeronos. I'll get to all the other stuff that's great about him as it comes up.

OOO 19-20:

Firstly, TaJaDor is freakin' awesome. As far as form debuts go this actually isn't the most impressive set of episodes ever, but make no mistake, they're more than up to OOO's high standards. Naturally there's some extra significance to a Combo made with Ankh's own Medals, and the story capitalizes on that well enough. You get to see how turbulent the partnership he and Eiji have is, but it also highlights that, at the very least, neither of them doubts the other's dedication to their respective goals.

Secondly, Date formally takes Gotou under his wing here, and if Shinji and Tezuka are a legendary duo, than I lack the words to describe what a great team these two make.

And thirdly, how great is Time Judged All? I mean, this probably could've been worked into the first point, but still. It's awesome, and it stands out even compared to OOO's other insert songs, which are no slouches to begin with.

Ryuki 21-22:

A lot of things are going on at once in these episodes. Ren finally snaps out of the funk he's been in for a while, Shinji learns something that causes him to question the morality of stopping the Riders from fighting, and Kanzaki tries to get Tezuka to be a little more cooperative. This is an extremely interesting stretch of the show. It puts Shinji in more difficult position then he's ever been in, while also teasing the idea of him losing the only real ally he has.

I didn't know a thing about Ryuki's plot going in originally, so I remember being legitimately worried about that last bit. I was probably just really gullible or something, but it goes to show how completely absorbing I found this show. It trains you with Scissors and Zolda to assume other Riders are all jerks, so everything about Tezuka immediately screamed "too good to be true". I figured there had to be some cruel twist at some point, especially since the two Riders after him are also huge jerks. But no, for a fifth of the entire series now, he's been there, and he's been reliable, and that's why he's my favorite. He brings something to the show that nobody else can.

Den-O 21-22:

Ryutaros decided to save me the trouble of having to summarize the plot this time:

https://i.imgur.com/6vWaspm.jpg

These are hands down some of my favorite episodes of the show. The actual showdown between Zeronos and Den-O Gun Form in the middle is the obvious reason why. It's classic. The choreography is super tense and frenetic, AND a significant chunk of it involves bike action. In a fight between my two favorite characters. It's like they made this just for me!

It sticks out in my mind like crazy to this day when I think of Den-O (or cool Rider fight scenes in general), but seeing the episodes again, it certainly helps that they're supported by such a great plot. So to speak, anyway. I mean, the actual Monster of the Week stuff this time is there and it's fine, but what I mean by "great plot" is all the extremely well done, chracter-driven drama that's really at the center here.

We're still feeling out Yuuto's character, with lots of details about him established but not explained, like the limited number of times he can become Zeronos, creating all kinds of interesting roads for future drama without forgetting to have moments to show off his actual personality too, like him only deciding to "waste" a transformation to fight Den-O after Ryutaros' careless fighting style starts running the risk of hurting Hana. Ryutaros himself is also amazing here. It's the craziest he's been at since his debut, but what makes him endearing to me is the show's commitment to writing him as an actual child. He's not quite capable of genuine malice the same way he's not quite capable of understanding why running around shooting at people is a big deal. He's also somewhat lacking in authority figures who can correct his misbehavior. It's three-dimensional, you know? Look at how violent his crayon drawings are, he's clearly rather troubled. Fortunately, Ryoutarou, awesome guy that he is, actually decides to take responsibility for the brat here, refusing to make excuses to Yuuto for not having Ryutaros under control, and trying more than anyone else usually does to explain why the way he acts is a problem. I honestly forgot how much Ryoutarou had grown by this point in the show. I'm not even halfway through, and he already feels totally different from how he did at the start.

On an unrelated note, one other revelation I've had going back to this show is that it's unfortunate so many of the episode titles involve very slick, natural sounding wordplay that you'd have to be some kind of super genius to translate without losing the joke.

OOO 21-22:

Firstly, it's Nobuhiro Mouri's turn to write an arc, and he comes out of the gate pretty strong. The plot here has a very memorable twist to it, with the premise being a Yummy born of a desire to do good. Or rather, to beat up people who do bad. There are quite a few layers to why this one works. More than anything, I think it's actually quite clever to show how weird and creepy it would be to directly apply the logic of fictional heroes and villains to stuff like random litterers on the street. It stays very true to OOO's thematic spirit that desire is never quite black and white, and Mouri shows a strong grasp on the characters while he's at it. Eiji's guile, and his unique brand of optimism, are on full display here, once again showing that he's way, WAY more intellectual than the average goodhearted hero. Gotou's character arc also makes enough genuine progress to disqualify these episodes from being filler, so they're a win any way you wanna look at it.

Secondly, The Grasshopper Yummy is a great mythology gag. Showa references of any kind are more than welcome to me, but the thematic callback to Kamen Rider's origins as a story about a monster who becomes a hero is awesome, and just on that alone, he's the most memorable monster in the whole show to me.

And thirdly, the way the Medals are used here struck me as extremely elegant. Mouri got stuck writing at a point in the show where OOO has barely any toys to play with (TaJaDor is literally his only Combo right now), but he uses that to his advantage. There's a great gag where Eiji is asking Ankh for different Medals during in the middle of a fight only to react dejectedly when told they don't have what he wants, which almost seems kind of meta. But good use is made of what it is available, including some individual use of the red Medals. Special mention goes to Condor getting used specifically because Eiji lost his only Grasshopper Medal earlier in the episode. Kicking things slightly harder isn't a particularly interesting power compared to OOO's usual fare, so using it in the context of a sort of last resort actually makes it still stick out and seem cool.

So I'm watching Kabuto and loving it. But I need to talk about episodes 21 - 22 and how absolutely stunning they were.

When people joked that Kagami is the main character of Kabuto they really weren't kidding. Everything that he strived for in 20 episodes before culminated in this two parter, and I loved every moment of it.

Kagami's sheer determination of wanting to protect this kid, making him try and tame a Zecter that absolutely bodied him and yet eventually managed to transform into Gatack was amazing. And sure the kid being a worm was something that could've been seen from a mile away but the ending wasn't something I saw coming in the slightest.

I was fully expecting Kagami's first fight to end with Kabuto ending it due to Kagami being unable to kill the worm. But no, he shows him a Moonbow and tries to hand him his telescope before being denied and delivering a Rider Kick. the Worm then sacrificing himself for Kagami is while kind of cliche for Kamen Rider nowdays is something that really does show the Worms do possess the memories of the ones they copied.


Seriously that two parter is fucking good.

Ryuki 23-24:

Episode 23 hit me like a truck the first time I watched it, and it definitely holds up on a repeat viewing. Shinji shouting Tezuka's name toward the end is burned into my memory quite thoroughly, and the proper reveal of Raia's backstory further cemented his place as my favorite Rider in the whole show.

Episode 24 begins yet another trip into the Inoue Zone, which means, you guessed it, an ineffectual Shinji (which is fine because he's going through some crap right now), some good laughs, and more focus on the ORE Journal crew. In this case, Reiko (who, for the record, I've always really liked) decides to get the scoop on Asakura from the man himself. You can probably guess this isn't going to end well. This is the first time Inoue gets to play with Ouja, and, perhaps because his character is a perfect fit for Inoue's darker habits, it's the first episode of his where I felt a significant disconnect from the other episodes. Asakura goes on a brief rant about eating mud at one point that just doesn't seem like something Kobayashi would ever write. Namely because it lacks all subtlety. That's not always a bad thing, though.

Den-O 23-24:

I've never considered myself a huge fan of Sieg, so going back to these episodes I was taken aback by how great they are. They tell a really complete, self-contained little story that stands on its own far more than the usual Monster of the Week plots Den-O has, that are clearly just there to prop up the other parts of the show before anything else. Here, the tale of this strange bird monster and the baby he calls his brother is very much the focus, and that's definitely a good thing. The pacing is impeccable, and Den-O's insanely strong characterization mixed with its also quite remarkable attention to detail elevate it a considerable degree.

Once again, there are too many individual moments to list them all, but they add up to an extremely entertaining set of episodes. Ryoutarou getting interrogated by the police is definitely a big highlight, but what I'm more getting at is all the ~really~ tiny bits and pieces Den-O always remembers to get in there. Stuff like Ryutaros turning his head away from Yuuto when he walks by like a pouting child, that show the characters behaving in a consistent and characterful way even when it has nothing to do with what's actually going on. Every single scene on the Den-Liner especially is staged in such an elaborate, well thought out way that goes so far beyond the requirements of the story that it's almost baffling.

Episode 24 also has yet another healthy dose of screentime for Plat Form, which I know isn't any kind of objective reason for liking an arc, but I'm telling you guys, any time it gets to do something, the arc is good.

OOO 23-24:

Firstly, the show digs into Date's backstory for the first time here, in the process adding a lot of depth to a character who could've been mistaken for someone more shallow to this point. One of my favorite scenes is actually in 23 when him and Eiji are just getting some oden. It's emblematic of (part of) what makes OOO great, because in the middle of a show where the most insane, unrealistic crap happens constantly (the arc straight up ends with Eiji using his octopus legs to drill a hole through a giant sea monster), we also get this very natural conversation between our two heroes that informs us a lot of their characters in a pretty short amount of time, in particular showing that Date sort of sees through Eiji in a way that nobody else, including Eiji himself, really does.

Secondly, the Victim of the Week here suffers from abuse to such a comical extent it's honestly hard not to root for her even when she's going a little crazy.

And thirdly, even after the token apology it would later get, I'm honestly still a little upset all these years later that Shout Out doesn't play during ShaUTa's debut. They had a perfect streak going! Why make a sweet insert song for every Combo and then NOT use one?!

Wait, were you guys all just joking? Because I consider this a fact on the same level as Asumu obviously being the focus of Hibiki. It's a huge part of the reason Tendou is characterized the way he is. Gattack was basically Cross-Z before it was cool.

Sieg is easily my favorite Imagin just because he's so different from how all the other Imagin are handled, the train crew included. An amnesiac prince who can't even remember what the wish he fulfilled was, let alone who was actually his host. It helps his character really stand out, and his brief form change insanely memorable (And my favorite Den-O form).

And I may joke about Kagami, but I honestly do feel he's the main character of Kabuto. The first half of the story is literally structured around him, and even when the story places a greater emphasis on Tendou (Rather than Kagami's interactions with Tendou), he's still arguably the focal point of the series.

Ryuki 25-26:

Remember when I said being unsubtle isn't always a bad thing? Well, Inoue has the honor of writing what is, far and away, the most abhorrent thing Asakura does in the entire series, which is saying something. It's so brutal I almost felt physically ill watching the episode knowing what was about to go down. It's a super impactful moment and completely destroys whatever sympathy you might have towards Ouja in a way that really crystallizes his role in the show. There's absolutely no way you can spin him as any kind of anti-hero. He's as much of a monster as the actual Monsters.

The only thing going against the episode is that everybody is arguably taking stupid pills for it to happen, but that's Inoue for you. Once things are back to normal in 26, everybody gets right back on track, naturally. Like, it was actually jarring how much smarter everyone suddenly was again. One part I really loved was when Kitaoka and Shinji go chasing after a guy who was threatening Kitaoka over a trial to protect him from a Mirror Monster. Any hopes of our favorite Super Lawyer acting selfless are dashed when he says he's only doing this because it would look suspicious if the guy mysteriously disappears on the way back from his house. He also later muses that he should just come up with an alibi instead after the endeavor proves to be more trouble than he expected, so you know he's not pulling a Ren and only pretending not to care.

It's up to Shinji to do all the caring, getting out of the rut he's been stuck in by deciding to double down on protecting people instead of racking his head about the Rider battle. It's a great episode for him, because there genuinely hasn't been a lot of Rider on Monster action since Ouja showed up, and consequently it feels super refreshing to see Shinji back in his element. He also gets his first smart hero moment in a good while too. One of the funniest gags in the whole show happens when Zolda starts loaning Ryuki his cards (because Kitaoka has a busted arm), only for Shinji (who was understandably excited about having sweet shoulder cannons) to be let down when it turns out that the gear still just goes to Zolda. He gets a bit upset about Kitaoka using him as glorified vending machine, but then shuts up mid-sentence because the idea of using Zolda's contract Monster as a shield pops into his head. Not super impressive, but it once again shows that Shinji can and does use his brain when he fights. The episode also finds an excuse to bring up that he makes good gyoza again, which I was definitely not expecting to see after the one time that was shown in 13, but that's how you know Kobayashi doesn't mess around.

Den-O 25-26:

These episodes do a great job of ironing out the relationship between Ryoutarou and Yuuto. Compared to the standards at the time, they were hardly bitter rivals or anything (the obligatory Rider on Rider fight was entirely on Ryutaros, which I always thought was a clever workaround), but they definitely don't like each other as people all that much. Ryoutarou is pretty skeptical that Yuuto is who he claims to be, and Yuuto of course thinks Ryoutarou is an unreliable wimp. By the end of this arc, that's started to turn around, after they each see a different side of each other. It definitely helps Ryoutarou's case especially that he's been run so ragged he's going around with a limp for most of the episode again, and still manages to get the job done. He's seriously made of iron or something.

What's that? Why was he so beat up? Well, finding that out requires a different kind of ticket than usual, according to Owner at the end of 26, although perplexingly, we're actually going to be waiting until after 27 to take that trip.

Also, I'm pretty sure episode 25 didn't actually have Den-O anywhere in it. Just Zeronos. I mean, sometimes I complain about episodes of Kamen Rider that don't have the base form, but that's taking it to the next level. At least they balance it out with some more Plat Form in 26.

OOO 25-26:

Firstly, this is the most engaging Victim of the Week plot in the show so far. A story about a boxer forced into retirement due to all the injuries he's accumulated through his fights is pretty heavy and interesting on its own, but then OOO decides to kick it up a notch by drawing a direct parallel to the way Eiji has been constantly ignoring his own health due to his compulsive need to help people, even as he's constantly falling over from using Combos and in bandages from getting beat up by monsters. It's honestly quite impressive how much the comparison lands, and I appreciate the way the very real world problem of punch drunk syndrome is explicitly the focal point. It emphasizes the idea that Eiji is a "real" person who absolutely can not keep doing what he does without paying the price. It's easy to see these things in a show and just think "wow, that's guy's cool and heroic", like I've been doing with Ryoutarou constantly, so I appreciate how bold it was of OOO to reframe that and instead show how having that kind of determination can actually be really, really scary. This idea isn't something the show will just forget about after (or before!) this point, either.

Secondly, Eiji's messed up relationship with Ankh is the other focus here, and I actually think it's portrayed even better than in TaJaDor's debut. Ankh gets to look way more suspicious than usual, and when Eiji shows faith that he isn't doing anything too sketchy, it's pointedly NOT because he thinks Ankh is some kind of good person. Instead he comes to that conclusion based entirely on what he logically knows or can assume about how Ankh operates, which is probably the best summation of their dynamic yet.

And thirdly, it's really freakin' amazing that a show that goes out of its way to subvert stereotypical saccharine storytelling like this still manages to be legitimately upbeat and fun.

Ryuki 27-28:

Two pretty memorable episodes this time. One features an audience surrogate child getting scared straight by Ren after he sees him transform and decides being a Kamen Rider sounds cool. It's a pretty on the nose plot, but Ryuki is a perfect show to do something like this in. It's also written by Kobayashi, which means, you guessed it, Shinji's gyoza comes up again! Apparently that's more of a subplot than I remember. Oh, and it also means the episode is in safe hands and delivered in a way that really sells it. I love how Ren's plan to fake getting beat up by a monster gets interrupted by him genuinely getting beat up by other Riders. All around, it's a great reminder that the fight between the Riders isn't fun and games for those taking part in it.

But man is it ever fun for the spectators! The other episode is the one where Odin shows up to make a small correction, which I'm pretty sure is one of the most famous bits of Ryuki? I don't know how to go about proving that, though. Just like how Shinji doesn't know how to go about preventing the same tragedies from repeating even when given a chance to stop them. The whole Time Vent plot was an extremely clever twist on the normal concept of a recap episode, showing the events of the series up to this point play out again in a fashion that reminds me of a Twilight Zone episode or something. The whole context of the episode is that Shinji is completely powerless and can't even remember he remembers what's going to happen most of the time, which is kind of horrifying, and gives things a very different atmosphere than the usual clip show where people sit there reminiscing about things in a laid-back manner. Actually, I keep comparing it to a clip show, but I'm not even sure that's fair. It might just be a total coincidence the episode functions as a summary of the story, because I have to imagine restaging a bunch of old scenes again probably ruins the low-effort part that usually motivates such things, even if most of the Rider action is recycled. At any rate, I love this episode to bits because it's one I think of whenever I think of how captivating this show was to me at the time (and obviously still is). It seriously felt like anything could happen by this point.

Den-O 27:

So, in case I need to explain this to anyone, Den-O made the choice to have episodes of the TV show directly set up the usual summer movie, which, to this day, hasn't been done before or since. Sure, plenty of them nowadays do have a specific place in the show's canon (W even acknowledged it in-series), but Den-O is still one of a kind in having a direct prologue episode that aired a day after (yes, after) the film came out. It literally goes right up to the start of the movie, then ends with what is essentially a trailer. Part of me doesn't like this whole idea because it feels like such shameless promotion, but then, the whole point of Kamen Rider is shameless promotion, so what's the big deal, right?

The episode itself is also crazy sharp. The amount of energy it has and the way it all flows together into one big entertaining romp is peak Den-O to the point where even without an ending, it manages to stand on its own. I can't stress that enough. Watching it made me realize all over again just how much Den-O had found its groove by this point. This show is on a roll, and it ain't stopping anytime soon.

OOO 27-28:

Firstly, how cool is it that OOO was the show that got the honor of airing Kamen Rider's 1000th episode? The show is already riding high anyway, and then a golden opportunity to throw a huge party like this comes along. It's perfect.

Secondly, Shouji Yonemura got the honor of writing this arc, and judging by what he wrote, I think he was pretty jacked about that.

And thirdly, these episodes are completely insane. Ankh is desperately trying to pretend things are still normal, but even he gets caught up in the wild meta antics of Kougami's efforts to make the ultimate Kamen Rider fan film. He's not screwing around, either. You will never be as hardcore of a Rider fan as Kougami. He can watch every Rider show ever at the same time and his ideas for the movie are all heavily inspired directly by the OG show, so you can tell he respects the roots. Mixed in with this crazy premise is the equally crazy premise of a Shocker grunt that wants to prove the glory of all the mooks in Rider history by defeating OOO, and the end result is a pretty spectacular two-part celebration of the franchise that knows not to take things too seriously.

https://i.imgur.com/S6tw3XP.jpg

I'm honestly really sad and glad no other Rider series has done it the way Den-O did it's summer movie integration. I'm sad, because imo no other summer movie has ever felt so connected to the show proper as Den-O's summer movie what with the build up with Yuuto "kidnapping" Ryotaro for some purpose in the episodes prior to episode 27, the fact that MOTW being a lackey of the movie villain, and that the movie has tangible effects on show proper beyond a throwaway shot/line. I'm glad however because that wait for the dvd and subsequent subs would suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck.:lol