Sure, but the point in this episode is that Kirihiko has a perspective that's not that dissimilar from Shotaro's; both men care about Fuuto. Kirihiko is more than just a sneering villain or haughty foil, he's a gigantic nerd that designed the city's mascot. That's arguably tougher for Shotaro to overcome than Nazca!

KAMEN RIDER W EPISODE 18 - “FAREWELL TO N - FRIENDS IN THE WIND”

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It’s interesting how much this Kirihiko story turned out to be a Sonozaki story.

I can see why – I mean, this is the last Kirihiko story, so you’re better off using it to inform the remaining antagonists for this series. While it’s neat to see Kirihiko realize the limitations of his need for power and authority, albeit in service of what he deems to be the greater good, it’s more compelling to use Kirihiko’s burgeoning conscience and/or awareness of consequences to get a better look at Wakana, Saeko, and Ryubei.

The Wakana scene is the best one, both for its easy charm (Kirihiko is rightfully surprised that Wakana treats him with any affection whatsoever) and the fun twist of Wakana spreading her introspection out to other people. She’s starting to see herself outside the structure of the Museum, and she wants to give Kirihiko the chance to do the same. It’s this nice moment of someone in the Sonozaki family actually treating Kirihiko as something other than an inconvenience or an entertaining failure, and it’s terrific to see that person end up being Wakana.

Because, oh man, do Ryubei and Saeko not see that guy in any kind of positive light.

The Ryubei scene ends up being a bit more exposition than character work, with Kirhiko learning about the source of the Gaia Memories (the Earth itself – I mean, it’s right there in the name, guy) as well as his own role in the schemes of the Museum. He’s been a patsy from the start, just a useful idiot that can maybe be coerced or cajoled into unlocking the Nazca Memory’s abilities, nothing more. Now that he’s topped out his potential and is almost dead, he’s got nothing left to offer the Sonozakis. Ryubei tries to murder him, but in a gleefully half-hearted It’s The Least I Can Do For My Pointless Son-In-Law kind of way.

Saeko, however, goes the full Femme Fatale on him, shrugging off his pleas to join him on the run by pointing out that she never loved him anyway, and also here is a giant ball of energy as an alimony settlement. (She even personally sold the Bird Memory to Akiko, twice.) It’s the final nail in an episode-length coffin, and it comes with the tease that Saeko is not content to be a lieutenant for much longer.

Amongst all of these other character arcs and foreshadowing, we still get a nicely contemplative finale for Kirihiko. He always loved Fuuto, even as he conspired to flood its most vulnerable citizens with USB drug metaphors. He thought he was serving a greater good, and turned his back on power when he realized how much Fuuto was really hurting. Getting to go on that journey with him, even if it only ended up being for two episodes, was nice.

—

DIE-A MEMORIES

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-Meanwhile, there was also a Gaia Memory story happening, and I could not have cared less about it. It never really connects thematically with what’s going on with Kirihiko, and it’s just there to be a line that the Sonozakis crossed. Akane's addiction to enbirdening is hilarious for how unsubtle it ends up being, and none of the cast of kids felt completely fleshed out. (Touma's just A Jerk, and the other two... existed?) I definitely preferred what was going on with Kirihiko to what was going on with Akane and her need to become a bird again.

-Nice to see that the Sonozaki mansion was built atop the scenic and majestic Toku Caves. I love them so much! Easily in my Top 3 for toku locales, alongside Kamen Rider Stadium and That One White-Checked Building.

-Accel’s almost here!!!

While I have no qualms with how Kirihiko exits the show, I think it was a missed opportunity to not do a Kamen Rider Nasca that time when we had the Eternal prequel and Accel follow-up.

I think I'd've honestly preferred a return of Kirihiko over the origin of Eternal, if I was given the choice. (I mean, there was NO WAY we'd get Nazca over Eternal, considering how many other appearances Eternal's made over the years.) There's plenty to be mined from Kirihiko's face turn, in the aftermath of the Museum's plan. Plus, you only really need Shotaro to come back, and he's the easiest part of Double to get!

Same. Honestly, if they could I hope they do one for say a 20 year anniversary special. I liked the Eternal prequel, but a Kirihiko follow-up would've been equally nice.

When these episodes first aired I was really surprised that the show killed off Kirihiko. I'd assumed that he was going to be a big deal throughout the entire show - he even got his own Figuart, which is still pretty rare for a non-Rider villain (I think, I honestly haven't followed the line in years). It's a good send-off for the character, but it still feels like they could have gotten more mileage out of him. Still, not the end of the line for Nazca; I do not remember who uses it (Saeko?), but I know it shows up again later on.

But yes, Accel's finally here! More than a fair trade for Kirihiko.

Go play Kamen Rider: Memory of Heroez. Anyone who's a Kirihiko fan will be pleasantly surprised.

It shows more of Shoutarou's values as well. There's no doubt that Kirihiko is an amicable guy who loves Fuuto as much as Shoutarou, but due to his circumstances with the Sonozaki crime syndicate, his idealistic vision of the future was twisted in to villainy and he ironically became the opposite of the values he stood for. Their climactic fight is melancholic for Shoutarou, who doesn't want to fight someone he respects. But he knows he has to, not only to stop Fuuto from crying, but to stop Kirihiko from crying as well. Shoutarou already carries the guilt of losing Soukichi, so he wants to spare Kirihiko that terrible feeling of losing what's most important to him. It's also the most memorable CycloneTrigger appearance for me.

And he's going to Leave All Behind!

In that case, Toei should learn from Heisei Generations Forever and book Suda in advance this time.

Maybe Kirihiko would be a good candidate to join the Outsiders.

Kirihiko and Daido fans alike get to enjoy their brief yet dramatic interactions with Shoutarou. Both boss battles feel like big moments for the game.

You misspelled Heroez BTW.

If they end up doing anything for a 20-year anniversary special, I'm guessing a Nazca special is way down the list, below Wakana but above Santa. Still! A TTFC special is never out of the question!

And he instantly hates Fuuto and its wind, so we are probably not going to have the budding bromance that Kirihiko and Shotaro had.

Also, the definitely did a Nazca Figuart... because I just bought one, along with Clay Doll. These rewatches are making me grow my Figuarts collection in unexpected ways!

(They actually did two Nazcas: the regular one, and the red R Nazca, that I do not remember at all.)

A curious fan could also watch the Let's Play that someone on the boards cooked up.

I mean, to be fair, Kirihiko wasn't some sweetheart that was misled by a family of villains -- that dude was Eyes Open on multiple murders, and did not care about the collateral damage inflicted on the citizens of Fuuto thus far. (He seemed pretty jazzed about the Virus Dopant's killing spree!) His moral failures happened way before he got married to Saeko, and his red-line was only just crossed. It'd've been interesting to see what his morality would've looked like going forward!

So uh, you ended up calling Akane "Akiko" multiple times in both of these past write-ups. Made me think I'd accidentally watched the wrong episodes or something.

Anyway, this two-parter was totally perfect for me, and are big contenders for my favorite pair of episodes in the show.

You claim it's the subplot, but really, with how everything is structured, I'd argue that Kirihiko is the main spotlight for both episodes as a whole, to the point he's the one who leads off the first part proper. Even the Kids Doing Drugs PSA is there primarily as a vehicle to get him to not only show some initiative in figuring out just what the heck is going on with the Sonozakis, but also actually taking the time to observe how Kamen Rider handles the city and its people.

And what a great turn out it all results in overall. Wonderful character development for Kirihiko, a great expansion of the lore the show has set up, great interactions between all of the characters and some of the best cinematography we've seen up to now. I actually totally agree with the wiki that this marks a proper end of Act 1 with not only the feeling of finality the whole thing has, but just how big of a push forward it has for the show as a whole. The atmosphere was all around on point!

And I guess now is as good a time as any to bring up something that always caught me by surprise and impressed me with W overall; The way in which the drug metaphor with Gaia Memories is used. Not only do these episodes showcase the usual dangers that people are warned about(withdrawal, addiction, etc), but it's noted many times that the only real protection comes in the form of Drivers, and that it's not exactly a secret that our protagonists use them as well. Which in turn makes the lesson less "drugs are things only bad people use" and moreso "Use drugs responsibly if you're gonna use them at all." Which in turn is a very mature message not just for a kids show, but for Japan as a whole, given how anti-drug Japan is in general.

It's just a really great time overall, and that shot of Kirihiko's' Japan Flag that he always wore around his neck floating in the wind gets me every time. Really wish he hadn't died here, but it's a great send off and, hey, it atleast eventually lead to Memory of Heroez!

Thanks for catching that! Their names are so similar (A-K-three more letters) that my brain didn't retain what the teen girl's name was, and Akiko being nowhere in this story didn't help me remember it.

I suppose, and it's not like deciding which is the plot and which is the subplot is going to keep me up at night, but I think the bulk of the first part is about Double tracking down Akane, while the bulk of the second part was about Kirihiko's conscience. So, it depends on which episode we're talking about?

Maybe? I'm not sure I see this show -- at this point in the run, anyway -- as viewing the distribution of Gaia Memories as anything other than a societal evil that Double needs to vanquish. While there's maybe something to be said for Shotaro "riding with the devil" by using the Double Driver, an ode to Kamen Rider's franchise-wide usage of evil to fight for justice, I just don't know if the first 18 episodes really bother to parse that nuance. Certainly this story doesn't go out of its way to discuss things like moderation or age limits or whatever, nor does anyone suggest giving Akane a Driver.

Fun Japanese language pun: The kids in this two parter intend to become a superman (Choujin), but the Memory they bought makes them a birdman (chojin).

And also, one thing that occurred to me on one of my first two watches? The reason the Sonozaki family had a spare super-powerful Memory lying around that they tested on the dupe of a husband? It was meant to go to Raito, before he was “adopted” by Shotaro.

Maybe? They definitely wouldn't've tested it on Raito, but I can maybe see them giving Raito the finalized version.

Bruh I already stated well-intentioned extremist, his atrocities are done for what he thinks is best for Fuuto, but cool motive still massacre.

W is a series where you can't criticize any aspect of it, so this'd be may be a hot take, but I'd think that either Kirihiko's redemption is the usual rushed type to only take some inspiring speech/tips/reminder from others, or that Kirihiko isn't really redeemed - he'd still agree on his philosophies like sacrificing some people like corrupt adults, albeit not supporting Museum and Gaia Memories anymore, but he'd also do something that benefits Fuuto if the option is available to him. Drawing some line in doing atrocities (not targeting children, "don't make children cry"... but adults are ok) doesn't equal them being good. Kirihiko just doesn't live long enough to showcase this, and I always think newfound goodness is more prevalent when they live rather than getting a redemption equals death.

In this scene, I guess this does prove Philip's evalaution of Wakana becoming "kind again" by the influence of her younger brother, because for this case, her behavior change isn't fully restricted to only Philip, with Wakana aiding the hated black sheep of the family. As Kirihiko noted, he thought she hated him before, but is now gone due to Wakana showing concern to him after saving him. Kirihiko gains an inspiration from Wakana by his question to know what she would do if she got betrayed by someone she had faith, which is to know what her true self wants, and for Kirihiko, it's to take care of Fuuto, thus he decides to help W, before bidding farewell to her and tell her that he loves her radio show, keeping all of his potential demise secret from Wakana (though she'd probably find it later in newspaper). Wakana does give good impression and buildup from ep. 13-14 two parter to this, but unfortunately IMO this sets up for a disappointment.

It's confirmed too that, the family purposely bend the rule to get children using Gaia Memory, due to getting more comprehensive data, giving accelerated evolution. Ryubee also has good intentions, but would give no regards to those children's death for achieving Museum's goals. thus has lower scruples than Kirihiko, who would be ok doing that to adults but not tolerate children, and his conscience defies Ryubee here, but it's a reckless action, despite that Ryubee still explains the way to save Akane, due to another truth that Kirihiko was just a pawn to the Museum as well to peel the secrets of Nazca, that while he reached level 2 in Nazca, it's his limit and he'll die soon, and him changing to the Dopant here shortens his lifespan further, thus they'd just dispose Kirihiko, especially that he's now a thorn on their side.

Kirihiko is fully nonchalant throughout his last moments yeah, but I don't know if Kirihiko somehow can see the possibility of Saeko following him while he feels Wakana hates him before. Sure before ep. 13-14 Wakana had nasty traits, but Saeko had even more so and openly shows disdain to him for his 'failures' which he tries to make up, or he's making one final chance even if he knows that he won't get it, but it's worth trying (he started his plead with "if you love me"). Not to mention, Saeko was the one doing something Kirihiko disapproves of giving Gaia Memory to children. Kirihiko's death is made in such a contrast, where he's someone who loves Fuuto and enjoying its winds, a departure of a character, replaced with a new one who declares his hate for Fuuto instead for the nasty winds.

Toku gotta being toku to have Monster/Victim of the Week and stick to a simple formulaic format. Straying from that can be controversial even. Other than that, what can I say is that, for targeting Akane's rival in track and field, it's a bad consequence of genuine friendship to treat non-friends as lesser beings you can harm for friends' gain. The connection would be about Museum's intention for accelerated evolution, where it's shown that even as human, Gaia Memory users would receive some buff in physical stats, improving Akane's track and field capabilities. Shotaro shows more tolerance to the kids, by blaming the ones who gave her the Bird Memory utilizing youth's cluelessness with Akiko consoling her as well, then pitying her as she sleeps in the bed (with her boots taken off, good as usual for Japan media, unlike for something much later on you'd watch).

Where did I ever say otherwise? I can definitely stop responding, if you think I'm intentionally misconstruing your statements.

KAMEN RIDER W EPISODE 19 - “I WON’T STOP - HIS NAME IS ACCEL”

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Nothing about Terui’s debut should work.

He arrives as the coolest cat. He knows everything about the cast, and belittles them constantly. He’s hard-boiled in exactly the ways Shotaro pretends to be. He’s a leather-clad badass that everyone in the supporting cast swoons over, and the show never stops giving him opportunities to be awesome, mostly at the expense of Double.

And yet!

And yet, this is such a relentlessly fun debut for one of the best Rival Secondaries in all of Kamen Rider. Terui’s consistent highlighting of Team Double’s many, many failings ends up just making them more endearing. (Philip picked a perfect time to wear a Saint Bernard onesie, and I can understand Shotaro’s frustration.) He’s a perfect foil for Shotaro, in a way that Kirihiko maybe never could be. Kirihiko was, at heart, an incredibly earnest dork that had no sense of morality; he’s sappy and sentimental, just like Shotaro. Meanwhile, Terui is grim and focused, with a psychotic aversion to being questioned and a bloodthirsty vendetta to pursue. He’s there to understand Team Double, and harness them into a weapon that he alone can and should wield. Terui is Not Here To Make Friends, and he is amazing at it.

It’s an episode that’s almost entirely about seeing how Terui fits into the dynamic – mostly by being an unhinged, spiteful lunatic, but in a good way – but it still manages to craft an intriguing mystery. It’s one that leans heavy on assumptions and circumstantial evidence, which is sort of the perfect case to run alongside Terui’s debut. Team Double gets judged unfairly by Terui, and Terui is afforded an amount of leeway due to his presence and credentials that turn out, by the end, to be a huge miscalculation. Y’know, what with him about to murder a normal human being.

Before that, though, we get the requisite Showcase Battle for a new Rider or Form, and Accel’s is pretty great. Terui has one of my franchise favorite pronunciations of Henshin (“Hen…” he gives himself a hernia “...shin!”), and Accel’s design is absolutely gorgeous. The “A” on the helmet does a lot to tie his design into Double’s, even if Motorcycle Man is not the natural visual partner to Half-and-Half Crimefighter. (Even the Acceldriver misses the letter template of the Lost Driver and Double Driver! It’s just a handlebar!) I love the glossy red of that suit, and Accel has one of the most relentlessly badass victory catchphrases imaginable. (I’ve seen it parsed a bunch of different ways from a variety of subbing groups, but OZC-Live has it as “Despair is waiting for you on the other side of the finish line.”) The whole sequence of him becoming Accel and demolishing the Dopant is as good as it should be, considering the hype to get to it.

This whole episode is a colossally fun payoff to the Accel hype train. Terui both negs the hell out of this series, and manages to show us why he’s only the secondary. He’s the thing that Shotaro pretends to be, and even wants to be, but Shotaro’s inherent empathy and kindness are why we’re following his story of justice and protection, instead of Terui’s story of isolation and vengeance. Terui's incredibly cool, but he’s not our guys.

—

DIE-A MEMORIES

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-I’m pretty sure I had the opposite reaction to Terui’s debut originally. I’m fairly confident I found his wall-to-wall negativity and stern rebukes of having fun to be an eye-rolling buzzkill, much like Shotaro and Philip do. Now, I don’t know… I think he’s got a point? Like, Team Double are a joke, and he doesn’t find it particularly funny. I’m now a fan of the this new dynamic!

-Terui is the one guy so far where I wasn’t like They Were All So Young Once. He kind of looks the same in Revice as he looks here, which is unreal. Dude has to share his skincare regimen!

-Hey, Shroud makes her first appearance. I’m… really hoping I like Shroud better on a rewatch.

Accel's' eye lens should be green.

I guess the "Kirihiko is more than just a sneering villain" part, with it emphasized by "both men care about Fuuto" before, sounds like it to me, sounds like painting me as diminishing him as "sunday cartoon villain" or such, but dunno if I also got it wrong and too accusing - it can often happen that to call those not doing something for the sake of malice as bad means diminishing them as "sneering villain" or its synonym.

Disagree!

I'm honestly not sure what we're even talking about anymore, but I'm just going to say this: the point of 17 and 18 as a story is to play off of noir storytelling -- that good people can do bad things, and bad people can do good things. Kirihiko's a complicated guy, and that's about it.

So I'll comment on the next two episodes once we get to them... but...

Let's talk about Kirihiko's Swan Song episodes, because they really were a fantastic closure to his character (in which I'll be very annoyed later on for certain reasons) and while I wish we could've spent more time with this version of Kirihiko, it's still a incredible end point for him.

This really is our major turning point in the show, even more so than the Arms/Fang episodes. We see Kirihiko while part of the Sonozaki family, is still sort of just there when it comes to the more intimate matters. So him slowly discovering things, like Shotaro as W alongside him trying to "earn his place" was fun to witness build up. And of course we get the climax of that where we see him confront Ryubei.

It also really says a lot on how Wakana seemingly didn't care for Kirihiko, and yet they probably have one of my favorite conversations in the show. The two leave on rather well-liked terms! There's just something so nice about him telling her that he loved her show and her just genuinely smiling after that.

I am sad that Kirihiko had to go so soon. My thoughts aren't even on a 'Kamen Rider Nazca' as everyone was one to jump for back in the day and even now. I just thought it would have been fun to see Kirihiko as Nazca appear occasionally every now and again while being a Dopant ally. He'd only show up sporadically, whether it be hiding or the fact that his body's failing him, before he'd end up more than likely succumbing to Nazca's side effects. Nazca's such a good suit, and it's a shame that it gets shelved this early given it's my favorite of the Sonozaki commander Dopant suits. Smilodon's a close second though.

The Bird Dopant plot was rather nice, while it didn't grab me as much, it was the main connecting tissue for this story about Kirihiko. But also it's incredible to see just how more wild Gaia Memories are able to get. We've seen it with Virus, but now we get something wilder with Bird and its multiple users alongside evolution mid-battle. The emphasis on Gaia Memories being drugs though does let me bring up a point I never brought up but thought was a cool thing. And that's how usually when a Gaia Memories ejected, the user has shadows underneath their eyes as if they haven't slept in weeks. Always thought that was a neat touch.

That being said, it's time, well, not to ask questions but to witness our Secondary's Debut. And speaking of him I honestly forgot at how built up he was. Like not even taking into account Movie War 2010's cameo, we get the Kabuto Phone, which I forgot existed, alongside mentions of a new hotshot joining the police. It's small little hints, but it's honestly fun to see.

Yeah, it's a cute touch. He'd complimented her show before, and it came off fake, him just trying to ingratiate himself into the Sonozaki family. But now, it's clear that his facade was always phony, but his intent was pure. He genuinely liked her dumb radio show, and he wanted that to be the last thing he said to her. As drug-dealing urban terrorists go, he was one of the good ones.

I love how Terui's debut shakes up the feeling of the show, both as a character and a Rider. He's such a bad*ss and easily one of my favorite Secondary Riders. In a way, he's also my first Secondary Rider, since Decade's abundance of Riders meant that Diend never hit the same way as Accel did for me, with Accel being literally second after Double. Despite his cool exterior and impressive detective skills though, he does let his emotions steer him for personal matters, with him acting as judge, jury and executioner to Iceage Dopant, showing that he's a loose cannon with no partner to slam the brake. It's an intriguing contrast to Double for sure. Humorously, the only member of Team Double who Terui actually takes seriously is Akiko.

For me, it's Accel's instrumental soundtrack that always gets me excited for his fights. The way it starts abruptly, then slows down a little, then immediately accelerates in to the fast-paced chorus makes it sound menacing, which is probably how the Dopants feel about Terui before he henshins, like they're only a few moments away from getting their a**es kicked. Yeah, Accel has some awesome themes and I haven't even talked about Leave All Behind yet!

Of course, I'm a big fan on the suit as well. While Double has a very simple design that looks like the style of the Showa Era, Accel's red and silver suit has a lot of details, he's armored yet fast at the same time, which is necessary due to him having his own Final Form Ride gimmick (emphasis on Ride). I guess I have to admit I'm biased here though, since I generally love speed types. The way he has to drag his Engine Blade makes it feel even stronger when he hits enemies at such speed. Must be like getting hit by a bullet or something.

Like Androzani mentioned before regarding a problem with those subs, some English words fall victim to being translated in to something totally different in English. For Accel's catchphrase, "goal" becomes "finish line" here. I guess it kind of fits the bike motif more and essentially means the same thing, but nevertheless, it's wrong.

Her involvement in the story is directly connected to Terui's quest for revenge, so it makes sense that she'd appear alongside him.

I have to side with Die on this one. I think the red suit with the blue eye is more fitting for Terui's hot and cold personality.

Well, not exactly a Sunday cartoon villain, but we cannot deny that Kirihiko is a Sunday villain.

A nice contrast to the half-boiledness of the Narumi Detective Agency. :lolol
It was like watching Colombo meets True Detective in terms of how their vibes are different.

This is Onodera Erasure, and I am honestly okay with it.

But, yeah, Accel's a great presence to add to the show. The first 18 episodes gave us a Fuuto that, at worst, tolerated Shotaro's cosplay detective schtick, and generally saw Team Double as a boon to the city. But then Terui shows up, and could not be more disruptive as an outsider. He's the best personality to add to an already killer ensemble.

I'd maybe say "Scooby-Doo meets John Wick", but I think we're getting the correct tension.

Yes. :lolol

I mean, sure, but the suit itself would look so much better! I will die on this hill! lol

KAMEN RIDER W EPISODE 20 - “I WON’T STOP - KAMEN RIDER STYLE”

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There’s a whole bunch in this episode that was just sort of there for me – Shroud, the main mystery, Saeko and Wakana’s Foreshadowing Lunch – but I still think this one worked, mostly because of how great the Shotaro/Terui chemistry is.

Like, that last scene! It’s so good! It’s hyper-competent Terui being effortlessly cool, but specifically needling Shotaro because it’s fun to do. It all works because Terui clearly (and vocally!) respects Shotaro. He sees the value in Shotaro’s warmth and empathy – from the earlier scene where Shotaro outlines the difference between fighting crime and killing criminals, to the middle section when Shotaro takes a beat to let a scared mother know that he cares what happens to her son. Terui even clarifies that, as long as he’s in Fuuto, he does things Shotaro’s way. This is a guy who clearly sees the value in Shotaro’s methodology and value system.

It’s just, Shotaro is also a total buffoon (that aside when he’s like I Mean I Wouldn’t Say I’m “Half”-Boiled!) and it is totally logical that a legit hard-boiled detective would delight in teasing him constantly about his many obvious and ridiculous shortcomings. Like, the very fact that Shotaro cares if people think he’s cool gives Terui endless ammunition, as Terui is actually cool and doesn’t care. It’s such a fun dynamic.

The rest of this one… man, I don’t know.

I don’t think the main mystery is anything to write home about, beyond a vague thing for Terui to see some specific pain in. (I think the first Terui case absolutely had to be about a family, for whatever that’s worth.) The sleight-of-hand reveal that the son is the culprit and the mom is trying to take the fall… like, it doesn’t hold up to the slightest scrutiny. It requires the mom to get into crime scenes before the police do, and plant clues that somehow lead the police to suspect her but not her son, which is sort of the opposite of diverting attention. It’s… this is not a great plot. It’s too convoluted, and requires the mom to be basically clairvoyant about her son. It’s too much.

(The fact that the mom’s plot does work on Terui is maybe more of an indictment of how deranged Terui has become, and less a vote of confidence in the mom’s strategy.)

Beyond that, it’s all setup for future plotlines. Saeko takes Wakana to meet the mysterious and dapper Weather Dopant, while Terui’s backstory includes the first of many semi-inexplicable Shroud appearances. The latter is kind of nothing to me at this point, but the former is a little more troubling. We were in a neat place with Wakana’s newly-discovered need for independence, and now we’ve just got her as Saeko’s protege. There’s really not a lot to connect the two plots, and so it just feels like Wakana and/or the show was like Eh Maybe Later. I don’t love it? It feels like it needed a more conflicted performance, or a scene explaining Wakana’s decision-making. Feels… undercooked.

But, y’know, who even is going to remember these underwhelming subplots when the Shotaro/Terui stuff is so good? Not me!

—

DIE-A MEMORIES

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-Terui’s dad’s final words… hilarious. It’s a scene that should feel as emotionally scarring as Sokichi’s death in Begins Night (Philip and Shotaro even make the comparison!) but it’s just the dumbest plot-point expositing. He specifically says “the W Gaia Memory”, and I wish anyone at any stage in the production would’ve noticed how this exposition dump is working against the emotions of the scene. That is, unless the emotion they were going for was Incredibly Funny, in which case: bullseye.

-I cannot even imagine what a pre-Weather Dopant Ryu Terui is like. The flashback has him goofing around with his sister, and I just fundamentally don’t believe it. Based on the next 14 years of media, it’s pretty clear that dude came out of the womb hard-boiled. I’m reasonably certain his first words to his parents were DON’T QUESTION ME.

And so we get Kamen Rider Accel.

I remembered Terui was like, the big cool Kamen Rider that contrasted against the Narumi Detective Agency. Like that was ingrained into my skull enough, but I forgot the specifics. Which is to say... Terui Ryu might be the most unintentionally funniest Secondary in the history of Secondaries?

Just the way he presents himself and the way the show presents him as this supercop in which he's awesome and cool and how he tries to tear down W despite that crew surviving 18 episodes + half a movie before his arrival. It's hilarious, and I love it. I love that despite his seriousness, his effectiveness, there's still a sort of deranged aspect to him in his mannerisms or how he tries to take control of the case. Very much a "glad I'm the only normal one here" if you get what I mean.

But that's not to say he isn't effective or badass. Dude is effective at his job and Accel itself is a cool suit. I also have to agree with others, the blue just hits better than a green visor would. Also I do enjoy that there is some level to respect he has for the dude even if Shotaro's a bit off for his liking. That being said, I did enjoy his bit at the end of this two-parter in which he just decides to be like "Yeah I'll play nice, but I'm also going to make the best coffee ever just to tick you off".

Speaking of hilarity though, the Engine Blade. In how it's this heavy ass weapon that embeds itself into the ground and Terui has to drag it along most of the time and even carry it with two hands at points. I'm glad that's one thing that's been kept consistent usually when its brought up.

As for the Dopant case... I didn't remember minor specifics. But I did remember enough to be like "Oh right the mom's faking being the Dopant for the son" so the twist didn't really hit.

As for other bits... yeah I'll agree the Wakana stuff is sudden but I think it works in that well, her family is basically forcing her to do this. Ryubei these past several episodes had picked up on what happened at the end of the Violence Dopant case, and clearly doesn't want Wakana slipping, especially after what happened with Kirihiko.

Shroud though... wow, I had honestly thought she'd appear earlier but nope, her appearance is with Terui's debut. I have no real thoughts on her yet, because even I can't remember much about her aside from like the broad strokes. But I thought I'd just note that I was going "So when are we going to see Shroud?" after enough episodes had been watched.

LET THE PEOPLE DECIDE!

https://i.imgur.com/GKzfPD5.png

*Eats raw egg and puts on belt*
ALPHA

Amazon.:lolol
I'm sorry I just had to. :lolol

Looking back now, Terui's past feels like a nod to Kamen Rider V3 because Shiro Kazami also has a similar origin where his family is wiped out by a kaijin, in Kazami's case, a jaguar with scissor blades for arms.

The Engine Blade is one of my favorite Kamen Rider weapons, and maybe 40-50% of why I think Accel is such a cool suit. The way show establishes an episode in advance that the Engine Blade is this massive, inhuman weapon that chews through concrete and obliterates masonry... all so that Accel can swing it effortlessly? Such a cool setup. I love that big dumb sword!

Oh, sure, it makes perfect sense why Ryubei and Saeko are keen for Wakana to step up and join the family business -- Ryubei for unity, Saeko for a chance to get Wakana under her thumb -- but I'm not sure these two episodes bother to give equal weight to Wakana's reluctance, especially considering how much of a factor it's been in the last half-dozen episodes.

Well, I see character types like Kirihiko all the time. This type is common.

For the half-boiled gag, kinda feel that it's a flanderization for Shotaro to fail so much in the mere basics of billiard, with him slipping the cue stick away. Feels like the usual secondary is much cooler and the primary gets humiliated here with how much Terui is, with the shilling that Terui gets like Jinno and Makura hyping him up, and after Terui paid, Akiko views Terui much more highly than Shotaro, expressing an interest in him. Terui also sees Philip as the useful one. Despite the talk about warmth and empathy, the hard-boiled stuff is the most sensitive topic to Shotaro. so much that he succumbs to negativity here, to irrationally and pettily kicking Terui (someone hard-boiled) out due to refusing to play second-fiddle to authorities. I'd think this part is one of the meanest Shotaro moments in the entire series, ironically, though, on a mission, Shotaro puts his irrational dislike of Terui away to cooperate with the clue, it's Terui's turn to be hostile being aggressive and refusing to hear his questions.

Akiko won't waste this moment by actually enjoying the rides in the park, and turns out that, having fun doesn't mean that you'd fail, as Akiko's the one to find Makiko (Akiko with M added ~), who is also.. riding a merry-go-round. That'd mean Shotaro's too serious either being confused of grown-ups riding it or not approving of Akiko having fun. Other than that, Shotaro also feels like a forceful parent to a child to forbid kids to follow their interests (e.g. playing games) due to it being 'distractions', in Philip wearing St. Bernard costume due to following Wakana's radio show. This ironically also reveals Phillip's more 'human' side having his own hobbies and interests too, which is inherent in humans and can't be just taken away like Shotaro or those figures want them too - it can cause problems but the interest can be channeled into a more constructive path.

Other than spying on the protagonist trio, Terui is egocentric and detrimental to force only 1 'hero' fighting in the city taking over W as they don't have what it takes, to the displeasure of Shotaro and Philip of his behavior. Like some other characters that are these type of jerks like, Yuuto from Den-O or Tsurugi from Kabuto. Even if W is less competent, Kamen Riders aren't omnipresent to help out somewhere else.

Shroud gives him the AccelDriver in a metal suitcase surrounded by a ring of fire.They really should've named it AccelRider instead, it contains bike's handlebar and not steering wheel! Accel can rev the AccelDriver to release a fire from his body, freeing him from Iceage's freezing. Accel also can use Engine Memory in Engine Blade, turning it into flaming blade, which is based on one of the three engine types, representing jet type here (the other ones being steam and electriic). That'd mean Accel is stronger than HeatJoker, at least in their fire abilities (with W also shilling Accel's combat). As Iceage escapes, Accel shows another one of his ability, turning into a literal motorcycle in his BikeForm to chase Iceage down. After he catches up (and in reverse, Iceage releases a steam from its body to extinguish the flames on her like Accel before), Accel ends the fight with his Maximum Drive, Accel Glanzer, a spinning kick like Fang Strizer, but with skid-mark like trail. Accel was engulfed in flame before the kick, but it's not used at all in the attack...it suddenly disappears after he jumps.

So Terui being consumed by vengeance means him being clouded by his emotions. Usually in fanbase's eyes, letting emotions get in the way of your work is when you're "too empathetic" to not do what it takes because of compassion or empathy to the victim or especially the bad guy and upholding virtue... and that going after people without thinking twice is the logical and pragmatic approach. For the Akiko - Mei (has Kirihiko's surname) relations for Saber, with Akiko also fawning over the secondary like Mei to Rintaro, seems that for this one, said loose cannon is celebrated here for that, unlike Rintaro being one of the few nice secondaries.

I mean, in Shotaro's defense:
-It is kind of unusual for a grown woman to ride a merry-go-round by herself in the middle of the day.
-Terui's already abandoned the search, and then it looks like Akiko has, leaving Shotaro to canvas the entire amusement park by himself, so it's natural he'd be frustrated.
-Philip is wearing a St Bernard costume at exactly the moment where Shotaro is trying to prove the Narumi Detective Agency's competence to Terui.
-Just, overall, Akiko and Philip are sort of not helping Shotaro with Terui.

So a little late, but yeah, the new guy comes off as more of a parody of what the show thinks a half-boiled character is (As one guy pointed out, Shotaro fits the actual definition of hard-boiled more then the stereotypical “macho man” definition).

Anyway, time for a triple feature.

Rider-lert!

Our Dopant of the fortnight is played by Kento Shibuya, who previously appeared in three mid-season episodes of Hibiki as Tsutomu/Kamen Rider Akatsuki, a retired Oni disciple who was struggling financially. Clearly things haven’t been getting any better in the interim.

Sentai-lert!

The VA behind Shroud (and I presume the face, since she has a similar hairstyle, and based on later developments, is the right age) is Naoko Kouda, who was previously the voice of Jellyfish-Kenma Rageku in the producer’s previous show, Juken Sentai Gekiranger. She later had guest roles as the Joan of Arc Ganma in Ghost and the Stagnant Sea Witch Numajo in Mashin Sentai Kiramager (who has a mask similar to Terror’s head design, funnily enough)

General Drama Alert

Our mysterious new arc villain is the late Tomoyuki Dan, who was a big name in dramas, anime and foreign voice dubbing (he was most notably Christian Bale in the Dark Knight trilogy and Terminator Salvation, James Marsden in the X-Men trilogy, Ben Stiller in the first two Night at the Museum movies and Tim Roth in The Incredible Hulk). Within the world of Toku, he had a supporting role as a security guard in Ultra Q: Dark Fantasy, and after his 2013 death, he reprised the role of the Weather Dopant in video games through the magic of stock recordings.

This is another good trait of Terui, that he's mature enough to admit to his flaws and defer to his comrades when necessary, which Shoutarou struggles to do as he wants to appear hard-boiled and Phillip struggles to do as he's socially inept. Makes Terui appear like a more human version of Soukichi, which allows us to sympathize and admire him, without taking anything away from the valid qualities of Team Double.

So basically, he's the competent version of Tachibana Sakuya.

https://media.tenor.com/NixmBZPywicA...heeda-nick.png

Chichi Yo Haha Yo Imouto Yo!

"Going after people without thinking twice is logical".... Yeah, that sounds like the kind of contradiction that edgy guys would come up with. Empathy and hatred can both cloud a person's judgment and the latter is clearly detrimental here, since Terui was about to kill the wrong man.

Yeah, Terui's personality seems closer to fellow serious red jacket-wearing big bro Ryouga than Rintarou, although Mei did show some respect to Ryouga as well. All three Riders are similar in their values and sense of loyalty, so Akiko's and Mei's romantic preferences may also be similar.

Neat! Thanks!

It would be so easy for this show to just make Terui dismissive of Shotaro, or constantly belittling him. (Basically, making him Cool Makura.) But I much prefer the hard road of making Terui actually a good guy, but one who will always needle Shotaro. It's so much more rewarding to watch Terui when you know that he does respect Shotaro's point of view, but also recognizes that Shotaro is so desperate to look cool that it's fun to tease him.

So the big thing that struck me watching this episode again was the realization that we really don't get episodes like this anymore. It's been a really long time since a show just dropped a brand new character on us and said "Here you go, here's the secondary Rider." I'm thinking either Specter or Mach; I forget exactly how Specter was rolled out because I block as much of Ghost as I can from my longterm memory (I also can't remember if it's Specter or Spectre and I don't care enough to check). Ever since Ex-Aid we've gotten a secondary who's either an established character or who's introduced so early that you can argue no one is really established yet.

I think I kind of prefer that. This two-parter feels - and this is both 2010 and 2024 Switchblade talking here - disruptive. Terui's arrival absolutely throws the vibe of the show off at first. We get back to feeling more like W by the end of the arc, but suddenly thrusting a major new character into all of the existing dynamics just makes everything feel a little bit out of whack. It's not bad, at least not in this case, but it is noticeable. It reminds me a bit of when the sixth member of a Super Sentai team shows up and suddenly all of the plots are about them for a few weeks.

:thumbdown

I feel like Mach was the last of the Sudden Arrival Secondaries, if I can coin a phrase. (And I can!) Everyone afterwards is, like you said, either there from the start (Ex-Aid), baked into the premise (Ghost), or is a supporting cast member that gets the nod (Build). As an Ex-Aid guy, I'm certainly not going to feel like that's the wrong way to go, but I honestly do enjoy arrivals like Accel. To wit:

I like that disruption. Beyond taking the cast and show out of their comfort zone -- Terui is very murderous -- it gives the show new ideas and tones to play with. It's a friction that immediately generates fun stories and jokes.

It works, it's just a lot at once. It feels a lot like a season premiere, except that in this case the previous season finale just aired last week.

No, I hear you. I think it pays more dividends in Double because the cast is relatively small (Shotaro, Philip, Akiko) and there's only one Rider. There's always a bit more of a lurch in a show that has a couple Riders already. For better or worse (I'd argue "better", but YMMV) Ghost definitely became The Necrom Show for a chunk of episodes once Alain became a Rider.

It also helps that Terui both HAS a problem (his dead family) and IS a problem (see above!). For a show that kind of doesn't have anywhere in particular to go with Shotaro, and is sort of treading water with Philip, Terui at least gives them all something to do while waiting for the next case to arrive and/or throw a brick through their window.