Go West!
(Life is Peaceful there!)
Go West!
(In the Open Air!)
Go West!
(Baby, You and Me!)
Go West!
(This is our destiny!)

so this was not just some beautiful dream of mine

this happened

this really happened

The best part was that his HBV was made as result of design contest.

I read that! It's pretty amazing how much they ran with "Faiz battles Orphnochs with a boombox now".

Post #555! We did it, everybody! Have some gifs!

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/...f/faizhbv1.gif

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/...f/faizhbv2.gif

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/...f/faizhbv3.gif

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/...f/faizhbv4.gif

One of the most GLORIOUS things to come out of Kamen Rider

It really is. I mean, a fully musical installment of Kamen Rider that still has all the regular attributes of a Kamen Rider story? It's pretty wonderful.

You know, it's funny, because as much hate as Faiz gets, I don't think I've ever seen a single person try to deny the greatness that is the HBV. Like it's just that good, that it gets a lifetime "well, I didn't like Faiz except for this" pass?

They seriously did knock this thing out of the park though. I'm trying to think of an HBV that even comes close to this level of brilliance, but it's just not happening. Type High Speed or something maybe?

I almost don't even want to talk about it, because trying to put it into words just, like, diminishes it.

The only other HBV that even comes close to breathing the rarified air that this one surpassed is the first Build one. Like this one, it took what could've been a blow-off and told a real, actual story.

Here, it's like they decided musical episode, and then said No, Really. Both Teams are in it. There's a Smart Brain plot that needs to be foiled. There's a "Takkun, Orphnochs". There's a Henshin. There's a battle. There's a finisher with the new Gear. Like, that's the checklist for a Kamen Rider 555 story.

But then they do the whole thing in song and dance. Front to back, no dialogue. There's even an operatic recap version of what each Rider is all about!

And, and, since it's a Takumi dream you can dig into it if you really want to. Look how Team Orphnoch has knowledge of the plot without working to either enable it or prevent it. That's Takumi's fears of Yuuji's evilness, counteracted by his hopes for goodness. Look how outside of the story he is for the most part. That's his belief that being there for his friends is the best he can do, that they're better off with him on the fringes of connection. Look how grandiose the celebration is at the end. That's his hopes for validation, as well his hopes for accepting validation. Look how crushed he is at the end, that it was all a dream.

It's so stupid and so smart at the same time.

I usually don't watch HBVs, but I decided to give it a go this time since I'm all-in on the rewatch and it was only ten minutes. It... it is definitely a thing that happened.