Gotta love how a famous actor takes the time to talk to and mentor some random dude he met, not knowing that he's also a Humagear sent to ruin the movie and thereby creating a dramatically ironic situation worthy of any drama.

Aruto and Fukuzoe playing roles in the drama and Is trying to signal him to about the fight going on is peak Zero-One comedy.

It's not often we see a recurring Kaijin who survives being destroyed and actually gets some cosmetic upgrades the next time they appear. And I just love how Assassin-chan just...tries his best.

Drama brewing in AIMS with Yua and Fuwa, but Fuwa reacts to it in a very Fuwa-esque way and at the end of the day they're still keeping at it like professionals.

I wondered why this random key showed up without a corresponding form change or holster or weapon or organizer. Now I know! Thanks!

I originally had it slotted for last night, because of the continuity placement, but then I thought, "This movie didn't come out for another two months. I gotta watch it with the episodes it came out alongside." It's just my preference for these shows, to watch them like a small Japanese child would've, merch purchases inclusive.

(The one switch-up is going to be some of the Blu-ray features or whatever. Stuff like Project Thouser will get dropped in wherever it's least likely to spoil anything. I'm not just saving it for the end of the series.)

It's a perfectly deployed gag. This show's been great in general about having fun bits of business for Izu, but the last couple episodes have been high points. The charades here, and her bizarre run to deliver Breaking Mammoth last time? Really funny stuff.

Ah, doing the whole release order thing. Honestly that's fair! And that ensures minor spoilers won't crop up. For Project Thouser though yeah I'd recommend at least doing Part 1 somewhere close to when it released rather than what continuity stuff says on the Wik, I think it was around April? For part 2 I'd probably put that closer to the end of the series since it came out post series and probably has a few end of series nuggets. Been a while since I watched them tbh.

Oh yeah so fun fact about that skid scene, it was so iconic that they used it to tease her SH Figuarts reveal by having just a shot of her feet with spark marks. Nearly everyone managed to figure it out of course because that scene was just so iconic and then when it was time they unveiled the full image.

http://www.shfiguarts.com/content/ar...0702100410.jpg

It'd be ok to use Assassin-chan, Ansatsu-chan is Jin's nickname for him, while Horobi nicknames him Dodo. Big irony for Owada (actor = character), as he didn't believe in Enji due to his robotic nature as a Humagear, but he finds approval in another robotic being, a Magia-born. Assassin's always about changing and growing, he's someone who also constantly adapts in fighting, becoming more deadly than each of his previous incarnations, like how he got twin swords before and becoming faster, and as in this episode, he can use finishers like Riders. He also quickly adapts into the choreography of Owada movies he watched. I'd think it's interesting method too for the MetsubouJinrai.net to insist watching a movie to improve fighting skills. There's something more going on in the MetsubouJinrai.net of Assassin acting more than just a tool.... even glorified MOTW like him here got a taste of some humane trait, even if malicious one, of him trying to off Enji, and also Jin's policy of not attacking other Humagears.

Surprised that you didn't like this one here, despite that for this one, they clearly put effort in Fuwa and Yua's interaction, and this is the usual chemistry between them. Otherwise, it can be kind of expected in how someone cold and distant like her to show lack of regard to some degree (including in how she only values efficiency like viewing Humagears as tools mindset), though she does have some humanizing moments like protecting civilians from Jin or activating hospital Humagears back, and genuine affection for Fuwa to warn him that she can betray him again, due to how ZAIA's tasks can put their friendship at odds. Of course, Fuwa's someone who views Yua as genuine friend and partner, so perhaps he's seeing the good in her here regardless of her working against the public good, like how she helped him before. This part is probably played up as the difficulty to maintain friendship, while you're on opposing sides, especially for Fuwa who is the one lacking knowledge of her shadiness, but knows some good on her including to him. Fuwa's platonic friendship with Yua is one of his traits too, though wouldn't call his previous portrayals as righteous anger, merely targeting evil Humagears won't be that, righteous one wouldn't be for personal reasons like gratification and not going off rails.

So yeah, Androzani already pointed out Gatling Hedgehog, but this episode also features a few other things that I think more or less mark the end of this particular stretch of the show halfheartedly shilling a bunch of random merchandise. There's that big showcase of unfamiliar Progrise Keys right at the start, with a particular focus on Exciting Stag, which was also up for preorder around this time, as well as the bit with Zero-One using the Attache Arrow, because in a reverse of what happened with his sword, the boxes for the Attache Shotgun and Arrow both prominently featured Zero-One on them, implying Zero-One would use them. ...They never bothered having him use the Shotgun at all, if you'll forgive that spoiler. These past few episodes mark an interesting little era for the show in that sense, because there's really not any other chunk of Zero-One that seems to care that much about getting every little thing being sold in there, and given just how minor a lot of these recent showcases have been, I think you can sort of tell the people making the show really wanted to just be making their show as much as they could.

And as one weird little era of Zero-One comes to a close, another one begins, because from episode 10 to 13, the action director is actually not Jun Watanabe, but Takeshi Miyazaki, who was the main action director for a whole boatload of the Heisei shows.

None of these things really matter that much to the end product here though, which is an enjoyable episode as always. I don't have some huge rave about prepared or anything, but it's definitely another one I think I liked a lot more than Die. Ansatsu-chan is always great, and I do really enjoy the dynamic between Fuwa and Yua here.

I've never heard of "NG" being used that way? It generally refers to flubs that make a take unusable (which may or may not be due to an actor messing up), and also has a broader meaning outside of film, that something is for whatever reason unacceptable, not allowed, or, put most simply, No Good. I'd be surprised if that actually was where Enji's name comes from? NG is enuji, for one thing, so I always assumed Enji comes simply from enjiru (演じる), which means "to act (in a role)".

Legitimately never realized the dude was Yuuya though. That's actually really cool!

Hmm. I've currently got both Project Thouser episodes set for after Episode 16, since (according to the Wiki) it's the first 16 episodes that those specials sort of cover. (It sounds a lot like the Alain and Rogue specials?) Is that not a good place to watch them? Should they be held off for later? I am open to suggestions!

I think that's my problem, though. Fuwa's treating it like his friend lied to him, instead of his coworker having ulterior motives that might affect their effectiveness in the field. Like, if I've got a coworker who said they were going to pick up food for me when they were out getting lunch and they didn't, that's sort of shitty, but these things aren't a huge deal in the long run. But if I've got a coworker who is sabotaging our business for another person, I'm probably not going to be as forgiving or understanding.

I wanted to say that I'm glad they're going to stop prioritizing toy demonstrations instead of storytelling, since that's putting the cart in front of the horse... but I guess that's the other way around? The toy demonstrations are what pay for the storytelling, so the toy demonstrations are actually the horse? Weird to consider.

Either way, yeah, I enjoy the early eras of weekly form changes and bucketloads of flashy weaponry, but it's always better when these shows can make those things feel more organic. A new collectible showing up because it represents some journey the characters have taken is worth more to me than some tossed-off Here's A Thing You'll Use One Time To Defeat This Singular Enemy. Not sure if that's a controversial statement?

Eh it's less that they cover those episodes and more explain things about them but also cover stuff that was more common knowledge by the time the Blu-Ray released. 16 is fine for Part 1 I'd say at least hold off on Part 2 till after Episode 25 at the earliest if I'm being honest, 29 is also a safe spot as well, probably safer but that's just my suggestion.

I feel like those two statements contradict each other? Objectively speaking, the place Project Thouser is least likely to spoil the series IS after you've watched the series.

I really would not recommend watching both parts at once, at the very least. They don't even have the same director, and they're both clearly written with the intent that the viewer is finding out about things that happened earlier in the show with the knowledge of things that happened later, filling in details that weren't apparent at the time. There's one thing in particular that part two addresses that the series kept a mystery right up until the final few episodes? Nothing that will absolutely ruin the viewing experience for you, probably, but, let me put it this way:

Part one literally opens with a scene from episode 17, so I think that's your bare minimum there (and even then, it'd still be giving you just a ~little~ more info than you're probably meant to have going into the next arc), and part two closes with a shot that gets reused in the V-Cinema duology, which it shares a director with, so there really isn't any harm in saving it for after the series and before the movies, which is when it came out anyway.

https://media.giphy.com/media/RkzJzW4xUm0X6/giphy.gif

Okay! I will add it to the series-sized pile of post-series content! Thank you for the context!

(That's basically what I was talking about with the seemingly-contradictory statement earlier. I thought it was something that was reacting to chunks of story, and I would rather experience it where it was nominally topical, rather than finishing the series with a 20-minute episode of something that's set during Act 1. But I don't know what these things even are! It's incredibly difficult to try and schedule ancillary content without knowing what the hell it is, and what it's responding to! My least-favorite part of watching Kamen Rider!)

Your best friend in terms of scheduling things is probably just by Release Order.

That's like the safest way to consume anything if I'm being honest.

And I normally would! But when the release order is, like, alongside the Blu-ray release of a bunch of episodes, my inclination is to drop it in there.

My other inclination is to not spend two months on post-series content, but that one definitely got away from me…

I feel like you're making this a bit more complicated in terms of wording it? Cause like, while the Blu-Ray releases with a certain batch of episodes... that doesn't mean it fits like after that set of episodes. It fits at the time it was released.

Project Thouser Part 1 released on April 8th, 3 days after Episode 30 which aired April 5th. And basically, they're going to assume you'll have all the context up to that point. You won't exactly be watching it post series either, Part 1 anyway. But yeah I forgot about that portion Fish said, and it's better if you just save Project Thouser Part 2 as a post series thing tbh.

I mean, it’s not like I’m gnashing my teeth at the impossibility of following a narrative designed to sell toys to Japanese children. It’s not the end of the world if I watch this out of order, no one’s making me watch all of it, etc.

But, it IS frustrating to have to line up dozens of video files across multiple original platforms, released across multiple calendar years. I don’t think it’s weird to be aggravated by the work it takes to be an American fan of Kamen Rider?

One day I'm gonna make a watch order for each of these series. Just like line up the release dates

Well, you could always try walking in the shoes of a Japanese fan of Kamen Rider, and simply not have the money for expensive Blu-ray sets. No need to worry about scheduling Project Thouser if you can't afford it! :D

KAMEN RIDER ZERO-ONE EPISODE 11 - “DON’T STOP THE CAMERA, STOP HIM!”

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/...zeroone11a.png

Long day, late night, more to do after this, we’re maybe going to have to move to a five-post-per-week format soon because holy shit are Wednesdays becoming just as bad for me as Tuesdays, so let’s try and knock this one out!

The conclusion to this two-parter was appropriately grim and dramatic, letting the treachery and shifting fortunes leak in from the in-universe TV show designed to Humagears to Japanese adults. (I really… man, I really wish this show had even a little leaned into joking about trying to work in more Hiden product placement, or showing off the Q2 merch at the expense of the story. Wasted opportunity!) Good guys are caught in the crossfire, the best intentions trap our heroes, and everything turns to shit while the bad guys celebrate their victories.

Despite all that, this second part didn’t drastically improve from the first for me. It’s solid, and I enjoyed its bummer ending quite a bit, but the slowly tightening noose is not my favorite mode for these stories. It leaves the heroes mostly fumbling around for a little too long, barely able to see the shape of the trap that they’re already caught in. Fun for a little bit, but I mostly just wait for the more appealing counter-attack.

There were a couple big things I liked in this episode, though.

The first is the scene with Oowada and Aruto. It’s a fun exploration of how relationships improve with mutual respect and optimism, but with the added dimension of how we need to consider AI as something that needs us as much as we need them. It’s the old Garbage In, Garbage Out thing, where any system is going to break down (BREAK DOWN) if all you feed it is bad data. If Oowada looks at Enji as a machine that’ll never be a real actor, that’s all Oowada’s going to get out of him. But if Oowada approaches the relationship with generosity and patience, with the goal of improving Enji, then they can both benefit from the partnership. It’s asking Oowada to see the collaborative aspects of acting, and telescoping that out to a human/Humagear future.

The second thing I dug was, uh, the guy who maybe arranged to have Oowada murdered in front of witnesses?

Hey, it’s the formal introduction of Gai Amatsu, the CEO of ZAIA (and absolutely nothing more ever)! He’s an instantly engaging nemesis for Aruto, with his largesse and ever-present smile and incredibly thinly veiled threats that he’s already enacted his master plan thirty-five minutes ago because he’s not a Republic serial villain, Dan. He’s warm and confident as he tells Aruto that he should really consider selling his company to Gai, since Gai is currently in the process of immolating Hiden Intelligence. It’s a threat that Aruto never considered, and it’s one he’s even less prepared to confront than the one he’s already doing a shit job at containing. This is an episode that’s nothing but Ls for our heroes, the end, roll credits.

I guess… hmm, maybe this was an improvement over the last one for me? This one’s got a real Empire Strikes Back ending, but with even less daylight for Aruto than the farm boys and space princesses of that film. (Also Fuwa, but that dude’s as written out of this one as Aruto was last time.) There’s a nice little message in here about trying to approach situations with optimism and faith, and then that message gets executed. That actually sounds like a pretty cool story?

—

KAMEN RIDER ZERO-ONE SO-DO AI 01: KAMEN RIDER ZERO-ONE - BITING SHARK

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/...zeroone11b.jpg

Absolutely no time to build a SO-DO tonight, so, sorry Lightning Hornet, but we’re going to take a look at one of the final pre-built SO-DO I’ve got: BITING SHARK, who very kindly appeared in this episode to make it topical!

Biting Shark’s a lot like Flying Falcon in the over-use of COLOR parts, but I think Biting Shark wears it better? The COLOR and blue complement each other a little better, and I think the blocks of colors keep from bleeding into each other in a discordant way. Blue on the chest, shoulders, helmet, shins; COLOR on the forearms, feet, back. I’m pretty happy with it?

Helmet just works great, too. Fish helmets always look cool to me, and this one’s no different. The jagged teeth are solid without being too angry-looking, and the additional fins give a nice sense of forward motion.

This is a really well-executed suit, and a fun little figure. It looks like all the blue is painted, and most of the COLOR pieces, as well. Not bad!

Ep 11!

-Yeah, this sure is a second part of a two-parter!

-I think it's very neat that while Enji does struggle with certain bits of acting, Oowada is also somewhat in the wrong for being slightly biased aganist Humagear acting and not being willing to meet Enji halfway as a result.

-We properly get to meet Gai Amatsu! He's very much what you'd imagine the CEO of some big tech company would be like, vicious tactics and all? It's a real solid appearance that immediately sets him at odds with Aruto with every piece of the scene. (Gai's sleek and professional all white attire vs Aruto's "This is professional, right?" hoodie + blazer combo with his highlighter green sneakers)

-Accidents on sets must be downright horrifying. Any kind of accident is typically bad, but occuring in a place where art is made, and everything violent/dangerous is (supposed to be) heavily controlled and fictious, it makes my skin crawl. I've only experienced one accident on the brief time I worked as apart of a theater's tech crew (When using the fly system to raise up a massive setpiece we finished buliding, one of the things we used to secure it snapped off and it went flying across the stage *really* fast, off the stage and into the empty audience. Didn't hit anyone, but it sure was terrifying)

-.........Straight up forgot that Mammoth was used past the hospital arc, woah.

-Didn't have much to say about this episode, but hey! I'm pretty sure the next episode is a favorite of mine from the early bits of 01

So, Gai Amatsu. You’ll be hearing a lot of strong opinions about him, but I’ve never had an issue. The actor, Nachi Sakuragi, said he was going for a hybrid of Masato Kusaka, Freeza and Gendo Ikari, and that he intended to make him the most hated character in the entire franchise.

Anyway, this week’s Magia is based on the Arsinoitherum, which despite being described as a rhino, is actually more closely related to the modern day elephants. But regardless, I can finally share with you the last four Magia keys (I actually have these, I just never made a video of them).

Onycho Magia! A Magia that flies freely in the sky.

Vicarya Magia! A Magia protected by a rock hard shell.

Gaeru Magia! A Magia raising a child in its mouth.

Arsino Magia! A Magia with two powerful horns.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=BkhW1oc_NFM

And as Fish pointed out last time, Gai has a collection of Progrisekeys on his table, enough for a few Rider forms. But we’re only going to be looking at two of them right now.

Progrise: Sharpness Twin Blades! Exciting Stag! Razor sharp blades will cross paths.

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachmen...DC3615955.jpeg

And the Legend key remix

Change Beetle! ClockUpping Kabuto! He who is born a god and governs all.

YouTube commenter: Did Tendou himself write this jingle?

https://youtube.com/watch?v=jORoHZm2mTM

And now for one which was despised by the entire comments sections (I’ve no idea why). And I myself brought it up during the Memory of Heroez Let’s Play, which led to DreamSword lamenting that we didn’t get “Zeus with a really long neck”.

Progrise. Muscle Voltage! Sparking Giraffe! Bursting Sparks fly at full force.

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachmen...8935011EE.jpeg

https://youtube.com/watch?v=fA-OMDdvk9o

And by contrast, people had no issue with the Legend Rider key remixed from this. In fact, they had a lot of fun with the “ability”.

Fruits Warrior! OnStaging Gaim! Sengoku warlords who dance magnificently.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=3H17qMi4fCw

Now there's the result of Assassin-chan's adaptation, Dodo Magia CUSTOM. compared to previous version of him, now the CUSTOM version has additional armor that makes it immune to the Attache Shotgun (that defeated its previous form), as homing missile launchers on the shoulders, smoke bomb launchers on the forearms, and machine guns mounted in the chest, which are supplied by magazines on its back. All of that, is why the heroes didn't successfully beat Assassin-chan here. Otherwise, regarding how Assassin before turned into Owada's disciple, Horobi turned that around to make Assassin-chan think that his graduation from learning to Owada is targeting him as next victim, so now Assassin-chan got some twisted view regarding mentor and disciple.

Before Aruto is deemed as taking too much backseat (not wrong), but of course, it being two parter means there'd be Aruto's time later. Before they're really wanting to focus on Assassin-chan. As usual, Aruto had to going out of the limb to explain Humagear's potential. Of which, it's the rewarding one for Aruto that Owada considered Aruto's points and actually finds some relation to Aruto's Humagear's experience, as often it'd be someone being dragged into lengthy debates with many people only wanting to make a point of their own, and have no interest to open up their mind to hear other opinions, though they pretend to be willing to hear other's views. Which can make it pointless and thus, Aruto can be suggested to stop acting like the Deneb to Yuto's Humagears (please get along with Humagears.. for their positive effects) instead.

And once more, this shows about how Humagears are like humans in how, both of them didn't start out good, but they work up and/or guided to become good, and Enji not being that good yet should be treated like struggling human actors (if they're tolerant) instead of just a machine. Though are actors should be the capable ready? Which'd mean Enji should be sent into actor schools or something. Perhaps what I missed in this was that I'd like for Owada to get to know the true nature of Assassin-chan, not only in how he's a villain, but also about how the actor he praised before was also a robot, thus giving him a proof of robot's capabilities.

Previously, you criticized Horobi by also bringing up Kuroto, yeah it'd be too fast, the actual guy to compare is here, though it's quite obvious as he's also a corrupt CEO. But which Dan?? Kuroto or Masamune? Both are Dans and, they're like father like son... or you refer to both? But of course this'd be another challenge for Aruto. As a Humagear, he'd have to deal with maintaining public trust to them, malevolent faction trying to hack them and risking that trust, and getting into problem with the authorities like AIMS, and as a President, other than jealous co-workers, with Jun staging another coup in this episode, there'd be actual corrupt companies that'd resort to any means to get more profit and/or take down their competitors, and what I said there, would be something much more important than it sounds.

I've not checked this thread, or been on this as site as often as I used to, but...


Please expect me in episode 17.

Gai might be one of the most hilarious characters in Kamen Rider Zero-One via hindsight. You'll understand what I mean and I'll explain more whenever we get to the end, but the dude just cracks me up once I realized some things that completely defanged him for me.

But...

Sadly this is no longer the case, dude just got one-upped recently and it's kind of funny because the person he got one-upped by in this regard wasn't even trying. And yes people who are currently watching Kamen Rider, I'm talking about that character.

I stand by this. You can't tell me it wouldn't've been amazing just to see Zeus be all like

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvdf5n-zI14

I didn't think I'd have anything to say about this episode, but I 1000% forgot this was the debut of Gai, who is 1000% the most polarizing character in the show. Like Androzani mentioned, the actor Sakuragi Nachi took inspiration from Kusaka for how to portray a despicable character. Sakuragi even made a statement that he considers any hate towards Gai to be a compliment. I don't know if that means any love would be an insult, since I do have a fair amount of love for him, enough to give him an important guest role in my currently ongoing fanfic. But there's also people who really do hate him as well. I'll have a lot more to talk about Gai later!

I always liked Aruto's business casual outift! But yeah, the contrast between them, Aruto being relatively new to the job and not really acting like a conventional president, while Gai is more conscious about his appearance and his company's prosperity over morality.

I guess this would be a good time to refer you to my clever joke in Henshinzero's thread.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts, fellow Gai fan!

Well damn, I chose a poor time to go on hiatus for 12 weeks, cause now I'm not totally sure who you're referring to. :lol

Does their surname start with "Aka"?

Nope! Really there's a few that have just been getting hate. But the one I refer to is a kid whose surname starts with Ushi. Honestly think I've seen more vitriol and malice for him than I did with Gai. At most Gai's hate was more in annoyance/frustration. This hate though... yeesh.

There's a banality to Oowada's revelation that I really like, where it's him as an old actor castigating himself for being a bad scene partner with a younger actor. Like, yeah, man! Some young actors need a bit of guidance! And most actors need to feel like the people they're in a scene with are trying to work with them! It just so happens to have been with a Humagear, but the fact that you could do this story without any Humagears at all kinda makes it more universal and grounded.

Yeah, Thouser. (I know this guy is Thouser.) I can't even remember how far back people have been saying I Can't Wait Until You Get To Thouser, but it's been a few of these threads for sure. It's been a while coming. I'm excited to see what makes him so memorable/polarizing!

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EYvEaH_W...jpg&name=small

Just a Watchmen reference, nothing more.

The only other Thouser thing I know is We Named The Dog Indiana, and I'm very excited to get to that story.

I assume it's just like Kusaka, where I can cackle like an idiot at him gaslighting Takumi (SO GREAT) while also viewing him as the most despicable villain in all of Faiz. I think we can hold two semi-conflicting thoughts about characters in our minds?

I sometimes forget that character even exists!

Partially that. Without spoiling anything, the reception of Gai varies constantly from love, to "love to hate", to hate. He's complicated!

Really feels like a darkest hour type scenario what with Humagear/Human relations taking a hit, Hiden's reputation taking a hit, and the antagonists winning on several fronts.

I like how Oowada was willing to give Humagears a chance in good faith, only to be undone by tragic irony. I wonder if they considered actually having him die (although he's basically playing himself so maybe that would've been in bad taste). Feels like you don't see people legit getting shot as much in modern shows.

I also like the rivalry they're setting up between Aruto and Horobi, where Aruto still wants to believe in the potential of humanity with Humagears and Horobi represents everything that goes against that and just keeps wrecking everything. I dunno, I just like Riders having Rivals be they Kaijin or Riders. I just like Rival characters, really!

I had honestly forgotten Gai first properly appeared in this episode. I remember being all hyped for him and ready to get to meet this pivotal new character in the show and from the get-go they set him up as a really nice contrast and foil for Aruto both professionally and character-wise and pit them against each other in such a way that really ups the stakes for the status quo.

Is he not dead?! I thought Assassin-chan murdered him!

Dang. It's been a while.

Anyway, I actually really enjoyed this two-parter. The filming shenanigans now remind me of the 1000th episode of Kamen Rider commemorative arc in OOO.

Metsubojinrai's members are an interesting batch to me, from the stern, leader-type Horobi, the playfully dangerous Jin, and the goofy/awkward Ansatsu-Chan (I know he's not an official member, but I kind of enjoyed him), I thought I knew how they were going to turn out, but I'll touch up on them again much later. The subplot with Ansatsu-Chan basically being made to be a powered-up soldier for them is an interesting angle to go on, again, kind of reminds me of OOO (After watching OOO, I'm seeing Zero-One in a whole new light, and not the bad kind) but it was a fun way to break up the weekly villain formula.

As I'm seeing people talk about Gai, I'm going to hold off on him for now, since I want you to see more of him before I start digging into him (I'm probably going to regret writing that...). But yeah, fun two-parter, even though my memories are a little fuzzy, maybe I will pick up the complete series, since this is one I wouldn't mind owning, and supports possible future releases.

Oh right, Sparking Giraffe was in that shot! That was another neat little oddity in the toyline. See, the whole gimmick was that it was exclusive to Toys R Us (hence the motif), with a whole campaign where it was sold at a lower than usual price, but you also had to be wearing to your DX Hiden Zero-One Driver to buy it. Toys R Us exclusive collection items are apparently a Reiwa staple too, as Saber had its own giraffe-themed book, and Revice got an exclusive stamp as well, which wasn't based on a giraffe (presumably because that would've required new tooling), but what they came up with instead was a bit of wordplay that would make Aruto proud.

But uh, I continue to be weirdly hung up on anecdotes about merchandise lately, so let me just say that again, I think this two-parter is pretty excellent. There's a sort of deliberate contrast to it in a broad way that I think is neat, for one -- the scope of it appears small and personal with all the film drama, almost as though this will just be an unimportant story about Aruto hanging around a set, but exactly like it's established, this is actually *really* important PR work for Hiden Intelligence, and they can't afford any more public blunders, so when things go wrong by the end, they go wrong hard, and that makes for a heck of a time for Gai to really start stepping out of the shadows after so many teases. (Right down to the show consciously deciding to have his dialogue make use of gradually escalating percentages, until he finally reaches his favorite number here.) Throw in the fun human drama and slightly complicated emotions of the Oowada/Ansatsu-chan stuff, and you've got yourself another really solid outing from Kakehi... because I don't think I mentioned we were back to Kakehi writing for these episodes. Again, that's about how much difference it makes. Takahashi was off writing the movie, but you know, they're holding down the fort just fine without him.

(Also, it's a minor thing, but there's that bit with Vulcan and the Dodo Magia transforming here that's always stuck with me for how they're both in these separate cramped stairwells. It's a really visually distinct way to spice up the start to that fight, and I think the fact that I do remember it speaks to how much good use of location can help a scene leave an impact.)

Biting Shark is pretty great, by the way. It makes use of a very distinctive and unusual color, and the Rising Hopper armor as fins is brilliant. Plus, and perhaps most importantly of all, the silly drawn-on mouth is ~adorable~

https://i.imgur.com/x5ePU4G.png
https://i.imgur.com/kF75mUx.png

You were told, but not shown!

*wink*

First, between Androzani84's encyclopedic knowledge of toku toys and my afternoon spent unboxing, playing with, and displaying Zero-One Drivers and Keys, I think this thread is okay with a couple extra anecdotes about collectibles. I will not complain.

Second, yeah, I'm really coming around on this two-parter. I think the second installment... it didn't re-contextualize the first installment or anything, but it added a nicely fatalistic ending to a story that began with a robot that couldn't even reach the level of Believable In A Generic Crime Drama. Like you were saying, the colossal defeat of Aruto didn't feel like where this story was headed, so it took me a little bit to appreciate the destination.

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KAMEN RIDER ZERO-ONE EPISODE 12 - “HERE COMES THE GREAT DETECTIVE”

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Just an absolutely delightful episode of Zero-One. I honestly don’t know what else there is to say about it? I don’t get paid by the word around here, so that might be the entirety of this discussion, from my end: Delightful.

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Currently working through: KAMEN RIDER ZERO-ONE
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Okay, I can try to talk a little more about it.

It’s as hard a pivot from last episode as possible, while still being an explicit continuation of two main plots and a few subplots. Tonally, we went from The Walls Are Closing In to A Wacky Relative Comes To Town, and it all somehow still works? It’s the majesty of this franchise, generally, and this show, specifically. You can swing incredibly hard to darkness one episode, and then the next episode go right back to selling toys (NEW PROGRISE KEY YOU GUYS OH MY GOD) and having goofy escapades the next.

It works this time because even the dumbest stuff is grounded in character knowledge, and it’s all in service of tightening up the threats around Aruto. There’s a goofiness to this episode that can seem like ineffective wheel-spinning, but there’s a point to all the weird gags and non-sequiturs.

Which is as good a place as any to talk about this story’s big new character, Was! He’s the Humagear big brother to Izu, and I absolutely love the Was/Is joke. Hiden Intelligence is the corniest company on the planet. (I’m sure it’s Wazu or something, but the joke works better as Was, and I gotta assume that's how it was intended.) Everything about him is like the Joke Version of Izu, which predictably makes his little sister the Izu Version of furious. He’s adorably unassuming, like Columbo mixed with Fozzy Bear. His headphones are old-fashioned cans instead of the slickly modern designs the newer Humagears wear. He’s cartoony in his detective cosplay, and impossible to take seriously.

So, naturally, we spend half the episode wondering if he’s either an idiot or a distraction, and then the other half marveling at his intuition. The arc of it all… I mean, it’s nothing special in its bones. Eccentric detective arrives, everyone laughs at his presentation, he’s actually more on the ball than anyone, etc. It’s as standard a take on this stuff as you’d imagine/fear. But the ways it's all hooked into weird angles like Izu’s thoughts on Humagears, the brilliant addition of Fuwa to the mix, Aruto’s role as comedic decoy (the role he was born to play!), and the dotted-i of Assassin-chan’s “resurrections” makes the template deliciously palatable.

There’s some thematic material in here, but it’s boilerplate Humagear stuff. Was succeeds because he’s more clever than a normal Humagear, and his successes multiply those of the humans around him. Aruto’s trust in Humagears is repaid, and Izu learns an important lesson in faith. But, honestly, I don’t care about any of that this time? I wanted to have fun watching Zero-One, and this was one of the most fun Zero-One episodes I’ve ever watched. Incredibly funny, thrillingly dramatic (I loved how Aruto got under Yua’s skin! On the one hand, I’m not sure it’s ethical for a company to supply employees to its own governmental oversight; on the other hand, I think that’s exactly why it’d actually happen), and full of well-choreographed action. This didn’t exactly expand my understanding of ethics or tolerance, but it was a blast to watch.

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KAMEN RIDER ZERO-ONE SO-DO AI 03: KAMEN RIDER ZERO-ONE - SHINING HOPPER

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Lightning Hornet! If only you’d appeared in this episode, this could’ve been your review! Unfortunately, the only new suit in this episode (that I think I have a SO-DO for) is Shining Hopper.

It’s the first Zero-One upgrade form, and the episode is almost entirely dedicated to debuting it. (In a good way?) It’s introduced with trepidation from Was, and confidence/smugness from Izu. The production team is so committed to making this suit seem awesome that they made its Henshin sequence the cliffhanger of the episode. It’s a big deal suit!

I think it’s okay?

It’s a funny concept, I’ll give it that. The transformation is real Yo Dawg I Heard You Like Grasshoppers, and the suit is just Extra Grasshopper Parts. It’s like Hyper Kabuto’s helmet crest, but grasshoppers. I laughed at the part where the undersuit got super defined abs?

Other than that… eh. Rising Hopper is almost too good of a suit, where every single form change – and now upgrade – feels like a small-to-large step down in quality. This suit’s fine, but Rising Hopper is perfect. This suit plays up the gangly height of a grasshopper, but it misses the stylized feel of Rising Hopper that added heroism to the recipe. This looks like a more serious Zero-One, and that’s not what I want?

(It’s also an upgrade form that barely feels necessitated by the plot? The satellite starts making the key before anyone even asked it to, which feels like a story beat that’s going to get dealt with, but the usage in this episode is super ambivalent. Was even suggests using the last big form change, instead!)

The SO-DO figure doesn’t switch that up too much. It’s a fine figure, but nothing special. All the black of the suit means there aren’t a ton of stickers, but most of the ones that are here are a pain in the ass. It’s tiny stuff, or curved stuff. It’s hard to line up most of the stickers, which isn’t fun. I think it came out alright, but I definitely screwed up some minor things. (The feet, maybe the shoulders.) As the representation of a suit I’m not crazy about, I think it looks just fine.

(Also! I’ve got a thread going for all of the SO-DO I’m never going to build! Maybe you’d like to add them to your collection? Or start a collection, using them? Take a look!)

Waz is a delight, definitely my favorite part of this episode. Though there was also just a nice amount of character interaction going around alongside figuring out the mystery of Little Assassin.

Can we talk about how Dodo upgraded to this cool skull face that's in the beak of the Dodo Magia armor now? That's like sick!

Shining Hopper is pretty cool also, I really dig the mask of it if I'm being honest. Also "When I Shine Darkness Fades" is such a cool callout!

When I shine, darkness fades!

Arutos' granddad certainly had a funny way of naming things. Is, Was, Satellite THERE... The Hiden's' most certainly have a sense of humor across generations.

I really appreciate the theme naming of Is and Was and their family dynamic. Cool and cold little sis Is is all kinds of adorable and you just really want to see her acknowledge her big brother.

Oh, I guess this is the first time the Hiden execs found out about Zero-One? I guess the public found out about it too? I was never all that sure about the general public awareness of Aruto's Kamen Rider identity. Also, he's kind of a fugitive of justice!?

I have to admit I just thought Horobi was repairing Assassin-chan the whole time but the actual reveal made a lot more sense. Also shows just how many Humagears Metsuboujinrai kind of screw up and mess with.

I also really just appreciate how with the Dodo Magia we got what would normally be a monster-of-the-week Kaijin but one that has slowly grown and evolved, both in capability and design, to the point of being a major antagonist. Like you don't really get that very often.

I would watch a Was spinoff of him solving crimes with Fuwa as the cynical normal detective who doesn't take him seriously but is then forced to admit that Was is actually a great detective. What a buddy cop duo they would be!

Shining Hopper! I'll probably have more to say about it next episode but for now I like how it's kind of a more darker and "tougher" take on Rising Hopper, still streamlined but there's a little more weight to it compared to Zero-One's normal forms, if that makes any sense. And "When I shine, darkness fades!" is one of the most epic lines for a form ever.

It's a story that seems designed around Was, Izu, and Fuwa, but it still feels like the entire cast is involved. Not only do Aruto and Yua get that fun scene (I love how playful Zero-One is throughout this episode), but the Vice-President's group gets that wacky password-guessing scene. Everyone gets a bit of business!

It's a little touch, acknowledging that Aruto's grandfather was as corny as him, but it does a lot to build out a character that dies before the series begins. There's a continuity to their sense of humor, you know? I like that.

Yeah, Zero-One being the secret identity of Aruto Hiden is 100% just tossed out in the middle of the scene. Fuwa already knew, and I guess MetsubouJinrai knew, and I also guess Yua figured it out, but I don't think it was supposed to be public knowledge? Maybe Aruto forgot that? He's got a lot on his plate right now!

Ep 12!

-It's the appearance of one of my favorite Humagears ever, Wazu! What can I say, he's just really fun? Very Adorable and kills every scene he's in, what a character!

-The older gen modules for Humagears are quite cute, imo. I wouldn't mind owning a pair as headphones.

-I remember being a bit baffled by the the twist of Lil' Assassin's twist when I first watched this episode, but I really like it now? MBJR does not have the means to repair destroyed/damaged Humagears like Hiden can, so a trick like this would be a way to temp boost their numbers. (Too bad it ended up blowing up in their faces.....) It probably isn't a issue rn bc Horobi is so skilled and Jin can easily fly away from combat if things get dire, but I wonder how they repair themselves after fights. For all I know, Jin may be entirely held together with duct tape and dreams at this point lol.

-The idea that there's some kind of black market for stealing, "flipping", and selling Humagears is a really cool lore detail I've always liked. It just adds another layer of how Humagears exist in this world, yknow? I'd imagine that's a major duty of AIMS, tracking down and busting these illegal rings.

-Completely forgot the Dodo Magia got a new look for its heel turn. I like the suit!

- "This is my business suit!" is an Aruto joke I was always fond of. Our grasshopper friend was kind enough to not crash down from the sky this time, I see!

-I feel you Izu, older brothers can be so.....! In any case, Izu is so hilarious in this episode, her slide was pretty slick.

-Not particularly a fan of Shining Hopper. It feels like the inverse of everything I enjoyed about Rising Hopper.

Fun part about that -- there's a form waaaay later down the road that uses Shining Hopper parts, and that includes the abs. And when SO-DO came to doing that, they not only included the abs in the figure as an improvement over the previous Shining Hopper figure... they included alternate stickers so the abs could be used for Shining Hopper

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So to start with, this episode is written and directed by the same duo behind Drive, which explains some of the stuff going on (the involvement of the police, a quirky detective, a casually dropped reveal that takes a moment to set in, and the monster evolving and being flaunted by henchmen based on his original form). It also made me joke that Riku Sanjo seems more content to do minor two parters than give us another full series.

So anyway, it’s an episode I have a lot of strong memories of, and recently I discovered why the policeman got Fukuzoe’s name wrong. His actor is a comedian, who’s act consists of someone getting his name wrong and then he corrects them, often instinctively.

No bonus keys this time, but I can say that Shining Hopper was almost instantly discovered to have a hidden button that completely changes the sounds of the key when depressed.

Jin is stuffed full of candy wrappers, which helps explain his constant sugar-rush enthusiasm.

The one thing about this that's weird to me is, I guess this group of thieves puts the same face on every Humagear they rebuild? It sounds like MetsubouJinrai is either stealing them from the thieves, or buying them somehow, so it's not like (I don't think) Horobi is making sure Assassin-chan always looks identical. I guess these thieves are lazy? Or this is their calling card? Sort of a weirdly underexplained detail.

I am DEFINITELY abbing-up my Shining Hopper down the line. Thanks!

Ha ha, yeah, this episode was very fun and clever in that specific Drive way. I don't know that anyone besides Was got their brains in Top Gear (Fuwa's pretty permanently in Park), but it was fun to have a little mystery that gets solved. This isn't really one of those shows, you know? I liked those shows a lot.