Yes.

Like, you have no idea how much I love this one. I don't think final form debuts come much better than this, and it's pretty specifically because King Form is basically just a cherry on top of an episode that would be a huge winner anyway.

All the thematic stuff, it's great, obviously, and you covered all that, but oh my god that fight between King and Blade. Top 10 Kamen Rider moments material, right there. Every aspect of it is just perfect. First of all, and I think this will be hard to appreciate for a lot of people nowadays, but that "I'm a Kamen Rider!" from Kenzaki? I'm pretty sure that was the first time since 1989 the lead of a Kamen Rider series had said that name with that level of pride. The only Heisei show to use the term at all prior to this was Ryuki, which deliberately mangled the meaning as part of its story.

Here, Blade says that, and the show rightfully treats it as synonymous with being a hero. Of course Kenzaki is going to stand against King to protect people, and of course, he'd never give up even if loses all his powers. And he doesn't give up, and he doesn't lose, and it's one of the most hype things I've ever seen. Blade legitimately pummels a late-game boss character while handicapped, and in the process puts to shame every Rider before and after who needed a new form prior to defeating the big scary enemy.

It's just an intensely satisfying scene, and a fantastic episode for Kenzaki. Even Hajime's fight against Mukki, you know, he's able to avoid becoming Joker there in large part due to what Kenzaki has done for him, both literally by giving him that Jack card (makes the bike episodes almost worth it!), and just, like, emotionally, as someone who refuses to stop believing he can be more than just another monster. It really is like you said. Pretty much the perfect episode.

Thos SIC figures... I'm always on the fence as to whether I think they look dumb, or if they look so dumb they're awesome. Really fine line!

I don't think it's as much about the secret identity here for Kenzaki, as it is Can You Really Fight Around People. Tachibana's made him think of everyone else as a weakness, something too fragile to be around. But now that Hirose has reminded him that his connection to people is his strength, he's confident in fighting King in front of everyone.

Such a great episode.

It's such a cliche, the hero overcoming the villain due to inner strength, but, man, I 100% bought it in this episode. All of the last episode was Tightening The Screws, giving Kenzaki no outs and a limitless number of threats. So that moment in this one where Hirose tells him he'll never be alone, that he is fighting for everyone who can't... it's so earned, you know? It's not just some late-battle cheat, it's what two full episodes have been spent building towards. And I really love that he just keeps punching King. It's not a dazzling new move, it's just determination and belief, and it's enough.

Such a great episode!

Have I mentioned how much I love Kenzaki yet? Because I really do.

Kenzaki's the best, and while we're on the subject, it's worth noting that there's something that makes him particularly special among the Heisei Kamen Riders. Seiji Takaiwa has said Blade was the hardest Rider he played to do suit acting for. Why?

Because Kenzaki isn't special.

This sounds familiar enough he might have said it in several places over the years, but there's an interview promoting Heisei Generations Forever I recently stumbled upon where he elaborates that, because Kenzaki's character concept was "a normal young man who earns a wage being employed as a Kamen Rider by an organization", it was difficult to get a grip on how to get that across in his performance. He considers Blade the only Kamen Rider he wasn't able to create an immediately identifiable special trait for.

The fact that this is an interview from all the way when Zi-O was on the air really makes two things clear. One is that Kenzaki's normalcy is so remarkable, it stands out to one of the guys who played him even a decade and a half later, and the other is that Takaiwa-san is seriously just the best to put so much thought into how to convey personality with only his body language. I know I started off by saying Kenzaki is the best, but I mean, they're both pretty great, is the point!

Lol and behold Kenzaki's "Oh I'm a badass moment" normally in a scenario like this (MC needs to defeat a villain beyond everything) he get's a new form by the power of Toy contract or "Friendship is Magic" or Both and wins here he has to defeat a villain who could probably defeat Hajime by HIMSELF using nothing but his bare hands I mean he does give an awe inspiring speech about what it means to be a hero in the process but you get the idea

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zpW2mdf4iI

this will be your queue something BADASS is about to happen (sucks everytime we get a song like this from now on it's usually associated with the ultimate form the only 2 exceptions being in Gaim and Build) if your talking about King Form's debut

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7P95VoY8uQ we've heard the Letimoif throughout the show but this remix just SCREAMS ultimate form

I thought Leangle got one in SIC I'll have to go check ok pictures of it exists(if you google it) but it never happened https://i.redd.it/sx5fptrqabk21.jpg

He's a very sweet boy!

I can see a little bit of his Faiz performance, the reliance on punches and crowding the opponent, rather than methodical strikes that disassemble somebody. It says Power Without Training to me, and that's both of those guys.

The thing that his Blade performance has that's new, though, is a tendency to under-commit, maybe? There's a hesitation to Blade that isn't deliberation, it's, like, wondering if he just screwed up. Kenzaki's someone who knows failure, doubts himself, doesn't think he has that many friends... it makes sense that Blade would fight with all this baggage keeping him from maximum effectiveness. It works to the storytelling's advantage, though, because it gives the suit actor a real clear higher gear to go into for those big hero moments.

Or I'm overanalyzing! Wouldn't be the first time!

I mean, if you don't think he earned that victory over King... I'm not sure I'd agree? I'd love to hear what you think would've improved that sequence.

Same thing for King Form ,which is something he has to slowly assemble over the entire series. Feels like a culmination of the various Undead battles to me, not just some handwaved Exciting New Form You Can Buy In Stores.

it Feels like Kiwami Arms/Grand Zi-O done right my problem is in Kiwami Arms Kouta didn't use ALL OF THE Arms and what not not to mention it's just obtained as the plot would demand a new form to defeat the overlords(KAchidoki Arms should have been Kouta's final form cause it symbolizes his resolve to protect those who can't) and Zi-O couldn't interact with all the riders (TBF We know why he couldn't)

Okay. I can't speak to Zi-O (check back with me in late 2021), but, sure, Gaim had a basket of fruit powers and he didn't really use them all. I can't argue with the fact that, in Kamen Rider, multi-power upgrades tend to focus on not that many powers.