I don't think it's been mentioned yet, but I have to admit I kinda loved seeing Yaguruma's wordless rejection of the TheBee Zecter when it comes crawling back to him immediately after ditching Kageyama for the second time. Like, I don't exactly want to praise him for his integrity, given his... well, his everything as of late, but still, I can't deny how satisfying it was to see him flipping the script on that fickle little trinket.

Oh, for sure. Kageyama has a lot of flaws as a human being, but he's a pretty hard-to-pin-down character, which is always fun to encounter. There's as much to love about how he fits into the story as there is to hate about how he behaves within that story!

KAMEN RIDER KABUTO - EPISODE 45

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I'm not sure what the bigger giveaway was that this was an Inoue episode:

-the fact that Hiyori is written out of the episode -slash- completely ignored after one short scene that mostly doesn't have anything interesting to say about her

-how relentlessly charming the Tsurugi/Misaki plot is

-how psychotically dumb/transcendentally brilliant the Hopper plot is

-how massively incongruent any of this dopey hilarity is to the ostensibly dire predicament of the series' imminent conclusion

-or how much I loved this episode

Because I did! So much! Despite a slew of problems!

I mean, holy shit, Inoue has officially zero interest in addressing the Hiyori cliffhanger from last time. I'm not sure if he was asked by the producers to not follow up too much on that plot (saving it for the regular series writer) or if he just didn't care about it/Hiyori, but wow does this episode just bury that plot. We get a little scene with Another Tendou swearing to destroy the planet, and the Worm Widowers attempting to recruit him, but that's about it for exploring the specifics of Another Tendou's motivation or mental state. I could theorize some stuff about how his possessiveness has now turned into genocide, an inversion of Tendou's speech about protecting the world for Hiyori, but that'd just be a guess based on what we're provided here. There is not really enough to feel like the show wants me to know something specific about Another Tendou.

Somehow, Hiyori gets even less than that, consigned to a wheelchair and self-loathing, blaming herself for being assaulted. It's... it is not a great look, despite how in-character it might be. It's dark in a way that the rest of the episode pivots away from, and disappointingly thin and repetitive. There's a way this scene could've been redeemed with a little bit of pushback from Tendou, some acknowledgement that this behavior from Hiyori never really helps her, but Tendou has a city to save, and a writer who I think fundamentally is disinterested in Hiyori as a character (I swear I can hear him muttering Worse Mari), so we're out of that hospital and on a recruitment drive.

The Worms are every-goddamn-where in this episode, so it's no surprise that Tendou is trying to corral every active Rider to assist him. We even get to see a troublingly mute Drake amongst the all-hands-on-deck Rider vs Worm combat, and I knew the second we saw that suit that we would 1000% not be seeing Daisuke in this episode. Knew it in my bones. The plot behind these attacks is somewhat typical Inoue, i.e. he doesn't really care about it. The Worms are just everywhere, and there isn't really a strategy to be found between them or ZECT. Tendou's desire to bolster ZECT's ranks is literally the only thing in this episode where someone is trying to solve this problem, and it makes me wonder what the shit the rest of ZECT is even for.

But, like, I don't care about any of that! Even a little! It is objectively a deficiency in this script, but I don't begrudge this story its disinterest in Worm warfare (the Hiyori one is harder to forgive, but I ain't Fish and I got different passions, INOUE FOREVER) because the Tsurugi and Misaki stuff is so goddamn great.

Everything in this episode feels like Toei ordered five more episodes and didn't tell anyone until midway through the production of 44, but if that allows for an entire episode built around Misaki realizing that a handsome doofus who is eternally devoted to her is (excepting Hiyori's current misery) not that bad a thing, I'm okay with what they're doing with their bonus episodes. Of anyone in the entire cast for Misaki to fall for, Tsurugi is by far the most believable. He's lovable, in a really pure way. His enthusiasm is infectious, and his flaws are actually sort of charming when you get used to them. (He definitely thinks he knitted a scarf in his sleep!) The early part of their interactions, Tsurugi's objectifying crush and lack of boundaries, that didn't work for me at all. This version, where Misaki's like Ugh Oh No I Like Tsurugi, that's a winner with me. It allows her and him to have some equal footing, where there's mutual respect that wasn't there before. It's a more mature version of Tsurugi's antics from the start of their story.

Which he IMMEDIATELY gets back to, as soon as Misaki starts to reciprocate his interest. He's given a division of ZECTroopers to command, and he just puts them on Assist Misaki patrol, leading to a highlight-reel gag of ZECT's finest returning an almost-late DVD. (I love this plot, almost entirely because you could never do it in 2021. What would someone even need to return before they were charged for it? Who rents physical media anymore?) Misaki correctly calls out that Tsurugi is doing the exact same stupid shit he used to do for her, but this time... god, I don't know. I'm like Misaki on this. It's dumb! He's dumb! He made a half-dozen ZECTroopers quit in the midst of a citywide Worm invasion! But he means well and I can't stay mad at him. I'm just, like, okay. This is who he is. Okay.

But he's also a Worm, and that's what we're going to have to deal with next time.

Oh, and there's also a plot where Yaguruma is so mad at himself for helping out last episode that he chains himself up, leading Kageyessir to do the exact same stupid thing. It leads to, bar none, my favorite moment in the entire series, which is Tendou taking one look at their chained-up torsos and Noping right the hell out of recruiting them. It is, possibly, the final punctuation on how this show is committed to the Hoppers as comedy relief. I barely even understand what Yaguruma's going for, other than Attention, but knowing him, I think I just answered my own question. It's such a dumb plot, and it definitely is not interested in making these two look cool, but I loved it.

I loved this whole episode, despite its massive tonal problems (it's a slapstick episode set in the early days of Armageddon), complete isolation from the build-out of the finale elements (Hiyori, Another Tendou), the giant shrug of a threat (I guess Japan is like 87% Worms now, I hope they have some progressive representation in parliament), and how the show is salting the Hoppers so nothing will ever grow there again. Don't care about anything I just said. I adored this sappy, dopey love story, and I'm psyched for the next installment.

INOUE FOREVER

A QUESTION

Although, honestly, felt like Tsurugi and Renge were going to end up together! Great chemistry, those two. Anyway, it's a Christmas episode for the ol' Kamen Riders, and back on Christmas (in 2020) I asked what gift you'd give a Rider, and why. Let me switch it around this time. Which Rider do you think would give the best Christmas present, and why?

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I think the best part about Tendou's reaction to the Hopper's is that he admits out loud that he was an idiot to think that they'd be reliable and not pull shit like this.

I think he's angrier about this predictable failure than at any time he's been out-maneuvered by an enemy. It's such an Own Goal that he's furious at himself. Asking Yaguruma! And Kageyama! To pitch in?! This Hiyori situation has really got him off his game...

I mean to get Kageyama's help it seems all he has to do is wave TheBeeZector in front of him and he'll come running like a dog excited for walkies. The walking Hot Topic store is the one he has no potential leverage over unless he still cares about that "hell tofu" stuff from a few episodes ago

I guarantee you Tendou has completely forgotten about that tofu challenge. I also feel like him going and talking to them is the extent of the energy he wants to put into recruiting those two bozos. And even that was too much! Inefficient use of resources!

On a different note, I spent a minute while I was brushing my teeth thinking about how nice it was that Tsurugi was knitting a scarf for Misaki. The idea of him wanting to create something for her, to put effort into it, I thought that was incredibly sweet.

And then a second later I was like Oh Wait That Boy Is Broke As Hell. If he didn't knit her that scarf, she was probably going to get a gift-wrapped fork or empty Discalibur scabbard...

So I've mentioned before that one of Inoue's great loves is a story about an artist that loses their talent. One of his others is tragically doomed romances. We got this with Yuka and Keitaro, we got it with Shinji and Miho, we got it in The First, Jetman, Kiva, even Shougeki Gouraigan. And here it is in Kabuto. I don't think it's a spoiler to say that we're reaching the climax of the Tsurugi is a Worm plot and however it ends, it's not going to be with expensive bracelets, handmade scarves, and tufu.

It's something that shades most of the episode for me. Tsurugi is back to being a full-on goof for Misaki and she's finally coming around on him, but there's this massive dark cloud hanging over everything that adds a lot of poignancy to the normal Tsurugi shenanigans.

And yeah, the scene with Tendou and the Hoppers was perfection.

Not really a comment on the episode, but I’ve just realised that both of Toei’s shows for that year had the last two parter of the year focus on a character introduced in the 17th episode of the series. I won’t tell you how Boukenger’s two-parter ended (not that you’d care), but I will say it doesn’t bode well for Tsurugi.

Been busy so was falling out in the episode commentings.

This part actually catches my attention fight-wise for Cassis Worm redirecting the attacks, even finishers back to his enemies, and also him learning the move in the process. I only wonder about how strong the Rider move in his hands compared to his other standard moves, he seems to be able to generate the tachyon too just like the Riders there, like if the Rider move is just, well, as strong as the original Rider (like Gatack's Rider Kick in his hands is also only as strong as Gatack himself, who is below even human Cassis Worm), but it gives a sense of irony to the other Riders, their best attacks backfiring on them and became their downfall. The Worm O'Clock is just well, another show of Cassis Worm's villainy, and he adds up by being the worst of his species by devouring his own kind to power up, something done by villains like Daguva.

True, Souji Kusakabe is one of the bigger endgame at least for Tendou, already telling that he's an important figure that needs to be discovered. Hiyori discovered him through psychic, though it didn't sit well with you, I didn't see any other way to put Souji Kusakabe inside the story, the cast knows nothing about him and likely won't seek anything about him, Hiyori brought Souji Kusakabe to the cast. And yeah, Souji Kusakabe actually plays up Tendou's status a bit at the beginning to help out others like Renge falling, but also that, Hiro Mizushima (using the actor's name here as he's not Tendou, as you already see in episode 44, but of course as a lookalike the others there know him as Tendou) not acting arrogant and high-and-mighty actually is even creepier, as Tsurugi notices something off within him not acting like Tsurugi himself. But Souji Kusakabe did a "good deed" before by helping Renge, but immediately reveals his true nature after? The point of helping Renge? And you seriously thinking Hiyori and Souji Kusakabe as romantic? Oof dude... Hiyori is Tendou's blood sibling, not Juka, is this channeling incest?!

It seems that Tendou opting to spare Dark Kabuto, even letting him gaining upper hand, is a boneheaded decision. Like something at the end, you can just dominate and force your foes to submit to you, turning them to your bitches. Especially that, something that I already know that Kabuto is superior; he has Hyper Zecter, super form gives Kabuto significant advantage power-wise. Tendou also is able to read all his moves. Dark Kabuto feeling like he's the best Hiyori companion also likely wouldn't let him got killed just to spite Tendou. Kagami had the pep talk about reminding how Tendou is a (impossible) benchmark that never shows any weakness, and Kagami asked for Tendou to keep acting like that, it finally solves Tendou's dilemma of one of his worst enemies being the only way to one of his most beloved. Tendou opting to spare Dark Kabuto for something important to him, takes away points for heroism though, it's not as severe as what Tendou claimed to finish off every living beings for Hiyori, but sparing Dark Kabuto, for selfish reasons, is still potentially destructive to the surroundings.

While this is probably confident and assertive, this could potentially be a bad thing to do though, disposing humanity for an evildoer that is closely related to you... This one's the opposite of someone like Reina, where here Hiyori fully accepts herself as a Worm, but also obliged to Worm's role as the enemy of humanity. This doesn't last inevitably and fortunately, but that's what can I say for that.

This one's also another part of Yaguruma being antisocial nihilist (well it's now engraved on everyone here), him kicking the Zecter out of his sight coldly, as he no longer wants to go out into the "light" and fight for justice anymore. And this is the part where I'm talking about how the relationship position of them is switched around. Kageyama, who seems eager to take TheBee back, equals to the sliver of light left on Kageyama, and in next episode, Yaguruma remarks actually he's jealous of Kageyama who still has a bit of a light left on him, but also inspired by it. I don't know how's TheBee Zecter's fate at the end, but would alternately choose between yeah, Tadokoro or Misaki, as Tadokoro too, has shown to be a fighter after his Worm status is revealed, but of course as a fodder Worm he can't lay a hand on Cassis Worm.