Of course I know that Gon too. That's what crossed my mind when knowing the name "Gon" (or either the English word "Gone", which'd surely hit a Kabuto major character soon). Just that they both have totally different genders! Well, this Gon's not a real name anyway.

I somehow feel that Tendou still can accomplish the missions as usual even without involving himself to ZECT or Kagami. Although, it Tendou truly needed ZECT or Kagami... then it means he has childish arrogance if he frequently boasts about his successes saying that he never needed help from anyone and doesn't rely on anyone to succeed, and urges the others to do so (like when Kagami asked for help) even though what you said is that.

Well yeah, even normally Daisuke can be a shithead; he's sexist, gives double standard treatment to woman, and is apathetic to anyone else, or those that is under his care, even being uncaring about a hostage if it's a man (which, in some way can be as bad as Kageyama assaulting women and children. Men are humans too). Otherwise he's eccentric and airheaded. But Daisuke's in this one is OOC yeah I agree. Daisuke's established as having a care to Gon, even if the care isn't as overt as he does to women. But if Daisuke treats Gon exactly the same as male strangers, then yeah there's something wrong to suddenly sever any bond Daisuke and Gon have formed until now. I wonder if this is Inoue being Inoue again for the character's upgraded level of awful. And yeah Kageyama, seemingly just the innocent victim of Tendou's brutality at his debut, shows how despicable he really is here. He manipulates others as if they're mere pawns like Kagami, then kidnaps Gon (while brushing off Hiyori) without much regard, and acting unpleasant; he's like Kusaka in terms of scheming.

Kabuto's a Tendou's Great Forever show yeah (in contrast to you making a claim about Yaguruma's Great Forever). It's a show about how hypercompetent Tendou is that he can fit in any job field, he can do anything, he's superior to others, he completely backs up every single thing about his arrogance and narcissism. Kabuto's appeal to some being watching Tendou accomplish anything without breaking a sweat with a cool demeanor, and the fights which had superb visual effects. And I mean, that's what'll happen in perfect characters; perfect characters evaporates any tension, because there are no challenges for them to go through. Which is why generally, making characters perfect isn't recommended on stories.

Gon feels safe with Hiyori. Hiyori empathizes with her that she lacks social skills, doesn't feel comfortable around people, and has a horrible social anxiety disorder of some kind. Tendou seems to have a soft spot for little girls, with his sister seemingly being the root of it. And likely Tendou still shows himself as a better person than Daisuke, rightfully calling him out for being a scum, and Hiyori almost confronting him. Take that, the interview woman! A man acting gentlemanly towards a woman doesn't mean he's an upstanding person overall. And I mean, Kagami boasts about him "killing" a Worm by himself, probably due to inferiority superiority complex (his big insecure), but like, Kagami actually already killed a Worm by himself without Tendou's "blessing" before! The part where Kagami uses ZECTroopers weapon to defend Yaguruma and Kageyama to stab a Worm. Seems that stabbing is a lot more effective than firing. Why Kagami forgot that? Or boast more using that one too.

I think I'm ok if shitheads like Kageyama got the comeuppance or scorn he deserved. Probably for currently, would be on the scale of 4. What I hate is when a malicious shithead actually got revered and admired by the people around him with anything horrible they've done being overlooked and justified (NOTE: Villain that has good publicity isn't the same as that, for those like that usually people don't know what those villains actually do), treated as righteous when they're anything but.

I really do like this read (thought a lot about this on the walk home), but I'm not sure the Kagami one works? He ends up abandoning TheBee Zecter, not the other way around, so it's tough to say what exactly would be the breaking point for it.

The idea of it valuing teamwork and... like, structure, I really like that? It's harder to see the Drake's priorities, since we haven't gotten its backstory (nor Daisuke's), and the partnership between the Drake Zecter and Daisuke seems grudging at best.

Anyway, yes, I like thinking about this. Hooray for assigning personalities and preferences to the Zecters!

Well, he's pretty clear that for this mission, he needed ZECT's support. (They got him into the hospital!) The very next episode he says that he's done with them.

The thing is, it's not even that you shouldn't tell stories about perfect characters. It's that hinging a cliffhanger on the perfect character's surprise or ignorance... that is maybe the thing you shouldn't do. Like, Tendou can absolutely be perfect, but then you need a cliffhanger that's about literally anyone else being in peril. (I mean, you've got Gon being captured! Just end on that!) Trying to make an audience who has seen Tendou flawlessly foil every single attempt on his life think that this time he didn't see it coming... I don't know, I don't think it works.

Good point! I think Kagami ended up bragging about this one more because he was really doubting himself, and he wants to feel like a winner for a bit. The other reason is probably because the last time he got a win against a Worm, he immediately became a Kamen Rider afterwards, and that was probably more worthy of boasting. (The other other reason is because Inoue wrote this one and the one before it.)

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That silly little gag about Hiyori buying some oranges last episode turned out to be pretty important setup in retrospect. Yeah, obviously it's where her and Gon first meet, but the actual joke of Hiyori being inarticulate, that was the first time Inoue had used Hiyori enough in one of his episodes to demonstrate his understanding of the character, and he showed he's got the basic concept down perfectly. And because he laid that groundwork, I have the context to know that the way she's written for most of this episode was no accident. Quite the opposite, actually – Hiyori's role throughout this one is very considered and smart.

I mean, it lays it on pretty thick by the end, with Gon even repeating the same exact traumatic mantra from her flashbacks as Hiyori's, but the whole point is that she sees feels a connection to Gon she simply doesn't with most people, and it lets her open up way more than she ever has. Hiyori relates to this unusual girl who's lost her parents at a young age, and it makes her downright eager to help her out in any way she can. She becomes a lot brighter in those scenes; a little more assertive.

This is most communicated through body language, as always, where it's worth noting how frequently Hiyori actually looks directly at Gon. It's not constant, and little touches like her still staring towards the floor while walking along remind you it's still Hiyori at the end of the day, but moments like her leaping out of her chair to go give Daisuke a piece of her mind after one too many dismissive comments from him, only interrupted by Gon herself running off, show how much this all means to Hiyori. My single favorite bit, which I feel sums up the balance perfectly, is when Hiyori feels the need to just stare at her palm for a moment after being asked to hold hands, but also doesn't hesitate to reach out, either. The staring quickly yet effortlessly communicates that Hiyori probably isn't huge on physical contact, and that lets you understand the gravity of how comfortable she clearly is being around Gon. It's all seriously brilliant stuff.

It can be hard to delineate exactly who's responsible for what here, of course, so I'll just give credit to everyone, because I know Yui Satonaka does a great job playing Hiyori, I know Ryuuta Tasaki is a very capable director who can come up with those little touches, and I'd like to think Inoue is applying the same level of care to this show that he does to so many others he's written for. Whatever the case, it worked out into a plot thread that I was worried might seem sudden feeling surprisingly natural instead.

Of course, as much as I'd like to just talk about Hiyori exclusively, there are other things going on here that I will begrudgingly admit where also interesting and/or fun.

Tendou also gets to show a bit of a softer side than usual towards Gon, for one, which I liked. He takes having his cooking insulted shockingly well, and even says Daisuke has to be a fool to not appreciate the value of having her around. I like the idea that Tendou has a soft spot for kids, but there's a bit more to it you can read into, which is that Tendou, who we've established is all about people fulfilling their potential, would naturally feel affectionate towards Gon in particular because she's so precocious. On the flipside of that, I also enjoyed how Gon gets to act more like a kid here, emphasizing that, smart as she is, she still needs people in her life to look out for her. And that of course makes Daisuke look ~pretty~ bad here, but I like what this plot is doing so much it never really bothered me.

And speaking of things that bothered me surprisingly little, let me touch on Die's question this time by saying I am legitimately upset with myself for being okay with Kageyama in an episode where he straight up hits Hiyori. It's just... he's SO lame, you know? He's beneath even contempt at this point. Mishima's all like "okay, you messed up last time, so I'll give you a mission more on your skill level: please kidnap a literal small child", and Kageyama takes to skulking around the shadows with his game face on like he thinks he's tracking down f***ing Jason Bourne or something. To kidnap a little girl. And the worst part is, the entire plot only happens because his initial attempt to grab her completely fails! This guy just can't get anything right, and it's so sad it's hilarious! I can't wait for the next arc, where Mishima is probably going to have him stealing actual candy from an actual baby.

I definitely still hate Kageyama (seriously, don't knock out Hiyori and expect me to like you), but I can't deny some morbid fascination with just how low he's sinking at the moment.

There's a really small thing in this episode that, since you're kind enough to geek out about the (exemplary) work being done with Hiyori in this one, I'm happy to get a chance to bring up.

When Gon lets go of Hiyori's hand, she says that it only makes her feel safe when it's Daisuke's hand. And Hiyori sort of stares at her for a second, and doesn't say anything. She's not hurt or offended or anything, despite Gon telling her she's no substitute for a man who is acting like a colossal asshole to her. Some of it is maybe Hiyori's inability to argue for her own emotional health, but I think some of it is... Gon misses her dad, and views any substitute as insufficient. I think Hiyori gets that? She knows what that feels like. I think that's where it all starts to come together for Hiyori, what Gon's going through with Daisuke.

I just really like that beat.

To be fair, the beginning of this episode had Kageyama enjoying the ice cream that he knocked out of a small girl's hands, sooooo...

I was honestly shocked to see Hiyori mentioned so little in your initial post on the episode. Shocked, and also very excited to immediately know what I wanted my post to focus on. :lol

KAMEN RIDER KABUTO - EPISODE 18

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This one... I mean, astonishingly good, but it's one that really lives in the details for me. The whole story is great, the full cast banding together to rescue Gon, but there's all these little pieces that make a sum that's even greater than its parts.

---

There's that guitar piece, the motif for Daisuke and Gon. I don't recall the showing using it before? I can't imagine they would, since it really only suits them here. It's bittersweet, with a warmth that feels ephemeral, a melody that reconfirms their bond while subtly leading you into its end. It's beautiful, just on its merits, but it's so perfect for the tone of this episode.

Daisuke is fully committed to Gon in this episode, and while I could quibble about the show doing a pretty huge 180 from how shitty he was treating her last episode, I can honestly see why he'd change his mind. The reasons for him being an asshole, taking Gon for granted, all of that disappears because She Is In Danger. It's such a parental move, you know? Your kids can be brats, can get on your nerves, can be a burden. But the second they're in danger, yeah, of course, nothing else matters.

And, obviously, you get that heartbreaking scene of Gon apologizing for being kidnapped by Kageyama, how she thinks Daisuke is mad at her, and... god, my eyes! Already with the tears! It's impossible to not be on her side, and that makes Daisuke's declaration that he'll never let go of her hand again... I mean, I don't give a shit about what he did last episode. That is Big Dad Energy, and it led to the best episode yet for Daisuke.

The way show layered that guitar motif, first evoking the gentleness of Daisuke and Gon's bond, then as the Kageyama-predicted (oh my god eff that guy so bad) possibility of Gon forgetting Daisuke gets discussed, and then finally as Daisuke has to leave Gon to her new/old life... such a sweet touch.

---

You can tell how much Gon's abduction has rattled Tendou, because (for maybe the first time?) we see him eat breakfast with Juka.

Usually, he'll have her 18-course breakfast already laid out, ready for her to come to the table. He'll be sitting on a chair, reading the newspaper, taking pride in her enjoyment of his cooking. This time, though, he's right there with her.

It's a way to show how much Tendou cares for Gon, that her going missing makes him appreciate Juka more than usual. Gon's absence is like a wound, a chasm, and Tendou innately fears Juka falling in somehow. It's a little thing, but I liked the show doing it.

---

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This shot of Hiyori nearly wrecked me. I have no idea who found this shot, but give them all of the awards.

The rest of the cast takes a backseat in this episode, and rightfully so. If this is the last time we get to spend with Daisuke and Gon together, let them have all of the screentime. Little bits of the rest of the cast is all that's required.

Hiyori, though. Man. When she finds out that Gon's been kidnapped by ZECT, it destroys her. The world suddenly seems too big, too impossibly cruel. Hiyori doesn't know about the various Kamen Rider identities, so she can't begin to guess why a militarized organization of nebulous authority would kidnap some amnesiac little girl. And for it to be a girl who's suffered Hiyori's own traumas, and for Hiyori to be the one who was supposed to keep her safe... all Hiyori can do is ball herself up. She needs to be held, so she holds herself. Low to the ground, trying to disappear.

Hiyori doesn't exactly have a huge arc in this one. She's crushed by Gon being taken, and vows to do anything necessary to get her back. It's just, there's nothing Hiyori can do, so it's mostly moral support. It makes for a slightly unbalanced episode for Hiyori, with all of this crushing guilt in the beginning and then Eventually It All Works Out. It's great to see Hiyori involved in this All Hands On Deck story, but since it's not a story that's really about Hiyori's trauma or guilt, we mostly just get this one really beautiful shot. It's maybe enough!

---

I don't want to make it sound like this episode's all bittersweet loss and traumatized young adults. There are also laughs!

Obviously, that scene with Tadokoro getting simultaneously chewed out by both Misaki and Kagami, I love it. Them both yelling at him about the chilling moral implications of ZECT abducting a child, and him being all Yes And about it, hilarious. I feel like Tadokoro spends a good 80% of his workday fielding complaints about ZECT from these two, and the other 20% throwing those complaints in the trash. Misaki and Kagami got real weird opinions about what exactly Tadokoro's responsibilities are!

But then there are the actual jokes, and it's two Kagami things. The first is big and broad, as Tadokoro is actually totally fine with undermining ZECT (or, more accurately, letting other people undermine ZECT because he would rather not leave the van), and gives up Gon's likely location in a roundabout way. It's so roundabout that Kagami thinks Misaki is suggesting they race off to a ZECT base at the shore to take a break, and he is so charmingly dumb that I only briefly worried about how Kagami would fare as an investigator in any other organization.

The other thing is a tiny bit of acting that was so hilariously on-point that I need to call it out. It's when everyone's plotting in the kitchen of the ZECT base, and Tendou is about to do his My Grandmother speech in defense of the sanctity of food. (Real great episode for Tendou and food, incidentally. There's the little bit he dies inside as he confesses to Juka that there is miso soup in the world that is better than his. But my favorite food bit for Tendou this episode is that, when faced with the difficulty of ensuring Gon's future safety, his move is What If I Just Made A Ton Of Delicious Soups. And it sort of works! Bonus points because, even when Gon dismisses them all as not being good enough, you can tell that Tendou's already thinking about making even more soup.) Just as Tendou gets all in his Proclamation Zone, Kagami's right behind him and you can see him roll his eyes. Kagami is not at all jazzed to listen to Tendou get all up on his soapbox when Gon is being held captive right upstairs! It's so unbelievably minor (almost no one should be looking at Kagami in this shot), but it's pretty funny.

---

Kageyama is so the worst that I'm going to officially start calling him TheWorst. He's cartoonishly awful in this one, clearly enjoying making both Gon and Daisuke suffer, and visibly thrilled to make that suffering last indefinitely. There aren't a lot of layers or shades to his performance, but TheWorst's suit actor does something I got a kick out of.

It's during the big three-way fight at the end between Kabuto, ShootHopper, and TheWorst. Kabuto and TheWorst spar for a couple seconds, and then TheWorst gets knocked down against some chairs. Just before he picks himself back up, he punches one of the chairs in frustration. It's a very TheWorst move, not being able to contain his frustration as yet another scheme starts to get away from him. It's a shame that Kageyama's actor can't find the same details!

---

Holy shit, amazing fights in this one. Great, great uses of Clock Up and finishers and whatnot.

(Actually, last episode had a thing I never mentioned that I liked. When Hiyori and Gon are getting attacked by the Worm, Kabuto shows up in the nick of time, with CLOCK OVER calling out his arrival. He Clocked Up and ran all the way to save them, is I think the implication? We never see his bike, so that's how I took it. I thought that was a fun way to build tension, having Kabuto expend Clock Up just to get to the fight in time.)

The underwater sequence, with ShootHopper's unbelievably heroic dive into the bay, so fun. Those little charges of him raking Kabuto, and then Kabuto using Cast Off to fake his death, I dug it.

The finale was sensational, though. The choreography of ShootHooper firing his finisher at TheWorst; TheWorst using Clock Up to dodge ShootHopper's finisher and move in to finish off ShootHopper; Kabuto using Clock Up to Rider Kick ShootHopper's finisher at TheWorst, who ducks behind ShootHopper; and then ShootHopper using Clock Up to to move out of TheWorst's way, leaving TheWorst to get taken out by ShootHopper's original finisher... it is the best. Maybe the best choreographed action sequence in this show to date.

---

Obviously, all of those little things (and several big things!) are only in service to this episode's inevitable, heartbreaking ending. Daisuke saves Gon, reunites her with her mother, but loses her for good. She's happy with her mother, back to being Yuriko, her time as Gon forgotten. It's tragic, for how much they both once needed each other. This wasn't just some story that could end with Daisuke, fine on his own. He needed that little girl. She was his partner. She may not know what she's lost, but Daisuke is acutely aware of what he's missing. He strains to explain what she means to him, to put it into words, but the only one who'd know the right words was Gon.

But he lets her go, because of course he does. He wants what's best for her. She means enough to him to see himself diminished if it means she's safe and happy. It's probably impossible for him to figure out how he came to care so much for her. He once saw a little girl, confused and alone. He bought her a strawberry milk. It was a little thing, a tiny detail. But it led to so much more for both of them.

A QUESTION

Lovely episode... that then takes all of the heartbreak and drama it's earned over this story and finishes with HEY LOOK A NEW ZECTER. I cannot tell you how weird a note it was to end on, and it's maybe the only thing in this episode I'd point at as Bad. Did it work better for you? Were you okay with this Daisuke/Gon episode ending with a New Zecter cliffhanger?

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/.../kabuto18b.png

I haven't watched this episode or any of kabuto really, but I'm excited for new Zectar because it's attached to one of my fave riders that I know about through rider knowledge osmosis.

Also this really does remind me I need to start watching this show at some point, but for now I must uuuuuh... okay I really have no excuse for not watching except I don't really want to atm.

On a very cursed note, one of my earliest kamen rider memories was people online saying Daisuke and Gon's relationship seemed romantic and that's uh kind of bad now in this context.

Yeah, boy, no idea who the Scorpion Zecter goes with. I know three other Kabuto Riders by name, but since I never even knew Drake was a thing, no idea if any of those three is the guy. Could be a brand-new dude I'd never heard of!

And, man, no need to explain not having the time/desire for a Kamen Rider show. These things should never be work!

also if anyone ever thinks a father caring for the well-being of his daughter "seems romantic" i would like for them to leave the internet immediately

Yeah, this one was really great. My own quibble with "I'm not really sure that's how amnesia works" aside, this was just a fantastically emotional 24 minutes of Kamen Rider. I can almost forgive Daisuke being an asshole in the previous episode because it led us to this point. The bit at the end where he stutters on a compliment and Yuriko doesn't correct him, so beautifully poignant.

Loved the fight scene at the end, too, with each Rider pulling off a Clock Up trick to fire, redirect, and evade. Excellent.

As far as the next Zecter showing up goes, I'm fine with it. This was the end of a chapter for the show, so I'm okay with closing out on a teaser for the next big story arc (I also know who that Zecter goes to and I am very excited for them to show up).

In all honestly, I’d have been fine if this was Drake’s last appearance, bar the movie, the video game (I’ll be discussing about that a little later in the thread) and perhaps a cameo in one of those big all rider fight movies (which he has yet to do, surprisingly enough).

The new Zecter, I’ll say this. He’s the last of the 4 that get regular DX/SG items (including themed bullets for the ZECT Miser and buttons on another weapon down the line). All later Riders after him have their additional merch limited to CSM (and that includes our actual secondary, who if you haven’t guessed who that’s going to be, I don’t know what to think.)

The health care worker would like to assure you that all of your doubts are extremely well-founded, lol

Seriously, though, the drama and character work in this one was absolutely top-notch and it's one of my favorite episodes of Kabuto.

Well yeah, also looking for more insights regarding perfect characters other than, although with good reason, the tip of writing story in several that have been written is avoiding this.

The thing about the guitar being the motif for Daisuke and Gon representing warmth and melody didn't cross my mind because I thought guitar isn't the exclusive thing that represents that...And for this one you've changed your mind (something you'd think won't be able to do as it's art) as well? With you previously saying Daisuke suddenly didn’t give two shits about Gon’s obvious terror, but here it’s just him getting worse and worse until WAIT HE DOES CARE; Of Course Daisuke Actually Cares About Gon. The previous episode was about how Gon repeatedly tells Daisuke that she's in danger. Daisuke never believes anything Gon said that time, until Kageyama personally threatens him. I'd like for the show to address about every single thing Gon said to him at ep. 17, with how she warns that someone's stalking her, etc. For this one, you said that it's impossible not to be on Gon's side for here (I know this refers to her bond with Daisuke), but as this is about her being kidnapped, isn't this one also about characters being blameless in their predicament? The part where People Have Bad Shit Happen To Them, which irks you?

I forgot to tell this, but Kageyama kidnapping a little girl is horrible for sure, but in real life, most of kidnappings, at least for what has been taught to me, was directed to kids (I even thought at that time, kidnap only happens to kids). Most kidnapper victims are kids, which means Kageyama is something.. (horrifically) usual, even what's standard for kidnappings? If Tendou didn't eat breakfast together with Juka the other time, then what did he get for morning breakfast and where was it done? Or somehow Tendou doesn't need to eat like humans usually are and can eat whenever he wants?? Tendou having a soft spot for little girls like Gon does come from his care to Juka.

And I guess for Hiyori being curled up like that for something she relates (and emphatizes by that and trying to keep her safe) and the danger coming to her, she joins this particular team to save Gon as she'd also want to feel safe by seeing something suffering like her such as Gon safe too, which gives her hope to likely survive this big and cruel world by proxy. By that likely, it all works out because Gon is all well? And yeah, it's not like it didn't happen to her too, with her being KOed by Kageyama previously, and also how she'd be victimized if Worm's around her; and that's one of the things that decided Tendou to become Rider.

Tadokoro is a drone for ZECT. Tadokoro seems to have moral compass from what I know regarding how he treats Misaki and Kagami in early parts of Kabuto, but if he justifies what ZECT does as everything having a reason... then there's some twisted part of him, he could be a Machiavellian for that. So to complete Gon's character it revolves around food again like Hiyori and Kabuto's murder part.

You aren't the only one with nickname for Kageyama; an analysis site of KR series called Kageyama "Not-Rapey Kusaka". While Kageyama is obviously horrible, I also want you, or just anyone, to acknowledge other character's horrific part of them, even if they're someone enjoyable. Like Kageyama is horrible for what he did, but don't overlook horrible things did by a character like Sengoku in Gaim or consider people like him better morally just because he's someone enjoyable (and no offense, but I think if someone, even if rightfully, talk about character's horrible behavior but rationalizes those that they enjoy even if they're as horrible, I don't think they have a right to talk about morality). I have a tight rating for Rider's fight and action scenes, and I do want to talk too about this one, this one's outstanding yeah, this is one of the benchmarks for good Rider fighting scenes. The part where Drake's energy ball operates both in and out of Clock Up, and that it being strategically redirected towards what the fighters want.

Well, I can't speak for the next part, but this won't end here, but if it does, it'll be real life stuff.

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This episode is one of those rare things from Kabuto that left a lasting emotional impact on me. Mind you, all those memories were still shattered to fragments over the years – I can't believe I ever forgot about the beautiful visual of a Clocked Up Drake putting his hand under Gon's tears of joy at being reunited with her mother, for one – but the broad strokes of it left a visceral enough impression that, when I say I have a fondness for Daisuke and Gon, it's because I'm always thinking of this specific story.

I would like to mention some of those fragments, though. The three-way showdown at that wharf or whatever with Kabuto, Drake, and eventually TheBee towards the start is a fight scene I've always vaguely remembered in particular for some reason, even though I had forgotten which episode it was attached to. Which goes to show just how scattered all these thoughts become with time, because I apparently couldn't put two and two together even knowing it was a fight where Daisuke was trying to kill Tendou. As though anything but Gon would push Daisuke that much. Beyond the part the story plays, though, it's just a super neat fight sequence in a cool location, that also makes good use of said location. It's a bit of a twist on Inoue's usual routine of dumping the main hero in a body of water, where Drake is actually smart enough to go after Kabuto, leading to Tendou having to fake his death with some clever application of his powers. It's a great scene, and you can tell by how that money shot moment of Drake diving into the water gets a dramatic repeat from a different angle how much they clearly knew it was awesome. (Major props to Drake's suit actor Yoshifumi Oshikawa for holding that pose perfectly the entire time he's falling; I'd show that twice too!)

But of course, the action, great as it is, is pretty secondary compared to what really made me love the episode.

Daisuke, he's a pretty okay guy at the end of the day, isn't he? I think that's what it came down to. There's a decency to him in this one that always struck me as a little unusual for a Kabuto character. It's not even about whether he's a good person, it's that he's a person who couldn't bring himself to be a bad one. That's a bit of subtle flavoring I like in a hero. Daisuke cares deeply about Gon, puts it all on the line for her, ultimately gives her that fairy tale ending, and then quietly accepts that he doesn't get to be a part of it. And unlike Kagami, Daisuke probably won't be going around bragging about how amazingly cool he is for doing all this. In a show full of huge egos, there's a purity to Daisuke's actions here that forever cemented him as a likable character in my eyes. In those final moments of the episode, he's a lonely hero riding a motorcycle wherever the wind takes him. In other words, Daisuke Kazama is a Kamen Rider.

Put like that, it's no wonder I'd feel a connection to him after this one. Fun fact: to this day, one of my biggest lasting connections to Kabuto is an almost reflexive inability to blank on a word or concept without hearing "sou sou, sore sore!" in my head when said blank gets filled in. And occasionally I just say it to myself for no reason when I like, happen to see something I strongly agree with. It's the silliest thing, but it's one of my favorite toku catchphrases out there in its own way.

The way this one digs into Daisuke's dynamic with Gon, only to tear it away in such a bittersweet manner, it's quality drama, no doubt about it. As established, I only vaguely remembered the specifics of how this plot played out, but while there's something to be said for how insanely well it held up on a rewatch, I think the fact that the broad emotional strokes of the story never left me kinda says it all about how first-rate an episode we're dealing with here. Kinda the opposite of Die saying it's the details that make it so special, now that I think about it, but I can't imagine any more appropriate praise for an episode all about the memories we happen to forget, and the ones that will always stick with us.

It is so utterly random that Kageyama trots out his medical training (???) to ruin Daisuke's life. Of anyone in the show to deliver that news, it's so perfect that it comes from Kageyama gleefully destroying Daisuke's future.

Daisuke comes out so great in this that, if I'd watched 17 and 18 back-to-back, I'd've probably not even noticed what an asshole he was in 17. He's so heroic, that it's easy to forgive his earlier awfulness.

...which, honestly, is why I'm glad I watched them individually? 18's great, no mistake, but the story of 17 and 18 has some real weird decisions in the first half that the second half mostly ignores. It's... the plot ends up being sort of janky, but the character work more than makes up for it. Still! 17 had problems!

very excited to meet kamen rider horobi in the coming episodes of kabuto

It's going to be a tough story to beat, for sure!

Well, this isn't random, it's a villain plot. I'm definitely okay with bad things happening to characters in a story if the villains are doing it to further their goals, like ZECT is here.

To your other points... I mean, yeah, 17 has obvious problems with Daisuke acting somewhat-to-massively out of character, and while I don't think 18 explains or obviates those flaws, there's a way of looking at Daisuke's mission here as one where everything before it doesn't matter. There's a clarity of purpose, and it makes his previous actions not super pertinent anymore.

I just assume Tendou snacks as he's making Juka's breakfast.

That's one of the many things that makes his sacrifice so heartbreaking: the only person who'd congratulate him, whose praise he'd value, is Gon. He did this heroic thing and there's literally no one to share it with. Like, even the end of Blade had two people who were able to recognize what they gave up. Here, it's just Yuriko's look of terror. (The fact that the show could've sweetened it by having her, like, fill in his sentence without knowing why, and they still just left her hiding behind her mom!) They are twisting the knife on this one!

This is a mistranslation. He's merely quoting information from some actual doctor that I guess ZECT had look at her or something. Which admittedly is nowhere near as funny, but still.

This is exactly the way I, and I'm sure plenty of people watching Kabuto, expected that scene to play out, and that's exactly why I'm glad they did something different. Just letting the episode kinda bathe in that sadness at the very end, it makes the story hit that much harder.

...which I guess does make that scorpion a little awkward, admittedly. But hey, teases for the next big plot thread are just how most of these early Heisei shows roll, so what can you do?

(The answer is be as cool as Tachibana's fight with Isaka in Blade)

OK can you give an answer regarding my reply about Kageyama the worst part and the others?

I think it seems like a bit of a stretch to say "so heroic" for Daisuke here. On series like Blade you were able to point out that Tiger Queen was nice to Mutsuki, but didn't love humans, hence not actually the "good ones". Daisuke, ep. 17 aside, cares greatly about Gon, and to any women, but he's completely apathetic towards anyone else. I don't know if Daisuke would go through it with his plan to kill Tendou if by impossible luck he had Tendou on his ropes, but to have a thought about killing others, even for something you cherish (I know this stems from Kageyama's threat), even Tendou also pointed out that there are better ways to save her.

Hmm ok, so you do take the random word literally in this case; that it means llterally random and out of the place events like bad events but it just happened to be inflicted to the characters that are known to the audience. But not if it's done by a major character with clear aim and has clear reasons for specifically targeting someone that is a part of the cast (the scene talked about here in Blade; Miyuki was actually the arc villain for episode 20-25; Blade was divided by arc villains).

Yeah, I'm pretty much just going to assume that Kageyama had a promising career as a neurologist going, until he dedicated his life to getting hospitalized by superheroes and humiliated by his bosses. Making minimum wage at a militarized organization of nebulous authority. Showing off his gigantic bee tattoo.

It is going to be a pretty awkward Christmas in the Kageyama household!

I'm not sure what to respond to? Plenty of other characters in Kamen Rider have been horrible, sure. If you want me to call out negative character traits from, like, Gaim, I don't know if that's going to happen in this thread? Other than as a drive-by?

If a parent risks their life or their freedom or their happiness to save their child, I think we can agree that that's heroic? It doesn't diminish the sacrifice by making the recipient someone they already cared about.

So, one, Daisuke absolutely would have gone through with his plan to kill Tendou, since he did it twice in one episode. Tendou deflected the Rider Shooting in the beginning, and used Cast Off to fake his death later. Daisuke sincerely thought he'd killed Tendou after that.

Two, it's pretty well established at this point that Gon is the Brains Of The Outfit. It makes sense to me that he'd not be able to think of an alternative to doing ZECT's will, and it's not fair to ask him to be as clever as Tendou. It is not unheroic for Daisuke to lack the mental acumen of the smartest man in the world!

KAMEN RIDER KABUTO - EPISODE 19

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This episode... I mean, pretty fun (that sports rivalry montage!), but not one that really added up to a lot for me. The Kamishiro stuff is pretty reliably bonkers, with a Prissy Bruce Wayne take on a reflection of Tendou, but the Phantom Shadow Thief stuff just feels totally outside the main plot so far, and frankly just really weird for this show?

The Phantom Shadow Thief plot is, obviously, about exposing some Worm or something. It's basically the only place these three ZECT characters could take this setup. (It could be them trying to discover some ZECT secrets, but I just don't see that being a thing for them yet.) But it's so separate from what Tendou and Kamishiro are up to, that I'd maybe rather it just be its own plot.

Because it 100% could be. Misaki is a fantastic character, and we really don't know anything about her. Having a slow build of the PST story, where we delve a little more into her character, get to see her beyond the context of the ZECT Van, I think that would be really welcome. But this thing does the barest amount of setup, and then starts rushing through its developments. As it is, we're given a clue that Misaki might be the PST, and then immediately have it confirmed that she's the PST. The scenes of the PST doing crimes are great, this show knows its way around an action sequence by now, but... I don't know, it's like there's both too much PST plot for a Tendou story, and too much Tendou plot for a PST story. With neither plot coming together yet, it makes for a slightly overstuffed episode.

It doesn't help that the Tendou plot has to accommodate the massive ego of Kamishiro, which, again, really could've/should've been an episode of its own. Like Yaguruma, he's a pretty straightforward variation on Tendou. Kamishiro has the same bottomless ego and unshakeable sense of impending greatness as Tendou, but turned up to Inoue. Tendou does everything for his own sake, while Kamishiro feels the burden of lineage. Tendou has Juka, while Kamishiro mourns Mika. Kamishiro's as skilled as Tendou in every way (so far), but he's got a more imperious sense of his supremacy. Tendou views the rest of the world as his beloved subjects, the people he'll protect because they're helpless without him; while Kamishiro views the rest of the world as commoners, whose insignificant lives are nothing without his grace and light. Like, where Tendou is frequently rude or condescending, Kamishiro is dismissive and unmoved. Tendou wants others to succeed because greatness has inherent value, while Kamishiro views greatness as a finite resource, and thinks he's cornered the market.

It ends up being a generally charming series of conflicts between the two, even if, like Hiyori, I got bored with it pretty quick. Like, it's just the one joke, that these two are equally great? It never gets weird enough to sustain the gag, something I can't believe I'm criticizing an Inoue story for. It's cute, but it wears out its welcome real fast.

Which, honestly, is how I felt about this whole episode? It seriously tries to do too much (the PST plot with ZECT and the Kamishiro intro with Tendou), so everything feels either rushed or thin. There are scenes that end up dragging, and there are plots that just burn through themselves. Worse, it never really coheres as an episode? It's entertaining enough, but it doesn't feel like anyone figured out how or why both of these plots should be in one story.

Yeah, I don't know, I thought this one was okay! Kamishiro has some interesting looks at Tendou's basic archetype, but doesn't bring enough to the (very long dining) table to really get my interest. The PST plot is a fun diversion, but doesn't get nearly enough attention to feel as exciting and mysterious as it probably should've. Not the worst Kabuto story, but definitely one with some flaws at a conceptual level.

A QUESTION

But, obviously, the one flawless part was Juka, who is never anything less than a delight. She's typically thrilled with the massive breakfast Tendou has made for her, even if she's too rushed to finish it. How do you feel about breakfast? Is it totally skippable, or the most important meal of your day?

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Hey, look, it's another character from Kabuto I'm particularly fond of! But why? And how much of that is in this particular episode? Well, for now I'll say Tsurugi's got a pretty sweet Rider design in my opinion. I'm even a fan of the notably gaudy Masked Form and how it contrasts with the more appropriately elegant Rider Form, but most importantly, he's got a sword, and I like those! I'm also not always hard to please, if that wasn't obvious yet.

In terms of personality, he's a guy who leaves a very strong first impression, for sure; love his establishing scene with him demanding a fork passed down through his family for generations be thrown in the trash for having the audacity to fall out of his hand onto the floor once. You get to know Tsurugi super well by the end of only one episode, even showing hints of some emotional trauma, giving him a layer beyond being an upper-class jerk right away, which I think was a smart move. There's a nice feeling that there's more to come with Tsurugi, and as the main thing the episode is trying to accomplish, it nails it as well as you could ask. Most of his scenes here do an excellent job fleshing out various angles to him.

The episode built around all of that is maybe a bit on the fluff side of things, but I'm hesitant to call it a serious issue. It strikes me as Inoue and/or the rest of the staff realizing something lighter was called for after the punch to the gut that was the previous episode. The term "breather" comes to mind, and this is definitely one relaxing episode of Kabuto – even if it pays the price in a certain lack of depth.

I can't hate it though. Kagami joining up with the rest of the ZECT-Mobile crew to pursue a life of crime wouldn't be half as hilarious to me if it wasn't so abruptly paced and disconnected from anything else going on. I don't have enough nice things to say about how funny those scenes in the back half of the episode are to me. Tendou and Tsurugi's epic sports competition, it's funny, yeah, but even if unintentionally, the goofy ZECT stuff in this one is definitely where I got the most laughs, deliberately pretending the whole time that there isn't any twist plan behind this that will be revealed in the next episode, and instead imagining Tadokoro and Misaki are secret adrenaline junkies who only got Kagami involved once he found out to make sure he wouldn't go nark on them for their illicit and reckless behavior.

Admittedly, the most fun I had with it being entirely in my head sorta speaks to how shallow this one maybe is. There aren't exactly a lot of complex dramatic implications to occupy your mind here. Not the best episode of Kabuto in the world, for sure, but I legitimately do believe it serves a purpose in the grander structure, so to speak, and is ultimately an inoffensive good time. Plus, the requisite bookending action sequences are both cool, with director Nagaishi picking a super sweet shoreline spot for Tsurugi's debut fight, and then the one at the end, which takes place at night, inherently making it look more awesome, even before considering how it matches our new Rider's cooler color palette. There's a reason I went with that screencap up top.

I need to eat breakfast otherwise I will crash hard in the middle of the day. Honestly I need to eat all my meals, to avoid crashing. I sometimes just don't though mostly cause I'm too lazy to cook eggs.

Also man I miss white rice.

Edit: also when does Tsurugi meet Kagami?

I do like how the Husky suits try to incorporate and exaggerate elements of the Zecters. ShootHopper has that one hose that connects to his arm, pulling from the visual of the dragonfly's tail; and now SwordHopper (I genuinely have no idea who this dude is, I have never seen that suit before) has all those little hoses coming out from different parts, pulling from the visual of the scorpion's many legs. I definitely prefer the designs on the Husky Forms, lately.

Tsurugi and Kagami don't really share any dialogue, but Kagami and Hiyori are the audience for all of the Tendou/Tsurugi sports combat.

Otherwise, yes to breakfast, always yes to breakfast, I'd eat it for every meal if that weren't sometimes difficult.

Yeah breakfast is important, and delicious wheh you put in the energy.

Also new rider is sasword which is a wonderful pun. Also I love Saswords rider form mostly because of the scorpion going up his body. The shoulders are the claws, the torso is the main body and the tail spirals around the left(?) leg.

Now here's an episode I've been looking forward to. Tsurugi is one of my favorite characters on the show, too. I always found that kind of weird, given how I don't care much for his shtick here. Tendou is already such a force of nature that it feels weird to give him an equal rival. Granted it leads to a fun montage and some great reactions from Hiyori, but I didn't think a lot of him at first. That changes pretty quickly, though, once we get more into what his specific deal is. Some of my favorite moments from the show are going to involve Tsurugi and I'm excited to see them again.

Also, can I just say how much I love Tendou volunteering to play soccer only if he can be the entire team. This is the version of cocky Tendou that I love.

Tsurugi's house, by the way, is a popular filming location for tokusatsu. I always think of it as the Garo house because it was featured prominently in a fight scene from one of the Garo series (I want to say Makai Senki).

I love how gaudy his Masked Form looks. It's always felt like some long lost piece from a short-lived 90s action figure line. Hoses? Check. Visor? Check. Neon orange that doesn't mesh with any other color on it? Check.

When Hiyori, Kabuto's most relatable character (YMMV), declares your new rivalry to be a joke that's gone on way too long, you might have a script problem! One solution is to try and hang a lantern on it, but perhaps reconceiving the premise might be a more successful alteration?

It's just... the joke/tension would normally be Unstoppable Force meets Immovable Object: Tendou has to deal with someone who's the opposite of him, story occurs. Here, it's Unstoppable Force meets Unstoppable Force, and it's like... what? There's no moves to it, no serious conflict; if anything, I don't think I've ever seen Tendou so easily fall into the rhythms of another character? Weird. Very weird setup for this new dynamic!

Honestly this episode doesn't do too great in endearing me to the new guy, because all I was thinking about is how the show has already done 'introduce new character to rival Tendou in being absurdly great at things' twice. So not only is this the third time they're doing it, there's even less of a twist or anything interesting compared to Daisuke or Yagaruma.

The new rider's Masked Form is really stupid-looking but I think I've grown to be pretty endeared by it over the years?! 80s cyberpunk-looking dork.

Also it's important to have a good hearty meal after you've woken up, no matter what time it is!

I can’t say the new guy homages anyone. Sorry.

As far as I can tell, he was intended to be the “Dark Rider” of the show, given how often he appears in that role in later Dark Rider gathering (Drive and Ex-Aid spring to mind). I’ll let you see how that plays out.

Interesting fact: Although scorpions may look and act like insects, they are not in fact, insects. They are arachnids.

The only time I eat breakfast is whenever a good buddy of mine comes down to visit once a year. He loves going out to breakfast, although his idea of breakfast food tends to be rather questionable. Last time he was down he had a burger and fries for both days he'd visited.

When I wake up early enough for breakfast, it's good old cereal time. Unless it's a special occasion, then it's pancake time.

Also I still have no Kabuto opinions other than purple+scorpion is a winning combo. So great, they did it twice, and it worked both times!

Maybe it's because I've grown to appreciate Yaguruma more in his absence (his arc feels pretty unfinished), but Tsurugi just isn't saying a lot to me yet? The differences between him and Tendou feel almost imperceptibly minor at this point, so I'm not feeling that New Character enthusiasm I probably should. A second Tendou is not what I wanted for Christmas!

And, like, I don't know that I love how overt all of the Tendou Plus Or Minus the other Riders are? It's a fun concept in theory, to make all of the Riders some aspect of Tendou's personality but slightly off. I'd say most non-primary Riders are a twist on the star, but usually it's not so explicit. Here it is, and I feel like Tsurugi's intro is an example of the limits of that approach? There's less character to talk about, and more Tendouisms. It just feels weirdly limited to me, suffocating. It's maybe narratively-appropriate that every character is just a way to talk more about Tendou, but as a viewer it's... I'm just not feeling some of these other Riders as their own characters?

Neat! Thanks!

You only eat breakfast once a year?!

This is going to sound almost idiotic, considering my advancing age, but I took the opportunity during the lockdown to finally get into cereal. Never really part of my diet before (we didn't do cereal in my home growing up), but it was something I could stock up on cheaply and eat constantly. 2020 really became the year of Reese's Puffs and Froot Loops.

Jup! Makes it alot more special that way.

French Toast Crunch is god-tier cereal, just so you know.

No, but this one's about Kageyama, a shithead that isn't favored by audience (means the exact reaction he's supposed to get). But I mean, for any series, when the horrible character is someone who is liked by audience (I'm afraid that they can be given free pass or something)...

It depends, on which action they'd take to save their child. As you've mentioned Sam Raimi Spider-Man in Blade thread, I'm also giving an example of that; Sandman there wants to save his daughter, but he became a criminal for that and later supervillain, which means he's an anti-villain.

Not a full-heroic one for the part where he's going to kill others to achieve it, but the part at the end of episode 18 was a heroic action yeah. But for their whole alignment, anyone have to look at the bigger picture in the entire show and ask ourselves: "in the bigger picture, how much did they do good overall and how much did they do harm overall?". Which is again, why I think character's morality depends more on what they do/or will do to people less related to them, for both good and bad guys. Caring for friends and family is usually pretty universal and inherent for not only white-zone but also grey-zone characters or even some of the black-zone ones. But what about, for example, civilians or strangers (taking care of them for good guys, and preying them for bad guys). Caring only about friends and/or family won't necessarily cut it (if they would care, more apathetic, or outright cruel to others; overall), and so does for bad guys if they only brutalize primarily those that are in their target.

Like the part of Kagami as TheBee (for this one moment, but not Kagami overall) before; him siding with Tendou, being his friend, and quit being TheBee and leading Shadow, it solidifies Tendou and Kagami but can have a negative aspects to him just cutting Shadow loose, abandoning coworkers for your own issues (especially if they might depend on you for their jobs/lives), and you pointed that out as a bit of a dick move. For this one, Daisuke's first stint of saving Gon by killing Tendou is closer to this (what'll Juka, Kagami, etc. feel?!), but not for the 2nd stint (when the cast including Daisuke banded together and helped her reclaim her memory).

Well, it's true that not having a best plan can come from airheadness or denseness, the unheroic part is that Daisuke straight up goes to kill other people, expected as he's also established as having selective care; for Gon and women. and killing someone that is faultless is objectively morally wrong. Those with a tad higher moral compass, if faced with decision like this, could have a hesitation, that it'll be a sadistic choice for them; to lose the ones they love or preventing that while doing a wrong thing.

So for what you've said about ZECT (and at one point you said ZECT's cons extends to anyone involved in it except Kagami) what you think about Misaki is this. For the Tendou part of PST, he's actually an unofficial part of it, and it'll be more prevalent. I mean, of course if this part can delve more to Misaki's character, or discovering some ZECT secrets, it'll be good, but I don't think that is necessarily in place for this part? Establishing PST is just a standard ZECT mission, done in different way, and of course the other part of ZECT missions don't delve into those people's characters (especially Tadokoro who is mostly a full-on drone for ZECT), so I won't think that this part will change any of that. And anyway, carrying PST as a mission, that'd be even more high stakes, as you're practically potentially ruining your life or entire organization's reputation as a thief (they didn't only dress up as a thief, they act as it for real), you probably should purely focusing on your missions only instead of having a trivial talk to get to know about anyone more, either in-universe or out of universe, which is distracting, and not something a professional should do.

Well, obviously Hiyori is bored pretty-quick, and that probably also comes off from how overbearing he is (and unlike Tendou, likely won't having a soft spot for Hiyori). It's normal and is frequently the case for real life (and Hiyori is an in-universe character so Kamishiro is real for her) to be repulsed by other's jerkish behavior, especially for someone with social anxiety like her (people like this can be a target for narcissists with huge ego to like, bully on, but dunno if Hiyori had gone through that, other than the meteor flashback for her traumatizing moment). Anyways, Kamishiro is a full-on Tendou 2.0, and this feels as if the writers realized how overbearing Tendou was for those that can't stand him, so they gave those guys as the alternative to establish Tendou being still better than them. Though with your insights here, it's clear that Kamishiro is also a foil to Tendou in every single way (and probably I'd add up for the part of imperious sense of supremacy; Tendou's family is commoner seemingly, but Kamishiro is a part of royalty, and that Juka is Tendou's younger sibling, while Mika is the older sibling; Kamishiro addressed him as "onee-san" which means older sis). Kamishiro is a worst consequence of royalties, that he's a total elitist by that and he feels that he's superior to everyone else to the logical extreme, that he thinks he's above any rules and laws in the world and isn't above showing complete apathy to the disasters he caused like a killed cop. He's (actually Kabuto is rife with this) an Übermensch, who rejects the norms of society and lives by his own moral code. I wonder though, unlike Tendou... Kamishiro actually brought his soccer team before Tendou boasting that he can win alone.

With Juka being always on a delight, that's likely the reason why the trope to keep things a secret to people like her exists? Breakfast is important. Some of the benefical part of it is that it can make you concentrate better, prevent diseases, or multiply your academic marks by 4x (and I'd assume the same for things outside school, like your work progress). Even the commercials on my TV also addesses this.

This must be some kind of American reference I'm to British to understand. Cool!

(Knock-off brand Shreddies are where it's at. That and Honey Nut Flakes).

Sure, but that's not happening here. Does it happen sometimes for other series? Yeah, but that's just people processing art differently. Folks are free to have problematic faves or miss the point entirely. It may not be a perspective I share, but it doesn't hurt me if they have it.

Daisuke does hesitate, though. He knows that killing Tendou is wrong, that Tendou doesn't deserve to be in the middle of this, but he doesn't think he has a choice. He may go through with it, but it's not like he enjoys it.

If I was dragged all over town for a full day to watch two evenly-matched dudes fail to best each other... yeah, I think Hiyori is maybe underselling how bored she must feel.

If anything, maybe Tendou is a bad influence on Tsurugi? He went from a guy who was prepared to play a normal soccer match to a guy who spent an entire day fighting Tendou. What is it with Tendou driving all these dudes crazy?!

KAMEN RIDER KABUTO - EPISODE 20

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Kabuto is a show about the value of humility.

It's a little weird that that's such a recurring theme, considering, y'know... Tendou. He's the least humble Rider I've ever seen. He's a man who believes the world revolves around him, who excels at everything he puts his mind to. Systems, organizations, logic, even physics: they all bend to his desires. He will tell complete strangers that he's destined to rule over everything.

And he's not the only one! Every single Rider so far (save Kagami, if he's even worth counting) has been someone convinced of their own greatness, secure in the knowledge that they, and they alone, are worthy of attention and acclaim. They're also egotists, even the ones who preach the harmony of teamwork. They're all aspects of Tendou, taking as given that they're the hero of the story.

But they aren't. Tendou is. Tendou is the perfect hero, the one who always wins. And since this isn't a story that can have more than one perfect hero, that means that everyone else is imperfect, less than, reduced. Their story can't be about them being the chosen one; it has to be about them realizing they aren't the chosen one.

All of these other men who come off as derivative of Tendou... it's a way to use Tendou as this ideal that you could never live up to, never become. He's perfect in a way that only the star of a story could be perfect. Tendou being this immutable law of success allows the rest of the Riders to be examples of learning to live with imperfection, to recover from defeat, to accept your limitations.

Tendou doesn't screw up, really, so we get the other Riders who slowly learn that they can screw up. Tsurugi (it seems like no one's calling him Kamishiro on the boards?) gets a crash course in that concept (not sorry), as he begins to realize how much he can fail. He pulls the best-ever Inoue move by declaring that he's going to Win At Shopping (I can't tell you how much I laughed at this story turn) and then proceeds to infuriate a dozen shoppers, cause an accident that injures Juka, and get himself arrested. It's all of Tendou's Walking Your Path thing, but done up as myopic, negligent. Tendou maneuvers the world out of his path, while Tsurugi expects the world to move for him. Learning the consequences of that selfishness is the first step towards keeping an awareness of the fact that, uh, other people exist?

The second step is learning that your pain isn't the only pain in the world. Tendou arrives at the police station to punch Tsurugi in the face, a thrilling moment of rage from the usually cool Tendou. (He even gives Sasword this little Dudes Don't Lose Their Cool speech in the beginning! And then he decks Tsurugi once Juka's injured! So hypocritical, and so great!) It's a connection between the two characters, one rooted in shared backgrounds. Seeing the anger in Tendou reminds Tsurugi of his own anger at the Worm who killed his sister. He gets exactly how protective Tendou can be, because he's dedicated his life to avenging his sister. It's a realization for Tsurugi, that he doesn't have a monopoly on devotion to a sibling. His pain and commitment isn't unique.

It's a solid episode to explore Tsurugi, and the actor does a solid job of finding a sort of pathetic elitism to Tsurugi's demeanor without tipping it over into despicable confrontation. It's so obviously a defense mechanism, his need to win, that it's easy to pity his stupid boasts. When he apologizes to Jiiya for humiliating himself all day, there's a genuine warmth in the delivery, where he seems to have learned a small lesson in humility. He's not a good guy yet, but you can see the edges of what a good guy looks like.

(And then we've got that insane reveal at the end, that Tsurugi is the very Worm that he's trying to get revenge on. First of all, I definitely didn't see it coming. Second of all, I laughed so hard at the first Mika Murdered flashback, because the Worm in it comes out of absolutely nowhere. They're in an open field, and then there's a Worm? Did he fall out of a plane or something? But it's a touch that makes Tsurugi's memories of the event immediately suspect, so I love it in retrospect. What it means for his story and this show, though... very interested, but not too keen on speculating. It's a great twist, though!)

Meanwhile, we've also got the Phantom Thief Shadow part of the episode. (Not "Phantom Shadow Thief”, which is what I thought she was/they were called last episode. If I'd remembered the name right, I could've applauded the use of Shadow as a clue. Clever!) The Phantom Thief Shadow plot was very fun in construction, even if it wasn't plumbing the same depths as the Tsurugi story. I mean, it did touch a little bit on the idea of Learning Humility, with Kagami getting super jazzed about being a part of PTS as some cool new exclusive non-Tendou club, only for Misaki to go Of Course Tendou's Already In This Club. Kagami's face falls so quickly as he realizes that Tendou's going to be the star of this show, too. But he perks up, relenting to Misaki's logic that, hey, it couldn't hurt to have a Kamen Rider in the group if you're going to fight Worms. It's a beat that ties into the larger idea of recognizing your limitations, and allowing for someone with a higher level of skill to take the lead.

The rest of the plot is pretty fun, if not much more than a well-told action-adventure story. Not that that's a criticism! I like heist stories, and while this is a little lean on twists and turns (like last episode, there's just not enough room to make it any more complex), it's a fun story. I like seeing characters like Misaki contribute to a main plot, and the use of a more subdued Kageyama (he seems actually hurt that Misaki might be a criminal) adds some stakes without being too heavy. (Probably could've done without that Goro/Kagami's Dad scene, if we're talking about cutting stuff. Could've been handled in one line from Kageyama to Kagami!) Just a fun little story about tricks and theft, as you'd expect from a superhero show.

I really enjoyed this episode, a lot more than I did the last one. There's more depth and shading to Tsurugi, and the Worm plot was energetic and fast-paced. Overall, though, I liked how this episode started to lock in a big series theme like Learning Humility. I like when these series are about something!

A QUESTION

We've got knife guys and sword guys and even some drum guys
Bow guys and bo guys and phone guns (from Faiz)
What would you reveal
Are your favorite weapons they wield?

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/.../kabuto20b.png

Yeah, I said strawberry milk would be important. There's a lot of extravagant foods in this show, but the most magical turns out to be basic strawberry milk.

Daisuke saved Gon and reunited her with her mother but now that "Gon" no longer exists and he's back to being on his own for now, except for the first time he's really on his own since he knows what it's like to have a best friend he cares about and he had to give up Yuriko so she could have the life she deserves.

It's sad and that scene where she didn't remember him hurt but Daisuke's strong and he'll be okay. He still has the memories to remind him of how far he's come from being the selfish person he used to be. He's going to be the Kamen Rider that Gon wanted him to be.

Sasword Zecter on a rooftop looking dramatically over the city is a cool scene so sure, why not.

I totally forgot that Sasword's debut is also the phantom thief arc, I misremembered when that happened. It's mostly just a subplot but it was unexpected and interesting to watch.

Sasword is an awesome suit, I like how the scorpion's claws are his eyes and how he's purple. Definitely my favorite ZECT Rider aesthetic. You say you haven't seen it before but you I recall you watched Kamen Rider 4 right?

Tsurugi himself is also quite an eccentric, which seems to be a prerequisite for being a Rider in this show. His insistence on throwing away a fork that could've been cleaned easily shows a lack of sentimentality and that he's spoiled. He has poor social skills as well so he doesn't make friends as easily as Tendo or Daisuke.

I'm currently writing a sports rivalry in to my OC Sentai except I'm doing it with baseball instead of soccer. I'm not really a soccer guy. I like more variety and strategy in sports. I'm mostly an esports guy though.

My routine is breakfast, snack, lunch, dessert, snack, dinner, dessert, snack. Breakfast is too small for me to consider it the most important meal, even I don't eat as much as Jyuka. So my favorite would have to be either lunch or dessert.

And this is why he's my favourite character in the show.

Like, man; it really would take something as weird as Kabuto for me to adore the rich guy who has rich guy as a core part of his personality, but he's an utter disaster of a person who's so, so fun to watch and so uniquely him. He's disastrous even alongside developments like this that make him genuinely likable and he's the performance that stands out the most in the show to me; I'd take a miniseries bringing him back because he's just that fun

Yeah, that factoid about scorpions is put last time was meant as foreshadowing. Because while the scorpion rider may look like a human, he’s actually a Worm.

And like I said before, I’ll begin discussing the Kabuto video game’s divergences from the tv show. In its take on this episode, Tendou sees that Tsurugi is a Worm and has a boss fight with him, that results in the death of the alien. Though it is played for tragedy, with the fake Tsurugi failing to realise he was an impostor and apologising to his sister for failing, before Tendou has a “he was a worthy opponent” moment.

As for weapon, I’m fond of the kind that can function as multiple weapons in one, ala Wizard and Ghost.

I did, yeah, but I didn't remember he was in that. There're a lot of Riders and suits that show up in the Phase 2 movies where... I mean, if it's just a crowd shot, I'm not gonna even know what I'm looking at. There's no context, it's just content. But if it's an actor who returns, who has a meaty role, then I'll probably remember them when I watch their show.

Man, I don't even know how to consider a phrase like "make friends" with Tsurugi. With Tendou, he views friendships as a way people pull you down, or sacrifice their own ambition. It takes a lot for him to move into a headspace that other people might view as friendship. With Tsurugi... I mean, I'm not sure he even understands the concept of friendship? His closest connection is with the surrogate-father he bosses around constantly. Everyone he meets is, like, theoretical: a mass of humanity he's destined to rule, they just haven't figured it out yet. I cannot imagine what he he would define friendship as.

That is an incredibly active metabolism!

This episode really delves into how awful he is at... existing in the world, I guess. I kept thinking that Jiiya has been hiring actors to pose as teachers, actors whole will just tell Tsurugi he's a perfect, special boy. Except, we've seen plenty of Tsurugi's skills at work, so he's really pretty great?

He's just shit at understanding how to apply those skills to the world around him, which is one of the key ways he's less than Tendou. Tendou is the dude who can do the math of Amnesiac Girl + My Delicious Soup = Maybe Breakthrough? Tendou is so observant, so external, that he's able to make the world do what he wants. Tsurugi is so myopic, so internal, that he doesn't understand why things don't just go his way like he thinks they should.

Fun character!

I guess that could work, if you're making a game out of the series?

This episode sees the debut of my favorite recurring subplot on Kabuto: "Tsurugi Tries to Person." He lives in such an isolated bubble of wealth that he has absolutely no concept how to function in the real world. He's incredibly arrogant, though, and he's got Jiya along as his devoted enabler, so he just keeps trying and failing. It's an ongoing theme with the character and it is never not delightful.

As far as the rest of the episode goes, I'm disappointed that the Phantom Shadow Thief Shadow thing was just a ruse. I like Misaki well enough, but I'd find her so much more entertaining if she was legitimately a master jewel thief in her downtime.

And look! A rare sighting of Juka involved in activities that don't involve eating!

It was only two episodes, but he made a difference and took out several monsters. That puts him ahead of at least Pink Necrom and probably Beast. If they count, so should Kagami.

To be fair, the show never says that Misaki isn't actually a master jewel thief, just that the Phantom Thief Shadow was a ruse designed to draw out a Worm. If anything, her success as a fake jewel thief maybe suggests that she had some prior training?

JUKA: I'm doing something outside the house!
JUKA, TWO MINUTES LATER: My stay in the hospital was very brief! What's for dinner?