Tying in Tsukuyomi to Soichi was a great idea and makes for a better growth for her character. I didn't quite understand why at first, but getting through Agito slowly got me realizing why Soichi and Tsukuyomi were paired up for this one.

Seeing G3 mass produced is neat! Ill-equipped it may be, still. But hey, it only took around a Decade and a half to get it, right?

I had been wondering what they would do with the one show that already an an Another Rider, at least in name. I wasn't quite expecting this!

Fun how they played with that fact.

The second phase of tribute episodes was generally better received than the first, as you can see from these last two.

I kinda wonder if they save many of the ones where they weren't sure who they'd be able to get back until later and had more time to develop them? At any rate, most of these are quite fun.

I would think so, yeah.

(Fish Sandwich also watched Kamen Rider Zi-O - EP31)

There's not too much I can think to say about this episode that I either didn't already say years ago, or that isn't just something it seems like everyone thinks about this episode. It's a great time, a strong start to another string of episodes written by Nobuhiro Mouri, and a very promising beginning to Teruaki Sugihara directing episodes of Kamen Rider. I think I'll have a bit more to say after Die watches the conclusion to this one.

No, I'm just making a statement of my own. Sougo definitely doesn't talk about that. Though I thought before that giving up on themselves is related to determination and giving up and turn pessimistic means the opposite of that.

This gives something to know more from Tsukuyomi, and this is something that obviously I didn't talk before due to spoilers, but it's something teased in Heisei Generations movie with Tsukuyomi not recognizing that name when Ataru refers her as that, it's shown here that Tsukuyomi had amnesia and it's not her real name. But what 'different goal' Tsukuyomi actually have by this? There's nothing changed regarding that, unless you're likely talking about speculations in the future, she's still someone who wants to change the future for the better and guide Sougo on the right path. Nothing different in goal. Other than that, Tsukuyomi here is just depicted as having similar power to Time Jackers to Z̶A̶ ̶W̶A̶R̶U̶D̶O̶ stop time, not necessarily that she's one of them. She just can stop time. I don't know how Tsukuyomi can narrate her backstory when she forgot though, Woz was the one that has extensive knowledge for the future of which he's too sueful.

True, regarding how Zi-O is an anniversary show that makes use of past Riders, amnesiac Shouichi would be suitable pick to use against amnesiac Tsukuyomi. The other pick could be someone like Sento, but Zi-O's first tribute was Build, so for characters meant to be shrouded in mystery like her.... Despite that though, Sento also pulls the past being pointless when questioned by Banjou about how Sento prefers being Build rather than looking for his past (though he'd act rash when his past was involved). Of which Tsukuyomi also doesn't seem to be someone mainly seeking for her past (not that she isn't fully unaffected by her past stuff), her goal is not changed from her other appearence, to create better future for others. But finding your past can be also really damn important to accomplish your current goal too though! Regardless of how your personal feelings towards them are though, Swartz and Tsukuyomi's confrontation at ep. 28 was really meaningful and their feud continues here (d̶i̶d̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ ̶u̶s̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶t̶e̶r̶m̶ ̶'̶d̶o̶-̶g̶o̶o̶d̶e̶r̶'̶ ̶h̶e̶r̶e̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶i̶g̶n̶o̶r̶e̶ ̶T̶s̶u̶k̶u̶y̶o̶m̶i̶ ̶a̶t̶ ̶e̶p̶.̶ ̶2̶1̶-̶2̶8̶?̶), Swartz's the main one related to Tsukuyomi.

As Agito is stylized as AgitΩ, Sougo thinks it's Agitomega of which is a gag that Woz has to correct (s̶o̶ ̶e̶v̶e̶n̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶a̶ ̶g̶a̶g̶,̶ ̶w̶r̶o̶n̶g̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶n̶g̶s̶ ̶a̶r̶e̶ ̶c̶o̶r̶r̶e̶c̶t̶e̶d̶!̶). Don't know if Shouichi pulls stupid and exposable move or that it's actually a smart one for others, as his restaurant has Agito namesake and thus Sougo easily uncovers the problem by searching towards it. Another(er) Agito being zombie attack makes it a one of a kind among Another Riders, it's different from others that There can only be a single Kamen Rider Agito active, anyone else just becomes either an offshoot creature like Gills or the original Another Agito. It means that the Time Jackers' Another Agito can exist in hordes, though Shouichi isn't entirely affected by the Another Watch making alterations to his timeline. The other problem, likely more about the Rider device, is the limit of Quiz's power, as Woz uses it, he doesn't get an answer as his question was not predetermined. So that still means somehow Quiz still exists despite White Woz's timeline erased.

I mean, the OOO episodes are so weird that I'm not sure I'd look to anyone's uncharacteristic activities in that story as proof of a mystery. Could just be some bizarre writing choices!

It's really a winner, yeah.

It feels like they wanted to front-load the series with actors they could get back, and then eventually deal with the shows they couldn't get anyone big back for.

It's so good that I wasn't even furious that Ozawa and Houjou weren't in it! (Yet?)

Good catch!

The difference is that her past is now potentially tied up in the Time Jackers schemes, and her powers are a new development. Her immediate priorities have changed, and she has a personal goal of understanding her own mysteries. Like, she can still have a long-term goal of Saving The Future, while having a personal goal of uncovering her past. They don't have to overwrite each other or anything.

Woz doesn't have any additional information to share, but it sure as shit doesn't stop him from commandeering Tsukuyomi's speech.

KAMEN RIDER ZI-O EPISODE 32 - “2001 - UNKNOWN MEMORIES”

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/zio/zio32a.png

I mean, if you have to do a story where Tsukuyomi decides not to investigate the Troubling Mysteries of her past until later in the season, Shouichi’s the Rider you want to be the guest-star.

He’s a guy that never valued his past more than his present, so that’s absolutely going to be the lesson he imparts to Tsukuyomi. (Also, his past was just dumb stuff on a boat with an Agito Jesus, so you can see why he wouldn’t advise anyone to dig into their repressed memories.) It helps that it’s a lesson that the whole cast ends up learning at different points, making it more of an overall theme of the series than some random one-off life lesson. In the same way that Geiz was so focused on the needs of the future that he risked losing a friendship in the present, Tsukuyomi is so spun around about the Troubling Mysteries of her past that she runs out on the friends who need her right now. In both cases, it’s an overemphasis on the individual over the group. The Time Orphans take on all this weight, and view their problems as Their Problems, rather than something that their friends can help with. More than that, they miss the ways that their worries can be alleviated by focusing on the connections they have right this second. Keeping things present-tense can also keep you grounded, and it can let you better appreciate the support systems you have available to you. Probably pretty tough for four-dimensional commandos to understand, but it’s something worth keeping in mind.

The rest of the episode was good, but nothing that’s really worth unpacking.

Sometimes that happens! The whole back half of this episode is a gigantic battle against Evil Agito and a bunch Another Agito mooks, and it was definitely fun to watch. It just… it’s a big fight! It’s got a new song! (I think! I mostly don’t notice the music in these shows!) A ton of things explode! I mostly don’t care! Your mileage may vary (and I’m sure at least one person is going to tell me that the fight at the end of Episode 32 is one of their favorite Zi-O moments), but I found the whole back half of this episode to be entertaining, but weightless. There’s no real strategy to defeating the villains; it’s just overwhelming power. I don’t really understand why the Agito Ridewatch creates an exact duplicate of Agito, instead of the usual Another Rider thing. (I don’t even understand how the Anotherer Agito even exists without a Ridewatch as the power source?) The episode basically ended for me after the scene with Tsukuyomi and Shouichi at Restaurant Agito. The rest was fun, but nothing worth digging into.

As long as I’m griping a bit about an episode I enjoyed… like, Anotherer Agito wasn’t anybody? Just some monster? That’s– that’s it? Why was it so dead set on attacking G3 guys? What was even the strategy, besides causing mayhem? Was it just to get Shouichi to appear? If so, why not target him directly? And what was the plan once Heure had the Agito Ridewatch? Part of the reason I didn’t care much about the final battle is that the escalation of the Anotherer Agito plot was so tough to follow. There’s a ton of monsters to fight, but it’s pretty vague about what the monsters or villains are even trying to achieve in this story.

This episode ended up being a step down from the last one for me, but still a fun installment with plenty to recommend it. Great to see Shouichi in action, especially as Agito Trinity. (Woz’z absolute fanboy freakout was an episode highlight, if not a series highlight.) Tsukuyomi’s story, despite the COMPLETE AND TOTAL FAILURE of never saying Tsukuyomi Is Tsukuyomi, was a fun riff on a series staple. The villain and monster stuff was poorly explained and seemed to be only concerned with providing bodies to be detonated, but those detonations were pretty fun to watch.

…okay, now everyone can talk about the song during the fight while I try not to lose my mind over next episode’s return of two of my favorite Hibiki characters.

YES, I SAID IT.

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/zio/zio32b.png

The insert song that played was BELIEVE YOURSELF which played in just about every episode in the first half of Agito. It coming on along with the big fight scene is probably just about everybody's biggest memory and takeaway from this episode. For me personally? Yeah, it's like, a lot of flashy and good fun, which is usually the most I hope for from these guest-star episodes.

Also what, the Time Jacker's plan makes no sense? Next you're going to tell me that Sougo still wants to be king, or that Woz goes Iwae in this episode...!

The Zi-O Trinity and Agito Trinity fight is probably one of my favorites. It feels like a little snippet of a movie fight. Real fun stuff. Also Woz's fanboy freakout is great, so is the ensuing argument:

Geiz: I told you to quit embarrassing me!
Woz: Quiet, right shoulder
Sougo: You're both shoulders though...

And just Tsukuyomi being so done with it while Shoichi is like "Yeah, what a great friendship."

Speaking of Tsukuyomi though, real good stuff. Slight missed opportunity on some stuff but I'll talk about that at a later date. But yeah, overall good set of episodes and I consider the Blade, Agito, and our next tribute episodes a real good streak of episodes.

Speaking of next episodes, we've got two BGM Swaps this time. The obvious one and then a special one because of what shows up next episode and the date in which these episodes aired.

Zero's Legend Episode Previews Corner - EP 33 Preview:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qi71CqFXZ34

This two-parter was more like it.

After a big string of episodes that try to cram in a whole lot of what amounts to nothing, these two episodes do a great job at staying focused, giving good character development, and treating the returning characters with their due respect.

I was already on board as soon as I saw what they did with Another Agito(such a good meta gag!), but the above combined with some great action, wonderful character humor, and the return of Agito Trinity absolutely sold it for me. I really wish that Zi-O Trinity had debuted here, rather than just popping out of nowhere in the Blade tribute.

But most importantly, Tsukuyomi finally got her due, and having her be the one to learn from Shoichi was the obvious best choice they could've made.

Still, I do wish atleast one other character could have come back...


Makoto Hikawa, or as I call him, the REAL main character of Agito!

What started off as an obvious expy of Ichijo from Kuuga ended up evolving into a unique character in their own right. In a plot that made absolutely no sense, Hikawa and the G3 Police were always there to deliver with great character comedy and solid development. I'm not exaggerating that when it came down to it, I was basically watching Agito solely for them. They're the source of all of my favorite moments from Agito, and I'm so glad they ended up the way they did.