https://i.imgur.com/esoEKTC.png

One of the big joys of going back to a show you've forgotten so much about is whenever you get to feel pleasantly surprised by something you had been remembering incorrectly for so long. Case in point, I was under the impression Kabuto held back a lot more on Tsurugi than it does.

I had it my head he spent a good while as just some comically obnoxious jerk before the scripts start taking him places and adding depth to him, but uh... that's pretty much all here in this one already? Or at least a lot more than I expected. I even worded my post on the last episode pretty ambiguously when it came to what exactly makes him a favorite character of mine, thinking I might be jumping the gun on developments that could be dozens of episodes away. But no, I only had to wait one episode to tell everyone the basics of why Tsurugi is great, and I'm happy to see so much agreement already pouring in from everyone.

(Oh, and as a quick side note: of course we're calling Tsurugi that when it literally means "sword" and he's the guy with the sword; the simplicity makes it easy to remember! Although between him and Daisuke, I'm now realizing there's a weird split in this show between characters who nobody calls by their family names and ones who nobody ever refers to by their given names. Like, when's the last time you ever saw somebody talking about Souji or Arata? Never, right?)

Anyway, I'd break what makes Tsurugi great down into three major points, and none of them have to do with his construction as a foil to Tendou. The more the series pushes him away from that concept, the better it does for him as an individual, naturally. That being said, I will take this time to give credit to just how much Tsurugi in particular went to the extreme ends of that concept. The utter lack of subtlety, even giving him his own egocentric catchphrase derived from his name's meaning, I don't mind it, honestly. For a guy who wants to stand at the top in everything he does, Tsurugi certainly represents a sort of pinnacle for rival Riders who act as foils to Tendou. It would've worn out its welcome had that been all there was to him, but thankfully, that's not the case.

Instead, we've got a character who, first of all, has a surprising capacity for honestly admitting his own faults. Not that he's even that great at it, mind you, but he's certainly better at it than most people in this series; the idea that Tsurugi would genuinely be willing to put in the work to be a better person, and is ultimately kept from doing so more from simple ignorance than from anything actively malicious, I find it does wonders to keep him endearing. Stemming right out of that, the second thing is that his botched attempts to exist among the common people are just plain funny. Watching him constantly bumble his way through daily life the way only a rich fool could, it's hard not to fall in love with it after a while. The poor guy is just trying so hard, you know?

The other big thing is that the show instantly takes his vendetta against the Worms, and makes it far more intriguing than it otherwise would be by having the cruel twist that Tsurugi is one of the monsters he's fighting. Dead sister or no, a guy who goes around single-mindedly pursuing revenge could easily come off cold and unlikable, but when you throw in a dramatically ironic fate like this, I think that gets the viewer to feel for them in more complex ways. It's also a sort of throwback to the classic trope of the Rider being a monster, which I always love, but admittedly, it's probably incidental in this case. Tsurugi's particular setup is pretty clearly more of a natural outgrowth of the premise of the Worms as shapeshifting imposters than anything. Still great stuff, though, and also by far the thing I was most shocked to see revealed this early on! For whatever reason, I didn't think the viewer gets more than minor hints about this for a while. Perhaps I was mixing Tsurugi up with a certain ashen wolf monster this whole time?

Who knows, but at any rate, I'm happy to have Tsurugi and all his crazy baggage here again. The episode built around all this is, once again, notably simplistic, but never a drag or anything. There's a bit of a running gag in this one where Kagami is constantly doing the worst job feigning ignorance when the subject of those mysterious phantom thieves comes up, and if I could single anything out from that side of the plot I want to people to know about, it's that for sure. Just scene after scene of Kagami being a sweaty, nervous wreck who seems one good question away from cracking like an egg at any given moment. It's hilarious, while also highlighting the sort of childlike earnestness Kagami has that ultimately makes him Kabuto's definitive hero, even if he's not always the best at it. But hey, I'm sure he'll get there one day, right?

I mean, that's the scene where I'm like Oh No I Really Like Tsurugi. Just that childlike smile, the way he downplays an accident that injured several people and got him detained by the police as Pobody's Nerfect, wacky shenanigans... but he's genuinely grateful to Jiiya for coming to get him, and bashful about the slight hiccup of causing a vehicular collision. Like, it felt like the show was going to keep up Tsurugi's dismissive attitude, but he honestly cares for his dedicated manservant? He values Jiiya's opinion? And wants Jiiya to be proud of him? It's very sweet, in an unexpected way.

(Also, I need to mention that the show gave Tsurugi the same haircut as Tendou, and that makes me laugh.)

(Also also, we're at Episode 20 and Kagami officially needs a haircut.)

(Also also also, absolutely zero screentime for Hiyori in this one, which cold suuuuuucccccckkkks.)

(Also also also also, Merry Christmas, everybody. I asked Santa to give you all something nice, but he said only Tendou deserved any gifts this year. I tried!)

Orrrrrr..... we have been given the gift that is Tendo - a gift that just keeps on giving :lol

Seriously, though, merry Christmas and happy all the holidays~

I like to think that Tendou would insist that he could deliver gifts to every child on Earth in one night better than Santa can. He would refuse to, of course, because it would be far too altruistic for him. Then he’d probably do it anyway, but insist that it was only to prove a point.

"Look, everyone! It's Santa Tendou! And he's giving everyone... a Playstation SIX?!"

It’s like the PS5, but made of tofu.

Sounds like a good competitor for Kusaka's XBox 913 X.

The former is completely right, yes, you can have problematic fave. But for the latter no, this doesn't mean you can lie and bend what they are like in the canon story and make saints out of them. Like, for instance, if they’re doing horrible and violent things in story they’re still a horrible person, until they correct their behavior, doesn’t matter if someone’s misguided. For example Frollo (Disney version) is an interesting villain, but he's a horrible people, and his actions aren't justified or excusable.

Which people, not in few amount for other series, overlook, justify and rationalize (something like murder of so many innocent people being justified). One of the reasons they do that is because they want their favourite morally ambiguous or fully morally bankrupt character to gain social and moral approval from others, likely because they personally relate with their bad traits, but it's used in bad way; they project themselves onto those character, so they seek and feel entitled for moral approval for both those characters and themselves. Therefore, if those wrong acts are viewed as right and justificable, they can sweep their behavior under the rug and make believe it's perfectly fine. They can continue their bad behavior and not think anything about it. Some people are so battered that they will support the bad behavior and do everything possible (and defending those kind of character in fiction is one of the ways) to make believe it's not happening and sweep it under the rug. This is a twisted view and logic. They think that if you have a valid-enough reason, it’s automatically okay. Those audiences actually should be frank and admit that the morally ambiguous or bankrupt characters they defend and themselves are morally imperfect and deserving of criticisms.

To be flawed is human after all, (and non-toxic flaws too like morally upstanding characters such as Eiji with his psychological trauma), most good characters have them and they're interesting that way, but
don't overlook those flaws, better admit them. Especially if the character is morally ambiguous or outright bankrupt, it's messed up to overlook the horrible deed ones coming from those.

I was refering to the part where Hiyori remarked that both are high and mighty type, which is at the very beginning of Tendou and Tsurugi's clash. So for this one "two evenly-matched dudes fail to best each other" hasn't occured yet.

Yeah, Tendou is the least humble among the lead Riders (and later coming from same writer; Shoji Yonemura). He's far from the nicest Rider in the series, but he's anything but villainous. Kagami is worth counting btw, and... probably even he's not completely free from this, like how in ep. 2, he wanted Tendou to work for ZECT as someone he can boss around, and likely the part where he boasts about beating Worms alone (though probably, at worst, he's the type that won't look down to others unlike the other Riders). The Riders here except Kagami are not mere egoists, but with how they believe the world revolves around them and they want the world to bend to his desires; they're Ubermensch (and unstoppable ones at that), and that contrasts typical Rider series who were made to be relatable as a drama at its core, where they're (mostly) normal humans that put on belts to gain superpowers, adhere to the laws of physics (mostly), still have visible physical flaws no matter how much makeup you put on the actors, and that becoming an armored warrior like OOO or Gaim seems like a more achievable goal (relatively speaking) than, say, becoming a superpowered alien/wizard monstrosity like in for example, battle animes.

That's what contrasts Tsurugi to Tendou. Tendou can sometimes see what's going on, Kamishiro doesn't. He doesn't realize he's being overbearing until he sees how much Jiiya, is apologizing for him. He doesn't realize that he hurt people in a car crash because of his irresponsibility until Tendou explains to him that his sister was hurt in the crash. Having had a sister who was killed by a Worm, Kamishiro sympathizes and apologizes. And for Jiiya, while he doesn't seem to be as bad in elitism as Tsurugi, this is what I'd fear for Juka at first. Juka being blind to Tendou's action, blindly defending those and sees everyone else as wrong just because they're against Tendou. But she's not, when Tendou was being a prick to Kagami, Juka called him out. While in contrast, Jiiya just begs for others to forgive Tsurugi unconditionally, without actual regard on how bad Tsurugi's action can be, but asks for forgiveness for Tsurugi anyway just because he's Tsurugi.

Oh well, Kabuto being Kabuto, Tendou would never screw-up and that letting him lead is benefical to complete any mission, but as what I've said in ep. 6, this enforces "might makes right" mindset here of Tendou being allowed in any high position only because of his hypercompetence, that it's a flawed take that being never fail or lose; invincible is enough for anything; if someone's on that position turns out to lack moral decency; regardless of how good they are; strong/skilled person with decent morals but the lack of desire to use that strength/skill to serve others may well make a great sportsman, but will be a lousy leader. Tsurugi, for being a Rider, I think what he did should remind people about how having bad attitude can also lead to bad consequences (instead of just bashing the ideal heroes if they had naivety and thinking that behaving like Kaito is something that should be done and more effective), like Tsurugi engaging in fighting with Tendou as Riders that would just make the Worm run away, causing potentially further harm.

And so you said here you like heist stories... but you've criticized many of those that are alike of this in Rider series, like phase 1 ones. Kageyama is someone that inherits "Perfect Harmony", he seems to be self-righteous concering ZECT, the potential personification of what ZECT HQ Tadokoro worships. If someone in ZECT is a criminal, that can potentially do something bad to ZECT's image.

And, you said you like seeing characters like Misaki contribute to main plot, isn't that, basically, what organizations like ZECT and any of its members doing on a daily basis? But you criticize that as a story about a small group of friends/"friends" trying to stop a series of monster attacks, as a super generic/basic/stock/less-pejorative Kamen Rider setup. Phantom Thief Shadow is a one time method of this, but they always work on stopping threats. Besides, how Worm operates here reminds me of Grongis in Kuuga (but Worms have no actual motives revealed just yet), they attack in their weird and bizzare methods, like going for those with grey pants, or those that going for thugs here.

Favorite weapon for me would be those that can do more things at once; like something that shoots but also have melee attacks at the same time.

For someone who isn't into grimdark things like Faiz series (and those that deconstructs idealism as them being alone in their beliefs in the world, and optimism being crushed and learning to accept that the realities of the world don't match up to their ideals), I know you explained why you like him here, but how's for him if directly compared to other characters of the same type or worse ones, like those in the series you aren't into, or Tendou himself here.

I'm not sure I'd say 'grimdark' of Faiz? It's in the general direction of that, but I think I'd more likely use 'dour' or 'moody'. Which is to its credit; it's extremely good at all this, but it's not quite my thing. Though perhaps Fish will be happy to hear that on 555 I've gone from 'dislike' to 'I really respect what it's doing and am very impressed at how well it does it'! That's my christmas present to him, I suppose.

I'm not sure what you mean by "but how's for him if directly compared to other characters of the same type" - I think something was a little lost in translation there - but if you're asking my opinion on the other main riders in the show so far?

- I really liked Yagumura at this point and very much agree with everything Die had to say about him; I love that fantastic balance between "genuine good guy, but too egotistical" that is so uniquely Kabuto.

- Tendou I unfortunately have to say I'm simply not fond of; like I said before, I think the way he's written he walks an extreme tightrope between perfectly likable or perfectly dislikable depending on your tastes, and for me he falls into the latter. A very marmite character.

- Kagami I used to like a lot but I forget why now, hopefully this thread will remind me.

- Daisuke is basically Zolda, and like him he's a popular Inoue character I'm not fond of myself.

- And to agree with I think most the thread at the moment, yes, Kageyama absolutely sucks.


It's the Tsurugi and Yagumura show for me, I'm afraid!

As I've gotten older, I've stopped worrying about how other people respond to art. It's all personal and subjective, and it doesn't affect my ability to enjoy art if someone believes something in opposition to my own views. It's actually sort of neat? Everyone gets to decide what art means to them, even if it's something objectively wrong. The alternative is being a gatekeeper, policing people's opinions, and... naaaaaah.

Sure, but Hiyori's been around Tendou and the various Tendouncies (your Yaguruma, your Kageyama, your Daisuke) to already know that this one's going to be going into extra innings.

I think it's just Jiiya being a very permissive guardian? (I know he's a servant, but he's basically Tsurugi's granddad. He even gets called out the same way Tendou quotes his grandmother!) Jiiya definitely coddles Tsurugi, which is obviously not doing great for Tsurugi's humility.

I mean, I like pizza, but I'm still going to criticize a poorly-made pizza.

I don't know that I'd put Sitting In A Van Handing Out Judgment as anywhere near the same level as A Series Of Robberies That Trap A Worm? Misaki contributing to a plot needs to be more than just being in a shot.

It is! Or was! That was a story about them all just hanging around, waiting to see if they could catch a Worm in the act. Tendou was the one actively investigating things, which was some of the most fun parts of that story.

KAMEN RIDER KABUTO - EPISODE 21

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/.../kabuto21a.png

This is as back-to-basics as I feel like Kabuto can get, a swing back from the insanity of those Inoue episodes. It's an approach that makes for a pleasant enough experience, with a mix of positives and negatives.

The big positive is, like, Kagami! It's a Kagami spotlight episode! It's not really one that's showing any new sides of Kagami, but more a story about reaffirming his qualities. He's impetuous, he's gullible, he's earnest, he's committed, he's prone to bouts of self-sacrifice, he's not great at working in a team. All of those core attributes get a workout here, with Kagami trying to save a young boy from a nest of Worms.

It's a decent plot, with a few little twists. The main one is that, for an episode that's only vaguely interested in exploring what, if any, strategy there is to the Worms activity at the factory, there's some emphasis placed at the end that they are up to something. It addresses one of my biggest problems in the episode, and something that's been a minor distraction for most of the series. Namely, what in the hell do the Worms want? They'll murder some people, impersonate others, they seem to understand that ZECT is their enemy... it's relentlessly vague, with a threat that seems to increase or decrease in relation to the episode's plot. There's not a consistent sense of danger, and I liked that this one eventually revealed that, yeah, it is super weird that all of these Worms are just hanging out at a factory for days on end.

The other big part of the story this time is A New Zecter, which... I mean, we just did A New Zecter story, and that's only five episodes after the last A New Zecter story. We're only on 21, and this is our fourth A New Zecter story. What is this, Ex-Aid? And the plot for this one is... I like the new Zecter. (I've actually heard of Gatack, which is nice!) A Zecter that needs to be tamed, mastered, that's a fun idea. The way the Gatack Zecter scenes are shot, like it's some wild animal you shouldn't get too close to, those are all great. The only problem is, it's all leading up to Kagami risking his safety by demanding the Gatack Zecter's power to save Makoto, the boy at the factory, and it's a bit of a hurdle for me.

Because we already did a story about Kagami becoming a ZECT Rider, and he quit because they immediately ordered him to kill Kabuto. The same thing would happen again, wouldn't it? Haven't we closed the door on Kagami becoming a ZECT Rider?

The episode finds a little cover for it, mainly through Kagami's attitude. While the script never has anyone outright say You Had This Job Before And You Quit (you'd think Misaki would bring it up, especially if she's trying to talk Kagami out of it), Kagami's demeanor is a lot more solemn than when he was TheBee, and it's clear that he will do whatever it takes to save Makoto. I'm guessing he's already done the math that this will put him in conflict with Tendou, and he's okay with it.

Speaking of Tendou, it's a very nice little plotline he's in with Hiyori, Tsurugi, and Jiiya. It's not a subplot that's really doing a ton, mostly playing up Jiiya and Tendou's culinary skills while letting Tsurugi be his Upbeat And Condescending self. (When he runs down La Salle and pats himself on the back for deigning to eat commoner food!) It's very sweet, though, with Tsurugi as a spoiled Fancy Lad, while a nonplussed Hiyori treats him like some bizarre approximation of a human being. Everyone in it is funny, and I could probably watch an entire episode of Tendou and Hiyori serving food to Tsurugi. (Moment of the episode is when Hiyori tells Tendou he's going to have to be the chef, and he's like Okay But Things Are About To Get Nuts. He knows the expectations of this plot!) It's more about weaving all of these characters together, letting them bounce off one another, than really learning anything new.

Which is maybe the best way to describe this episode? As much as Kagami gets the spotlight here, and I do love that he did, nothing in this episode is revelatory. He's an easy character to root for, because of how much of an underdog he is compared to everyone else on the show. (Makoto is not thrilled to have to depend on Kagami for his safety!) Like, he completely forgets that the person he talks to at the factory might be a Worm, and I'm not convinced that the exposed Worms couldn't've talked him out of shooting them if they'd just said they had a skin condition or something. He wants to be of use so badly, but he's so bad at everything. His character is more or less defined by his Very Big Feelings, not a laundry list of successes. Seeing him bumble through a spotlight episode that ends with him being hospitalized... yeah, sounds like an episode about Kagami!

A QUESTION

It's Christmas Day as I'm typing this, and I hope it is/was a good one for you. This isn't in any way a Christmas episode of Kabuto (I mean, it's almost Tsurugi's birthday in this one, and the world will be celebrating his divinity, but that's maybe a bit of a stretch), but we can always pretend it is. If you could give one physical gift to a character from Kabuto, what would it be and who would you give it to?

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/.../kabuto21b.png

This is relevant to the question of the day but man maaaaaaaaaan is having “big feelings” and not a lot of successes a mood for me.

This episode… it’s a prelude to another episode which is much funnier and more awesome. But I still had this to say when I first watched it.

Which I later realised made Kagami a less memetic version of Mutsuki (remember him. “Saikou da”, not getting any power ups, having to announce Chalice’s attacks when using his cards?).

I love this episode and the next one. The A-plot with Kagami and the Worm nest is really tense and engaging. I really like how they play Makoto. I was legitimately uncertain if he was a Worm or not and I’ve seen this episode before. Yes, everyone tells him that the kid is a Worm, but the show gives us enough to question it that we can understand where Kagami is coming from.

The part I like the most, though – and this is one of the moments from Kabuto that has absolutely stuck with me for the long term - is when Tendou gets brought into the picture. I don't know if there's a scene in the entire series that
better encapsulates Tendou and Kagami's relationship - and Tendou's character in general. Kagami is hospitalized after going off on some damn fool idealistic crusade and Misaki calls Tendou for help. Tendou immediately says no and hangs up the phone. Then he shows up anyway. For me that is probably one of the most iconic Tendou moments in the entire series.

Oh man, that one made me laugh.

There's a reason why Kagami is the POV character for the series!

It's definitely one of the smarter points in the story. Kagami is terrible at figuring out who's a Worm (in many episodes!), and the Worms end up duplicating him. It's entirely possible that Makoto is some sort of trap for him. His belief that Makoto is a real boy who needs his help is 100% Kagami: he's probably being tricked, but the chance that he's not has got him all-in on saving this kid. Kagami's dedication and faith... they're both his greatest weaknesses and his greatest strengths.

I mean, it's a good one, but it's also a very typical Tendou scene to me. The whole No I Won't Help But I Helped Anyway Except Not How You Wanted is... it's 90% of the Tendou/Kagami dynamic? It's a fun scene, but I'm not sure it stands out more to me than when Tendou gave Kagami the win against the Worm a few episodes back, or when he shows up at the baseball field to blow up Kagami's fake brother. This was a good one, though! Glad it's one that you remembered.

https://i.imgur.com/sufiKHF.png

This episode and the next are rather pivotal ones for Kabuto as a series, so it's maybe not too surprising that the A plot here is one I've managed to keep a solid recollection of even as so many others leave me drawing a blank.

The atmosphere is unquestionably great throughout, and I think that's key to how strong an impression it left. Right from the first scene, that introduces the Gatack Zecter, it's just way too memorable to forget. A tiny robot beetle brutalizing Tadokoro is some big metal box, with the injuries being left to the viewer's imagination, only showing us the outside view, as the walls of the box keep getting dented from the implied violence going on inside... it's like something out a horror movie, right down to the creepy ambient sounds and appropriately moody lack of light... even if that last thing is how ZECT rolls all the time anyway. It's also delightful in that way I love from Kamen Rider, because the big scary monster in this movie is, again, a tiny robot beetle. One colored in a bright, appealing blue, at that. That gap between the seriousness with which the situation is being played and the inherent silliness that comes with the genre is what I live for, and as such, "tiny robot beetle beats people up in box" would likely crack a top 3 list of things from Kabuto I remember most vividly. It's a great intro sequence, with typical strong direction from Tasaki, and it sets the stage perfectly for an episode that feels like it's going above and beyond from start to finish.

Which is perhaps a weird thing to say? I don't really disagree with Die that this is a solid back-to-basics episode not doing anything too unexpected, but, let's see, how do I put this...? It feels way more focused than normal to me, and I think that's what's making up for how well-trodden much of the ground here already is. It's solid like a diamond.

Kagami's character is encapsulated perfectly, to a level not even other episodes focused on him can quite claim. They really packed in every last aspect of his personality. He's supremely easy to root for here, and you can start to see some growth from the last time he was trying to slap on a Belt and be a Rider. It's interesting to note that Kagami is the sole character in the show we've actually seen becoming a Rider, too. Tendou was simply waiting on the Zecter for years before we meet him in the premiere, and everyone else, including Kageyama, just kind of has theirs when we see them transform for the first time. I kinda like this touch because I think it makes Kagami that much more easy to identify with, and I give the show bonus points for having his motivation to become both TheBee and Gatack be an in-the-moment desire to protect people. Again, most other Riders in this show have some big life philosophy or belief or whatever that drives them, but your boy Kagami is doing this because he sees an opportunity to save lives, and that's what matters to him, simple as that.

Tendou's love of cooking gets some great attention, with him finally finding another cook on his level. The usual gag of him saying he refuses to help and then helping is done fantastically on both ends, with him bluntly hanging up on Misaki in a hilarious fashion, and then having his usual quoting of his grandmother subtly show his respect for Kagami when he goes to save him, which he also does in an epic sequence involving Kabuto getting tackled out of a high up window by the Worm and Casting Off in midair. It's pushing the limits of what the show's budget can even allow for right now, and is shot in a way that pretty cleverly works around those limitations. It's a brief sequence in terms of length, but it's clear some real effort went into it.

And as my final proof it's an almost definitive episode of Kabuto, Hiyori gets to say "nande boku ga...", which makes any episode of this show twice as good as it would be otherwise. And in an episode that's already firing on all cylinders, to boot! There's not a thing to really complain about with this one. Great direction, and an impeccable script from Yonemura, with tense drama and comic relief that somehow doesn't get in the way of that. Can't wait to see the back half.

Hope you had a happy holiday(s) that wasn't too busy! If I was Kamen Rider Santa, I'd get Kagami a mackerel. I have it on good word that he appreciates those.

It's a little surprising to me that folks keep calling 21 out as One Of The Good Ones, since I found it to be sort of... stale, maybe? It's solid, like you said, but the way that it doesn't really push the characters forward (Kagami's plot is a mix of his stint as TheBee and the two-parter where he needs to prove himself) is... or, it's finding a different shading to Kagami, and accentuating his personality, but it felt like it was missing any sort of surprise to it?

Like, that's where it felt weak to me: I didn't learn anything new about Kagami in this episode, but it's an episode devoted to explaining Kagami.

would you also get him an invoice for it though

;)

I have to assure you that I'm not a fan of gatekeeping and policing opinions either, and had personal experience with that too, but the opposite end ain't pretty either, which is why rules are put in places like Tokunation. But well I just hate bad behavior being given free passes. That's indirect offending and lowkey as bad as breaking those rules. And talking up of it as only "art" for fiction, some people, whether kids or adults, overestimate their immunity against being influenced by the shows they watch. They can keep saying that its just fiction, and they know what's reality and what's fiction, so I won't be influenced by those shows, but if they keep watching more and more of those shows, their resistance may slowly erode, and eventually they will gradually start to agree that, for example, "doing bad things for the greater good" has some merits. Worse, they might even get to the point where they think "doing bad things for the greater good" is the morally right thing to do. This behavior should be disproved too like those gatekeepers; and parental guidance are recommended when kids watch TV shows: kids need to be told that oftentimes, what happens in the plot of a TV show does not reflect reality, while problematic faves can be owned by anyone (including me), they shouldn't act in real life like how characters in those TV shows do, or rationalize those.

It's not doing great for Tsurugi's humility, but my point refers more to the others that are victimized by Tsurugi, which will had even worse experience, and just asked to forgive Tsurugi without valid reason. Tsurugi can easily get away with a lot by this, just like many people only due to having powerful position. Ironically "how to be a good emperor" lecture aside, this behavior can potentially shape a dictator.

Like I said before, ZECT members are mostly professional ones (and some can take that to a disturbing degree like Yaguruma and Kageyama with Perfect Harmony), so most of their scenes are them doing ZECT job. A good part of it can be antagonistic though, like them hunting Kabuto user, so Misaki, Higashi, Mishima, etc. spend their times hunting Tendou, while Kagami (the one that can ruin their job) is the one that had more conflict about Kabuto being Tendou and asked for informations from him instead, while later Misaki also follows suit. Or trying to recruit other Rider users like Daisuke to ZECT (both Misaki and Kagami did). And just because those are maybe less memorable than Phantom Thief Shadow, doesn't negate what they're doing, like trying to investigate which Worm between 2 Yukis in ep. 3, Shadow hunt and figuring out the traitor (which exposes the Worm too) in ep. 12-14, etc.

Well yeah, every bad guy since Kuuga had a motive of some kind behind their attacks. Grongis were playing Gegeru. The Unknown were targetting people with Agito Seed which had potential to overthrow. The Orphnochs were trying to create more of their kind and had to kill humans in order to do so. The Worms? Well, so far they replace humans. They also somehow take a page from the Grongi and sometimes target only specific types of people? Otherwise I can't talk more about this because this is spoilerific.

Kagami, apart from wanting to beat Worms, if his boasts about killing Worms by himself is any indication, he knows that he's a bad luck magnet, he knows that he's a wreck, he knows that he's a buffoon, his motive is that he also wants to be special, he wants to be cool and badass, by that he wants to be a Rider to contribute more and be cool. He got to experience it a bit as TheBee. By that he'd jump in a chance to become a Rider with Gatack Zecter being there.

Closed the door on Kagami becoming ZECT Rider? Are you sure? Of course you won't do this because this will be spoiler (although this part of the plot isn't a plot twist like Banno being revealed surprisingly as actual villain), but if you ask someone who are Kabuto's Riders; primary, secondary, tertiary, etc. Probably this episode also reinforces about how Kagami is the morally upstanding one, closer to typical main Riders, with how caring and devoted he was to saving Makoto, who he just met and a stranger in a factory. But this reinforces Tendou and Misaki's opinion about Kagami where he's hotheaded, naive, and can be an idiot who doesn't think things through. While this is Kagami's weakness, I want people to stay balanced if evaluating characters, like not only addressing Kagami's weakness but overlooking egoistic fighters like Tsurugi, team infighting for ego reasons also can be disastrious!

So Tendou has also met his other match, in Jiiya, for culinary skills. But of course, Jiiya's skill is only in culinary, while for perfect one like Tendou, his skill in any field is as high as culinay. It seems that Tendou have a soft spot towards those that can cook well, which apart from Hiyori, which was the one person he treats as well as Juka, he's also doing the same to Jiiya, which will be more prevalent in the next episode. Kabuto seems to be the one series where the restaurant's food and menu is played up more, as food is seemingly one of the stepping stones for several issues; like Hiyori figuring out Tendou being a killer or not, or Gon recovering her memories.

It's not a good one, for me. I'd choose Kagami for the character I gave a present, and the gift would likely be a self-defense weapon to help with his bad luck magnet. I don't think other characters except for a few would fully accept gifts if they aren't elite enough for their tastes though.

Sou sou, sore sore, "dour" and "moody" (though 'grimdark' can be used for these kind of medias by some people). What I mean by "how's for him if directly compared to other characters of the same type" means if compared to other morally ambiguous characters in the franchise (as cmiiw, but typically those that are dour features a good number of grey-zone characters), which yeah, you did here for Yaguruma, Kageama, Tendou (especially that you said you don't like him, but you like Tsurugi, which is basically Tendou 2.0), and Daisuke, but it can be franchise wide, like Zolda you mentioned there.

I am definitely not sure! But my concern was more that the reason Kagami quit being The Bee (ZECT wants to destroy non-ZECT Riders) hasn't really changed? It's still the policy of leadership that It's ZECT Or Death when it comes to using a Zecter (really weird employee handbook but what can you do), and there's no dialogue in this episode suggesting a) that's changed, or b) it hasn't changed but Kagami is fine with it. I can read into his grim determination to save Makoto that Kagami is willing to become ZECT's weapon if it means saving that kid, but I would've preferred the show address it. (Again: Misaki! She is trying to talk Kagami out of doing this insanely dangerous thing! Maybe use that argument!)

Aw, I'm sorry to hear that. Try and have a good New Year's!

KAMEN RIDER KABUTO - EPISODE 22

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/.../kabuto22a.png
https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/.../kabuto22b.png

I've said once or twice that doing an episode post for me isn't a final statement, it's a jumping-off point, a conversation starter. My initial thoughts on a story get to sharpen and clarify by discussing them with other fans. Usually it's just getting to understand something I've seen a little better. This time, I think it rendered me weirdly prescient, taking a comment from today's discussion and making it the focal point of this episode's beautiful and moving climax?

I almost want to just leave this post at that quote, since it's everything I found compelling and engrossing about this episode. There's a lot of little touches that are worth calling out (and I'll try to remember them all!), but the crux of this story is that Kagami and his Very Big Feelings are, to quote the Simpsons, the cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems.

I mean, this is an episode that starts with Kagami getting a pep talk from his boss that's basically If You're Going To Be An Idiot, Be The Best Idiot You Can Be. It's an episode that constantly undercuts Kagami's determination by pointing out how much trouble it gets him in. When he races off to the factory that Makoto's hiding in, he immediately gets surrounded by the Worms. There is no plan from Kagami, just emotion. He has absolutely no chance, as a normal human, to actually save Makoto from a nest of Worms. But he throws himself into that danger, because he can't stop himself. He will do whatever it takes to save this kid.

Who, of course, isn't even a kid at all. Makoto is a Worm, just like everyone's been telling Kagami. It's a trap, just like it seemed to be last time. And so Kagami is killed for his failure, for his naivete, for his misplaced belief in Makoto, for his stupid insistence that he could make a difference despite being powerless.

And then.

It all starts to wind back. Kagami isn't powerless; the Gatack Zecter comes to him, saving his life and giving him the strength to defeat the Worms. He wasn't wrong to believe in Makoto; some small part of him lived on in the Worm, and saved Gatack from the factory's explosion. His naivete wasn't his failure; he succeeded due to his blind faith that people are worth saving, that his Very Big Feelings were a strength. And so he gets to live another day, as Kamen Rider Gatack.

It's a fantastic sequence, and I get why these episodes stick in people's memories now. (I still think the first one isn't perfect, though!) This episode is all about breaking down Kagami, exposing his flaws... and then asking if those same flaws aren't really flaws at all? It's bold, to spend half an episode (and most of the rest of the series) to make him look like such a chump. Yet, somehow, all of that just ends up making his victory so much sweeter.

The trick is that Kagami doesn't learn a lesson here. It's not a story where he grows, or changes his mind, or whatever. It's... I mean, hilariously, it's what I dinged the show for last episode, but praise it for now: it's just reminding us who Kagami is as a man. All of the stuff it usually laughs at him for, it really delves into this episode and tries to explain. This story makes it tragic, and then makes it heroic. He's not more anything in this one. He's just Kagami, for better or worse.

Nowhere is that more apparent than the ending, which is a subtle twist on the ending to 4, the best ever Kabuto ending to date. (This one's good, but... man, 4. Tough to beat!) As the Makoto Worm tries to appeal to Gatack's sympathy by doing the You Wouldn't Detonate Wittle Owe Me routine, it looks like we're back at the baseball diamond, with Kagami unable to pull the trigger on his brother's memory. Kagami came to this factory to save Makoto. Can he really kill what's left of him? So Kabuto walks up, once again opting to make the hard choice that Kagami's too sweet to do. But Gatack stops him, says that he'll take care of it.

But he doesn't kill the Worm. Kagami takes his sympathy, his ability to care about the life the Worm stole, and turns it back on the Worm. He gives the Worm the moonbow that Makoto always wanted to see, the wish he was never granted when he was alive. It's not enough to stop the Worm (it charges Gatack), but it's enough to redeem Makoto's memory. A Rider Kick from Gatack finishes off the attacking Worm, but what remains of Makoto uses his final moments to save Gatack from the factory's explosion. It's kindness repaying kindness.

And that's Kagami, you know? He's not a smart fighter. (He jumps his bike in the most badass way, before getting knocked right the eff off of it by a Worm a second later.) But he won't let reason get in the way of his Very Big Feelings, since his Very Big Feelings are always pointed in the direction of Helping. He may be a burden, like Kagami once said. He may be an idiot, like Tadokoro said in this one. But he's always a hero.

(I hate consigning an entire subplot to a parenthetical, but there's really no way to fit in the Tsurugi stuff to what's going on in the rest of this episode. If you squint, you could say that the restaurant stuff is about Motivation, contrasting Kagami's Very Big Feelings with Tsurugi's spoiled dilettantism. Or maybe it could be about how the Tendou/Kagami guardianship and support contrasts with the Jiiya/Tsurugi relationship. But, no. The whole point of the restaurant subplot is to have a little levity in an otherwise dark episode. I mean, Kagami gets murdered in this one! You need some lightness somewhere. On that level, it's a roaring success, with an endless series of killer gags. In order: the dumb costumes Tendou and Hiyori have to wear for Tsurugi's party; how Tendou is deferential to Jiiya but rude to Tsurugi; Tsurugi's astonishment at basic foods; Tsurugi's awestruck delight at the newfound knowledge of a supermarket; just, everything with Tsurugi during that meal, all of it, every single second; Hiyori rolling her eyes at every syllable that comes out of Tsurugi's mouth; Jiiya paying for everything with a fork, possibly the one that Tsurugi threw away; Kageyama getting strong-armed into singing a birthday song to Tsurugi; and Kageyama singing it in the most off-key, off-putting way possible. It's such a fantastic subplot. Easily as funny as the rest of the story is thrilling.)

A QUESTION

Gatack! Let's talk about our slick new Rider. I mostly like the suit, especially how it's way more drawn from Kabuto's suit than the other Riders. Making it another kind of beetle is the easiest way to do that, with everything being a slight variation on Kabuto's aesthetic. The chestpiece in particular is, like, Kabuto But Blue Now. It's not a great look that we get this time, with the first Gatack fight being underground in the dark, but I did like most of what I saw. (Not crazy about the shoulder swords, but they'll probably grow on me.) What do you think of the Gatack costume?

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/.../kabuto22c.png

I like the Gatack costume! Not one of my favourites (Sasword, Kabuto and ~Final Form~ take it for me this season), but it's solid enough. I especially like how the swords come from inside the masked form gatling guns, that's really fun to me?

Though now we're at this point, the thing I wanna say about Gatack the most is... isn't it wild how all the stag beetle-based riders are utterly pathetic?

Kuuga - Probably the biggest stretch of this list, but boy does he get beaten up a lot!

G3/X/Mild - Yeah, uh, literally the weakest Rider in Agito despite Ozawa's genius. Barely wins any fights, always gets completely wrecked.

Garren - Enough said.

Gatack - Up until this point has been the biggest jobber of the series and the butt of so, so many jokes

Gatakiriba - Gets used all of twice, and the head component when used alone fries Eiji's head!



Why do they keep doing this to the stag beetles?! :lol

Okay, so first and foremost: I had completely forgotten about Kageyama being forced to sing Tsurugi's birthday song. That was amazing. I was laughing so hard I had to pause the episode to clear my head once the scene transitioned.

Secondly, I love the moment near the end - and I watched this last night, so forgive me if I miss some details - where Kagami tells Tendou that he hasn't really learned anything from this. That he is who he is and he'd probably do it all over again. He may have a shiny new Zector with the sexiest voice since the Faiz Gear, but that doesn't change a thing about who he is. It's such a Kagami moment and it's fantastic.

As for Gatack, I actually think I like the suit more this time around than I did initially. It's certainly less dynamic than Drake or Sasword and way less stylish than TheBee, but it's still a very solid design that just works. The Masked Form is great, too - love the ostentatious shoulder cannons that are also where the Rider Form swords are hidden. Also, he's another Rider who, like Kabuto, really shouldn't be able to move his head in Masked Form if that's really how the horns fold out.

Finally, I'd just like to note that we've started reaching peak Kagami's dad here. I don't remember if he ever gets more nonsensical than the Mozart speech, but this is up there as one of his more memorably bonkers scenes.

It is the greatest scene. It's so Kabuto it hurts

Tendo and Hiyori sitting in the background during Kageyama's incredibly awkward singing was a laugh-out-loud moment. So good.

Not that this is much in the way of analysis, but strong Aliens vibes in the factory story, in which Kagami is Sigourney Weaver. One of the reasons I was more inclined to give the first half a pass, which isn't exactly a ringing endorsement :lol But even so, this is another pair of episodes I've really enjoyed rewatching.

Couple extra random things about this episode that I thought up while eating dinner.

The main one is that Kagami's arc in this one really feeds into the theme of Humility, and I didn't see it at first. He's a guy that wants to be exceptional, wants be helpful, and he just doesn't measure up to the Riders. He keeps failing because he's not them. His success comes from accepting his limitations, and owning his flaws. He's never going to be Tendou, but he can still be a great Kagami. In fact, being a great Kagami might even be just as good as being Tendou. (Not really, but let's let him have this one.)

The other thing is that, with Kagami as a Rider, it really spotlights how the show split the traditional Primary Rider character in two. Tendou is all the skill, all the coolness; Kagami is all of the empathy, all of the kindness. It's like someone took Kuuga's thing of Protecting Smiles, and gave Protecting to Tendou, and Smiles to Kagami. Tendou is someone who will fight to keep you safe, while Kagami is someone who'll fight to make you happy. Interesting to me how the show managed that.

It's also incredibly dangerous to use, what with the physical injury and psychosis. Maybe don't pick to be the stag beetle hero, if you can avoid it!

This was maybe the episode where I loved Kagami's dad's theatricality and propensity for portent. He is offering his son up as a sacrifice to a divine being, like he was talking about last episode. It's maybe the most reasonable time to play the cello and compare your son's uncertain future to the death of a famous composer?

And, really, contrasting Kagami's everyman character with the most unhinged performance on the show (so far!)... I love it? I love that his dad is so bonkers, since Kagami's so average in every way.

Yeah, it really does. All those rows of unhatched Worms... so creepy!

https://i.imgur.com/EjzVjAS.png

Die already took the "I am who I am" quote, so please accept this more random screencap of Gatack as I celebrate Gatack now being in the show. This is such a moment, man! But before I get to that, let me just say I adore Gatack's design, and it was my favorite set of suits from Kabuto both before and after watching the series. I always thought it was clever how the Masked Form actively fights against the inevitably of the show only wanting to use the Rider Forms by having exclusive sweet shoulder cannons, and the Rider Form itself is a glorious spinoff of Kabuto, contrasted by an emphasis on more sharp edges, and of course, the blue color that guarantees I'd like it anyway. Even the voice of the Zecter is my favorite.

Moving on to the actual story, this episode does a thing I always use a sign of strong narrative focus, which is having a short cold open that lays out the theme of the story. There's a quote from Misaki in response to Kagami waking up in a hospital bemoaning his inability to become Gatack: "If you could become something just by wanting to, you wouldn't have any trouble." That's really the heart of Kagami's growth here, and yes, I'm going to disagree with Die's initial post and say this is very much a story about Kagami growing. You see, Kagami wasn't upset he failed to become Gatack; he's upset for the same reason he always is – because he couldn't become Tendou.

He wants nothing more than to be that cool guy who can effortlessly waltz into any situation and come out on top, but the thing he accepts here, the crux of his literal death and rebirth as Gatack, is accepting himself for who he is, and what only he can do, rather than lament who he isn't. When Kagami tells Tendou he can't be anyone but himself at the end, it's said with a sort of genuine contentment that I don't think he's ever felt before. It's the payoff to the theme established in the cold opening. A sort of realization that his flaws aren't the end of the world. Kagami can't be Kabuto, and TheBee and Shadow weren't for him, but he's the one and only Gatack, and that's his pride.

And, dang, I'm pretty proud of the guy for making it here, too, which is how I know this show is doing something right. This is a spectacular episode that continues all the same great direction, atmosphere, and surprisingly well-integrated comic relief, while also having the benefit of being the back half where the actual development happens. There's all these smaller touches all over the place that make every scene a joy, even down to establishing Tsurugi's habit of misplacing the emphasis on words, and even getting a quick fight in with Kabuto in his Worm form; Yonemura went out of his way to include both those things in the very first two-parter he used Sasword in, and he didn't even need to! Not when the main focus of the plot is on this level of importance.

It's a major turning point for Kabuto as a series. Merely seeing Kagami's name in the opening credits with "Kamen Rider Gatack" right under it is HUGE, and the episode itself lives up to that. Among the things in here I'm most fond of is something Die called out, which is how Gatack taking down the Worm at the end parallels episode 4's climax, very much bookending this stretch of Kagami's journey as a protagonist. I think what's extra impressive is that the show doesn't actively call attention to it in any way whatsoever. There's a subtlety to the writing in this one I was shocked to see from Yonemura, a writer I have evidently been severely underestimating all this time.

If the second half of this episode didn't go the way it went, the two screencaps were going to be Hiyori asking Jiiya if he was trying to pay with a fork, and the shot of the fork in the cash register. It's probably embarrassing to admit, but that insert shot of the fork in the cash-tray is my favorite part of 22, full-stop. Such a great punchline. I love that choice in the editing and direction so, so much.

Yeah, I came around a bit on that idea. I guess what I'd refine my statement to be is that it's not a story that suggests there's anything wrong with Kagami. While he does learn self-acceptance at the end, and he's able to partner/tame/control/embody/snuggle the Gatack Zecter, it's... it's like the Kagami version of Tendou's Walking The Path thing, where if you believe enough in the rightness of your actions, the world will move from your path. He's not any different, really, than in the first part. But he's got a clarity of purpose, along with the knowledge that he's willing to sacrifice anything, including his own life, for his ideals. It's less about learning a lesson and more about realizing you don't need to learn a lesson, if that makes sense?

This maybe sounds like splitting hairs, where we're both saying the same thing in different ways? I don't know! It's fun to think about Kagami, though.

For reference:

https://kamenriderdie.com/images/kr/kabuto/forkyou.png

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

I love Gatack! A big part of why I love the suit does come from the context of the show, having it be Kagami’s shining moment and also making such a killer duo with Kabuto. And CHANGE STAG BEETLE is just the best.

This episode is also the best. Kagami’s actions towards Makoto, even now knowing he’s a worm, was really great. It would have been so much less meaningful if he had just ‘toughened up’ and went for the kill, but it wouldn’t have been Kagami at all. And the end of the episode is by far my most vivid memory of the show and probably always will be, with Gatack and Kabuto standing in those ruins, and Kagami responding to Tendou saying without any shame that this is just who he is.

Alright now, I can circle around to what I said on the first episode of the show I believe and correct something I said that was purposely not entirely true.

I compared the show to Hibiki with the real protagonist not being the main rider and just being a non rider who gets to know the rider. I probably only implied that last part, but of course it's completely false and while both shows feature a protagonist that is not the main rider, in this case the protagonist is actually the secondary rider.

didn't way to spoil that bit as, in a move I don't believe Kamen Rider has done before, unless you count the first show, the secondary rider doesn't actually get his proper debut as the secondary rider until the show is nearly halfway over and only after quite a few other riders have already been in the picture. This was an odd choice, but not one I at all minded.

I did find it interesting what you said about the traditional rider being split into two different characters. I never thought of it that way, but that does make an odd sort of sense.

There was a point in the first third of Ghost, where Takeru has to make a choice between Winning, and being kind. I knew in the moment that if he chose Winning, I'd have to quit the show. Thankfully, it was a smarter series than that and I got to keep watching it.

Honestly, same thing here with Kagami. If he opted to Show His Strength or whatever by offing Makoto, I'd've probably lost all faith in the show. Instead, just like Takeru did with a different Makoto, he chooses to show kindness, even if it puts him at risk.

Such a fun show, Kabuto.

I think it's weirdly integral to Kagami's arc that, like, everyone gets to be a Rider before him. It reinforces his feelings of inadequacy and his desperation to contribute if he keeps missing his shot. It only works if it feels like it's never going to happen, you know?

Kagami's dad is amazing. He's like Cake Boss from OOO, but blazed out of his mind. And it's always the kind of high where you're really, really impressed with how amazing your own ideas sound to your altered state of consciousness.

Goro-chan: "Sir, your son has become Kamen Rider Gatack."

Kagami's dad: "Have you ever thought about Mozart? Like really thought about Mozart?"

Goro-chan: "..."

Kagami's dad: "Mozart."

I'm not sure if this counts as a spoiler because I don't remember if it's real or not, but I'm pretty sure there's an episode where he just starts dancing.

That was another amazing bit. I love how, once again, Hiyori's actress plays everything with such apathetic annoyance.

Kagami's dad has crossed the line into self-parody, and it feels real intentional? Like, I don't think we're reading him wrong by laughing at his self-seriousness and tendency to frame everything in analogies and parables. I don't think the same writer who had Jiiya offer to pay for Hiyori's time with a fork (while firmly believing that she was getting the better part of the deal by far) did not know that Kagami's dad is a joke.

Which, again, I love? I love how the show keeps finding weird angles to do incredibly stock stories. Like, Jiiya. Jiiya's great because he could be the Jim Reaction From The Office to everything Tsurugi does, but he's not that at all. He's so proud of Tsurugi, constantly, at all times. He honest-to-god feels lucky to be serving Tsurugi, despite Tsurugi being the least-functioning human being on a show that includes Kageyama. It takes the joke of Tsurugi, and then builds in another joke, which somehow double-negatives into being a relationship that feels real and sweet.

Kagami's dad and Goro, sort of the same thing? Kagami's dad is utterly insane, but Goro treats every non-sequitur and dissociative ramble as, like, pearls of wisdom, which makes it all seem like it still exists in the borders of the narrative.

It's a show that is definitely having fun with the conventions that it is adhering to somewhat slavishly.

Thank you all for reminding me I want a gattack zector.

Also Gattack is a fantastic design, I just love the blue/yellow contrast and the bright red eyes just seal the deal.

Well, I’m back with another round of homage explanations

Gatack/Kuuga (Stag Beetle)

Both have a pretransformed state (Growing Form/Masked Form)

Both get beat up constantly. (Thanks for that tidbit, Kurona)

Both are hailed as the strongest Rider within their setting. (Though both are also the weakest.)

And I’ll do a special comparison with, of all things, a Super Sentai duo.

Kabuto and Gatack/ KabutoRaiger and KuwagaRaiger (from Ninpuu Sentai Hurricaneger)

Both are based on the “Japanese Beetle Brothers” archetype.

Both have a red/blue colour contrast between members.

Both have a gun and a claw weapon as their weapon of choice (though KuwagaRaiger’s isn’t a pair of hedge trimmers)

In both duos, the blue one is the more approachable.

And heads up, the “after the next time trailer” clips will begin advertising the movie with the next episode.

Yeah, Kagami, as said by Tadokoro in this episode, is an idiot, although it's not something that is hateable within him, instead likely endearing to him. And that sums up how Kagami's not the brightest; he didn't use any plan to save Makoto, and he went there as a normal human to fend off Worms, just like he usually does. He's a reckless hothead with his burning desire to kill all Worms. I'd want for a series to prove that the type of Kagami's morality isn't inherently an idiot though, like probably Yusuke. I'd wonder if Kagami was actually too late where there's a real Makoto that is a genuine child, but he's killed by Worm that impersonates as Makoto, and was the one Kagami met at his 2nd attempt against him, or that Makoto is really the Worm from the beginning.

There you go. Kabuto's secondary Rider is Kagami, as Gatack. It took probably significantly longer than usual secondary Rider (who can appear second, or even first like G3 or Knight), but cmiiw, you seem to, understandably though, think that Kagami's done as a Rider after TheBee, but the merchandising of Kabuto blatantly tells otherwise. And I'd bring up again Tendou/Kagami's dynamic, where Tendou's the calm, unflappable, and stoic to Kagami's idiot, rash, struggling, unlucky and naive. This is reflected in their Rider form, which is ironically, Tendou's is red and Kagami's is blue (when Tendou's the blue to Kagami's red), but their eye colors are accurate.

Yeah, this part of episode resembles the 4, where Kagami struggles to kill a Worm due to the memories of the human they impersonate. Everything who Kagami is as a man is always heroic, just that succeeding or not depends. Kagami is usually a failure hero, and in worse case, even ruins the plan in his organization, but this one's similarly heroic and just Kagami, but this one's given a big triumph with the secondary Rider in Kabuto making a scene. Kagami truly didn't learn a lesson here as he keeps doing what he usually does, and that's encouraged by Tadoroko now and to a lesser extent Misaki.

And like above yeah, this time Kagami's decision, after stopping Tendou too, is rewarded like how he's Gatack now, with how the Worm shielded Gatack. Now it shows that Kagami's way has real benefit, and probably Tendou's right ahead to see it. Though still, Worms are two-faced (except apparently Makoto here who repaid Kagami's deeds), I want for heroes to acknowledge that being nice outside can just be an act, and that's crucial in saving others too and giving less time for those two-faced to hide behind their friendly facade to continue destroying in silence.

Well yeah, there's funny stuff in this episode, but that's in other plot entirely, nothing connected to Kagami's. So it's ok for the comedy part to be used on entirely the other part, and let the main plot be dark as ever to you? And I don't think that comedy is inherent "lightness", because for example if it's about how any toxic and crude behaviors being considered funny, and those actions being justified because of being hilarious without any regards to the victims where it don't matter as much as the comedic or entertainment value in those behaviours, then that's comedic sociopathy, and those engaging in that are emotional cruelty. Yeah as I said before, Tendou's probably have a soft spot towards chefs, other than Hiyori who he treats like Juka, there's also Jiiya here, who he outright consider humanity's treasure. Tendou being rude to Tsurugi is deserved for him though. Hiyori's catchphrase is "nande boku ga" (why me?) so her rolling her eyes is a continuation of that, of her being misantrophic, wanting to avoid people. They do finally show a scheming bastard, if put into mundane situation in Kageyama, that his attempt to blend in the crowd is just upsettling.

I probably like Gatack more compared to Kabuto, although I wasn't fully into the rugged stuff in his head (I know his motif is stag beetle, but probably can be done in better way for me).

Well yeah, this can be a debate between the charascter being OOC, or it being a character development if Kagami did finish off Makoto. And that's something I want to know and settle between character's changes. Where Kagami had a toughened up declaration where he won't forgive Worms that abuse trusts from humans.

One of the things this episode tries to do is disentangle Kagami's impetuousness/recklessness/stupidity from his kindness/empathy/generosity. Like, he's not an idiot because of his strong moral code, he's an idiot with a strong moral code. Part of what he realizes in this episode is that his quirks and idiosyncrasies aren't necessarily bad things.

And, I don't know that his burning desire is to kill all Worms? In this one, he's the one character who is trying to salvage some humanity from the Worms actions.

Huh! I'd read it as Makoto in both episodes being a Worm (I think he says in 22 that he was always trying to trick Kagami into holding off Shadow's attack, but once the Riders moved in there was no need for the ruse), but there's a chance that Makoto got switched out between episodes. Hadn't considered that!

I mean, I don't know if I want to make a rule about it or anything, but I think having a comedic subplot to cut away to (at least in the first half of 22) kept this thing from being too dark. As it is, the second half features Kagami being murdered by a boy he was trying to defend, so having some goofy-ass story about Tsurugi's birthday party was a pretty smart choice in the story. It still left room in the second-half of the episode to really drill into its themes and maintain a consistent atmosphere, so I'm good with it.

Sasword is still my favorite ZECT Rider suit but I like Gatack, he looks very cool and intimidating which is appropriate for the currently strongest Rider in the show.

He's also a blue Secondary Rider whose name is Kagami, which will later be repeated with Kagami Hiiro, who also had a joke father.

There's something else unique about the Gatack Zecter but I'll talk about that later when it becomes more relevant.

I think that's a good compromize. I've heard a lot of people call Kagami the true protagonist but I don't think that's entirely fair on Tendo. It's just that the former expresses heroism though feelings and the latter expresses it through actions. Tendo feels as well but he doesn't need to express them, since he doesn't need to prove his heroism to people by talking like a hero, he knows he's a hero and he doesn't really care if anyone else understands him. If someone looks at the sun and says "are you the sun?", the sun doesn't need to answer, it doesn't need to prove itself. It's the sun and Tendo is a hero, whether people accept that or not.

Tendo could be considered a personification of destiny, manipulating people towards a desirable outcome. But this destiny is soft determinism and Kagami is an anomaly in his world who refuses to bend to his will. On a chessboard, it's easy to underestimate the pawns, they're the weakest. But when a pawn promotes to a queen, the paradigm changes. That's Kagami. I think the idea of someone so infallible finding a rival in someone so flawed is intriguing and the reason why this story is just as much about Tendo as it is about Kagami. Now Kagami can express his heroism through both feelings and actions as Kamen Rider Gatack, a hero who stays true to his principles even when it gets difficult which is a quality so far unique to both him and Tendo as every other Rider in the show is either a poser or just doesn't have any noble principles.