[Fish Sandwich]

Ryuki 45-46

Asakura makes his entrance in 45 running away from a nearby patrol car heading to the scene of the other patrol car that currently has two cops lying nearby who are almost certainly not just taking a nap. This pretty definitively confirms that the reason Asakura can run around freely is indeed because he murders everyone who tries to tell him he can't. It's a quick little scene but it does a lot for his character, and through implication puts his body count way higher than Toujou's could ever be, in case you forgot who the real bad guy is here.

Now, Toujou, that guy is a hero. Maybe. Probably not. I don't know. But neither does he by the end of his storyline, and I've always felt that resolution fit his character perfectly. Toujou is very, very empty on the inside, and when he decides to go about fixing that the way he does, it wouldn't make a lot of sense for him to get exactly what he wants in the end. I have to say, even though I've always liked Tiger, seeing this show again has raised my opinion of him a lot higher than it was. He's probably up there with Raia at this point for my favorite Riders in Ryuki, and I'm gonna miss seeing that creepy, blank face of his.

Of course, Shinji's the actual hero, so I like him a whole lot too. The plot is in its final stretch and now that the clock is ticking down he hits his lowest point yet. He's struggled with indecision the entire series, and after learning the true purpose of the Rider Battle, he's pushed to go against everything he's believes. You see, Kobayashi's version of Shinji is actually ineffectual, too, only in a more dramatically interesting way. Despite all his big talk throughout the show, he's never made any real progress when it comes to stopping Kanzaki's schemes or keeping the Riders from killing one another. When you get down to it, it's been out of his hands the entire time, and in these last episodes he really has to confront that.

Den-O 45-46

You know, one thing that's impressed me about Den-O that I feel I should mention before I finish up with it is that you actually see Den-O on his bike a lot. Not just to drive the train either, although I always thought that was clever, too. He doesn't always get it in on the action, but most of the times it makes sense for him to be driving somewhere, you'll get at least a shot or two of him riding along. I've always had a soft spot for the Den-Bird even though (or because?) it's such a simple design, and after going back through the show, I think that's the big reason why.

As for the episodes, they're great, but I find myself totally stumped when it comes to saying anything I haven't already said a million times about Den-O. Which is weird, because this arc is where all the story's secrets start to get revealed leading into the final few episodes, so you'd think there would be a lot to mention, but I seriously can't think of anything unique to talk about. Besides Momotaros' tragic attempt to avoiding hurting Santa Claus in his fight with a snowman. That was pretty awesome.

Also, apparently someone realized the horrible mistake they made in using Climax Jump Den-Liner Form for the opening, because it's back to normal starting with 46. The song, that is, the pointless clips are still there, but I forgot I even got thrown this much of a bone, so I'll take what I can get.

OOO 45-46

Firstly, just in case OOO wasn't flipping enough tropes on their head already, the heroes actually decide to mount a surprise attack on the villains house, instead of the other way around. You know, because realistically speaking, it makes sense for them to be proactive about that sort of thing. As does the explanation for why they're only now trying this.

Secondly, these episodes do a brilliant thing by taking everything we've been shown about the Greed throughout the series, and putting it into context to make it clear how horribly tragic their existence is. As usual for OOO, the story here is exceptionally tight, and this central idea accomplishes several things at once. Above all else, it makes you feel some pity as you realize it's basically impossible for them not to be the way they are, but the real kicker is how much it makes you realize what Ankh has been going through. There have been hints of it here and there, but starting here it really becomes apparent how much he resents his situation, and on top of proving himself to have a far, far deeper grasp on what's wrong with the Greed than the others, you also find out that all his evil scheming is to attain something so simple any person would take it for granted. The scene where he talks to Hina in 46 in particular is incredibly emotionally charged, and it's as much because of the implications of what's being said as the words themselves. It's more of that layered, three-dimensional writing I keep finding myself praising over and over.

And thirdly, on the subject of layers, all that drama with Ankh then further feeds into Eiji's ongoing predicament, as while Ankh becomes more and more human, Eiji becomes more and more of a Greed. They're both gaining a much greater understanding of the other, and when they finally clash, it's one of the most memorable moments in a show that, I'll say again, is filled with memorable moments. Characters this fully-realized practically write themselves after a point, but putting them in these situations which such perfect timing never stops being impressive. It's the absolute maximum amount of drama you can have, with details as considered as Eiji's gradual transformation into a Greed giving him a left forearm to further emphasize his status as Ankh's opposite number. That's so cool! Everything about this show is so cool!