[Kurona]

With the Rising Forms having just gotten completed and this being on the way - with toys to accompany - I would not have blinked an eye if the BeatChaser here was justified in-story as the TryChaser getting a Rising form. Heck, it doesn't even lack too much precedence given that Kuuga apparently is just able to power up bikes with his colour scheme and emblem. It would have worked perfectly fine, provided a structure for a decent episode, and allowed you to tell most any story you could.


And I am SO glad they didn't go for it! Again, I would have been happy; I wouldn't have been disappointed or anything, but there's something so great about them going above and beyond like this to not just make the stakes more interesting, but more importantly; have Ichijou and the police be so much more instrumental in Kuuga gaining the power he needs. Okay, Tsubaki gave him the electric shocks and they're helping every episode, but in comparison this is very very direct. It's like... it's like a reminder of just how important Ichijou and the police are in this, and really brings it full circle to when Godai first got the Trychaser. It feels like it follows similar beats to that episode and like it's a more progressed, powered-up version of it -- and well it should!


Something I'd like to highlight is how... absent Ichijou is for this episode. You mentioned it of course especially in relation to how it gave a chance for a different dynamic to rise between Godai and Sugita, and that's absolutely wonderful -- and there's lines in there from Sugita about his daughter that really struck my heart in how they were acted out. But there's something more significant here to me about Ichijou himself.

As already stated, this episode has thrown convention out the window a little -- as opposed to the usual formula, Godai starts out this episode as Kuuga fighting the good fight and riding the good ride. That's a bit of a break from him coming in as Kuuga at the end of the day to save things, and I think there's a bit of intention to that... because think about it.

The common Kuuga formula goes that Ichijou spends the episode leading the fight against the Grongi with little effectiveness; slowly figuring things out; and then when at the end Kuuga comes in on his bike to save the day. It's lovely and serves the series well.

This episode, however? Kuuga spends the episode leading the fight against the Grongi with little effectiveness; slowly figuring things out... and then Ichijou rides in on his bike to save Godai.

You already said how cool it was, of course, but I find it just a WONDERFUL roleswap to see Ichijou riding in. It's-- man. It really gets their relationship so well. Love this show.



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pretty sure this is where Gouram Pegasus Rising Gun comes from