[Kamen Rider Die]

KAMEN RIDER 555 EPISODE 25



--1--

Kusaka has some of the best facial acting of anyone in a Kamen Rider, ever. I think maybe 60% of it is those eyebrows, the ridiculous intensity they add to everything he says or does. But he really does make a meal out of every expression, finding some little tic or flared nostril or slightly curled lip to really drive home how messed-up he is.

It's an acting choice that probably wouldn't work on another show. There's not much that's small about Kusaka's choices, you know? The character is very broad, as portrayed here. But Faiz is such an overheated show, it's hard to say it doesn't work. It works great for me, anyway.

--2--

Which is good, since there's a shit-ton of Kusaka in this episode. There're only two plots, and Takumi and Kusaka are really the only reps for Team Faiz's plotline. (Mari's in one set-up scene, and Keitaro gets so into his role as a cleaner that he vacuums dirt instead of saving Kusaka.)

Normally, I'd think a story where Takumi and Kusaka would have to work together to escape from Smart Brain HQ would lead to a bunch of buddy comedy bits, insights into how they'd work together to survive, that sort of thing. Nope! It's all weird Ryusei Cram School ("Go Meteors!”) stuff, and it's... I mean, there ain't a lot here.

It's shot well, I'll give it that. The transition from Smart Brain's clean surfaces and fluorescent bulbs to the Ryusei School's damp atmosphere and purple lighting takes us from a heist story to a horror story in one scene change. It's terribly effective at heightening the tension, making survival seem unlikely. It's very cool to watch.

It's just, other than some cool fights, it's way more mysterious than it needs to be. My rule of thumb for mysteries is One Answer For Every Two Questions. A worse ratio than that, you've lost my interest. Here, it's all questions. Why is the Ryusei School in the basement of Smart Brain? Why is there a new belt? Why is it killing people? What does Orphan Daddy want? Why is he in the Ryusei School? Why is he screaming at Kusaka to FIGHT? Did he get Shiro's script from Ryuki by accident? Is Kusaka going to have to keep killing Orphnochs to save Mari from a coma? Does this make Takumi Shinji, or Kitaoka? SO MANY QUESTIONS.

All of these questions will probably be relevant at the end of the series, but right here it was just too much, too fast.

--3--

And that's a shame, since the Kaido plotline totally delivered for me.

Kaido's someone that has maybe the broadest range of anyone in the cast. Last episode, it was pure comedy. Him swooning over all of Yuka's compliments, his ridiculous marriage proposal, the fact that the fake monster attack he does with Kouhai uses Thriller choreography... it's a whole episode of him being a giant cartoon.

But then this one, it's pure sadness. He wanted to be rid of his humanity, but he can't do it. He doesn't see the value in the family he's made, but he can't throw them away. There's a sweet story about acceptance in this one, about Kaido concentrating on what he has rather than what he doesn't.

It's amazing how well the actor sells it, making Kaido's return to the fold of Team Orphnoch feel both like the best of bad options, as well as something he's grown to love.

--4--

Both stories get incredibly cool fight scenes to close out the episode.

The Takumi/Kusaka vs Faiz/Kaixa fight does some fun tricks with lighting and shutter speed, making the fight appear quicker and more disorienting than normal. I liked how, despite the appearance of Orphan Daddy, the fight's won by Takumi using what's at hand (a killer belt) to get the belts back on our heroes. (Last episode's fight was all about undressing, while this one has undressing and dressing! Escalation!) It's a fun fight.

The Horsepower vs Rabbitpunch fight, it's a decent brawl that has a great, emotional hook in the middle. The disappointment Kaido feels in Kouhai, the way he tells Kouhai that if he needs to hit someone, hit Kaido... so great. While the Rider fight is stylish and clever without having much weight behind it, the Orphnoch fight feels like it's about something, something that matters to the characters beyond their survival.

--5--

Yeah, the Orphnoch stuff really landed for me, while the Faiz stuff was fun to watch but nothing I'd really dwell on.

Except for Kusaka's facial expressions as he revisits the figurative and literal ghosts of his past, because those are glorious.