[Kamen Rider Die]

KAMEN RIDER 555 EPISODE 33



--1--

hey guess who's back

UUUUUGGGGGGHHHHHH

--2--

So, yeah, the Ryusei School alumni. Jesus.

It's not worth rehashing all the ways the Ryusei School storyline disappoints, but in the interest of new content, let me add one more way the Ryusei School storyline disappoints.

Its main problem is that it's a huge, important, convoluted plotline that doesn't involve Takumi at all. He's friends with Mari, and he (on a good day) grudgingly tolerates Kusaka, but there's nothing in this whole Ryusei School story for him. He's constantly outside of it, asking questions but emotionally unconcerned. Worse, the few times that he tries to involve himself, to get the goddamn star of the show involved in the A-plot for an episode, he's rebuffed by these unwelcome guest stars.

If you're ever going to do a plot like this on Kamen Rider, it has to emotionally connect with the hero. It has to. When you do it like this, where it's a glorified subplot that just blots out every other story (this episode starts with Yuuji and Takumi battling in a grudge match and then has no time to deal with it!), it feels intrusive and distracting. It's a story about nobodies that gets more time and attention than the star of the show.

Just, it's such a dumb way to anchor the Ryusei School stuff. So dumb.

--3--

But, y'know, fine, it's here, let's talk about it.

The Ryusei School alumni ("Go Meteors!”) have gathered to visit Mari in the hospital, as she lays dying from Sawada's attack. They mostly end up more useless than normal, a shadow made of four humans that follows Kusaka around, but there's one part I loved. There's one dude who, right away, wants to bail. He's got work, and she's in a coma, so maybe he should just split, if everyone's cool with that. One dude blows up at him, accusing him of being heartless in abandoning Mari. But he's just like, I Did Not Sign Up For This To Be My Life. And I get that! That is a real human emotion to have about all of this!

I love the idea of how the Ryusei School alumni seem to this one alumnus. He got a job, he's building a life, and these assholes keep dragging him back into Belts and Gear and Orphnochs and then this one girl he hasn't seen in years is in a coma now? And he's got inventory on Monday, and he was going to take his car in for an oil change today, and, like, no. You guys.

The other students are like those high-drama high school friends you had who think you're still friends, while you're living an adult life and trying to escape their depressing gravity. This guy, I kind-of wish we could follow him more. But, I mean, he's almost definitely going to get killed next episode?

--4--

The rest of the plot, I'm straining to remember. This one was... not a great episode.

The Takumi/Yuuji stuff, despite an awesome intro, gets such short shrift it is criminal. They fight to a draw, which frustrates Kitazaki so much that he gives up the Delta Gear to Sawada, who views it as a crutch and gives it up to Kusaka. Meanwhile, Takumi once again feels so trapped by indecision and guilt (can't kill Yuuji, can't get killed by Yuuji) that he gives up the Faiz Gear to Keitaro, who can't use it so he gives it up to Kusaka.

Kusaka has every belt at the end of this episode, and he mostly got them because everybody else thinks they're lame.

This episode 75% didn't work for me, but that being how the Belts are treated? I love it. It's the ultimate Faiz thing, no one giving a shit about the main weapons of the show. (Houjou is so furious when he thinks Kitazaki threw the Delta Gear away, since they were killing themselves to get it!) It's such a fun, backwards way of moving pieces around, having it all happen through apathy and boredom rather than concerted effort. Brilliant.

--5--

Besides that, though (and Kaido's hilarious moment), yeah, god, no way this one was going to work with so much of it being about Kusaka and the Ryusei School alumni. And, it's in-character, but I was getting a little sick of how much Takumi gets frozen out of the goddamn A-plot of the show. It's probably supposed to feel motivating for him, how much Kusaka is sneering at his weakness, but I found it sort-of infuriating. There's a point where I wanted to scream JESUS CHRIST KUSAKA I'M PRETTY SURE THE NAME OF THE SHOW IS STILL KAMEN RIDER FAIZ, YOU GIGANTIC SON OF A BITCH, MAYBE YOU CAN LET HIM BE A PART OF YOUR STUPID-ASS PLOT?!

That level of frustration.. I don't know if that's what the producers intended. Feels like maybe not! Am I alone on this one?