[Fish Sandwich]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

KAMEN RIDER KABUTO - EPISODE 02

Somehow I get the feeling Ishida's favorite part of directing is whenever he gets to tell people to light things on fire. Even if it's only for a few shots, he always seems to find that excuse to go the extra mile.

And because that's his kind of style, it makes all the sense in the world to me to go back and find out that among the laundry list of memorable Rider moments I'm constantly discovering he's responsible for, the inaugural Kabuto Rider Form fight is on him too. The Clock Up shtick was obviously just a genius idea executed brilliantly, of course; I don't think the biggest Kabuto hater in the world would deny that much. It's a visual style that instantly sets the show apart. You hear those sounds and see those effects and you know without a doubt you're watching Kabuto. A big thing any Rider show needs to do is find a way to give itself a unique identity, and few of them did it as effortlessly as this one.

And Kabuto is a character is no slouch either! I think when Takaiwa plays an understated Rider like this, it's arguably even more of a showcase of his skill than usual. Perfectly fitting the character of Tendou, the guy who wouldn't even break out his main form until Kagami wouldn't shut up about it, the overall language of Kabuto is all about moving as little as possible. Deeply ironic for the super speed Rider, sure, but you'll notice Kabuto dodges and deflects attacks with no excess movement whatsoever, and his most dynamic poses are all variations on standing in place. This is especially genius when it comes to the Rider Kick. Despite having such a heavy Showa influence that he's the first Heisei Rider to call out the name when doing it, Tendou refuses to even leave the ground to finish off his opponent. Brilliantly in character for the guy; I love it.

But once again, I find myself having things to say about the show and not so much the episode. I've got exactly one observation I feel is worth sharing – and there were a ton of moments like this in the premiere too – but I really do appreciate how bluntly the show portrays the contrast between Tendou and Kagami, in this case having Tendou bragging about how he only needs call the Kabuto Zecter to make it come to his aid immediately followed by Kagami getting totally ghosted by the thing as it flies off to Tendou instead. Great stuff. Got *this* close to eliciting a chuckle out of me! Still had a fun time though, honest!

Oh, and as for your question, Die... I just can't even get behind your terms here. There's no such thing as "too much" beetle crest, so I don't know why you bothered to ask, and while the sounds are cool, the best part of the transformation is when the armor loosens up right before Tendou flips the switch all the way. It's like the high point of anticipation or something.