[Fish Sandwich]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

First, these things aired as single installments originally, so that's how I prefer to engage with them. People who were watching this live didn't get to just watch the next one to paper over their disappointment, so why should I?

Man, that character development you had back around Agito and Ryuki has really stuck, huh?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Even Ryutaros appearing after being inside Ryotaro for weeks is chalked up to He Just Felt Like It!

I'd argue this doesn't deserve to be lumped in with the lazy writing when the episodes give clear enough specific reasons for both why Ryutaros stayed silent (he likes Airi), and why he's out of hiding now (he got noticed during Miura's hypnosis), but, putting that point off to the side, I can see how these ones would be frustrating with what you tend to value in an episode, to be fair. A lot of the story consists of hints towards things that will only have context in retrospect, and the parts of it that aren't that aren't particularly deep or complex, to say the least.

Still, I liked 'em a whole lot, because of course I do. In fact, I even called these episodes...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fish Sandwich

without a doubt some of the strongest of the show to this point.

...which is definitely a pretty different take! I imagine it's probably just down to how much I like all the things happening, more so than thinking the writing is secretly genius or anything like that, though? Like, it's two episodes in a row with bike action (I'm pretty sure Den-O has already been on his bike more times than back-to-basics bugman Kabuto was in his whole series?), plus cute animals! Who even needs a story at that point?

One thing I know it's down to, however, is how much I love Ryutaros. Easily my favorite of Ryoutarou's Imagin, and much of what I feel is legitimately strong about this two-parter naturally springs out of his character. Like, even just having Gun Form show up in the first part, I've always thought was a brilliant touch for the hyperactive kid of the group. These memories are so vague at this point I'm not even sure how much of this I've still got correct, but I recall not being super into Den-O for a while originally, to the point I took a pretty long break ~somewhere~ around these episodes, so when I eventually came back to it and found myself way more excited about it, I very strongly associated that feeling with Ryutaros.

Everything about him is so intensely fun to me, and it really felt like he completed the group's dynamic. I've always found it weirdly endearing that the way the show chose to go about making him feel like a child was to make him disconcertingly amoral and sociopathic on top of simply being flighty, especially. It's a very specific set of traits that makes him fit right in among the rest of this insanely dysfunctional cast. Gun Form itself left a similarly huge impression on me, and is my favorite of Den-O's main four, thanks in large part to its extremely distinctive and active body language. I think all the dancing actually impresses me less than simply how Takaiwa carries himself in the moments when he's not moving too much. The huge level of collateral damage the gun causes helps further sell the idea that Ryutaros is basically just one big living hazard rather nicely, too. He's basically the absolute last person who should be using that thing!

I mean, I could just go on about Ryutaros forever, pretty much? How Kenichi Suzumura became my favorite Japanese voice actor because of him? How mind-blowing it was to go back to Den-O after picking up enough Japanese to realize his catchphrase is in future tense when he doesn't actually wait for a response? And like, how cool is that finishing move with the dragon hands on Gun Form's shoulders generating that big ball of energy or whatever?

Okay, I'll stop for a bit, but I will ask a real question to leave off on – how nice is it that the belt announces the form names now? I don't think you've outright mentioned it yet, but judging by how you're actually able to use them right away, I'm guessing that's one more familiar trope you're happy to have worked your way back up to?