[Fish Sandwich]

(Fish Sandwich also watched Kamen Rider Zi-O - EP11)
(Fish Sandwich also watched Kamen Rider Zi-O - EP12)

These episodes are even more significant to me than usual, if I'm remembering correctly. I don't think I really documented this anywhere, so I can't check, but as I recall, the visuals in these episodes impressed the heck out of me to such a degree that I actually felt the need to go look up the director, and when I found out it was Kazuya Kamihoriuchi, who I ~maybe~ already vaguely knew as the Hazard Form guy, a lot of things clicked into place. Especially because I'm pretty sure this was also when I found out he directed the Specter movie, and everything about these episodes of Zi-O looking so good made even more sense.

Back at that point in 2018, the only toku director who had a style I could instantly identify was Kouichi Sakamoto, because everyone can identify his work, but finding this whole new web of connections between some of the most beautiful and purposeful Rider cinematography I've ever seen inspired me to start making it a point to check who the director was for every episode of Zi-O going forward. I knew I wouldn't be able to understand what significance those names had at first, but I figured if I stuck with it, I'd eventually start picking up on other traits that are unique to other directors, as well. Now, of course, Zi-O ran into 2019, when a certain user joined this forum to start making threads like the one you're currently reading, and somewhere around him watching Agito and Ryuki, I started making it a point to call out those director names in there, too, despite still not grasping what actually defined most of them. Amazingly, the user in question was willing to indulge this. (Although I'm sure he'd just say it's amazing the forum at large is willing to indulge him.)

But you know, it did start paying off sometime after that! I went from describing Ryuuta Tasaki's work as not "particularly remarkable" to gushing about how fantastic his visuals are at conveying the story. I developed a massive appreciation for how Hidenori Ishida does much the same with raw atmosphere and mood, especially when I rewatched a certain show about one very Cool Guy. I developed an equally massive appreciation for Teruaki Sugihara around this same window of time, as well... but, ah! I'm getting ahead of myself now! I suppose that's still in the future for you, after all, isn't it, Die?

And it still seems like the further we move into the future, the more I'm still learning about all these people. Like how much Satoshi Morota loves throwing people into water, which is one of those things I always smirk a bit whenever I notice now. Heck, maybe one day, I'll even be able to properly articulate what I think makes Shoujirou Nakazawa's direction so cleanly and pleasant to watch.

...And *ALL* of this might very well go back to these two humble episodes of Zi-O, because -- and I'm repeating this for emphasis -- they're utterly gorgeous. The fight at the end of 12 just totally blew my mind, especially. How good the script was for this two-parter just makes it all the better. Just when I was worried Mouri's take on Zi-O might not be up to snuff, he immediately swings things around from his rough-around-the-edges first go at it, and gives us an amazing story that delivers on a very creative premise with loads of inspired comedy, and all backed by a genuinely solid core to the narrative, focusing on the relationship between Sougo and Geiz.

The bit with Geiz remembering the chicken at the end has always stuck with me as much as anything else in these ones, too. I think that's such a perfect illustration of his arc in this story. One of my favorite general things about Geiz is that he only ever calls Sougo "Zi-O". It's sort of this conscious dehumanization of Sougo, to only ever refer to him by that title. He's not some goofy yet charming high school kid you could potentially be friends with, he's Zi-O, the guy who ruined all your lives, and the guy you're here to stop... and yet, when all is said and done, Geiz can't help but find himself trying to live under the same roof as everyone else. He can't stop himself from coming home, you might say.

(Oh, and yes, Sougo immediately becoming best friends with his own self from half a week into the future is immensely adorable. You can see it in my old posts, too, but this is definitely around the point where Sougo starts to click into place as a character.)