[Kamen Rider Die]

KAMEN RIDER W EPISODE 14 - “Q ON THE RADIO - LIVE BROADCAST AT THE RIOT”



And that’s the end of Act 1!

It’s a solid conclusion to the first chunk of Double, all the introductory beats. The only really unresolved conflict at this point in the show is Philip’s backstory, so it’s nice to get a two-parter that introduces the deep, inexplicable connection between Wakana and Philip, while also making it all but stated to Double that the Sonozakis are up to no good. There’s almost nothing else you could do that would feel like the show was accelerating its storytelling (*wink*), and the result is a two-parter that tells you the questions you should be asking, while teasing the answers to come.

(It is, honestly, weird to me how little Shotaro has any particular arc or goal at this point in the series. Akiko’s curious about her father’s absence, and Philip’s got his whole character description to worry about… but Shotaro’s just, like, hanging around. He’s solving mysteries, and helping his friends, and protecting Fuuto, but there’s only his Begins Night trauma to color that all in. It’s not like the show would work great with both halves of Double dealing with season-long mysteries, but it’s maybe helping me understand more why the Shotaro-heavy episode was such a miss for me.)

I really dug this episode, especially for how visually dynamic the show got for all of the Philip/Wakana stuff. When they’re having their cute moment in the doorway, the lights drop out, and we’re on a stage – the reality of the moment is traded in for performance and theatricality. It’s all heightened and metaphorical. Philip’s connection to Wakana is borne from something more primal and unshakeable, so it makes sense for those moments to become iconic inside the episode. Show didn’t need to get that smart, but I’m glad it did.

And, y’know, it’s not just beautifully-shot imagery and thoughtful examinations of human connection – we also get a bonkers Dopant mystery that involves both a Lovestruck Patsy and a Femme Fatale, because this show is now going for broke on its noir tropes. The Motoko scene near the end is hysterical for how quickly she goes from perfectly inconspicuous to screaming about her intricately plotted vengeance. It’s like the episode realized that it had a whole Dopant fight to finish (not my fave, too much CG) and an epilogue with Philip and Wakana, so she just WENT CRAZY, the end. (That flashback! Over the top, even for the show with both a Santa Claus and a cat monster!) Still, it’s a layered objective that kept the plot moving at a reliably fun clip for two entire episodes, so I’m not that mad at some finish line shortcuts. Fun mystery!

But the meat of this one is all Philip and Wakana, including my favorite beat in the whole story. Philip has the opportunity to find out every secret Wakana’s hiding through his access to the Gaia Library… but he doesn’t take it. Philip’s whole thing is insatiable curiosity, to an absurd degree (HEAVEN’S TORNADO), but he decides against it for Wakana. He’d rather get to know her, rather than learn her history from a book. He’s seeing the advantage of human connection, thanks to Shotaro’s influence. As far as ways to signal the end of an Act, that kind of character growth is ideal. Great end to a great episode, and a great first chunk of episodes.

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DIE-A MEMORIES



-Forgot to mention this last time, but I really enjoyed how all of the stops on Wakana’s sweets tour are from previous Double cases. I like when shows like this can check back in on past victims/culprits. (Yuuko kinda blurs the line!) Fourze obviously did it best with its summer movie, but I’m okay with a show this early in its run calling back a few clients.

-I genuinely don’t remember if I’d pieced the Wakana/Philip stuff together the first time I’d watched W. It seems insane to think I hadn’t – this episode all but shouts out the secret of their connection – but I may just be remembering it through the lens of future knowledge. Feels pretty overt, though.