[OptionZero]

Man, this show is so great. So many elements blended together and well done:

Big picture advancement - More questions about Lockseeds, Helheim, inner workings of Yggdrasil (DJ Sagara/Sid/Ryouma)

Small picture advancement - Invess being used as tools for crime, changing dynamics between Beat Rider teams

Character advancement - Kouta a couple episodes ago saw a Hase change, literally, into a physical monster. Now he's watching other humans choose to act like monsters. Plus, the struggle over using newfound power

Action - Dandeliner chase + Jimba Lemon Arms. Will we see Strawberry/Watermelon/Pineapple + Lemon mix? What would those look like? Also, using Orange Sparking as an anti-air device, brilliant.


Aesthetic touch I liked: In earlier episodes, each henshin was treated as an EVENT - bigass fruit flies out of an unzipped portal, drops onto a Rider's head, and with a flash, we get Armored Riders. Music, Roll call, the whole schebang. Big deal. I don't think it was a coincidence that all of those Henshins took place outdoors. Now, with the action picking up, we've gotten two weeks of indoor henshins that seem more subdued. Whereas before, the Henshin was an event onto an event (Look! Armored Rider!), now it's Kouta or Kaito transforming to fight, and the focus on the context of each fight, rather than the flashy transformation sequence. I think they also sped up the actual fruit drop and lowered the volume of the roll call, not by much but it made a huge difference in the tone of those moments. Truly, masterful directing.