[Tokumonkey]

I'm nearly suspicious of the show because I've been engaged for every episode so far, and we're at the beginning of a late-Heisei Rider series! The show isn't even necessarily supposed to be definitively good yet, much less on a streak. I'm still detecting zero filler.

I was already loving the relationship between Sento and Ryuga because it doesn't feel like any of the recent Heisei primary-secondary Rider relationships. I'm used to having an forced-antagonistic relationship, and instead, they gelled as mismatched-friends almost immediately, and now, although it looks like they're heading for a conflict, it feels completely natural.

The writing for this show is just on. Last week, I managed to wait for the TVN sub (preference.) This week, I caved and watched the Overtime sub because the show's good enough to make me impatient.

There's no way I believe Souichi isn't withholding important information. A blogger I follow put forth a really promising theory about Sato Taro, Sento's "real" identity, whose behavior bears zero resemblance to the Kiriyu Sento we know: that our Sento is actually a combination of two different people, only one of whom is Taro. An alternate theory that occurred to me goes back to what we learned in the first episode or two about how the personalities of those present when the Pandora Box was opened were altered. We now know that in addition to the leaders of the three Japanese governments and the admin Gentoku, Souichi was also at that personality-altering event. If Sato Taro was as well, that could also account for slob rocker Taro becoming a neat-freak scientist.

And OH, MY GOSH, we got more motorcycle sequences in this episode. Are we even still watching late Heisei Kamen Rider?

I'm not without complaints. Although I like the voice of the Build Driver more than the last few Drivers, its chattiness is irritating me. I think it's the "Are you ready?!" I still long for the days of only *slightly* chatty Drivers, but those aren't coming back.

Bring on episode six!