[Fish Sandwich]

Man, this has already turned out to be super fun. It's neat seeing how three very different shows still follow similar rhythms. Three very different shows that all somehow come back down to the good guy hero's interactions with a way less stand-up foil, and in this particular case, three two-parters revolving around defining those relationships.

Ryuki 3-4:

Now, of course, the actual nature of those relationships varies a lot between the shows, and for Ryuki, Shinji and Ren's dynamic set a gold standard for Rider rivalries that's still being used all these years later. An antihero with an icy demeanor to contrast with a hotblooded protagonist was hardly something Ryuki invented, obviously, but certain cliches never go out of style, you know? This stuff makes for good drama, and when you're a show that can deliver it in a fairly nuanced way like Ryuki can, all the better.

One thing that jumped out at me constantly as I was watching these episodes was how the show seems to almost go out of its way to avoid awkward info dumps, no matter how effective they might have been for exposition. There's no scene where somebody starts explaining things in elaborate detail all at once, which is something a lot of shows would not have qualms about doing early on. But these episodes do a great job at keeping the pacing feeling natural while still filling the viewer in on a lot. The beats the story hits lead logically into one another perfectly. It's easy to take for granted, but having Shinji start figuring out Ren's backstory by accidentally grabbing his necklace when they get into a fight is infinitely more interesting and true to the characters than if Yui or somebody just told him outright.

One other little thing I want to mention is that in episode 3, we see Shinji specifically learn from a mistake he made fighting Knight while battling the Mirror Monster. It's another one of Shinji's many awesome moments, and the way he earns it makes it even cooler. It's another sign that's he not as stupid as he looks.

Den-O 3-4:

Similarly, Ryoutarou gets to show a shocking amount of spine here, sticking up for himself when Momotaros starts taking advantage of him, and ultimately earning his respect in the end. These episodes are simple but great. Being able to summarize the plot in one sentence like that just shows how focused it is, and watching it all play out is tons of fun. This two-parter embodies pretty much everything that makes me love Den-O. Funny jokes, heartwarming character moments, and a little touch of bittersweetness with the Victim of the Week plot to add the all-important emotional texture to the story. I also have a soft spot for Plat Form, so seeing it get some good use is an easy win for me. Real good stuff.

I'm also already impressed all over again by both Takeru Satoh and Seiji Takaiwa's ability to play multiple characters, and they're only up to two so far. Which, I mean, is kind of a lot anyway, but this is Den-O we're talking about. For Takaiwa especially, I have to imagine playing Zi-O Trinity is a cakewalk after making it through this show.

OOO 3-4:

Once again though, it's impossible to deny that OOO is wearing the crown here. It's basically all the good points of those other two shows and then some. Meaning it's packed with crap happening. There's no way I could possibly cover it all. Just like with Den-O, these episodes have always stuck out in my memory and encapsulate the series they're a part of completely, which in this case means strong themes, strong characters, strong action, strong incorporation of the merchandise into the story, a strong story in general...

It's just strong, okay? I genuinely can't think of any particular elements to single out because everything is on such a high level. The only thing I can think to mention is how bummed it always makes me when OOO whiffs on that Rider Kick. Poor guy gets such a cool finishing move, barely gets to use it, and then when he does, he almost never kills any monsters with it. It's so sad.