[Switchblade]

Fourze 13-14

This arc did something you don't see a lot of in Kamen Rider, especially in the really formulaic era this show was made in. We got the return of a previous monster as the focus of this story. Miura, the guy who was the show's very first Zodiart, gets some follow-up. It's a pretty cool story, too: he's avoiding going back to school because he's afraid that he'll try to find a switch again. We actually get a story dedicated to a previous monster dealing with the withdrawal symptoms of losing his powers. It's a neat twist and really makes use of the fact that all the characters go to school together and are technically still around even after their arc ends (I forget if it's the summer movie or the finale, but I know there's a moment when a whole bunch of these characters come back to help Gentaro out).

We get the full reveal that Sonoda is Scorpio here and she goes full Makamou on Fourze. She loses, but she isn't written out yet. I know she's not going to be around much longer, though, especially with the principal showing up as the next major villain. No backstory yet, but it's already weird seeing her drop her kind and cheerful facade.

Has Yuki gone crazy yet? Nope. Her plan to inspire Miura to go back to school with a cheesy play is dumb, but it's also super on-brand for something Gentaro would do. This arc really helped define one of Gentaro's core traits. He may not be the smartest guy or the best fighter, but he has so much heart and determination to make up for it.

Coming up next, a small pause in programming as we reach Fourze's first film appearance: Movie Wars Megamax. I'm really looking forward to seeing that one again.