[Another Die]

That was…wow. I enjoyed that more than I thought I was going to. It played out very differently than modern Kamen Rider (Sidenote: Is Kuuga still considered modern? It’s nearly 20 years old, but that doesn’t mean it’s old. Or am I old now? Oh boy). Let’s start from the top.

Our episode begins with a bang.



A health and safety bang. I don’t remember seeing any sort of safety warning on any other Toku show I’ve watched, is that a common thing? Regardless, I wear glasses anyways, so it’s too late for me.

Our episode actually starts with a montage of sorts; Kuuga is fighting monsters. It was a film static quality that accompanies these ‘visions’. It’s a cool effect;



I’m fond of it. Some quick cuts to different weapons and armor colors, so those are what I’ll assume are the forms and power ups for the season. After a little bit more fighting, and being sucked into the Underworld from Hercules, our boy Kuuga takes a well-deserved nap in a soft sarcophagus. The camera moves to the symbol of the show, and transitions to the opening

I’d listened to the opening a while ago, but it never clicked with me. It’s one of the few songs I skip when listening to my Rider playlist (Sidenote: Rider opening as some of the best songs to work out to, no idea why). Watching the opening in the context of the opening, I actually really enjoyed it. It gives the show the solo hero kinda vibe, and matches well with the visuals. You can tell that our main character is going to be isolated, but will push past the pain and hardships to stop the hero. Typical Toku stuff, but it got me pumped.

After that intriguing opening, we join a group of what I believe are anthropologists, who have found the tomb that Kuuga passed out in. They turn on an inferred light, and go Splinter Cell on the coffin.



They joke about how they can’t read the symbols and how they might be cursed now. Getting some real horror movie vibes from this. As the scene ends, a hand starts to move…
And now we meet our main character; Yusuke Godai. Godai is talking directly to us, seducing all the mums watching the show. Actually, he’s trying to cheer up a lost child. When his inspiring monologue doesn’t work, he resorts to the tried and true; juggling. The man knows how to handle some balls. This works, and we get the most iconic part of the show (at least, I think so).
The thumbs up. I’ve seen countless gifs of Kuuga’s thumb. So much so that I wouldn’t be surprised if you told me that his ultimate move if just giving a thumbs up, causing the enemy to suddenly combust. After the legendary thumbs up, the child’s parents are found and Godai heads off.

We’re then introduced to the first of our support characters; Sakurako Sawatari. Sawatari is part of the archeological team, and she’s trying to decipher the mysterious symbols that the team has found in the tomb. As she’s doing this, a mysterious figure climbs into the room with her, creeping up towards her. Just before the monster grabs our unsuspecting heroine:



If Godai wasn’t so handsome, this’d be creepy. Regardless, we learn that the two of them have been friends for a while, and that Godai is constantly traveling and picking up the odd trinket or two from his adventures. He has that in common with Eiji. Or vice versa. A pinging on her computer stops the exposition, and we find out what the symbols the archeologist were joking about earlier. It’s probably King or something-



Oh no.
Well, it’s most likely fine right? Sawatari tries to phone the team, but no one is answering. Quicker than you could yell HENSHIN Godai is out the door, like the good protagonist he is. He rides through the night as fast as he can, but it’s too late. A huge electric blast comes from the dig site, and creatures start to rise from the ground.

A little while later, the police get to the scene. We’re introduced to our next support character; Kaoru Ichijo. He is definitely Secondary Rider material. If this season had a second rider, that is. Godai gets some sort of weird vision, much like what we saw at the beginning of the episode, while looking at the dig site. He rolls a Crit Fail on his stealth while trying to sneak in. When asked about his place on the team, he says he isn’t on it, and gives them his business card.



This guy is going places. But unfortunately not into the tomb. Godai tries to trick the police, and make a run for the tomb, but Ichijo ain’t having none of it.



I told you. Kamen Rider Wick right here.
After a brief look at the belt, and a small vision, Godai heads out.
He meets up with Sawatari, but Ichijo follows him to make sure he’s not up to anything. Godai introduces the two of them, and Ichijo reveals the police found a tape of the last moments of her team. They go back to headquarters to give it a watch and…



Who put Blair Witch in my Kamen Rider? Seriously, this has a spookier vibe to it than Ghost. And that was a series about dead people. Ichijo then shows them the belt and leaves it with them as a monster begins to attack. A mysterious giant web surrounds the building.



I knew JJ was right. That Spider-Man is a menace!
The following attack is just brutal. This monster just slaughters all these people, even Mortal Kombat ‘GET OVER HERE’ web swings around a guy’s neck. This is not what I was expecting from a kid’s show.

The monster crashes in the police building with a police car, and starts taking people out left and right. Godai gets another vision of Kuuga, and decides if he’s going to die, he’s gunna do it in style. He puts the belt on, and it gets absorbed into his body. Not something modern riders do anymore, but it’s a nifty explanation on where the belt goes when it’s not viable. Unlike some modern riders that just pull it out of thin air. The monster continues to beat up on Godai; just when it looks like its all over, he throws a punch at the Spider-Man. His arm transforms and knocks the beast back. A kick transforms his leg. And suddenly he’s fully transformed into-



Hey, wait a minute. I was promised a Red Kuuga. Take it back, I want a refund. Red or not, Spider-Man and Kuuga start going at it, eventually ending up on the roof. Ichijo comes out of nowhere with a helicopter and starts shooting at both of them. Kuuga and the monster end up on the helicopter, and it becomes an amazing struggle to kick the monster off without it killing either of them. Finally, they manage to knock it off, and Spider-Man off. I’m sure we’ll NEVER see him again.

Ichijo, believing Kuuga to be a monster as well, asks why he’d protect a human. Kuuga answers the only way he knows how.



The mad lad.
The episode ends with Ichijo wondering if Godai and Kuuga share the same thumb.
And we get an ending song. Not something I’m used to seeing in Rider. Is this common in the early Heisei shows?

This was a pretty good opening episode. It set up a good deal of stuff in a very little amount of time. It’s a simple plot, but that works to its benefit. We don’t get a lot of exposition, which is kinda a breath of fresh air. A lot of the newer shows have to explain every relationship and background info, instead of leaving space for interpretation. Or at least, leave space to spread it out in later episodes.
The characters: There really isn’t much to say about them, which is both good and bad. Good because they were interesting enough for now that I didn’t need to know everything, but bad because they’re just there at the moment. Which is fine. We have 48 more episodes for people’s motives and conflicts to come up. I’d rather be left wondering then overwhelmed at the textbook amount of characters and information I’d have to remember. Godai definitely has an Ejji feel to him, which I like. The other two, I need some time to see.

The suit is…well I guess I haven’t really seen the suit yet so I’ll have to wait till next episode to see it. Hopefully the next post isn’t nearly as long. Who knows; knowing my luck it’ll be even longer.