[Fish Sandwich]

Faiz 35-36:

I have to imagine this is the point in the show that really starts to test the patience of anyone who wasn't already on board with it. This is a downbeat set of episodes, and it's easy to see why they'd be grating to someone who never formed any attachment to these characters. Of course, I rather like all of these people, so this is an extremely interesting stretch of the show to me. The situation with Takumi plays out wonderfully, and a lot of that is in how the show largely communicates his character through his actions more than his words. You get a great sense of how much he's come to care about Mari, and his decision to actively reject the Faiz Gear, after it's been long established how much being Faiz means to him, says volumes about where he's at in life.

Once again, his relationship with Yuuji takes another turn, with them having another great scene at the same batting cages from back in episode 17. This ends up with Yuuji becoming our fifth Faiz, a development which I think pretty much anyone watching the show was waiting for. Because they had to do it, you know? How could you not? Keitarou and Mari are also great here, with everything they're dealing with. I especially like that, once again, Keitarou is the first person to reach out to Takkun when things start getting icy between them. Unlike Kusaka, who is characteristically Kusaka-ish throughout this whole process.

And let's not forget my guy Mihara's big steps in 35. Finishing off his first monster and everything, I'm so proud of him! Kitazaki never even did one Rider Kick when he was Delta! That's how I know this kid's got potential.

では、たまにだけやるようになちゃったのファイズ翻訳ミスコーナーです～！今日の翻訳ミスはこれだ！



「俺は君のようにはなれない」

Mihara is saying "I can't be like you" here. As in, he doesn't believe he has what it takes to be a Rider like Kusaka is. Obviously he isn't doing what Kusaka asks, by extension, but that's not the line, and Mihara generally isn't that assertive.

W 35-36:

This is another arc that always springs to mind whenever I think about Double. Probably in large part because I love Accel Trial quite a bit. You know, blue things and fast things both being easy sells for me and all. But the actual plot here, it's fantastic, and has that kind of intensity to it I don't think you get a whole lot outside of shows like Double. The way Ryuu's arc is resolved here is super clever. Despite some flashes of it still popping up here or there, he's largely already grown past his single-minded focus on revenge, and rather than wind that back, the episodes work with it. The focus isn't on showing him overcoming his faults, but instead on how over time, his motivation for being a Kamen Rider has naturally changed, and in the end, he beats Isaka basically as any random Dopant, rather than as the guy who killed his family.

Isaka himself was also just a great bad guy, and this is a fitting sendoff for the guy. In general, the backstabbing upper-class scumbag drama of Double's villains is always entertaining, but Isaka is a lot more direct about getting involved in the fight scenes, and it was always very clear what a tough customer Weather was.

I also love the sort of old-school feel of Ryuu doing wildly intense, needlessly dangerous training to master the Trial Memory, which is another reason this arc is so memorable to me. They don't even hold back the debut for dramatic impact. He transforms before 36's opening even plays, and the rest of the episode is just him learning how to kick things. You know what else is old-school? The Weather Dopant awkwardly disappearing for a few frames when he explodes because someone cut the footage wrong. I guess that's objectively a problem, but honestly, it really does enhance the Showa throwback vibe.