[DreadBringer]

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Originally Posted by Fish Sandwich

So, right away, Inoue is making better use of the supporting characters, and that line from Nana, that really is the heart of the story here. How much Yuusuke's presence means to everyone.

Surely this is right but GDI Nana don't treat the world as centered only for you two. Admiring him sure but forcing others to do the same and even dictacting them? Sheesh... How about learning Yusuke's admirable personality too instead?

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Originally Posted by Fish Sandwich

Anyway, the battle goes well enough for Kuuga at first, but when Me-Ginoga-De, a monstrous mushroom with poisonous powers, decides to take a bite out of him, things go from good to bad real quick.

I was caught off guard when they give a shot of his legs for Ginoga... with him wearing heeled boots. And long hair too, I thought it was a female Grongi with thick makeups, but then I hear the voice... The bite is a one hit kill? And other than the fight being in middle it ends very quickly too. As here Kuuga reverts to Growing Form when weakened, would that happen if Kuuga fights regularly too, where he got beaten up until he can barely stand?

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Originally Posted by Fish Sandwich

Actually, I want to talk about that scene for a second. It's always been the single biggest scene I think of whenever I think of what's great about Kuuga's supporting cast. It's the fact that they all have lives.

But poor Tsubaki cannot keep on his dates due to his new Kuuga caretaker occupation. Headcannons aside Tsubaki wasn't slapped around by woman though. The break up all happened due to "that jerk" Ichijou!

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Originally Posted by Fish Sandwich

Anyways, the rest of the episode naturally deals with everyone reacting to this sudden crisis, and it's more good characterization all around. One thing I especially appreciated about this episode was all the good callbacks to previous events, which, again, suggests to me Inoue had really been studying up.

I didn't realize the one Sugita mourns was the one from episode 4. I thought it was someone else.

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Originally Posted by Fish Sandwich

Now, somewhat bizarrely, despite this being a direct continuation from last episode, we're now back to Arakawa as the writer, with Ishida taking over from Takao Nagaishi on directing duties. On the writing end, you'd never notice, which either proves how good a job Inoue did, or how much Arakawa's series composition credit means. On the directing end, however, I think it's a clear step up. Lots of pretty visuals as usual, including Ishida's latest creative spin on shooting a Grongi scene, standing them all in front of a huge neon sign and messing with the focus and the frame rate. But what was consistently most impressive about his direction this episode was the audio. There was a lot of spectacular use of ambient noise to enhance the atmosphere, with an especially big highlight being the scene where Tsubaki is calling Ichijou to inform him of Yuusuke's death, switching between a cold silence where Tsubaki is, and ominous sirens with Ichijou.

Oh, yeah, and Yuusuke's dead, by the way.

Dunno if this is harsh, but I can't help to joke about his name here... Yusuke go die!

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Originally Posted by Fish Sandwich

Nobody's very happy about that when they get the news. Heck, Tsubaki isn't very happy being the one to give people the news. But despite not being happy, some of them aren't all that worried.

Yeah, the reaction for Godai's companions, Sakurako specifically, isn't as severe as what's thought. Especially that most, if not all of them, disagreed with the idea of Yusuke becoming Kuuga. And Minori didn't hold back the truth against the children that he's hospitalized... This moment should be their worst worries, happened for real. But I guess they also have developed to instead believe in Yusuke? Even if Tsubaki hasn't told any of them Yusuke's enhanced body due to the Kuuga belt. They now should realize there are good things of Yusuke becoming Kuuga, including Sakurako knowing more about the stone, namely, his transient state. I wonder if Tsubaki defibrillating Yusuke actually worsens the state he was in, or any of medical practice just won't work on him as this Kuuga state is incompartible to any real world logic and operates on its own system?

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Originally Posted by Fish Sandwich

And when Kuuga finally does make his return, it's worth the wait.

So Ginogo is truly more frail than usual Grongi (and his bite can be a compensation?)? Where it allows Growing Form to be the only successful incomplete Rider Form. Even so what makes the gas bullets not working on Ginoga anymore? Grongis can upgrade their body? Growing Form's Kick is 1/3th the strength of Mighty Form's. Kuuga doesn't follow the trope Came Back Strong it seems here.

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Originally Posted by Fish Sandwich

Things get off to a great start when the episode opens with Yuusuke, out of nowhere, tells Ichijou he wants to start saying "super transformation" when he changes forms.

Yusuke frequently talks about his Rider experiences and moments, so it's normal for him to do this. Will him saying super transformation actually affect? Ichijou probably represents some of those like peoplle here who are unable to give that much response in discussions.

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Originally Posted by Fish Sandwich

This time, instead of seeing all the supporting characters be sad, we see them just hanging out with Yuusuke.

Reminder the visit to Sakurako is the one giving Jean and Yusuke fist bump. Other than comedy, was the purpose of the improptu arm wrestling is to test Yusuke's condition?

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Originally Posted by Fish Sandwich

It's not just the comedy that's on point this episode though, even if Yuusuke's impression of Ichijou is killer. A lot of these scenes do a good job building the characters.

Do the children like Yusuke for his skills, his attitude? Ah possibly both, though dunno which one of them the children prefers. Yeah I'm getting that vibe too with Yusuke and Ichijou discussing their parents. And Yusuke you don't need to pretend to be Ichijou there, Enokida's main focus now has been shifted to you after Gouram stuff! I wonder what kind of lunch Enokida (or just that institute) makes, or if she was just bluffing, but at least you get free stuff that way if you oblige, Yusuke... OK, their lunch at Pore Pore, dunno somehow there are coincidentally bunch of (mafia looking) suits in the main table Yusuke and Ichijou eats.

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Originally Posted by Fish Sandwich

There is still a monster for this episode, though. It turns out Ginogo's exploded bits can actually regenerate into clones, which is bad news for everyone. Especially viewers with sensitive stomachs. I don't know who made the props for this episode, but they are nasty. Just, weird bubbling masses and severed hands and stuff. Gross. I was practically cheering when Yuusuke decides to take a blowtorch to the blob in the lab. The world is better off without that thing. Burn it, Yuusuke! Burn it to the ground!

Though I have to say that's one of the most convincing special effects Kuuga made to be that scary!

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Originally Posted by Fish Sandwich

Having been made aware of the situation, Yuusuke heads out on the TryChaser (which, for the record, gets a new control panel here after the last one was smashed in the recap episode) to deal with a clone that's more or less grown into a proper monster.

No one hasn't found the solution of the cloning yet and Kuuga just killing him the usual way? They should do something with the blob (which starts off as very small), like burning it above? Were they burning it then spraying it with water like the scene previously kill it for good?