[Fish Sandwich]

EPISODE 25: "Wandering"

These episodes have a shot that I remember more than any other shot in Kuuga. But we'll get there.

Lately, Kuuga's been maybe a bit uneven. A few episode sets here and there just haven't exactly been killing it, you know? We're overdue for a reminder of how incredible this show is, and that's what we get here. If the last story was the kind of sequel that just repeats the beats of the original with no new spin, this one is the kind that elevates the material to new heights. What we have here is a two-parter that combines the amazing drama with Kanzaki from episodes 11 and 12, with the emphasis on Pegasus Form taking on a flying opponent and Yuusuke cheering up a child in the way only he can from 7 and 8. It's two of this show's absolute best stories coming together to make one that's arguably even better, and that is one high bar to clear!

One other strength these episodes inherit from 7 and 8? Hidenori Ishida's direction. I gush about him every time, and it's because every time, he's always trying to do some new creative experiment with how to make the episodes he works on more interesting. Just shooting things prettily is rarely enough for him. There's always something unique to talk about with the visuals in his Kuuga episodes. Case in point: he's still finding new ways to shoot the Grongi that make them feel alien and unknowable.



His main thing here is motion, though, which is obviously hard to convey just through a screencap. There's a lot of emphasis on keeping the shots moving whenever possible. It can result in the camera getting a bit on the shaky side at times, but the effect is largely appreciated, and used to especially great effect for the shots that follow Hiraku around in a way that seems to emphasize the isolation and disconnect he feels from the world. Oh wait, that's right, I haven't even introduced you to Hiraku yet. Man, so much to talk about with these ones!

This is a story about disillusioned youth. Kanzaki mentioned back in his first episodes how he was concerned with the way children these days seemed not to expect much from the future, and that's what the show digs into here. He had his class write essays about the future, and at the end of Hiraku's, written in pencil strokes that are almost completely erased, is one very concerning sentence -- "I don't know where I belong." Kanzaki is naturally worried, and when Hiraku skips school to run off on his own to the Grongi-infested Tokyo, he reaches out to Yuusuke.

As well as he should, because the Grongi aren't exactly sitting around that day. In the past few episodes, the fact that the Grongi have an explicit ranking system has finally become apparent, with the "Zu" from early on being beneath the "Me", who are themselves below the "Go". With Garima's death in the previous episode, all that's left are the Go, and that means Kuuga and the police have their work cut out for them with all the new faces that have shown up recently. The one in the spotlight this episode is Go-Buuro-Gu, an owl who's flying around with a blowpipe, killing people at a significantly faster rate than Badjisu was all those episodes ago, and he's harder for the police to track, on top of that.



While it's once again apparent Yuusuke would much rather be looking for Hiraku on Kanzaki's behalf, there's kinda no avoiding getting involved with a case this pressing, and he heads out to help Ichijou put an end to it. Some trivia regarding their respective rides: Ichijou is back in a helicopter for the first time since the premiere (unless I'm forgetting something), and this is the first time we see Kuuga on the Try Chaser in one of his other forms, in this case going straight to Dragon Form so he can hop up onto the skyscraper Buuro is hanging around. That's only to get up there though. Yuusuke and Ichijou have been around the block when it comes to cases like this, so Ichijou's immediate plan was to toss Yuusuke his gun and have him use Pegasus Form's sharp senses to take Buuro down. And better yet, Yuusuke can use Rising Pegasus now.



Power like that is sure to be able to stack up to Buuro... although it might be a little tricky aiming once Yuusuke gets shot through the arm. Once again, folks: it's not easy being Yuusuke.

THUMBS UP COUNTING CORNER

Another episode that saves on the thumbs budget.

Total thumbs up count: 43+0 = 43

EPISODE 26: "Myself"

Yuusuke displays some serious determination by fighting back the pain long enough to make a hit on one of Buuro's wings, but Buuro shows determination of his own by ripping the entire wing off his own body before it can cause him to blow up. Instead, he merely comes crashing down onto a very unlucky car, that thankfully at least didn't have anyone in it. Kuuga himself obviously isn't doing too hot, having reverted to Growing Form again, because that suit is too cool to not keep getting cameos. This also once again means Yuusuke can't transform for a few hours, and that can only mean one thing -- time to help out a kid who really needs it!

And Hiraku most certainly isn't doing too great. He's wandering around the neighborhood where his grandmother used to live before she passed away a few years prior, and he's finding out the hard way that you really can't go home again. The place just isn't the way it used to be a few years back, when he would have carefree fun playing around there. His grandmother's old house has been turned into a parking lot, which is about as disheartening as you can get, and it seems everywhere he looks is just one more reminder things aren't the same. A particularly big kick to the teeth is seeing an old model shop he presumably used to frequent turned into a dry cleaning place, which is obviously way less cool.



Or maybe I just wanted to mention that one because of the cameos from no less than both Victory Gundams. Yeah, that could be it. Uh, by the way, the V1 is lying awkwardly on its back off to the side, if you can't see it. The perfect metaphor for how dejected Hiraku is feeling right now, I suppose. Cheer up, kid! You should take comfort in knowing your childhood can't possibly be as depressing as Uso's is!

Kanzaki arrives at Pole Pole, where Sakurako and Minori are, to wait for Yuusuke's return, while Yuusuke himself finally sits down with Hiraku for a chat. Of course, there's a whole monster plot here with a cool fight scene that features Pegasus Form on the Try Chaser (meaning that counting Titan on the Try Gouram in 24, we've seen all of Kuuga's main forms on the bike), but you know, just like episode 8, all of that is like, whatever right now. The real hero action this episode happens sitting down on some steps.



Yuusuke's conversation overlaps with Kanzaki and the others at Pole Pole. It's essentially two halves of a single discussion, and once these scenes start after the commercial break, they alternate, completely uninterrupted by anything involving the Grongi and the police, for nine straight minutes. The episode knows how important this stuff is. On Kanzaki's end, he expands on what he was talking about back in his first appearance, giving the outside perspective on Hiraku, lamenting a little his inability to truly understand children and be there for them, and how the world seems to drive children to just obidiendently go along with life without giving it any real thought. How they're told not to waste time worrying and just have fun. This episode tackles a pretty uncommon subject for the kind of show it is, and takes an even more unusual stance, which is made readily apparent when Kanzaki outright says taking time to worry is important.

On Yuusuke's end, he's able to get the inside story from Hiraku, directly empathizing with him in ways Kanzaki can't. As always, he makes sure to break the ice instead of launching straight into a lecture, explaining he used to be Kanzaki's student, and even relating a story to Hiraku about a time he himself ran away from home when he was close to Hiraku's age. One moment I really like is how when he asks if Kanzaki still gives thumbs up, and Hiraku says it's pointless, Yuusuke explains the point using Kanzaki's own words about the history of the gesture. It's easy to take for granted, but Yuusuke wasn't there to hear that again back in episode 12, which means this scene proves that Kanzaki's words genuinely did stick with him that much. He can still recite them flawlessly years later. Yuusuke's as cool as they come, and he has an uncanny gift for understanding, which is why when Hiraku says he knows it was bad of him to ditch school to come sulk in Tokyo, his advice is both simple, and the most impactful thing a child in this position could possibly hear: it's okay to sulk.

To really prepare myself for this rewatch, I took a look at any behind the scenes information I could find on Kuuga. One particularly helpful source when it came to understanding the creator intent behind the show was a documentary included on the Blu-ray release of the show called "Inspection ~Document of Kuuga~", which is obviously awesome to begin with, because they even gave it its own two kanji, one word title. It's also full of great insights into the thought process behind creative choices, one of which is why Yuusuke's personality was so laid-back, especially in comparison to the stereotypical tokusatsu hero. Naruhisa Arakawa was, as anyone who's seen his Sentai work knows, a huge fan of tokusatsu heroes growing up, and he never lost that love. Which is why it made a lot of sense to me when I watched that documentary, and saw him talking about how, as a kid, he would see shows with fiery protagonists who speak with great intensity about how you've gotta become stronger! And, as a kid, sometimes he would feel a bit wimpy, and hearing that would just make him think "the whole reason I'm having problems is because I can't do that!" As Kuuga's main writer, he figured there were plenty of kids out there who felt the same way he did, and sought to create a hero who could handle these things in a more calm way, asking himself what he would've wanted to hear at times like that to feel some relief.

This one little thing explains so much about Yuusuke as a character, and goes to show why Kuuga is so great. This is not advice you give to kids when just writing by the rules. But Yuusuke, he doesn't care about rules. He cares about making sure people know how much their lives mean, and that's what makes him so reassuring. He won't criticize a child in pain, not even indirectly, and no matter how well-meaning it might be. It's okay for Hiraku to take time moping, even if it won't bring him the answers he's looking for. It's also okay to be worried about the future, as long as you spend the present trying to be the version of yourself you want to be. All of this, I don't think it's an understatement to call it a daring moral for a kids' show. There's a sort of.. expectation in society, and certainly in Japan, that children don't have "real" problems, you know? Politely telling them to suck it up when they complain is generally considered an acceptable solution. So to have Yuusuke, to have Kamen Rider, telling children instead that their anxiety is not only okay, but something of value, something that's an important part of growing up? That is huge.

I have to imagine a lot of children watching this in 2000 were not used to being approached on their own level this way, and that's why these are some of the series' best episodes, exceptionally genuine and heartfelt. Which is why it's a bit surprising I didn't remember too much about the plot here. But I remembered one thing, that I will never, ever forget. It's a moment that defines Kuuga to me, and, having finally seen what these episodes were about again, I now know why. What was that shot I mentioned at the beginning? What else could it be?



THUMBS UP COUNTING CORNER

Featuring Yuusuke really wanting to cheer Hiraku up, and also the exact same screenshot I just used up above.








Total thumbs up count: 43+6 = 49