[Kurona]

Awww, man, I missed my chance!

I've been trying to say something on every 2-parter; one post for every big watch post you make. And at the same time I've been saying to myself, obviously, I'm probably not gonna have something to say about every single story, and I shouldn't feel bad if I just don't say something sometimes. But now I have missed one! After being so diligent! Dammit!


So I'll say this about the previous 2-parter, first of all: I adore how low-key Rising Titan's introduction is. It's something Kuuga does a lot but I like that there's no fanfare to this new power, no telling and all showing. It just lets the form speak for itself with a minor bit of necessary exposition, lets you work out the obvious, and just lets Rising Titan be goddamn cool. Love that.

... I also find it kind of funny that if it wasn't for random Mushroom Grongi, Godai wouldn't be any more powerful and he might even have died in this episode. The Grongi have gotta hate that mushroom dude now. Or maybe they love him for making The Game more interesting! Who knows!

And to add on to the humour...

Build, Fourze and Faiz get more powerful from increasingly improving technology.

W and Den-O get more powerful from embracing their bonds with their allies and truly fighting alongside each other.

Gaim and Ryuki get more powerful by using the weapons handed to them in a death game as a force for good and their own ideals.

Kuuga gets more powerful from standard hospital equipment.

Just. Perfect.



And moving swiftly on because I GODDAMN LOVE THIS 2-PARTER!

Everything I said before about Episode 12 gets the perfect follow-up here. I love how seriously it takes kids' issues. I love how frank and honest and ultimately true it is. I love how it dedicates so much effort to what is, at its core, addressing mental health.

It's... almost strange to think about it this way, but the speeches in this and episode 12? Mika's entire story? How Godai always, always makes time for everyone? The more I think about it, and frankly in no small part to this thread going over everything again; the more I realise that Kuuga really feels like a show about mental health, and maybe one of the biggest reasons I resonated it with it so much. I don't know if the people working on it had degrees in psychology or psychiatry or anything of the like; or if they talked to experts; or if it's just coming straight from the heart. But whatever the answer is, it's just so pure and so real. Once again, Kuuga gets these feelings so many children and even teenagers and young adults have, and doesn't talk down to them or feel the need to give easy answers. It's a simple showing of validation, solidarity and trust; and sometimes that's what you need most. Sometimes you don't need direct advice or help; sometimes you just need to be told it's okay to feel these things, be able to vent them, and from there be able to move on.

And as you said, Fish: it's so wonderful for Kamen Rider to say this.






... there's no possible way to smoothly segue that into more Kuuga Gun screenshots, but here you go!