[Kurona]

Funny thing is, Fish, I literally just finished Episode 27 as you posted that!



And... actually, I wanna talk about it for a second, because I think it just might be my legitimate favourite so far; hilariously dumb episodes like 13 notwithstanding.




So. Alright. Setup for the episode: Slug Moth Mutant (they're really running out of nonspecific animals, huh?) has this power where basically he's able to set up lines that both sap electricity, and lay cocoons among them that explode when exposed to basically any type of energy.

Now, right away, I'm groaning and assuming that this is going to be an episode about... oh, you shouldn't rely so much on electricity; now it's taken you're going to have to get back to nature or find non-electrical ways to do things, you should go back to your roots and find the way your granddaddy did it yadda yadda. It's a very common set-up in kids' shows, to teach them a lesson in that way; and a fair bit in the first few minutes of the episode leads me to think they'll be doing it here! The establishing scene has some teenager playing music way too loud in front of her mother and getting annoyed when the power cuts out; and then the cut to the Golgom High Priests - the best characters in the show, or perhaps of the franchise - has them talking kind of along these lines; about how without electricity, heat etc; essentially modern human society will crumble and Golgom will reign supreme. And it's important to note a couple things here about Golgom that have characterised them beyond the goofiness that made me think this way: they are very disdainful of and pessimistic about humanity and consider the hubris to be their biggest trait; poke 'em with a stick enough times and they'll destroy themselves -- and then that their plans tend to revolve around that psychological element. That plan I linked early on of them thinking that making one village into assholes will cause international war? Very goofy! Very stupid! Very funny! But also very much the perfect insight into how these villains see their enemies and how they plan around them -- these humans are primitive and stupid and easily set off; let's do something to set off these primitive and stupid creatures. So that's how I'm thinking of this, right? That the episode will be themed around the loss of electricity, and Kotaro and some kids or something will need to figure out how to make do without it.

The very next scene introduces Kotaro to a hospitalised child who in his current state cannot survive for long without medical equipment.




So. Right off the bat. Kind of taken aback! Very much respect how they turned around my expectations like that, and something that I've loved about Toku in general and why I tend to not be into certain other shows -- it doesn't feel the need to condescend and it takes its audience of children seriously. There's a level of respect for the children watching where, like... it still knows how to keep it appropriate, right? There's lines it knows not to cross and there's stories it knows are best to prioritise for kids; but it also knows that these stories don't need to talk down to those kids. It doesn't feel like it needs to treat kids as some dumb selfish little brats who need to be taught not to throw a tantrum over the TV not working -- no, Kamen Rider Black instead thinks so much of its audience that it can just tell a story about how much of a catastrophe the loss of electricity would be for so, so many people who need it to survive. It's a story not just of respect but also underneath it all, something that might subtly broaden horizons for some of its audience; maybe show them how other people live or perhaps show one of those unfortunate people that they're just as loved and treated as friends and allies by Kamen Rider!




Now that on its own? Very lovely; I like having my expectations turned around in a very positive way. But it doesn't stop there, because sapping electricity isn't the only thing Slug Moth Mutant's powers (seriously, Slug Moth? That's where we're at, huh?) do -- there's also explosive cocoons that react to any sort of energy. ... including the energy Black exudes after he transforms. Kotaro for most of the episode literally cannot transform and can barely use his bikes for long. So raised stakes, right? Well it doesn't stop there! Because usually when he's disadvantaged like this, he'd just be met by the monster of the week. And he does, at one point! He is indeed met by the monster of the week.

But first he's got to deal with the fucking three high priests of Golgom.




Like, holy shit. I've been talking mostly about how these guys are funny for how dumb they are, right? Well... I haven't been talking about how they've been for the last 10 episodes. Because about 10 episodes ago, Black introduced a new general; pink sword dude up there called Sword Saint Birugenia. I kinda pitied him from the moment I saw him because, my god, I hear nothing about this guy; he's clearly gonna be killed and replaced by Shadow Moon the moment he shows up and all hope for his own popularity is just gone. But as-is, he's this terrifying entity that was locked away for his destructive capabilities towards Golgom itself, and is resurrected to deal with KR Black -- and the three priests are kind of terrified of him. Suddenly they have to work with this guy who's showing them up at every turn and who doesn't exactly seem to have the best intentions in mind for them, and while it's more likely they'll beat Kotaro with his help; it doesn't make the outcome look much better for them. So suddenly they've been upping the ante -- they've been taking to the field more, they've been pursuing much more serious and grander-scale plans; they've been targeting Kotaro a LOT more than they usually would. They're still very much the three stooges I feel, but recently it's been like, the three stooges if they pulled a gun on the audience every 15 minutes. They definitely feel like much more of a threat now.

So they show up, knock Kotaro off the bridge by setting off explosions around him, and suddenly this part of this episode is a powerless Kotaro desperately hiding from the three most powerful characters in the show who are relentlessly searching to kill him. It gives off a very similar vibe to the first episode where they pursued a runaway Kotaro for the first time, and it's no less terrifying here -- especially when there's no transformation to save Kotaro this time! This episode has now turned into an incredible study of our main character's determination and altruism here -- he's in a race against time to save the life of one child he's never before, faced down by impossible odds and arguably at the worst disadvantage he's ever been. The only way he's actually able to overcome this by the end, as he hears that child desperately plead his name for help; is jumping off a cliff because middair is the only place without cocoons so he can transform. From there on it's pretty straightforward saving the day and inspiring this kid, but... man. This was such a good episode.


If someone asked me to point me to the best of this show; something that showed what it's most capable of, something that showed everything you wanted to know about the main character; something that showed what it's about? This is one of the ones I would give them, easily. I think it's gonna be hard to top this one, not gonna lie!