[Kamen Rider Die]

KAMEN RIDER KABUTO - EPISODE 21



This is as back-to-basics as I feel like Kabuto can get, a swing back from the insanity of those Inoue episodes. It's an approach that makes for a pleasant enough experience, with a mix of positives and negatives.

The big positive is, like, Kagami! It's a Kagami spotlight episode! It's not really one that's showing any new sides of Kagami, but more a story about reaffirming his qualities. He's impetuous, he's gullible, he's earnest, he's committed, he's prone to bouts of self-sacrifice, he's not great at working in a team. All of those core attributes get a workout here, with Kagami trying to save a young boy from a nest of Worms.

It's a decent plot, with a few little twists. The main one is that, for an episode that's only vaguely interested in exploring what, if any, strategy there is to the Worms activity at the factory, there's some emphasis placed at the end that they are up to something. It addresses one of my biggest problems in the episode, and something that's been a minor distraction for most of the series. Namely, what in the hell do the Worms want? They'll murder some people, impersonate others, they seem to understand that ZECT is their enemy... it's relentlessly vague, with a threat that seems to increase or decrease in relation to the episode's plot. There's not a consistent sense of danger, and I liked that this one eventually revealed that, yeah, it is super weird that all of these Worms are just hanging out at a factory for days on end.

The other big part of the story this time is A New Zecter, which... I mean, we just did A New Zecter story, and that's only five episodes after the last A New Zecter story. We're only on 21, and this is our fourth A New Zecter story. What is this, Ex-Aid? And the plot for this one is... I like the new Zecter. (I've actually heard of Gatack, which is nice!) A Zecter that needs to be tamed, mastered, that's a fun idea. The way the Gatack Zecter scenes are shot, like it's some wild animal you shouldn't get too close to, those are all great. The only problem is, it's all leading up to Kagami risking his safety by demanding the Gatack Zecter's power to save Makoto, the boy at the factory, and it's a bit of a hurdle for me.

Because we already did a story about Kagami becoming a ZECT Rider, and he quit because they immediately ordered him to kill Kabuto. The same thing would happen again, wouldn't it? Haven't we closed the door on Kagami becoming a ZECT Rider?

The episode finds a little cover for it, mainly through Kagami's attitude. While the script never has anyone outright say You Had This Job Before And You Quit (you'd think Misaki would bring it up, especially if she's trying to talk Kagami out of it), Kagami's demeanor is a lot more solemn than when he was TheBee, and it's clear that he will do whatever it takes to save Makoto. I'm guessing he's already done the math that this will put him in conflict with Tendou, and he's okay with it.

Speaking of Tendou, it's a very nice little plotline he's in with Hiyori, Tsurugi, and Jiiya. It's not a subplot that's really doing a ton, mostly playing up Jiiya and Tendou's culinary skills while letting Tsurugi be his Upbeat And Condescending self. (When he runs down La Salle and pats himself on the back for deigning to eat commoner food!) It's very sweet, though, with Tsurugi as a spoiled Fancy Lad, while a nonplussed Hiyori treats him like some bizarre approximation of a human being. Everyone in it is funny, and I could probably watch an entire episode of Tendou and Hiyori serving food to Tsurugi. (Moment of the episode is when Hiyori tells Tendou he's going to have to be the chef, and he's like Okay But Things Are About To Get Nuts. He knows the expectations of this plot!) It's more about weaving all of these characters together, letting them bounce off one another, than really learning anything new.

Which is maybe the best way to describe this episode? As much as Kagami gets the spotlight here, and I do love that he did, nothing in this episode is revelatory. He's an easy character to root for, because of how much of an underdog he is compared to everyone else on the show. (Makoto is not thrilled to have to depend on Kagami for his safety!) Like, he completely forgets that the person he talks to at the factory might be a Worm, and I'm not convinced that the exposed Worms couldn't've talked him out of shooting them if they'd just said they had a skin condition or something. He wants to be of use so badly, but he's so bad at everything. His character is more or less defined by his Very Big Feelings, not a laundry list of successes. Seeing him bumble through a spotlight episode that ends with him being hospitalized... yeah, sounds like an episode about Kagami!

A QUESTION

It's Christmas Day as I'm typing this, and I hope it is/was a good one for you. This isn't in any way a Christmas episode of Kabuto (I mean, it's almost Tsurugi's birthday in this one, and the world will be celebrating his divinity, but that's maybe a bit of a stretch), but we can always pretend it is. If you could give one physical gift to a character from Kabuto, what would it be and who would you give it to?