[Fish Sandwich]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

KAMEN RIDER KABUTO - EPISODE 21

This episode and the next are rather pivotal ones for Kabuto as a series, so it's maybe not too surprising that the A plot here is one I've managed to keep a solid recollection of even as so many others leave me drawing a blank.

The atmosphere is unquestionably great throughout, and I think that's key to how strong an impression it left. Right from the first scene, that introduces the Gatack Zecter, it's just way too memorable to forget. A tiny robot beetle brutalizing Tadokoro is some big metal box, with the injuries being left to the viewer's imagination, only showing us the outside view, as the walls of the box keep getting dented from the implied violence going on inside... it's like something out a horror movie, right down to the creepy ambient sounds and appropriately moody lack of light... even if that last thing is how ZECT rolls all the time anyway. It's also delightful in that way I love from Kamen Rider, because the big scary monster in this movie is, again, a tiny robot beetle. One colored in a bright, appealing blue, at that. That gap between the seriousness with which the situation is being played and the inherent silliness that comes with the genre is what I live for, and as such, "tiny robot beetle beats people up in box" would likely crack a top 3 list of things from Kabuto I remember most vividly. It's a great intro sequence, with typical strong direction from Tasaki, and it sets the stage perfectly for an episode that feels like it's going above and beyond from start to finish.

Which is perhaps a weird thing to say? I don't really disagree with Die that this is a solid back-to-basics episode not doing anything too unexpected, but, let's see, how do I put this...? It feels way more focused than normal to me, and I think that's what's making up for how well-trodden much of the ground here already is. It's solid like a diamond.

Kagami's character is encapsulated perfectly, to a level not even other episodes focused on him can quite claim. They really packed in every last aspect of his personality. He's supremely easy to root for here, and you can start to see some growth from the last time he was trying to slap on a Belt and be a Rider. It's interesting to note that Kagami is the sole character in the show we've actually seen becoming a Rider, too. Tendou was simply waiting on the Zecter for years before we meet him in the premiere, and everyone else, including Kageyama, just kind of has theirs when we see them transform for the first time. I kinda like this touch because I think it makes Kagami that much more easy to identify with, and I give the show bonus points for having his motivation to become both TheBee and Gatack be an in-the-moment desire to protect people. Again, most other Riders in this show have some big life philosophy or belief or whatever that drives them, but your boy Kagami is doing this because he sees an opportunity to save lives, and that's what matters to him, simple as that.

Tendou's love of cooking gets some great attention, with him finally finding another cook on his level. The usual gag of him saying he refuses to help and then helping is done fantastically on both ends, with him bluntly hanging up on Misaki in a hilarious fashion, and then having his usual quoting of his grandmother subtly show his respect for Kagami when he goes to save him, which he also does in an epic sequence involving Kabuto getting tackled out of a high up window by the Worm and Casting Off in midair. It's pushing the limits of what the show's budget can even allow for right now, and is shot in a way that pretty cleverly works around those limitations. It's a brief sequence in terms of length, but it's clear some real effort went into it.

And as my final proof it's an almost definitive episode of Kabuto, Hiyori gets to say "nande boku ga...", which makes any episode of this show twice as good as it would be otherwise. And in an episode that's already firing on all cylinders, to boot! There's not a thing to really complain about with this one. Great direction, and an impeccable script from Yonemura, with tense drama and comic relief that somehow doesn't get in the way of that. Can't wait to see the back half.