[Fish Sandwich]

Episode 15 is another very exciting one for my shtick, because the show just got its second TETRA-FANG insert theme! None other than Individual-System, the theme for Kamen Rider Ixa.

And I do specifically mean the theme for Ixa, as in not just Nago, hence why the first time it's playing is when Jirou is using the belt. That being said, while the lyrics mostly revolve around the broad goal of the Wonderful Blue Sky Organization to account for this, even making reference to it being a power passed down through multiple eras, there's a distinctly Nago tone to the sheer reverence given to Ixa, speaking him of as though he were this lone soldier, standing proudly as the only thing between the innocent masses and the sinful creatures seeking to extinguish their lives. It's kinda more apparent comparing it directly to Destiny's Play, which is this very personal song about Wataru's fears and desires, and then this one is just MONSTERS BAD ME GOOD. It's insisting Ixa is a hero in a way that's got the slightest hint of a creepy undertone to it (and while it's another thing I can't describe, I also feel the overall sound matches this idea) which of course means it's a great theme for Ixa. Now if only I could figure out why it's called "Individual-System"...

(This song is also a bit special to me because I distinctly remember seeing this exact YouTube video of Kouji Seto performing it live at the very first of the few concerts TETRA-FANG did, and how endearing it was watching him get extremely nervous and choked up trying to express his gratitude for being there with everyone. You can tell how genuine it is because his singing is noticeably worse than in the other songs that night, and it's honestly just really cute? Actually, come to think of it, maybe seeing this before the show itself is a huge part of why the whole "I'm going to sing!" ending of episode 12 left an impact on me?)

Anyway, yeah, this episode was another in a string of winners for me, and certainly one of the standout uses of the show's double time period plotting. It had me on the edge of my seat in a way that I did not at all expect from Kiva going in.