[Fish Sandwich]

So, as mentioned, this is Garulu Form's last time to shine in the series, following on from Dogga's that I also brought up, and, don't be too shocked, but Bashaa's appearance in 19 with its insert theme? That was also the last episode it was in. Just what could be going on here!? Well, if the answer isn't clear yet, you can always ponder it while listening to the third and final Arms Monster song, Shout in the Moonlight.

Not that it's a very orthodox choice for thinking music, mind you! It's naturally a super aggressive song basically all about how Garulu is going to come and mess you up with his savage instincts and there's nothing you can do about it. (Otoya learned that lesson the hard way in this one too, so... topical!) It's also been endlessly hilarious to me over the years because there's a lyric in there about breaking out from the "boring sofa", and let me tell ya', it's real hard to make yourself sound cool when you're talking about furniture. Like, it just makes me think of a puppy trying to hide from bad weather. It's such a weirdly specific metaphor to bust out; maybe one of the goofiest lines Shouko Fujibayashi has ever come up with, and I love it to bits.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

We’re in 1986, at Mal d’Amour, and everyone’s celebrating Boss’s 34th birthday. Jiro’s taunting Otoya, Otoya’s flirting with Yuri, Yuri’s threatening Otoya. And then Megumi steps in front of the three of them, passing over to the other end of the cafe, where 2008 Boss and Wataru are sitting. It’s shocking, for how little of the old 1986-to-2008 switcheroo signifiers it uses. We’re on the set, and now it’s a different year. It’s fantastic for keeping the comedic and emotional momentum of the scene, for the breathlessness of the timing. But, as folks were recently criticizing a shift from clearly delineated timelines, it’s maybe a harbinger of some messier staging. I thought it worked great here, but I can see it being a problem with a lesser director.

Well of course it's no issue with this director, because 23/24 are Ishida's next set! (I'm also pretty fond of the way Shinji appears from behind the train right before those screencaps.)

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(The two screencaps I used for this post… god, they break my heart in the best way. The vulnerability of the upbeat Ryoko, to admit how precarious their relationship is, and the steadfastness of the previously-evasive Shinji to affirm his commitment to her? It is unbelievably sweet. It’s this economy of dialogue, where the actors and the staging are entrusted with delivering that emotional payload. It’s not a writer who feels like he has to spell everything out. It’s a faith in the process to let the tone multiply what they aren’t saying. I really thought it was lovely.)

Oh, and speaking of those screencaps! I know I'm still retired from translation policing, but since you're putting that exchange in such a spotlight, I really feel compelled to elaborate here a bit. The whole point of it which is getting lost in the translation here is that it's one of those things where they're both literally talking about something mundane instead of what they're clearly saying.

The translation looks like this:
"How far... is the train station?"
"It's right where I'm standing."
"Is it okay... if we're together?"
"Yes."

But, assuming I'm not messing this up too, it should be more like:
"Do you know... how to get to the train station?"
"I was just heading there myself."
"Would it be okay... if we went there together?"
"Of course."

I think this makes everything you were praising about the scene even more true than it was? Like you say, so much of it is the staging and performances, and they utterly nailed all that.