[Fish Sandwich]

I'm very excited to be to this episode, because this marks the point I'm finally going to start sharing tracks from the second volume of Kiva's soundtrack. Tunes from it have been a regular feature in the show for a while now, but I figured for a few reasons that this was the right point to begin highlighting them. And to make up for lost time, it's even a double feature today!

First up is something that made it *very* difficult to restrain myself this long – Emperor Form's theme.

This is tied with Ixa's BGM for my absolute favorite track in the show. I didn't even realize it was specifically Emperor Form's music until this thread started; all these years, I simply knew it as that awesome one that sounds more grand and heroic than anything else in the show. But put like that, it makes sense it would be for Kiva's super form, doesn't it? The epicness of this one probably speaks for itself, but one thing I'm particularly fond of is how despite that initial build-up taking so long, it still doesn't really feel like it finishes? Like the triumphant main portion just sort of explodes out without bothering to wait the whole time. So cool!

And then to complete that showdown on the cover image, it's the theme for the new guy in town, Kamen Rider Saga.

(Plus, unlike Emperor's theme, this one is actually in this particular episode!) This is obviously a massively different tone from that last bit of music. Not something I'd be in a rush to listen to when I want to feel pumped, but perhaps the surface-level imposing bluster undercut by discordant chaos, as though the song is literally falling apart trying to play itself, is deeply appropriate for the character? I guess Die will just have to wait and see!

On an unrelated note, something I very much want to note about this episode is that it has one of my favorite Rider gags ever – something I still vividly remembered from Kiva all this time – and it's Otoya's reaction to Yuri casually suggesting they should get married, which is just the worst, and that's why it's the best!






I just love how many stages there are to it in those couple seconds, you know? You can see Otoya have to rattle the thought around in his head for a moment before he panics, and only after he panics does he realize he's also disgusted. To be fair to the guy, the motivation behind the reaction is a little more complex than it might seem, but man are those facial expressions ever priceless. Fantastic bit of acting from Kouhei Takeda, and almost certainly a strong bit of direction from Tasaki (who handled 32/33) as well.