[Kamen Rider Die]

KAMEN RIDER DRIVE EPISODE 48 - FINAL STORY (SPECIAL EDITION): THE CASE OF GHOST



What an outstanding send-off to Kamen Rider Drive.

There’re a million little things I’m going to call out - this episode is so joyous in its celebration of everything that made Drive great - but my absolute favorite part is how they used the themes of Ghost to tie-in with this conclusion to Shinnosuke’s story.

The whole plot to this episode is Shinnosuke trying to wrap up the case that got away from him during his pre-Episode 1 backstory. He’s trying to hunt down the remnants of Neo Shade, the same group that he was hunting down during the Global Freeze; the time when his partner got injured and left the force.

It’s a case Shinnosuke is trying to solve as he’s still dealing with the loss (however brief it might be) of Mister Belt. Just as Shinnosuke’s trying to put the past behind him in a case, he’s struggling not to regress in his personal life. It’s Hayase all over again, with Shinnosuke losing his focus as he finds himself alone.

But Shinnosuke isn’t alone. Gen gives him this short but amazing speech, right before they meet Ghost, about how Shinnosuke isn’t the solo act he was a year ago. He’s got all of his friends to get him through this rough patch, so he should just lean on them. He’s stronger for the connections he made, more powerful for the lessons he learned, so he’s able to face the future.

It’s… that’s all the themes of Kamen Rider Ghost. Shinnosuke overcomes this last hurdle by following the example of the next Kamen Rider series.

I love that? I love that. Any show could have the new hero give their But Why Heroism to the old hero, but it’s a million times better to have the preview for the new show be this, be the themes of the new show spilling over onto the old show.

And, y’know, it still totally works within the boundaries of Kamen Rider Drive. (Like, this isn’t a final episode of Blade where it’s all about raising an adolescent boy.) Teamwork and perseverance and major themes from Drive's show, so it’s not a huge shock that Shinnosuke would be able to trust in his friends and push through his grief. But it feels a bit more spiritual here, a little bit more like Shinnosuke sees how he’s connected to the people around him. I mean: GHOST! That’s a Kamen Rider Ghost thing!

The episode itself - the non-thematic elements - are also top-notch. There’s a bit of a flashback, so we get to see Go and Chase team with Shinnosuke for a fight scene. Krim gets to deliver one last lesson for his old partner. The Ghost debut uses this swinging camera effect in a single take, creating an unsteadiness to the fight that’s unlike any of the Roidmude battles. (They also set the big fight in a factory with a gigantic square chasm, so you get these gorgeous deep background shots of Shinnosuke.) Ghost himself is helpful and generous, a much more on-point intro for the character. (He’s a very sweet boy in this!) The climactic moment of the episode is all about Shinnosuke and his partner having enough faith in each other to pull off a crazy maneuver and still catch the criminal at the site of Hayase’s accident. The longer version of the best-ever opening theme plays over the credits.

It’s a fantastic final episode. I wasn’t sure it was going to be, on rewatch? I didn’t remember it being anything special. Now, having watched Ghost, I think it’s exceptional. It puts a button on Kamen Rider Drive’s story, and that button is The Themes Of Kamen Rider Ghost. What a way to lead out of one show, and lead into another.