[FreshToku]

Agreed that this is very much an episode to lay down all everything that's going on to build one more week of hype before the big conclusion. That really doesn't have happen often at all in these kinds of shows, which I feel really goes to hammer the point how special this occasion is!

I feel like this is as good an opportunity to get into some gripes I have though, not necessarily with just this episode but with the show as a whole at this point, and that is that I really didn't care much for Woz becoming a Kamen Rider?

For one, this is ostensibly treated as a big moment for the character, but... I honestly don't feel like Woz has ever been much of a character to begin with. He's fun to watch and his performance is charismatic, for sure, but the show has been going on for over half a year now and it still had yet to really offer any insight or elaboration into his motivations, like why is he loyal to Oma Zi-O, how does he feel about Sougo, Geiz and Tsukiyomi, and how much stakes does he really have in Sougo's dream coming true. He honestly feels more like a mascot, not helped by how both the show and the cast didn't even hesitate to stop calling him by his actual name when his lookalike started running around. (He doesn't even wear black!)

and why is he some sort of wizard? who bleeds paper apparently?

On top of that, the actual scene of him 'working together' to steal White Woz's powers is just kinda dumb? I can't find it in me to be impressed or think 'wow he really outsmarted that guy', it's more that the nonsensical mechanics of this show just happened to favour him this time.

But you know, I realise my problem with Woz may also comes from the fact that the show has basically never, ever shown what Team Zi-O's life living in Sougo's house is like, outside of discussing plot during breakfast. What's their living spaces like? Do they interact at all while at home? Do they do anything when they're not off fighting Another Riders? It's arguably something that can be said for previous shows too (like what do any of the Build cast do to pass the time at that cafe?), but I always thought it felt especially egregious in this show, or maybe because I was just that curious and the show wouldn't feed my curiosity!

So that all leads to Uncle feeling especially disconnected to the not just the story, but to the other characters too since it's like he only exists in this isolated bubble we never get to see the inside of. ...But! That doesn't stop his scene this episode for really hitting for me...

It's a really, really good moment. With just a few lines of dialogue, it gives a wide breath of complexity and emotion to Uncle and Sougo's living situation, explicitly laying out Sougo's problems here once and for all, and even offering some intriguing insight into how this kid could have turned into that evil overlord we all saw. I guess my only nitpick was that I wish Sougo himself had a more involved or emotional response to it before just taking off, but I'm fine with that brief, happy acknowledgement, like he knows exactly what he has to do now thanks to Uncle's kind words. I loved it and think back to this scene all the time!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fish Sandwich

I'm not sure if the show has actually used this track by the point Die is at yet, based on the quick skimming I did of a bunch of episodes around this point, so maybe it's not actually that closely tied to Zi-O II in the way it's used, but it definitely makes a nice set with Geiz Revive's track.

That track might have been played in brief snippets in part, but it has yet to be played in any significant capacity. I can confidently say that because I distinctly remember the first time the show really puts it to good use, and I have a good feeling you know what exactly that first time is too ^_^