[Fish Sandwich]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kurona

I figure they mandate having a character in the show who calls everyone by their rider names in a very detached manner because there's so many Riders in each show now kids'll get confused otherwise you'll see one next season too

Meanwhile in 2002, nobody on Ryuki can be bothered to say each Rider's name more than once.

(Oh, and while I'm on this subject, I always really loved how Taiga did this in Ex-Aid too! Especially because Hiiro also had his whole thing of referring to the other three main Riders by what kind of doctor they were. Both of those details suggest a lot about either character's personality, and it makes each of them that much more distinct, because Ex-Aid creates contrast in its cast the way Ex-Aid's design creates it in its colors.)

But uh, I'm talking about the wrong series here, aren't I?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

KAMEN RIDER ZERO-ONE EPISODE 7 - ?I?M A HOT-BLOODED HUMAGEAR TEACHER!?

This isn't really my favorite episode of the series or anything, but I also feel bad putting it that way, because that makes it sound like I think it's bad or something. It's mostly just surrounded by episodes I completely love, and I think it goes to show what a high standard Zero-One was at for me. Even an episode that's just "decent" still has a strong plot and all the usual great action. I find it really interesting seeing you point out the sort of disconnect in the climaxes, Die. I don't think I ever would've clocked that as someone who got into this franchise with so many of those early Heisei shows, where I feel like you'd often have the monster and hero randomly meet after an unrelated drama plot. (I always figured Shouichi and the Ryuki guys could sense monsters specifically to encourage that sort of writing, for example.) If anything, the monster in a Zero-One episode being a character we've gotten to know for the better part of 20 minutes already makes it more connected than where my standard for that is at? It's better selling the stakes of why MetsubouJinrai needs to be stopped by making them more personal, and that's really all I need out of the fights. Still, that's definitely a great observation on your part.

What also helps Zero-One is just that, again, the action is relentlessly fun. Even just that little throwdown between Valkyrie and Jin, for example. I know you don't quite feel like engaging with the shady stuff Yua's doing in the background just yet, but one thing I love about this episode is that, while it ends with her looking her shadiest yet, it also goes out of its way to put in a moment where she realizes there are civilians on the battlefield, and shields them from Jin with her own body. I really love the way the show builds up Yua early on a ton. The gap between her as a hero and her as someone with a hidden agenda is a lot of fun, and of course, I never get tired of that highly tactical fighting style.

Other fun bits of action in this episode include Vulcan using the Attache Calibur, a moment which I think exists solely because the box for the DX Attache Calibur has a picture of Vulcan using it. I think the idea was to suggest the Attache weapons are more mass-produced tools than signature items for the heroes, but as neat as that idea is for building the setting's atmosphere, I don't think they were actually super interested in having anyone but Aruto use that sword.

And speaking of Aruto, gotta love how he remembers to move his hand before he blasts himself in the face with his new form this time. Freezing Bear is a suit I've always kind of wanted to be my favorite of Zero-One's non-insect forms, but for whatever reason, it just doesn't get me fired up the same way as Flaming Tiger? I mean, Freezing Bear is certainly cool, but... uh, I swear I wasn't even trying to make dumb puns this time, but you get the idea. The bottom line is that Freezing Bear is still a Zero-One form, so I definitely do like it. I guess in a way it's just like the episode it debuted in. Like, that's what a "decent" Zero-One suit looks like.