[Kamen Rider Die]

KAMEN RIDER ZERO-ONE EPISODE 41 - “TAKE THY NEIGHBOR’S HAND!”



We’re coming up on the end of the Zero-One TV episodes, and I’m realizing (or even REALxEYEZing) that I never did an image post for this show. I never really took the time to let myself soak in the cinematography of this series. Thought I’d have to skip that post this go around, until I got about six minutes into this one and had already pulled a half-dozen examples of stuff that visually elevated the material. So let’s talk about how smartly this episode was filmed!




This opening scene with Team Zero-One does a smart job of keeping Aruto and Izu in the frame whenever Aruto’s talking about his plans and dreams, because they’re not just his plans and dreams anymore, they’re theirs. Him and Izu are one cohesive unit now, and this framing never lets you forget it.




Perfect visual gag. Perfect. The long hold on Fuwa’s face, and then the background explosion just as he breaks. Five stars.



The whole sequence of Jin’s return to MetsubouJinrai’s “No Humans Allowed” Clubhouse is full of evocative, fascinating shots. This one’s the first of several long-takes for the episode, with the group being shot through a set of blinds. It crushes down the image, creating a claustrophobia to Jin’s pleas for understanding. He’s in a familiar space, but now it’s hostile territory. By both limiting the image and extending the take, we get a lot of anxiety injected into this shot.



A fraught conversation between Horobi and Jin, but it’s one that becomes increasingly philosophical as it goes on, abstracted from their familial connection into something more primal and fundamental. As such, this part of the exchange is just their silhouettes; we’re looking at two concepts, not two people. They’re not connecting as individuals, they’re just arguing their morality.



A nice reminder that this confrontation between Jin and Horobi has the larger goal of reclaiming MetsubouJinrai from the Ark’s clutches. We’ve got Naki and Ikazuchi here, literally sandwiched between two opposing viewpoints.




I like how, as the argument between Horobi and Jin turns into a fight, they can’t even look at each other anymore. They need to separate out their bond from this conflict; they need to dehumanize their opponent. Jin can’t fight his father (or father-figure), but he can fight Kamen Rider Horobi.



And then the fight happens in darkness, illuminated by almost nothing but sparks. Such a fun way to shoot this fight.



This gag killed me, but I still hate the development. For one thing, Fukuzoe should be President of Hiden Industries. He’s a guy that never stopped fighting for that company, not just its principles. It’s totally his time to be in charge. For another thing, though: I really hate the idea of Aruto coming back to his family’s company. He specifically turned down returning to Hiden Intelligence a few episodes ago because he had his own destiny, his own dream. He could (and should) rebuild Hiden Manufacturing with Izu, honoring their dream. He could (and should) license the Humagear patents to ZAIA/HI – collaborating with Gai, which is something this show is 1000% built on – to save the day. But Gai just being like You’re The Better Man? And Aruto being like It’s Good To Be Back? No thanks! Super-duper no thanks!



Nothing special about this shot (typical boardroom stuff), but this line struck me as real Inspired By Actual Events. Probably the one society-altering Kamen Rider finale that was a little too close to home for folks watching.



This is the part of the episode where the members of MetsubouJinrai are cut off from the Ark and need to make a decision as to whether they’ll continue to serve, or if they'll rebel against their master. The camera work on all of them are great, but I was especially fond of how trapped Ikazuchi looks in this shot.



When we saw Horobi earlier as the Ark’s emissary, he was shrouded in darkness. Here, as he chooses to defend Jin and the rest of the Humagears against the Ark’s malevolence, he’s backlit and bathed in light. Great visual cue that this is a Horobi that’s fighting for his own convictions, rather than at the whim of some orbiting tyrant.



Kamen Rider Horobi and Kamen Rider Zero-Two, teaming up to take on Kamen Rider Ark-Zero. Ark-Zero’s dead center, the focal point of the protagonists’ combined power.



Whole fight was a goddamn masterclass in 21st-century tokusatsu fight scenes. The music was impeccable; intense but gentle, a battle with emotional weight to it. The combo moves of Horobi and Zero-Two were stunning. The extended finisher was climactic in every sense of the word. And this one little pose of Zero-Two as he waits for the explosion looks like it belongs on a movie poster. Absolutely stellar work on this fight from everyone involved.



And then this counterpoint, as the destruction of the Ark is just this little flash of light, followed by a little puff of smoke. It’s so far away, it might as well not even have happened at all. I love that choice, to deny the Ark any sense of scale at the end. It never mattered.



Because the real threat hasn’t been Hate as a concept, it’s been the people who act on hate. In one of my favorite developments, Horobi has followed Phoenix from Wizard’s example and let a hero give him a pep talk that convinces him of the righteousness of his crusade against humanity. Aruto’s no longer dealing with a Horobi that’s just a vessel for mindless hatred against humanity. He’s facing a Horobi that has seen how humanity’s capacity for hatred has lead to multiple near-extinction events for Humagears, and could potentially lead to more in the future. Horobi’s war against humanity is now personal and logical, grounded in hope for his people and a desire to protect his family. He’s fighting for something now, and that makes him more dangerous than the Ark ever could be.

Fantastic episode of Zero-One.