[GoldenXtreme]

A surprise early elimination for Keiwa and some really nice characterization this episode! I keep thinking about this show's character drama in relation to its predecessor, Revice. Revice had a tendency to put its emotional weight in the wrong places (at least for me), but this show is REALLY good at doing it right. Keiwa's hypocrisy being called out by the other Riders is spot on, but the show still allowed him to have a properly heroic showing by being willing to lay his life on the line to get what he wants. Michinaga is petty and fights Geats just so he doesn't win. Neon shows hints of jealously towards Keiwa's loving family dynamic. It all feels so right! I also have to say, one thing I really like about this show is how it tries to clearly establish its mechanics. A lot of Takahashi's shows can be a bit impenetrable, so details like the rules at the end of each episode really help clarify things.


Still don't know about the Ninja Buckle just flying off because Keiwa has a super awesome ninja spirit, but whatever... I think I'd have preferred it if what happened was Geats couldn't use his Ninja Buckle because he was being penalized for fighting Buffa earlier, so he had to pin his hopes on Keiwa instead.