[Tokumonkey]

This is back up to a 5-star for me after last week's dip, since we've now got the characters reacting to the weirdness of the situation again. I'd worried that it was just going to get handwaved away.

Regarding the DisaStar, it sure looks like it's Nadge-Sparrow as of this episode, which makes me suspect he's a red herring and that it's Sae.

The apparent alien in the audience is a low-key bombshell, and another clue that the present-day Japan setting might be a simulation. I still worry that a simulation reveal will rob the show of its stakes, but maybe I should just have a little more faith in the show's writers.

Given the Star of the Star of the Stars thing, I'm amused that Ace apparently took an immediate dislike to his fan.

I just realized that I probably wouldn't like Keiwa nearly as much if he was our titular Rider. Somehow, having him as the Gattack of the show has left me more patience with his lack of any apparent survival instinct or situational awareness.