[Kamen Rider Die]

TTFC DIRECT THEATER: KAMEN RIDER SABER, ACT 1 - “SABER, LET YOUR HEART SHINE!”



I don’t… know what this is?

It’s some little twelve-minute bluescreen video, with Unreal Engine backdrops and one non-suit actor. (Smile! From Zero-One! Which is nice!) The whole thing’s like a one-act stage play, but filmed? I don’t know why? It’s very, uh, rough. It barely looks professional, even by the comparative standards of TTFC Special and Stage Play and COVID. I don’t understand why it’s like this? Or what it’s for?

As its own little Fight Scene Plus Moral special, it’s fine. A character we’ve never met before has a problem that’s only revealed when it becomes crucial information to conclude the plot, which is a thoroughly Saber way to tell this story. The stunts are stage show-esque, with a lot of tumbling and long takes, rather than the more robust and energetic camerawork we see on TV. It’s all very simple, is I guess what I want to say about it. It’s like the type of Saber story you’d put on the back of the box for the show-adjacent breakfast cereal. (Saber Flakes: “I’ll decide how this complete breakfast ends!”) It’s cute, at best. There’s virtually nothing to unpack or analyze, because it’s not really trying to tell a story with any depth. It’s a 12-minute stage show on the internet.

Nice to see Smile again, I guess!

—

WE’VE GOT YOUR BACK



Well, that was that.

Junki called off from work. He told his parents he wouldn’t be coming by for dinner tonight. He texted friends to let them know he might be unavailable for the foreseeable future. He let them all know that he was fine, but that he needed to keep cheering for Kamen Rider Saber.

It was only through the grace of the crimson swordsman that Junki was returned to the real world, instead of eternally imprisoned by an army of black-and-silver mute monsters. Junki knew he was delivered from evil, and he owed his life to Saber. When Saber commanded that Junki keep cheering, that was exactly what Junki intended to do.

Well, Junki wasn’t sure if “commanded” was the right word. While he was hopeful that Saber had saved him due to heroism, there was a fear that Saber would be a wrathful savior. Junki wasn’t certain what might happen if he stopped cheering for Saber: would the monsters return, and Saber might be unable to summon enough power to defeat them; or would Saber return, and angrily smite his subjects for failing him? Junki thought it best not to tempt fate, and decided the most rational course of action was to just keep cheering.

He’d never really cheered anyone on before, though, so he had to do some research. He’d tried yelling WE LOVE YOU SABER and LET’S GO SABER, but that wasn’t a long-term plan. For one, his voice was giving out after only a few hours of shouting, which meant he’d very quickly be physically unable to follow Saber’s instructions. For another, his neighbor’s shouted threat to break down Junki’s door and quiet him for good meant that, again, Saber would lose the required cheers. So that was a wash.

He tried prayer, but… that wasn’t really “cheering”, was it? That was asking Saber for help, and he certainly didn’t want to be a distraction or a nuisance. Saber wanted support, not a burden.

It was a Google search for “cheering on costumed people” that brought him success. It was for an idol group, but Junki figured the same advice would carry over for a superhero. Not only would he be able to cheer on Saber, but he’d be able to get his life back. He could see his parents. He could see his friends. He could sleep and eat and bathe, without worrying that the selfish minutes would bring doom upon him. He could even go back to work.

He’d have to go back to work, actually. The Google search gave him the helpful tip, but only a full-time job was going to keep him in Saber’s good graces. Junki added the items to his Amazon cart – DX swords, Figuarts, plush dolls, art prints, plastic statues, card sleeves, Blu-rays, CDs, rubber coasters – and hoped this was enough to cheer Saber on.