[DreamSword]

Episode 7: Silver Fang

I feel like Rei and Hiiro from Kamen Rider Ex-Aid would find some common ground.

The whole episode is a slow build up to an absolutely explosive third act that in any other show would've been a final showdown.

But before getting to that, I wanna highlight what, surprising even to me, was the aspect that stood out most for me in this episode: That being the overall sound design. Yes really.

And I'm not just talking the music either(though it is good). Whoever did the sound effects for this episode I think totally deserves a raise. Every sound effect, especially those during the big fight at the end, was absolutely on point and felt incredibly powerful to me.

But while that is the biggest aspect that stood out to me here, it's not like the rest of the episode is any slouch. Half the episode is dedicated to just how opposite to Koga that Rei really is. Not just in terms of looks and personality, but also in the way that they handle their work, and how despite those differences, both are every bit as dedicated in what they do.

What results is a very interesting juxtaposition wherein while Koga initially had no real attachment to Kaoru, and his overall stoic demeanor, he still ended up choosing to ignore the code of the Knights and spare her, and is currently trying to find a way to purify Koaru. Meanwhile, while Rei is much more easygoing and lighthearted, and though he does initially seek Kaoru's' affections, once he realizes how she's been splashed by Horror blood, he's all in on killing her.

And of course, this results in an absolutely explosive, top notch fight between the two, and what rightfully is what will stand out to most people when they think of this episode. And really, there's so much going on here that I'd find it incredibly surprising if anyone just didn't get anything out of it. From the incredibly well choreographed civilian fight, to the absolutely bombastic clash of blades as the two fall from the skyscraper after donning their armor, it's something that just keeps on escalating and had me really hyped up the entire time.

I think my favorite bit in the entire thing though has to be when a Horror spawns nearby, and what ensues is the two Knights fighting eachother while also still fighting the Horror, and in the end just getting rid of it as quickly as they can because the damn thing just keeps getting in their way.

Besides that, the other thing that stood out to me most in terms of the fight is just how evenly matched the two are. Just when it looks like Koga is getting beaten down, he comes swinging right back just as hard. It's so great to see after so many shows where the new guy who shows up just outshines the hero in every which way, and it's one of my favorite ways of handling a rival battle, whether it be in toku, anime, or whatever. It reminded me alot of s-CRY-ed, which is what I see as the gold standard for this sort of thing.

So... yeah. This episode was almost like an entire action movie condensed into 23 minutes, and I couldn't be happier with it.