[Kamen Rider Die]

KAMEN RIDER W EPISODE 37 - “VISITOR X - THE BRIDGE OF PROMISES”



If I have any fondness for Wakana’s character (and I do!), it’s largely because of her scenes with Philip in this episode.

She’s been frustratingly underdeveloped these last couple, uh, dozen episodes? Her arc was hitting an intriguing point of uncertainty back before the Winter Movie, where her friendship with Philip was causing her to question her loyalty to her family. Then… nothing. Terui shows up, which takes time to deal with. Isaka shows up, which takes time to deal with. Saeko’s arc becomes the central story of the Sonozaki family, which relegates Wakana to either a pawn or an exposition prompt, there to ask other characters to explain things to the audience. She wasn’t really about anything, for a good long while.

But I instantly forgot that when she stepped into view on that bridge.

The two of them just have such compelling, natural chemistry. Philip becomes suave and emotionally present. Wakana becomes effervescent and charming. The two of them… it’s not flirting, even though it can easily (and unfortunately) be read that way. It’s more that they feel safe with each other, because they don’t need each other to be anything but themselves. There’s no pressure to fight/commit crime, or a larger family to protect. It’s just two people who care about each other, and that’s the scope of their world. They get to fantasize about a carefree life of emotional support, which they’re largely denied in the real world. (Philip less so, but Shotaro’s partnership is not the same thing as Wakana’s.) And to admit that it’s easier for them to dream when they can escape to being a voice on the phone… so great. Such a thoughtful, sentimental way to frame their bond, in a set of scenes that almost single-handedly make me care about Wakana again.

It’s an episode that does a great job of making all of the Sonozaki family interesting again, actually. Saeko being on the run creates a wild card scenario in the city, as well as exposing Ryuube’s familial bond as being a distant second to the needs of the Museum. It creates additional pressure on Wakana, because she’s being asked to step up at exactly the moment where she’s acutely aware of what reluctance or failure will get her. The Sonozakis get to be even more of a nightmare as they better express the stakes of their story, even if their specific objective continues to be disappointingly vague.

But, hey, at least we also get some additional backstory on Philip, for a big flashing sign that might as well say We Are In Our Final Act Of The Series. The neurology professor that I briefly thought was Narutaki – Neurotaki – pops up to start to lock down details on Raito’s past, which is sure to be massively coincidental that it’s happening in a story so heavily featuring the Sonozakis and Shroud. (Hard to really “speculate” on this plot point. Sorry!) What we get here is thrillingly conveyed and kinetically supported, thanks to the Hopper Dopant assassin lurking on the fringes. It’s just enough info to feel like you’re seeing more of the picture, but not so much that it feels like homework. Neurotaki was one of a half-dozen scientists that helped design the Gaia Memories for the Museum, which included wiping Raito’s memory. Thats what we get, and it’s the perfect nugget of information in an episode that has a ton of table-setting to do.

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DIE-A MEMORIES



-Speaking of table-setting! I really love that the Ryuube won’t let a little thing like Saeko’s defection and Isaka’s recent demise keep him from enjoying a typically-ornate family dinner at a preposterously large table. Dude’s got the Habit Memory!

-Didn’t really talk about the Hopper Dopant, who mostly exists to be a cool looking gothic lolita assassin and not, like, a fully-fleshed out character. (Cool outfit and aesthetic, though!) The REAL interesting part is that this episode’s director also got to handle the Hopper Dopant actor’s later TV debut as… well, I’ll let Androzani cover that part. As trivia goes, it’s a real peach.