[Kamen Rider Die]

FUUTO P.I. EPISODE 4 - “THE TERRIBLE M - WINGS OF DEATH”



Here’s a Delusion Diary for you: “What If Team Double Didn’t Work?”

Tokime is officially part of the group, which means it is time for everything to start breaking down in ways both funny and sad. Unlike Kamen Rider W, that introduced a dynamic that never truly broke down or seemed untenable, Tokime instantly feels both superfluous and distracting. She wants desperately to be included, yet she doesn’t seem to have a role that isn’t ably filled by someone that knows Shotaro better and works more naturally with him. (Even Akiko! That’s how bad things are going with Tokime!!!) Literally her first day on the job is one where she antagonizes Philip into a funk, and nearly gets Shotaro killed due to amnesia machinations. Not exactly winning material for the ol’ CV!

Luckily, all of that makes this story, from the character side of things, incredibly entertaining. While Shotaro and Philip have always bickered, they’ve always been partners; brothers, even. Tokime’s an interloper with a mysterious past, and she doesn’t get anywhere near the slack that the rest of the team affords each other. (Feel free to speculate that Philip’s jealous of Tokime romantically – not my read, but I wouldn’t fight you on it.) There’s genuine tension throughout the episode, as Tokime rants about Philip, Philip rants about Tokime, and Shotaro listens to two identical sets of complaints. While it’s a funny joke, it also highlights the legitimate question of Tokime’s place on the team: Don’t we already have an amnesiac partner for Shotaro that’s too blunt and lacking in social niceties?

It leads to a story that keeps Shotaro playing peacemaker, badly, as Tokime’s inexperience and Philip’s impatience make everything just a couple times harder than it normally would be. Shotaro’s trying to help another partner with a mysterious past that everyone else is weirded out by, but Philip’s never had a partner with a mysterious past that everyone else is weirded out by. Philip’s trying to deal with himself, and that’s new terrain for him. (Literally the one novel experience that he doesn’t enjoy!)

I’m maybe making this sound like it’s a tortured drama of Inoue-esque miscommunication and thinly-veiled resentments – which it still is! – but it’s also a very funny mystery where a programmer/cosplayer/idol is being hunted by the mysterious prehistoric bug Non-Genius Gamer M (where is Nico when we need her) amidst frustrating development cycles and a cadre of cosmeticians that try to assuage a very flighty young woman into doing about three too many full-time jobs. It’s a bonkers case for the Narumi Detective Agency, so the character conflicts always have this frothy hilarity to pivot back towards when things get too awkward and tense. A very watchable balance of tight character work and absolutely nuts investigative action.

I’m really glad that we’re delving so quickly into how a trio becomes a quartet, and I like that everyone’s a little at fault for things starting so poorly. Philip treats Tokime like a lab rat, Tokime doesn’t believe in forgiveness I guess, Akiko hired someone without actually seeing if she could get along with the rest of the staff, and Shotaro 100% neglected to loop Tokime in on how to do her job. It’s a mixture of forgetfulness and inconsiderateness, and it’s as dangerous to Team Double’s effectiveness as getting X’d in the back. (Shout out to Takumi’s good friend X, showing up in the post-credits short!) Great start to the next case.