[Kamen Rider Die]

TOKUMEI SENTAI GO-BUSTERS MISSION 24 - “A TRES BIEN SUMMER FESTIVAL”



The main thing I liked about this episode is the reveal that the Hiromu we’ve been dealing with over the previous 23 episodes – the tactless, boastful, occasionally thoughtless show-off – is the improved version of Hiromu, after a kind middle schooler teacher helped an even-worse version of our favorite Red Buster learn… well, maybe not the value of teamwork and friendship yet, but definitely the concepts of teamwork and friendship. Yes, this is a story about Ryuji and Yoko learning that they could’ve had it so much worse with Hiromu, the end.

No, not really, although I gotta be honest and say that was about all I got out of this one. While the idea of Hiromu trying to repay a formative kindness by exhibiting his understanding of the lessons he was taught is interesting, I just don’t feel like this one delivered on that, in a number of ways.

For one thing, the teamwork aspect of this one – beyond the basic aesthetic and creative framework of, y’know, Sentai – is basically that Ryuji and Yoko are willing to take on a little extra work so Hiromu can be there for his favorite teacher. That… seems like it’s Ryuji and Yoko’s teamwork, not really Hiromu’s. (You can argue that Ryuji and Yoko are willing to sacrifice a bit for Hiromu because he’s been such a great friend and teammate, but it really says more about the generosity of the other two Busters.) It’s not really an episode where Hiromu exhibits his belief in teamwork or friendship in a way any different than any previous episode, except now this one lady is here for it.

And that lady… I mean, it’s a little weird that there’s so much chemistry between them? I’m not imagining that, right? There is a difference between I Want To Honor A Mentor That Helped Me As A Kid and I Want To Honor A Lady I Had A Crush On Since Middle School, and I feel like the casting here sort of tipped this one a little too far into the latter bucket. It’s all weird romantic tension, in every time period, and it made it hard for me to see the more platonic story of Hiromu learning to take part in a team. (Also… what is this group? Street performance? That seems less like a team and more a bunch of solo acts performing in sequence. That feels counter to the overall moral!) If there’d been more of an age gap, or if the two actors came at it in less of a yearning way, I think I could get on this thing’s wavelength. As it is, I feel like there’re some boundaries being crossed somewhere, and it weirded me out some.



IT’S TIME FOR Boundaries!

Speaking of! I sort of can’t believe this story kicked off with Hiromu and Nick taking a day off, and then Ryuji and Yoko showing up to the summer festival unannounced and in uniform, just randomly intruding on whatever Hiromu happened to be doing. It’s completely rude to do all that, and it’s like it never occurred to either one of them. I mean, I know they have other clothes! They just wore them at the end of the movie! And, man, why in the world would they just crash Hiromu’s day off to begin with? That’s psychotic! Leave him alone! You’re both being very weird, right at the start of what would be a very weird episode!