[DreamSword]

Episode 13: Television Star's Secret

Episode 14: Echo! Earth Power Stone

Episode 13 was really weird. Especially in terms of pacing.

It's an episode where the story is told mostly via offhand remarks to past events and flashbacks, and it honestly made me think I'd skipped an episode.

But jarring narrative aside, there was still solid stuff in it. Ati was a likable character who wasn't just the standard Idol Bait you see in alot of other shows, and I was so, so close when it came to Chris' real identity.

Episode 14, however, was alot more my speed. Ati and Rena's' friendship gets showcased alot more, and it really worked for me. The stunt work is as good as always, even in terms of the unmorphed fights. And of course, there's the grand debut of Bima-X Earth. Or as I like to call it, Christmas Bima-X.

Throughout these latest string of episodes, I also noticed a bit of an oddity when it comes to the writing of BIMA-X in general. Namely in that whether or not characters care about secret identities largely depends on the writer. One blatant example in these episodes being how Ricca here very casually mentions that she has the White Power Stone after having kept it secret in the last two-parter.

Still, minor gripes aside, I did overall like these two episodes. The ways things continued to escalate felt like an action movie, and Earth Mode's' debut IS really cool, featuring highlights like the ground quaking with each step Bima-X makes, Helios transforming into an axe, Bima-X straight up punching a hole through the Armadillo Monster... it was just so cool, all around. Black Lord not punishing Draconer for failure was a shock, too.

Also, you know I'm way too used to modern Kamen Rider when I'm mentally noting just how much space was between the acquiring of the Blue and Green Power Stones. It's very refreshing to see by comparison. A shame Reza didn't show up though, given that the Power Stone Hunt was his assigned mission. But eh, whatever.

Anyway, yeah, fun time, these two.