[Fish Sandwich]

Okay, between A La Mode Mode (brilliant name by the way) and Frappe Custom, I think I might've finally figured out the rule -- there *are* power-up debuts in Gavv I like as much as Caking's, they're just about other Riders, and also happen to prominently feature Caking Form.

(Brutal as it was to see that cruelly beautiful shot of all those poor Gochizo chopped in half, I of course *seriously* appreciated the excuse to have Shouma bust out both Caking and BlizzardSorbet in one episode. Great to see the show actually taking advantage of the Gochipod's shtick that way.)

I really adored this episode. I feel bad about opening by implicitly throwing some other episodes under the bus to make that point, when I obviously like those ones just fine too -- more than fine, even -- but... it's sort of a gut reaction thing I can't deny? Even Master Mode's debut, which turned a simple smile from Shouma into a series-defining moment I'll be thinking back on forever, even an episode that good still has an editing choice I found jarring enough to pull me out of it for a second. With something like 14 or 28 or, indeed, this one, though, the difference is that there isn't even that one second. Not a single moment I'm not totally engrossed by everything going on in the episode, and how satisfying all the decisions it made are, and how exciting they are to watch play out.

The action alone this week is already a huge showcase of nearly everything that makes fight scenes in Gavv such a joy. You don't have anyone weaponizing comic book sound effects, admittedly, but there is the unrestrained creativity of Valen helping save the day through the unintentional tactical use of the straw sticking out of his back. There is the outside-the-box wild and aggressive choreography throughout, like that entire sequence with Vram falling off that ledge, which has so much going on I could probably dissect just that for at least a solid paragraph. There is the aforementioned balanced use of suits both old and new, all made to look properly cool.

And there is, perhaps most importantly, an insanely strong story providing strong context to that action, and making it all the more engaging as a result.

What surprised me most here was how it's not just the focus on Lakia that leaves an impact? It's already sad not to have Dente around, but to highlight that by having the eternally upbeat Sachika be hit harder by that loss than anyone starts to make it feel truly soul-crushing. But then it's not only sad, but also smart, because it lets Shouma show how much he's grown by having to be the one cheering her up, and because knowing that pain lets Sachika feel for what all three of the Riders in this show have been through more deeply, which is itself very relevant to this particular episode, where Lakia has to move on from that trauma. And that's just one thing! And it so easily and so naturally spins off into all those other great things in this episode!

The drama with Lakia himself impressed me with how much his whole internal struggle isn't portrayed in a particularly on-the-nose way, yet still comes across very clearly? He doesn't spell out what he's feeling all that directly in dialogue or anything, but the nuance of the episode itself and the way the show has built to this turning point across many previous episodes makes it land so well. It's Lakia finally reaching his version of a chapter in the shared story of this show's Rider trio, where he triumphs not only over a major antagonist, but over a deeply internalized sense of guilt and self-loathing, in order to push towards a better future. He's able to finally shake it off, as it were, which is why it feels appropriate they waited until now to give this series a rousing insert theme of that caliber. Because it's an anthem not merely for any one of those three characters, but for all of them, in celebration of them accepting their own worth.

Meanwhile, in contrast, Glotta's whole thing in these ones is an absolute refusal to grapple with who she is, tying into the story much more meaningfully than only being the target of Lakia's revenge, which probably would've still gotten the show a passing grade? The only complaint I was even kinda worried I might have is that she might just get blown up before they're able to tie a nice bow on her end of the episode, but no, sure enough, Glotta gets that really nice melodramatic sendoff with Lango at the very end, which pushes the plot forward, yes, but also allows her those precious few extra lines to resolve her own arc in a perfectly pitiable way. Again, this episode just refused to miss a chance to absolutely crush it.