[Kamen Rider Die]

KAMEN RIDER FOURZE EPISODE 42 - “REIGN OF THE ARCHER”



Like, of course Gentarou would want to make friends with Emoto/Tachibana/Virgo/etc.

It’s a declaration followed by a classic Kengo flip-out, where he cannot seriously believe that Gentarou would show up for a second afterschool training session with a Horoscope who likely murdered at least two of their friends, and has been manipulating them on multiple axes for almost a year by now. But, again, of course Gentarou would do that. There’s the logic to his belief – Virgo is up to something that he doesn’t want the other Horoscopes to know about, their missing friends likely aren’t dead, and backing Meteor clearly isn’t something that’d help the Horoscopes – but there’s also just the belief of Gentarou. Gen is sure there’s someone in there he can befriend, and he won’t discount the possibility just because it seems outlandish. If there’s a chance you can befriend someone, you’ve got to take it.

This is a whole episode that’s about that belief, and the way friendship as a concept is a multiplier to the friendships themselves. Gen gains things from JK, Miu, Shun, and Yuuki being around, but he can still be their friend by supporting them when they’re not around, and they’re no less his friends – and their friendship is no less valuable – for a lack of constancy to their appearances. Gen cheering them on from afar boosts his spirits in the same way having them in his life on a daily basis boosts his spirits, giving a new understanding to Cosmic States. As long as he believes in his friends and wants them to be happy, the friendship has power, and so does Cosmic States.

It’s all of a piece with 25/26, where what we’re talking about is how these people will all be pulled in different directions soon enough, but that doesn’t eliminate the bonds between them. The speech Gen gives here… it’s an acknowledgement that the end is near, but instead of last episode’s melancholy, we get a cheerful vow that they’ll all hold this time in their hearts forever, taking the KRC with them wherever the future might lead.

Where it’s leading them right this second is into a whole bunch of Horoscopes drama, with varying levels of severity.

First, Emoto/Tachibana/Virgo can append “/Corpse” to that long list of appellations, because no sooner than we get a beaming smile from Professor Alias to signify a turned leaf and a heartfelt embrace of Gen’s philosophy towards friendship, then we also get him being IMMEDIATELY ATTACKED by Sagittarius, giving us our first out-and-out fight between the fully-powered Riders and the main Horoscope, which naturally goes incredibly and combustibly terrible for the heroes. It’s the point in the story where the heroes need to know exactly how outmatched they are, which is Utterly. The fight itself is fiery, but kind of standard: Sagittarius no-sells, every attack is blocked or negated, and the villain leaves with an insulting and dismissive air. It’s not what the episode’s built around (that’d be Gen’s speech and Emoto’s change of heart) so it doesn’t really detract, but I found it a little formulaic. Useful to the narrative, but not especially dramatic.

Elsewhere, we got Emoto’s brief escape to implore Kengo to keep on Kengoin’ on, without imparting any new information that’d help the team combat the Horoscopes – who Sagittarius or Libra are, for example, seems like that could’ve been quick and come in handy – before getting murdered by an enraged Leo and a taunting Libra. Emoto got a nice little arc of all of this, getting redeemed by Gen’s unwavering faith in the power of friendship, and then he needed to shuffle off the stage before he could speed up the story. It’s the Fourze way!

It really was the most Fourze episode, for better or worse. Gen’s speech is a series highlight, framing the idea of friendship as being a universal power separate and additive to the friends in your life, while the various Horoscope shenanigans treat Quickly Telling The KRC Vital Intel as though Toei’s hitmen are enforcing people’s silence. (Backstory about yourself and your personal failings? Sure! All day! But if you even think about saying “Gamou is Sagittarius”, you are better off spending that moment buying your own coffin.) But, as always, I am here for characters over plot, so they can indulge that hoary trope until the stars go out, as long as I get speeches like Gentarou’s.