[Kamen Rider Die]

KAMEN RIDER FOURZE EPISODE 45 - “TIPPING OF THE SCALES”



Real tough episode to judge on its own merits, because a huge portion of it is about setting up imminent reveals, alongside finally having someone in the know try and explain both Gamou’s plan and Gamou’s goal. It’s a less an episode of Fourze, and more the first part of a four-part series finale.

A lot of how I feel about this episode depends on what happens coming up, and I genuinely do not remember enough of the next four episodes – Gentarou’s speech in 48 and the Wizard teaser, that’s pretty much it – to see the shape of those eventual reveals in this episode. There’s too much mystery in this one, or too many minor things that are maybe hints but maybe are just the (sadly) standard shift of a Kamen Rider show into its final arc, where tons of information gets dropped on the cast, several characters make bizarre decisions to speed the plot along, and all cards are played at once. It’s a bit like judging an episode by its first 10 minutes, this one.

Like, Hayami’s whole thing! I don’t remember if there’s a twist ahead for him, where he’s playing the KRC by acting like a guy on the other side of a personal awakening that’s desperate for a chance to atone, or if all of that’s exactly the kind of seemingly-earnest bullshit that would save his skin by getting Fourze to defeat Gamou for him. If it’s the former, it’s rushed and borderline insulting; if it’s the latter, it’s precisely the sort of weaselly, selfish strategy that we’d expect from the least-inquisitive member of a celestial death cult. Without knowing which is which, I’m in Ran’s boat, which is honestly a fun way to experience the moments of the show, now that I’m writing that sentence? There’s a freedom to letting the show envelope you, instead of analyzing out Point B from where it starts at Point A. I don’t know if Hayami’s hilariously vulnerable pleas are the sign of his unavoidable-if-sudden guilt, or just his sociopathic ability to charm the gullible, and neither does Ran! But maybe Hayami’s turned over a new leaf, and we all kind of want to believe it, not least of which Gentarou, and that’s kind of this episode’s whole vibe.

I’m on board for that bit, Gentarou’s immediate offer to befriend Hayami after everything he’s done. It’s not the Taurus thing of absolving Hayami – Gen’s not answering for a class full of kids who’ve been manipulated and weaponized by Hayami – but it’s saying that Gen, who was almost killed by this guy a number of times, sees contrition in Hayami’s protection of Ran, and that’s enough to give this guy a chance. It’s perfectly in line with how present-tense Gentarou always is, where the past and future are a combination of learning opportunities and endless possibilities, so the thing you’re doing right now is the only concrete way to judge a person’s value. Hayami (seemingly!) put his life on the line to save Ran, so this is a guy that Gentarou can call a friend. I can see it!

Meanwhile, we’ve also got the increasing frequency of Kengo’s mysterious cosmic ailment, and I more or less have nothing to say about this. I think I remember where this one was going, but in this episode it’s mostly just Kengo fainting a lot without anyone doing anything about it. There’s no discussion about it, and it’s clearly going to be a big part of the next three episodes, so we can talk about it once it becomes a scene of dialogue, rather than just a sound effect and a random character asking if Kengo’s okay. (He isn’t! He very obviously isn’t! I completely thought that the first scene after the opening credits was Kengo being whisked to a hospital because he is very obviously not okay!)

Oh, right, and Gamou! We finally get a scene with Gamou and Gentarou, plus a bookend scene with Gamou and Fourze!

They're both really good scenes. We’ll talk a lot about these two characters over the next few episodes, but what we get here hints at some pretty major themes for the experience of high school. Gamou and Gentarou both have really complementary energy in the first scene, a fully-embodied sense of joy at their place within the school, but it’s neatly revealed to be diametrically opposed in what’s providing their fulfillment: Gentarou is about the process of change within high school (like with Kengo’s growth), while Gamou is about what a high school can create in the aggregate (like with his giant pot of soup). Gentarou sees value in connections, while Gamou sees value in his own contributions. Gentarou is about school as social chrysalis, while Gamou is about school as social crucible. I imagine we will discuss both of those viewpoints at length very soon!