Kamen Rider Zeztz Case #18- "Shoot" Discussion

Paladin · 01-17-2026, 07:17 AM

Baku's latest dream finds him in high school protecting fellow students from a Nightmare death game.

Fish Sandwich · 01-17-2026, 10:12 PM

First off, I just gotta say I really appreciate the consistent theming going on to name the episode "Shoot" and make sure it features not only a guest character running around with a gun, but NOX debuting a new gun-themed form, and another appearance from Stream just so ZEZTZ himself can have his gun too. (...even if I'm never sure where that sword comes from when the bike isn't around, but hey, it *is* a dream, I guess)

I'm not too sure what else I even want to say about this episode besides that it was quite strong, yet again, and I enjoyed it without caveats, again? Even though the episode preview gave us enough information to figure out the gist of what the real story was ahead of time, I really thought this one was clever in how it makes that pivot from seemingly being a fairly standard mission for Seven into something much bigger. It goes all in on overarching Plot stuff, but I appreciate that it's still within the usual structure of the two-parters so far.

So yeah, excited to see how this one wraps up, but beyond that, I only really have minor stuff I could comment on right now? I miss hearing Zero's English already? I wonder what NOX has against ZEZTZ having green Capsems? Silly little things, but it's still really nice to have the luxury of worrying about things like that after watching an episode of this show, compared to what would generally be weighing on my mind just a month or two ago.

DreamSword · 01-17-2026, 11:19 PM

Like half the two-parters in this show, I feel like my overall thoughts are gonna heavily depend on how the second part ends up.

I will say though, very cool premise that this episode has set up, at the very least. And it was cool to see Stream be alot more physical this time around.

GoldenXtreme · 01-18-2026, 09:22 AM

Solid enough this week I guess. I think what has been sticking out the most to me lately is how far out of his depth Baku is. He keeps getting lead on by CODE (and beaten up by his new boss), and is completely outclassed by NOX's power at this point. Watching the protagonist fail so much reminds me of some other toku, but I can't quite remember which...

Mesnick · Yesterday, 03:08 PM

Well, as I suspected, the destruction of robot Zero is another reason not to reveal CODE secrets to Baku. He need to rebuild his relationship with the new boss (classic!), especially since Agent Three is even tougher than Zero. If the robot kept Baku awake to complete the mission, then this guy would simply shut him down. Honestly, I wouldn't want such a character living in my closet.
The plot of this dream is reminiscent of Japanese school thrillers, like "The Evil Teacher" or "The Fearsome Will of the Gods." It should be noted that Baku is terrible at protecting students, and if this were my school, he would have failed it already. Luckily, Nasuka has many classmates

Speaking of Nasuka herself, I'm a little disappointed by how much of a background character she is here. Previously, she seemed like Fujimi's ignored voice of reason, and now she plays the same role for Kureha. Although, it's entirely possible I'm just getting ahead of myself, and her moment of glory will come in the next episode.
As for Kureha herself, I'm of two minds about her presentation. On the one hand, I'm glad they didn't drag out the revelation of her secrets until the 40th episode (there are some screenwriters who love that kind of thing). On the other hand, I would have saved them for the beginning of the previous episode, to give free rein to the viewer's imagination. Although, most likely, I'm simply not taking the leaks into account, and instead of theories, we've only received spoilers. For now, I can say that she's interesting to me personally because she hasn't yet chosen a side in the conflict. I wonder if she'll return to CODE or join Lady and NOX (which, judging by his words, is what Shadow Rider is counting on). Or maybe Kurekha will remain neutral? Or maybe she won't survive the next episode at all. Anything is possible, and I'm looking forward to seeing it.
To sum it up: overall it's good, but it could be better. I'm looking forward to the second part.
P.S. NOX uses Mashin Chaser-style augmentations instead of full forms. And this portrays him as an evil rider.

01-17-2026, 10:12 PM	#2
Fish Sandwich The Immortal King Tasty Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Every diner you've ever been to. Posts: 4,097	First off, I just gotta say I really appreciate the consistent theming going on to name the episode "Shoot" and make sure it features not only a guest character running around with a gun, but NOX debuting a new gun-themed form, and another appearance from Stream just so ZEZTZ himself can have his gun too. (...even if I'm never sure where that sword comes from when the bike isn't around, but hey, it is a dream, I guess) I'm not too sure what else I even want to say about this episode besides that it was quite strong, yet again, and I enjoyed it without caveats, again? Even though the episode preview gave us enough information to figure out the gist of what the real story was ahead of time, I really thought this one was clever in how it makes that pivot from seemingly being a fairly standard mission for Seven into something much bigger. It goes all in on overarching Plot stuff, but I appreciate that it's still within the usual structure of the two-parters so far. So yeah, excited to see how this one wraps up, but beyond that, I only really have minor stuff I could comment on right now? I miss hearing Zero's English already? I wonder what NOX has against ZEZTZ having green Capsems? Silly little things, but it's still really nice to have the luxury of worrying about things like that after watching an episode of this show, compared to what would generally be weighing on my mind just a month or two ago. __________________

01-17-2026, 11:19 PM	#3
DreamSword Some guy. I'm alright. Join Date: Sep 2019 Location: Michigan Posts: 5,300	Like half the two-parters in this show, I feel like my overall thoughts are gonna heavily depend on how the second part ends up. I will say though, very cool premise that this episode has set up, at the very least. And it was cool to see Stream be alot more physical this time around. __________________ Watch Heroman With Me! \| Tokucasts w/ Friends!

01-18-2026, 09:22 AM	#4
GoldenXtreme Henshin Heaven Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: Inside a Hyper Battle Video, help. Posts: 1,512	Solid enough this week I guess. I think what has been sticking out the most to me lately is how far out of his depth Baku is. He keeps getting lead on by CODE (and beaten up by his new boss), and is completely outclassed by NOX's power at this point. Watching the protagonist fail so much reminds me of some other toku, but I can't quite remember which... __________________ Tier Lists: Ultra \| Kamen Rider \| Sentai \| Metal Hero

Yesterday, 03:08 PM	#5
Mesnick Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2021 Posts: 3,086	Well, as I suspected, the destruction of robot Zero is another reason not to reveal CODE secrets to Baku. He need to rebuild his relationship with the new boss (classic!), especially since Agent Three is even tougher than Zero. If the robot kept Baku awake to complete the mission, then this guy would simply shut him down. Honestly, I wouldn't want such a character living in my closet. The plot of this dream is reminiscent of Japanese school thrillers, like "The Evil Teacher" or "The Fearsome Will of the Gods." It should be noted that Baku is terrible at protecting students, and if this were my school, he would have failed it already. Luckily, Nasuka has many classmates Speaking of Nasuka herself, I'm a little disappointed by how much of a background character she is here. Previously, she seemed like Fujimi's ignored voice of reason, and now she plays the same role for Kureha. Although, it's entirely possible I'm just getting ahead of myself, and her moment of glory will come in the next episode. As for Kureha herself, I'm of two minds about her presentation. On the one hand, I'm glad they didn't drag out the revelation of her secrets until the 40th episode (there are some screenwriters who love that kind of thing). On the other hand, I would have saved them for the beginning of the previous episode, to give free rein to the viewer's imagination. Although, most likely, I'm simply not taking the leaks into account, and instead of theories, we've only received spoilers. For now, I can say that she's interesting to me personally because she hasn't yet chosen a side in the conflict. I wonder if she'll return to CODE or join Lady and NOX (which, judging by his words, is what Shadow Rider is counting on). Or maybe Kurekha will remain neutral? Or maybe she won't survive the next episode at all. Anything is possible, and I'm looking forward to seeing it. To sum it up: overall it's good, but it could be better. I'm looking forward to the second part. P.S. NOX uses Mashin Chaser-style augmentations instead of full forms. And this portrays him as an evil rider. Last edited by Mesnick; Yesterday at 03:12 PM..