[DreamSword]

Having only seen a few episodes of Kiva, I can't speak as to whether or not the Kiva elements were done well or not in these two episodes.

What I can say though is that yes, these two episodes were very Inoue in that he almost had me, until he made a massive screwup at the end which soured practically the entire thing for me and has me come out it saying I wasn't much of a fan.

And that screw up was Another Kiva. The tale of someone screwed over by the legal system and actually being an innocent out for revenge was a great hook for an Another Rider, only for the story at the last minute going "Haha just kidding, she's actually crazy and the legal system has no flaws."

Took me completely out of it and soured the entire experience.

Add onto that how Another Kiva can just summon the retainers for no reason and Wolf Boy doesn't really give much of a reason for fighting Sogo, and then just peaces out once giving Sogo the Ridewatch, thus implying the whole conflict was pointless anyway, and I didn't get really much of anything out of these outside of the manhole cover scenes, which were funny.

I do wish Ginga had had his own two-parter too, since a villainous Future Rider is in itself an interesting premise that unfortunately has nothing behind it. Heck, as much crap as I gave Hiryu, he atleast had a reason for existing and being around outside of just handing out a new toy.

In the end, pretty much no appeal for me when it came to these two episodes.

[Enchilada645]

Given the contents of next arc, you'd think they would've swapped Kiva's arc with that given that aside from Fourze, Ginga would actually mesh well with the upcoming stuff? Especially given Woz Ginga Finaly uh... it's debut is rather short and not much here.

That being said, I sorta love how out of place and silly is like just his attack names are incredibly funny too "GALACTIC GINGA!" and "DYNAMITE SUNSHINE!" being yelled out randomly was pretty great.

I also love how seemingly Kiva was Ginga's counter because Another Kiva was the only one able to touch Ginga before the triple finisher? Like was it cause of the whole moon thing Kiva has going on and Ginga having to hibernate if the sun isn't out, is that why?

Anyway, Yuko definitely is like the star of this show and absolutely the best/most memorable Another Rider purely because of how absurd she is. Not to mention how commanding of a presence she has to where like, everyone has to be subservient to even get her to consider to help against Ginga. Which was also a funny scene last episode where he just blasts her in a big explosion but like 2 minutes later she's fine and just watching casually? Also again, her having a manhole cover as a gimmick was great and I already loved Japanese fans putting up fake posters of P-Bandai Another Kiva Manhole cover.

Overall, not my favorite episodes and I feel they break the streak the other episodes had going for them. But they were definitely entertaining enough to where I could ignore the oddities surrounding them tbh.

Next time though, meteors, space, old characters coming back? Time for a double dose of BGM Swap with the Kabuto Preview BGM and Decade Preview BGM. In this case I prefer the Kabuto-centric BGM Swap.

Zero's Legend Episode Previews Corner - EP 37 Preview:

[Kamen Rider Die]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreamSword

The tale of someone screwed over by the legal system and actually being an innocent out for revenge was a great hook for an Another Rider, only for the story at the last minute going "Haha just kidding, she's actually crazy and the legal system has no flaws."

I don't... I don't think a guy that wrote a bunch of Kitaoka stories in Ryuki thinks of the legal system as a perfectly functioning machine. It's not really an Inoue thing in general, to view a system as a societal good?

Beyond that, I really don't think the point of this was to create a sympathetic victim that dies tragically as a result of her need for vengeance. I think it's a story about how Sougo's need to see people as their best selves is tested by someone who wasn't really worthy of his support, but he was still right to offer that support.

[Kamen Rider Die]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Enchilada645

Also again, her having a manhole cover as a gimmick was great and I already loved Japanese fans putting up fake posters of P-Bandai Another Kiva Manhole cover.

Literally the only Another Rider (to date) I would buy a figure of. And she has to have the manhole cover!!!

[cosmicrescend0]

Finally! It's Episode 36!

-The second half of this arc is so wildly bizarre that it's hard to know where to begin! But like? Insane melodrama? Wild wedding scene? That lovely violin piece being everywhere? That sure is Kiva!

-Slightly wish we got a bit more of Jiro, especially when our two other returning cast members are playing new characters? That line of his being so damn good and reminding me of the one thing I enjoyed about Kiva(Wataru struggling to come into his own through trials and whatnot) makes up for it though.

-Got a real good laugh from Yuko beating that girl over the head with a manhole. Truly a iconic character.

-My favorite gag from the episode has to be the one where they bow to Yuko and Sougo essentially pushes Geiz's face into the concrete.

-It's hard to rank this episode. While I wouldn't call it a great arc, they sure do nail evoking Kiva's vibes, and the overall tone is so bizarre that I can't help but laugh all the way through?

[Kamen Rider Die]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cosmicrescend0

My favorite gag from the episode has to be the one where they bow to Yuko and Sougo essentially pushes Geiz's face into the concrete.

Both Geiz and Ora needing to be dragged into compliance by their respective factions because they're The Contrary Ones was delightful, but my favorite gag in this episode was probably the very quick "Can I call you Sailor Girl?"/"You may not" exchange between Sougo and Yuko.

[DreamSword]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

I don't... I don't think a guy that wrote a bunch of Kitaoka stories in Ryuki thinks of the legal system as a perfectly functioning machine. It's not really an Inoue thing in general, to view a system as a societal good?

It might not be what Inoue thinks, but it is how the story itself came across to me, intentional or not.

Quote:

Beyond that, I really don't think the point of this was to create a sympathetic victim that dies tragically as a result of her need for vengeance.

Not even what I'm getting at. We've seen all of the Another Riders survive despite getting blown up anyway, and even if they had gone the route I wanted, her going around harming others was still very clearly in the wrong, so it's not like taking her down was at all unjustified. Her dying was not at all a requirement, Ora or no.

Quote:

I think it's a story about how Sougo's need to see people as their best selves is tested by someone who wasn't really worthy of his support, but he was still right to offer that support.

And it came at the cost of a hook that I found far more interesting, which is my main problem. Yes, even if that was what the story was ultimately going for, that doesn't mean that I felt it was executed in the best way. Similar to the Ryuki tribute. It's just a shame, more than anything.

[FreshToku]

I want to say about the Hibiki two-parter that I liked and still like those episodes and think they're decent and well-done. I never cared for Kiriya or most things from the second half of Hibiki, but it makes sense to me for this tribute to use the elements it did, and it resulted in a perfectly servicable MOTW plot. I go back and forth on whether I like it more than the Agito one, because 31-32 had a lot of above average action that hit all my nostalgia buttons, but 33-34 actually had, well, a story.

As for this 35-36, uh... It definitely made me think of Kiva, for sure. Between really awkward and verging on uncomfortable 'romance' tropes, and zero attempt to integrate the new toy. I actually wouldn't be surprised if Inoue wasn't intentionally trying to invoke the theme of Kiva, but rather he was just doing whatever he wanted as always, and this is the result. It rather appropriately felt similar to watching the latter parts of Rider Time Ryuki as well except more PG and with mostly OCs instead of returning characters. (I mean Sougo is basically a completely different person in this two-parter).

Just a stray thought, but I feel like if it was possible, Inoue would have had Yuri's actress take the role of Another Kiva and have the audience wondering if she was the same character, before 'tragically' revealing otherwise!

But yeah, these episodes were pointedly ridiculous. They're memorable for sure, but I'm not feeling any particular desire to like, analyse or think about them once they're done airing.

Oh yeah, and Kamen Rider Woz has a new power up! I actually don't blame Inoue at all for its nothing-debut here, but rather I blame the fact that the show is so committed to having these Legacy Rider two-parters in the first place : P Also the fact that, Inoue here is a guest writer. So like, why should he be expected to write around the new toy?

But I still can't help but be wistful a different world where we got a stretch of episodes that was actually about Woz, and Ginga, and probably brings in the other Future Riders one last time, for a new form debut that meant anything.

[Switchblade]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Less interesting was all of the Kamen Rider Ginga stuff, which: hoo boy. Dumbest subplot ever for an Inoue story? Maybe! Ginga falls out of the sky, goes on a rampage, and then gets detonated by Woz, resulting in a new powerup. It?s insultingly stupid, without even the Eff The Fans charm of someone just whipping the Ginga Miridewatch at Woz?z head. Ginga?s motivation is nowhere. Even as an entropy enthusiast, he just sort of wanders around, randomly blowing up causeways. His participation in this story is completely incoherent.

Ginga was pretty unpopular when the show aired for a lot of these reasons. He just shows up out of nowhere with no explanation, has no backstory, and then gets defeated. Compared to Shinobi, Quiz, and Kikai he's incredibly half-assed.

And that is why I love him.

There are two things that make me adore these episodes so much and Ginga is one of them. This is, after all, the Kiva tribute arc, and what is more Kiva than a new power-up randomly showing up with no explanation? Ginga is some Shodoran/Tatsulot-level bullshit and I am 1000% here for it. The only thing that would make this a better homage to Kiva was if Woz never used or mentioned it again after this episode.

The other thing I love is, of course, Yuko. I have no issues with the plot twist of Yuko really being an unhinged murderer. Actually, I kind of love it. I cannot hate on how committed she is to her shtick. So her boyfriend has left her for another woman and she grabs the nearest heavy, blunt object she find to kill this woman. I get it; that makes perfect logical sense. But the fact that it's a manhole cover is really funny. The fact that in the future she continues to use manhole covers as her weapon of choice is goddamn hilarious. There is something just so purely delightful about her adherence to that one specific weapon that just absolutely makes this episode for me.

[TheRaizin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

KAMEN RIDER ZI-O EPISODE 36 - ?2019 - FIRST LOVE, FINALLY!?

Beware the woman in a red dress. There's a reason it's red.

I watched this when it aired with a straight face and leaning to the screen. And when it ended, my take away was just clapping. Bravo Inoue. Yuko was brilliant, she captures the screen every time she shows up. Her, not the Another Kiva suit. That one's a little "Eh" to me in terms of design. She is probably one of my well-liked Another Rider characters, see I said character because in terms of design Another Wizard is my favorite.

I wanna bring up a specific scene in this episode that had me rolling in laughter tho. Specifically was in the one where they talk about marriage. In the subs I watched, she says: "We will fill the world with our children." and that was just so absurd and hilarious! However, I feel as tho this episode or this entire arc basically fueled a portion of Okuno Sou's career to appear alongside older women. At least, that's what I understood looking at his Twitter with all these pics of him alongside older women! Sougo the MILF-hunter!

Next episode features Kabuto and this takes me back. I was in Japan during that week, so I was able to catch it live on a Japanese TV during the time. So, the Kabuto arc holds a special place to my heart.

Edit: on the screenshot below, the subs I also had at the time had it so that Yuko tells Sougo to "Be the umbrella of mankind." which I feels works a lot better in context to what the two were talking about. Yuko was just another stepping stone to Sougo's path to kingship, but she was a stone with lustre.