[DreadBringer]

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

KAMEN RIDER FOURZE EPISODE 28 - “THE STAR SHOWER RESUMES”

It’s the stipulation that Ryuusei has to keep everything a secret, and the way that reinforces his natural tendency towards isolationism and subterfuge. And, I get it – that’s intentional! That is an on-purpose choice to make Ryuusei’s character work harder to overcome his disinclination to let the KRC in, and to make his gradual, some might glacial rate of connecting with the rest of the cast on a deeper level into something that feels earned and valued, rather than perfunctorily tacked on to the end of a two-parter. (Ryuusei won’t even do the club handshake after these seven weirdos wagered their souls on whether a duplicitous and withholding grump would make a space crab’s tight deadline!) The more restrictions on Ryuusei – the more he has to shine brighter than the darkness surrounding him – the greater the eventual dawn for his character. You gotta let that story spread out, and take time, or it doesn’t mean anything.

It seems that Ryusei has gone closer to the main cast, with him acknowledging that he's not really different from them, as he also wants to make a friend smile, like the view he dismissed Gentaro before, but only one person. And he also acknowledges that the KRC has done good for him and he's grateful to them. It's a shame in-universe that things would go even darker than this shortly after. Some people mock the do-gooder type of Riders (usually main) who only got handed by their powers and don't rightfully "earn" it, yet the jerkish secondary Rider Ryusei got that here where he just constantly begs Tachibana to give him another chance, where he finally got given his belt back as well as an upgrade. Tachibana seems cold to ignore Ryusei's pleas for Jiro, but he seems to appreciate Ryusei helping the KRC and he earns his belt back by this. You'd think this is a lesson from him to make Ryusei appreciate his relationships.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

I hate it, a little bit? I hate that this story could've been a natural and emotional end to this plot, and felt like more than enough, but it's somehow still going on. I hate Ryuusei still having to keep his identity as Meteor a secret, after 13 episodes now, because it feels partially insane that the crew still hasn’t put it together yet, when they crack harder and more obfuscated Switch Stories every other week. I hate that Tachibana teaches his teenage ward a lesson about friendship that required several brutal beatings at the hands/claws of a space crab that has zero compunction about killing anyone who crosses him, and also Tachibana still won’t let Ryuusei come clean with the very people who taught Ryuusei the actual lesson that Tachibana’s withholding silence very much did not. Most of all, man, I hate Meteor Storm! Too symmetrical! Gold and blue is a complete downgrade from blue and black! (The top thing… it’s dumb, but it’s the right kind of DX Toy dumb. I wouldn’t fight anyone who likes that better than the Bruce Lee moves of Meteor, even if I don’t.)

Yeah, I do think that Meteor Storm looks worse than base Meteor, I think the gold and blue is downgrade, it looks more toyish compared to the slick base Meteor color combination. And I guess, even Meteor Storm's weapon is a literal toy, a spinning top named Storm Topper. Emphasizing the "blade" part of beyblade. Technically though, a spinning top can be like a drill, but much smaller in size. And Meteor Storm's debut's fighting was rather ordinary, unlike many other cases where usually a Rider's debut fight is the flashiest, and best one for their fights compared to their other screentimes, it's only the finisher that rips Cancer to pieces. I wonder if they only use a rod in Meteor Storm Shaft for Meteor Storm as the actor may have difficulties using nunchakus (it can be learned, like I do), but there are tokus that make use of that, like Ultraman Leo.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Like, this isn’t a bad episode because of all of that, but it made the Ryuusei aspects the weakest parts for me, rather than additive to the show’s original relationships. (I also think Jirou getting suddenly and inconveniently SUPER EXTRA SICK from his undefined Switch allergy is a hokey trope, but these shows sometimes gotta ratchet up the tension on their subplots somehow.) I think the KRC as a group deciding that being a friend means modeling good behavior for your friends who are a capital-p Project is a Top 5 Fourze moment, because it’s all faith and no plan. (You can tell it came from Gen!) The whole crew letting Ryuusei’s choices decide their fate – wink – is such a beautiful moment, and I completely believed that all seven of them knew it was the only way to help their friend, so they all agreed to do it, even JK, who definitely did not want to do it, and the other six made him. Then to follow that with them all whiffing so incredibly hard at entertaining Kijima, while intercutting it with Ryuusei screaming at his comatose friend about needing to see him smile again? It’s a tonal mismatch that shouldn’t work, yet totally does, because Fourze. Even when a major component of an episode does not click with me, the rest of it is so fun and perfect that I can pretty easily overlook it.

This just feels like Kobayashi's shows about something conveniently happening to Jiro, albeit for opposite part, where there's Eri (Ren's fiancee) waking up in Ryuki and also Shingo waking up in OOO. And I guess, in addition to spinning top as weapon, where usually, that kind of match in Japanese shows are seen as only about merchandise driven (though KR is also one...) and not making sense to settle things through those games, this 2-parter also has the main threat from Kijima beiing about deadly games, where one bets their soul for it, rather than him attacking others as monster. Otherwise, while here, friend is about modeling good behavior for others (as Gentaro's way of doing his protecting everyone's smiles like other Riders is becoming their friend), friend can also be about enabling bad behavior in them, because of selective care that one naturally cares more about friend, but they won't care about others they don't know that are negatively affected by a friend, which is still technically helping a friend to gain what they want and their happiness.

[Kamen Rider Die]

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Originally Posted by DreadBringer

And Meteor Storm's debut's fighting was rather ordinary, unlike many other cases where usually a Rider's debut fight is the flashiest, and best one for their fights compared to their other screentimes, it's only the finisher that rips Cancer to pieces.

He defeated a giant CG crab monster! That's plenty flashy!

[Androzani84]

Despite the two parter’s best efforts, I still kind of hate Ohsugi. It doesn’t help that he spends it doing stuff that, in real life, would result in him being at best, fired, at worst, arrested.

I did like the idea of Haru being savvy enough to go after the creepy dude who gave him superpowers to learn his identity, even if it amounted to very vague information.

[Kamen Rider Die]

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Originally Posted by Androzani84

Despite the two parter?s best efforts, I still kind of hate Ohsugi. It doesn?t help that he spends it doing stuff that, in real life, would result in him being at best, fired, at worst, arrested.

If only the police were allowed to investigate Amanogawa High!

[DreadBringer]

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

KAMEN RIDER FOURZE EPISODE 29 - “SILENT TREATMENT FROM JUNIORS”

Mostly it’s that I found the Haru/Ran story kind of boring? It’s the most Fourze plot you can do, but it’s also one we’ve seen a dozen times by now. Haru’s being preyed upon by the Horoscopes, Ran wants to protect him but ends up making him feel powerless, there’s a Relevant Secret to Ran’s backstory that we won’t learn until (probably) an impassioned monologue with Gentarou in Part 2, and so on, and so forth. There’s nothing wrong with the execution – I think Ran does a stellar job showing concern for Haru without coming across as overbearing – and, again, the formula is what this show runs on. But it is a formula, and I’m not sure the concept of the new school year does enough to make this iteration feel distinct enough. Gen’s doing his pushy good guy thing, Ryuusei’s creeping around the edges trying to figure out if this kid’s gonna be the next Aries (he’s obviously going to be the next Uva), and there’s a new Switch that might help Gentarou contain the slippery Zodiart enough to put an end to this madness. It’s all done competently enough, but that’s only because this show can do this story in its sleep by now. The only real wrinkle to this take is the fact that the gang needs to duck a newly-vigiliant Ohsugi.

I feel that Ran is overbearing to Haru, to want to protect him, but being overprotective of him and preventing him from making friends with anyone else except her. Rather clear that Haru wants to become a Musca Zodiarts to prove himself to Ran. A case when a 'support' from a friend, something usually seen as preventing someone's darkness, has the friend being pushed to darkness instead, pressing the Switch after Ran assures to protect Haru. I see for many other cases, a story would have someone who is ostracized by others, getting only one friend that is portrayed as just enough. Here, it's the opposite where having only one friend isn't seen as something good (I mean, it's clear about what's the MC of this series is), and Haru wants to make more friends than just Ran. I think for school, it's not enough, because teachers can forcibly separate you from them in new class or pair you with those you don't know well for group tasks.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Which kind of worked for me? I don’t think it’s some fantastic new use of Ohsugi, or anything – he’s still a weird creep about Sonoda and unnecessarily physical with multiple students – but it is a new use for him, and one that feeds into the episode’s larger story about how to bridge mistrust and help people who need it. Him trying to get to the bottom of his three most troublesome students isn’t a million miles away from Gentarou trying to get Ran to open up, and they’re both phenomenally unsuccessful. For all of Ohsugi’s wacky vendetta against Gentarou (tiresome), there’s a genuine belief from him that he needs to intervene with three delinquents before they ruin their lives forever. He’s a clown, but even clowns can help distract a bull so that it doesn’t kill a cowboy.

Ohsugi gains a lot more power over the students as the new homeroom teacher (with Utsugi's actress only appearing at the movie and the finale), to move the three "delinquents" ahead of the seat row, then getting a chance to stalk and follow them. At the end, he successfully discovered the Rabbit Hatch, despite some resistance from Yuki's Foodroids. Ohsugi's vendetta against Gentaro is revealed due to thinking that Sonoda retired because she can't stand Gentaro. Gentaro seems to rub several teachers the wrong way in Sonoda (at least for him calling her with -chan or being late), Satake, and Ohsugi (extension from some scuffles with Sonoda there). I wonder if the cast, either the kids or Ohsugi, would eventually know that Sonoda's actually Scorpio and the reaction for it.

[Sh Ranger]

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Ryuusei's story is basically identical to Gentarou's, which is what makes it work so well -- heroism means doing whatever you have to in order to protect your friends and let them smile -- it's just that Ryuusei's view of it is only focused on the friends he's made, instead of the friends he has yet to make. Ryuusei slowly remembering that he can apply his dedication to Jirou to the goofs in his life right this second is the heart of getting to connect with Meteor as an audience member.

Sadly, Ryusei isn't even focused on protecting Jirou's smile, as he's been willing to do things that would make Jirou cry. The judgment of his new friends and ability to see his past mistake in Kengo are exactly the kind of conflict he needs to get back in touch with his morals.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

KAMEN RIDER FOURZE EPISODE 29 - ?SILENT TREATMENT FROM JUNIORS?

Can Ohsugi be a useful clown going forward? I don?t know! But I definitely appreciated his scenes in this episode, because they were a story I hadn?t seen this show do before.

The part where Ohsugi gets mildly attacked by the obviously fake rabbit prop is amusing and would be hard to take seriously if it were happening to anybody except Ohsugi. Following Shun's Rider tackle, this episode ends on another memorable cliffhanger which is dramatic for KRC's integrity yet relentlessly comedic, since it's Ohsugi.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

KAMEN RIDER FOURZE EPISODE 30 - ?NO NEED FOR SENIORS?

It?s a setup that makes Ran a giant boulder that everyone alternately needs to work around or try and sand down, and I just got real tired of it.

Yeah, like, I get Ran just got out of middle school and all, but even by that standard she's way too childish for me to tolerate. If it was just the cold shoulder, or aggressively flipping teachers, or being insensitive towards her only friend's feelings, then that would be more okay. All of them at once is obnoxious and makes me gravitate even harder towards the much more enjoyable Ohsugi plot.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Which, that part was great. I think he?s treated with appropriate level of respect ? he gets rightfully offended at JK?s casual suggestion that he doesn?t care about his students, and he gets nicely intense when Ran reveals that a teacher is the one distributing Switches ? while still being a buffoon that maybe is not a net positive for the Club. (Well, Net positive, maybe.)

Especially when you consider that Sonoda was one of those students whose life got derailed by a teacher giving her a Switch. While Ohsugi doesn't know the full story, he believes that following the rules is necessary to keep everybody safe, so finding out the faculty aren't playing by those rules is reason enough for him to join the KRC. Even if it's only so these teenagers have a "wise voice" to guide them, which they won't argue with as long as it means they can keep operating. Honestly, I think he's a great addition and the only thing this episode is missing is the Gentarou handshake. (nice pun BTW)

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Like Gentarou, maybe I had Ohsugi wrong all this time?!

Sounds like this will affect your ranking.

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Originally Posted by DreadBringer

I really wish that, there can be people/characters who are seen as morally upright and true hero as Hongo without them being self-sacrificing or destructive; for them caring about everyone or generally refusing to do wrong things, which sacrifice isn't necessarily required.

Well, guys like Gentarou are right there, but it doesn't stop some people from gatekeeping the title of True Kamen Rider.

[Kamen Rider Die]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreadBringer

I wonder if the cast, either the kids or Ohsugi, would eventually know that Sonoda's actually Scorpio and the reaction for it.

I honestly don't remember if she comes back from the Zodiart Zone or whatever it was called (Dark Nebula, just remembered, but I like "Zodiart Zone" so much better), but it was kind of a bummer to have her storyline wrap when it did without ever having the cast deal with her identity. Kind of made that whole plot go nowhere for me?

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Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

While Ohsugi doesn't know the full story, he believes that following the rules is necessary to keep everybody safe, so finding out the faculty aren't playing by those rules is reason enough for him to join the KRC.

I really liked how shook he was by the implication that it was a teacher who was preying on the students, instead of just some terrifying space monster. Like, there's a real guy under the sexual harassment and casual student grappling and suspender snapping and pratfalls and sweaters, and getting to see that guy treat this situation with some gravity really made everything else about him feel less cartoonish.

[Switchblade]

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Originally Posted by Switchblade

Fourze 29-30

By this point I think there's something about me that I've made very clear on this site. There is a specific vein of comic relief in tokusatsu that I hate. Aggressively, viscerally hate. I hate rubber-faced mugging into the camera. I hate screaming as a punchline. I hate spastic flailing around. My thoughts on characters like Shunpei, half of Drive's cast, and Satan... er, Onari... are very well documented at this point. So what I'm going to say next is probably going to be a surprise to some of you:

I freaking love Ohsugi. Yes, he is everything I hate in comic relief characters personified, and there is no place where that's on more display than these two episodes. I can't help it, though, I just really like the guy. I'm not sure why I like Ohsugi so much when I'd happily watch Onari die in a fire. Maybe I feel like it's less forced with Ohsugi; like he's not doing it intentionally, he's just helplessly pathetic and goofy. With Onari, it usually felt like he was actively going out of his way to put himself in ridiculous situations, Ohsugi seems more like he's trying to be serious and just failing at it catastrophically. I don't know. In any case, this is the arc where he finds out the truth about the KRC and joins up. There's a lot of bad slapstick and mugging to the camera and I'll be damned if I didn't kinda love it.

This arc also introduced Ran and Haru, the two junior members of the KRC. The show really goes out if its way to develop them, especially Ran. Naturally, like Genatrou's new homeroom teacher before them, they disappear after this episode. That feels as weird now as it did at the time. I almost feel like the show might have kept them around if they had the budget for two more characters - or if Miu and Shun were really written out. I know they show up again at some point and Ran turns out to be one of the Horoscopes - I want to say Pisces? One of the fish ones. Still, it's a little disappointing that they aren't at least a recurring presence.

The show's opening credits is partially given over to Super Hero Taisen footage now. I've decided that I'm going to skip that one. Yes, Fourze is technically in it, but only for a few minutes. The rest of the movie is just Joe and Daiki pouting because their boyfriends are fighting while Shoji Yonemura Plot #1 (of 1) runs in the background. I don't hate myself enough to sit through that again; not for a few minutes of inconsequential Fourze content, at least.

Last time I watched the show I remember thinking Ran and Haru were a lot of lost potential: interesting characters that could have been fun additions to the show if Fourze was allowed to either expand or change its cast. After this viewing I'm going to have to revise that: Ran is an interesting character with potential; Haru is also there. Is there maybe something to him that could be worked with in terms of his poor self-esteem and general weenieness? Probably. But given how much screen time the secondary batch of KRC members are getting I don't think he would've gotten much development. Ran seems pretty fully formed, though, and her proclivity for Akido-tossing everyone could make for a reliable source of comedy. In any case, you can practically feel the writers backing themselves into a corner when they realize that these characters would make a great fit for new members of the KRC but they couldn't actually add new cast members to the show.

I stand by my comments on Ohsugi, though. The "3-2-1" with close-ups of him pulling increasingly silly faces still absolutely kills me.

[Kamen Rider Die]

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Originally Posted by Switchblade

In any case, you can practically feel the writers backing themselves into a corner when they realize that these characters would make a great fit for new members of the KRC but they couldn't actually add new cast members to the show.

Yeah, I think Haru and Ran's story could've been a little more valuable if there was some sense that we were investing long-term in their growth -- like JK's story, or Tomoko's evolution -- or if this was a series built to run longer than a year. Instead, we're in a very dense story of two kids that's also simultaneously simplistic, and then at the end Kengo's like We'll See You In A Few Months; it's a standard Switch Story, despite how much work is done on the Haru/Ran stuff.

[Sunred]

Fun fact about Jiro and Ryusei, or specifically, the people who portray them. It's no secret Jiro's actor Ryusei Yokohama went on to play Hikari/ToQ4 in ToQger after this. But it's even more crazy that both him and Ryo Yoshizawa, who portrays Ryusei/Meteor both went on to become big names after this show.
Be it a blockbuster or a critically acclaimed art film, they've been in at least one or two after this show. And in 2025, they're co-stars again in this film about rival kabuki actors, one from a major lineage, the other who isn't.