And hey: the pre-show bumper showed Emperor Form! So he’s appearing soon. Next week, in fact!
Kamen Rider Kiva Episode #23: "Variation: Eternal Fugitives"
A recapped Dogga Form destroys the Chameleon Fangire while Kivat talks about オムライス(Omlette Rice.) Given what happened the last time Kamen Rider focused on this particular dish, this isn't what I'd call a good sign.
1986. A woman says goodbye to her (boy)friend, when Maya appears. Hey Maya! We missed you. The other woman is a Fangire of course, and Maya is not happy about her trying to live normally amongst humans, falling in love with a human man (foreshadowing!?) So Maya does her thing, and sets the woman ablaze, destroying her utterly.
"Next is..."
(During the ads, there's a preview for the movie. I find it kind of funny that Rey & Arc do like, the exact same kick.)
Kido goes into the café and is assaulted by Jirô & Yuri, who wish him a happy birthday. Kido had forgotten. At 34, you tend to forget these things, apparently. So wait... that means Kido is like, 56 in 2008? They give him presents, a sumo t-shirt from Yuri and signed record album from the man-wolf himself. Kido hugs Jirô while a bored-looking Otoya eats... yes... Omlette Rice, speaking joylessly of his own birthday. Jirô can’t resist another chance to mess with Otoya. And I mean mess with him. Yuri strangles him (Otoya.) And then, in the strangest transitions ever, Megumi walks in.
2008. Megumi, Kido & Wataru blather on about girlfriends/boyfriends and stuff. Kengo & Nago show up. As it turns out, Nago is exactly the kind of guy Megumi prefers. No way! Also, watch for some CG-aided blushing from Wataru when Mio is brought up. Pssst, Wataru. Watch your back dude. There be Kusaka in them there hills.
1986. At the massage parlor, Ramon watches as repo men come to take everything away! Looks like somebody forgot to pay the bills. Not too hard to believe since their #1 customer is also like, their best buddy, and probably gets a lot of freebies. Jirô shows up to find Riki taking it all surprisingly well. But then again, this is Riki we're talking about. The guy basically sits there struggling to get out a sentence as his entire shop literally falls on top of him.
Otoya goes into the café, where Riki & Ramon are now working! Otoya smells something strange. It's Yuri's cooking. She is standoffish with his prying.
Meanwhile, a woman named Ryôko enters to talk with a guy named Shinji. Sadly, it is neither the Ryôko nor the Shinji we know and love from other Rider series; just a bunch of buffoons who honestly take up waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much screen time this episode. While I'm all for interesting side characters to liven things up now and then, the emotional drama between these two is about as exciting as watching paint dry in slow motion. There's some issues going on between them and they're on the verge of a break-up, or something. I honestly stopped caring about a minute in. Shinji sees Yuri & Otoya together, and blanks out. If only he knew! Ryôko leaves, thankfully, but we're not done with these two yet,
2008. Megumi is doing a photo shoot (remember, she does those?) and a bunch of goofiness ensues. They other model can’t show up so Megumi goes to recruit... Mio, who is now Wataru’s girlfriend. Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww... she's doomed.
1986. Shinji goes to meet Ryôko again, and they talk about their relationship and stuff. Ryôko eventually leaves angrily. Shinji goes out after her. This scene just drags on forever until, finally, thankfully, Maya shows up!
Yuri can’t cook, after many unsuccessful experiments, and her Omlette Rice has reduced Otoya to a state of unconsciousness. Riki tries it out though, and finds it delicious. He turns to Yuri, and falls in love. Uh, okay?
We jump back to the boring people, planting a tree. Okay, there is some payoff with this; Shinji wants to be with Ryôko forever or some nonsense. This'll be important soon.
Ramon & Riki sit at a park, when Otoya shows up (I like the megaphone bit here.) Maya appears again, trailing Shini & Ryôko. But Otoya stops her.
“I found you at last.”
Maya ignores him, and proceeds forward. Otoya follows. Yuri appears, as does Jirô. What the heck is up with Yuri here? Not only does she lash out at Otoya, but the wolfy guy too. The guys eventually get into another squabble.
2008. Mio looks uncomfortable next to Megumi as they shoot on the beach. Wataru watches on, troubled. The photographer wants her to smile more, but she can't do it. Megumi tells her to remember of "something fun." She looks up at a smiling Wataru, and hits the jackpot.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeoooooooooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhh.
A familiar-looking man appears, and he snatches up one of the necklaces they're modelling. Wataru & the fairly useless photographer give chase.
Suddenly, a monster appears. The Grizzly Fangire.
Bloody Rose plays. Kivat flies into action. Wataru transforms.
“Henshin!”
Kiva(Kiva Form) and the monster duke it out. Kiva gets beaten back easily by the much stronger monster.
“A bear's opponent is a wolf!"
Garulu Saber is summoned, and Kiva becomes Garulu Form. Rider and monster slash at each other. The monster stops Kiva’s sword, slashes him away, and vanishes. Garulu Form reacts rather violently.
Otoya tries out Yuri’s Omlette-Rice, but describes it as just “okay”, much to her dismay. Later, as he plays his violin, Jirô appears, clapping. He commends him for eating Yuri’s Rice. But...
“You are... an obstacle.”
He transforms into Garulu.
2008. The Grizzly Fangire stumbles away, turning back into the man who stole the necklace. Shinji. He goes to the hospital, stumbling to the side of a comatose Ryôko. Okay, now I'm actually interested in these two.
1986. Garulu and Otoya fight. Well, rather, Garulu beats the crap out ofOtoya, who tries to fight back, but goes down for the count. Garulu laughs.
“Farewell Kurenai Otoya!”
And he chucks him into the river.
“Yuri belongs to me!"
NEXT TIME: More intrigue in the past and present, and the debut of
Emperor Form! That Tatsulot thing sounds... interesting.
***
It's too soon for Emperor Form IMO...and those two, what's up with them? And IXA in the past ,who has it now? i forgot, coz it's like three years no one usin it [in 1986]...
ReplyDeleteRiki-Maid FTW.
Yeah that's what I said with DoGaBaKi form, but there are rumors going around that Kiva is going to end somewhere around the 30 episode mark, and not the usual 49 or 50 limit.
ReplyDelete...that's not a rumour, it's BS:-)
ReplyDeleteThere's a ton of Kiva stuff planned to come out this summer and into the fall, so I don't think the show's really going anywhere, and that it's all just another crazy rumor like the 2-hour Kabuto finale that was going to air on New Year's Eve (which is roughly akin to suicide since everyone will be watching the Kōhaku or something similar.) The one that was going to end with everybody dying, or something.
ReplyDelete