Also this week, the official site for the third Den-O film went up, and a short trailer aired at the end of this week's Kiva episode. You can view it here. Looks pretty awesome, but I'll hold off on talking about it until I can get ahold of a magazine with some solid info.
Spoilers from across time below.
Kamen Rider Kiva episode #29: "When the Saints Go Marching In: I am King" (Current top contender for "Weirdest Episode Title of 2008")
Rising IXA destroys the Cicaida Fangire while Kivat asks us if we've seen the movie. Which most of us haven't, but that's okay.
Megumi is running through a park when she bumps into Wataru. He's training out of a need to become stronger. She laughs at him, because like the rest of the viewing audience, she probably knows that he'll just use Emperor Form to get through all his problems anyway.
The Fangire is too strong? He'll just use Emperor Form. The Fangire is too fast? He'll just use Emeperor Form. Keys locked in the car? He'll just use Emperor Form. Can't decide on a tie? He'll just use Emperor Form. Now obviously, this is to be expected. If you get a new toy, you usually play with it. But what's with everybody else getting the shaft lately? I'm not expecting to see DoGaBaKi Form ever again, but the other three? They can still get mileage out of them, can't they? We need an episode where Tatsulot gets stolen by Hôjô/Kamen Rider Gai/Mr. J/Tachibana's crazy friend with the robot hand/Super Hime & Super Douji/Tendou/Negataros or something so they can get some more screen time. Am I right? I'm right.
So anyway, Wataru gets a phone call from Mio, but Megumi takes the phone and chats while he chases after her.
Assuming you're not watching the version of this episode that will come out on DVD sometime in the future, some more movie scenes are shown during the CM bumper.
Wataru & Mio meet again for the first time in a while in the cafe, to renew their LUV and all that. Wataru asks about what she meant when she said "I don't want to see you anymore." She says she "decided" that she does want to see Wataru again. Okay! They smile at each other.
Shizuka shows up trying to act like she's been around for the whole series and knows what the hell she's talking about. I don't really get Shizuka in this episode. It's been established that she doesn't trust Mio, but she goes to borderline extreme lengths in this episode to break her up with Wataru. I'd expect something like that from Megumi, but Shizuka? This is either going to build up to something shocking and rule-breaking(Shizuka gets killed off by Mio in front of Wataru) or it's just going to be some comedy subplot that they'll forget about by the next time they decide they don't need Shizuka again for a while. Or maybe somewhere in between, I just hope it's not another "Hana makes funny faces" episode, because we all know what resulted from that.
And the surreal scenes of Shizuka turning into a devil? What the heck!? They're cute, but again, this is the kind of thing that would work better with Megumi I think, because so far Shizuka hasn't really been this assertive. I swear I thought throughout the episode she'd either been possessed or turned evil.
Wataru takes a bath, talking with Kivat and Tatsulot. I know it's blindingly obvious by now, but Wataru sure spends A LOT of time in the bath. I wonder if they could have a lead Rider next year who's "quirky hobby" is that he rides motorcycles? That'd be awesome.
Mio calls, but Shizuka picks up the phone, and we get some more surrealistic goofiness. When Mio hangs up, Bishop appears behind her, again reminding her of her duties. He mentions that her destiny is on a collision course with the King's, and she runs off, wanting no part of this terrible fate. I like Bishop, he's the one villain in the show so far who really seems to have a grander scheme beyond "kill people" or "score with one of the Asou ladies".
In what is probably an entirely unintentional nod to a boatload of Tokusatsu series (some of which aren't even made by Toei) a man dressed as a cowboy shows up. Yee-haw! He enters into a fortune teller's room. The man ask about the old dude's abilities to see the future. The teller (who is a fake) says they're very good, but the cowboy turns out to be a Fangire, and you can figure out what happens next. Didn't see that one comin' old man! As a side note, the cowboy dismisses his victim as "wrong", i.e. not the guy he was looking for.
Shima is at some fancy restaurant with Nago, who recalls the button scene from last time. He briefly make the connectiong that perhaps Wataru & Maya are related, but quickly dismisses it. Megumi shows up, and Shima talks about them meeting a special person:
Asou Mitsuhide (I think, or it might have just been Mitsuhi as I had audio dropout a few times during this episode.)
Megumi's younger brother. There's this whole thing about him wanting Megumi to abandon her free life as a member of the Wonderful Blue Sky Organization and come home to settle down and all that stuff. Naturally, Nago eats this all up. Understandably ticked off, Megumi storms out. She recalls her mother...
1986. Yuri is cleaning, and asks that Otoya help her, but he is too busy being silly. Yuri then turns serious, (after beating on him) wondering if they can live like this happily. Otoya seems sure of it, but Yuri less so.
"I am a warrior."
She then brings up Rook, who Otoya doesn't recall.
"My mother's killer!"
Rook wanders through a tunnel, looking for something interesting. He kills some wise guy on a bike, and notices his sunglasses. He gets the idea for a new Time Play. But stops when he realizes Jirô is coming after him. Unfortunately, our wolf man is wearing shades so Rook goes into full-on homicidal glee mode.
Jirô becomes Garulu. Rook becomes Lion, they fight, and the Wolfen is easily beaten down. Rook takes his sunglasses, and puts them on himself as a trophy. Jirô ain't happy. Rook just declared war, so it's time to bring in the reinforcements.
Riki & Ramon are running a Kaki-Gori (shaved ice) stand. Listen to Riki's stilted "You are welcome". He's getting better. Otoya is there too. The monsters briefly reveal their true forms, and he books it, but Jirô (who has also dropped in) wants him to help them beat Rook. For Yuri's sake. Because as long as Rook lives, Yuri can never be truly happy. Kurenai Sr. debates what to do...
Yuri wonders where Otoya is.
2008. Wataru visits Kengo is in the hospital. The rocker attempts to play his guitar, but he can't. Wataru tells him to have more patience.
Megumi eats, and he brother shows up to irritate her some more. Later she consults with Shima, who is as usual remaining irritatingly neutral in regards to her brother's request. Megumi wonders if her mother would be proud of her right now. Shima doesn't exactly give a straight answer. Megumi asks if he knows about Rook, and he does, saying she should stop trying to destroy him.
2008, I think. Rook is about to kill some people, but he stops... and this is where I completely lost track of what was supposed to be going on in 2008. Rook notes his injuries. Either that or he's starting to crumble away, Orphy-style. I honestly have no idea.
He sees a woman reading a book to her daughter. He listens to the words, and understands that he must do some good if he is to get into heaven. Huh? I guess he maybe finally realized his own weaknesses, but where did this come from?
Mio is nearby. Shizuka and Wataru show up and there's some blah-blahing. When Wataru runs off, Shizuka convinces Mio that she's Wataru's fiancee. Mio doesn't look happy.
The cowboy dude kills a magician. Every once in a while, some random innocent gets killed in Kamen Rider and I actually do feel kind of really sorry for them. Doofus hikers or crusty old farmers who stand there saying "Hmm, weird people. Better go have a look-see" is one thing, but killing innocent street performers is pretty f'n evil.
Kivat takes off, and Wataru runs into action. Again, the Fangire's victim was "wrong". Who is he looking for?
"Henshin!"
Wataru transforms into Kiva. His enemy is revealed to be the Warthog Fangire.
1986. Otoya and Jirô discuss their plan for beating Rook. They argue as usual. Rook shows up, and transforms into Lion Fangire. Our heroes do the sensible thing and run for it.
2008. The Warthog Fangire throws Kiva around. He states his desire to become the King of the Check Mate Four, but Kiva only seems confused by this remark. So what does he do?
Kiva uses Emperor Form! But the Fangire is especially strong, and still beats back the golden warrior.
1986. Lion gets Jirô, knockig him away. Otoya becomes IXA.
2008. Megumi tells some kids to be careful and not play in the street. Rook walks by, repeating his "must do good" mantra. Suddenly, a truck begins to roll towards the kiddies. Megumi tries to stop it, but...
1986. Lion knocks IXA about, and Yuri shows up.
2008. Rook jumps out to stop the truck, revealing his true Fangire self. Megumi attacks Lion, he announces himself as Rook of the Checkmate Four. Megumi is shocked. She knows who he is now...
1986. IXA and Rook keep fighting. IXA uses the Knuckle, but is knocked right out of suit by the monster. Lion laughs as Yuri attacks him.
2008. Megumi attacks Lion as well, but is beaten down. She drops her gun. Lion pushes her around. She eventually gets her weapon and changes it to the sword/dagger mode, but even that isn't enough.
Via splitscreen, we see both mother and daughter in serious danger from the same monster...
NEXT TIME: Everybody wants to kill Rook.
***
Uhm...what? I yet have to watch this, but seems confusin. A lot.
ReplyDeleteWell, now I'm off to watch this. Thank you for the review:-)
Wow! Is... well, confusing, yeah. Very.
ReplyDeleteI'd expect something like that from Megumi, but Shizuka?
ReplyDeleteexcept that shizuka has been possessive of wataru since the beginning, and is probably interested in him (in a way that megumi isn't). i didn't like the crazy devil stuff... that can even echo through the phone, apparently. and she's actually been pretty assertive about claiming wataru as hers (though claiming that she's his "mother") and yelling back at megumi.
i thought cowboy dude would either be taiga, or looking for taiga. (i really think taiga is "king.")
for the record, i also think it's "mitsuhide."
Megumi has a bro? WTF?
ReplyDeleteSo Fangires can have babies in a quick amount of time, or are the producers actually promoting teen pregnancy?
Damn, so much for a coherent storyline. Back to waiting for Wolf...
except that shizuka has been possessive of wataru since the beginning, and is probably interested in him (in a way that megumi isn't). i didn't like the crazy devil stuff... that can even echo through the phone, apparently. and she's actually been pretty assertive about claiming wataru as hers (though claiming that she's his "mother") and yelling back at megumi.
ReplyDeleteThat's all very true. It still comes across as too sudden to me though. Shizuka hasn't been around enough for any of that to really sink in. Every time she shows up, the only character trait that seems to remain intact between appearances is that "she's Wataru's friend." Which gives her a lot of room to react in many different ways, but this week still felt somewhat odd. If she's been assertive before, I don't remember it ever getting to the point where she becomes an outright schemer.
I'd expect that kind of quirky behavior from Megumi moreso because we've gotten to know her better, and it's established that she's wacky, whereas Shizuka has usually been more laid back and sensible. I don't think Megumi has anything going on with Wataru, but I could still sooner see her acting like this (for other reasons) than Shizuka.