Royal fork

Things have been quiet lately on this blog with all the real-life business I'm facing. I hope to step up the game this week though, and finally get back to watching Kamen Rider V3, among other things. Stay tuned.

Spoilers and bathtime Nago ahead.



Kamen Rider Kiva Episode #33: "Supersonic: Saga's Fight"

As we recap scenes from the end of last week's episode, Kivat & Tatsulot (offscreen) talk about Antonio Stradivari. Notice the shadowy person who approaches him...

Dogga pushes Pearl Shell Fangire back, but she uses her projectile attack to knock him back into human form. Riki stumbles off. Pearl reverts to Maya. Otoya watches all this, shocked. It's sort of funny to consider that he basically had no clue this whole time, and the audience practically knew Maya was a Fangire before she appeared on the show.

Saga watches as Kiva & Moose Fangire fight. A stray blast of Moose's sends some debris tumbling down at him. Saga kicks up at the large chunk about to crush him, shattering it around him. The hard-to-kill Moose ends the fight and runs.

As Kiva gives chase, Saga reverts to Taiga as his Henshin Belt's buckle flies off. It is another Kivat-type creature, the hovering Sagarc. He kinda reminds me of a wristwatch without the bands. He speaks in a weird, unintelligible language that Taiga seems to understand. As the man walks off, the big piece of debris behind him shatters again. Since, y'know, the first time wasn't enough and this is the episode to remind us that he is the STRONGEST RIDER EVER (until he gets beaten up good/the next new Rider is introduced.)

On another note, here's another made-up Rider language. Supposedly Sagarc speaks the ancient Fangire tongue. It's kind of like demented chipmunk speak, but I can't wait to get the DX belt now.

Oh, and all this happens before the opening credits!

Kiva searches for Moose Fangire, but has no luck and de-transforms. Wataru bumps into a lost-looking Mio, asking what's wrong. She starts to babble.

"I truly am a useless woman."

He is confused. She holds his hand, asking to stay by her side. He does. And they hold each other for a long, long time...

1986. Otoya talks about the Fangire with Maya, and she asks what he's going to do. Destroy her? And doesn't he wonder why she can copy him so well? Maya seems to be interested in a violin into which she can "put 100%" of her power... we get a flashback to the Black Star violin Frog Fangire coveted. Maya knows of it, but that's not enough...

We also learn that 300 years prior, Maya was an understudy of Stradivari. Wha-!? Well, that ties in with the beginning.

As Castle Dran, Kurosawa holds Taiga as Maya enters to greet the child of King & Queen. The strange flying Sagarc appears as well...

2008. Grown-up Taiga is talking with another guy who has an invention for improving humanity, involving hydro power. The guy should look familiar if you recall last week's episode. After he leaves, Kurosawa enters with Wataru. Taiga is happy to see him, and Wataru is impressed with his friend's grand company. Taiga asks if he's hungry, he will be eating with his fiancee. Wataru is surprised that Taiga has one.

Later they are in a restaurant. When Wataru goes to the bathroom, Mio enters, and sits down. Taiga mentions that he will introduce her to his important friend. He also mentions her failure to destroy a traitor. But it matters not, for he will off his support to her.

Wataru returns, and sees Mio. As they stare at each other, Taiga's words fade into the background. The sky out the window soars past them. Time seems to stop. Taiga asks what's wrong. Wataru and Mio act as if they don't know each other anymore. For all intents and puposes, they don't...

Wataru sits in the bath, unable to believe that Mio is the fiancee. Suddenly, Nago enters the bath. Kiva and Tatsulot are there too, although Nago seems not to notice them at first. Nago tries to ask Wataru about his mother. He recalls his little time-travelling adventure, and starts to put it all together. Nago then sees Kivat as he tries to introduce himself, but he was earlier knocked into the water and now starts to sink.

Wataru & Mio sit quietly. Shizuka asks if they're going on a date, but they don't respond. Sensing the awkwardness, she books it. Mio tries to explain the situation, but Wataru won't have it. Shizuka realizes what's happened, gets angry, and drags Mio out. Nago appears (in towel) to tell him not to be concerned, he's Kiva. Now isn't the time to be chasing a girl (or a girl's rear end, which is what's literally said. All class, that Nago.)

Can I also say here that while I'm not really opposed to all the bath scenes we've been getting lately... can we please have the 2009 Rider's quirky hobby be that he likes to ride his motorcycle around alone while having inner monologues? Haven't had that in a while.

Mio walks through a tunnel, and Kurosawa appears to point out that she failed in her duties, and her heart is weak with her feelings for Wataru. He decides to destroy her. But Taiga appears.

"What are you doing?"

Kurosawa doesn't think Mio has what it takes to be a Queen like Maya was. Taiga uses his power to blast him away.

"Next time, you die!"

Shadowy serpents appear behind him. Kurosawa wisely runs.

1986. In his new home (and Wataru's future one) Otoya's makin' violins. Maya stops him. She wants to make a special violin with him. She helps him carve, her hand on his. Together, they will pour their souls into it. Unseen at the stairs, Yuri watches on, heartbroken.

She wanders through the street, tears in her eyes. Nearby are wilted flowers...

Two observations here:

1) Maya & Otoya are probably making Bloody Rose.
2) It's a damn good time to be Jirô now!

2008. Megumi cries... over something very different. She sits eating spaghetti at the cafe while Wataru looks glum. Taiga enters, asking what's wrong. Nago also shows up, acting overly dramatic. Taiga realizes Wataru's love problems and asks that he not give up. However, he doesn't know all the details...

Mio and Taiga walk along, and he asks her what's troubling her as well. She expresses uncertainty at her current role, but again, leaves out the finer details (i.e. Wataru.)

"Do you best. You will be the greatest Queen."

Taiga sees the man he met from earlier... and realizes he is also a Fangire. In fact, the Tortoise Fangire which Mio failed to destroy.

"Our target is the same."

The man sees Mio, who becomes Pearl Shell Fangire 2008 edition. The man becomes Tortoise, and tries to fight back. Queen beats him easily. But again, he asks why the Fangire can't love humans. Pearl is stopped, and he runs for it. Pearl reverts to Mio. Taiga sees this, but says it's okay.

"Leave the rest to me."

Kurosawa appears in front of Tortoise, and prepares to kill him. Bloody Rose plays, and Wataru is led into action by Kivat. Moose and Tortoise fight. Wataru sees the fight and transforms.

Tortoise thrown back, but Kiva appears to fight the other Fangire. Moose is strong though, too strong. Blasts from his head send Kiva back, and appear to destroy him. But suddenly Emperor Form appears from behind, dragging the Dogga Hammer.

Kiva busts Moose up good with the massive purple weapon. Then it's Dogga Fever time. Tatsulot attaches to the end of the Dogga Hammer, and creates a ball of energy. Kiva bats this at the monster, freezing him. He then walks up and smashes Moose once and for all.

Tortoise Fangire runs, but Taiga appears. By order of the King, Tortoise is condemned to death!

He pulls off his one glove, revealing a hand with a tatoo on both sides. The mark of the King. He forms a great symbol in the air. He summons Sagarc, which attaches to his waist. He puts the Jacorder weapon in, pulls it out, and transforms into Kamen Rider Saga. He uses a Fuestle. Sagarc masks a lot of weird sounds.

Day becomes night. Jacorder goes from its whip mode to a sword-like one. Sagark kills the monster by stabbing him through. He leaps up into a massive Kiva symbol in the air. As he does, the sword reverts to a string-like whip. Saga pulls Tortoise up, as if to hang him. This attack destroys him. Saga then walks through the shattered fragments. Pretty cool, but we haven't seen him actually fight anyone yet, which leads me to believe that Kiva might lay him out in one punch.

There's another quick preview for the upcoming third Den-O movie at the end of the episode. However, there was a better, long one on another TV show earlier the same day, and you can see it here!

NEXT TIME: Wataru's world continues to crumble as old ghosts come back to haunt him. Mio finds an eyepatch-wearing Maya in a cave, and Nago wears the sparkliest jacket that ever sparkled.

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