Gotta catch 'em all

Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiick is how I've been feeling lately. Buuuuuuuuuuuusy is how I've been. I'm thinking that with next year's series (finally finally finally confirmed to really be Kamen Rider Decade) I might do less of a scene-by-scene summary and more of a general analysis, like I did do with V3. I'll still recap the plot, but it would be nice to actually be able to watch a new Rider show again, and not just jot down everything going on. We're sort of at the point now where a lot of people are seeing the stuff as it airs (which is mind-blowing) or at the very least seeing it within the next few days, and then if they wait for subtitles seeing it whenever the heck it gets subtitled. And I'll still probably cover the major plot points anyway, but it will be a bit easier to write. I'll maybe give that idea a try in the near future. Until then, this week's Kiva:

Spoilers and monsters being turned into toys ahead.



Kamen Rider Kiva Episode #41: "Lullaby: Unleash Your Heart"

"I can't go"

The Bloody Rose plays louder, but Wataru resists.

Nago is knocked back into human form. See, he lived! I knew he would, the number of times a Rider has died by another Rider's attack is... well okay, often. But generally only in the movies (where everybody's automatically magically weaker) or Ryuki. Swallowtail Fangire is about to kill him, but Nago is saved when Kengo shoots at the monster with one of those anti-Kiva rifles. He helps Nago escape as Saga watches on, probably disappointed that his finisher didn't work and he's now going to suffer from STRONGEST RIDER EVER!!! Degradation Syndrome™. Watch, he'll be jobbing to a MOTW in the next few episodes.

Kivat and Tatsulot beg Wataru to let them go and get out of his funky state, but he won't. Well then!

Shima & Nago walk & talk. Nago wants to know about Kengo's dismissal. In spite of all that was done to him, Nago actually sticks up for the guy. Shima doesn't care. He says that Kengo was a loser and a terrible fighter to boot. Nearby, Kengo listens in, and responds accordingly (frowny face.) Shima asks about Kiva, who he stil wants eliminated. Nago wants no part of that though. He believes that Wataru is still good deep down, and can be saved. Shima calls Nago an idiot for believing such nonsense.
Meanwhile, Kengo walks away through the streets, dejected.

Maya & Taiga talk by a river, first about Wataru, and then Taiga asks his mother about his father, and the power of Dark Kiva. Taiga wants to know when he will get this power. Or has it been given to someone else, i.e. Wataru? When he marries Queen, he wants to achieve his true potential. This is a rather interesting scene because it seems to imply that Saga (the Rider/suit/system/armor/whatever) is somehow just a placeholder, and Taiga *should* be a new Dark Kiva. Sucks to be Sagarc now!

1986. Otoya is getting a massage from Reimon & Riki. They remember about King telling them to kill him. They give it a try (with a BIG hammer), but can't do it.

Later, Otoya takes a bath. Jirô joins him, and changes to Garulu when he's not looking. He tries to kill Otoya, but can't do it when an oblivious Otoya starts going on about their strong, burning friendship (the "friendship of men".) Otoya turns to see Garulu crying.

2008. Shizuka, Megumi & Nago are at the cafe, trying to figure out how to get Wataru out. Kido (remember him?) doesn't help much.

Wataru's still at home, when Mio teleports in. She has prepared a meal for him. He says it's tasty. She asks him to eat a lot, then asks him when he will destroy Taiga.

"Didn't you promise?"

Wataru says he said no such thing, and tells her to leave. Mio's been getting kind of creepy with her whole "kill Taiga" routine, if only because that seems to be the extent of her dialogue lately. And she used to be such a nice, normal girl...

1986. The Arms Monsters agree that they cannot bring themselves to destroy Otoya, so they decide to split up and go into hiding, fearing retribution from King. Jirô will go train a disciple in the ways of the Oni, Reimon will get hit by falling boxes and contract an Imagin... oh I kid, I kid. They split up, but you know things ain't gonna turn out well for them.

Reimon is the first to be confronted by the King of Glam Rock himself. He becomes Basshaa and attacks King, who becomes Dark Kiva. DK pulls a golden-accented Basshaa Fuestle from his belt, and uses it. Basshaa is sealed. Like he always was supposed to be, apparently. It would have been pretty embarassing if the Arms Monsters looked nothing like the sealing Fuestles Dark Kiva has.

Basshaa into his small, statue-like unactivated Basshaa Magnum form. Kivat II asks why the King will not just kill him. It's a much crueler fate this way... also, he has those sealing Fuestles, so he might as well us them.

Riki is the next to go, turned into Dogga, lifted up by the neck, and sealed. Kinda disappointed that he goes down like such a punk. I mean Reimon I can understand because he's the kid, but Riki? I guess Dark Kiva is just that badass (until he suffers from STRONGEST RIDER EVER!!! Degradation Syndrome™.)

"One left to go..."

Jirô gets a bad feeling, and runs like hell.

2008. Wataru hears the sound of an electric guitar outside. It's Kengo, looking slightly more like his old self. Well, his clothes at least. I'm in the minority I think in liking his old hair style, because his new style makes him look too much like an evil Keitarô (from Faiz) for comfort. Anyway, he asks to talk to Wataru. He wants to make amends.

Wataru allows Nago & Kengo in. Before they talk, Wataru asks Nago that if he act strangely again, he must agree to destroy him using IXA. Kengo apologizes, and Wataru asks why. Isn't he too tough for friends anymore or something? Kengo pours his heart out and makes up for being such a jerk to Wataru & co. He realized how selfish he had been, and asks Wataru to return to living as a human. You can tell Kengo is a good guy again: he regained his accent!

Wataru smiles, but shakes his head. He can't do this. He is not human, and cannot live as one...

Suddenly, Taiga is there. The others are gone, but he's doing the same thing. Wataru will still not go. Taiga wants him to cast off his humanity, but he can't. For just as he is not human, nor is he entirely Fangire either, and cannot embrace the same destructive path as Taiga. Good old fashioned Rider drama, this.

There's some confusing stuff involving Wataru hearing the voice of his mother, semi-flashbacks to him as a kid, and other stuff. It gets a bit weird, but it all pays off in the end. Around this point there's also a commercial break and an ad for the upcoming Ganbaride card game, which looks awesome.

1986. Yuri busts in to see Otoya & Maya... or rather, she doesn't. She picks up the Bloody Rose, and Maya shows up. Yuri vows to fight, or she will destroy Bloody Rose. She transforms into IXA. Maya sees no choice, and becomes Pearl Shell. She knocks IXA out the door. They fight outside. But King jumps in, knocking her away. A blast from his hand knocks her out of the armor. Maya reverts to human form. Otoya walks up, he picks up the Knuckle. His jacket looks like it was made from bathroom wallpaper.

King & Otoya confront each other. There's some arguing over Maya, who Otoya has obviously fallen for. He doesn't care about her being human or Fangire or whatver, and loves her in earnest. Unlike King, who just sees her as the Queen, his property, and part of his admittedly abstractly-defined "empire".

Maya sees a vision... of Wataru. Wataru willl be a good kid, she feels.

2008. Wataru & the Maya of the past meet.

1986. Otoya says he wants to hear the music of Maya's soul.

2008. Maya puts the scarf around adult Wataru's neck. Interesting bit here. Symbolic?

"Believe in yourself, and your music." She vanishes.

Wataru is back outside. He listens to the call of Bloody Rose.

Nago becomes IXA, and goes Rising. But Bishop appears, and vows to destroy him this time. He becomes Swallowtail.

Wataru releases his buddies at last.

XA & Swallowtail fight violently. IXA uses his finisher, striking down the monster, who reverts to human. He runs away though, leaving the Sea Moon Fangire to grab IXA. Wataru shows up, and Taiga (who is also back) sees this. He is upset.

"I will live not as human or Fangire. I will live as myself!"

"HENSHIN!"

Wataru becomes Kiva, and goes straight to Emperor. Taiga becomes Saga. He summons a jumbo Sagarc, who destroys the Sea Moon Fangire. This turns out to be a bad idea real fast. Why?

More giant Sagarcs appear, along with a massive huge one, but Kiva has the bigass sword (sorry, Zanvat Sword) and kils everybody with sweeping blasts until only the big momma is left. The giant one creates tentacle-like "belts" from its underside, so Kiva uses his finisher, and jumps up, slashing through the monster, and cutting it in half. It blows up good. Now see, if they'd kept Sea Moon around, things might have at least gone a little better. Mad as hell, Saga walks up to Kiva...

1986. Otoya & King have a stare-down in the warehouse. King orders Maya to kill Otoya. She refuses silently.

King is livid, and will personally send them both to hell. Otoya uses the IXA Knuckle's concussive blast, but it doesn't work. Instead, it is reflected back, and he is knocked out. Maya goes to his side, crying. King is disgusted, and prepares to kill them both, when suddenly...

Jirô drops down from above! This is my favorite scene in the episode, maybe because the effect of Matsuda coming down from the ceiling is slightly "ambitious-looking", but mostly because it's just cool. Unfortunately, even Garulu can't stand up to King for long, and is soon sealed by Dark Kiva.

Otoya shoves a crying Maya aside, and becomes IXA. He runs at Dark Kiva, who creates massive explosions everywhere. IXA leaps into the air, kicking at Dark Kiva...

Next Time: 1986. Otoya is beaten, and taken to become the food of Castle Dran. Can Yuri & Maya put aside their differences to save him? 2008. A mysterious new Fangire beats the crap outta Shima and gives everybody else a hard time. Plus Saga vs. Kiva again!? The chains of fate draw ever tighter...

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