It's good to be the king

And so Decade continues with episode 5 (definitely episode 5) and the introduction of another new toy appearing in all fine stores across Japan later this year. Speaking of toys, I hope to review a couple of the recent Decade-related releases soon. And speaking of Kiva, I still have the end of the original series of that to wrap up reviewing sometime, hopefully this week before we plunge head-on into Ryukiville.

Final Form Ride: Spoiler Warning!



Kamen Rider Decade Episode 5: "The Snarling King's Qualifications"
Written by Aikawa Shô
Directed by Kaneda Osamu

Like last week, this episode somehow has a "lighter" feel than #2~3, but it's still entertaining and full of good stuff. Like the previous four, I've already been able to watch it about three times through and pick up on something new on every viewing. There's a lot packed into these episodes and the pacing is great; we're already heading into the big fight about 11 1/2 minutes in.

I suppose that, between the mayhem of episode #3 and what we're in for next week, this two-parter would be one of the more "small-scale" stories. There's still a lot of costumed characters running around, an over-the-top finisher and loads of high-concept ideas.

But the battles were again largely one-on-one, or two-on-one, or one-on-one with a bunch of other guys standing around watching, which I found an interesting decision. Maybe it's just the story; it's really all about the boy who would be king, and the far-reaching effects are mostly unseen. Ultimately, the fate of this world is all down to a bunch of people in a basement.

Perhaps because the massive horde of rehashed Fangire from the climax of Kamen Rider Kiva has just been done, the staff wisely opted for the opposite approach. The baddies are relatively few this time, but one of them is a serious enough threat to warrant going solo against two Riders.



Of course, there's also Kaixa to resolve, which gives us a chance to see another of Decade's personal cards: Illusion, which is coming straight from the Kamen Rider Knight school of moves (and he technically got it from Stronger's General Shadow. ZX also nicks it for the comic versions, and I'm sure you can draw some big diagram of how everybody stole it from Baltan-Seijin and then who-knows-where in the first place.)

I like how that fight ends, with Kaixa making a "tactical retreat", aka "stepping backward and delivering a smug line as he vanishes". Decade then hears from Narutaki for presumably the first time, and it's made clear yet again that the bespectacled one hates our hero's guts. He is the "devil who fights the Kamen Riders". Ouch. The devil thing is bad enough but he's now not even one of the Riders? Maybe Narutaki is like, the ultimate dark fanboy or something.

Also, I don't know what Kivahla's doing there, but Narutaki seems to enjoy it just a bit too much. I'm still not sure what to make of her, and now she's one of Tsukasa's world-jumpin' posse. I wonder how that will go down.

The editing at the beginning is really neat, with the cross-cutting between the fights Decade, Kiva and then Kuuga are all involved in. Yes, Kuuga. I loved the fact that Onodera shows up and just turns into Kuuga. It seems like such a given, but hear me out.

I had thought that, what with making him a regular and giving Decade the ability to become Kuuga anyway, they'd probably pull something to explain away why Kuuga isn't jumping in and helping Decade in every fight. Like, once outside of his own world the belt wouldn't work, or only last a few seconds before he collapses and changes back, or whatnot.

But no, it seems like he's still pretty much the same as ever, at least here. That rules, because it means that Kuuga too can now stomp around in other worlds. Like I said last time, that somehow feels right. It gives him some real importance, like V3 when he shows up in Kamen Rider X. He's seemingly going for more than mere sidekick status, and wisely the story keeps him and Tsukasa apart until the end. Seeing the actual Kuuga (well, the Decade actual Kuuga) go up against Swallowtail was awesome.

He doesn't last long, but that can probably be explained away somehow or another. We don't see the conclusion to the fight (or round 2 when he goes back to try and retrieve Kivat) so I figure it was typical dramatica depowerus. "Kuuga destroys the Rider Universe" might sound like a good idea on paper, but it probably wouldn't make for the most compelling story once realized.

You'll notice that even Decade, current STRONGEST RIDER EVER!!1!™ titleholder himself, has been getting it rough as well. Yet again, I'm so glad they've done this. I love seeing the hero kickin' monster butt, mopping the floor with evil like it's going out of style.

But only after we've had that build-up to show that the bad guy is that bad and needs to be stopped. And there's few better ways to do that than have 'em thrash the hero around a bit. Kicking puppies is up there. Trying to shoot hospitalized kids too, and scarily enough that one's been in done in Kamen Rider before!



Speaking of Swallowtail, I noticed a couple things with him on the last viewing that I had missed before. For one, he's the only one who we see outright attacking Kuuga, but he's also the one most ready to turn on Wataru, while the Arms Monsters always express hesitation. He's on Beetle's side to the end, although you could say he's pretty much kissing up from the moment he bursts through the doors and sees the old king has returned.

I thought it was rather funny that they paired him up with the Arms Monsters, made very noticeable when he's left while they all get sucked up by Beetle. I hope the DVD includes a cut scene of him going "Sweet! I'm important again." after that moment.

It basically makes sense though; somebody had to be the side-switching sycophant, so it might as well have been him. I noticed that since here, they refer to the Fangire king as 王 (Ou), and not キング (King), we're working with a different set of rules than usual. We get Lion and Swallowtail Fangire, but are they their Rook and Bishop selves? We never quite know. There seems to be no Queen to speak of, so once again the alterations of this world prove that in a way, anything goes.

Especially since, like Lion, Swallowtail goes down pretty quickly! He's the warm-up for Decade, who kicks him through a door and then uses an interesting variation of his Final Attack Ride on him, with the sword. So I guess when regular old Slash ain't enough, he'd got that one too.

On the Arms Monsters: those poor bastards! They go down like punks, though admittedly for a pretty awesome reason (allowing Beetle to use DoGaBaKi Form.) I do have to say I found it troubling that they seemed to go boom along with Beetle at the end, but as it's been announced they're supposedly showing up in the next Den-O movie, perhaps we can assume those will be "our" versions played by Matsuda & co., and these alternate takes are just victims of the rules of an alternate world. Nobody's safe.

Or, they're fine and will show up again whenever Decade needs to use a Kiva form. But hey.



Moving onto Beetle Fangire, he's pretty cool. Once "complete" with the stain glass Arms Monster pictures, he looked really wicked and as with Gamio, I hope Bandai will come out with some villain toys this year. C'mon guys, you used to! Even the upcoming Kamen Rider Abyss, I'd be more than happy with him. Actually, I'm really hoping he's going to be as cool as I've made him in my head already, but more on that next time.

As mentioned, the way Beetle achieves DoGaBaKi Form was cool. It was nice to see that back, if ever so briefly, and even if not used to its full potential. The sword, the gun, what happened to those, man? Still, it gave Decade a rough time! I also think Beetle Fangire turning into Kiva can kinda-sorta justify kid Wataru growing up when he transforms; apparently becoming Kiva conforms you to one specific size & shape no matter what you looked like before.

Oddly enough, although I tend to dislike different people becoming the same Rider, I didn't mind it here at all. Maybe, due to it being part of the entire premise of Decade, it's not bothering me as much. Also, they only did it with one other guy, and like whatsisface with the robot arm in Blade, it was done well.

I can roll with it when we've already got a different Kiva anyway. I will say that, after this, I hope Toei gives it (and alternate universe thing) a good long rest, because this show has cranked up both ideas to their absolute max.

It was an interesting decision to make the new monster a Beetle, given who he turns out to be. And on that note, I was right! He is (spoiler coming up, but you knew that already) Wataru's dad, who was that mysterious guy Tsukasa met last time. Otoya really let himself go! Well okay, he's not Otoya, or not even meant to be, as this Wataru has a Fangire daddy and human mom. I somehow don't think she was Maya.

Although, it seems he inherited more from dad. I found this Wataru to be noticeably more "Fangire-y" than his older original show self. It explains a lot about his characterization.

Now that we hear his reasoning (which opens up a great "can a leopard change its spots" sort of debate) Wataru's angst-bucketing makes sense. He fears growing close to others in part because, basically, he wants to eat them! The part when Wataru nearly kills Onodera by draining out his life energy was a surprise. Both that he did it, and that Yuusuke survives!

He is Kuuga, of course, but still. I actually thought for a second that might have been it for him. I love he fact that we actually got visual recognition of the attack, with the holes in his jacket at the shoulders.



Actually, Onodera? Got beaten to hell this episode! That puts him at 2 on the TakiMeter™. It worked to the episode's advantage, as it basically took him out of the final fight and gave Kiva time to shine.

Otherwise, this was a big Onodera episode. More and more, he's becoming like the other Yuusuke, which is neat. It was interesting how he was really the emotional crux for Wataru, even moreso than Tsukasa. The latter basically gave up on him last time, but does come around in the end, once again standing up for the other Rider (and sneaking in his catchphrase.)

Yet again, he's an enabler, helping Wataru come to terms with who he is and what his destiny is. Onodera gives him the heart, and Tsukasa gives him the strength, as it were.

I did find Tsukasa's "if you turn into a monster, I'll destroy you" moment with Wataru rather nice. He's intentionally being smarmy, but moreso towards himself than Wataru. He's fully aware that his reputation proceeds him now.

They get back to this towards the end when he's developing the photos. I don't know if it's dumb luck or Inoue is just a really good actor, but he's fascinating to watch. He makes decisions about the character that keep it right on the line between a sympathetic hero and magnificent bastard.



Special note must be made of how he handles Beetle Fangire's last scene, where everything's tied up. The dialogue is decidedly brief, but it says everything that needs to be said. We can infer a lot of things from this and the previous episode, about Beetle, why he lost the throne in the first place and why he wants it back.

On that last point, I kind of had the feeling that perhaps, deep down, he might have had a death wish the whole time. He's pretty much expecting Wataru to confront him again after re-taking the throne. But then, maybe it's more that he just wanted him back so he could make him see the truth, and embrace what he is. It's funny how that's what Tsukasa (and Onodera) do this, but in a different way.

His disenfranchisement with the dream of human & Fangire relations is interesting. Commentary on the end of Kiva? He's got a point, as the Fangire woman last time proved, but he's also shocked when he sees Wataru and Onodera really are buddies. I loved the fact that he refers to Onodera as human. From a Fangire's perspective, he, and probably a lot of other Riders would be. I wonder if this was intentional in the script, or just a happy accident.

Equally awesome is when Tsukasa plays Beetle to his death. There's an immense amount of forgiveness and understanding being conveyed there. Even if he was a killer and a monster, he's also Wataru's father, and was basically a good person driven to do bad things. It's nice to have this murky morality sometimes, and more clear-cut good 'n evil at others.

Also, note how Beetle is this world's "moving picture person" as Ai was in #3. I wonder if this will lead anywhere...



Lastly, I should mention the ending fight, which was brief but imaginative. There's that great double kick, something I hope we see more of. I actually preferred how Kiva's kick was done here, sans Kivat flying off of him. It gets to the point faster while keeping the basic idea the same. And I don't know what exactly Beetle was planning to do with Castle Dran, but it's probably good we didn't find out.

Also, I should mention this:



Well, like Kuuga Gouram before it, the Kiva Arrow was... interesting. And painful-looking, but apparently they don't feel it. I don't usually associate Kiva with a Bow & Arrow, but given that he turns into a giant Kivat, the only other thing he could have done is bitten Castle Dran or had Decade riding around on him, so I guess this works. Once again, it looks just like the toy!

I also found it amusing that the Final Attack Ride was tied into the Arrow, and not simply Decade using Darkness Moon Break himself. But then, I guess that might not have worked since he lacks the proper leg.

And Decade trying to get Kiva to turn = brilliant. Sooner or later one of the Riders is going to say "...No. Don't do that."

So all in all, another fine episode. It's been an interesting spin on Kiva's world, taking some elements of the original series and exploring them while dropping so much else that it felt like something really different. But then, I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot more worlds like that in the future.

Oh, and how about that ending teaser? Brings back so many memories, and all it took was the Mirror World noise!

Next Time: Tsukasa & co. travel to Ryuki's world, and Kamen Rider goes to court. Apparently, everybody's a lawyer now, and... wait, what the hell? It's like "What if Kitaoka switched places with Kanzaki?" I have no idea how this is going to turn out, but I can't wait. There's a new evil Rider who looks badass, and I approve of anything that gives us more Scissors and Verde action.

And lastly, this week saw a preview for an upcoming movie featuring Decade, and you-know-who.



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