Teddy says: This is the Spoiler-Free Version of the review for the second part of the Chô Den-O Trilogy. That means there's almost no spoilers. If you want to know about the plot details for the movie, there's a Spoiler Version just below this one.
First: Same old trailer for Kamen Rider Double Forever: A to Z/ The Gaia Memories of Fate.
Looks good.
With that our of the way, it's time for part 2 of the Chô Den-O Trilogy, this time starring Den-O's successor from the future, the amazingly-titled NEW Den-O. or New Den-O, but I like using all caps like they do in Japanese because he is not simply new, he is NEW. So NEW that the next Den-O had to settle for just being a "G".
Although in a couple more years he'll be old, but who knows. Some people still think Kuuga is part of the "new generation" and in the time since that show was on the air, I have graduated high school and college, and lived in Japan for 3 years straight. So for me Kuuga (and Agito, and basically every Rider up to about Kiva) feels a bit old. And yet, that's not a bad thing! Who woulda thunk it?
So snarking aside, Old NEW Den-O is in this movie. Let's talk about it.
Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider × Kamen Rider The Movie: Chô Den-O Trilogy Episode Blue: The Dispatched Imagin is NEWtral
Ever since the character first appeared back in 2008, it seems like a lot of people have taken to the idea of NEW Den-O having his own spin-off series. After all, he was in the supposed "final" Den-O movie, right? If you want to get technical, it was, since everything since has been Den-O appearing in someone else's show/movie, or part of the Chô Den-O Series, which basically translates to "putting this extra word in front to cover our collective butts."
But the fact remains that while that movie was intended as a way to say goodbye to the Den-O cast we knew and hopefully loved from the TV series, it also introduced the next generation of a Den-O-style Rider, who conveniently enough is Ryôtarô's grandson from the future. And there's a whole lot of story potential right there. Who is his dad? Who is his mom? Does he have any siblings? What's the future like anyway? Is it a cool future or a crappy one (given what we've seen, I'd say it's basically the same as the present except there are more Den-O movies around by then.)
And then there's the fact that he just looks cool. I know people who hate the standard Den-O designs, but love the NEW Den-O look. Maybe it's the eyes; I dunno, but NEW Den-O has some cool-looking eyes. The color scheme is great too, with all those blues and gold. And he's got a big honking sword. Whatever the case, it's a unique design, taking Den-O as we know it and dialing it up further, and coupled with interesting story potential has made the character an instant fan-favorite.
Personally though, I've always been iffy. NEW Den-O is great in Final Countdown, because it's his movie. He's all over it, arguably the main character even though that film is the very definition of ensemble piece; virtually every character feels important in some way. But his basic plot line was also pretty much tied up: at the beginning of the movie, he's a cocky bastard who thinks gramps basically sucks; by the end, he's learned some humility and realized the old guys are every bit as cool in their own way, but he also still comes out of it as the hero. In terms of his central idea (the new kid on the block who thinks the old kid has lost his charm) we basically got it over and done with.
I think this is evident in the first Chô Den-O film where he's basically just part of the crew: he gets in some good fights, gets captured for a while, gets back on his feet by the end and helps fight evil (and also gets a new form.) That's really Yuu's movie, and considering it's also got Ryôtarô and his cast plus Decade characters in on the fun, Kôtarô and Teddy just sort of blend in with the crowd.
Ah yes, Teddy. I like Teddy, but if I had to rank all the main Imagin in terms of how they've fared over the years, he'd probably be near the bottom. Momotaros is still the king, pretty much half the reason Den-O is still as popular as it is in Japan, because we can't get enough of the big red one, thanks to the 1-2-3 punch of great writing, great suit acting, and great voice acting. Heck, he gets as much screen time in All Riders vs. Daishocker as some Riders and it still feels forgivable.
After that, there's Deneb, who was one of the best things about the TV series and continues to steal scenes wherever he goes. He kicks, ass, plain and simple. You could basically put together a 25-minute Kamen Rider episode of Deneb, Apollo Geist, the Hoppers and the Agito cast painting a fence and I'd call it the best episode in years.
After that, things sort of boil down to personal preference. Being a Kansaiphile, I'm always going to love Kintaros, even if he does next to nothing anymore that anybody else doesn't do. Sieg is always good for a laugh, but you kind of need to come up with a good reason to have him around; just sticking him in doesn't do him any favors.
Urataros & Ryuutaros I can take or leave, since the really interesting aspect they each have (ladies' man and hyperactive ball of destruction) tend to get downplayed lately, and they're just kinda there. And then there's Teddy. Like his partner in crime, I think Teddy worked great in his original movie, then just sort of fell into the background. In the first Chô Den-O, I barely even remember what he does aside from not be the giant sword during the end battle, and be one of the guys to be like "Oh craaaaaaaaaaaaap" when Diend swings by to drop some fan service on us.
So as mentioned, it was with some skepticism that I approached this installment of the trilogy. Both episodes Red & Yellow had/have something I really wanted/want to see. There's something really engaging me in both movies. Episode Blue... well, I like NEW Den-O, but what else can you really do with him? As it turns out, quite a lot.
I'm pleased to say Kobayashi found a way, though it remains to be seen if this is a one-off or she could keep it up for future adventures with the character. If Final Countdown was basically about deconstructing Nogami Kôtarô to then build him back up as a hero at the end, Episode Blue is about taking apart the relationship he shares with a certain other character and really looking into how it works.
As for the previous trilogy episode, how does the second installment stack up? I'd probably have to say that I enjoyed it more, despite not expecting to. While it continues with the "Chô Den-O Trilogy, in that Den-O is the star" vein, it also feels like there was more focus on the episode-specific characters.
Of course, I should mention here something raised in the review for the first part: how this trilogy is a trilogy, and I'd say it mostly comes down to the reoccurring characters in each part. On the one hand, if you're only planning on seeing one or two episodes, you're in luck. If you want something with a wider narrative though... well, I'll get back to that when I do a wrap-up review of the whole trilogy. That one will be spoilers-only though, so be warned.
Anyway, the movie immediately removes some characters for a good chunk of the action early on, letting the movie-specific stars have more of a chance to shine. And shine they do; the movie really made me care about them. The rest of the supporting cast is their usual good selves, though in a couple specific cases you might be surprised by what we get this time around. Without spoiling too much:
An old face from the series and previous movies joins in the fun this time. He doesn't do a whole lot, but if you're a fan of the character you'll appreciate his presence.
I commented in that podcast I keep forgetting to link to that Episode Red kind of felt like a Den-O script that had been shelved back in 2007, being a bit more in-tune with how the TV series was than a natural progression of the movies that came after it. Episode Blue almost has that same feel, getting back to a couple elements from the series that I wasn't expecting to see. The characterization of one regular cast member feels more in-tune with this than how he's been in other recent movies, though not without good reason.
Lastly, the side characters. They pulled off a nice trick. I was not expecting to care about these people as much as I did, but there's some strong writing going on here, particularly with regards to how their storyline concludes. It's one of the most mature things I've seen Kamen Rider do in a long time, actually. Kudos to that.
The villain is pretty cool. Can't say much more than that. Nice song at the end too.
Beyond that, not much else to say. My big gripe with Episode Red does kinda hold true here. But Episode Blue feels like a solid movie, throws in a couple good fights, and has some serious heart. If you think Den-O movies are now nothing more than an excuse to have the Imagin throwing food at each other... well, you're partly right, but it's just the frosting on what's still a very rich, layered cake. Mmmmm, cake...
Definitely recommended.
Next time: It's Diend of the Trilogy!
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