Kamen Rider DCD #13 Review (SPOILERS)

[SPOILERS - I has them]

First off, I stand corrected; it would seem that AshiKAWA Shouichi is in fact a contraction of three Riders, rather than two, being also based in part on Hikawa Makoto, the original G3. This is a brilliant way to utilise the concept of a previous series that is, at its heart, about evolution.

With that out of the way, and having recently re-watched an episode of the original Agito, I have to again say how much I believe this series has done for the material from which it was adapted – especially in this case. The previously mentioned contraction of the three main Riders of the second Heisei show makes for a more streamlined and dramatic story-arc that addresses change and the turmoil it brings in a way that Inoue Toshiki’s original does not. It also proves that you *can* have a Heisei Rider storyline that doesn’t orient itself around the idea of a thousand Riders with a thousand forms.

To be fair to Agito however, the multiple Riders/evolution of humanity plot is well thought out and a better excuse than later shows have for the inclusion of endless additions to the cast.

So, though Agito is arguably one of my least favourite shows ever, I’m pleased with this arc and pleased with the way in which the adaptation was made. Moreover, I’m pleased with what it does for the regular cast of DCD and how much Yuusuke is included in the unfolding of this story. I will admit that I’ve spent most of the episodes since ‘Kiva’s World’ crying out for him to transform into Kuuga once again but here I’m actually pleased that he remained so dedicated to the G3 armour and to Yashiro Ai. Such faith really underlines the difference between him and Kaito.

"No Fear, No Pain!"

One thing I was surprised by was that, what with Ashikawa’s use of multiple forms, there was no appearance of Agito’s more advanced forms. Don’t get me wrong though, I’m *happy* that Agito was simply Agito – I’m just surprised we didn’t receive a run-through of all his modes ala Kiva in episodes #4 – 5…perhaps this is because Bandai don’t have a warehouse load of Agito merchandise from last year that they still hope to shift. (^_^)

And whilst we’re talking about multiple Riders and forms, I think Kaito’s use of Blade settles the question about his use of primary Riders in earlier episodes. I really do believe that he does in fact have alternate versions of the same Riders Tsukasa has cards of…either that or he somehow brought some of those fake Pokémon Rider cards from Hong Kong that you could tell weren’t real because they weren’t shiny…maybe.

"Here we go, Count ZERO!"

In other news, the wonderful – and much disliked by wife – Akiyama Rina was sadly missing from the set up of Agito’s World though, seeing as she seems to be reprising her Den-o role in the next episode (as do possibly all the ‘original’ cast? I wonder how that will figure with the alternate set up of DCD’s nine worlds and the cameo from NEET!real continuity!Wataru in the first episode) I don’t feel too badly cheated.

What I *do* feel cheated about however is Agito’s Final Form Ride mode…if only because I was going to use  a similar idea for a Rider in fanfic this Friday. Damn you Toei for beating me to the point with your own franchise.

"Ride on, Ride on, Machine Tornader!"

Other than that another solid episode and, once again, head and shoulders above the source material.

Kamen Rider DCD #12 (SPOILERS)

[S-P-O-I-L-E-R-S AHEAD!]

Much like Ryuki, I didn’t get on with Agito’s character first time around. There’s a certain kind of ‘happy go lucky chump’ that Toei have idolised in tokusatsu over the past nine or ten years of which the original Tsugami Shoichi/Kamen Rider Agito is a good example. It’s the enthusiasm of Godai Yuusuke taken to absurd extremes. I can’t help but think that the majority of sentai Reds and Heisei Riders were popping Es and prozac since the close of Kuuga. There’s optimism, and then there’s methylenedioxymethamphetamine.

It’s nice then to report that Ashihara Shoichi is not a total write off and may in fact be one of the most interesting revisions made to original series continuity and theme thus far.

"My father was a beekeeper before me, his father was a beekeeper before him; I wanna walk in their footsteps … and their footsteps were like this: I'M COVERED IN BEES!!"

Episode #12 opens with Me-Bajisu-Ba, previously seen in Kuuga #7, providing the kind of solid link between Kuuga and Agito that has long been speculated on and assumed by fans of both series. It also but does away with a lot of Agito chief hack writer Inoue Toshiki’s plodding narrative. Sadly, such comendable reconstruction isn’t without a cost as Kamen Rider G3 – now G3-X – is reduced to a mere suit of armour with no Hikawa Makoto in sight.

Less of a loss to the set up is the absence of angsty-poster-boy-for-all-that’s-wrong-with-Heisei-Rider-shows,  Ashihara Ryo, the original Kamen Rider Gills. This is to do with the contraction of Ashihara and Tsugami’s character into a more satisfying whole, with Gills and Agito seemingly functioning as different stages of Ashihara Shoichi’s transformation – both God and the devil, if you like, without putting too fine a Manichaean point on the matter.

Seeing both Daiki and Yuusuke use the G3 suit – which was apparently modelled after Kuuga, according to speculative connexions between shows – is a highlight of the episode as is the reunion of Ai and Yuusuke and the farewell between Yuusuke and Natsumi.

"Alas poor G3..." etc. etc.

The only real disappointment with the episode comes with the lack of Kuuga action.

It would have been nice to have seen Yuusuke taking down the Grongi for old time’s sake and matching his skill with the Unknown but I’ll settle for him taking up the G3-X role again in #13 whilst Daiki continues to swan around in his charmingly enigmatic manner.

Altogether a solid episode and an interesting direction to take both the stories of the two original shows and the opening arc of DCD itself. My secret wish is that, with a mention of G4 in the trailer for #13, we still might be in for a chance to see Another Agito make a cameo. It’s a long-shot, but I’ve definitely got my fingers crossed.