English Dub Review: Tojima Wants to Be a Kamen Rider “Let Me Join Shocker”

Overview (Spoilers Below):
Nakao has a fateful encounter that makes him recount how he ended up as a Shocker-idolizing yakuza.

Our Take:
It didn’t take the spider-like creature that long to strike back, as it’s now seeking its new opponent under the identity of a human named Kumota.  That opponent happens to be yakuza member Nakao, who’s last seen retreating from a Shocker combatant in the third episode.  Last week’s episode showcased Nakao participating in a battle to appease the yakuza bosses, with his latest rival being “Kumota”.  However, Nakao’s encounter with the Shocker creature forces him to relive his traumatic past, in which his father abandoned him following his failed taiyaki business.  Essentially, this episode focuses more on the seemingly threatening “antagonist” to compensate for his three-episode absence, emphasizing his reasoning for his admiration of the organization.  The result is a solid change of pace that delves into Nakao’s descent from former Kamen Rider fan to Shocker admirer, driven by his childhood trauma.
It’s clear that Nakao has dreamed of becoming a member of Shocker when we first met this character, yet he doesn’t quite have the capabilities to fulfill that fantasy.  However, thanks to this episode, Nakao may have finally been able to live that dream when he suddenly transforms into a Shocker combatant following his near-death experience.  But instead of using his new powers to wreak havoc like other combatants, Nakao uses them to protect his father’s taiyaki stand, reuniting the father-son duo after years of abandonment.  Of course, this also further explores the idea that some Shocker members are not as villainous as others, similar to Yukarisu.  Though for Tojima and the others, seeing a yakuza as a hero may be harder to swallow than a Shocker monster becoming a good guy.