Overview (Spoilers Below):
The gang gathers at a pub to discuss what’s happened. But its owner is Ichiyo and Mitsuba’s resentful sister.
Our Take:
With the dreaded Spider Man’s final transformation, this would’ve been perceived as the final phase of the group’s first boss fight that’ll last for an entire episode. However, this epic fight was quickly brought to an end by Tojima’s surprisingly strong Rider Punch, forcing the Shocker monster to make another hasty retreat. While it would be nice to see more of this fight between the Kamen Rider fans and the spider-like monster, having a battle like this last for that long would possibly make the pacing feel a tad draggy. Furthermore, the show made a good choice to take this direction to retain its momentum.
Following that, the episode highlights more of its character-driven moments by showcasing Yukarisu joining the fight against the organization she once worked for. This was a pretty unique take on the franchise that showcased the humanity of one of Shocker’s monstrous minions. The shows are known for their black-and-white portrayal of the Kamen Riders’ battles against Shocker, but Tojima Wants to Be a Kamen Rider aims to flip the script on these traits through Mitsuba’s engagement with Yukarisu. Based on this episode and the previous one, this approach seems to be working pretty well so far.
Of course, the franchise’s fandom remains the series’ primary concept, thanks to this episode. One particular case is its introduction to Ichiyo and Mitsuba’s aggressive younger sister, Futaba, who runs a pub where the group gathers. This introduction highlights how a person’s obsession affects those around them, as Futaba struggles to form human connections because of Ichiyo’s dedication to the franchise. It further emphasized that, despite the merits of a particular fandom, an unhealthy obsession can negatively impact not only the fans themselves but also those around them, especially their sibling relationships. The estranged sibling bond between Ichiyo and Futaba is one such example, as Futaba is understandably frustrated by Ichiyo’s obsession. Though seeing Ichiyo get pummeled by his younger sister was pretty amusing regardless.