Overview (Spoilers Below):
An encounter with a man from Sena’s past deepens Kumota’s curiosity about humans.
Our Take:
In a “shocking” turn of events, the second cour of Tojima Wants to Be a Kamen Rider began by shifting its focus to the Shocker combatants, notably Kumota. While we did get a glimpse of Tojima’s allies, mainly Futaba, our eyes are currently set on the Spider Man, whose act of kindness and interest in humans makes him more human than we realized. For the former, Kumota did the unthinkable by escorting the ramen-obsessed Sena back to her apartment, where they gradually began to get acquainted with each other. However, Kumota starts to learn how complicated humans really are when Hachiro, an individual Sena saved from death two years ago, returns to the former idol’s life to fulfill his promise to her. Before you ask, it involves ramen.
In addition to the series’s shift in focus, the episode further underscores the narrative’s fish-out-of-water approach, as Kumota comes to understand human connection through his newly formed friendship with Sena. Would his own journey interfere with Kumota’s current mission of converting people into Shocker combatants? Based on his expression towards Sena and Hachiro, I’m willing to bet that this “Spider Man” could embark on a similar path as Nakao, in which he develops a soft spot underneath their seemingly villainous exterior. However, it’s doubtful that he’ll join the Kamen Rider team like Yukarisu due to his actions in previous episodes. Its continued focus on Kumota slows the show’s plot, and Sena’s hyperactive personality can be a bit tough to swallow compared to the rest of the characters, especially when referring to her ear-grating screeches. However, “The Masked Idol, Heavy Chop” is another episode that acts as a serviceable diversion until we see Tojima and the others back in action, particularly for Kumota’s development.