English Dub Review: Tojima Wants to Be a Kamen Rider “It’d Be an Honor to Die as a Rider”

Overview (Spoilers Below):
Nakao questions his motivation when faced with the feverish frenzy displayed by both Tojima and Ichiyo.

Our Take:
So now we have not one, but two former Shocker combatants joining the Kamen Rider crew in their fight against Shocker.  This is certainly not your average superhero team, but it does provide itself the opportunity to deliver more of the “dysfunctional family” comedy I’ve been enjoying so far.  This week’s episode is one such case, as Tojima and Nakao undergo some training with Ichiyo, who is not very pleased upon hearing what happened with Yuriko.  Between Ichiyo’s teachings and Nakao’s struggle to keep up with the Kamen Riders, the episode makes the training montages in the “Karate Kid” films look like child’s play.
While it is due to the physical comedy itself, it’s also because of the developing bond between the characters, notably Nakao’s understanding of Tojima and Ichiyo’s passion for Kamen Rider. In short, “It’d Be an Honor to Die as a Rider” is basically a training-only episode featuring Tojima and the others preparing for their next confrontation with Shocker.  Fortunately, it also offers more than just 23 minutes of grown men training their butts off, as it showcases more of Bat Man’s plot to convert everyone into Shocker combatants with idol groups.  I still find it weird that a creature like Bat Man would have a fetish for idols, but if it works for the comedy and the premise, I’m not going to complain.