#a third phantom rider somehow

[thebibliomancer]

Essential Avengers: West Coast Avenger #41: When Ghosts Can Die, Even Gods Must Fear!

February, 1989

Mockingird: "Go away! Haven't you tortured me enough, PHANTOM RIDER?"

Why did West Coast Avengers suddenly decide to have awesome covers?

Ghostly heads? Pentagram? Cover dialogue? This has it all!

This issue is to tie off some loose ends before John Byrne takes over so lets get to it!

Last times on West Coast Avengers: Mockingbird committed some cowboy manslaughter in the past times. Fully justified because it was a sex crime cowboy but when her cowboy manslaughter was revealed by the ghost of the cowboy, it kinda torpedo'd her marriage. Mockingbird and Hawkeye got into a massive argument masquerading as a debate on whether its okay for superheroes to do a manslaughter. And when the dust settled, the two were pre-divorced and Mockingbird took half the team with her, Tigra and Moon Knight.

Hawkeye's side of the team doesn't matter for this issue. But its Hawkeye, Wonder Man, Vision, and Scarlet Witch. Last time they fought a quirky miniboss squad.

This time, the narration is right. It really does seem like someone slapped some Thor inside a West Coast Avengers cover.

There's an invasion of Asgard by Seth, Egyptian god of being a dick, and his army of snakey boys. Leir of the Tuatha de Danaan/the Celtic gods is here helping the Asgardians because the line must be drawn heeeyah. This far, no further.

This stuff isn't really relevant but its not not relevant.

What is relevant is that Mockingbird's Notvengers have gone to the University of Nevada.

Remember that time Mockingbird assaulted and nearly killed Dr. Hamilton Slade, believing him to have something to do with his ancestor's ghost jackassery?

Well, the Notvengers are trying the novel idea of just asking him for help without kicking the shit out of him. And also, they've brought Daimon Hellstrom as a supernatural consultant. But no Patsy Walker though.

Suddenly, this is a bad issue.

Also, plotter and editor-in-chief Tom DeFalco has a cameo of himself in this book.

I like to point out creative team cameos.

Look at that DeFalco, playing some frisbee and being mocked by a friend. Interesting choice for a cameo, I tell ya what.

Anyway, Dr. Hamilton Slade says he has no idea what all this Phantom Rider stuff is about. Sure, his ancestor Lincoln Slade was a Wild West vigilante but what does that have to do with him?

Mockingbird decides to recap her entire experience with Phantom Rider in the past times. How he kidnapped her and drugged her into being his girlfriend. How she came to her senses and fought him at the edge of a cliff and didn't save him when he wound up hanging from the cliff.

Cowboy manslaughter!

Mockingbird: "I watched him fall -- and I was glad. You'd have to be a woman to understand how such violation can traumatize you -- drive you to extreme. And, of course, I was once a secret agent. We're taught to live with death."

But Phantom Rider has no appreciation for what should have been the cathartic end of the story. He came back as a ghost to torment Mockingbird and leaked a biased version of the story to Hawkeye to ruin Mockingbird's marriage.

Granted, Hawkeye and Mockingbird being too stubborn not to yell at each other about it sealed the deal.

Hamilton Slade says he kinda understands why she beat the shit out of him now. He'll do what he can, although he still doesn't know what he can do.

THE ANSWER TO THAT IS SATANISM.

Hellstrom draws a big ol' pentagram on the floor and tridents the ghost out of Hamilton.

Oh, ghost(s) actually.

Handily distinguished. Cape Phantom Rider is ye original Phantom Rider, Carter Slade. Lincoln's older brother. No cape Phantom Rider is Lincoln, the Phantom Rider that's been tormenting Mockingbird.

-slaps Hamilton-

This bad boy can hold so many ghosts.

Cape Phantom yells that Lincoln was always a bad egg. He abandoned his own wife and child to go off and be Phantom Rider when Carter died.

And dammit, Carter told him not to go and be Phantom Rider! It's not a legacy title, shitheel!

After watching some cowboy ghosts lasso each other for a while, Daimon Hellstrom decides that what this situation really needs is to be complicated.

He tridents Moon Knight and Khonshu points out.

Turns out that the occult expert recognizes a possession when he sees it. Even if its divine possession.

But with a god on the board, surely we'll get this ghost cowboy situation cleared up in no time.

Except... remember that thing with Seth and his demonic invasion of Asgard?

Yeah. That didn't open the issue for nothing. We're complicating the resolution of the haunted Mockingbird subplot by adding in a completely different plot.

Seth is an Egyptian god and whoops so is Khonshu. When Khonshu pings the ethereal scanners that Seth's demons are using, Seth's general orders a strikeforce to attack Khonshu before he can join the fight against Seth.

Despite the fact that Khonshu has shown zero knowledge or interest in Seth's plans.

Womp womp.

So back at the pentagram, Khonshu orders the ghost cowboys to stop fucking fighting each other and settle down.

Then because of Hellstrom's prompting, he decides to explain to Moon Knight why he's been possessing him.

Khonshu: "Marc Spector, I have left your body which I have inhabited for several months. As the giver of vengeance, I desired to experience this team called Avengers, and in what more fitting fashion -- than as you. I made you believe it was your destiny to become an Avenger. And so as to arouse no suspicion -- I took control of you by degrees. Slowly, like the waxing moon, I imposed myself upon your essense... and the god became man. But my need for this experience is over and so I withdraw my imprint from you completely. Now arise, Fist of Khonshu. Once again you are but flesh and blood in my service."

So, basically, Khonshu wanted to hang out with the Avengers and took over Marc's body to do it.

Rude.

Also rude: Seth's demons teleport in and start fighting everything.

Tigra: "Does anybody get a break around here?"

Moon Knight gets the worst in the ambush.

He was already dealing with suddenly being back in the drivers seat when suddenly a bunch of demons show up and start punching him and knocking him down the stairs. And the strength of these silly snake demons and maybe tumbling down the stairs breaks Moon Knight's weapons and his bracelets.

Moon Knight: "My weapons being lost -- and shattered! What type of enemies are we facing?"

Hellstrom handles the ambush better. These are demons, he fights demons. He blasts the group accosting him away with BALEFUL SOULFIRE!

Khonshu does not do as well.

Seth's demons were expecting to fight a Khonshu and they were ready to fight a Khonshu.

They incapacitate him with a surprise blast of the "etheromic phase-out cannon."

And the demons definitely didn't reckon on Tigra who goes catserker on them.

They really weren't ready for The Tigra.

Meanwhile, ghost fight.

Phantom Rider punches Phantom Rider through the wall of the building and outside where some college students are chilling.

They, of course, get a frighten and run off.

Other students seeing the ghost fight just assume its holograms from those darn computer graphics majors again.

Bad Phantom Rider clarifies for the audience that ghost guns can hurt ghosts. And then he shoots his brother, the Phantom Rider with the cape.

Good Phantom Rider also clarifies that Lincoln Slade was never supposed to be Phantom Rider.

Carter was chosen based on fate and destiny and spirits and whatever. Lincoln wasn't.

Good Phantom Rider: "My life was saved for a reason -- a purpose! I was destined to be a creature of the night... bringer of swift justice to the lawless! I knew I had been saved for a reason and Flaming Star claimed I was to be the champion his sky-spirits had promised him! But the Phantom Rider identity is not meant to be passed to one who isn't worthy! It's a special gift -- and you never measured up inside, Lincoln! Never!"

Lincoln, the bad Phantom Rider, insists that not only did he deserve to be Phantom Rider, he was better at it than Carter ever was! So, nyeh!

Good Phantom Rider claims that because the fates/spirits didn't intend Lincoln to become Phantom Rider, they probably maybe drove him mad! Yup, possibly, the spirits are responsible for Lincoln obsessing over Mockingbird and kidnapping her. You're maybe dicks, the spirits.

Back at the Seth subplot, Tigra is still going ham on Seth's demons. Just really tearing into them.

Mockingbird realizes that her cat friend is in a real berserk state and that anything that moves might be in for a mauling.

Nevertheless, Mockingbird jumps Tigra from behind and restrains her, saying that Avengers don't murder!

Okay, but what about manslaughter?

Because this feels like its supposed to be the conclusion to Mockingbird's arc? She sees a bunch of superhero murder going on and decides 'wow I don't like that, maybe I was in the wrong'?

Except: different situations. Apples and oranges.

Back at ghost fight, Bad Capeless Lincoln Phantom Rider says he doesn't care about Caped Carter claiming that the spirits drove him mad. He just wants to endlessly torment Mockingbird in revenge for her letting him fall off a cliff.

Nothing saner than that!

Anyway, ghost fight ends with Carter giving Lincoln a real walloping. Because he's fighting to protect Hamilton, who both the ghosts were living in rent free.

Back at the demon fight, Moon Knight has decided it doesn't matter whether he's going mad or not. Doesn't matter who these chumps are or what they want. Because he's very pissed off now and he's going to do violence until he stops being so pissed off.

And Moon Knight jumps into a pile of demons, bringing one of his last weapons over someone's head.

Elsewhere in the demon fight, Hamilton Slade is hiding under a desk wondering if he's going mad.

This day has been nuts for him. Superheroes claiming he was harboring a murder ghost. An Egyptian god popping out of another dude. Extradimensional invasion of demons. Ghost fights!

So when Carter shows back up with an unconscious?? Lincoln and tells Hamilton that he's the chose one of this generation, Hamilton just goes you know what fine.

And he becomes the new Phantom Rider. Possessed by a dead Phantom Rider. But the good one.

BECAUSE WHY NOT.

Does the present need a cowboy with ghost powers to fight crime? Either way, its got one now!

All-New, All-Different Phantom Rider shoots his ghost guns at the Etheric Stasis Generator, freeing Khonshu. Who takes the good measure of destroying the generator so they can't get him again.

Moon Knight gets grappled by the pile of demons he jumped into but he's able to kick himself loose. But loses his fancy belt in the process.

They're really destroying this man's collection of ancient egyptian artifacts.

Also, Hellstrom has been kicking demon ass off-panel this whole time. So between Tigra slashing her way through a small pile of demons, Moon Knight kicking his way out of another pile, Khonshu breaking free, and Hellstrom blasting demons with hellfire this whole time... the general decides 'actually? fuck this' and orders a retreat.

Moon Knight gets to throw a straggler through the portal himself and tells him to tell Seth that "one of those who defeated you was Moon Knight -- the Fist of Khonshu!"

Khonshu appears before Moon Knight and tells him that it's been fun possessing him but he's got to get back to his god responsibilities.

Moon Knight tells his god that he has no idea who his real self is anymore or what he should be doing.

Khonshu tells him to continue to avenge in his name but Khonshu won't be possessing him anymore.

He possessed Moon Knight because he was curious to experience mortal sensations but now he's gotta go punch Seth a lot. He feels somewhat responsible since they're from the same pantheon.

Khonshu: "Perhaps I will not survive the coming conflict. But though I perish -- let the mortal fist outlive the immortal deity. Strike in my name, disciple. Now and forever... strike in my name. Farewell."

And Khonshu fucks off.

Tigra flirts with Moon Knight but he rebuffs her.

Implying, I suppose, their relationship was because Khonshu wanted a catgirl girlfriend.

Valid.

Later on, like this year, Tigra and Moon Knight do have a good relationship. I think they're dating again. Both have grown up a lot since West Coast Avengers.

Hellstrom decides that he should ghostbust both of the Phantom Rider ghosts, just in case. Mockingbird echoes the sentiment because she dislikes all ghost cowboys now.

Cape Carter Phantom Rider agrees to be banished if it banishes his evil, bad fuckup brother Lincoln too. Carter will guard Lincoln for eternity to make sure he never threatens the world with his madness.

Hamilton disagrees though. And he commands Carter to possess him at the last second.

Bad Lincoln gets banished, Carter is safely hidden inside Hamilton.

Hellstrom asks Hamilton if he's going to be okay with hosting a ghost.

Hamilton Slade: "In my mind I can see -- I can feel the glorious future to come! It shall be as it was over one hundred years ago... A caped champion in white astride the great stallion Banshee -- a champion whose blazing guns will see that decent folk rest safe and secure! Rider and horse united in the never-ending pursuit of law and order and the frontier justice that is the legacy of -- THE PHANTOM RIDER!"

So, yeah, like I said. A new, new modern Phantom Rider.

Hellstrom says, well, fine, but he's still going to keep Hamilton on notice for ghost crimes.

Which Phantom Hamilton Rider is fine with.

As the Notvengers leave the university, Tigra asks Moon Knight what's wrong. The two of them have a rapport, he can confide in her.

But what he has to say, he says to the whole group.

He's quitting.

Joining the Avengers was Khonshu's idea and since Khonshu fucked off, Moon Knight is fucking quitting.

Technically, he already quit when he sided with Mockingbird. But semantics.

Also, Moon Knight is implicitly dumping Tigra in doing this.

Tigra suggests that she and Mockingbird go back and rejoin the West Coast Avengers.

Given what note things ended on, I don't know why she thinks it'd be so easy. It definitely feels like there were hurt feelings and bruised pride that has to be navigated.

But either way, Mockingbird rejects the suggestion. She has too much shit to sort out and she can't face Hawkeye.

She's probably definitely not begging him to take her back.

So Mockingbird and Moon Knight sadly walk off in different directions. NOTVENGERS NO MORE!

Tigra cries because this is super-poignant, we swear.

But also because she hitched her wagon to Mockingbird's cause and like the East Coast Avengers team pre-Inferno, the team just dusted away due to indifference.

The Notvengers won the day, fought off some demons, were around when someone else stopped the evil ghost haunting Mockingbird.

But it doesn't feel like a win.

Hellstrom tells her life goes on and Avengers endure. Maybe go rejoin the Avengers, he seems to be suggesting.

Because she seemingly does in the next issue.

And I'm finally at the Byrne run. Lamentations.

Follow @essential-avengers because I'm not an evil ghost possessing an archaeologist. I'm very material. Like, reblog, and comment maybe?

[holycatsandrabbits]

Looking for writing inspiration from beyond the veil? There are 6 posts on my Weird Wednesday writing prompts blog about mysterious visions!

A Peak in Darien: Visions from a Deathbed

The Wild Hunt: Ghost Riders in the Sky

Phantom Islands

Mirrors

The Third Man Phenomenon

And Crisis Apparitions:

The story goes like this: when someone is in a moment of crisis, whether it be death, near-death, or just a time of great anxiety, they can project an image of themselves to a loved one. The image can speak or be silent. It can look ghostly— someone floating above the floor, shining with radiance, or resting in a coffin— or it can seem exactly like a real person visiting. Many times crisis apparitions are comforting: a beloved family member coming to say a last goodbye.

A prompt:

Mass apparitions. So what happens if a whole bunch of people die at the same time? In Volume 2 of Apparitions of the Living, starting on p. 149, a case is described where an entire family died of illness over the course of a few days, and neighbors were visited with visual apparitions, and also heard a loud banging on their front door that somehow did not arouse the resident dogs. How powerful or terrifying could an apparition be if it belonged to a group of people all at once?

DannyeChase.com ~ Ao3 ~ Linktree ~ Weird Wednesday writing prompts blog ~ Resources for Writers ~ Newsletter

Image credit

[animegirlsakurablr]

If you'd indulge my curiosity a bit more, I was wondering- what are 5 servants that you enjoy having, and 5 that you want? You can include some reasonings if you want, but you don't gotta

Well, this is gonna be fun. 👀 Sorry that this'll probably be long!

Servants that I enjoy having:

Scheherazade

I know that not a lot of people like her for one reason or another, but I'm glad that I was able to get her. While her NP can truly be the most effective against a select few enemies, it can still hit everyone on the opposing side, and she's a better unit after getting her upgrades. And while her debut (writing wise) was... less than stellar, she does get better later on (ex: her relationship with Nitocris). Looking forward to Ooku and going through her interlude.

Martha (Rider)

One of the few non-Casters that is a healer. Simple, but still good. I personally like how she tries to keep a calm, saintly image when there are a couple of times where she's down to throw hands (it's also implied in her second interlude that she sometimes struggles with being a saint, since she got angry at seeing damned souls not being able to pass on after J-boy's sacrifice, and she feels ashamed that she got angry in that situation).

Cú Chulainn (og)

Simple kit, but it works very well. Even though he'll do somethings that would enrage modern day society (like killing his son in combat), he does have standards. Very charming.

Odysseus

Gundam/Kamen Rider jokes aside, he is a good unit. Unique selective lock-on, NP charge skill that also grants charm immunity, and his NP removes defensive buffs before doing damage (Medea take notes). It also helps that he's a charming (haha) character as well. Also, Mecha Horse go brrrrrrr. :D

Siegfried

Clear bias aside, he is a good unit... after he gets his upgrades (also I low-key hope that his Armor of Fafnir skill somehow gets integrated into his kit, since he sadly doesn't have it as a passive, but that's neither here nor there). Even though he's a bit too self-sacrificing, he does have good and noble intentions. Also, he's an absolute dork (affectionate) during Summer 4 (he thinks glasses automatically increases intelligence, if that's not a somewhat himbo thing then I don't know what is).

Honorable mentions: nearly everyone except a few (Benkei, both Gilles, Phantom).

Servants that I want:

Voyager/Kijyo Koyo

I'm just gonna combine two options into one, since they're gonna be on the same banner and I'll be happy to get either one or both. Not much reason here, just looking forward to having a Foreigner and a neat Berserker.

Caenis

I find him a very interesting character that I hope to get one day. I know that I missed my chance to get him on NA, but his interlude's dropping next year, so I'll get another chance.

Fairy Knight Gawain/Barghest

Yes, I'm one of those fans who like her, you're free to judge me. 😅 When she was first revealed, I didn't think much of her, except that I think that she has cool armor and the colors used for her are really nice to look at (until her third ascension, but that's also not here nor there). And then her bio was translated, as well as her role in LB6... and the next thing I know I developed gap moe for her.

Okita Souji

Even though her interactions are restricted to GudaGuda/Koha-Ace stuff (as far as I'm aware), I find her enjoyable and I really like all her ascensions.

Leonardo da Vinci (Caster)

I miss Genius Mom a lot. 😭

Honorable mentions: Jack the Ripper (I want to adopt my stabby daughter), Katou Danzo (I want to reunite Kotarou with his Robot Ninja Mom), Caster Gilgamesh, Gray and Taisui (I know that these two are welfares, but I'm still including them), James Moriarty (nice design and a fun and interesting character)

This is a bit longer than I thought, whoops

[lo-55]

Shattered Chains of Fate Ch. 2

Through a misunderstanding and a poorly read application, Ichigo Kurosaki gets a chance internship at the Chaldeas Security Organization. It changes everything. 

 May. It’s May already, and Ichigo has made it approximately a month and a half without getting himself into some batshit insane situation where he almost dies.

 Then Rukia Kuchiki comes along and all of a sudden he’s not a wizard he’d a fucking Shinigami. Which is cool, and a lot easier if he’s being honest, and the world itself isn’t at stake this time so.

 Cool. Cool cool cool.    

 It does mean that Rukia, stubborn and snappish and almost as brash as he was, will be sleeping in his closet for the foreseeable future.

 At fifteen Ichigo would have flipped out about it. At eighteen he’s spent months at a time bunking down with Mash and whatever other servants there were. Everyone from Asterios to Medusa to Shirou Amakusa Tokisada, crammed together in a tent or settled around campfires.

 So he snatches his sisters pajamas and lends them to her and their life begins.

 And it would be fine, really, he doesn’t mind fighting. He likes fighting by himself than having to rely on the others to do it for him. It eases the bitterness of weakness that’s been festering in his heart for years. So it would be      fine, really    , if it weren’t for the fact that all of these hollows that he’s fighting have started to target his friends, too. They’re not even safe at school.

 Orihime was attacked by her own brother and it makes him sick. How could someone attack their own sister? Even warped and twisted?

 It was worse than Mordred and Artoria. At least they had always had a strained relationship, but Orihime’s brother had      loved    her.

 He sat with her after the fact, his hand on her shoulder while he slept against his leg. Rukia had erased her memory, and his families too. He didn’t like it.

 “Everyone has the right to choose their life. And to remember themselves,” he told her solemnly. “It’s how humans grow and change. It’s how we get stronger. These bonds that we make with other people, and even the ones that we break…”

 Rukie eyed him speculatively. “I never would have pegged you for a philosopher, Ichigo.”

 “I’m not.” But he’s got his ideals, and Ichigo is unbending. War has tempered his spine from bone to steel. Idly, he braids a long strand of Orihime’s hair while Rukia is busy changing Tatsuki’s memories. Maybe it will be easier for them not to remember this, but Ichigo will not take back what he said.

 So many friends have forgotten him, so many have never met him to begin with and only his memories live on of their time together. He really hates this…

 But Rukia is his guide in this case, and there’s nothing he can do for now. “This is how it has to be, Ichigo. There is no other choice,” she says firmly, like it’s an absolute truth.  “This is the life of a shinigami.”

 Ichigo lets Orihime’s hair fall into place and lays her on the floor before he stands and turns to Rukia.

 “      Chacun voit midi à sa porte,”    he says it mostly to himself, but it bewilders Rukia.

 “What?”

 “It’s nothing,” he shakes his head. “Let’s go.

 *

 Ichigo has never been out of the country before he’d signed up for an internship at Chaldea. It was supposed to be two weeks studying with the security organization, and the poster at the bus station by his house hadn’t said anything about mages, or time travel, or masters or servents. Di Vinci tells him later that its spelled so only mages or people with potential to be mages can even see it.

 He shouldn’t have seen it to begin with, totally untrained as he was, but somehow he did. Because he did have magic circuits, even if they weren’t used often or much. So hed loaded onto a plane with a half a dozen other master candidates from all around japan. His dad had agreed, all to easily. And now he stood in a breakroom with Romani and Mash, and Medusa and Cu and Olga Marie all standing around him.

 “I don’t get it,” Medusa says, eying the phantom speculatively. “If she’s dead, how is she here?”

 Ichigo shrugs. “ I have no clue. I’ve always been able to see ghosts but I don’t know anything about them.”

 “H-hey what do you mean by that?” Roman asks, turning towards him. “You can see dead people?!”

 “Well, yeah,” Ichigo sort of shrugs. “That’s not the weirdest thing happening here, ya know.”

 Roman can’t really argue with that.

 “Isn’t it obvious?” Olga Marie crosses her arms over her chest, looking down at the two gingers in front of her. Ichigo, sat on a couch, and Roman next to him. They both look at her, clueless until she rolls her eyes in aggravation.

 “It’s just like what happened with Mash. When the bomb exploded and I-” she falters, her yellow eyes darting around before she gets herself under control. “After the explosion, I found the two of them. At the same time Mash formed her contract with him, I must have done something similar. There’s two types of energy,” she goes on. “The energy of the physical world, Mana, and the energy of the soul. Reitsu. Just as Caster, Rider, and Mash are drawing on his Mana as servants, I am now bound to his Reitsu as a soul-based familiar.”

 “Such a thing is unprecedented,” Roman argued, looking somewhere between stunned and frightened. They were all standing on that blade right now. The world had ended and they, a group nowhere near qualified to save it, were now in charge of stopping it.

 “Ah, nae as much as you’d think,” Cu said, his voice lilting and accented. “My teacher, Scáthach, she ‘ad shades an’ such.”

 “The queen of the shadow lands?” Mash clarified, which meant nothing at all to Ichigo. Cu nodded. “It would make sense for her to have such things…”

 “Ah, does that make the director Ichigo’s servant now too?” Roman asked.

 Olga Marie bristled. “I’m no ones servant! I’m still the director here so you better show me proper respect!”

 Ichigo couldn’t help snickering at her. “Man, you’re so full of yourself.”

 “What did you just say?!”

 “Are you dead and deaf? I said you’re full of yourself,” he grabbed her cheek and pulled it until she shrieked and lashed out at him, beating her fists against his chest. Mash did her best to cover her laughter in the background, hands over her mouth.

 “Even still,” Roman stepped between them, carefully extracting Ichigo from Olga Marie’s fury, “This doesn’t explain everything. When someone ray shifts, it’s their spirit that manifests in the location, while their physical body stays in chaldea. So how can two different energies both manifest like that? I don’t understand…”

 Olga Marie puffed her cheeks out. “The answer to that is much more technical. Even though it’s the spirit that is sent back it's still a physical body that a mage has when they interact with the time period around them. It is… a reversal of the third magic, so to speak. The opposite and the twin of Heaven’s Feel, it is your spirit and your soul and your life, but your body is left behind while Ray Shifting.”

 This must have made sense to Roman, but Ichigo was, to put it mildly, completely lost.

 “What’s the third magic, what’s ‘heavens feel’, and what’s ray shifting?” Ichigo asked. Olga Marie face planted, and started cursing his very existence.

 * *

 “I must say, I didn’t expect you to be this good with a sword already,” Rukia admits, watching Ichigo snap the practice sword around, knocking aside each tennis ball she sends shooting at him through the pitching machine.

 Ichigo stands, light on his feet with a sword roughly the size of a claymore. It was heavy and the reach was long but awkward. He’s used to holding broad swords, mimicries of clarent and excalibur while his Saber’s try to beat their lessons between his ears. It feels strange to hold something so long and so heavy. More than that, it feels like something is missing. Like the sword is a couple inches too short, like it doesn’t fit his hands quite right.

 He has to remind himself that it isn’t his sword at all. This power is Rukia’s, not his own. Was this how Mash felt, their whole time together? Borrowing another person’s power to boost your own. It made his skin crawl minutely.

 “I've been in a few fights,” Ichigo says, looking towards her with a shrug of his shoulder. “I’ve got friends who are in the kendo club.” He works mostly off of instinct. He always has, and it hasn’t failed him yet. He blocks each tennis ball, and those he can’t block he dodges swiftly, until Rukia finally calls it a day.

 “You should get some rest while you can,” she advises. “We’ll be out tonight hunting hollows, no doubt, and you still have school work to do, don’t you?”

 “Well yeah, but school feels so unimportant now…” It has since he’d gotten back. What was a test in the face of someone trying to blow up the whole of human history?

 Rukia smacks him hard over the head, until he yelps in offense.

 “Hey!” He rubbed the bump on his head, glaring balefully at the short shinigami. Rukia is, of course, utterly unaffected by it.

 “School is important! You have a life to get back to after I get my powers back, and you need your grades to do it!”

 “Geez, you’re so rough… And fine,  but you’re gonna help me study for friday. You have to take tests too.”

 Rukia looks startled, but she nods all the same, and they walk home together. Ichigo considers telling his dad what’s happening. There’s a strange girl in the house, and Ichigo is putting himself in pretty serious danger lately, but it barely makes a difference if he does. What will Isshin even do? He can not stop them from fighting, and he cannot help them in this fight. He can’t even see spirits.

 These kind of things, he understood, were hereditary. Being a medium, and being a mage both were things that were handed down from parent to child, though they were kept largely separate. Mages dealt in living energy, and usually had little to no spirit energy, and vice versa. He could see spirits, and so could Karin, and even Yuzu could sense their presence from time to time. Yet despite all three children being sensitive to the supernatural, Isshin had no idea.

 Which meant, more likely than not, his mom had been able to see them too.

 She’d never said anything about it, but Ichigo had been so young, where would she even start?

 And now, there was no way for them to find out. Ichigo has questions, but no one has answers.

 “What are you thinking of?”

 He startles, looking down at Rukia. He’d been so caught up in his own thoughts, he’d almost missed the house entirely.

 “I was thinking about my mom,” he admitted. “I was wondering if she could see ghosts like me and Karin can.”

 “Your mother?” Rukia repeated. She touched her chin in thought. “I suppose it’s not unheard of. There used to be quite a few humans who could see spirits. Some could even utilize enough reiryoku to actually combat hollows. But those died out some time ago.”

 “Oh yeah?” Ichigo leads her inside. His sisters were out somewhere, and his dad was upstairs in his room, down the hall from Ichigo’s. They jog up the stairs together, Ichigo’s back thumping hard against his back.

 “Yes. They were called Quincy. They could manifest reitsu into weapons to battle hollows with. But unlike shinigami, they didn’t purify the souls. They destroyed them.”

 “Thats kind of fucked up.”

   * * *  

 Ichigo still can’t tell if he’s here as a spirit or as a physical body, but it’s his living energy, his mana, that Mash is feeding off of when they start their first fight with the locals in domremy. They’re only human, so Ichigo fights too, and runs at Mash’s side when they chase the French soldiers back to their fort.

 It’s there that the monsters attack and Ichigo gets his very first look at a saint.

 She’s barely older than he is, fierce and terrible and humble all at once. She leads with utmost confidence and does not falter, even in the face of terrible odds. She’s… weak, for a servant. Far too weak.

 There is something very wrong with france.

 Ichigo is broken from his thoughts by Roman coming over his wrist communicator.

 “All right, fine job everyone! I was watching with sweaty palms and sweets in my hand! The director is tending to other matters right now, so I’m in the command chair again!”

 “Doctor,” Mash began, looking towards his hologram. “Those were the sweets that I got, right?”

 “Huh? What? ls that right? I found them in the Command Room next to the tea, so I thought…”

 “...I got them as a token of gratitude, for when we return from this Order,” Mash was actually starting to look irritated for the first time since they’d met.  “  Needless to say, they weren't for you, but for Senpai, who no doubt fought bravely on the frontlines!”

 “Mash... you've become such a thoughtful person!” Roman smiled proudly at her and, shamelessly, shoved the rest of the candy into his mouth. “I must say, these are some really tasty sweets. I'm sure Ichigo will be thrilled, too!”

Mash turns towards Ichigo, her mouth drawn in a line. “...Master. When we return to Chaldea, please reserve enough combat resources for one attack. I've registered one more enemy that I'd like to hit with the "back of my blade.".” Which was apparently something a shield had.

 “You’re more violent than I thought you were…”

 Then someone was screaming a ‘dragon witch’, and they retreated again, to the forests outside of vaucouleurs. It takes a while to get their bearings, but Ichigo understands. There’s two Jeanne d’arc’s. The saint that stands before them and a witch that is trying to destroy france. That’s what’s causing the world to fall apart here. So that’s who they have to stop. Only…

 She’s about a hundred times stronger than they are, and she has an army of dragons, and dragon themed servants with her. By the end of the second day Ichigo finds himself with a saint, a queen, a musician, a pop star, and a dragon all following him around like puppies.

 At night he finds himself sitting by the fire, with Jeanne, Ruler, sitting across from him. Kiyohime, a princess out of a story he’d read ages ago is curled up on his lap like a cat instead of a dragon. Her horn pokes at his hip irritatingly, and on his other side Mash has fallen asleep as well.

 He should be more worried about the fact that she’s somehow convinced herself that he’d Anchin, considering the fact that she burned him alive in a bell tower, but thus far all she’s really done is hold onto him a little too tight.

 Jeanne is looking at him too. There’s something about her, a charisma that makes Ichigo want to follow her off a cliff. And he probably would, if he wasn’t so damn stubborn himself.

 “Yeah?” he asks, breaking the silence. “What, is there something on my face?”

 “Oh!” Jeanne turns away, shaking her head. Her strange headpiece glints read in the firelight. “No, it’s only that you seem very close to her.”

 “Who, Kiyo? We just met. She’s the one that latched onto me.”

 “No, not her. Mash.”

 Ichigo looks again at the girl sleeping on his other side. She looks older as a demi-servant, someone halfway possessed by a heroic spirit, but her face is the same. She’s still filled with wonder and innocence.

 “Oh yeah. Well, I’ve got two little sisters at home. Mash reminds me of the youngest one. Yuzu. They even have the same hairstyle…”

 “That explains it, then,” Jeanne’s smile is soft. “I’m the youngest. I had three brothes, and my sister as well. I imagine they’re still in Domremy. Although my two oldest brothers came to fight under my flag, so they might be travelling still.”

 Ichigo tried to think of that. Tried to think of letting anyone in his family get even close to a battlefield and found himself shaking his head. “I couldn't do that. I want to protect my sisters. I wouldn’t be able to put them in danger.”

 Jeanne peered at him over the fire, her smile still somehow serene. It must have to do with being a saint.

 “I wished to protect them too, of course. They are my brothers, and war is a bloody, gruesome hell to walk into. But sometimes we must have faith. In the Lord to guide us, and in the people around us to stand at our sides and watch over us.”

 “Didn’t your people, ya know, burn you alive?”

 “Yes,” she allows, tilting her head towards the sky. “But still… I hold them no ill will.”

 Ichigo decides, then and there, that Saints must be insane.

 The first person they lose, the first person he loses in these wars, is Marie Antoinette. She dies to protect him, and the stinging, bitter taste almost makes him claw out his tongue.

   * * * *  

 “Do you know where you are?”

 Soft fingers run through his hair. Something tickles his nose and he’s assaulted by the smell of roses and daffodils.

 “I’m in a dream,” Ichigo says, huffing irritably. His eyes open slowly, and he finds a deceptively soft smile hovering above him. Ichigo would believe it, if he didn’t know him better. As it is, he tugs at a long strand of off-white hair that falls across the man’s shoulder.

 “Ouch. You’re right, this is a dream. However did you guess? I thought it was a rather good one…”

 Ichigo rolls his eyes at the Caster. He can see his staff, wrapped in ribbons, stuck into the earth beside them. This man was always dramatic.

 “There’s nowhere else I would see you, now is there?” He sits up slowly. His companion doesn’t move back, and in a minute they’re hip to hip, facing eachother.

 “Ah, That is true. You never know, I am a rather famous mage. Mayhaps I teleported you here for my own amusement.”

 “That does sound like you,” Ichigo allows. He paused, squinting. “Did you just say ‘mayhaps’?”

 “You don’t like it? I thought it was eloquent.”

 “Stop acting so weird,” Ichigo scolded, knocking their heads together lightly. “It hasn’t been that long since I’ve seen you.”

 “On the contrary, it's been over 4,500 years.”

 “You never change,” Ichigo rolls his eyes, and his visitor smiles, soft and fake.

 “Perhaps I don’t. One of the aspects of immortality is that people tend to stay the same, you know,” he teases.

 “I don’t, but I guess I’ll take your word for it,” Ichigo figures it’s easier than trying to fully puzzle out the man. He’s always been bewildering, ‘beyond human comprehension’ or something. Ichigo isn’t totally human anymore now. He sits, dressed in black next to his companion cloaked in white.

 “I thought you were supposed to disappear from my memory,” Ichigo says abruptly. He’s not sure what kind of explanation he’s looking for.

 A shrug is what he gets. “I told you once. That’s one thing I can never get used to. Perhaps it just didn’t work this time.”

 “Right,” Ichigo says dubiously, “it’s got nothing to do with us being friends. “

 The mage says nothing, but his smile thins at the edges. He’s still on about it then. ‘I can never truly close the gap, and be friends with a human’. It’s bullshit, because they’re friends and ichigo knows it, and so does he. He’s just stubborn and stuck on the idea of being the mysterious wise man figure in Ichigo’s ever evolving life story.

 “Where are we?” Ichigo asks, letting the tension drop for now. The sky is the palest blue and there’s flowers as far as the eye can see, pink and blue and yellow. There’s no horizon any way he looks, and he realizes belatedly that they’re sitting on top of a tower.

 “Isn’t it obvious? We are on the reverse side of the world. Where there is no beginning and no end, this is the very edge of paradise.”

 The air tasted like sunlight and hope, but Ichigo isn’t fooled by the prettiness of it all. He knows this man. Better than he wants to be known, certainly.

 “Maybe someday I’ll save you from this tower,      princess    .”

 “That is quite impossible,” still a  warm hand lands on his, a strange kind of thanks.

 “I’ve done impossible things before.”

 And he would do them again.

 * * * *

 Ichigo was starting to think that everyone here was made of tragedy.

 France was bad enough. Between executions, and curses, and people just doing their best for others, Ichigo is starting to wonder how any fairy tale ever had a happy ending, for the figures of myth certainly had none. Not Jeanne, the Saint of Orleans. Not Elizabeth Batharoy, the wannabe pop star and future vampire. Not Kiyohime, who had followed him all the way back to Chaldea and now was stuck waiting for them to return.

 And now, Euryale, and Asterios were the same. They were hardly the monsters out of legend. They were just people. Just people clinging to each other, like wreckage in a storm.

 Ichigo leans forwards against the railing of the      Golden Hind    , watching the moon dance across the water. They’re pretty screwed, he realizes. Heracles has to be killed twelve times for them to succeed, and they’d almost all been killed on just the first try.   They’d only escaped because a labyrinth had sprung up out of nowhere, glowing green and winding their way to the center of safety.

 The heafy thump of footsteps on ship wood brings his attention to his newest servant. Asterios. He towers over all of them, almost ten feet tall if you counted his horns. He should have been terrifying, all hard muscles and hulking power. His long hair is matted like it’s never been brushed out properly, and his eyes are a red that seemed to glow in the starlight.

 “Hey there,” Ichigo waves at him, and he comes to a halt at his side. He looks at him, and shifts from one foot to the other. There’s manacles on his arms, and his ankles as well. “Why don’t you sit?”

 Asterios did as he was bid. When he was sitting, he still came up to Ichigo’s shoulder.

 “It’s a nice night, huh?” It was peaceful, sailing on the endless sea. They have a lot of fights ahead of them but for now… He breaths in the sea salt air, and the cool darkness.

 “Yes… It is…      free    ,” Asterios speaks slowly, like making words is a chore. Has he ever really spoken to humans, before now?

 “Yeah. I guess it is,” that’s what Francis had said. The seas were freedom for her and her men. The King of Storms, the endless oceans bowed to her and the       Golden Hind    .  “Have you been here long, Asterios?”

 He perks up when he hears his name, looking up at Ichigo with the strangest expression. Ichigo has no idea how to place it. Hope? Happiness? Either way he’s smiling now.

 “No… Want to … stay… with euryale and… everyone.”

 “I get it,” Ichigo nods to him. “It’s nice to hang out with friends.”

 “Friends…”

 “That’s what we are, right?”

 Asterios smiles at him, and nods. “Yes… friends.”

 * * * * *

 “Honestly… I thought you were supposed to be helpful,” Ichigo knocks on his own bodies skull, watching his dopple ganger wince away from him. “But all you’ve done is get my body torn up and cause a mess. You’re screwing up my ‘cool guy’ reputation!”

 “Hey! It’s not my fault, I wouldn’t have jumped in if you weren’t so slow! Those kids would have died if I hadn’t jumped in!”

 “Oh yeah, and you kicking that hollow again, to protect ants, what are you a saint?!” Ichigo yanks him into a headlock, roughly shoving his fist into his hair. It was weird to be fighting with himself, but honestly? Not even remotely the weirdest thing to happen.

 “Get off!” The mod soul tries to kick him in the face, but Ichigo takes him to the ground in a rough grappling hold. He’s not too worried about his shoulder. His body is strong enough to handle being roughed up, and he’s taken worse hits than that.

 “Let me go! I’m not gonna let you kill me but-” His voice wavers before growing vicious with conviction.

 “I’ll never sit by and let another creature die!”

 Ichigo is so surprised he lets go, sitting above the trouble maker. He won’t make eye contact, his voice dropping low and rough. His hands are shaking, Ichigo realizes.

 “Right after I was born, the soul society they- they decided that the mod-souls had to go. The day after I was born I was chosen to die! Everyday I watched them kill off my brethren. And even after I escaped I still lived in fear, everyday that I would be discovered and killed… And I decided. That I was born, so I have the right to live and die freely, and so does everything else! So I won’t kill and I won’t let even ants die!”

 This mod soul. A creature made to fight, made to die, made to kill all without a single choice. Ichigo’s hands tighten into fists. Just like Mash. Just like Fran. Just like Mordred. A living weapon. Ichigo lets him sit up, and sits back on his heels. The mod soul grips his shoulder, grimacing. It must hurt. This is the first time he’s ever felt human sensations. He was fast, fast as the wind.

 “So that’s it…”

 Abruptly, the tip of a cane shoves straight through his skull, and the pill that had started this whole debacle comes popping out the other side. Ichigo reacts, snatching it out of the air before anyone else can. They’re not alone anymore.

 Ichigo finds himself looking up at a pair of grey eyes half hidden under the brim of a striped hat. They’re looking right at him, even though he’s no longer in his body. He knows, with great certainty, that this man is not human.

 “I’ll be taking that back now,” he says, holding his hand out expectantly. He looks almost harmless. Almost. But Ichigo can see the calluses on his hands and the hardness in the back of his eyes. Whoever this is, he’s a fighter. Even with the geta sandals, he hadn’t made a sound when he was approaching.

 “Hell no!” Ichigo clutches the pill tighter and straightens up. “Who the hell are you supposed to be?”

 “He’s just a greedy salesmen,” Rukia comes to stand at his shoulder, her eyes narrowed at the stranger with the unsettling eyes. She'd watched the whole exchange between them, between Ichigo and yet another tragedy.

 “I get it. He’s the one who sells you your supplies here, isn’t he?” Ichigo stands, slowly, keeping his hold on the pill tight. This guy had made a mix up, and if he thought Ichigo was gonna let him take this mod soul away, he had another thing coming.

 “My, my, you’re a perceptive one,” the man pulled a fan out of his sleeve and snapped it open over his mouth. “I’m Kisuke Urahara. And these are my associates.”

 “It doesn’t take a genius to figure that out,” Ichigo said blandly. “She said you're a salesmen, and she has to get her gadgets from somewhere.”

 “Either way, I should take that product back. If it’s compensation you’re after-”

 “I already said no!” Ichigo snapped, anger rolling under his skin like a fire. “People aren’t products and I’m not giving this one back to you!”

 “Ichigo,” Rukia cut in, her voice cool and firm. It's ice on a bruise and Ichigo let's her step before him, her dark eyes on the salesman. “It’s fine. I’m satisfied with this purchase, and you don’t exactly work legally. So whatever happens, it’s not your responsibility anymore.”

 Even though he remains largely impassive, this Kisuke guy still stares at them, trying to read between lines that don’t exist. Ichigo is honest, and Rukia has his back in this case.

 So he and his associates leave, and Ichigo pops the soul back into his body once their gone. He finds brown eyes staring up at him, his mouth open in confusion.

 “You didn’t… send me back?”

 Ichigo knocks his head again. “Don’t be stupid. If you give me a dumb speech like that, how can I sit by while you get smashed up?”

 “I - you’re kinda crazy.”

 “I know,” he had to be. “So, do you have a name?”

 “A name? No, no ones ever given me one of those…”

 “Alright then,” Ichigo tilts his head, thinking. A mod soul, a kaizo konpaku… He could go with Kai. But that sounded too cool. He was wind fast, and if he remembered right the inca wind was called… “Kon. You’re in charge of my body while I fight hollows. You can explore, and try new things, but don’t go destroying property or getting peoples attention. Or hurting my body! Deal?”

 He held out his hand, and Kon reaches up and grasps it.

 “Deal.”

[venus-says]

Kamen Rider Wizard Episodes 36-51

Magic exists for those who believe in it.

A bit later than usual but here I'm with the closing post on Kamen Rider Wizard. Before I get to the end of the series itself let me make a few disclaimers.

As you can see in the title this is a review of the episodes 36-51 even though this show has 53 episodes. Well, the thing is that the final two episodes of this series are kinda like a TV crossover special that technically happens right after Wizard ended but it doesn't necessarily have a connection to the show. Of course, I could come here and say my thoughts on the thing, but this is a special to appeal to nostalgia, and even though they set some lore (or at least they try to), it wasn't something I was invested on because I don't know a huge part of the cast so all the tiny nostalgic bits that probably were a big selling point for long live fans don't appeal to me because I never experienced them and everything just looked like an overcrowded mess (I'm sorry) and this is why I'm keeping this one out.

Also, I usually comment on the solo movie of each series in this last post, however, I didn't have a lot to say about this movie, you know? Like, it was entertaining, seeing a world where everyone has magical powers was quite fun, but that's pretty much it. There wasn't anything special or very impressive that was worth nothing. I like the design of the villain, but I think he lost the coolness factor when it was revealed he was just another Phantom and not a crazy human craving for power. This movie didn't even have a special form, I think, yeah he uses the dragon while on his Infinity form and that's something that didn't happen in the show but it felt like more of the same rather than something unique. Seeing me talk like this may look like I disliked this movie, but it's not that, I enjoyed it, it just didn't felt special enough for me to dedicate more than just one paragraph for it.

With this out of the way, let's talk about the final stretch of Wizard.

I wasn't very happy with how this show ended its second arc, and I was very scared to see how this ending would go. And while I still have my problems, I still liked it quite a lot despite them. I think one of the biggest strengths of this part was in the emotional part, while some of the emotional moments didn't really click with me, I could see what they were going for and I could appreciate and understand even though I personally didn't connect with the situations. I also like that this part focused a lot on Haruto which was extremely necessary to me seeing how emotionally driven the finale was and if they didn't have given him this much attention it wouldn't have worked as well as it did.

Of course, thanks to this focus other characters lost a lot of their screen time, which in some cases was beneficial but in others, it was a flaw. For example, y'all know I don't like Kousuke and he had only two major evens where he got the spotlight only for himself, and while in the first one it worked in the second (where he saves the city by "sacrificing" himself) it didn't feel right seeing how overlooked he was during these episodes. You know, if you gonna make one of your characters do something SO BIG you should at least give him more chances to shine before.

Another thing that I fell like it was compromised was the plot resolving the 3 additional wizards. But in this case, this is totally more like a flaw of the show for lacking on better planning rather than just focusing more on Haruto during this period. I think that if they knew they wanted to end this series with 4 wizards (Beast and Wiseman not included) to be able to complete the ritual this was a concept that should've been introduced WAY EARLIER and we should've seen the other three wizards falling into Wiseman's hands way sooner. Like, the last wizard was introduced six episodes before the show ended and the finale arc was 4 episodes long so you can see how this was very overlooked, and the fact they gave them generic designs was also very sad especially because I was SO EXCITED to see Mayu as a Rider to go there and beat Medusa, but not even that she was able to do, I think this the most disappointing aspect of this third act because they could've done so much cool stuff with them and they barely scratched the surface with this concept.

Also one last let down, the way the revelation that Koyomi was Wiseman's daughter, the reveal that she was a vessel for the Philosopher's Stone, and the "reveal" that the White Wizard was the villain were all very lackluster. I think that they had put out more clues than they should to make that reveal be any impactful to anyone that would stop for 2 minutes to think about it. Like, at the moment Koyomi said she was concerned because she was running out of mana too quickly I knew she was related to the Philosopher's Stone somehow. And let's not forget that it was pretty early when the show showed the viewers that Wiseman and the White Wizard were the same person so when it was revealed to our main characters it didn't feel like a big moment how they expected it to be. Though I guess this could've been just my experience because I was frustrated that it wasn't Mayu who dealt the final blow on Medusa. Now that I think of it, it was pretty obvious that Wiseman would betray Medusa at some point so that's another thing that kinda weakened that moment.

I know it seems that I absolutely despised this ending seeing how much I wrote on these bad points, but I swear that's not the case. These are (a lot of) small details that without a doubt could've been worked better, but the final product we got was also pretty good, it's just that I don't know how to put out the things I liked, you know? Because it's not a bunch of specific points is more or less the overall construction that leads to the end. Because I don't think there was any specific moment, besides Mayu coming back, in between episodes 36 and 47 that felt like a major highlight to me, yes we had Haruto's backstory, yes we had new riders showing up, and of course, we had the whole discovering things arc and all of that, but none of it really stand out.

But all those episodes were equally good and enjoyable and they all constructed the atmosphere that leads to the finale, that while I think it could've been resolved more quickly it was still an ending that got me really invested in it. I was impressed that Kousuke sacrificed himself to save the whole city, I liked how Gremlin ended up being the final villain, I'm still stunned by that scene where Gremlin killed Fueki because I was really not expecting that to happen, and many other great moments in those final four episodes that were an amazing pay-off for the series.

But I think the thing I liked the most is that the show was bold enough to not bring Koyomi back after she had finally died. I know they ended on a note where they could bring her back in a future appearance, but I feel like that it's kinda okay, it's a bit selfish from Haruto's side because it was pretty clear Koyomi was ready to go but I feel like it's better than pull a Phillip and banalize her death and the impact that had on Haruto at that moment. I was really scared that the show would revert her death somehow and ruin this pretty good ending, and seeing that they didn't do it was a relief and I was glad that I could close the book on this series on a very positive note.

Wizard wasn't as wild of a journey, but this doesn't mean it wasn't bold on its decisions and its overall story. Coming from a very bad experience I had with Fourze, Wizard was a good series to refresh my interest in keep doing these reviews. And while I don't agree with a lot of decisions the show made, especially during the second act, it was great to watch Kamen Rider again and just have a good time. I'm really excited to get to Gaim and a huge part of it is how happy I felt by reaching the end of this series. I hope I can meet y'all during my journey with Gaim as well. See ya~

[sailor-cresselia]

Zi-O 39: Team Den-O... has arrived!

Insert Den-O Shenanagins here~~!

Zi-O Episode 39 liveblog under the cut~

~

So, Grand Zi-O can just. Summon the Legend Riders themselves out of some point in time by pressing their statues. This is fine.

And it’s almost definitely summoning them, because while Build and Kuuga had their general Rider Kicks going… OOO was lifted directly from Episode 3, one of the few times he used the Tatoba Scanning Charge Kick. You can tell because of the broken columns that showed up with him – he kicked straight through them in the episode, and they’re here again.

… Actually… That was the moment that the OOO arc showed Eiji losing his powers. Him landing on the ground after that specific kick, without the yummy in sight.

HUH.

Also, pressing the statues to trigger the summon makes their emblems show up, which is a nice touch.

Hi Deneb! Hi Yuuto! I’m only just starting Den-O, so it’s going to be a while before I get to you, but I liked you in the Rider 4 special, so I’ll probably like you back in your home series, and here!

I can’t say I blame you for being concerned about that power, either. Grand sure is something.

We have a Woz Speech! IWAE! For he is now UNSTOPPABLE!

Wait. Unstoppable?

WOZ, DON’T TEMPT FATE LIKE THAT! You have just triggered the flag that will make this go very, very poorly!

Either Sougo starts going Bad because of this, or…

Well.

Final Forms in Phase Two Rider usually come about after a very specific circumstance. A very unpleasant circumstance.

…dying. I’m saying they usually come into existence after/because the rider dies.

I can’t even exclude Wizard and OOO from that, either. Haruto got Infinity after basically forcing his phantom back to life after it had been killed. And Eiji… well, I hold that his final form as OOO is Tajador, because screw the dinosaur medals, but Tajador is inherently a boyfriend form when he teams up with Ankh. And we can’t have that happen unless we get Ankh BACK.

(I HAVE seen this episode raw, as it aired, but Zi-O IS an arc-based show, so we don’t know what’s gonna happen in two weeks to keep the pattern going~)

~

Woz has officially skipped from accidentally spoiling by reading a sentence ahead, and is just showing us the spoilers now. Time travel, man.

Woz: “Oh, whoops, were you reading over my shoulder? Never mind all that.”

Woz: “Anyway, let’s go back a few days, to when we’ve still got two watches left...”

Me: “When’s the Drive Arc?!”

~

Poor Geiz and Tsukuyomi. First they come across this random train, crashed in a construction lot. Then four monsters come out – and start arguing with eachother. You know, as Imajins are prone to doing. And then they go to ‘ask the locals for help.’ Because that’s such a good idea, Urataros.

HEY. URATAROS.

DO NOT HIT ON TSUKUYOMI.

BAD TURTLE.

YOU’RE GROUNDED.

(I have literally two episodes with you under my belt and I’m already fed up with the constant flirting and lying. This does not bode well for my Den-O experience.)

Woz: (stops time to recap)

Woz: “And then there’s these assholes.”

… You know, intellectually, I knew that the clock in Woz’s Recap Vault was the one they used for Cronus back in Ex-Aid. But knowing that, and finally seeing that they didn’t even bother filling in the weapon icons that are in the ‘interior’ circle…

Toei, please. I know that usually Woz is in front of that side, so it would usually go unnoticed, but… come ON. If you’re going to repaint the thing, at least put something over that very distinctive part of the face.

~

Aw, drat, there isn’t enough of OOO visible in the opening of the OP to see if the columns are there. If we could tell, then that Twenty Years of Rider Kicks Vault could be the ‘and you thought this was just a flashy part of the opening’ callback at the end of the season.

(Can’t see him in the ‘everyone completes their frozen kicks after Zi-O and Geiz go by’ segment, either, at the “we’ll slip through the raindrops of time, together” line. DRAT.)

~

UNCLE TOKIWA. You need to start questioning things more. Although him assuming that the Imajin are Oni because of Sougo’s ‘important oni friend’ is actually really clever.

Geiz and Tsukuyomi are just so tired, they must have had to wrangle these four dorks over here… and said dorks want Uncle Tokiwa to repair the Den-Liner.

The train.

This poor old man. He just wanted to fix clocks for a living, is that so wrong?

...Well, Urataros isn’t quite lying, I guess? I mean, a time traveling train is clock… adjacent. Technically.

AND THEN RYUTAROS IGNORES HIS PROTESTS. BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT THE PURPLE DRAGON KID DOES, APPARENTLY.

AND JUST HOPS ON IN.

THIS IS FINE.

And proceeds to literally lead the imajin in a conga line out of the shop.

This is a thing that is actually happening.

Nobody knows what to think, least of all Sougo.

Woz: “…I’m really sorry… these four idiots are our lead to the next watch…”

Sougo: “I have more pRESSING CONCERNS RIGHT NOW!”

Geiz and Tsukuyomi: (are exhausted)

~

Okay, first off, Heure, Hora, you didn’t actually need to stop time for this conversation. There wasn’t anyone around as it was.

Second, thank you for reiterating the ‘two watches left’ comment. It’s a bit redundant, but my reiterating my “where’s my Drive Arc” comment is too, so. Y’know.

Third…

I’m really glad that Heure, at least, is noticing that this is too easy. That something is leading the other riders to him.

(It’s Swartz. I’m telling you, he’s got ulterior motives, that nobody is going to like. It’s Swartz.)

Pity that Hora doesn’t seem to care.

(You two need to GET AWAY FROM THE MAN IN PURPLE. He has nobody’s best interests in mind, including yours! GET OUT OF THERE!)

~

Victim of the week time!

Coming up to a grave… Angry guy in hoodie says that the guy in a button-up shouldn’t be there. That he’s the reason his (hoodies) sister is dead. So, Button-up’s probably the late sister’s boyfriend, then.

Hoodie chases Button-up off, and is approached by Hora, who offers him a chance at revenge. She promptly shoves a watch in him, turning him into Another Den-O.

…So, since we’re getting a proper Den-O arc, with Another Den-O and everything… does this mean we can get proper arcs for W and Kuuga, too, or are they just stuck in the movie? Because I really want to know if Another Double was actually two guys, the way he sounded like he was. And Another Double’s design is SO cool, I just really want to see it actually interact with people.

Hora: “Come with me, we’re stealing a time-train.”

Another Den-O: just goes along with this

Button-up: TAKUYA’S A MONSTER WHAT DO?!

Small floating orb of light: it’s free real estate!

Button-up: sand everywhere

~

Back on the train…

It. Really does have more similarities to a clock than a train?!

This shouldn’t surprise me, but somehow it still does. It definitely confuses the heck out of Sougo, despite it being his clocksmith uncle saying that he can definitely do this.

...Said uncle then proceeds to imitate Ryuta’s dance moves. This is fine.

And then everything starts shaking, because OF COURSE Another Den-O is outside. Kudos on the train-track patterns to the energy projections in his attacks, though. That’s a nice attention to detail.

… his name and year are on his butt. On the little half-skirt he has, actually, but right over the butt.

This is ‘fine’.

Sougo: “Another Den-O? Okay, Trinity time, then, since we still don’t have this watch!”

At least he gave them a little warning. Not MUCH, but the guys WERE transformed this time, at least!

...Sougo, I know that the name and year are usually on the back, but were you actively checking out Another Den-O’s butt?

Sougo?

Sougo, I’m waiting for an answer.

Oh, no? Just gonna go fight? Okay then…

Except the Zeroliner says no, you’re not, because here it comes, cutting you off and dropping off Yuuto and Deneb!

:giggling: THEY DID THE ACTOR THING AGAIN!

Sougo: “?!?! Kiriya Kyosuke?”

(flashback with Hibiki sounds)

Yuuto: “Whomst?”

Sougo: ‘Have they started forgetting, again?’

So, Deneb brings a whole new meaning to ‘finger guns’, huh? Fair play isn’t exactly going to cut it with someone as potentially overpowered as Zi-O, especially when you’re trying to prevent him from becoming a terrible overlord.

Ooo! So the others CAN see out of their shoulderpads! Otherwise, Geiz wouldn’t have been able to key Sougo and Co in that Another Den-O was about to make a break for the train! (Yuuto, please stop distracting the boys, they do actually have a job to do outside of yoinking everyone’s powers)

Okay, good, Yuuto does agree that stopping the evil doppleganger from getting the magic train is probably a good idea. Pity that Hora then warps a de-transformed Takuya back out of there.

~

So… Deneb’s basically The Mom Friend to Yuuto, right? That’s the impression I’m getting, anyway. “Please make friends with Yuuto, he’s so lonely. He does it to himself, but I’ve been trying to break him of it since 2007. Here, have a candy!”

(MOM. FRIEND.)

Yuuto’s trying to stop Sougo from becoming Oma Zi-O – and we have confirmation once again that Geiz knows that this Zi-O never could. That Geiz still says he’ll take him out if he does.

Yuuto, much like me, doesn’t think he can, and is also determined to Stop Zi-O From Obtaining Grand.

(IT’S SO GAUDY someone PLEASE teach Sougo how to dress himself I BEG you)

(HE’S STILL WEARING AN OVERSIZED BELT UNDER HIS SHIRT. SOUGO PLEASE.)

Sougo has zero intentions of becoming anything but a beloved overlord… and Yuuto’s not having any of it.

Deneb: “I’m sorry about Yuuto, he has trouble interacting with people sometimes, gets a bit rude, please stay friends with him!” hands Sougo the basket of candy ‘Okay, bye~!”

Momo: “HI THERE! I’M HIJACKING YOUR FRIEND, DON’T MIND ME!”

That feeling when you realize that even if he were changing outfits, Momotaros wouldn’t have to do much of anything to make Geiz fit his aesthetic…

~

Uncle’s almost done fixing the train! He’s not so sure about it being a clock, but… well, he’s almost done! And. Is lifting. A giant gear. The width of his torso…

KINTAROS! He is an old man, and you’re always going on about how strong you are, aren’t you?! HELP HIM LIFT THAT!

Also, the picture Ryutaros drew is adorable and I hope that he lets Uncle Tokiwa keep it.

~

Momotaros: “Anyway, I’m here to take care of that little copycat problem. I’m insulted, he’s doing a terrible job of copying my look – ooh, some of Deneb’s candy? Thanks!”

Tsukuyomi runs off in hot pursuit – somehow not realizing that it’s not Geiz speaking. Momotaros, you should have actually used your name, for crying out loud. I get you’ve got an ego, but really.

Sougo… looks really hesitant and broody.  

He’s not sure about doing this anymore.

~

Meanwhile, apparently Button-up didn’t move in the last, like, hour since he was hit by that Imajin… who’s just a generic Mole Imajin. Lame, but fine. He asks him to help save Takuya. That’s so sweet of him! I mean, it’s going to backfire horribly, because Imajin, but still!

~

Sougo’s really quiet as he asks if Yuuto’s right – if getting all the RideWatches will grant him ultimate power. When Woz says it will, that he’ll be undefeatable…

Sougo just wants it so he can defeat Oma Zi-O. That’s the only reason he’s still gathering the watches.

Thanks for the flashback the completely brutal beating that Sougo took in episode 15! That didn’t hurt to watch again at all!

Woz: “To have power equal to Oma Zi-O’s would mean you can stand on equal ground with him. Only you are capable of that, my overlord.”

Sougo: “So I don’t have to have any doubt. I’m going to obtain that power.”

Sougo, you are raising all sorts of death flags here! Death of personality, death of moral compass, normal death, any one of these could happen! Please don’t do this to us.

~

Another Den-O is even carrying his sword like Momotaros does! Nice touch!

…Tsukuyomi, you need to start researching people as soon as you guys meet them. You saw Ryutaros take over Uncle Tokiwa, and apparently Momo’s told you he was Momotaros. And yet you still look super confused when he tells you again.

...and then she has to do Geiz’s transformation for Momotaros. This is shenanigans, pure and simple. And I love it.

MOMOTAROS. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO PUNCH YOUR PALM WHEN YOU ARE HOLDING A BUZZ SAW.

And then here we go, Let’s Us And Them Fight time! We’ve got… Four teams, this time around? Another Den-O, the Mole Imajin, Team Zi-O (currently with special guest Momotaros), and Team Zeronos.

:rubs hands together:

LET’S DO THIS.

Trinity Time~!

Except for the part where Geiz isn’t home right now~ I guess it’s been a while since Momotaros has run into Tsukasa, because now he’s super confused about going through a form change again. To be fair, usually he’s just getting his own form – not getting turned into a watch and dropped into a Psychic Sentai Cockpit.

Momotaros, externally: “Aw, man, it was just getting good!”

Momotaros, internally: “Why can’t the reality warpers let us not feel these changes?!”

(I will never be over Final Form Rides, and neither will ANYONE who got pushed into them.)

So, in the Trinity Team Chat, Sougo and Woz are incredibly confused. Momotaros is there. Geiz is also there, and apparently Sougo’s subconscious psychic powers have given him a chair so that he’s not out cold on the floor.

…Well, at least Momo’s used to bodysharing? In more ways than one? Because there’s Climax form, and that’s the four main Imajin.

This is too many people in one body – mOMO NO YOUR FIGHTING STYLE DOES NOT MESH WITH THIS SKINNY NOODLE THAT FORMS THE BASE!

Oh no, Yuuto and Deneb are just so confused. “Why is the red asshole in the cataclysm asshole?! WHATEVER! Deneb, let’s go!”

Deneb’s still mom-friending on main, even in Vega form, much to Yuuto’s despair.

Ohh noooo. Takuya – Another Den-O – wanted the powers so he could save his sister. HNG! MY HEART!

And there’s the Denliner, right on time! So Uncle Tokiwa managed to fix it, after all!

…Oh my Gaim. Oh. My. Gaim.

The Imajin let him drive the train.

OKAY, OKAY, YOU WIN.

Junichiro, you’ve got name privileges back! That’s just TOO COOL.

Woz: “Guys, wasn’t Another Den-O after the Denliner?!”

Sougo: “OH NO! YOU’RE RIGHT! GUYS! WE HAVE TO FINISH THIS UP!”

Why are you guys attacking ZERONOS?

BOYS.

that’s the wrong person.

See? Now look at what you’ve done! Another Den-O just hijacked the Denliner!

And since Button-Up’s contract was to help Takuya… well, he meant ‘help’ as in ‘save’, but Be Careful What You Wish For. The Mole Imajin takes off into the past.

So, Trinity breaks up for now. At least Geiz is awake again! And goes immediately to try and beat up Momotaros. He has it coming.

Woz mentions that if they had the Den-O watch, they might be able to find out where they went…

And Momotaros, aka the Main Imajin who fights as Den-O, tries to tap out from the choke hold Geiz has him in, holding up a red-and-white watch.

He already trusts Sougo, after all. Has since HeiGen Forever.

… … …

nani the fuck?

The Den-O watch starts glowing.

The watches back at the shop start glowing… and warp themselves over to Sougo, coalescing into one large, gold, gaudy-as-all-get-out watch.

Grand Zi-O~

“So this is supreme power...”

Sougo, I don’t think you should be excited about that…

Also, that Drive watch is the one that Geiz brought back in time, so. Um. That one shouldn’t count towards Grand. (WHERE’S THE DRIVE ARC, TOEI?!)

~

We’re going to get Momo-Woz in the next episode! Whooooo! This oughta be FUN!

Also, more Zeronos Altair form, Den-O CLIMAX FORM, and…

Uh-oh.

That’s Oma Zi-O. Not just in appearance – he’s talking to Sougo, too.

Uh-oh.

~~

This episode was a RIDE you guys!

[allow-me-to-speak]

Book Rec List

I’m bored, home alone, and packing all my books. So here, have a list of book recommendations from yours truly!

Fantasy

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbit

A young girl meets a family that gained eternal life after drinking from an enchanted spring, and is left to wonder whether living forever is a blessing or a curse. It’s a fantastic book that hurts your heart in 139 pages.

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Six morally horrible people plan an impossible heist for selfish motivations. But the romances between the morally horrible people are somehow still very pure and wonderful. The plot also keeps you on the edge of your seat because you never have all of the information until the last possible second. And if you love fantasy worlds that include POC main characters and LGBTQ representation, this is the duology for you!

The Last Dragonlord by Joanne Bertin

Human/dragon shapeshifter romance with political intrigue. And really fun worldbuilding, too.

Green Rider by Kristen Britain

One of my favorite series. The overarching plot is wonderful, you genuinely care about all the characters, and this is one of those stories where “strong female characters” means both “well-rounded, well-developed females with agency” AND “kicks some serious ass”.

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

The protagonist is the villain. I wrote that correctly. Artemis Fowl is the villain. The entire series is about his personal journey from villain to hero, with all the beautiful and human mistakes throughout.

Also, it’s got fairies. With guns.

Dragon’s Milk by Susan Fletcher

A super fun (and quick-read) series about people smuggling dragons to safety in a world that is determined to destroy them. Also, lots of baby dragons. And dragons being dragons, and neither morally good nor evil. It’s wonderful.

Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett

The funniest fucking book I’ve ever read. God’s starting the apocalypse, but they’ve somehow managed to misplace the AntiChrist. And it just gets more insane.

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

One of my favorite books of all time. It has a fascinating new take on dragons, genuinely fun political intrigue, romances you root for but aren’t the focus of the plot, and a half-dragon heroine that you absolutely fall in love with. And, if you make it to the second book, Shadow Scales, there is massive LGBTQ representation. I’m talking gay and bi characters, I’m talking trans characters, I’m talking people asking “How may I pronoun you?” and strongly-implied polyamorous relationships. And dragons. And plot twists.

Castaways of the Flying Dutchman by Brian Jacques

When the Flying Dutchman was cursed to roam the sea forever, a boy and his dog who were on board are spared from the curse due to their pure hearts, are washed ashore and granted eternal life and youth. Now they roam the world helping people and getting into adventures. Don’t let the fun fool you, though, it’s fucking heartbreaking. They really don’t skimp on the “we’re immortal so everyone we love dies” angle, and the “wow, this kid looks like he’s seen some shit”. Also the first book feels much more YA than the other two.

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

I know it’s pretty much only known as middle-school assigned reading, but this book is clever, insightful, and absolutely fantastic. I definitely stood in line to get this book autographed in high school. A boy with no imagination is sent to a crazy world of unique perspectives and interesting insights to rescue Rhyme and Reason.

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle

That book they made us all read in 5th grade that is actually all it’s cracked up to be. It’s absolutely trippy fantasy with a sci-fi edge to it, and the characters are so utterly endearing. Personally, my favorite is A Wind in the Door, but that’s book 2.

The Onion Girl by Charles de Lint

Contemporary fantasy at its absolute best. It’s modern urban fantasy that puts the fantastic in our world in such a wonderful and beautiful way. The best part is it’s also a story about dealing with physical disabilities, trauma, past abuse, self-healing, the complexity of forging and rekindling relationships with others when one is hurting, etc. Honestly, it’s just fucking awesome.

Dreams Underfoot by Charles de Lint

A book of short stories (all contemporary urban fantasy), and the best way to be introduced to Charles de Lint’s writing. So, if you want to read The Onion Girl but aren’t sure you’re ready for it yet. This is the first book I ever took a highlighter to.

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

Do you want to crush your heart and destroy your soul and cry like a baby in 128 pages? You’ll be happy you did.

Elantris by Brandon Sanderson

This is a standalone novel, and the best way to be introduced to Sanderson’s work. This book has phenomenal and complex worldbuilding, three-dimensional characters with agency you will fall in love with, and a book-long mystery that just blows you away when you figure out the answer. If you enjoy this book, you have to read Mistborn next.

Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson

Elantris on steroids. This is, without a doubt, the most fascinating worldbuilding I have ever encountered in literature. It’s so complicated, but completely logical, and the plot is so bewitching. And Sanderson can leave you as many clues as he wants - he will still blow your fucking mind when all the pieces come together at the end. The book takes a while to pick up the pace, but I swear to you it’s worth it.

Dealing with Dragons by Patricia Wrede

A princess gets bored, and decides to volunteer to be a dragon’s captive. Then she gets into a ton of adventures and ends up discovering a plot to overthrow the dragon government. It’s a lighthearted, quick and fun read, and Cimorene is my fucking hero.

Classics

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Oh God, read Pride and Prejudice. It’s my absolute favorite book.

Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

If you can, read the abridged copy. It’s kind of hard to find, so look for the one that was translated by Charles Wilbour and abridged by Paul Bénichou. It’s all the meat of the story and barely a third of the size.

Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux

I mostly like it because it’s written from the rather limiting perspective of Raoul, which means you’re in the dark about the goings-on of the book until someone bothers to tell Raoul what’s happening. It’s actually a lot of fun.

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

A grim mystery wrapped up like a romance, where the second Mrs. de Winter is trying to discover what truly happened to her husband’s first wife. It’s by the woman who wrote The Birds (which you may know as the famous Hitchcock movie), if that clues you in to the vibe of the book.

I don’t really have enough classics on this list

[heretic-altias]

Late night conversations result in some weird stories. Me and Z meet a dragon horse hybrid thing. Probably kinda poorly written because I’m dead tired lol.

@sso-zelda-dusknight

I trotted into Moorland stables, my friend Zelda just behind me. We took monthly riding lessons down here as part of the camp here.

“Lesson is in the paddock today, there’s a new girl. Her horse is… special so keep your distance” Thomas Moorland told us when he saw.

“What do you think he means?” I asked, turning to see what my friend thought.

“I dunno, it’s probably just aggressive” Zelda shrugged, picking up a trot again towards the paddock.

When we got there we saw what he meant.

“Ok… that’s strange” Zelda said, halting her Frisian outside the gate.

“Agreed” I replied with a nod.

In the arena, with two other random riders there was a white horse with a dragon’s head. It kept growling, only calming when the red haired girl on it scolded it. It opened it’s mouth wide in a snarl and the bridle it was wearing snapped.

“That’s the twelfth one!” The rider complained. Somehow she could ride just fine without it.

Loretta then walked up near us.

“That horse is the ugliest thing I’ve ever seen” Loretta announced loudly.

The creature’s eyes focused on her, and when she opened her mouth to speak again I nearly fell off of Midnight covering her mouth.

“Loretta means that your horse is beautiful” I quickly said. Loretta tried to protest but my hands still covered her face.

“Shut up” Zelda whispered to her.

When I moved away she was quiet. It seemed she’d finally gotten the message.

The lesson itself was interesting. I was taking jumps, when suddenly the dragon horse thing halted in front of me.

Midnight squealed yelling out

“Whoah!”

Only soul riders could understand what he said though, so everyone other than Zelda and I just heard a frantic neigh.

The dragon horse suddenly seemed to transform, and in an instant, a full dragon turned and snapped at Midnight. He leapt backwards, and the dragon moved to strike again but suddenly a voice called out “No!”

The dragon froze and turned to face his owner, who’d been the one bold enough to yell at him.

“We just moved, please don’t get us kicked out again!” The girl yelled.

The dragon reluctantly returned to it’s weird part horse form.

Midnight was breathing heavily.

“Umm… I think I’m done for today if that’s alright” I said looking at Thomas. He nodded, seeming just as startled as I was.

Zelda followed me out.

“What is that thing, it just nearly killed us!” I exclaimed trotting through Moorland. We were now looking for Justin, as Zelda wanted to see her boyfriend while we were here.

“I have no clue!” She responded. We found Justin about ten minutes later. He came running up to us.

“Have you seen Loretta? Her horse just came bolting into the stables!” Justin shouted before we could even say hello.

Zelda still managed to get a quick hello in for Justin before we agreed to help. I felt kinda awkward with the couple, almost like a third wheel, so I just kinda stood off the to the side for a moment while they caught up. It was brief because of the situation at hand.

“I’ll check the paddock if you guys can just check if the horse calmed down. She hasn’t gone anywhere since the lesson so she can’t be far” Justin told us before heading off.

We were in for another surprise in the stable.

The girl from before was trying to wipe something off the dragon horse’s mouth with a towel. When she ducked away to grab something, we saw the red all over the creature’s face. Zelda and I exchanged a silent glance, thinking the same thing.

“Midnight, you speak horse, can you talk to that thing?” I asked him in a whisper.

“No, it doesn’t seem to speak horse. I’d guess it speaks dragon” he replied.

“So we can’t just ask if it killed Loretta then” I whispered, trying to think of how to find out.

“Maybe if you’d both be quiet, you’d hear it’s owner speaking to it” Zelda’s horse, Phantom, pointed out. As he had said, the girl was talking to the dragon horse.

“You can’t just eat people like that, you’re lucky nobody saw! You’re going to get us in trouble. You know I was going to feed you" she scolded her horse.

We exchanged another glance before walking over to Loretta’s horse so we weren’t just standing there. The gray gelding seemed calm now, but was warily eying the stall two down from his, the one with the dragon.

“Hey, have you seen Loretta?” I asked the dragon’s owner, to see what would happen.

“Who is that?” The girl asked.

“She owns this horse. Always wears a pink jacket. Kinda rude sometimes” I told her.

“Oh, um, sorry I don’t. I’m new here, so I don’t really know her” the girl said, her voice faltering a little. She the moved to change the topic.

“My name’s Myra. Who are you guys?” She asked.

“I’m Jacky” I told her, not wanting to give anything more then my first name. Zelda then saved me from the conversation.

“If you see Loretta let us know. We’re gonna keep looking” she told Myra, guiding me and Midnight back outside.

The moment we were away we looked at each other.

“That horse freaking killed Loretta!” I quietly exclaimed.

“Definitely” she agreed.

“We have no proof though, nobody will believe us” I sighed.

“I guess we should wait until we can prove something” Zelda agreed. So we never told anyone what we found. Over the next few weeks, posters about the missing girl went up all over. Jorvik News even covered the case. The whole area had a glum mood to it. Through all of it, the two of us were the only ones who knew the truth.

“There’s gotta be something we can do” Zelda sighed as we rode down a trail a few weeks afterward.

“I don’t think there is, nobody would believe us if we told them” I said.

“Someone magic might. We could get Ydris, he’s right near Moorland, or the Druids if we really need to” she suggested.

“That could work” I agreed. I didn’t know Ydris all that well, but I did know Jack. Zelda definitely knew them both better than I did though.

“If you really want to keep going with this, you can tell Ydris and Jack sometime and call me when you do. I don’t really want to get the Druids involved unless we have to, it doesn’t seem like something they’d find important” I told Zelda.

“Alright I’ll do that when I next see them” she agreed.

After she left, Midnight spoke.

“Are you sure you want to keep trying to figure out this horse? It could be dangerous”

“You and I both know Zelda won’t stop, the thing is at Moorland right where her boyfriend lives. I’m no expert on dating, but if I was dating somebody I wouldn’t want them to get mauled by a horse with a literal dragon head” I pointed out.

“That doesn’t mean you have to keep looking into it” my horse pointed out.

“Well I’m not gonna let her do it alone! Besides I’m kinda curious myself, how does that thing even exist?” I told him.

“It really is a freak of nature” Midnight agreed.

“Good thing we’re far away from Moorland right now” I said with a laugh, gesturing to the Firgrove woods around us.

Yet what neither of us noticed was a pair of gleaming eyes that disappeared into the trees.

[yeonchi]

Kamen Rider New Form Cannon Fodder Part 1 (SPOILERS)

Have you ever encountered one of those enemies who’s being a real thorn in your side? Because believe me, the Kamen Riders definitely have. There’s always that one guy who’s been annoying them for so many episodes that once they manage to achieve a new form, they own the living daylights out of him so that they can continue with their overall mission.

In this series, we’ll be outlining the recurring enemies who were defeated in a new form debut episode. Keep in mind that we are not talking about new Rider debut episodes, however we may put that into consideration for a later series.

For any enemy to qualify for this list, they must fulfill these requirements:

Be an enemy general or a story arc enemy (preferably someone who has appeared in more than five episodes)

Have had multiple confrontations with the Riders of the series

Be defeated in a new form debut episode by a Rider in that new form (upgrade, super or final form, it doesn’t matter)

So, let’s get into the list, starting from Kamen Rider Kuuga!

WARNING: This post contains spoilers.

Kamen Rider Kuuga

There aren’t really any recurring enemies because the Gurongi take turns in their Gegeru games. Zu-Gooma-Gu (the Bat Gurongi) can be considered a recurring enemy, but he wasn’t defeated by a new form. However, there is one that somehow fits the criteria:

N-Daguva-Zeba (Unidentified Lifeform #0/#B13)

Defeated by: Kuuga Ultimate Form

Daguva, the leader of the Gurongi, fought the original Kuuga in ancient times until he was sealed in a sarcophagus alongside Kuuga himself. When a group of archaeologists accidentally unsealed the sarcophagus in the year 2000, Daguva emerged and killed the archaeologists before proceeding to revive his fallen kind and going into hiding.

Daguva’s name and designation (#0) was thrown around quite a lot in the series, but he never got involved in the Gegeru until his second resurfacing towards the end of the series. He first caught the attention of police following the death of Gooma (#3) when killed 162 of his kind in Yamagata before going into hiding again for six days.

It was said that in the series that Kuuga and Daguva would become one and rampage against the humans (episode 42). Kuuga (in Amazing Mighty Form) was defeated in their first fight (following the death of the Go Gurongi), but Daguva would let him go so that he could become even stronger the next time they met. When the time for their final battle came, Kuuga was able to use Ultimate Form for the first time and successfully defeat Daguva. However, as their Amadams break during the fight, causing Kuuga and Daguva to fight in human forms, Daguva doesn’t completely fit criteria #3, but we’ll leave it in for the sake of completeness.

Kamen Rider W

The Heisei era hasn’t had a lot of recurring enemy generals, but the increasing serialisation of the Neo-Heisei era has brought in some recurring enemies who have given some protagonists a hard time.

Shinkuro Isaka/Weather Dopant

Defeated by: Accel Trial’s Maximum Drive (Machine Gun Spike)

When Ryu Terui first appeared in the series, we learned that his family was killed when a “man with the W Memory” froze them solid. During his first fight as Accel, he defeated a Dopant who could attack with ice, believing that it was the Dopant who killed his family. However, Ryu was mistaken when he found out that the user had the IceAge Memory and not the W Memory his father warned him about. He later discovered Isaka, the owner of the W memory, during the Invisible Dopant investigation with Shotaro and began seeking revenge for the death of his family.

Isaka experimented on himself with numerous Gaia Memories and modified his Weather Memory with the powers of other Memories, allowing him to withstand Maximum Drives. However, Isaka’s excessive experimentation on himself would become his downfall when he was swallowed by his own Living Connectors upon his defeat.

It was not easy for Ryu to master Trial’s Maximum Drive during his first uses of the Memory as the Maximum Drive can only be completed within 10 seconds of activation. He eventually managed to achieve this target in his first Maximum Drive, however his motivation was not revenge for his family (as Shroud expected from Ryu), but to protect someone who cared for him.

Kamen Rider Fourze

Natsuji Kijima/Cancer Zodiarts

Defeated by: Meteor Storm Punisher

In his first appearance, Kijima became the Pegasus Zodiarts by chance when he found a Switch that Libra dropped during a fight with Fourze. As Pegasus, he framed Gentarou’s new teacher, Haruka Utsugi, for stealing his rakugo fan. His Last One form is defeated by Fourze Magnet States, but he suddenly evolves into the Cancer Zodiarts, making him one of the Horoscopes.

Later on, he manages to uncover Ryuusei’s identity as Meteor, resulting in him being unable to transform. When Ryuusei is called to the hospital after being informed about his friend, Cancer uses Gentarou and his Kamen Rider Club friends as bargaining chips. At the same time, Ryuusei’s benefactor, Tachibana, gives him one more chance to become Meteor and gain a power-up, but that would mean abandoning his friends to do so. Eventually, Ryuusei decides to head back and help his friends, which allowed him to become Meteor again as a reward for making the right choice.

Cancer’s Supernova form was defeated by Meteor Storm, but his user survived, only to be done away by Virgo (sent to the M-BUS) thanks to Libra’s illusions.

Kamen Rider Wizard

Yugo Fujita/Phoenix

Defeated by: Wizard All Dragon’s Strike Dragon

The secret of the Phoenix is that it can never die, which is reflected in Kamen Rider Wizard. In the series, the hot-blooded and violent Phoenix was born from the quiet and hard-working Yugo Fujita during the Sabbath event. He works with his fellow Phantom Medusa to drive Gates into despair and create more Phantoms. Gradually, he gains an arch-nemesis in Wizard when he finds out that his fellow Phantoms’ plans have been foiled.

Phoenix was defeated four times by Wizard in the series, while becoming stronger with each encounter. The first time was when Phoenix was told to target a young Gate’s parents, thereby putting the boy in despair. However, Wizard accessed his Fire Dragon Style for the first time and destroyed him. The second time was at Christmas when he destroyed some presents a Gate was going to bring to the orphanage where he grew up. Phoenix was destroyed by Wizard Water Dragon, which he first used in the previous episode. The third time was when Rinko inspired Phoenix to think for himself (after unknowingly investigating his Gate’s past), causing him to rampage around the city, with even Medusa being unable to stop him. He was destroyed by Wizard Land Dragon, only to be resurrected immediately after.

Phoenix was defeated for good when Wizard combined all his Dragon Style clones and used All Dragon for the first time. Aware of Phoenix’s resurrection ability, Wizard does not kill him, but instead kicks him to the sun, causing him to constantly die and resurrect with no finale.

Kamen Rider Gaim

In this series, there are no recurring Inves until the Overlords’ debut in the Yggdrasil arc.

Demushu

Defeated by: Gaim Kiwami Arms’ Hinawa Daidai Musou Zan (DJ Gun+Musou Saber)

One of the central themes and plot points explored in Kamen Rider Gaim is the fate of the last race that the Helheim Forest invaded. Before Helheim came to Earth, it had already claimed the human-like Femushimu as they turned on each other to survive. Demushu was one of the surviving Femushimu and the first of his kind to appear in the series. They would be known in the series as the Over Lords, a species of advanced Inves who had survived their own extinction and evolved. Demushu would become a rival of Kaito’s, as he was unwilling to learn about humanity, instead choosing to fight. He proved to be a formidable enemy, with both Baron and Gaim having to use new powers to even the score against him.

During a fight with Gaim, Baron, Zangetsu Shin and Sigurd, Demushu finds a crack leading to Zawame and begins to destroy it, claiming the city to be ugly. While Gaim and Baron chase the Over Lord in an attempt to defeat it, Duke (Professor Ryoma) sends out Marika and the Kurokage Troopers to capture Demushu, but the plan is abandoned when Helheim plants begin to invade Yggdrasil Tower, causing Duke to abandon Zawame City.

While walking through a tunnel, Demushu finds and eats some Helheim fruits, causing him to evolve into a stronger form. While he fights Baron, Marika, Knuckle, Bravo and Gridon, DJ Sagara talks with Kouta and tells him that in order to save the world (from the Over Lords), he must become an Over Lord himself, giving him the Kiwami Lockseed to do just that. Kouta manages to reach out and grab the Lockseed before he heads out and confronts Demushu for the last time, defeating him with the various weapons of the Armored Riders.

Kouta’s decision to take the Kiwami Lockseed would lead to a series of events that would eventually culminate in him and Kaito fighting for the power of the Forbidden Fruit.

To be continued in Part 2

[tokupedia]

Kamen Rider 45th Anniversary File: Ghost

2016: 

The WORST YEAR IN RECENT RECORDED HUMAN HISTORY- The End

....

Okay, that’s a little unfair to you guys, let’s start over..

2016:

Ultraman Orb aired, concluded and is available on Crunchyroll.

Ultraman turns 50, having begun back in 1966.

Kamen Rider Amazons, a modern reimagining of the 1975 show Kamen Rider Amazon, premieres on Amazon Prime Japan two days before the date of Kamen Rider’s 45th Anniversary on April 1st. It is considered one of the darkest entries of the Kamen Rider franchise and is the first online exclusive Kamen Rider show.

The Magical Girl Genre, of which Sailor Moon, Cutie Honey, Pretty Cure and so many other super heroines are a part of, is now 50 years old thanks to Sally the Witch who was created way back in 1966 by Mitsuteru Yokoyama.

Go! Princess Pretty Cure ends and Mahou Girls PreCure! debuts.

Super Sentai reaches its 40th Season and 2,000th Episode with Doubutsu Sentai Zyuohger! Anthropomorphic Animal Rangers fight to defend the Earth, with the help of a human zoologist. Also, we get a new version of Super Sentai Hero Getter and the Gokaigers make a guest appearance!

Anno, get in the chair! Hideaki Anno of Neon Genesis Evangelion fame takes control of the Godzilla franchise as Toho decides to start making Godzilla movies and media again locally with Shin Godzilla. This creates an interesting cinematic paradox where both Japan and America are making Godzilla simultaneously and both are successful and will have follow ups in the future.

Garo gets animated in 2015 and comes to America for the first time in 2016 on DVD courtesy of Funimation. (Thanks guys!)

Garo also gets an omnibus series in Garo: Makai Retsuden, collecting tales of supporting characters in the Garo franchise rather than focus solely on the Golden Knight (though a few bearers of the armor do appear in a few bits including Kouga!).

Toei declares the anniversaries of Kamen Rider and Super Sentai to be a “Super Hero Year” and dedicates the year doing projects to celebrate the occasion, including bringing back Hiroshi Fujioka as Takeshi Hongo/Kamen Rider 1 in a crossover movie with a brand new look!

On April 3, 2016, a staple of Japanese pop culture turned 45 years old. Then again, 2016 was a red letter date for anniversaries as so many things we loved hit a milestone number.

Given that, Toei decided to set a theme of “History” and the “Wonders of being alive” for the next series. So they chose a dead guy for their next hero...wait what? The overall theme was famous figures from history (and one fictional one) giving their powers to the heroes. So think Kid Eternity meets Danny Phantom. 

Ghost did have interesting designs, courtesy of Kamen Rider and Ishinomori super-fan and manga artist Kazuhiko Shimamoto and his studio Big Bang Productions as well as Blend Master (though from what I could gather they got shafted when it came time for Mugen form). The Rider Ghosts all wear hoodie jackets and their method of transformation is a variation on Gaim where the “ghost parka” floats around the user before descending onto the armor.

Yes, but see, Ghost is the first series I kind of...stopped watching. It had promise and a likable hero, but fell flat in the last third as it meandered its plot around. As it turns out, we have our old “pal” Shinichiro Shirakura to thank for that, as he let go of the writers halfway into the show and had them replaced (Ep. 24 is where things started to change). You would think he would learn to leave well enough alone, but because Toei was running two Rider Shows at once, cuts apparently needed to be made. 

A noticeable cut was the dropping of motorcycle helmet manufacturer Shoei as a sponsor, as Toei went with its competitor Arai. This was a bit shocking given that Shoei has supported the series since the late Showa Era by providing safety equipment.

Also not helping was that Bandai kinda went nuts on the shilling of merchandise and didn’t give this series much room to breathe, making some of the forms or devices the Riders used feel tacked on or just filler after being seen just once. 

Still the show had its good moments, the messages about life, how an individual’s life impacts others and living it are inspiring. I have even heard whispers of some who thought of committing suicide saying that this series inspired them to keep on living and not give up. 

One especially touching story of the power of Takeru Tenkuji was written in the Asahi Shimbun about a sick toddler who was afraid to take his medicine. However, seeing Kamen Rider Ghost face danger head on and a special message from Shun Nishime inspired the adorable tyke to take his medicine. It showcases the kind of impact this “silly superhero show” as some deride it as has had on generations of Japanese citizens as a franchise. Being a super hero in acting sometimes rubs off and makes the person playing them aspire to live up to that symbol or be better people.

It should be noted that this series also has a few winks and nods to the Kamen Rider Series. The mailman who delivers packages is named Mr. Onodera (the birth name of Shotaro Ishinomori), a computer in the wall of the basement of Tenkuji Temple is a prop used for Shocker bases, a continuity nod to the preceding series is shown in a flashback and one company in the world of the series is the Sengoku Corporation.

But let’s move on...

LIFE! BURN BRIGHT!

DAI KAIGAN! FILE OMEGA DRIVE!

(The late Mr. Tenkuji, circa 2016)

Real Name: Takeru Tenkuji (I love Marvel Style alliterative names, so amusing.)

As the opening narration every episode informs viewers:

“My Name is Takeru Tenkuji, on my 18th birthday I was killed by a Gamma and I became Kamen Rider Ghost.” 

Takeru Tenkuji is the son of a famous Ghost Hunter, Ryu Tenkuji, and during one of his hunts, Ryu is killed by a ghost. This leaves Takeru an orphan and is taken in by a disciple of Ryu’s temple, the monk Onari (who has taken a vow of Ham instead of silence or singing). Takeru also grows up with Akari, his childhood friend, whom grows into more of a scientist with a skeptical view on ghosts.

Takeru is trained by Onari to be a Ghost Hunter and on his 18th birthday receives a strange package from Mr. Onodera, a gift from his late father that contained an eyeball-like orb. He has no time to investigate, as something invisible begins attacking them: The Gamma, evil spirits from another dimension.

Takeru manages to fend off these monsters for a bit to protect Akari and Onari, but the Katana Gamma slices Takeru up and he dies.

But death is not the end of our hero as a mysterious figure and a talkative snarky spook appear and the old man offers the boy a chance to live again. Sennin, as he calls himself, bestows Takeru with a belt like device and says he can return to life for 99 days as a ghost and regain his life permanently by finding the 15 Heroic Eyecons of famous people and can become a Kamen Rider to stop the Ganma from getting their hands on them. If Takeru fails, he dies for good.

He is sent back and defeats the Gammas,using his own soul as a source of power in an Eyecon for the Ghost Driver to become Kamen Rider Ghost. Yurusen tells him the rules of being a ghost and eventually lets Onari and Akari in on what is going on. They help him find the heroic Eyecons, with Onai setting up a paranormal investigation and elimination agency (No, not that one, though we do get Akari acting kinda Egon-ish at times.). Akari creates ghost-busting equipment to defeat the weaker grunts of the Gamma or hold them off until Takeru arrives, though she is still skeptical on the supernatural and believes that Ghosts can be explained scientifically . Together they fight the Gamma, collect the Eyecons, meet new allies and enemies! 

During one event, Kamen Rider Drive was in his final battle and had a near death experience. Somehow entering the realm of the dead, Ghost told Shinnosuke not to go into the afterlife (resembling a black void). Drive’s old foes come out of the void and Ghost fends their “ghosts” off (why do androids have ghosts? Meh, Comics.) while Shinnouske goes toward the light, which wakes him up. He later encounters Ghost again during a case and this directly ties into the series as it involves the Newton Eyecon (though canonicity is a bit wobbly).

Despite my “meh” attitude on the series now in its later end, looking back Takeru is the most likable Rider as he goes above and beyond what it means to be a hero, selflessly giving to save others even at the risk of his own soul when he himself has so much he could lose. He perfectly encapsulates what a Kamen Rider is at times.

Powers:

Like any classic ghost of standard media, Takeru can walk through walls, disappear and fly (well, more like floating and super agility until Mugen form). Takeru can also read a person’s soul/mind and see their memories by touching them or their soul if it is removed from the body. He also has a sorta “Rider Sense”, as he can sense some powerful evil spirits.  Since he is already dead (*insert Fist of the North Star Joke here*), Takeru cannot be severely harmed in any way and is near invulnerable, but not invincible. Spirit mediumship allows him to talk to ghosts.

Takeru can become solid like a human being if his emotional state is positive and he can create powerful barriers when he is in an emotional state where he does not want to be bothered by anyone.

Eyecon Powers:

Musashi: Skilled Swordsmanship

Edison: Electricity Generation/Absorption and elemental weapon augmentation. Enhanced thinking ability via electrical stimuli

Robin Hood: Expert Marksmanship, barrier shield, Energy Arrows, Cloning ability.

Issac Newton: Gravity manipulation pulses on a very powerful scale, as it can levitate heavy landmasses. Able to attract or repel objects and deliver powerful blows or immobilize targets.

Beethoven: Sound and music manipulation, literally as it creates constructs of music notes made of pure sound. Sonic blasts.

Billy the Kid: Expert Gun marksmanship, More Dakka, sniping abliity.

Benkei: Super strength, weapon mastery, energy constructs, concussive hit, localized seismic generation, Stop, Hammer Time!.

Toucon Boost: Kill it with Fire (generation powers)

Goemon: Super speed.

Ryoma: ???

Himiko: Magic abilities

Ikkyu: Levitating, able to summon stuffed Tigers from paintings to bite Gamma. 

Mugen: High defense, flight via rainbow wings and maximum attack power

He can utilize his emotions as weapons in Mugen form, feeling a specific emotion will allow him to execute a certain attack. 

Weaknesses:

Ghost still can die if time on his life extension runs out or his Ore Eyecon is destroyed as that contains his soul. 

Despite being immune to most damage, Takeru can still feel pain as spirit and the overwhelming sensation of intense pain could cause him to pass out. He also suffered from a bit of self-confidence issues at first but later improves. If the Heroic Spirits refuse to work with him, this could weaken him or render his powers in Grateful form unbalanced at best or to shut down at worst. The Eyecons can be swiped and used by other Ghost Drivers, even making the spirit inside the Eyecon act against their will in some cases. 

Ghost is also not immune to electricity in certain forms such as Musashi, as he becomes a walking lightning rod. Though Edison negates this due to its powers. If a mystical barrier is up, Takeru cannot phase though an object. 

His ability to talk to the dead is a bit problematic, as nobody but him can see them and as a result he looks beaucoup cuckoo to muggles as it looks like he’s talking to himself. (Though Akari comes up with a way for normal humans to see ghosts and whomever is mortal that holds a Ghost Eyecon can see them as well)

Now that he can use his powers as a living person, he can die again using any of the conventional means.

Gear:

http://kamenrider.wikia.com/wiki/Ghost_Driver

http://kamenrider.wikia.com/wiki/Ghost_Eyecons

http://kamenrider.wikia.com/wiki/Ghost_Gadgets

http://kamenrider.wikia.com/wiki/Gan_Gun_Saber

http://kamenrider.wikia.com/wiki/Newton_Damashii_Gloves

http://kamenrider.wikia.com/wiki/Machine_Ghostriker

http://kamenrider.wikia.com/wiki/Captain_Ghost

http://kamenrider.wikia.com/wiki/Iguana_Ghostriker - Don’t ask me what Ghosts have to do with Iguanas, it is what it is.

http://kamenrider.wikia.com/wiki/Eyecon_Driver_G

http://kamenrider.wikia.com/wiki/Sunglasseslasher

http://kamenrider.wikia.com/wiki/Deep_Slasher

Enemy:

The Gamma

http://kamenrider.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Gamma

The Gamma are a race extra-dimensional beings that are like ghosts. They have several objectives, one is to find Eyecons to grant themselves greater power. If they cannot find one, they try to create one by corrupting a human until they go mad and extract their soul to create an Eyecon. 

The last one is to turn the human world into another Gamma World so that a “Deathless utopia” can come...by killing the original world’s inhabitants or converting them into Gamma. Gamma are actually humans who wanted to escape death, but their plans didn’t work out.

[mcckingsa]

13.

13.  what does your character pretend or try to care about?

tee-bee-aych,  there’s not much that bobbi can pretend to care about,  unless she’s undercover on a job or something like that.  the biggest thing that i could think of would probably be steve’s  ‘avengers don’t kill’  rule because bobbi kinda finds it as just….being something that’s unattainable. it’s definitely not a rule that she was taught to believe in until she met clint   ;   beyond that,  she’s very much a spy first and a superhero like third or fourth, so the mindset that she tends to think in is ‘get this job done’,  not so much in  ‘what’s gonna make me a better person than the guy i’m fighting against’. 

deciding not to kill is definitely not something that bobbi judges another person for; that takes a different kind of strength,  like….idk,  bobbi not letting the phantom rider die and somehow locking him up??  only for him to get back out and hurt more people??  that’s something some people could live with,  but it’s definitely something that bobbi couldn’t. 

  and it’s not like she’d go out and go on a killing spree, but she’s not gonna put herself into a kill-or-be-killed situation and try to negotiate with the other person. and tbh,  she’s definitely not afraid of having her membership in the avengers hinge on whether or not she kills someone  ––– to her,  the concept of being an avenger is more about the name than it is about anything else.  at the end of the day,  she considers being an avenger to be just a job  ––  being a superhero is something that you can do no matter who or where you are.  bobbi knows that she can help people because of who she is,  not because of what she can do,  so if that means that she kills someone for whatever she considers to be the greater good and gets kicked out of the avengers,  she knows that she can help people as a vigilante,  as a spy,  even just as a scientist and she can still call herself a hero.

       meme.      /       accepting.

[venus-says]

Kamen Rider Wizard Episodes 01-17

Where's Kaede? The magical show is about to begin.

The fourth installment in my "watch all of Kamen Rider" series is here! I'm two months and I still haven't given up, I'm not gonna lie I'm very surprised with myself. XD

As much as I was excited to start this new series, the bad taste Fourze has left into my mouth got me a little apprehensive. But, while Wizard isn't a perfect show, I was very pleased with this first third of it.

This is a show about hope and, much like its predecessor, the show isn't subtle about it. But somehow it works here, first because the dramas the MOTW victims go through feels more grounded and believable, and second because it's not just a bunch of teenagers going around dealing with stuff that to an adult's eye seems very dumb. It also helps that, for the most part, the characters here don't have a twisted notion of what Hope is, though there are some times where "hope" is mixed with "dream" and it feels a bit weird, but I think the two themes are correlated so it's not that big of a stretch.

If there's one thing I don't like about Wizard is the bad CGI. I understand that the effects aren't the best, after all, this show is heavily dependant on special effects because of all the magic spells so they can't use the best and most expensive CGI all the time, but I can't deny that they feel very wonky. I think if the engage sequences inside people's underworlds didn't exist or included actors in suits doing the monsters instead of large CGI creatures, they could afford better and more polished effects. Sadly that didn't happen so that's a letdown, at least the only instances where this bugs me is in the underworld scenes and during the Flame Dragon form attack so that's not that big of a deal.

Another thing I also don't like is the villains, the concept of the Phantoms is really good but the generals they lack a loooooot of personality. Phoenix is the hot-blooded villain and Medusa is the stereotypical female villain, in terms of design Phoenix is basically Ankh and Medusa is basically Mezool so it just shows they don't have a lot going on for them. Though the reveal that happened in episodes 14 and 15 made me interested so I didn't lose all hope in the antagonists just yet.

I'd like to come here and say that thankfully the other side of this coin has amazing characters that balance out the blandness of the villains, but sadly that's not the case. While Haruto is very cool, everyone else on his gang aside from Wajima isn't the greatest. And what's more sad about all of this is that each member of the gang has things that could make them great, but most of the time they're there being used as comic relief so when it's their time to shine is hard to take them seriously. Rinko could've been very interesting to see as a rookie female detective that has a strong sense of justice, but she's very underused and more often than not she's there playing a comedy role. Shunpei is naive and has a genuinely pure heart, and he would've been a great companion if the show didn't make him very extra and exaggerated making him look dumb rather than a kind kid too pure for this world. Koyomi should be the most interesting of them all since she's an empty shell powered up by mana, but we barely see her and her "introductory" arc was very rough in the edges with them making her seem like she is "jealous" of Haruto and has feelings for him. I wanna make clear that despite my problems I still like these characters, they had times where they shined a lot which made me like them, but they have those flaws and I can't overlook them. Of course, this is only the beginning of the season which means there's still more time so they have opportunities to grow so I'm very open-minded for them.

A character I don't have any hopes for is Kousuke, aka Beast, aka the mid-season Rider. As much as I appreciate that the dude didn't just appear out of nowhere during a fight, he still follows tradition and I don't like him, in fact, I hate this dude. I've seen him only once but I already hate him more than any of his predecessors. I don't wanna go for very long since he appeared only in one episode and the next arc will be more focused on him, I believe, so I'll have plenty of time to dish on him next week, but for now, let's just say I want to see choke him with his bottle of mayonnaise while engaging on his gross eating habits.

Talking about the man of the time, Wizard himself, Haruto is a bit weird, but in a good way. I appreciate that his "default mode" is a more serious one, it doesn't make him look off whenever the moment needs him to be more grounded/angry, but also gives openings for him to be playful and crack a few jokes here and there, I really like that in his personality. I feel like his backstory is a bit too much, but all main riders so far had some sort of tragic background that seemed way too heavy to be believable so I can't hold that against him.

Wizard is a rider I really like both in design and powers. Weird helmet shapes on his side forms aside, I really dig everything on his design. I never cosplayed on my life, but if I ever did a Kamen Rider cosplay it would probably be Wizard. The hand in the belt and the gun/sword, and the rings are way too big for my taste, but these need to be sold as toys so I think that's the reason why they're this big and I can get past that. I absolutely love the droids for this season and I love even more that they're called familiars if I had the money I'd buy ALL OF THEM. I love Wizard's elemental powers, but his "side rings" are weird and very situational, it seems weird to complain about that coming from a season with 40 EXTREMELY situational side powers, but c'mon, they have a spell that makes the user smell bad, what use does that have? Though I can't deny I'd love that sleep spell because my insomnia can be a bitch sometimes.

I'm a little thorn on the first power-up Wizard got, while I love its design in all of the three forms we've seen so far, and I love when the dragon parts merge with him in the Hurricane and Water Dragon styles, I hate how they came to be. Especially after seeing that Wiseman was the one that gave the stone for Flame Dragon and Water Dragon I expected this power-up to have a bigger thrown back to not make them as spammable as they are, and these things were supposed to be dangerous after all they use the power of Haruto's inner Phantom so, it's a bit of a letdown when you think about them under these lenses. They're still pretty cool though, I love them, aside of Flame Dragon form while doing the special attack, that head coming out of his chest is cursed and it doesn't deserve any love.

To mention a few episodes I really enjoyed I wanna highlight episodes 6 and 7 that had a very interesting plot centered around a con artist, I really liked the outcome of that one. I also loved episodes 8 and 9, as much as I think it's a bit forced I liked seeing Haruto's backstory and drawing a parallel with the victim of the week and what he was going through on its absurdity it felt very real and strong and I was all here for it. Episode 14 was kinda interesting, but it was more because of the reveal rather than the main story of that episode.

My favorite episodes were 12 and 13, as well as the Christmas episode. Both of these stories were very beautiful and emotional, I usually pause a lot to take screenshots and notes during the episodes but in these three episodes I had almost 0 pauses, I was really invested and felt very touched by these stories. 12 and 13 was Shunpei time to shine and it gave me a new appreciation for his character, it was also a great story about passing a legacy and keeping traditions alive, I also appreciate that the story ended on a very positive note despite of the Gate closing his business after everything that happened - that was a very good move on my eyes. And the Christmas episode was a real surprise to me, I usually don't care for the holidays' episodes but this episode was very beautiful, the thing with Santa appearing and giving a special spell that restores the destroyed gifts was a bit of a stretch, but I can't deny that I was very happy to see it happen just so that we could have a good ending so I'll give it a pass this time.

And that pretty much sums it all for now, I'm pretty hopeful *winkwink* for the next portion of Wizard even though I hate the new Rider so I'm excited to come back next week. What are your thoughts on Wizard? Let me know in the comments. I'll see you all the next time. o/