Rinko walks into the shop where she finds Shunpei keeling over in pain. He says his stomach is about to burst and Rinko is worried it’s a Phantom attack. But Koyomi says he just ate too much mochi this morning for New Year’s.
Shunpei begs Haruto to use magic to help his tummy, but Haruto says magic can’t be used to cure wounds or disease.
“Chichin Pui Pui!”
Wajima brings out some stomach medicine and water, but Shunpei’s jittery hands splashes the water onto Rinko who then uses Haruto’s coat to wipe herself.
Across town, Medusa and Phoenix are hanging out on a rooftop. Medusa notices a young man who collapses down below. Wiseman pops up behind them and says that young man is very intriguing and he wants to see inside him.
The young man gets up and says he’s going to starve this way, but “a pinch and a chance are two sides of the same coin” and something good will surely happen for him in moments like this.
Haruto, Rinko and Shunpei are walking downtown with Shunpei eating a delicious donut since the medicine worked wonders. Back at the shop, Wajima notices the stomach medicine is actually expired.
The young man is served a platter of hot dogs (I think?) and the sever offers ketchup and mustard, but he takes out his own bottle of mayonnaise instead.
Ghouls suddenly arrive with the Phantom personally scouted by Wiseman. The Ghouls knock over the young man’s table of hot dogs as Haruto arrives.
Haruto tells the young man to escape, but he stops Haruto just after he henshins asking what he’s going to do about his meal. Haruto promises to treat him later and Shunpei and Rinko come to whisk the guy away.
Haruto fights the Ghouls then the Phantom, but he lets his guard down which allows the Phantom to infect him with venom. Haruto collapses and de-henshins. The Phantom goes to his human form as a fortune teller who draws a tarot card revealing the Grim Reaper.
Shunpei and Rinko are with the young man who says Haruto didn’t save him, he interrupted his meal.
Medusa meets the Phantom and asks why he let Haruto go, but he assures her that Haruto will suffer and die. I would’ve finished him off, Phoenix says. But the Phantom draws another tarot card and it’s The Fool. He says Phoenix is the type who would destroy himself with rash actions. The Phantom leaves, saying he has to find the other guy and finish the job.
The other guy is being treated to donuts at the donut cart. Shunpei says it’s his treat, but Rinko twists his ear saying she’s actually the one paying. The guy takes his bottle out again and squirts mayo on a donut and deliciously takes a bite. He offers the same mayo donuts to Shunpei and Rinko and asks for more.
Donut shop owner sees the mayonnaise and says not to put weird stuff on his donuts. It’s not weird stuff, it’s the greatest food in the world, the guy says. Donut shop worker tries it and he likes it, lets Donut shop owner try it and he likes it too.
Koyomi calls Rinko about Haruto just as the guy gets up, thanks them for the donuts and leaves.
Rinko and Shunpei head back to the shop where Koyomi is taking care of a still weak Haruto. He insists he has to go find the Gate, but Koyomi says Garuda and the others are out looking.
The guy wants to look for more food when the fortune teller Phantom finds him to give him a free reading. The Phantom takes the first tarot card to reveal The Magician. The guy says it’s swirling around in him, but it’s also whittling away his life, right?
Sure, the fortune teller says and the next card says he’s hopeless. But apparently, he hasn’t given in to despair and asks what he’s holding in his heart.
Garuda finds them and relays the location back to Koyomi’s crystal ball. Shunpei and Rinko follow as Haruto pushes himself to go since he’s the only one that can defeat the Phantom.
The guy tells the fortune teller that whenever in a pinch, it’s also a chance. When you’re pinned to a corner or when you’re down, you can see things more clearly. The Phantom insists on finding out what his hope is and the guy says despair is his hope.
Haruto arrives with Shunpei and Rinko and the guy gets very excited when the Phantom reveals his true form. Haruto fights with the Phantom and the guy is again upset that his meal has been interrupted. Haruto attempts to henshin, but the Driver says Error. His magic energy must be depleted by the venom. They continue fighting, but the Phantom kicks Haruto to the side. Ghouls appear, but the guy takes out a rink, opens a Driver on his belt and henshins!
He introduces himself as Nito Kosuke, Kamen Rider Beast. Wiseman, aware of the proceedings realizes he is a primordial mage.
It’s feeding time, Kosuke says as he fights off the Ghouls and has his Driver suck up all their magical energy. I’m eating you next, he says to the Phantom as he takes out a different ring to activate Chameleo. He gets a half-cape, allowing him to go invisible. Haruto warns Kosuke about the venomous tail, but he still charges and then gets injected with venom anyway.
This is nothing, Kosuke says as he takes out another ring to activate Dolphi. He gets a different half-cape and cures himself of the poison and sends some magic medicine Haruto’s way.
The Phantom is shocked as Kosuke uses anther ring to activate Falco allowing him to use Falco Saber Strike to finish him off. He proceeds to eat the Phantom’s magical energy.
He thanks the Phantom for the meal. Haruto asks Kosuke about eating magical energy and he assumes Haruto does too.
No need to play dumb in front of your rival, Kosuke says. He says beneath Haruto’s cool exterior, he must be in turmoil inside because some new guy is walking into his territory.
Kosuke says since he found the Phantom this time , it’s only natural he gets to eat him. But next time, he won’t be so nice the next time Haruto tries to take his meal. He flies off leaving Haruto, Shunpei and Rinko in shock.
Episode Thoughts
Welcome to Kosuke and Kamen Rider Beast. Interesting character so far, but very interesting for me since I’m currently watching Kamen Rider OOO and I’ve just finished the episodes where Kamen Rider Birth and Akira were introduced.
I definitely see the similar character-types and dynamic between the two Riders in each series. Is that Kamen Rider formula?
But it’s definitely an interesting dynamic. Me watching the two series at the same time, this is very different from the Fourze-Meteor/Gentaro-Ryuusei dynamic last year.
More comedy again, which continues to make me ask what some people’s problem with Fourze‘s lighter vibe was. Especially when OOO was much more over the top (from what I’ve seen so far).
A good episode overall and the arrival of Kosuke definitely provides a little boost to the show. Great to have the show back!
Kousuke… from the very first episode with him I thought he was annoying and nothing but silly comic relief. And based on later episodes there was nothing that changed my mind in that regard.
If you hadn’t spelled out his name here, respectively showed that one screencap, I might not have been able to say his name. Even 2 weeks after I had finished the show I was only able to remember Kamen Rider Beast and Mayonaisse, but not his name. He was the most forgettable character of the show and his rivalry with Haruto seems incredibly forced, his whole character in fact is and in my mind there is no reason for him to be here.
There will come more as the show progresses but the way it is here, the guy is just… forgettable.
Now as for the rivalry in Kamen Rider, I saw a few shows so far: Den-O, 555, Fourze, OOO, Kiva and partially Decade. And rivalry does happen with the first secondary rider but not necessarily. Den-O, Decade, Fourze and Kiva did not have that, the riders there rather just crossed paths. And even in 555 and OOO it at least made sense, but here… it feels totally forced.
Good thing you mentioned comic relief. I think their ‘rivalry’ was played off more for laughs than a legit rivalry, in the traditional sense. Maybe?
I am sure it was supposed to be for laughs, but I still wonder why. The whole premise of Wizard is not comedic at all and they already had a goofy character in Shunpei and partially Haruto (his voice cracks and the donuts :D). So why add this guy? I really don’t get it. Did they think they needed him because Wizard would be too dark in their eyes?