Recap: Kamen Rider Zi-O, Episode 6 – 555・913・2003

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Geiz goes Ghost and Another Fourze returns to normal before leaving.

Back in 2018, Takumi and Masato fight, allowing Karin to run away. Masato says this is none of Takumi’s business.

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Sougo and Geiz arrive back home and are greeted by Takumi who Tsukuyomi has also brought home. Takumi introduces himself and Tsukuyomi explains what happened. Sougo and Geiz also fill Tsukuyomi in on the events back in 2011.

Next day, Sougo and Takumi approach Karin at school so they can protect her.

Back at the shop, Geiz and Tsukuyomi continue looking into the disappearances and find that they started before 2011. Geiz then notices that in all of the photos of the missing 18 year old Libras… is Karin! And she looks exactly the same as she does now.

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Karin tells Sougo and Takumi to leave her alone. Ohsugi-sensei finds them on the roof and they explain the situation and how they need to protect the one girl in school. But Ohsugi says there’s two girls now since one girl in his class is turning 18 today.

Tsukuyomi finds a newspaper article that says Karin is actually already dead after an accident in 2003 and her body had disappeared shortly after. The same day, two of her classmates also disappeared.

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Uncle Junichiro arrives home with an old radio he’s going to fix. He points out that he’s only replacing it with new parts so it can last longer. But after he does, is it really still the same radio? It might be the same on the outside, but the insides are being replaced with new parts, basically on life support.

That’s a lightbulb for Geiz. He realizes the same may be happening to Karin. She wasn’t protecting them after falling from the roof, she was protecting Another Fourze who is using some kind of strange power to keep her alive by attacking high school girls over the course of15 years.

Tsukuyomi calls Sougo to tell him about their breakthrough.

The other Amanogawa High student turning 18 today, is celebrating her birthday in the Kazuraba apartment with her friends when Sakuma/Another Fourze appears to attack her. He chases her outside, but Karin stops Sakuma.

Karin tells the girl to run and tells Sakuma she wants him to stop killing for her.

Masato grabs Karin, saying he wants to stop Sakuma’s killing by basically killing Karin for good. They fight.

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But Takumi arrives to help. Masato asks why he would do this. “I may hate you, Kusaka,” Takumi says, “but you’re my friend! Though I hate to admit it.”

Sougo, Geiz and Tsukuyomi arrive.

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Sakuma leaves. Takumi calls Sougo over and hands him the Faiz Watch. But Sougo decides to give it to Geiz to use and defeat Another Faiz. Geiz accepts its and leaves for 2003.

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In 2003, Sakuma and Karin are making plans to meet for a date tonight to watch the meteor shower. But it’s another day and Karin seems sad and upset. With no presence of mind, she steps out onto the rain-soaked street as a car comes speeding toward her. She is hit and dies.

Sakuma is distraught and angry with himself when he goes to see Karin in the morgue. It appears he had not kept his promise to meet, which is why Karin was so sad.

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Just then, Ora appears and explains that Sakuma will continue living hating and blame himself for this. But she offers him the contract to save Karin. Sakuma wants to do anything and everything for that so Ora shoves the Faiz Watch into him and he becomes Another Faiz.

Elsewhere in the city, Takumi suddenly dehenshins as he is fighting.

Sakuma finds the first 18 year old Libra from his class and sucks her in. But Geiz arrives. Ora freezes time.

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Geiz lays it out on the table. Sakuma had been killing girls to keep Karin alive. But that power ran out after 15 years which is why sought out a new power, that is, the Fourze Watch courtesy of Schwartz.

Ora realizes it was Schwartz’s doing.

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Back in 2018, Masato explains that all of Sakuma’s victims were assumed to be runaways and Karin would just transfer schools. Karin and Sakuma were part of a school for orphans called the Ryuusei School, which Masato was part of himself.

Sougo realizes that must be what Woz meant about shooting stars.

Masato couldn’t stop Sakuma, so he decided he should kill Karin and hide her from Sakuma instead, per her request.

“Ruining your life for a friend, what a fool,” Takumi says. But Sougo says Takumi is like that too. They all are. They would risk their lives to save their friends.

Back in 2003, Ora asks if Geiz is okay with letting Karin die if he defeats Another Faiz. But Geiz maintains that Karin is already dead. That cannot change. Ora says Geiz won’t be able to save anyone then. But Geiz says he will. He will defeat this foe for a friend 15 years away.

Ora restarts time and Geiz henshins. He then locks in the Faiz Watch and uphenshins to Geiz Faiz Armor.

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Sougo finds Sakuma/Another Fourze attacking the new 18 year old Libra. He tells her to run and he henshins. They spar a little before he uphenshins to Fourze Armor.

The others arrive and Karin tries to plead with Sakuma. She tells him she doesn’t want to live on the death of others and she doesn’t want Sakuma to ruin his life. Sakuma can’t stop. He wants to save Karin.

Sougo says Sakuma isn’t saving her. Geiz tells 2003 Sakuma that what he’s doing is just making Karin suffer.

Sougo and Geiz both say they will save both!

Sougo and Geiz deliver Rider Kicks to Another Faiz and Another Fourze, destroying them for good and freeing Sakuma.

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In 2018, Karin runs over to Sakuma. She thanks him for what he has done for her. But it’s time for her to go and for him to live his life.

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Karin fades away.

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Takumi follows Masato out, but Masato stops him before leaving alone.

Woz confirms Fourze and Faiz’s history has been rewritten.

Back at the shop, Tsukuyomi asks Sougo if he made sure to leave blank Watches for Fourze and Faiz. He hasn’t.

Next week… donuts please!

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Recap: Episode 6.5 – Fourze 555’s Secret

Sougo wonders why Faiz was involved in these episodes when it was supposed to be a Fourze-focus. Indeed, Tsukuyomi is disappointed she wasn’t able to meet Sota Fukushi and Ryo Yoshizawa. Geiz says they couldn’t show up because they’re too busy filming Bleach.

“You’re making it seem like I have nothing else to do.” Takumi steps forward and says he’s making a special appearance since it is the 15th anniversary of Faiz.

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But Geiz asks what does Faiz have to do with Fourze. Takumi says Fourze paid homage to Faiz. Takumi points out the X and triangle on Fourze’s legs. In Greek letters, they are Chi and Delta. Faiz’s circle is on the right elbow, “Phi”.

Geiz points out that there’s a square on the left elbow that has nothing to do with Faiz.

Masato steps forward to explain the real connection is through the Ryuusei School. The Ryuusei School exists to search for the Orphnoc King. It is an orphanage for children who escape death through unusual circumstances. Tsukuyomi realizes both Faiz and Fourze are about schools then.

Sougo perks up at hearing about a king, or “Oh” in Japanese. Masato continues to explain that Fo-OH-rze means it’s about a king as well.

Tsukuyomi concludes that since Zi-O is about a king as well, it’s only natural that Fourze and Faiz would be paired together.

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Takumi tells them not to be fooled by Masato. They lock heads and walk away.

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Tsukuyomi says the two of them are definitely different from Sota Fukushi and Ryo Yoshizawa. Geiz suggests they go watch Bleach now. Sougo and Tsukuyomi cheer and they run off.

Takumi and Masato come back and wonder who wrote this script. They see it was Toei Producer Shirakura.

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Episode Thoughts

I very much enjoyed this episode and I think this two-parter might be the strongest of the three pairs so far. The story itself was also the most cohesive of the three MOTWs and maybe the best illustration of how the Time Jackers do their work.

It’s been a little difficult to follow the season so far but I think they have improved week after week. That’s why I feel like this pair of eps really worked because it was clear, it gave a good look at how the Time Jackers work and the story of the MOTW was relatable and emotional. There was a real sense of danger and consequence with what Sakuma was doing. And that’s always a good way to give a sense of legitimacy to the proceedings.

It’s actually a very morbid story if you look at it. Sakuma/Another FaizFourze has basically been killing girls, taking their body parts (or soul power I guess) and putting them in some kind of FrankenKarin! Yikes!

Still, it really was exciting to see the story unfold for Karin and Sakuma. The execution for the story and the little twists were done very well. And it was done in a way that wasn’t confusing or required a high suspension of disbelief.

Like, you don’t feel that they pulled stuff out of their you know where. Everything fit. Everything was plausible. And again, the story hit the right notes when it comes to being relatable and emotional for the viewer.

All our main characters were used well. And they were all involved in a way that really helped the story move forward. At least for this two-parter. Like Uncle’s metaphor that led to Geiz figuring it out was so obvious, but still alright. Interesting that we got no in-episode Woz this week. But then of course, his King didn’t get a new power up since Sougo gave Geiz the Faiz Watch.

Not having watched Faiz, just seeing Takumi and Masato’s relationship in these two episodes has me interested in the season. I can only imagine how crazy and emotional their story must have been!

I definitely enjoyed the Bleach shout out in episode 6.5. It was probably the most funny of X.5 episode so far since they didn’t really use it for exposition of in-series stuff. They instead used it for some fun moments with Kento Handa and Kohei Murakami as well as fanboying and fangirling about Rider alums doing big things. That is, Sota Fukushi and Ryo Yoshizawa being in the successful Bleach film. Which again, I very much enjoyed.

Overall, I thought this was a very good and enjoyable episode. Maybe the most satisfying of the six episodes so far. Obviously it was very fun for me to see Sento and Ryuga and Emu and Hiiro again. But as a complete package. I think these two episodes were the best in terms of getting the hang of how this season will work.

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