Recap: Kamen Rider Saber, Chapter 4: I Opened the Book, Therefore.

The SoL crew are at the North Pole trying to process what’s just happened and why the people have not been saved yet. Ogami-san says none of them understand what he as a parent is going through. But Touma promises that he will save Sora.

Ogami-san thinks Touma’s promises are nonsense and grabs him by the collar, blaming him for Sora’s situation. Rintaro tries to pacify Ogami-san, but gets shoved into the book wall instead.

Touma calmly replies that he will keep his promise. He leaves and Rintaro follows him back home.

Sophia and Tetsuo watch as Kento tries to tell Ogami-san that Touma does not make promises without consideration. He feels that the memories Touma lost 15 years ago and the promise he could not keep is what weighs on his mind.

Kento hands Ogami-san the Needle Hedgehog Book and asks him to put his faith in Touma.

Touma tries to figure out what story Hanzaki Megiddo could be based upon. He looks through an animal encyclopedia and sees that Hanzaki isn’t a lizard, but a sanshouuo salamander which is able to regenerate even if cut in half.

As for why Hanzaki is collecting people, Touma remembers the Legend of the Man-Eating Salamander in which a salamander ate enough people to allow him to become king.

Touma and Rintaro decide to go back to the other world to search for the captured people. Mei asks how they could possibly search such a large area.

Just then, Ogami-san pops in and asks Touma what he promised Sora. Touma says he would show Sora how amazing books could be.

Rintaro asks why Touma loves to make promises. Remembering the little girl that he couldn’t hold on to before she got sucked into the sky, Touma says he isn’t quite sure. But what he is sure of is that he must use his power to save people if he can.

The words seem to change Ogami-san’s mind and he agrees to join them into the other world.

Mei wants to come with, but she trips and everything falls out of her bag. That includes a blank Book which she decides to use to also travel to the other world.

Elsewhere, Calibur frees Desast from a chained Book after 15 years of imprisonment. Calibur asks how he feels to be free, but Desast says he doesn’t have to tell him anything.

Before Touma, Rintaro and Ogami-san can step into the book, Desast appears to them. Ogami-san knows exactly who he is, saying he’s killed many swordsmen.

Touma steps forward to take him on himself and hands Ogami-san the Jack Book. But Ogami-san, remembering Kento’s words to him earlier, says he will take care of Desast. He tosses the Needle Hedgehog Book to Touma and says he will leave Sora to them.

Ogami-san henshins and Touma and Rintaro step inside the book. Calibur watches from around the corner.

While Ogami-san and Desast battle again for the first time in 15 years, Mei falls perfectly into one of the bubbles that Hanzaki is using to keep the humans that will serve as salamander food. She is happy to see Sora in the bubble right next to her. She pulls a firework out of her bag and shoots it into the air. Touma and Rintaro see it and hurry over.

Sora says he shouldn’t have ever opened the boring book. Touma arrives and says he is wrong. Books can be amazing as long as they aren’t used for evil.

Rintaro uses Lion Senki to blow water at the bubbles, releasing all the trapped humans.

Hanzaki comes running in and Touma and Rintaro both two volume henshin.

Ogami-san uses the Jack Book to uphenshin and takes the battle against Desast to the next level. Ogami-san is able to swipe Desast’s Storm Eagle Book. Desast just laughs and before he leaves, says things will get more interesting now.

Back in the other world, Touma and Rintaro struggle against Hanzaki’s slimy body and his regenerative ability. Touma asks Rintaro if he can triple volume henshin and asks for the Peter Fantasista Book to try it out.

Touma uphenshins and Sora is amazed by the interesting combination of stories. Mei tries to explain the stories to him while Touma effectively battles against Hanzaki.

Rintaro is wowed by Touma’s unorthodox fighting style. But it works. Touma is able to finish off Hanzaki with a Three Volume Strike that includes Peter Fan and Tinkerbell.

A very muscular and kawaii Tinkerbell!

Sora says he has no idea what’s going on, but it’s all very fun!

With the finisher, Hanzaki is destroyed for good.

Touma is surprised when Sora says he enjoyed the interesting happenings and asks if he can read more books.

Mei and Sora are returned to Earth. And Sora reunites with his father.

Ogami-san acknowledges Touma as a man who keeps his promises.

Back in the other world. Touma feels weak and Rintaro says using three volumes can be very taxing for even the most experienced swordsman.

Rintaro helps Touma up, but Calibur suddenly appears. Touma remembers Calibur as the knight from his dreams.

Up in the North Pole, Sophia can feel the presence of the “swordsman of darkness.”

Touma and Rintaro henshin, but Calibur is much too strong. Calibur demands they hand over Rekka and Brave Dragon.

Calibur sends a huge attack at them, but a mysterious Rider appears to shield them and is to transport Calibur away.

Episode Thoughts

I definitely enjoyed this one. Maybe my favorite episode so far. It was all business and it gave us a great look at Touma’s character too. He’s been great, but he really showed his heroic side in this episode. So I was just as pleasantly surprised as Ogami-san was.

It was a good arc for Ogami-san and his son. I think the two episodes helped with world building. We understand there’s definitely a long history that we’re only scratching the surface of.

I enjoyed seeing Mei get in on the action in a funny, but very effective way. And she did it on her own too. I hope we see more of that.

And I am also enjoying Rintaro’s comic relief side. Obviously, he’s not like an actual comic relief character. But of the main characters aside from Mei, he seems to be the most fun and has the most potential for amusing lines and moments while still taking care of business when he needs to. I really like that for the main Secondary Rider.

One of things I will be looking for is how the show treats Touma’s relationships. The bonds and relationships of the main characters are always one of the biggest draws for me for any toku series. And sometimes it’s a make or break part of the season for me.

We know Rintaro is the “main” Secondary Rider and he and Mei complete our main trio. But we also have Kento and the (for now) mysterious girl from Touma’s childhood. Touma and Kento were supposedly very close and played a lot with each other in their story lands. So that would normally be the relationship to watch. But I really feel like the season’s main ride-or-die group will be Touma, Rintaro and Mei.

I mean, that’s what it would traditionally be. But they’re obviously the ones in the ED dance of course. So how will the series treat Touma’s relationships and friendships will be an interesting thing to watch.

Calibur is making his move. And we get a new villain in Desast. The backstory with Ogami-san is something I hope they expand on too.

I’d really like to see more if the Megiddo though. Like, they’ve only popped up for a few seconds each episode and by now I feel like we should have seen more of them already. They remind me very much of the Roidmude from Drive. And I think by this time, we’ve got a good sense of the Roidmude dynamic. (Though it’s been so long and distance “hindsight” makes the heart grow fonder. Lol) So I hope they can do that here soon.

I was wondering last episode if Sora was the same little kid that was being a brat to Juuru a few weeks ago and indeed it was! What a lucky kid to get to be on both Sentai and Kamen Rider! That’s awesome!

Also very awesome, Reika Saiki’s guest starring role as Tinkerbell!

Looks like we’ll get Kento’s big Rider debut next week. So I’m looking forward to that.

But overall, my favorite episode so far. Very exciting, great action and some nice character moments for most of our main characters.