Recap: Kamen Rider Saber – The Phoenix Swordsman and the Book of Ruin

A little boy sits on a park bench alone while he watches the other kids enjoying a game of football. A shadowy Touma looks up from his book to tell the little boy to get up and act instead of sitting and watching if he really wants something.

“You get to write the end of your story,” Touma advises him.

Meanwhile, a mysterious man brings death upon the ground he walks on as he looks over WonderWorld while holding an ominous book. He releases the Book into the sky and it releases terrifying monsters that he declares will return everything to nothing.

Tassel takes care of the needed exposition as he explains that this man is Bacht/Bahato and he has opened the Book of Ruin and Destruction. Because Bacht/Bahato is the dangerous Immortal Swordsman, he had sealed him away. But here he is about to destroy both WonderWorld and the real world.

Large holes are opening up in the skies across Japan, sucking everything in to leave nothing behind.

Mei runs into the little boy from the park and tells him not to worry as Touma and friends will protect them all.

Touma and Friends make their grand entrance as they survey the impending apocalypse. They each take a moment to express their resolve and promise to make it out of this “movie” alive.

Bacht/Bahato laughs and henshins to Kamen Rider Falchion.

Touma and Friends also henshin and enter a Book to face Bacht/Bahato’s terrifying unending army of apocalypse-inducing monsters.

Touma faces Bacht/Bahato who says that humanity’s hunger for war and conflict stems from power and it will never end. Humanity’s history is filled with conflict and Bacht/Bahato says humans will never progress beyond that. That’s why everything which started from nothingness must return to nothingness.

The others refuse to accept that declaration. Ogami-san says he has to protect the world in order for Sora to have a future. Kento says people make mistakes, but being able to atone for one’s sins makes them human. Ren says you can become stronger as long as you keep moving forward. Rintaro says he will not give up on his future or that of homo sapiens. Tetsuo says human history is not just war, but also includes technology, feelings and his cool sounds.

The peoples of Tokyo watch the live feed on a large Book in the middle of the city. Mei explains to the little boy that these odd warriors are Kamen Riders who protect the world by fighting while everyone else lives their lives. Mei says Kamen Riders fight for everyone’s future even if their own is not guaranteed.

Bacht/Bahato says Touma’s destruction is destined to be and set in stone. But Touma believes you make your own destiny and write your own story which altogether becomes history.

Touma says war will never disappear, but humans also have other positive attributes as well. Bacht/Bahato insists the world is nothing but evil and must be returned to nothingness.

Touma believes the world can still recover from war and can continue to make their own future.

Touma delivers a finisher at Bacht/Bahato and explodes, but he immediately comes back to life. Bacht/Bahato delivers a finisher at Touma and he is forced to dehenshin when he is blasted off the side of the floating rock.

The little boy is resigned to the fact that they’re all as good as dead. But Mei insists the Kamen Riders will come through and save the day.

Just then, Touma emerges from the flames. He declares he will never give up. A floating Book produces a new Book which he uses to henshin to Emotional Dragon.

Bacht/Bahato repeats that everything will return to nothingness and he and Touma resume their battle. Mei and the little boy watch with a renewed hope as everyone finishes off the foot soldiers.

Touma delivers a finisher at Bacht/Bahato who gets sealed in the Book. Everything returns to normal. Only the little boy remembers what has just happened and decides to take Touma’s advice and approach the other kids so they can play football together.

Touma and friends happily watch the football pick-up game as Mei comes running in with eclairs to celebrate.

Later, Master Logos locks the Book of Ruin and Destruction away.

Movie?! Thoughts

What in the world?!

So I am watching this after Episode 34 and what?! First of all, this movie is shorter than a regular series episode. Which is not rare. But those always fall short. But at the same time, how did they squeeze an entire season’s worth of plot into it too? This is so strange to me.

Honestly, this would’ve been a perfect season finale episode. What was it doing being the winter movie? This should’ve absolutely been endgame. The way that this movie started out of nowhere and is supposed to be placed between Episode 10 and 11 in continuity is amazing. I have no words.

Bacht/Bahato is an alright character. But it would be much better if he was introduced in-series and actually be a bigger part of it. Perhaps even the eventual final boss.

But better yet, transfer his story to Master Logos or someone else. My feelings about Episode 34 would not have changed one bit had I watched this movie before watching 34. They still didn’t give Bacht/Bahato much of a foundation to keep him from being completely irrelevant to the story.

Again, his story of being driven to want the apocalypse would’ve worked as the series endgame for a final boss. It’s a legit premise for a villain goal. End the world that killed his family. Sure! It certainly makes more sense than what we’re actually getting in-series.

That’s why this “movie” felt much more like a finale episode instead. It’s the kind of grand final battle you’d expect to see. But in a movie? And with zero story to support it? It just doesn’t make any sense.

The movies are usually able to stand alone even if they get referenced in-series. But this movie was all fluff. And repetitive fluff at that. I am surprised they even had enough material for 20 minutes.

The only thing I liked was seeing those drones flying around during that “night” battle. It looked very cool. Though it would’ve been even cooler had they made the drones do a formation type of thing in the sky.

The end credits were cute too.

I dunno man. Saber is frustrating. But it’s fascinating, in a way. Like, what is going on with it? It can get completely bonkers, but not in a fun way.