Recap: Kamen Rider Saber, Chapter 43 – Clash, the Value of Existence

Recap: Kamen Rider Saber, Episode 43 – Clash, the Value of Existence

Kamen Rider Saber Episode 43 Recap

Desast is struggling as he’s almost reached his end. “Haven’t left anything behind, have I?” Watching him, Ren walks away and ponders Desast’s words to him earlier.

Up north, the gang is realizing Storious has Master Logos’ Wonder Ride Book. And with Viktor dead, Storious has all five powers of The First. Mei tells them about Luna appearing, then disappearing earlier. Touma thanks her for confirming she’s safe.

Anyway, they need to take care of the encroaching Wonder World. And Viktor’s Book might do it.

Kamen Rider Saber Episode 43 Recap

Storious, marveling at the five Books, says it’s almost time.

Ogami-san, Rintaro and Mei go out to look for Storious. Kento tries to remember all the landmarks where they battled Storious in his visions. Sophia senses an energy from the south. While Tetsuo searches for possible locations, Touma heads out.

Kamen Rider Saber Episode 43 Recap

Ren finds Desast in a warehouse and says he will take him on, per his wishes.

Kamen Rider Saber Episode 43 Recap

Rintaro finds Luna who thinks he’s a creep.

Kamen Rider Saber Episode 43 Recap

The Shindai Sibs pop up behind Mei so Ryoga can thank her. She tussles his hair and takes his hand in hers, causing Reika to be so jealous she tries to slice their hands off.

Kamen Rider Saber Episode 43 Recap

Storious feels now is the time.

Touma comes across a suspicious tower and slashes in front of it to reveal a door. The Shindai Sibs arrive to help him as they walk through.

Kamen Rider Saber Episode 43 Recap

Desast is winning the battle so far. Ren is repeatedly forced to dehenshin and cries out about being so weak. He tries the others’ finishers, but Desast says those attacks are not him.

Kamen Rider Saber Episode 43 Recap

Desast proclaims that Ren’s life has no meaning. Ren is able to escape Desast’s latest attack. Desast says he wants Ren to show him what he can do before he dies.

Kamen Rider Saber Episode 43 Recap

Ren gets a burst of energy and Desast likes what he sees.

The two of them introduce themselves by name and they engage in their fiercest face off yet. “I’ll put my entire being into defeating you!” Ren says. Desast laughs and tells him to bring it on.

Ren gets Desast on his back. Desast relishes this pre-death feeling and says he wishes they had never met. Ren wishes the same.

Kamen Rider Saber Episode 43 Recap

Ren delivers the decisive slash at Desast and watches as he crumbles away.

Kamen Rider Saber Episode 43 Recap

Desast says he has to go now and advises Ren to just be himself and eat his red ginger.

Kamen Rider Saber Episode 43 Recap

Desast completely disappears and Ren says he had fun. He thanks Desast one final time.

Inside the tower, Touma and the Shindai Sibs find the Sophia clone, now fully clothed, waiting for them. Ryoga warns Touma that this is not the real Sophia.

Kamen Rider Saber Episode 43 Recap

redSophia lights up the room to reveal the walls of Book-trapped peoples. Storious comes out and applauds his “hero” arriving. But Touma demands he release the Booked people. Instead, the Charybdis Megido swallows all the Booked people before eating redSophia too.

Touma and the Shindai Sibs henshin and battle the Charybdis Megido. Storious soaks in the wonderful scene he’s written as the battle is taken to a different stage.

Kamen Rider Saber Episode 43 Recap

The Megido struggles, much to Storious annoyance. So he takes matters into his own hands. He signals the Megido to swallow him and he emerges from the body of the Megido with a brand new Book made from everything it had eaten.

Storious excitedly proclaims he knows how this story will end now and it will be decided by him.

Kamen Rider Saber Episode 43 Recap

Meanwhile, Ren enjoys a cup of ramen.

Kamen Rider Saber Episode 43 Recap

Episode Thoughts

Well, this episode didn’t have as many absurd things as recent episodes. So that’s a positive.

Not too happy getting the crossover episode especially with this cliffhanger. But they gotta promote the movies I guess.

Anyway, this episode is what happens when you have good ideas on paper. It was a great climax to a story that was completely undercooked and centered around characters who were completely mishandled.

That dramatic, emotional song playing as Desast and Ren battle to the death. Two “old friends” now fighting each other. The mentor trying to impart one last bit of wisdom to his protégé. Both coming to a realization about their lives. That both are worth something. They’re not useless beings. They’ve got a purpose.

Woohoo! Great ideas.

But, Desast and Ren haven’t shared enough time together to justify such a dramatic and profound idea of an ending. There was no effort to fully develop this story. And I think they only did it to keep Ren away from the rest of the northern crew for budget and logistical reasons.

It’s somewhat sad to see Desast go. But again, they completely mishandled his character. When Desast first began following Ren around, I commented that it was a little like a Death Note dynamic which was amusing and fun. But the show didn’t know what to do with them.

What I would’ve done would have been to introduce the Ren-Desast connection earlier on and fleshed out their inner struggles a bit more and presenting more opportunities for them to grow as characters. Alas, they suffered the same fate as most of the characters this season.

Storious is definitely taking his time with this end of the world plan. But he just needs to hurry up. Let’s get it over with, man!

Overall, a relatively better episode from the previous weeks. But still a perfect example of the season’s underdeveloped storylines and characters.

5 thoughts on “Recap: Kamen Rider Saber, Chapter 43 – Clash, the Value of Existence

  1. I hate this episode. Because it both makes me want Ren to somehow use Desast’s Book to do something that effects Storious’s plans, but also because I don’t feel he has actually earned that. 18 FUDGING episodes this side branch plot has existed separate from everything else, and it still doesn’t feel like means anything, but you also can’t just prune it here and have it be meaningless.

      1. I don’t know if the entire time has been Ramen with Desast, but this plot thread seperated from the ball back when Kento-Kun returned as Calibur 3. Which I guess highlights one of the flaws of Saber, instead of giving one character at a time a condensed second story and only having one running at a time, it runs them all all the time.

  2. It’s been month since I wrote something in Saber, and due to upcoming episode is crossover special with Zenkaiger as tie-in with upcoming crossover movie, Superhero Senki, I decided to post my thoughts on show so far.

    Ever since I last posted comment, few stuffs happened; Kento return as Espada, Luna the plot device turns out to be Wonderworld itself (who cares), Isaac kicks the bucket, Tassel’s death, and Storious got new looks. Despite those stuff, the show goes unbelievably at slow and frustrating pace indeed.

    Desast and Ren had final battle… and that’s about it.
    Battle itself was nothing too special, while choreography was decent.
    As for Desast as character, I like the idea and concept, but execution was flat and such a wasted opportunity… like everything else in the show.
    His weird rivalry with Ren sounds interesting on paper, but it really contribute much to overall plot and felt very shallow as well. It also doesn’t help most of the characters in the show doesn’t have good development either.

    Storious, who got new looks, FINALLY gets to do something, where final battle about to start.
    Despite all that, I just don’t feel much excitement, due to how poorly written and executed to lead to this event.

    Now excuse me, I have this weird craving for ramen for some reason. lol XD

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