Episode 4: The Man-Eating Sarracenia

The first Rider Kick finally explodes! ...Or so it should have, but I was shaken by the "lack of human heart" shown by Takeshi Hongo and Ruriko.

Everyone, we've arrived.

This is the fourth installment of my serious, all-out review of every episode of the original Kamen Rider!

This time, I'm reviewing Episode 4, "The Man-Eating Sarracenia," which features the first plant-based monster.

It's a classic early-series horror episode where Shocker kidnaps ordinary people at a suspicious botanical garden... but.

This time, more than the terror of Shocker, the "lack of delicacy" and "arrogance" of Takeshi Hongo and the heroine, Ruriko, made me shout "Wait, you've got to be kidding me!" in front of the screen (lol).

I'll deliver the hilarious and moving points of this episode, condensed into four shocks with high tension!

Shock 1: Ruriko-san attacks a boy's family situation as naturally as breathing.

The story begins with a scene featuring Kenji-kun, a boy whose older sister was taken away by Shocker.

Kenji-kun, who wasn't believed by adults because he's just a child, is brought to Takeshi Hongo by our heroine, Ruriko Midorikawa, but...

No, rather than bringing him, if you look at it objectively, the tone is almost like a "kidnapping" (lol).

Furthermore, after being brought to Hongo, Ruriko-san's unkind words cut deep into the boy's heart.

Ruriko: "Your sister is probably home already, your mother must be worried."

Kenji: "...My mother isn't there."

Ruriko: (Without feeling guilty) "Then, what about your father?"

Kenji: "...He's dead."

The air that fills the screen is just too awkward!!! (lol)

Ruriko-san, I'm sure she has no ill intent, but her style of attacking a boy's complex family situation without any hesitation upon first meeting him was so intense it made me tremble.

Shock 2: Takeshi Hongo 'crushes' a boy's hand while trying to encourage him

Perhaps sensing the awkward atmosphere, Takeshi Hongo, the hero of justice, makes a move here.

He gently takes the hand of Kenji, who is depressed after his sister was taken, to try and cheer him up, but...

Everyone, please don't forget: Takeshi Hongo is a 'cyborg'.

His strength is so immense that instead of encouraging the boy, he grips his hand with enough force to crush it (lol).

Watching through the screen, the boy's hand clearly looks painful, and I couldn't stop myself from shouting, 'Hongo! Watch your strength! Think about how hard you're gripping!!'

Even so, Kenji was brave. With his hand swollen bright red, he asks Hongo, 'If you find my sister, I'll give you my prized model airplane.' It's a promise between men.

Shock 3: Blocking a knife with a memento model airplane, then tossing it away

After that, Takeshi Hongo infiltrates the Shocker hideout.

A knife is thrown at him by an attacking combatant, and to my surprise, Hongo uses the precious model airplane he received from Kenji as a shield to block the knife.

Just as I was starting to feel moved, thinking, 'Oh, the boy's feelings saved Hongo!', the very next moment happens.

Takeshi Hongo throws the model airplane, which had broken after being hit by the knife, onto the floor without a second thought (lol).

The token of a promise between men, treated as a disposable item!

A man who jumps over combatants on a motorcycle clearly handles objects differently than the rest of us.

Shock 4: The 'First Rider Kick' finally explodes!

Following the 'whack-a-mole' against combatants under the dirt from the last episode, Takeshi Hongo is once again the height of recklessness this time.

Beating the attacking Shocker combatants to a pulp is already a daily occurrence. This time, he even slams them into the floor or ground with all his might and drags them around while they are still struggling!

Watching the screen, my brain almost glitched, wondering, 'Hey, which one is the evil organization and which one is the hero of justice!?' The intimidation and violence unleashed by the Rider completely overshadows the terror of Shocker.

After a death match with Sarracenian, finally, at long last...

The legendary "Rider Kick" explodes for the first time in episode 4!!!

This is a beautiful strike that is truly worthy of Kamen Rider, in a different league from the brute force punishments like the "throws" and "scissors" seen so far. The Sarracenian, slammed into the ground, hissed and melted away into foam.

All the various points that made me want to retort up until now are wiped clean by this single moment of "coolness." This is why I can't stop watching the original Kamen Rider!

Finally: All's well that ends well... or is it?

Episode 4 reached a happy ending with the sister safely rescued.

However, I gasped when I saw the outfit of Kenji's sister, who was rescued at the end.

...Isn't that an incredibly short miniskirt?

The sister, who should have been attacked by Shocker's bizarre plant, kidnapped, and put through a terrible ordeal, had healthy, beautiful legs that stole the entire attention of the male viewers at the very last moment. The hidden fan service of Showa-era tokusatsu is truly formidable.

Having overcome numerous instances of violence and a lack of delicacy, Kamen Rider has finally unleashed his finishing kick.

Next time, episode 5 is "Bizarre Mantis Man."

I'm going to play episode 5 with my heart full of anticipation for what kind of drama (and retorts) await me next!

(Editor's Note)

This time, I was rolling on the floor laughing alone in my room at Takeshi Hongo's fluid, indelicate move of "plastic model shield -> tossing it aside" (lol). The moment of the first Rider Kick was so moving that I genuinely got goosebumps!

And for the customary Ruriko-san check, with her direct assault on the boy's home environment and her almost kidnapping-like escort style, her "wild cuteness" is being polished with every episode. And the miniskirt of the rescued sister at the end... the destructive power of the female cast's visuals was also a hidden highlight of episode 4 (lol).

What did you think about Takeshi Hongo's handling of the plastic model? (lol) Please let me know in the comments or by clicking "Like".

See you next time in episode 5!