Kamen Rider Wizard, EP 20 -"Learning the Truth"

This episode was...odd. Dunno if it's just me but there were at least 2 sudden, random shifts in mood and it just really threw me off.

The Gate went through what many people have nightmares about. Really surprised she hasn't lost hope yet.
The Phantom's design, personality, and just overall tone feels really grim.(badass as **** though)
The way Phoenix was being treated made it impossible to not feel incredibly sorry for him despite who he is and what he's done.

Then Kousuke pops up out of nowhere announcing that it's lunchtime. Very tense episode but some minor things just completely changed the tone of the episode. Really sad to see Beelzebub go though. I'm going to miss him almost as much as Lizardman.

Really like the episode, and for the first time I feel like a phantom is really...well evil. I like his design, but I won't miss the bastard when he is gone. Rinko doing all this detective work and the tone that goes with it feels so much like Agito. I love it, I really, really do. Phoenix being all rage beast is kind of...depressing in a way, but also very nice show of character. When he was screaming at the sky I felt it, and I like that. The stuff regarding Yuugo was down right depressing because I hate the thought of such a good guy ending up as a phantom. I really hope this will lead to some phantoms being able to regain their humanity...or something to that degree. I'm that kind of guy.

My favorite scene was the very begining when Kousuke was resisting the storm and everyone was getting knocked off their feet. Him screaming in the raging storm as mayo flew all over the place was...amazing. I'm serious, it was. Haruto reacting was very nice as well.

Those rings...I won't lie, I laughed. I laughed alot. Dress up is great, but I hope it can do other clothing styles before all is said and done. Excite is not what I expected, but it was still hilarious and useful. Hope to see more of it, though i wonder how much mana his brawn form drains.

Man Shunpei in this episode....he wasn't annoying. Not at all! Thank you Jesus he finally found his groove! I also like that little restaurant they hid the gate in. Seems Shunpei and Haruto have a bro hang out, that or it was the first place they dived into. Fun change of pace from the doughnut stand anyway, no offense to the pink clad duo.

Haruto gets to use some odd rings in an effort to save a loud housewife in another awesome episode of Wizard!

- It's official, Wizard's rings are much more random than Fourze's Switches ever were. First a ring that gives Haruto a fancy makeover, and then the steroid-inducing Excite Ring... I have to wonder how the creators come up with these rings!

- It's fitting that a Phantom based off Beelzebub would give Wizard more of a run for his money than most of the Phantoms he's come up against. I was starting to get tired of Phantoms who just abused their abilities to win fights but were otherwise just out of their league against Wizard even in his base Styles. Considering Wizard's about to get an upgrade in the next episode, it makes sense to have a strong opponent who necessitates it. Well, it's pretty much a requirement for all Rider upgrades.

- Seeing Beelzebub made me wonder... is Wiseman based on any mythological entity? If not, I like that our Big Bad is the only "original" Phantom.

- It was nice to get some development on both Phoenix and his human self Yuugo. With Phoenix, we find he's growing discontent with not being able to fight Wizard, perfect rival attitude, and that he's not as dumb as his brute demeanor and aggressive tendencies had led us to believe. As for his human self, Yuugo seems to have been the complete opposite of Phoenix in terms of personality, and sadly lost himself in his prime during the Eclipse Ritual. I doubt Rinko will be able to bring out any good left in Phoenix, but I'm interested to see where their interactions will lead to. I also can't wait until we get a peak at Medusa/Misa.

- Kosuke came out of nowhere sure... but that's nothing new for Second Riders. And the Chameleo Mantle doesn't just make him invisible? Makes me curious as to whether the other Mantles have secondary abilities we haven't seen yet.

- Can't wait next week for the debut of the Drago Timer, the return of Wizardragon, and All Dragon forms vs. Beelzebub!

ooo5 said:

Haruto gets to use some odd rings in an effort to save a loud housewife in another awesome episode of Wizard!

- Seeing Beelzebub made me wonder... is Wiseman based on any mythological entity? If not, I like that our Big Bad is the only "original" Phantom.

Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure Wiseman is based on just that; a wiseman. Wiseman can refer to a shaman, witch doctor, druid, or a magical donor like Merlin, Yaga Baba, or various animals. This all suits Wiseman very well, wouldn't you think?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donor_(fairy_tale)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biblical_Magi

ooo5 said:

- Seeing Beelzebub made me wonder... is Wiseman based on any mythological entity? If not, I like that our Big Bad is the only "original" Phantom.

Click to expand...

Yeah. He's based off the mythological figure of the Magi Supercomputers.

ooo5 said:

I doubt Rinko will be able to bring out any good left in Phoenix, but I'm interested to see where their interactions will lead to.

Click to expand...

I agree. i actually think that there is NO good left in him. Now Phoenix may be special because he always regenerates, but that doesn't mean he is still "human" or has a soul.

I love that he just really enjoys being violent and brash, which others have mentioned is in stark contrast to the sweet florist we saw he was before. I wonder if Phantoms are like Vampires from Buffy where they take up repressed traits of the dead human, i.e. AU lesbian Willow-vamp (from the Cordelia wishes Buffy never came to Sunnydale episode).

THOUGH it would be very interesting to see IF he does turn good if it is because I am totally wrong and the retention of the "human" part or soul is what makes him able to regenerate.

However, I think the tear is a farce. He wants to show that he is more than a brute. I think he is going to try to gain Rinko's trust and do a double cross. As far as I can remember, no one in the Wizard's Band knows what Phoenix's human form looks like. Beelzebub may go away next episode, but I have a feeling that Phoenix will prove himself a greater opponent for Wizard as Phoenix and Fujita.

I would have watched & reviewed this episode sooner, but I've been feeling sick the last few days. I wish Haruto had a Sickness Healing ring. Speaking of rings...

--Wow. It is coming down HARD! How you do ANYTHING in that whether is beyond me...
--Gentleman Wizard! I love it! Not sure why they think it's useless, I love dressing up!
--Muscles?! GIMME!!! I've been needing to get into shape! Again, why would they call it useless?!?!
--Oh boy, Rinko found Phoenix. ... Please tell me she isn't interested in him or anything like that. h34r:
--A woman needs to be sweet talked into giving her husband his food, runs into monsters on her way to friends, Phantom hits on her in an extra creepy way, and Phantom acts like a conductor while Wizard fights... This day just keeps getting weirder and weirder.
--I REALLY hate people who can't put their phones down. HARUTO AND SHUNPEI ARE TALKING TO YOU, LADY! Put the dang phone down and look them in the face for 5 minutes!
--HA! Haruto dresses up and ditches Shunpei! I knew he'd do it, but it doesn't make it any less hilarious. :laugh:
--So, instead of telling her how they really feel, they talk louder and ignore her. Crude, but it worked. Weirdest party ever. ...And she's over it! Just like that! :O_O:
--lol. Oh, Phoenix. Of course violence isn't going to work. This is a battle against magic. You big silly. :rolleyes2:
--She needs attention to feel better? What an attention whore.
--Oh, I get it! These aren't her friends, they are Ghouls in disguise or something to make her despair. Me: 1, Phantoms: 0. :198:
--And Phoenix found Rinko. Oh boy...
--Or that lady's friends are just under mind control... That works too. So much for my points. :disappoin
--Holy jump scares! Rinko's in trouble! And just when I was about to award her for actually doing something useful for once.
--Wow. And now her husband too, and with attempted vehicular assault no less! This phantom is a real nuisance. He just has to go...
--Wizard ate the Mega Mushroom! It's the Super Wizardio Bros.!
--So that's why he's named Beelzebub. He makes your life a living H-E-Double Hockey Sticks!

So that's it. Nitoh was kind of last minute detail, but maybe he'll have a bigger role in the next episode. Speaking of next episode... Four Dragon Style Wizards for the price of one? Oh boy... I wonder what kind of strain this will put on Haruto.

If one is to believe the preview, I'm surprised that the upgrade item doesn't give rise to a new form..

It will. It's called All Dragon, and it's the true Mid-Season Upgrade for Wizard. The form's just debuting up a little later down the line.

So the Excite ring basically turns Wizard into the Hulk for a few seconds... I can get behind that.