Hahaha, I actually forgot about the police officers bit when I was writing down my immediate thoughts a few days ago. Rewatching it now, I couldn't help but do a double take at Rinko almost crushing to death two (hapless) officers with the car. That wasn't funny. That wasn't just. That was Rinko at her absolute dumbest. Just, wow, Toei. Just, wow.
The manga panels scene was a very clever and well-executed way of circumnavigating around what was probably going to be a massive headache, actually shooting a bird attack scene. I'm glad they went for the manga, because goodness knows how awful cheap-arse Toei would have made it look like, and it wouldn't have been very funny.
Of course, they weren't obligated to have a bird attack segment. It's not like the arc was short of comic relief already! Lobotomising half of Kosuke's brain in an arc where most of the characters were also taking hits to their IQs, while Haruto was mainly walking around rolling his eyes? Well, I suppose it sums up this arc.
I pray that it doesn't get worse than this, especially this late into the game. I wanted to find more positives, but aside from the bird attack, the brief discussion in the children's park, and the 10-second curbstomp by Wiseman? Nothing. This is unequivocally, the worst arc in Wizard, and some of the worst Rider episodes I have seen in a while.