"I am Hongo Takeshi...Kamen Rider Ichigo!"
- This film could just be called "Hiroshi Fujioka Being A Badass: The Movie" and that would sum it up pretty well. Lets try to count his moments of badassery, shall we?
- The film opens with him beating the shit out of some thugs while untransformed in a matter of seconds.
- Later he pulls a Big Damn Heroes, saving Mayu, and preforms his first transformation in the film. During said transformation, almost all environmental noise is silenced, as if to highlight how badass the transformation is.
- Then he goes ahead, goes to Mayu's school, and preforms a speech that pretty much sums up the core of his character: A protector of all life.
- Then he tries to make it up to her by being the parental figure she lacked.
- He manages to break through a forcefield. In any other Rider movie, he would just be repelled to show how strong the Eyecon is . But no, he just cracks that thing with one punch, with barely any loss in momentum.
- Then we get to Hongo's resurrection, and he does it in style.
- He then does ANOTHER Big Damn Heroes and saves Ghost and Specter. All while riding the Neo Cyclone.
- Hongo then fights the Big Bad on equal footing for a time, who was giving Ghost and Specter a hard time.
- All three riders setting up for the finishing move. RIDER...KICK!. With those words, Hongo finishes the Alexander-empowered Urga.
- The film then concludes with Hongo riding away on his bike, all set to an orchestral remix of the original 1971 theme!
- The Ghost characters deserve credit where it's due. Ghost and Specter fight using the Legendary Eycons, using the abilities of Takeru's predecessors. Complete with borrowing their catchphrases as well as the music of the Legend Riders playing as well.
- Takeru gets his own story arc of relating to the much older Takeshi, who gives the new rider a riddle about life as a test. Kamen Rider Ghost passes with flying colors by the end.
- Takeru telling his answer suitably impresses Takeshi as he himself had to relearn the same answer.
- Before he leaves, Takeshi Hongo erases any doubt he sees Kamen Rider Ghost as a worthy successor by telling him to keep his confidence as a hero and that his comrades will always be there in spirit to support him. Kamen Rider Ichigo included.
