Eldest and Youngest, Believe in Your Kindness.
- Original Airdate: November 14, 2021
Written by: Hanta Kinoshita
Directed by: Koichi Sakamoto
Summary
Vice: Hey, everyone! How's it hangin'?
Make sure you've washed your hands and gargled! After all, hygiene's always important!
I've been so lonely these two weeks...
Hmm? What's that? "Did you beat Evil", you ask? (laughs) You're seriously askin' me that!?
(Scenes from episode 9 and Cold Open play)
...And so that brings us back to the present.
Make sure you've washed your hands and gargled! After all, hygiene's always important!
I've been so lonely these two weeks...
Hmm? What's that? "Did you beat Evil", you ask? (laughs) You're seriously askin' me that!?
(Scenes from episode 9 and Cold Open play)
...And so that brings us back to the present.
The fierce battle between Ikki and Kagero continues! Kagero was born within Daiji's body because of Ikki, out of Daiji's feelings of incompetence for being unable to act as a suitable Kamen Rider. This sparked intense feelings of jealousy towards his brother, which Kagero used to his advantage. Although Ikki is shocked by this reveal, he calls on Daiji many times, to no avail. "Accept it. The Daiji you know is gone forever." Kagero's words echo out as coldly as they could be. Can Ikki still believe in Daiji? Will it ultimately be hope or despair waiting at the end of this intense conflict? In such an extreme situation, the bond between two brothers is tested.
Tropes
- After Action Patch Up: Hiromi and Ikki retreat to the bath house after the fight with Kagero to recover and decide on a plan. Sakura brings in a first aid kit, but still urges Ikki to go to hospital.
- All According to Plan: George's plan is supposedly working, the ten Vistamp set is complete, Kamen Rider Live has arrived. Why? No idea yet, but George claims that he knows what he is doing.
- Armor-Piercing Response: When Vice reveals that he saw Daiji continuing to resist Kagero from the inside, Ikki demands to know why he didn’t tell him earlier. Vice responds that he didn’t think he had to; Ikki kept saying he believed in Daiji, causing Ikki to confront the fact that he hadn’t really believed in Daiji to begin with.
- Bare-Handed Blade Block: Besides headbutting, Revi also stops Evil's strike by grabbing the blade and attempting to wrench it out of the other Rider's grip.
- Batman Gambit: Karizaki's conversation with Wakabayashi near the end of the episode heavily implies that he expected Daiji to overcome Kagero's influence the entire time, and handed the TwoSiDriver over to the demon for the sake of strengthening Kamen Rider Live.
- Beware the Nice Ones: Actually lampshaded by Vice in #10.
- Big Damn Heroes: Hiromi saves Ikki from Kagero and later on Ikki gives Daiji strength to fight back against his demon.
- Chekhov's Gun: Vice's newly-revealed Journey to the Center of the Mind ability reveals more later on when he tells Ikki he used it earlier on Kagero and had learnt that Daiji has been Fighting from the Inside and has not given up yet, giving Ikki motivation to fight from the outside for his brother's sake as well.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: All fights in this episode.
- Hiromi against the powered up Brachio Deadman after the three existing ones fuse.
- Kagero against Ikki before Daiji breaks out, then Ikki manages to turn the tables against the demon.
- Designated Girl Fight: Sakura takes on Aguilera. It works out about as well as the last time.
- Despair Event Horizon: Subverted. When Vice goes inside Kagero's head he finds Daiji there huddled in a Troubled Fetal Position, however he still carries a Determined Expression, which tells Vice that he actually still hasn't fully given up yet.
- Divided We Fall: Sakura tells Ikki that there is no point in trying to fight for the happiness of other families if their own is torn apart. Her own inability to do anything about that has been eating at her for a while.
- Dynamic Entry: Played With. Ikki arrives to his final showdown with Kagero on his squeaky bicycle, but with a renewed hope and strength.
- Even Evil Has Standards: Vice considers Kagero to be a Dirty Coward after his Kick the Dog ploy at the beginning of the episode.
- Fighting from the Inside: Daiji gets up and punches his way out of the prison of his own mind after gaining a Heroic Second Wind from Ikki's apology.
- Flaw Exploitation: Kagero's plan to bring Ikki down in the most painful way possible is by releasing his transformation and briefly impersonating Daiji while Ikki is mid-rider kick.
- Fusion Dance: The three Brachio Deadmans were able to combine, much to the misfortunate of Hiromi and Vice fighting them at that moment.
- He's Back!: Lampshaded by Vice when Ikki recovers from his Heroic BSoD.
- Heartfelt Apology: How Ikki breaks through to Daiji within Kagero. Vice helped him realize that he was not treating Daiji like an equal or trying to understand him.
- "I Know You're in There Somewhere" Fight: Ikki does this to Kagero again, this time apologising to Daiji for belittling him while acknowledging that he had always been a stronger Determinator than he is. It works this time.
- Journey to the Center of the Mind: Vice reveals he has this ability, first used on-screen by diving into Hiromi's mind, which reveals he's internally crying out of guilt for failing to save Daiji.
- Kick the Dog: Both Kagero twisting the knife by impersonating Daiji and Aguilera reminding Sakura of the onsen trip. The latter may cross into Poke the Poodle because of its pettiness, but given how devastating the events there were for the whole family, using it is really low.
- Moment of Weakness: Sakura has been getting more and more agitated by her inability to face Deadmens on her own, so while she refuses to join them, she still hesitates when Aguilera tempts her with the offer of knowledge.
- My God, What Have I Done?: After a pep-talk from Vice, Ikki comes to realize that while he may have said that he believed in Daiji, he never truly put his faith in him.
- The Only One Allowed to Defeat You: Ikki sends Vice off to help Hiromi before his final showdown with Kagero because he wants it to be just between the two of them.
- Pet the Dog: Vice eventually manages to pull Ikki back from the edge of Despair Event Horizon. On the flip side, Ikki genuinely appreciates his help.
- Post-Victory Collapse: Ikki flops into Daiji's arms after defeating Evil and making sure that his younger brother is okay. Daiji catches him and deals with the Brachio Deadman in his place.
- Rule of Symbolism: George is shown solo-playing a large-sized Reversi/Othello gamenote , which involves flipping pieces between black and white much like Evil/Live's situation and powers.
- Stealth Hi/Bye: Aguilera gets the drop on Sakura and after being spotted by her friend from the dojo, she gets away via Offscreen Teleportation.
- Shower of Angst: Bath of angst in Ikki's case. The Fanservice factor is somewhat reduced by him being so beaten up.
- Time Skip: Vice claims he has been lonely for the past two weeks, implying that the time between the #9 and #10 is the same both out- and in-universe.
- Villain Takes an Interest: Aguilera towards Sakura, inviting her to join the Deadmans and "become Giff's child". Sakura's reaction is just what you'd expect.
- Unspoken Plan Guarantee: Wakabayashi and George agree that George's plan is working. No details on anything other than needing the 10 Vistamp set and Live (apparently). It's uncertain how much Wakabayashi knows because Karizaki might actually be just making things as he goes.
- Use Your Head: Revi headbutts Evil during their final fight.
- Wham Shot: Vice observes Ikki disappear from a family picture once again.
- You Didn't Ask: Vice had known that Daiji is still alive since the previous battle with Evil, but didn't tell Ikki until before the next one.
