Tojima Wants to Be a Kamen Rider

Episode 9

While the episode starts with the promised fight between Yukarisu and Tojima, it really is little more than a footnote in the episode—one played for humor more than anything else. The only issue is that Tojima doesn't want to punch a normal girl—he wants to punch a shocker combatant. Fighting her untransformed does nothing for him, so he first begs, then goads her into transforming. I will admit, though, her transformation “eeeeeee” coming as part of a sentence got a laugh out of me.

The episode is the payoff to all the Shimamura brothers' backstory we've sat through over the course of the series. For over a decade at this point, Mitsuba has lived in Ichiyo's shadow—forced to become the sidekick while his brother got to be the hero. What's truly unfair about this is that, if it weren't for the difference in age and physical development, Mitsuba wouldn't have been relegated to this role. Ichiyo's only barely managed to win in their previous fight, and, as we see in this episode, it's only because they haven't fought since that Mitsuba hasn't usurped his brother—well, that and one other major difference.

It all stems from the fact that Mitsuba is far more of a well-adjusted person than his brother. He can hold down a job, has a girlfriend, and still has a positive relationship with their sister (all things Ichiyo is unable to do/have). Mitsuba doesn't see himself as the main character in everyone's life. Or to put it another way, he has empathy. Ichiyo, on the other hand, has only trace amounts. If Mitsuba were willing to break his brother's arm on a whim like Ichiyo did to him, the fight scene in this episode would be half as long. Yet to Mitsuba, the fight is over the moment he breaks Ichiyo's arm. To Ichiyo, it's only over when he's unconscious.

The fight ends with the brothers simply trading their strongest rider punches and Mitsuba reaffirming to himself that he's glad he is Riderman—not a sidekick but the true fourth Kamen Rider. And with that, Mitsuba has finally managed to surpass his brother. Though what this means for his future fights is still uncertain. After all, his next fight is either against Tojima or Yuriko, and I don't see either losing to him. But then again, it's just as possible that the two's fight next week ends in a double knockout. We'll have to wait and see.

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Tojima Wants to Be a Kamen Rider is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.