What are your thoughts on Kamen Rider Zeztz 03? How do you like the Capsems?

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Kamen Rider Zeztz Episode 3 Review: Broken Dream

Kamen Rider Zeztz episode 3 might be giving us too much of a good thing. There were definitely things I liked about it, but also things I did not like and want changed. I doubt they are going to change them, so that might end up being a constant complaint for me going forward. Overall though, I did like the episode. It was a lot of fun and there were some good things going on.

Quick thoughts

Nem was interesting this episode. The villain perspective was interesting too. Mr. Fujimi getting resolution on his issue was handled well. It honestly sets him up to stay involved going forward and it was done very well.

The episode also did a good job setting up the Nightmares as a real threat. The fact that they can leak out into the real world and cause real damage raises the stakes a lot. It gives our hero Baku even more necessity and pressure. Right now he is the only one who can do this, so he has to be good at it.

What did not work

I find the muscle effects they keep using on impact to be excessive, dumb, and silly. They are gilding the lily. They already put Zeztz in darkness in all three of these episodes so far so that his suit can light up and show off those cool light up panels. I think those are practical effects and they look fantastic. The lights on the mask and suit look great. The swirl in the eyes during the transformation is probably digital, but I do like the look.

The suit design is slick. It has sculpted muscles that look really good. Taking the chest armor from the original Kamen Rider design and turning them into abs works. It looks muscular and modern and it still feels connected to the original Kamen Rider 1. I still love that design and I like this modern version a lot.

But the bulging muscle effects and the pulsing veins are too much. I do not like them.

I have probably already said I think the capsule gimmick is dumb. I like what the capsules do overall. For example the Transform capsule we saw this episode and last episode is actually cool. Last time he swept a truck with spiky legs. He can transform his body however he wants with Transform. It feels a little overpowered, but I do not mind it. But why is there a separate Transform capsule when last episode he was already able to change the environment and reshape things just using Impact. He slapped the ground and closed in the Nightmare. He pulled out part of a wall and used it as a shield. So why do we need a toy gimmick capsule to transform his body now. The concept is fine but the execution feels like too much sometimes.

And Transform being represented by that weird 8bit animated ball thing is not working for me.

What worked

Watching him actually use Transform in this fight was cool though. He did extendo punches, weird flipper kicks, and finally stabbed the Nightmare. I did not totally understand the faint he did, but the fight was fun and creative.

I also loved the moment where Fujimi stepped into the Nightmare and it turned into a giant door. That looked amazing. I hope they keep doing that door effect. If they are going to do the same Henshin every episode, then give us the door every episode too. It was that cool.

The action was good. I also like the more emotional side we got here. We saw why Fujimi is fed up with the police and the system. His frustration makes sense.

And now the X Files division basically has a reason to come back. They are in the middle of a Black Case because of that explosion. No source, no bomb type, no explanation. Dream bomb. So now Fujimi can use this to push for reopening his department. That is a good setup for future episodes.

Rising stakes

We also got more hints about the bigger story. When the Nightmare broke through, butterflies started flying everywhere and the moon changed. Nox seemed to be suggesting this changed the world somehow. I want to know what that means. That setup was done really well. Clean, efficient, artistic storytelling.

The dream logic cinematography is also really nice. The weird cuts and angles help it feel like a dream. They should keep doing that because it works.

One thing that did not make sense though was Zero saying the bike had to drive Baku there in his sleep. Then it drives up to him in the real world. That feels wrong. If that happened in the dream that would be okay, but in the real world it does not make sense.

Best character moment

The best moment of the episode was when Baku could not transform in the real world and still tried to fight. He was scared and desperate but he still did the right thing. He showed courage and grit. He was willing to put himself in danger to save others. That was good character work. This is the kind of growth I want to see for him. Not instantly competent. He has to struggle and earn becoming a great hero. They did that well here. Thank you Takahashi.

Final thoughts

Still enjoying the series. The aesthetics are a mixed bag and some of the effects are too much for me, but the story setup is strong.

Questions for you
Do you agree they are overdoing the muscle effects?
What do you think about the lore setup with Nox and the butterflies?
Are you enjoying Zeztz so far?

Thanks for reflecting with me. What say you, fellow traveler? Drop a comment below or if you’re on Twitter, tag me @MJ_Scribe. 

If you’re looking for something with magical creatures, high stakes, and a whole lot of heart, check out Mockwing Mayhem. Learn more at grobugs.com.

You can find more of my reviews, book reflections, and stories with spine at mjmunoz.com.