Kamen Rider Zeztz 29 – Rider Tears
Watch Analysis
Is Catastrom Actually a Problem?
Kamen Rider Zeztz Episode 29 is trying to sell me on the idea that Catastrom is dangerous.
It is not doing a good job.
Episode 28 already had Sieg criticizing Catastrom and warning that it is a bad path. Episode 29 doubles down on that. Sieg mocks Baku for using it. He treats it like a mistake. The show clearly wants us to believe Baku is getting too close to the edge.
But the problem is simple.
The show has not proven that Catastrom is uniquely dangerous.
Everyone Is Already Using Nightmare Power
If Catastrom is supposed to be this corrupting force, then why is everyone already using the same kind of power?
Nox warns about nightmare power. He says it will consume you. But he uses it.
The Lady uses it.
Nem literally exists because of it. She is a nightmare baby, and she is fine.
Nox himself is already manipulating dreams and nightmares. He is tearing through space, hiding, jumping through dream layers. He is already deep in this system.
So what is the difference?
The show has not clearly defined the line between:
- dream power
- nightmare power
- Catastrom
And without that distinction, the warning about Catastrom falls flat.
Baku Didn’t Do Anything Wrong
The big emotional push in this episode is that Baku almost killed his sister.
That sounds serious. It should be serious.
But it is not convincing.
Baku was not trying to kill Minami. He was trying to destroy a nightmare. That has been the correct solution every single time in this show.
When your only weapon is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.
Except in this case, everything actually has been a nail.
Baku has been trained by the story itself to respond this way. So when the show suddenly turns around and says, “How could you do this?” it does not land.
It feels unearned.
The Show Hasn’t Made Its Case
The core issue is not that Catastrom is a bad idea.
The issue is that the show has not made a strong argument for why it is bad.
Right now, the claim is weak.
It is a poorly founded claim because:
- we see multiple characters using similar power with no consequences
- we have no clear rules for what makes Catastrom different
- Baku’s actions still follow the logic the show established
If you want this arc to work, you need to steelman the argument.
You need to show:
- real consequences
- clear boundaries
- a visible cost that separates Catastrom from everything else
Right now, that is missing.
Power Isn’t the Problem
There is also a deeper idea here that the show is brushing up against.
The idea that power itself is dangerous or corrupting.
That does not hold up.
Power is necessary. You need it to survive. You need it to protect people. You need it to act in the world at all.
The real issue is not power.
It is how power is used.
And ironically, Episode 29 seems to be heading toward that exact conclusion anyway.
The Show Is Already Undercutting Itself
We are already seeing hints of a “purified” version of Catastrom.
The previews and toy logic make that obvious.
Which means the show itself is admitting:
- the power is not inherently evil
- it just needs to be controlled or refined
That actually supports the argument the episode is trying to reject.
This Should Be Stronger
This arc should work.
Yuya Takahashi is a strong writer. You can see what he is going for.
But right now, the execution is sloppy.
The idea is there. The structure is not.
And because of that, the emotional and moral weight of this moment does not land the way it should.
Final Thought
I am not against Catastrom as a concept.
I am not against Baku struggling with power.
I am against the show asking me to believe something it has not proven.
Right now, Kamen Rider Zeztz 29 has not convinced me that Catastrom is actually a problem.
Drop a comment to let me know where you stand on this.
MJ Muñoz 