REVIEW: Ghost 15
Bar some issues in regards to Makoto’s character development, this episode was a definitely an improvement over last week’s. We got some great action, an impressive looking new form, bit of character development and no messing about with a weekly plot that gets in the way of the serial plot. You could go so far to say that it was quite a magical turnaround from last week’s episode.
So yes, indeed this week is dedicated to Makoto and his gaining of the Houdini soul. Now as I have said multiple times before, I love how the programme makes the heroes earn their upgrades, mostly, through some form of personal character development. But with Makoto and Houdini, I felt that he did not really grow or learn anything new. Rather than taking Takeru’s advice, which has been shown to work before, and talk to the spirit of Houdini, Makoto just used brute force to get what he wanted. And it worked. The part that annoys me the most about this episode is that Makoto did not change his approach towards Houdini in any way shape or form, yet he still gained the spirit’s trust and acceptance. If the chains that were added to him were signalled to be something along the lines of his hatred or rage holding him back or something, that would’ve made this episode far better. Having Makoto interacting with Houdini would’ve been fantastic as well, but I suppose that will be kept for a later date.
It just irks me that the program has had such great integration of plot, toys and gaining f new powers, only to drop it with Makoto. It would have been nice if Makoto changed his ways so that he would be kinder, or less single minded. However I do suppose he did develop a bit, as I alluded to in the opening paragraph. Through gaining this newfound power with Houdini, he now feels like he is on the same level as Takeru, which is quite nice to see considering that this inferiority complex could’ve been used to foster a larger rivalry between the two, which would have been quite tiring and feel repetitive, not to mention nothing that we have not seen before. So there is a bit of a silver lining in regards to Makoto’s character development
But Makoto’s story was not the only one to be focused upon this episode as Takeru’s quest to unite all 15 historic figures continued with his communications with Musashi. I did like how this aspect of the episode did not get in the way of Makoto’s story, but considering how important Musashi should be to Takeru, I wish we got a bit more of an interaction between the two. I suppose the logic behind it was that since the two have been together for such a long time, they already understand each other well and Musashi does not need to be convinced to continue fighting with Takeru.
I do like that they are hinting that not all the heroic souls will be as cooperative as Musashi is; because in all honesty, if they were all that easy to talk to it wouldn’t make interesting TV. It also creates a new challenge for Takeru to tackle beyond simply collecting them and any other outside interference from the Ganma or someone. It also makes sense considering the historical figures chosen are from very different periods and nations, so of course they won’t act the same. And as I always say, by adding character to the historical figures, the Eyecons and thus the toys gain even more dramatic and emotional value.
So what about Houdini Soul itself? Well as usual, the Kamen Rider Ghost production team has successfully rendered another historical figure into a form that befits what they were about. Ignoring the fact that Houdini has nothing to do with flying, which I’m quite glad the show addressed, I like what the form does. I like that it uses chains as the primary weapons and that it allows Makoto to use magic to disappear in a cloud of confetti. I also love that it has little sound effects like the drum roll and cymbal crash associated with it. I’m a bit disappointed that they didn’t make the form be more based around strait jackets, but beggars can’t be choosers. It’s also a bit disappointing to get yet another blue form added to the show. Overall though, I love the hovercraft wings and the chain motif associated with the form.
Yet, my overall issue with the episode is that not much really happened. I understand not every episode can be as revelatory and eventful as the Boost episode, but considering this way supposed to be Makoto’s big moment, it was honestly quite disappointing. Seeing him fight his bike was nice for a chuckle, but I really wish he learnt something from the experience. But on the flipside, the fact that he is getting focus at all is a pleasant surprise. I also like that he isn’t just sicking to being cold towards Takeru and is being quite cordial and nice to him, like friends should actually be like. The episode did feel quite action heavy with three action scenes in the runtime, so maybe that is the reason why nothing much happened in regards to Makoto’s character. I hope that this isn’t the end to his arc and again, judging from scans, he still has quite a bit to go through. Let’s look forward to next week and the debut if Kamen Rider Necrom.
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