Autistic Goblin

At the Central Earthquake Research Facility a woman named Chikako Amemiya answers the phone. She identifies the facility then herself.. the person on the other line must ask about the equipment at the facility because Chikako goes on to say that it’s all state of the art and how even the newspapers were interested in their stuff. Then she asks for the caller’s name (You ask that first before giving out info..) but the mysterious caller hangs up on her.

A moment after the caller hangs up, the lights in the facility go out (coincidence.. I think not!) Luckily Chikako has a working flashlight to help her see. Chikako hears something thinking it’s the security guard she calls out, but no one answers. She waves her flashlight at the office door to see the security guard’s silhouette.

Chikako goes to open the door and greet the guard.. only to have his body fall into her office. The body then dissolves like all victims of Shocker monsters. (Security Guards are always the first to go).

Chikako closes her office door and locks it. She can hear footsteps in the corridor (did she turn off the flashlight? Nope.) Soon a creepy looking Mantis silhouette appears in the doorway.. the doorknob turns as the monster tries to enter.

Then we switch over to Hongo who has finally found a helmet to wear while doing the motorized dirt biking thing. It’s a good thing too because there’s an earthquake that knocks him from his bike.

Mr. Tachibana runs over to make sure that Hongo is okay. Hongo says that it must have been an earthquake so Tachibana asks if it was 5.0 magnitude. Hongo points out that the magnitude measurement is only used at the epicentre of an Earthquake and everything else is a measure of intensity. Hongo laughs as he says that many people mix that up including apparently Mr. Tachibana.

Mr. Tachibana later uses teaches that information at the shop only to have Hongo walk in and tell him that he got it right. Ruriko says that it must have been Takeshi that taught Mr. Tachibana about epicentres. A few minutes later Mr. Tachibana asks Hongo if he remembers Chikako Amemiya wasn’t she a childhood friend of his?

Hongo says that she was three years older than him and went on to become a seismologist. Mr. Tachibana pulls out a newspaper saying that she is now missing.

Sometime later in a lab someone is looking through a microscope at some cells. They realize that the cells aren’t human but insect! The scientist says that the insect would have to be huge. Hongo wonders what such a big insect would be doing on the floor of an earthquake research center.

The scientist reminds Hongo that he picked it up at the scene because it was suspicious. Hongo says that he is sure there’s a link between the insect part and a map of the earthquakes and their epicentres. Hongo points out the weirdness of all the earthquakes happening on the outskirts of town. Hongo says that it can mean only one thing, that “they” are behind it.

Hongo takes the map home where looks it over finding that the map is quite irradiated.. Hongo figures that Shocker is detonating small nuclear bomb underground and disguising them as earthquakes. Hongo believes that these are just tests, there have been 7 tests so far and that means Shocker plans to engineer a major earthquake. Just then the phone rings.

It’s Chikako, she’s alive! Chikako has called to ask Hongo for his help. Chikako tells him that she has found the lair of the people trying to engineer an earthquake. Chikako tells him to come alone (nothing says TRAP, like the words “come alone”). If there was any doubt that this was a trap.. there’s a Mantis like creature standing behind Chikako.

Oh look who forgot his helmet while riding his motorcycle to meet Chikako.. if you guessed Hongo that would be correct. Hongo leaves his bike parked, while he looks through some tall weeds for Chikako. They meet each other but she refuses to tell him why she called as they have to stop villains first from creating an earthquake. Hongo agrees and follows her but they are both being watched by the Mantis creature.

Chikako leads the way, then tells Hongo that they have to go into a hole, Hongo examines how to do it safely but Chikako just pushes him.. it’s a long way down and reminds me of a mineshaft. Then Chikako is taken away by the Matnis creature while screaming for Takeshi to help her.. (really?) Then the Mantis creature comes back to taunt Hongo by telling him that the can’t get out of that hole.. also he only has two minutes to live. (Um.. thanks for the warning.. I guess).

The Mantis creature lowers down a spiky looking bomb saying that there’s no way that Hongo will be able to reach it. The Mantis also says that there is no reason to continue trying to modify Hongo’s body when Shocker is better off just getting rid of him.

Hongo unfortunately can’t escape the tunnel, when he tries to jump out, he just lands on his butt. The bomb goes off but luckily for our hero, it activates his Kamen Rider transformation.. which lets him jump out of the tunnel. The Mantis is surprised that Hongo survived so he asks about it. Hongo having the survival instincts of a moth.. tells the Mantis how his belt was triggered (Dude! Keep that info on lockdown!)

Hongo then demands that the Mantis let go of Chikako. The Mantis in true villainous fashion tells Hongo to get back or he’ll kill her. This leads to a sort of standoff until the Mantis calls for his minions to get Hongo. (Have they been in the bushes this whole time?)

There is of course a fight scene and Hongo manages to get Chikako away from the Mantis.. but he has to put her down in order to fight the minions first. Hongo picks her up again while fighting the Mantis. The two manage to get away from Shocker.

At Shocker HQ the boss man is not happy. He says over the PA system that they have to retrieve Chikako at all costs. Apparently the success of their whole earthquake operation depends on her. (This sounds like really poor planning).

At the shop, Ruriko notices that Takeshi is really late today. Hiromi assures her that he’s probably just working late on his research again today. Just then Shiro (the guy usually behind the counter has a name now!) comes running in claiming that he saw a Mantis monster. The girls don’t believe him saying that he must have watched too much TV. Shiro swears that he saw a huge mantis monster though.

Ruriko of course goes to check it out on her own. Ruriko goes outside but doesn’t see anything.. because she doesn’t look up. The Mantis is hiding on the roof.

Sometime later, Ruriko & Hongo are waiting for Chikako to regain consciousness. Hongo remembers that Chikako was really good at tag as a child, she would always catch the neighbourhood children. Ruriko seems surprised that Takeshi would play tag as a child. Hongo points out that it’s not neighbourhood children chasing them now but Shocker. Ruriko is worried that Shocker might still come after Chikako.

Hongo says that they will unless he does something quick. Just then Chikako seems to be having a nightmare so the other two rush to her bedside to calm her. Chikako isn’t lucid but she does mention something about a big earthquake and a mantis egg.. something about it happening at 16:00 hrs.

Takeshi shakes Chikako for more information which actually wakes her up. Chikako wonders where she is, so Ruriko tells her that she is in Takeshi’s apartment. However once Chikako has been told she’s safe.. she denies knowing anything about Shocker’s plans.

Chikako won’t admit to anything and even claims that she’s a different person and not Chikako at all. Chikako tries to leave but Hongo grabs her, hurting her in the process. Hongo looks down at his own hands before apologizing. Apparently Hongo hasn’t bothered to try and control his own strength. That’s when the Mantis shows up in the apartment!

The Mantis demands the return of Chikako but Hongo says that he will never hand her over. The Mantis attacks but Hongo shields Ruriko from the attack. However while defending the women.. The Mantis manages to knock out Ruriko while Chikako knocks out Hongo with a lamp. (Ouch!)

The Mantis takes Chikako back to Shocker HQ which is where the Mantis ordered to complete the earthquake operation. Chikako then points out the best place to plant the bombs in order to take out a city to Shocker. A light blinks on the bracelet that Hongo put on Chikako during the fight with The Mantis in his apartment.

Hongo heads toward Shocker HQ but is stopped by the Mantis.. another fight scene occurs. Then the Mantis runs away.. so Hongo transforms into Kamen Rider in order to catch him.

At Shocker HQ, Chikako has finished setting up things for the major earthquake. She informs the big boss that all they need to do is to pull the lever to set off the earthquake. The big boss tells her to go to sleep for now and wait for further orders.

Kamen Rider manages to catch up to the Mantis in Shocker HQ then tells him that he has to pay for robbing others of their freedom and threatening the peace. Another fight scene commences. Kamen Rider manages to get one of the minions to tell him about the lever for the bomb but can’t get the location because the minion is killed by well.. other minions.

Kamen Rider of course wins the battle then takes Chikako out of the facility. Since there is no one left alive to pull the lever as the other minions dissolved when the Mantis was defeated. Hongo reflects that he is neither the child Hongo nor the adult Hongo anymore.. he is now Kamen Rider. We’re left with Hongo having even more resolve to fight Shocker as he rides away on his motorcycle.

Roll those end credits, that’s the end of Kamen Rider: Episode 5!!