Kamen Rider My-Th: Review: The Mouse Meister and the Young Lady

Honestly, that first episode of Kamen Rider My-Th, “The Mouse Meister and the Young Lady,” really hit the ground running, and I am giving it a solid A-. Breaking a decades-long tradition by making the main Rider a mouse instead of an insect is a massive gamble, but it actually feels incredibly fresh. The whole aesthetic is clean, and seeing a rodent-themed hero navigate this new world immediately sets a unique tone for the Reiwa era. It is a bold move to stray from the classic bug motif, but if the rest of the season maintains this momentum, it will be a legendary shift for the franchise.

The dynamic between Yuna and Sora, our new Rider, is easily one of the best parts of the premiere. Their chemistry is already great, balancing that sophisticated butler-and-mistress vibe with a real underlying trust. On the flip side, Yuna’s friends were honestly kind of ugly and did not bring much to the table visual-wise, though they served their purpose to ground her school life. The real standout on the civilian side was that creepy undercover agent working for the villains; he was just pure, unfiltered creepy. It leaves you wondering what his true endgame is, because he definitely feels like he is going to be way more than just a simple snitch as the plot unfolds.

Then you have the gear, and man, that new My-Th Driver is serious. Having the belt run diagonally straight across the chest, kind of like how Zeztz did things, looks insanely tactical and distinct compared to the classic waist drivers. It gives the transformation a completely different silhouette that matches the high-speed, agile mouse theme perfectly. It is a sharp design choice that visually separates our main hero from the rest of the Zodiac Alliance rivals who are still rocking their belts on their waists.

What really has my brain working, though, is the moral ambiguity they are setting up. Are the bad guys actually the villains, or are they and My-Th just different sides of the same spectrum? Hearing the head of the opposing faction talking about rescuing mankind and saving them from something completely flips the script. Especially since the beginning of the episode showed the Rider saying he had to stop them, making it look like he might have initially been on the wrong side before switching, or vice versa. With so many questions hanging in the air, including what the sleeping villainess is going to be like once she finally wakes up, this premiere did exactly what a first episode needs to do to keep us hooked.