Otakuism

This episode of Hayate the Combat Butler had an insane number of references to Kamen Rider Den-O, the latest installment in the Kamen Rider tokusatsu series. Here’s what they all were for the uninformed. First off is the train Isumi is riding on. That’s Denliner, the time-traveling train that allows Ryotaro and friends to travel through time and fight the Imagin.

Being on Denliner, a few characters from the show make an appearance. Here’s the mysterious Owner of Denliner, as seen with his favorite pudding snack that he’s obsessed with.

Here’s Momotarou, a good imagin that when joined with Ryotarou allows him to use Den-O Sword Form. Also notice he’s enjoying some of Naomi’s delicious coffee.

And finally here’s Hana-san, the heroine of the series, though she really doesn’t do much. Identified by her usual frilly miniskirt.

While most of the references are confined to the Isumi segment, some aren’t. Here’s Den-O’s sword form weapon Dengasher striking Azumamiya’s weak point that Hinagiku found so well.

And here’s Den-O’s Ax form ax striking again. It took me a while to notice all the references and it wasn’t until I saw Momotarous that I realized the train was Denliner. The rest of the episode was great with all the talk of hissatsu attacks and Kamina’s VA as Nonohara, teaching garness to a new generation. And, yes, I know way too much about what is essentially a children’s tv show, but I can live with that.