Transformation

is the second episode of Kamen Rider Kuuga. It features the debut of Kuuga's Mighty Form and the first appearance of the Bat Gurongi Xu·Goma·Gu.
==Synopsis==
A drunkard witnessed a murder by an Unidentified Lifeform near a Church. Meanwhile, Yusuke is bothered by the idea of fighting and is unsure if it was right until he saw the daughter of one of the slain archeologists crying, motivating him to fight "to protect the smiles of people".
==Plot==
The episode opens with Unidentified Lifeform #3 (also known as Xu·Goma·Gu), who ambushes a woman in an abandoned parking lot and kills her.
Southern Nagano City, 7:12 a.m.
Sakurako is shown in a cafe, researching. Across from her in the booth is Yusuke, who is asleep, and soon wakes up after an 11-hour rest. Sakurako expresses confusion over the events that happened the day before and asks Yusuke if he's fine after the incident. He replies that he was fine, even though Sakurako was incredibly worried that he had died. He mentions that he didn't like how transforming felt after Sakurako suggests they return to Tokyo.
Nagano Prefecture Police HQ, 7:31 a.m.
An officer comments to Ichijo as he steps into his car that strange incidents, such as kidnappings and cows being drained of their blood, have been happening recently, but their superiors aren't telling that to the public. The officer is worried that if this information isn't spread, it will only lead to more disasters. Ichijo counters with the point that they don't have solid information on Unidentified Lifeforms 1 and 2, and that spreading information about them around will only cause panic, and that the police has been increasing their guard and are developing a bike called the TRCS 2000 to be given to the Nagano department upon completion.
Ichijo then arrives at the cafe Yusuke and Sakurako are at, and gestures for Godai to come outside from the other side of the cafe's glass window. He asks Yusuke what he was doing the night before, and receives confirmation that he is Unidentified Lifeform #2. Yusuke describes how he became Kuuga and says that he felt like the belt was trying to seek him out. Ichijo expresses worry that the belt was using him, but Yusuke says that he had a feeling that was not the case. Ichijo then goes on to say that the Unidentified Lifeform #1 was not his problem anymore after Yusuke asks about it. When Yusuke tries to inquire further, Ichijo tries to drag Yusuke off with him in order to examine his body. In the middle of this, the officer from earlier interjects, and tells Ichijo to hurry to the crime scene that Unidentified Lifeform #3 has caused, but not before the detective hands Yusuke a piece of paper with the number for his friend, the medical examiner Shuichi Tsubaki.
Nakagosho, Nagano City: San Marco Church, 8:16 a.m.
Ichijo arrives at the scene. The officer in charge, Mr. Ebisawa, comments that the victim is one of five, and had two holes in her neck. He then implies the perpetrator is afraid of light after reviewing a testimony from a drunk saying that the victim was attacked by a monster, which flew away when it saw the morning light. Ichijo comments that it could be a 3rd unidentified lifeform. Yusuke arrives at the scene shortly and overhears a child and her mother worry about the local church's pastor being okay after the incident. After hearing this, Yusuke then tries to get into the pastor's church. He cautiously walks into the empty church and discovers the pastor watching from behind a door cracked a few inches open. As Yusuke tries to explain himself, he notices that the pastor cowers from the light. As he leaves, he hears him speak a line of Gurongi dialect, and the camera pans over a pair of lifeless legs behind the main podium.
Once Yusuke returns to Sakurako, she complains to him that she had to keep him in the restaurant for so long when he was sleeping that the graveyard shift staff were shunning them. She asks Yusuke to find a place for them to stay for the night since she'll be late due to arranging a funeral for somebody on the excavation team.
Ichijo is then seen in his car as the police scanner reports an Unidentified Lifeform sighting, which turns out to be #3. The Gurongi attacks a police member, biting holes in his neck, and flies at the officers on the scene when they shoot at him. Yusuke arrives on the scene seconds later, along with Ichijo, and demands to fight, despite the latter's insistence that the Unidentified Lifeforms are for the police. Yusuke charges in after the Gurongi anyways and transforms. After landing several punches, the Gurongi hits him several times, breaking the transformation. As the Gurongi goes in for the kill, Ichijo shoots it, temporarily distracting him. While the Gurongi swipes at him, injuring Ichijo, it buys time for a police car to arrive and force the Gurongi to retreat due to the bright light of the car's headlights.
Nagano Prefectural Police Hospital, 6:09 p.m.
Yusuke is seen pacing outside the hospital room as Ichijo emerges, ignoring a nurse's warning that he may have a broken bone, claiming that it no longer hurts. As he walks away, Yusuke follows him to say that the injury was his fault, but Ichijo refutes him, saying that he's just a regular citizen. When Yusuke tries to argue, Ichijo grabs his coat and pushes him against a wall, and says that it's not his duty to fight and that saving citizens is the police's job, which isn't a stupid thing to do.
Minami-Chitose, Nagano City: Park Hotel, 6:52 p.m.
Yusuke arrives at the hotel he and Sakurako are staying at for the night and explains to Sakurako that he's late because he was thinking of a red warrior after she complains that he arrived late. He then clarifies that in his mind, the warrior's body is red, but when he transforms, the body is white, which makes him think the body is supposed to be red, which he thinks maybe because of his feelings about fighting are pointless. As Ichijo leaves, Yusuke gets a vision of Kuuga's.
Hakoshimizu, Nagano City: Professor Natsume's Residence, 7:21 p.m.
Yusuke and Sakurako arrive at the funeral, and Yusuke volunteers to wait outside since he isn't dressed respectfully for the event. During the event, Mika, who is the daughter of one of the archeologists that were killed, runs out crying, which Yusuke sees. Unable to tell how to comfort her, he just watches and hits the wall he's leaning against with his fist.
Nagano City: Kurita, 4:08 a.m.
A drunk is seen leaving a ramen booth as Ichijo enters to ask one of the men there about the monster he saw earlier. The man tells him that he saw it enter the window of the San Marco Church.
Ichijo arrives at the church, without notifying his superiors, and takes a rifle with him. He cautiously enters the church as the Gurongi, which is sleeping on the ceiling like a bat, transforms and attacks him. The monster knocks him down but he still fires, hitting one of the pews that it hides behinds. The monster disappears for am moment before ambushing Ichijo by flying through one of the stained glass windows. In the process, a candle is tipped over, igniting the nearby drapes. The Gurongi grabs and throws him, and due to the proximity of his trenchcoat to the flames, it catches fire in the process. As it approaches, Yusuke rides in on his motorcycle and puts out the flames on Ichijo by beating them out with his coat. After he does this, he declares he will fight in order to make sure the Gurongi don't make anybody else cry. He then punches the Gurongi and transforms into Kuuga in the process. The Gurongi calls him Kuuga, which tells Yusuke the name of the armor. At this point, the flames intensify, and Yusuke is forced to carry Ichijo out of the burning building. Afterward, #3 grabs him and throws him into an abandoned building. The two are evenly matched, but Unidentified Lifeform #3 then calls on #1 in order to team upon him. In the middle of the battle, Ichijo manages to get into the building and shoot at them, but then immediately collapses. At some point, an open window causes Unidentified Lifeform #3 to retreat, leaving Yusuke to battle #1. After some difficulty, Yusuke lands with a finishing blow, killing Unidentified Lifeform #1. 
After this, Ichijo wakes up outside, his head resting on Yusuke's shoulder. Yusuke wishes him good morning, in which Ichijo asks why his head is resting on Yusuke, which elicits a response of 'don't worry about it'. Ichijo retorts that 'I'll never live this down,' but otherwise doesn't move as he and Yusuke watch the sunrise.
==Cast==
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===Guest Cast===
*Father Jose, : 
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*Masaru Oshima
*Child: 
==Form Changes==
*Kuuga - Growing Form, Mighty Form
==Errors==
*to be added
==Notes==
*This episode premiered alongside episode as part of the block that would ultimately become later in 2003; partner series , premiered the following week.
*Viewership: 9.2%
*This episode, along with the previous one, was bundled together into a Special Version, which featured slightly altered scenes and dialogue, along with original pieces of dialogue, that differ from the original airings. The plot summary for this episode follows the events of the Special Version.
==Digital Releases==
*Kamen Rider Kuuga DVD Volume 1 features episodes 1-4.
*Kamen Rider Kuuga Blu-ray Volume 1 features episodes 1-16.http://www.toei-video.co.jp/special/kuuga
Kuuga DVD Vol 1.jpg|Kamen Rider Kuuga DVD Volume 1
81qKhuXa0yL SL1469 .jpg|Kamen Rider Kuuga Blu-ray Volume 1
==References==
Category:New Form Episode