The dazzling team of Ethan and Danno return, once again, with a review of this week’s episode of Kamen Rider Gotchard, featuring alchemy, skateboards and wronguns (oh my)!
Episode Summary
The episode opens right where the last one left off, with the reveal of Mr. Minato being an Alchemist. He and Rinne explain to Hotaro that they go to the Alchemist Academy. Mr. Minato invites Hotaro to become an Alchemist leading us into our first opening credits of the season.
Arriving in the main Alchemist Academy building, Hotaro is blown away and remarks about how he really feels like he could learn magic here. Before Mr. Minato explains his Alchemist test to him, Rinne asks him about the man who gave him the Gotchardriver and explains that he’s a traitor who ten years ago stole the one hundred and one Chemys the Academy was protecting and ran away. Rinne then walks out into the hallway where she has a flashback to that man reading to her as a child revealing the mystery man to be her dad.
Back in the main room Mr. Minato explains to Hotaro his test to see if he is qualified to become an Alchemist; Hotaro must make the Kamantis and Odorippa weigh the same. At the moment, Odorippa weighs more than Kamantis. Hotaro then goes home and helps out with the family restaurant in the evening talking with his mum about his dad and how Hotaro has found a dream to go after as well.
Then the next day, at the skatepark, we see Ryo Kajiki, Hotaro’s best friend, trying to remember what exactly it was he feels like he saw when the Chemy Skebows arrives, possesses a skateboard, starts doing tricks and playing with the children. It’s all fairly innocent until two thieves pull up to the park to remove the cardboard they were using to cover their getaway car’s number plate. As they drive away, they inadvertently expose Skebows to their malice and corrupt the Chemy.
We then join Hotaro in a different park, wondering aloud what he’s going to do about the Alchemist test. Rinne shows up asking him about how he’s finding the test and explaining that a staple Alchemy technique is shifting the mass of two objects, but they need their rings in order to use it. This is not an option for Hotaro as it’s too advanced. Hotaro than asks Rinne what exactly Alchemy is, to which Rinne explains that Alchemy is the ability to make something from nothing but it does not last forever and, in the one in a million chance it does and become a fully living creature, that is a Chemy. She does this while causing some objects around them to float and, in response to Hotaro calling it magic again, Rinne states that Alchemy is not magic – it’s actually closer to science.
We then see the two thieves atop a bridge. One pushes the other off so they don’t have to share the ill gotten money. Skebows catches up to the prevailing thief and possesses him, turning him into the monster of the week, the Skateboard Malgam.
Rejoining Hotaro and Rinne, the pair continue talking about the Malgam, the Three Abyssal Sisters and how, not only are they threats, but so are the random everyday citizens that overflow with malice, which is why the Chemy were sealed away. Hotaro wonders if the Chemies really needed to be sealed. Just then, Hopper1 senses something and pulls the pair away from the scene.
We then see the Skateboard Malgam attacking the police after causing a van carrying money to crash. Rinne and Hotaro arrive, Rinne transforms into her Alchemist outfit and begins fighting the Malgam using manhole covers to try and separate Skebows from the thief. This almost works but the thief pulls Skebows back in. Hotaro then transforms into Kamen Rider Gotchard and starts to battle the Malgam in SteamHopper form. Chemies, Kamantis and Odorippa, say they want a turn so Gotchard briefly turns into the Odorimantis Wild Mode, landing a Fever blow on the Malgam. The monster tries to run away on its skateboard, outspeeding Gotchard. Just then, Mr. Minato randomly arrives on GoldDash, our bike for the season. Minato notes that GoldDash wanted to come here, for reasons now clear.
Gotchard talks to the Chemy a little before borrowing them from Mr. Minato and taking off after the Skateboard Malgam. During the chase, the Malgam turns into a skateboard and slips under a crane that’s blocking the road, causing Gotchard to quickly have to turn into Steamhoppers Wild Mode form to launch GoldDash into the air to get over the crane. While in the air, he loads up the Gotcharge Gun, scanning Kamantis to use their slash type shots. He lands with GoldDash and, by activating their boost function, Gotchard gets ahead of the Skateboard Malgam. The Malgam responds by shooting tire projectiles which Gotchard catches one, wrapping it in Alchemicaly, and uses it to bounce back the other shots before finishing things off with a Rider Kick. Skebows is free – well, sealed in a card – and the thief is left laying there while Gotchard rides off to the sound of sirens.
We then see Hotaro taking his Alchemist test putting Kamantis and Odorippa on the scales. To everyone’s surprise, they weigh the same! Rinne questions how Hotaro managed it and he explains that he simply asked the Chemys to adjust their diets, respectfully, so they weigh the same. Mr. Minato chastises him saying that’s not how it was meant to be done but it’s still a pass and throws Hotaro his own Alchemist ring. Walking home, Hotaro says to Rinne that he wants to become an Alchemist so he can befriend all the Chemy and live freely with them. A mysterious Alchemist with a large purple spanner watches on and calls that a joke, bringing the episode to a close.
Thoughts
Ethan’s take
I really enjoyed this episode, let’s get this out of the way at the start. Last week, I mentioned I was a little worried the series would use Alchemy like magic when it’s closer to a type of proto science and the show acknowledged it! I clapped. Seeing Rinne’s explanation of what Alchemy is was really interesting and that correction to Hotaro was just great to hear for me, personally.
The episode does a good job of starting to flesh out the world as well as leaving breadcrumbs that could be picked up on later, such as ‘The Alchemist of Dawn’ book being read to Rinne during her flashback with her dad, Hopper1 riding on the Alchemist’s shoulder, or the short conversation Hotaro had with his mum with the continued mystery around his dad.
I enjoyed the action this week a lot as well. It’s always nice to see a Kamen Rider… riding. Along with the creative use of the wild form, this episode also saw the first use of the opening and insert song, both slap, I enjoy both of them. The Malgam, this week, I thought was really neat. I especially liked how the extra skateboard arms could turn into a skateboard for him to ride. All in all, a solid episode. Here’s hoping this streak continues. This has been Ethan, The Toku Source writer and reviewer, and I’ll see you next time. Over to Danno for their thoughts on the episode.
Danno’s Impression
Generally speaking, I thought this episode was better. Basically, it sort of fixes the complaints I had during the first episode. The Chemies are still kinda like annoying Pokemon to me but this episode did a lot to add to their personalities.
The pacing was miles better and the fight scenes were also a bit more impactful. If I had a complaint, I wish we got OdoriMantis’ actual physical form instead of its Wild Form. Though then again, eh, maybe it is better we don’t get the new form this quickly into the show.
I also like a lot of the foreshadowing we had in this episode. The Alchemist of the Dawn, what Rinne’s and Ichinose’s fathers have been up to, the introduction of our future rival character – it’s all pretty exciting. There was also the comment between Rinne and Minato about Ichinose’s plain as day connection with the Chemies.
Also enjoyable, was how the conflict of the episode – Ichinose passing his Alchemy test – was subverted, which adds again to the whole Chemy personality thing I was talking about. He actively asks them to help out and shows that he needs help as a beginner. This is refreshing, especially when compared to our protagonist from last year.
Come back next week for a new edition of The Weekly Ride Review as Ethan and Danno take you through Kamen Rider Gotchard from start to finish.
Two episodes in, how are you feeling about Kamen Rider Gotchard? Let us know your feelings in the comment section below or reach out to The Toku Source on Facebook, X, Threads, Instagram or Bluesky!
