The Weekly Ride Review with Ethan: Kamen Rider Gotchard Episode 5

Ethan steps into the ring for this week’s wrestling Weekly Ride Review featuring monkeys, guns and backbreaking action!

Summary

We open this week’s episode with Hotaro helping his mum in the kitchen thinking about the events of the past couple of episodes events. Notably, he’s thinking about the Abyssal Sisters and what they want with the driver, taking us into the opening. We rejoin with the Abyssal Sisters having an evil meeting on a rooftop discussing how they need to be more proactive in making Malgams to help their master meet their goal. We then cut to a back alley where a big strong buff guy gets into a fight with some street punks and he’s chosen by one of the sisters to become a Malgam.

Meanwhile, we see Hotaro in the Academy looking over the Chemy Cards and realising the number of Chemy combos make ten: Hopper1 is one, Steamliner is nine, for example. Rinne points out this is common knowledge and the quiet Sabimaru points out to himself that Rinne and Hotaro have nine and one in their names so they also make ten. Renge returns Kamantis, Hotaro returns Energyl and Sasukemaru, and asks about the Chemies that Renge and Sabimaru caught with Kamantis. As she shows off her new Chemy Cards, she explains that she and Sabimaru split up the work between them leading Hotaro to get excited and ask them to teach him their ways. They agree to taking him and Rinne to a wrestling gym where a Chemy sighting has been reported.

They find the gym empty and the owner, mistaking them for Yakuza, tries to attack them. He calms down when they explain they are students but, as they talk, the real Yakuza show up looking to try and force the owner, Asahi, out so they can develop the land. As the Yakuza are civilians and do not know the world of alchemy, the gang can’t use alchemy to stop them. Just then, Wrestler G, possessing a wrestler toy, flies in and starts beating the Yakuza up. The now annoyed gangsters pull their guns. In response, Hotaro pulls his driver and, borrowing two cards from Renge, he turns into the BulletChoucho Wild Form: a gun, which Rinne uses to scare the Yakuza away.

As the gang start to celebrate Gouriki – the large buff man from the alleyway – shows up, turns into a Malgam and fights Hotaro, who turns into SteamHopper. Hotaro eventually falls prey to Gouriki’s finishing move: the Tilt-A-Whirl Backbreaker but is saved by Spanner, who is asked to leave the episode by the other Academy students after he asks Asahi for Wrestler G. We then cut to everyone back in the gym, tending to Hotaro’s back. Asahi having been given the lowdown on Chemies and their deal off screen. Asahi then explains Gouriki’s backstory; he was a former pro wrestler who went on a rampage injuring people in the crowd, as well as his opponents, which led to him being convicted. This led to the retirement of the gym’s up and coming star, leading everyone to fear training at Asahi’s gym. Going on to further explain his dreams of training the next generation, Asahi explains what this gym means to him and that he wants to fight in the ring with Wrestler G at least once, like he used to do back when he was a pro wrestler with his old partner. Hotaro, moved by someone else also wanting a future with the Chemies, promises to help protect the gym.

FUN FACT: Asahi is named after the TV Network, TV-Asahi, which not only broadcasts Super Hero Time but is one of the principal partners of Japan’s most successful pro wrestling company, New Japan Pro Wrestling.

As Asahi laments being too old to be able to help train Hotaro to overcome the Tilt-A-Whirl Backbreaker, Wrestler G resonates with his feelings and possess him, shocking everyone he didn’t turn into a Malgam but instead a Wrestler G coloured version of Asahi’s pro wrestler persona, Sunshine Mask. Looking just like the toy, Asahi is returned to his peak physical form and he trains Hotaro the rest of the day andnight. In the morning, Gouriki returns to the gym to find Hotaro waiting for him. Turning into AntWrestler, using the Antrooper and Wrestler G Chemy cards, the two start to fight. In no time at all, Gouriki is put on to the backfoot and goes to use his finisher move, which Gotchard counters. Wrestler G’s energy overflows out of the driver and into Asahi, allowing him to tag into the ring too, beating up Gouriki to the point that Gotchard;s finisher is all that remains. This allows Hotaro to capture GorillaSensei.

Some time passes and we see Mr. Minato explaining that Gouriki’s memory has been wiped and they are going to turn him over to the police. Asahi gives a tearful goodbye to Wrestler G, who wants to stay with him but Asahi knows not only will his memory be erased of this, leaving only the feeling in his heart, but that worse people will come for Wrestler G so it’s better they leave with Hotaro and the gang. The episode ends with the group reflecting on Asahi’s words describing the gym as “the bastion of his dreams.”      

My Take

Another week, another Gotchard, and it’s becoming my catchphrase at this point as I get to say for the fifth time in a row… Gosh, I loved this week’s episode! It was such a fun one. The focus on teamwork was great to see with the recurring “they make ten” point and the notion of tag partners. Asahi and Wrestler G’s dynamic was great and led to that heartstring puller of a final scene.

I’m very interested to see if Chemies possessing people that pass the vibe check like Asahi and Wrestler G is going to be explored more in the future. I very much hope so; it seems like a real embodiment of Hotaro’s wish for a future where humans and Chemies coexist. It’s also nice I guess to see the three evil sisters are going to be more proactive in making monsters of the week and the revelation that they work for someone else is interesting. I look forward to seeing where this goes in future episodes too. 

If I had to complain about anything, I think the Malgam of the week was kind of boring. He was just a strong guy that had one finishing move. Like, I imagine if you counter Rey Mysterio’s 619, he would have some other trick up his sleeve, right? It all just gives the impression this guy was just a bad wrestler even before the assaults. Regardless, he made for an excellent punching bag for Gotchard and Wrestler G/Asahi to do cool combos on in what was some excellent choreography. All in all another great week.

Come back next week for a new edition of The Weekly Ride Review as Ethan takes you through Kamen Rider Gotchard from start to finish. As a side note, Danno has elected to step away from this series so it will just be me going forward. This has been Ethan, writer and reviewer for The Toku Source, riding off for another week. Cya next time! 

Did you enjoy this week’s episode? Are there any pro wrestling fans out there that spotted all of the references? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.