The Weekly Ride Review with Ethan: Kamen Rider Gotchard Episode 11

Welcome Riders! Join Ethan for another episode of Kamen Rider Gotchard! Featuring inspectors, X, UFOs and… a spy among us?

Summary

This weeks episode opens with the Three Abyssal Sisters reuniting following Clotho’s capture of UFO-X, last episode, handing over the Malgam samples she got, as well. Atropos puts UFO-X into a device to drain energy from it to power up the new previously teased Driver they are working on. But, UFO-X escapes. It’s here we get a new piece of Chemy Law, Level X’s can’t be subjugated. Artopos says it’s no matter, they have other means of finishing the Driver, their master awaits their results. This takes us into the opening. 

We rejoin the episode with the Gotchard gang, Hotaro, Rinne, Renge and Sabimaru, out on another Chemy hunt. This time the group is hunting for Stagvine, which they do with no issues, while Hotaro narrates. The gang back at the Academy share with us what Chemies they caught off screen, which include Bussasorry, Bountybunny, Tsupparihebi, Mitemirror, Televi and Panpakaparka. As Hopper1 jumps about celebrating the new friends they have made, we get narration from future Hotaro about how, at the time, none of them realised that horrible events had already started to unfold. 

In the hallway, Mr. Minato and Spanner talk about what the Sisters have been up to: collecting samples from Malgams, making note of it being weird that they have Chemy Cards of their own. Mr. Minato brings up that the Inspectors from the association will be arriving soon, explaining that a number of blank cards have vanished recently and they believe someone’s been feeding them to the Abyssal Sisters.

We then cut to a shopping centre being attacked by the Spider Malgam and Hotaro arrives to do battle with it. Hotaro makes quick work out of it utilising a several new wild forms Bakuontelevi (Televi and Bakuonzemi), Stagmirror (Mitemirror and Stagvine), Greatsasorry (Bussasorry and Greatonbo), Doctorhebi (Doctorkozo and Tsupparihebi) and finally BunnyParka (Bountybunny and Panpakaparka) before finishing the Malgam off with a Gotcharge Gun finisher and capturing the Chemy used to make this Malgam, Catchula. 

We then get a short scene of the Abyssal Sisters finishing the Driver and deciding to go off and perform an experiment. Cutting back to the Academy, Hotaro asks Sabimaru what he’s building to which he replies explaining its a device to summon UFO-X. Renge helps explain about UFO-X, what a Level X Chemy is, how it was present during their school trip and that Sabimaru has always really admired UFO-X. Hearing this, Hotaro offers to help out and the gang head to the roof to try out the summoning device. Spanner interrupts them, calling them back inside because the Inspectors have arrived. Shortly after they leave, UFO-X appears and flies over the shopping centre from before. Kajiki sees it and runs off excitedly to tell Hijiri all about this. 

Back in the classroom, the gang meet with Inspectors Kugimiya and Harima. Before they begin really looking into the imposter, Kugimiya chooses to focus on Hotaro going off about how he received his Driver from someone that betrayed them and doesn’t treat Chemies like tools and thus should return the Driver because the alchemist association does not acknowledge him as a Kamen Rider. Everyone chimes in to defend Hotaro and not to look down on the Chemys. This leads to Kugimiya calling them problem students before Spanner, of all people, chimes in saying that, while he agrees with that assessment, the Inspector out of line and should be focusing on the spy among us, not whatever other motives he has. Before they can really get into Spanner accusing Kugimiya of being the spy, a warning goes off. The Abyssal Sisters have infiltrated the high school.

Everyone splits up to hunt for them. Eventually, Atropos makes herself known to Rinne and, as Spanner arrives and starts firing at her, she makes it known to Rinne that they are focusing so hard on the alchemists because of her. She even goes so far as to point out how she’s always the one getting protected before she leaves. Hotaro runs into Sabimaru, who fills him in that spanner drove Atropos off. Just then, the two see UFO-X and decide to chase it. When they catch up to it, Sabimaru explains that, while a Level X Chemy can’t be captured, they are sure Hotaro can befriend it. 

They are attacked by the Spider Malgam. Shocked, Hotaro checks and realises his Catchula Chemy Card is missing. He transforms to stop them from catching UFO-X. With Steamhopper quickly getting overwhelmed by the Spider Malgam, who’s learned since their first fight, and decides to use JungleJan and Raidenji to turn into Lightingjungle, 

In this new form, he starts whipping lighting vines and tells UFO-X to run. The Spider Malgam then starts making a callback to what Kugimiya said before giving them pause as they wonder if that’s who the Malgam is. This leaves him open for a sneak attack from the Malgam who then manages to web up UFO-X and Gotchard. UFO-X uses their lasers to free him, leaving the Malgam open for Lightingjungles unique Rider Kick and recapturing Catchula. 

As UFO-X takes its leave, the pair realise who the Malgam was… Harima, the female inspector! Dun dun dun! She uses a golden bracelet to make a portal and yoink Catchula from Hotaro, again. This brings the episode to a close.

My Take

GOTCHA! Another week I get to say Gotchard was great again! This was a wonderful way to start off not only this two parter but also the new arc of Gotchard. It sets up a lot and we start to see things getting paid off. The Driver and Atropos’ interaction with Rinne for one, which, yet again, was a cool interaction. I’ve actually started be won over that Atropos is a credible threat; bringing up how Rinne is always getting protected is also a great and possibly personal motivation for her to become the second main Rider of the series. Please, Toei? Also, I did like the callback with Kaijki to last weeks episode that was just nice to see.

My biggest complaints are the Level X Chemy Card lore and how the cliff hanger from last episode was resolved. If they knew Level X’s cant be captured, what was the point of all that? What was the point of them trying to capture UFO-X throughout this episode? At least Hotaro has the excuse of befriending UFO-X to get them to go in the card willingly. Everyone else is just doing something they know wont work. 

Something I don’t bring up enough is how I love how every form of Gotchard has its own unique Rider Kick and finisher. It’s always exciting to see and I love the variety they have kept up this whole time in regards to that. Hopefully, with powerups looming over the horizon, that creativity and variety will continue. Another wonderful week for Rider, all in all. Here’s hoping the second part of this can maintain the good momentum.

What did you think of the episode? What’s been your favourite forms finisher so far? Would you also love to buy a BunnyParka themed parka? Do you also expect Bandai to make it Premium Bandai exclusive if they do make it? What was your favourite Wild Form that debuted in this episode? Let me know the answers to all these questions, and more, in the comments! I look forward to talking with you about it! As always, I’ve been an Ethan: writer, reviewer and number one UFO summoner for The Toku Source and I’ll cya next time!