The Weekly Ride Review with Ethan: Kamen Rider Gotchard Episode 17

Welcome, Riders, to the first Weekly Ride Review of 2024! Join Ethan as they dive into this weeks episode featuring Daybreak, the moon and betrayal.

Summary

This episode opens with Geryon and the sisters in their base as they make another Malgam. This time, they’re using the Neminemoon Chemy and one of the Sisters’ brothers, who as its revealed to us have been sealed away in little dolls. We then see Gotchard Daybreak looking over the city before we go into the new intro video and music. 

We rejoin the action with Hotaro and his mother bringing the rest of the Gotchard gang a meal, while wishing them a Happy New Year and the three of them wishing the one back. Shortly, after reflecting on the Orochi Malgam incident and wondering about who Daybreak is, Hotaro is sent on an errand by his mother. We then cut to Spanner reflecting on the Orochi, as well, just as Professor Kyoka walks past and collapses from overwork and asking for Spanner to make her a meal. We then cut to Mr. Minato walking into the classroom which has all the lights turned off. Geryon is there and says things that strongly imply he at least knew Minato before he became a teacher.

Rejoining Hotaro on his errand, he hears screaming and runs over to investigate, finding the Moon Malgam attacking civilians. The two start fighting, with Hotaro turning into Steamhopper to do battle. During the fight, the Moon Malgam phases the civilians into the shadows. Just then Daybreak arrives on his own Golddash and drives the Malgam into retreating. Daybreak then tells Hotaro that, in the near future, he will find himself in the middle of something bad and he will lose faith in someone he trusts. He has two choices: accept that future or rebel against it. After being cryptic, Daybreak rides off       

Back to Professor Kyoka eating the meal Spanner made her, during their conversation, we learn that ten years ago, during the incident where Rinne’s dad ran off with the Chemy cards, the Professor saved little Spanner’s life and raised him to be a top ranking alchemist, all while investigating things the Alchemist association have been covering up. They want to prove Rinne’s father is not a traitor and Spanner is determined to take down the real person behind the incident ten years ago. Their conversation concludes with the Professor telling Spanner that, basically, he needs to get out of his slump and find something that’s fitting for him or he won’t be able to use the driver. Spanner gets a call and runs off. 

We see the Gotchard gang investigating various shadows as Spanner runs into Mr. Minato, who wants to talk to him. Hotaro arrives to help the Gotchard gang look and finds them all fixated on one shadow. Rinne uses BurningNero to blast the shadow, which wakes up the Malgam, who reacts very dismissively to Hotaro. Gotchard goes straight into Super Gotchard Cross UFO-X and starts doing battle. In the process, he saves the civilians that the Malgam had taken hostage but a blow ricochets at Rinne, Sabi and Renge. Just then, Gotchard Daybreak slashes the blow from the sky, doing a superhero landing in the process. 

He then asks if Rinne’s alright before equipping the Gotcharigniter and jumping in to fight the Malgam. Hotaro switches to Cross X-Rex and does a finisher to the Malgam, leaving it with its top half blown off. As the smoke clears, we say the Moon Malgam reforming before retreating. 

Daybreak then asks if Hotaro believes him now? To change the future you need to first change yourself but, before Daybreak could finish, they are interrupted by the sounds of blasting. The Gotchard gang run of to investigate and find Spanner firing at Mr. Minato. Hotaro thinks back to Daybreak’s warning earlier in the episode as Minato explains that he would like them to hand over their Alchemist rings and Chemy Cards. He claims that, after the events of the Geats crossover movie, the Alchemist Association has determined that the Chemies are too dangerous for the students to deal with, they’re shutting down the school as a result and replacing them with the Abyssal Sisters as the new Chemy capturers. This, of course, means that if they hand over their rings and Chemies, they will get their memories erased.

Mr. Minato pulls out the Dread Driver and transforms, saying that if they surrender they will be left alive. Spanner retorts that in combat experience he outranks Minato and that he shouldn’t underestimate him; he also transforms. Minto completes the right of passage for most iterations of kamen rider dread, beating Spanner with very little effort, knocking him out of his transformation and making him drop three of his cards in one swift manoeuvre. The Gotchard gang then escape with a smoke bomb, thanks to Sasukemaru. 

We then see Geryon looking at the events unfold from the now former classroom and we see another shot of Gotchard Daybreak looking on over the city as the episode draws to a close.   

My Take

GOTCHA! What a way to start the new year. I really liked this episode. First thing I’d like to just say is that I really like Daybreak, he’s very cool. I love the fact the Gotcharigniter seems to turn his scarf into a cape and give him a stat boost. The Malgam this week was interesting; It seems like going forward Malgams made by Geryon and will have a gold undersuit, which is a clever way of working his influence and association with gold into the monsters of the week. I also like how they gave the Moon Malgam phasing powers… because, you know, the different phases of the moon… Well, I assume that’s why. 

The talk Spanner had with the professor was fantastic, naturally delivering exposition and showing another side to Spanner which was endearing to see. I also like the detail that can be taken from their talk that he’s been all cold and aloof up till now because he’s been investigating all of these things the association have been trying to cover up and just wants to make sure no one gets caught up in any push back from them. If we get more of the Spanner we got this episode, I can see myself really warming up to him.   

Let’s talk about the big twist: Minato’s betrayal. I’ve already seen a few people speculate that he’s being manipulated of mind controlled or something but, honestly, I feel like the shot of Geryon at the end wasn’t just to contrast with Daybreak’s final shot but to also show us that he’s not controlling Minato. I’m not saying our favourite Alchemy teacher doesn’t have some plan but I don’t think he’s being controlled. Really, it’s going to come down to what Minato’s past relationship is with Geryon and how he feels about him now, which is very interesting stuff and I can’t wait to see how this all plays out. 

What a way to start the new arc off! To end of the review, I’m going to just throw out there my thoughts on who Daybreak is. I think he’s future Hotaro from a future where he didn’t get any power ups past the Igniter and couldn’t stop Geryon. He has come back via Timelord to change the past. I know that Timelord being able to do that is something confirmed with the next episode preview so I’m really wishing I mentioned my theory in the last Weekly Ride Review so I could seem all clever this week but, hey, I’m sure there will be plenty of chances for that in the future. 

Were you also over the moon with this week’s episode? (Sorry, I couldn’t resist) What do you think of my Daybreak theory? I look forward to seeing your takes in the comments below! As always, I’ve been Ethan: writer, review and hero from the future returning to save everyone for The Toku Source and I’ll see you next time.