The Weekly Ride Review Double Feature with Ethan: Kamen Rider Gotchard Episodes 42 and 43

What’s up, Riders! Welcome to this double Gotchard review! Following his revival last time, what’s Geryon’s deal? And is there really a 102nd Chemy? Let’s hop in and find out!   

Recap

Episode 42

This week’s first recap opens with a really interesting view of a Geryon body double meeting with Gaelijah and Gigist, who are wondering why the power Germain had did not return to them as it was meant to when he died. It turns out Germain’s body and soul were basically transmuted into Geryon (looks like he now wont die in his world of gold after all), making him far more powerful than before. 

At the classroom, shenanigans happen and Rinne gets frozen in place. Renge and Mr. Minato will spend the rest of this and the next episode trying to unstick her, with both also getting stuck themselves. 

Shortly after Rinne is frozen, Spanner arrives with a report from Kyoka about a possible Chemy that shouldn’t exist, especially since the Association banned the creation of new Chemies years ago. Spanner, Hotaro and Sabi are sent to investigate. 

Turns out the Chemy came from the institute that raised Sabi and, during their investigations, we learn some interesting tidbits, including how Sabi’s A.I., Issac, was made by them, taking there research into souls and combining it tech to make a super Siri. We also learn that the institute broke off from the Alchemy Association years ago, in order to research the creation of new Chemies. 

Soon after, the director of the institute becomes a Malgam that, due to its unstable nature, shifts between a turtle form and a tank form. The Malgam is eventually taken down and the Chemy captured, but the 102nd Chemy, KameDoon, seemingly melts out of the card as the passed out director is taken to get medical attention. We see Geryon arrive at the hidden barrier to the institute as the episode closes.  

Episode 43

To begin the next episode, after a little talking, Geryon attacks the institute. Spanner approaches him first and ends up fighting one of Germain’s Golems. All of Germains powers also belong to Geryon now. Meanwhile, Hotaro gets Sabi to admit to wanting to patch things up with his brother, leaving the siblings in order to help Spanner take on the Golem. 

Sabimaru approaches his brother just as Geryon puts a mind whammy on him, making him confront his guilt over stealing the credit for making KameDoon and laments his own self worth. Geryon reveals he was after the A.I., Issac, because with it he can transmute the tablet into a Dreaddriver and make the A.I. its host, creating Dread Troopers. 

By time Hotaro and Spanner finish up the Golem, the institute is on fire and Geryon has turned Sabi’s brother into the KameDoon Malgam, essentially uniting the Tank Malgam and the Turtle Malgam. Spanner goes into the building to search for the little girl he met last week; She clearly awoke some parental instincts in him… future child in the movie, mayhaps?

Hotaro throws Sabi his XGotchalibur. He uses is to fight the Dread Trooper while having a heart to heart with his brother, who’s simultaneously fighting Rainbow Gotchard. Seeing an opening, Hotaro defeats him and Gotchas KameDoon again. This time, it stays in the card and Sabimaru uses it to defeat the Dread Trooper.

While leaving, Geryon whispers something to Mami, the institute’s director. With all the fighting over, Spanner emerges from the building, having saved the little girl, and praises the Issac A.I. as it helped him save her. This encourages and invigorates Sabi’s brother and he decides not to quit on his research after all. Returning to the Academy, the gang find Mr. Minato and the girls frozen. Sabi uses a Chemy to unfreeze them.  

Elsewhere, the Abyssal Sisters welcome Geryon to their lair and he reveals to Atropos that he can transmute a tonne of Dread Drivers. Geryon’s golden utopia is close at hand!

The Bad

Starting with episode 42, this was a really solid episode; a lot of interesting set up and info dropped. The most I could really complain about would be the Rinne/Renge comedic hijinks that benched them this episode… Even then, it would be halfhearted on my part, since we are closing in on the end and have less time for these lighter moments. It also allowed them to use more Alchemy that’s not just ring magic, too. Not all bad, I suppose. 

The same complaints carried through to #43 but, additionally, the twist ending revealed this two parter was really just a mechanism to explain the existence of the movie mooks. That’s a little disappointing, to be honest. Furthermore, they didn’t even capture KameDoon in the end; he booked at it was barely commented upon. I can only assume he’s going to appear in the movie. 

The Good

Episode 42 had a lot of solid set up between Geryon, the institute and the new Chemy. This is all stuff I’ve been hoping they’d get into, so that’s great to see. The fight with the Malgam was also fun; seeing Spanner be inserted into Gotchabrothers MadPirates for a back to back Rider Kick cannon shot was great. KameDoon looks cute, too. 

While this two parter mainly existed to set up the summer movie (which I fully expect to be spoiled in the next episode), episode 43 had all the same plus points as #42. Except for Spanner cannon insertions, obviously. Despite it basically being one giant action scene we got a lot of nice character stuff for Sabi, which is always appreciated. 

The Conclusion

Overall, this was really a fun two parter that sets things up nicely and establishes Geryon’s new threat level for the movie. It also gave Sabi some overdue attention and while, yeah, I’ve clearly had the wind knocked outta my sails realising this was a giant movie prologue, there’s still a lot to love. I’m sure in a year after its release when I’m able to watch the summer movie, I’ll appreciate these episodes just a bit more.

What do you think? Any theories on if KameDoon will show up again? What do you think of the little tank turtle? As always, I’ve been Ethan: Writer, reviewer and maker of the secret 103rd Chemy for The Toku Source and I’ll see you next time!