What’s up, Riders?! Between the last two parter, this one, and the summer movie, it seems like memories are reawakening in Kajiki. I wonder what’s up with that? Let’s jump in and see!
Recap
This Ride Review will be recapping both episodes of this two parter at once, according to subplot. Gotta keep it fresh!
Lachesis’s subplot
Kyoka realised that Lachesis has some human essence inside her. By doing the Alchemist memory wipe technique, but in reverse, she hopes she can help make Lachesis even more human that she already has begun to be, by making her remember the human life she based on. During the end of the two parter, she emerges out of the X-Men’s Cerebro and revealed to Spanner and Kyoka details from the life she remembers, even sharing that persons Gotcha and singing one of there songs. At the end of this subplot Lachesis remembers Geryon saying something about ”defective dolls” and is clearly bothered by it but says its nothing. Sure this won’t come up later or anything…
The Main Plot
For reasons that will become clear as we go, here is a link to my reviews of episodes nine and ten, in case you feel you need a refresher on them.
Hotaro realizes Kajiki is upset about something and it turns out Hijiri Himeno, who I think it’s safe to say was dating Kajiki at this point, responded to his invite to the summer festival basically breaking things off with him via text. Hopper1 and Nijigon jump out to cheer up Kajiki and all of the wiped past encounters with Chemies and Kamen Riders come flooding back. Just as he’s about to run off, Mr. Minato arrives and mind wipes him… again!
Back in the Alchemy Academy classroom, Mr. Minato explains that they have mind wiped Kajiki so many times they might not be able to do it again. Hotaro floats the idea of breaking the Chemy Law and giving Kajiki back his memories. The gang debates whether they should break alchemist law or not but this is interrupted, and they go to investigate a Malgam attack.
It’s the Submarine Abyss Malgam? But… Deepmariner is fine. What’s happening? Clotho explains that she now serves Gaelijah, who also seems to have removed her Abyss Gear transformation and, as part of Gaelijah’s big power play, it is revealed that for anyone that ever turned into a Malgam a tiny piece of that Chemy is imprinted onto them. Using this “Malgam Factor,” they can transform into a Malgam again without the need of a Chemy. That’s right! That creeper from episode three is back!
Rinne and Hotaro, aided with Gotchabrother Venommariner make quick work of them and another Golem, but Kajiki sees this. Unable to memory wipe him, they instead reintroduce him to the Chemies and that Rinne and Hotaro are Kamen Riders. He gains his memories of episode nine and ten back from this and Kajiki realises this is probably why Hijiri called things of with him. She also remembers, to some degree. As the gang discuss this, Minato explains that the guy that became the Jungle Malgam has broken out of jail. Hijiri texts Kajiki asking to meet up, but when they do the Jungle Malgam Factor attacks and, along with Clotho, kidnaps Hijiri.
The gang split up, with Hotaro and Kajiki focusing on saving Hijiri, and the others on tracking down other past Malgams before anything happens to them. Using Smaphone, the pair are able to track Hijiri down. They arrive to find she ran away from Gaelijah and Clotho, after they showed her select moments from episode nine and ten – in particular turning into a Malgam and attacking Kajiki.
Hotaro turns into Rainbow Gotchard, engaging the Jungle Malgam factor and Clotho, while Kajiki goes to Hijiri. In the face of all of this, Hijiri is overcome with despair and malice which activates her Malgam Factor but, instead of turning her into the Battery Malgam Factor, it summons one instead. In addition, every time it’s defeated, it respawns. Kajiki is able to get through to her, however, and brings her back around, making an opening for a double kill Rider Kick from Hotaro, aided by Gotchabrothers Super UFO-X.
In the fallout of this Mr. Minato decides to let Kajiki and Hijiri keep their memories, calling back to his friend who he promised to help even if it broke the Alchemists laws. That evening, Kajiki and Hijiri remark that they missed the summer festival and won’t be able to watch the fireworks together. Just then, Hotaro and the gang put on a fireworks display of their own for the pair, using Chemies and the Chemy Riser.
But wait, there’s more…
Gaelijah’s true plans move forward, taking the energy release from all the defeated Malgam Factors and releasing it over Japan. Resultingly, the world remembers the Malgams and the Kamen Riders, and a news report by one of TV-Asahi VTuber’s Hug Sakuraba reveals footage of a Malgam attack to the public. The whole world learns of Malgams as the two parter draws to a close.
The Bad
Not really much to complain about this week. All of the emotional beats hit me hard. I’m sure if you got emotional during episodes nine and ten, you would have here, too. The Malgam Factors are neat, if clearly excuses to reuse suits.
The worst I really have this week is I’m not really sure about all the Geryon stuff. His subplot could just be him building to the attack the leads to Daybreak Gotchard’s future. Being that that movie (at least from the prerelease stuff we have seen) appears to be the gang teaming up to stop future Geryon, this could mean preventing that from happening and stopping his rise to power could be the series endgame. That would definitely have plenty of stakes (for those that are able to see the movie before next year) or it could all be extra context for the movie, we won’t know till the movie is out, and I hate that.
The Good
As I mentioned, all the emotional beats hit me really hard. I mentioned suit reuse as a negative but it really is nice to check back in with these one off characters, since we probably won’t see them again. Something else I enjoyed was that just as someone questioned the logistics of Gotchabrothers using driver attachments, we got to see it! They can! Extremely cool stuff and it makes me wonder if a Gotchard + Gotchabrothers form rush will happen eventually.
Finally, THAT ENDING. Who would have predicted that a V-Tuber would be the one to cause such a big status quo shift? Amazing! I couldn’t be more hyped to see what’s next.
The Conclusion
All in all another wonderful set of Kamen Rider episodes. At this point, I assume the endgame of Gotchard will be preventing Geryon from taking over and preventing the Daybreak timeline. Regardless of if I’m right or not, I’m hyped for it and I hope you are too. Not long now!
What do you think? Are you hyped to see who could be coming back? Did this two parter also make you cry? Let me know in the comments! As always, I’ve been Ethan: Writer, reviewer and long forgotten Gotchabrother for The Toku Source. See you next time!
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