Snacks are served up, Riders. Ethan returns to bring you some overdue Gavv goodness. This time we have Granute McMouthEyesFace, final forms, ikayaki and a franchise record maybe being set.
Hello again, Riders! Ethan here. It’s been a while, hasn’t it? The rest of The Toku Source’s writing crew completed their final articles a few months ago but I’ve stayed on to shut all the windows, turn out the lights and bring you through to the end of Kamen Rider Gavv. This is the first of three mega articles bringing us to the end. I hope you enjoy these final Ride Reviews as much as I enjoyed writing them.
Editor’s Note: Ethan had these articles ready months ago and I’ve been a slug publishing them. I hope you enjoy them all, despite Gavv being long finished.
Recaps
Episode 33
This episode opens with Granute McMouthEyesFace waking up from his modification surgery. After the opening, we see Hanto still looking for Shoma’s mum when a strange man approaches behind him and leads him to… you already know where this is going. It’s Granute McMouthEyesFace in his human disguise, who attacks Hanto revealing not only is he the new Bitter Gavv (Nyelv grafted a black Gavv onto him based on Suga’s research) but for his dark treats he’s been tasked to take out Shoma, Lakia and Hanto.
After getting beat down, Hanto stumbles into the Hapipare offices while Shoma and Sachika are working on a job, which they drop to attend to their hurt friend. As Hanto is filling them in, Lakia gets jumped by Granute McMouthEyesFace too but Shoma takes off and is able jump in to aid Lakia. Meanwhile, Sachika goes to grab Grunkle Dente to help patch up Hanto where she finds him passed out after having used his Gavv’s teeth to make something new for Shoma: the Gochipod. To explain it quickly, it requires 100 Gochizo to fuel it and when activated, depending on what way up Shoma puts it into his Gavv, he gets one of two forms but we will get into that a little later.
Sachika books it to the fight with the Gochipod in hand and throws it to Shoma. At first it does nothing, because its not been charged with 100 Gochizo, but after seeing Shoma give his all untransformed, his lil’ guys start jumping in there and he’s able to use it to become Kamen Rider Gavv Over Mode, who slowly waddles up to Granute McMouthEyesFace and hits him with a finisher punch that redefines the landscape.
Episode 34
This episode should be much quicker to recap, turns out McMouthEyesFace didn’t get atomised last episode and they narrowly avoided dying to Shoma’s attack by virtue of him not being able to fully control his new forms raw power the second he gets his hands on it. After returning home with Dente in tow, they all discuss what happened and conclude that he probably survived thanks to Nyelv and they should get the Gochipod ready for round two. As such, most of the episode consists of Shoma eating yummy treats in order to make enough Gochizos to use the pod again.
Granute McMouthEyesFace makes his appearance again after being handed the Bakemagnum and attacks the public. Hanto and Lakia head off to buy Shoma time but Gochizo’s are not being birthed and, after talking about it with Dente and Sachika, Shoma remembers the joy of savouring his food and sharing his thoughts on what he’s eating, which quickly causes the number of gochizo to jump up and they quickly reach the 100 goal. Joining the fight, Shoma transforms and finds that Granute McMouthEyesFace has a strategy to deal with this new form – dodge his attacks and keep a distance. This leads to Hanto and Lakia running up and restrain him, giving Shoma the opening needed to end them.
With the fight over the trio set about freeing the trapped civilians. Back in his cave, Dente reflects on the day and that Shoma will be alright without him and freezes. Meanwhile, at Stomach Inc, President Bocca promotes Nyelv to RND head, directly under him, and puts in an order for ten million premium quality dark treats. The episode ends with Jeebh wishing Lango good luck with his procurement of all the presses needed for such a huge order, Lizel lets them know they have a blank check for this task and Lango confidently stating he will get the required presses.
Episode 35
This episode opens with Lango asking Jeebh and Lizel if they are ok with the fact there’s no way they can get the needed number of presses without alerting humanity to their existence, to which they say yes. Meanwhile, in between episodes, Shoma has amassed two hundred Gochizos in case they are needed with the pod. Just then, Ritsu (Sachika’s friend from episode two) returns asking for a huge favour, she’s just gotten into a new band U.M.A. ( fun fact they are actually a cameo by the masked rock band Crab KANI Club and their song “Fukikaeban” is used in the episode!) and has gotten some last minute tickets to see them live and would like help making merch and such to show her love for the band.
While Hanto is being approached to be part of a series of articles, he gets a news alert of mass disappearances. 10,000 of people were taken from stadiums, plans, hotels, cruise liners. All gone seemingly in one night. A strong contender for the largest kidnapping in the franchise’s history all done by Lango.
All three of our Riders see the news and meet at Lakia’s to talk about what to do. They immediately assume it was Lango and they they made a device using Lakia’s toxins to be able to do what he did on a bigger scale. Before they take off to look for Lango, Lakia asks the others if they told Sachika about the last spree of mass disappearances and how he was responsible for them to which the pair say they haven’t told her and they all split up. While the other two are searching for Lango, Lakia visits Dente and finds him passed out on the ground… asleep, he fell asleep he’s fine, and asks him to find an antidote to Lakia’s toxins.
Shoma eventually finds Lango, seconds after launching another attack on a plane full of people. As Shoma goes to attack the two helping Lango, he emerges from the seats and erupts into energy pushing Shoma back and out of his form while also blowing up the plane, presumably killing everyone else on board.
Hanto and Lakia arrive and try to fight Lango but (to the tune of what sounded distractingly like Sephiroth’s theme from Final Fantasy 7) Lango and his Buster Sword effortlessly dispatch the pair. Shoma charges in and pins him to the ground, hitting him with a speech about how weak he is and shouldn’t have ever been born.
Shoma responds by transforming into Over Gavv and is quickly handled by Lango. The episode ends with Shoma using Blizzard Sorbet to cover their retreat.
Episode 36
After some lead in, we join Shoma and co back at Lakia’s, patching their wounds. Hanto reflects on what he heard Lango say to Shoma and suggests to the others that he could publish an article about the Granute, give the public a little more info so they are more cautious. The others agree.
After the opening, Shoma goes home checks in with Sachika, and Lakia goes to see Dente. Hanto checks the comments on his new articles and its full of people blaming Kamen Riders for the attacks, partly due to confusion by Bitter Gavv. While out looking for a door to Stomach Inc, Jeebh of all people appears to Shoma and offers him a hint. Lango’s next target is the venue U.M.A. is set to perform in! With most of the people still planning on going despite knowing the risks, our heroes make a plan, but before heading to the venue Hanto checks the comments again this time he sees nothing but supportive messages from people Shoma has saved, even the mum for episode one is in there, thanking him.
Holding back a wave of emotion, Shoma and gang head off and, sure enough, shortly after everyone is seated bubbles of vapor appear. Equipping the gas masks Dente gave Lakia, the gang spring into action with Hanto dealing with the part timers Lango got to help pull this off, Lakia the agents and Shoma handling the big man himself. Confronting him on his way into the venue Shoma hits him with a speech about how even if his birth was a mistake he was people in his life now that care for him and he’s been able to his us powers for good, and he will protect them and the happiness he’s found with them. Moved by the speech, the Gochizo in the pod spin it to the Master side and Shoma transforms into his other final form, Master Gavv.
Master Gavv’s a speed form that’s able to pull any of his other form exclusive weapons out, combining this form’s extreme speed and its ability to quickly change back into Over Gavv by rotating the pod Shoma bursts down Lango getting past his defenses with speed and quick changing to land the hit, (seemingly) ending Lango with a final Rider Kick, to the horror of Jeebh.
U.M.A. tears the house down and after leaving the show the gang leave to go celebrate. Bringing the episode to a close.
For the next episodes, I’m going to do things a little differently. Instead of going episode by episode, since we have two two parters, I’m going to make things easy and just recap them in pairs.
Episodes 37 and 38
This two parter opens with a small boy seeking out the help of Hapipare and enlisting the help of Shoma and Sachika to help their families sweet store. As part of their help, they enlist Hanto to write about the store and he interviews the one store employee, Kenji, a man mentored by the small boys late dad. While on an inspiration searching visit to the Zoo, Jeebh attacks and while Shoma makes quick work of them with Blizzard Sorbet. They launch an attack at the small boy and Kenji blocks it, revealing himself to be the Granute that killed Hanto’s mother.
The following episode deals with this revelation and Hanto struggling with what to do, contrasting it with Jeebh going to further and further lengths for revenge. Eventually, Hanto decides to spare the Granute as he appears to have turned over a new leaf, forming genuine connections with the small boy. He fires off a blast past the Granute, who had earlier that day begged to be given time to say their goodbyes and apologized for what they had done. Meanwhile, Jeebh lets Nyelv mutilate him, turning him into the newest Bitter Gavv. During their clash with Shoma and Over/Master form Jeebh’s Bakibakistick doesn’t amount to much, but they survived to spiral further and fight Shoma. The episode ends with Kenji getting killed by Glotta.
Episodes 39 and 40
After spending time with Guncle Dente, the gang decide to make some Pudding a La Mode. They set off to get the ingredients and the correct serving equipment, in order to recreate the experience of eating Pudding a La mode, since Dente can’t go out to restaurants due to his lack of a human disguise. While they go shopping, Glotta learns that Dente still lives and pays him a visit.
Dente pleads with her, trying to reach the little girl he knew who just loved her family and must be so lonely now to join their side. Glotta responds with how she’s not weak enough to feel lonely and cuts down Dente. Shortly after, the gang returns and Lakia quickly realises that (as I called weeks ago) Glotta is his brother’s killer. A fight breaks out, Lakia gets beaten and Glotta makes her get away.
The following episode deals with the impact and weight of Dente’s death. With Sachika hit especially hard, Shoma stays strong because he’s focusing on saving people and reducing victims. To take their minds off things, Shoma suggests they have the Pudding a La mode now, while Dente is fresh in there minds so its like he’s there with them. During this, Shoma checks the on Gochizo Dente had staying with him and it turns out he had recorded a message for the gang. Later, Shoma checks up on Lakia offering food and sharing the message Dente left for him. In response to Lakia asking how he can be okay with this, Shoma reaffirms his commitment that reducing victims comes first, saving people is what matters most, not vengeance. The pair are interrupted with the news that, Glotta, armed with a perfume bottle of Lakia toxin, has been nabbing people left and right, so the pair head off to fight her.
Glotta counters Over/Master Gavv in an interesting way. As Shoma goes to charge up the pod, she kills dozens of Gotchizo, preventing it from fully charging, which I thought was neat. With the fact I opened the fight recap with that, you can imagine how the opening went, Shoma in Blizzard sorbet, Lakia in his base pudding form getting their butts kicked. But then, Lakia gives a speech rejecting vengeance and declaring the new mission that his brother and Dente have given him: to save as many as he can and prevent victims as much as he can. Shoma births another new powerful Gochizo, Pudding a La Mode, which Lakia uses and, with Shoma’s help, they take down Glotta for good.
The episode ends with the gang all together watching Dente’s message as Lakia tries a Pudding a La Mode. Meanwhile, Glotta dies in an underpass, in the arms of Lango, who survived Over/Master Gavv’s debut and faked his death… or they are a clone… my money is on clone.
My Thoughts
Now that’s how you pull a “long built up villain finally gets up and does something” off. This first batch of episodes was incredible, with the only real negative being due to the nature of Over Gavv, and how slow and tanky it is, it cant really have that cool a fight. This leads me to believe we will going forward mainly see Master Gavv being used as Shoma’s main final form with Over being used for finishers or to block powerful attacks – kinda like how Gurucan was used early on. Episode 36 in particular was a highlight, actively making me break down twice, peak stuff .
The two parters were also fantastic to see. Gavv’s streaks of fantastic episodes with amazing fights, character moments, just everything’s been spot on for what it’s going for. Episode 40, I was honestly crying for a good chunk of it because it hit so hard. As we head into the final stretch of the show and also the summer movie, I think it’s safe to lock Gavv in as a top five series for me. We have ten episodes left at most and everything so far has been fantastic. Sure, a female rider of any kind would be sick and the theming around drug users is a little iffy, mostly saved a little but Kenji in the 37/38 two parter, but over all Gavv has been consistently great with its story telling, pacing and just so much more.
Conclusions
Gavv continues to be Kamen Rider at its best, its clear that with them trying to push into China with the new filming schedule they want to put their best foot forward, which I believe they firmly are. If the last few arcs of Gavv keep up the level of quality the rest of the show has, I think we are looking at one of the all time best seasons here. Onwards to a new Arc, Hanto finds the Granute that took his mother and Lakia’s driver was broken, how will all of this play out? We shall have to see next time!
What do you think? Did you enjoy these episodes? Whatcha think of the Gochipod forms? Did episode 40 also leave you crying? As always I’ve been Ethan writer, reviewer, pudding lover, and recent acquirer of their own final form for The Toku Source and I’ll see you next time!
