I'm just very glad this is over. Gotchard, excuse my French, sucks ass.

It's like they specifically tried to make the worst Rider show possible. And failed at that, because everything they tried with this show failed. That doesn't make it good though, that just makes it even more of a mess somehow.

Story? Sucks. Characters? Annoying AF. Suits? Meh. Action? Okay I give them that one; the action was good at times. But simply being "good" in that department won't cut it if you are the following act to Geats.

And when you actually put it all on paper and look at what this show did to tell its story - it all becomes so convoluted and weird, not once did I have any clue what they were even trying to achieve here? It's not standalone enough to be a show featuring only weekly plots but the overarching narrative is just so all over the place it's hard to look at and try to make sense of it as a cohesive piece. Probably because it isn't one.

This episode perfectly demonstrates this lack of focus by being, well, terrible. What the hell is happening here? After all that has happened, all that transpired, all that lead up to this point - Hotaro pulls a planet out of his butt, puts the Chemies there and - that's it? That's the ending?

You have to admire the people in charge of production for finding the worst possible ending for one of the worst Rider shows ever made. Jesus.

In all my time watching Kamen Rider, this was the hardest one to finish. Worse than Ghost, worse than Saber. Maybe me getting old has something to do with it, but it was miserable experience. In fact, I only managed to do so because I watched the last 20-ish episodes with 2x times speed. The shitty plots were easy enough to follow, I only wasted 10 minutes a week on this and the chipmunk voices made the dumb dialogue mildly amusing.

Good riddance Kamen Rider Gotchard, I'm happy that it's finally over. I'm hyped as hell for Gavv, because for all the things it may end up being, at least it isn't Gotchard. At least any future show won't be Gotchard.

One last time and I can be done with this forever: Gotchard sucks ass.

Honesty, I'm kind of jealous of you that Gotchard produced this much of an emotional response from you.

This show is a GOAT. That's why it's called GOATchard! I've had that pun for a year, not sure if I could actually justify using it, but now, I know I was right to do it. When I see the hate for this show, it just reminds me of how quickly the events of the finale faded in to urban legend after only a few months. Like how the world wasn't ready for Chemies, there are also people who weren't ready for this show.... Yet. Houtarou failed to reach his Gotcha this time, but that's not going to stop him from trying again. Failure is part of the process, you take the lemons and you turn them in to lemonade, or you take the world of gold and transmute it in to a new world for Chemies. That's alchemy! In spirit, anyway. Even if it's not the most elegantly constructed show, it has a lot of spirit. It made me smile and cry and find a higher appreciation for the power of connections.

Houtarou was originally supposed to be an ordinary high school student, but Motojima's eccentric portrayal turned him in to something much bigger than that. When Houtarou says he'll do it, then he'll do it. I really feel like I want to believe him, as he always believes in his own power, as well as he believes in others. Gigist took away his friends and he came back stronger with even more friends. Geryon trapped him in gold and he still kept moving. He's a veritable bad*ss! As long as he's alive, he won't stop moving towards his Gotcha, no matter who he has to go through. Rinne, Spanner, Minato, Clotho, Sabi, Kajiki and so many people became stronger thanks to his friendship and courage. I totally believe he'll make his dream come true, even if it doesn't happen in his lifetime. He's up there with Tenkuuji Takeru as my favorite Rider protagonist and I wouldn't say that lightly.

The finale, while rushed (hence why we're getting a Director's Cut), has a lot of merits. Wind returning to assist Twilight Majade and Valvarad Kurogane in the 3v3 against dolls of the Dark Kings while Gotchard ascends to confront the final boss feels like a better version of the premise of Saber's final arc. These dolls are actually characters we recognize, so Valvarad can have that line about pitying Gigist since we can sympathize that it's pretty messed up for the Dark Kings to be reduced to mere puppets like that, even if they were evil. I'd still like to see if the extended scenes add anything to this, but I love the ideas here. Everything including Beverly's insert songs builds up to the exciting final battle between Gotchard SteamHopper Ultima and Eldo, to determine whose philosophy is right once and for all.

Alas, my favorite Dark Sister didn't survive after all. I was prepared for this possibility, but damn, it was tragic. After being conflicted for so long, Clotho finally made a choice. She died on her own terms, doing what she always did best, fighting this time for her new Gotcha of avenging her family. It was a heroic death worthy of a proud strong person like Clotho, who I consider the true Kamen Rider Dread. She got one last emotional scene being cradled in Houtarou's arms as she entrusted him with her wish, before she finally rejoined her sisters peacefully.... Dammit, Geryon! Well, if anybody wants a little cheer after this (for you Atropos and Lachesis fans as well), I suggest that you go watch the Class 3-G special. It's nice to know there's at least one universe where the Dark Sisters get to live happily.

Overall, I loved watching Kamen Rider Gotchard and I believe with the resolve of Houtarou that people will come to judge it more favorably in the future. Without further ado, here's my Reiwa Rider Ranking:

1) Gotchard
2) Saber
3) Geats
4) Zero One
5) Revice

Whether the show is a hit or miss, shout out to Eitoku for his first-ever titular rider suit actor role ever. :rock:

Well, due to electrical problems, my viewing of the latest episode of Gotchard was greatly delayed, so I can only now unsubscribe. Let me point out my only negative right away: the show could clearly use one or even two more episodes. Everything is too rushed, too accelerated. On the other hand, Gotchard's pacing was always too fast for me.
Now about the episode: yes, it is almost entirely a big battle, but with a soul in which there was a place for both people and Chemies. I love that Clotho died in battle and finally got her feelings returned from the Sisters. Also, I think a lot of people will appreciate that there is a real rationale for using the main form in the final battle.
And Gotchard's signature repeats. Houtarou remembers words of encouragement just like Spanner did in the last episode. Lazy? Perhaps, but it works 110%!
I’ll also note one small thing: Spanner has his own onigiri separately. Individualist until the very end. And Fuge also found a place in the final battle. To everyone who thinks that Rinne’s ring often ran out of charge - her dad charged his for six months.
And, of course, a solution. A world in which people will live in harmony with Chemies cannot be created in a year or even a decade. But it is possible to make them perceived as friends. Those who are ready for friendship will be able to go to the new land of Hotaro, and the rest will have the opportunity to tell interesting stories. Unless they forget, of course)
The entire ending of the show, after defeating Geryon, I couldn’t stop smiling. And although the secret of Hotaro's father remains unsolved, a slight mystery does not spoil the story. In addition, it can always be revealed in additional content. Although I personally am much more interested in how the Kurogane couple came up with the name Spanner :)
Plus, the final scene with Gavv. Also a complete smile. Shoma is clearly a very nice guy whose adventures will be interesting to watch. And even if the writers are more harsh towards him than towards Hotaro, I hope he will not lose his optimism and ability to smile.
P.S. I'll post my review of the entire show below.

Go! The story of alchemists with magic rings and fantastic creatures that turn into cards has ended. It's review time. To do this, let's try to analyze the show from source to final product and understand why Gotchard is like this and how he coped with the task. It will be better and more interesting to do this using a thematic metaphor. Everything written below is, of course, imho. Now quickly grab the flask and Go!
https://i.postimg.cc/rmDMmqrR/R-1.jpg
First we light the Red Flame. This is the idea for the show that gave birth to it. In Gotchard's case, it's Gotcha. What is heard most often is what sets the plot in motion and supports it without allowing it to lose its meaning. But what is Gotcha? Oh, this issue is also worth looking into.
Gotcha is not a desire or even a dream, although it is close to them. But Gotcha is a much broader concept, because it also includes the path to them. Some shows focused on the goal, others on the path to it, and others argued that both were important, but Gotchard basically does not share these concepts. Also, Gotcha may not have an ending, and this makes her similar to her calling. Heroes may fail, but as long as they follow their Gotcha, they will be happy.
Houtaro is basically a pretty standard hero for a rider. He is kind, optimistic, caring, friendly, brave, smart and resourceful. However, it is not without its shortcomings. The show remembers that the protagonist is still a teenager, although not stupid, so some of his ideas are very naive. He also despairs easily, but, unlike Takeru, he also quickly restores hope to himself and others. He also knows about Gotch and really appreciates this idea.
At the beginning of the show, Houtaro is looking for his Gotcha. Having met Chemies and received the driver, he decides with her: to create a world where people and Chemies will live happily together. Initially, this seems impossible, contrary to alchemical laws, but Houtaro finds confirmation of his idea in every new acquaintance with Chemies. He sees that humans and Chemies can be friends, but also understands that it will take time. Therefore, Houtaro does not despair when Galejah regains his memories, but becomes upset when people continue to fear Chemies.
Other characters also have Gotcha. Some people find it thanks to Houtaro, others have been following it for a long time. Villains also have them. The sisters are doomed to die as soon as they feel theirs. Hotcha does not recognize kings and Geryon as such, because they do not bring happiness to people. However, they have goals and their own vision of an ideal world. The ideas of kings are global and ruthless. They are not so much aimed at harming people, but rather do not take them into account. For in the eyes of kings, people are insects: not important, but interesting, and sometimes even useful. This characterizes them as ancient, powerful entities.
Geryon’s goal is no less cruel, but at the same time completely meaningless. If the ideas of the kings can still interest someone, then Geryon's Eldorado immediately received the status of the most insane villainous goal in the history of the franchise. He is a pure villain without a single positive trait, sadistically cruel and does not go overboard with his means. This makes him the perfect antagonist for Houtaro, but also keeps him out of the pantheon of best villains. Still, a quality enemy should evoke a storm of emotions, and Geryon is too simple for this. Although he does an excellent job with what he has. Geryon knows how to create horror.
https://i.postimg.cc/wTXH3f72/R-2.gif
From the flame of an idea comes Orange Heat. This is the force that launches the plot, changes and develops it. For Gotchard, it's friendship. And here I would like to highlight the difference between him and Fourze, where the theme of friendship was also the main one. In Fourze, the energy of friendship was potential. By helping friends and other schoolchildren, Gentaro received their support, which made him stronger, allowing him to defeat his enemies and fly into space. This approach is true for most show riders, although Fourse has taken it to the extreme. In Gotchard the situation is different.
Houtaro's friendship is kinetic energy, constantly influencing people around. Somewhere she acts directly, somewhere through another person. Somewhere it is temporarily extinguished by the obstacle of memory erasure. But it is this friendship that allows you to put an end to a long-standing quarrel (Sabimaru) and thank a dear person (Renge), save your beloved (Kajiki) and recover from the burden of the past (Minato), find what makes you happy (Rinne) and become the best version of yourself (Spanner). This also affects the sisters, who started out as ruthless villains, differing only in temperament. Even if their happiness was short-lived, at least they tried.
Speaking of characters, they are in their place in Gotchard and quite good. Each of the permanent cast got the opportunity to prove themselves. The show didn't focus on most of them for long, but the character development was present and felt quite harmonious. The only thing that looked crooked was Fuga, who had to carry the statuses of “mentor of mentors”, “longtime enemy of Geryon” and “father of Rinne”. As a result, the character was used as a plot crutch. Also, maybe Houtaro's mom should have spent more time.
https://i.postimg.cc/NjbckK8r/R-3.webp
Fire and heat also emit Yellow Light. This is where the show shines the most and makes the heart flutter. For Gotchard, these are moments of heroic triumph. Victories over powerful enemies, last-minute salvation, fearless feats. There's a lot of this in the show, and not all of it is done by the main character, the riders, or even the regular characters. And it really captivates, even when there are repetitions. But there is a very significant reason for criticism here.
Gotchard's light is bright and strong, but flickers frequently. There are a lot of really creepy and violent things that happen in the show. For example, Spanner's parents resurrecting and dying in any other show would be shocking and would be cited as an example of the statement: "Kamen Rider is not for children." But Gotchard always deals with the problem too quickly, albeit in the most spectacular way possible. The viewer manages to feel the suffering of the characters, but this is not remembered. In the show itself, evil is identified with the Abyss. So, the heroes of this show fall very deeply into the abyss, but fly out of it with the help of a jetpack, and the horrors they see for a moment there do not leave serious consequences. In Gotchard there are no exhausting battles when the hero struggles to win. No, here the villain is initially on a completely different level, and then he is defeated. Not always with the help of a new toy, sometimes thanks to common work or ingenuity, but they win with defeat.
I appreciate that the writers love their characters and don't want to torture them beyond the needs of the plot, something that a couple of previous shows have done. Still, a little more drama wouldn't hurt Gotchard.
https://i.postimg.cc/L5dK8LSG/R-4.gif
But now the time has come to put the original Green Substance into the flask. This will be the world of the show, its history and rules. Here I will mention alchemy and Chemies. Briefly.
At the beginning of the show, I wrote that Gotchard's world was well thought out by Hasegawa and Uchida. Now there is an opportunity to repent of this statement, but I’d better add this: the world is written well for a children’s fairy tale. Or rather, fantasy for young teenagers.
Everything is focused on the main character, his friends and enemies. The world around them is created for them and for them. The less something concerns Houtaro, the less they think about it. This is why the Alchemical Alliance is so useless and cartoonish, because the alchemists who supported Spanner have no past, future and replicas.
That’s why Fuga hides so skillfully and is so easy to find. Therefore, only catchy words are taken from alchemy and, when necessary, it easily turns into the category of magic. Because Chemies are cute creatures with whom you really want to make friends, despite the fact that at least a couple should have harbored a grudge against people (although there was an X Wizard in the film, but he was rather upset). Especially if they were originally created as instruments of evil. And yet... I can't be angry about it.
Because is careful elaboration of not particularly interesting details so important for a children's fairy tale? For the target audience, even a fairy tale about yellow flowers, which is not true in the show itself, will be much more interesting than what privileges an alchemist’s A-rank grants. Children want to watch the adventures of Houtaro and his friends, new Chemies, victories over each time the strongest enemy (hence the division of the Philosopher's Stone). Gotchard's world is naive, sometimes clumsy, but at the same time it works. I have no complaints about the logic, motives and role of the characters in it, and therefore I am ready to accept its conventions. Besides, in a stricter show, Malgam-Kitsune would hardly appear. Although, perhaps, under other circumstances I would be more categorical.
And, probably, considering that the last few topics were filled with criticism of Zolda on the topic: “Man cannot defeat God,” I should speak out about this too. This is the view of monotheism. In Japan they believe in Shinto, that is, a local form of paganism. And the pagan gods were repeatedly beaten and deceived by mortals. The supreme goddess of Shinto, Amaterasu, was once lured out of a cave by deception. Yes, even in Christianity, Jacob fought with God and did not lose. So for a children's show, defeating kings is also acceptable. Although, I repeat, in Gotchard these victories are too rapid.
https://i.postimg.cc/P5fGJtGf/R-5.jpg
But there is too little substance to fill a flask for 50 episodes. You need to fill it with Blue Water. Oh, and it seems like too much water was thrown at Gotchard!
Tokusatsu is known for its repetitiveness, but Gotchard managed to go overboard even with this. The show not only takes inspiration from its predecessors, but also from itself. Houtaro's victory over Germain repeats the victory over Gigist, and only one episode separates them. Valvarad's victory over Gigist was also filmed using the same patterns as Majade over Galedjah. In another show, these two fights would have been shown in parallel, but Gotchard decided otherwise. And I'm not sure it was the wrong decision.
Gotchard is in many ways a throwback to the pre-Haim approach. Less overall plot, more episodic. Intrigues and temporary alliances are given over to the villains, the hero again runs (alas, does not drive) around the city, solves the problems of civilians and gains new strength. I know, the most obvious associations are the OOO-Fourze-Wizard trinity (the stories are too simple for W), but for some reason I remembered Black RX. Because, if my memory serves me correctly, Houtaro looks like Kohtaro not only in name, but also in hairstyle and even facial expressions.
And I like this approach. Then again, perhaps under other circumstances I would have quickly become bored with the episodic nature and repetition. But I like the characters and the stories are interesting. Also, do not forget that water does not just fill the flask. It gives life.
The characters from the episodes who return for the show's finale fill Gotchard's world with life and dimension. They make it clear that everything Houtaro and his friends have done so far matters. They make the show more than a showdown between heroes and villains in an old warehouse. They remind you that killing monsters is not the most important thing. In the end, they give life to the show, if not correcting, then at least brightening up its shortcomings.
I'd also like to talk a little about memory erasing. Some shows show it negatively; others show it as a necessary tool. But Gotchard manages to casually reveal both the positive and negative aspects of such manipulations using the example of Kajiki and the massive memory recovery from Galedzhakh. And this does not look like an attempt to sit on two chairs, but rather a recognition of the fact that memories are a complex thing and there cannot be a clear answer here. In every situation it is different. That is, yes, in the end, the memory of the death of his parents and the Black Flame made Spanner stronger. But would Spanner the child cope with these memories? Especially supported by Kyoko, who is kind but barely able to take care of herself? We don't have an answer, but I highly doubt it.
https://i.postimg.cc/VL1pZYk9/R-6.gif
Now a small digression. I wanted to continue walking the colors of the rainbow in honor of Rainbow Gotchard, but I ran into a major cultural problem. I don’t know why in English goluboy and siniy are called blue, but purple and violet are considered separate colors. Some will say that there is no fundamental difference, but it still seems to me that the difference between sky and sea is more significant than in the shades of grapes. I am leading to the fact that further, for the sake of convenience, I will refuse colors. Sorry.
The liquid in the flask boils and steam rises above it. It contains everything that appeared later, already during the work on the script, its polishing and additions. This is the theme of triangles inherent in the entire show, and the parallels between the riders and their enemies, and the theme of the coexistence of people and Chemies (not the first time raised, but with an unusual local specificity), and the riders themselves. For the most part, all of this is implemented to a good level, so I want to devote this section to discussing some of the technical features of the show.
There are too many chemies. The show tries its best to compensate for this, but there are too many of them. There won't be a compelling story for everyone, and even fewer will be able to show character. Some didn't even receive a form. Even Wild. In the end, at most three dozen will be remembered and, probably, we should have limited ourselves to this. It's a shame that commerce ruined such a good idea.
It's also worth talking about the distribution of shapes. The main rider always gets more. In Gotchard, this is justified by the plot: the friendly Houtaro is much easier to make friends with Chemies than the closed Rinne and the conflicted Spanner. His boundless trust in Chemies also contributes to this. At the same time, Majade and Valvarad received little compared to the non-main riders of previous years. Even if this is justified by the plot, it seems unfair. But at least it becomes clear that a small number of forms have nothing to do with Rinne.
It's probably worth speaking out about the first female secondary rider. Majade isn't perfect, but she's pretty good. She and Gotchard are a great team, with a beautiful costume, impressive moves and a catchy jingle. From what I've seen, Rinne has less negativity from viewers than the two minor riders before her. So, although this is not a stunning success, it is still a success.
And a few more words about Malgams. Last year we had unified rider suits; this year we have unified kaijin suits. I think someday we will get both. Either way, the Malgams looked great and, thanks to their structure, Gotchard featured more monsters than several shows had before. So I'm not against this approach to design as long as the basics are good.
In the end, my complaint boils down to the fact that too much toys have a bad effect on the show. And the fact that the toys are characters, unfortunately, only emphasizes this problem more. Let's see if Gavv can do a better job.
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So, the fire is extinguished, the steam has dissipated, and we see the final Product. This is Gotchard in his final form, after watching the last episode. And what can I say as a result?
This is a good show with nice characters that first and foremost wants to entertain its viewers. Therefore, it is ready to devote as many as 4 episodes to fan service and goes wild in additional content. Gotchard has no special ambitions, but he contains interesting, useful ideas that will be useful to both young and adult viewers. The show does not try to explain the essence of life, but tells a story where, in an exciting way, it invites viewers to find it themselves. And even though the series suffers from commercialism, not the most suitable format, repetition and sometimes clumsy storytelling, it is still good. For some, Gotchard will be the first rider. It will become a favorite for someone. And in this regard, the show definitely did not disappoint.
The result was not gold, but something clearly valuable. I enjoyed watching Gotchard and had a wonderful year with this show. I don't remember a single episode that left me dissatisfied. Could it have been done better? Certainly. But even in its current form, Gotchard is a very worthy show. Good defeats evil and does it as effectively as possible, what else is needed?
https://i.postimg.cc/vTvqwVZr/R-8.jpg
I can easily call Gotchard my second favorite show of the Reiwa era. If we try to abstract ourselves from personal feelings and judge unbiasedly, then... well, I still can’t give it lower than third place. The lack of uniqueness and tension is fully compensated by bright emotions and pleasant characters. In the general list of franchise riders, Gotchard's place is somewhere in the middle. This is not bad and well deserved. I can confidently say that I will always be happy when I see him again.
https://i.postimg.cc/DwNChFnM/R-9.jpg
Now it’s time to leave the laboratory, go to the cafeteria and have something to eat. Next year promises to be very tasty for rider fans!

I think so too. Let's not forget that Fourze had the worst rating in rider history during the broadcast. And the same Ghost is already considered by significantly fewer fans to be the worst show in the franchise. It takes about five years for passions to subside and for the show to be looked at more detachedly.

Forgot if I've read that or not, but considering the general disdain for goody two shoes, I wonder what'd you think about Hiromi, regardless of where his show is from, including compared to the Rider protagonists from other series too, as he seems to be the only goody two shoes that is universally acclaimed that I know.

Hey, hey, hey, I'm back! Life is not fun, work is pain, and Gotchard? Well...

I'm kind of on the fence with this one.

Now, I know there's a LOT of debate on whether this show was good or not (and honestly, I kind of refrained from reviewing partly because I was busy/stressed, or I was worried about being "that" guy), but let me just take things from the beginning (I don't usually like long posts, but here goes): From first impressions, I loved Gotchard's suits, probably among my favorite designs (at least from Reiwa), the show's more simple "go catch some card monsters" premise was endearing, BUT it still had a lot of problems from some recent Kamen Rider Shows, namely the rapid introduction of new suits/forms almost constantly until the power-ups caused them to slow down (somewhat), now they DID what I consider one of my favorite things in this show, the Rainbow Gotchard Clones to use the old suits. That is probably my favorite Final Form Gimmick so far.

Moving to the side characters, I actually liked Rinne. Sure, I'll admit, she seemed kind of meh at the start, but she grew on me and Majade is probably my favorite female Rider design (the final form took some getting used to, but the Kamina Shades were already a win), neat how she was the Official Secondary, which I liked, since Spanner/Valvaraad, while he did feel like Secondary Rider material, I always felt he felt like a slightly lesser version of Hiro/Brave from Ex-Aid (the fact his catchphrase is kind of similar didn't help), and I think his Rider form's visor was hit-or-miss to me a lot (Silver Valvaraad probably highlighted that his bolt-on left side makes his head look comically big, but I appreciated how it used base Valvaraad's head for the right side with the tracker D-Gazer over it).

Renge really shined for her centered episode, but Sabimaru had some more genuinely good moments, from the introduction of Dread and the one with his brother and their Chemy. Kajiki was another I felt also had some great moments, with the romance having actually still played a role again and not just randomly say "oh, it didn't work out" was nice to see. Minato was pretty good, the whole "losing sight of his goal because he was scared of Geryon" wasn't the best reasoning, but I'll admit it still played a role (even if him turning into gold in the finale looked laughable). Kyoka "Coriander Enjoyer" was a decent support, even if she kind of fades into the background (like Spanner's relevancy). The Alchemist's Guild was severely underutilized, probably worse than the Sword of Logos from Saber, being a big important organization that ultimately just exists, which I suppose at least they didn't do another "actually we're evil and we were helping the bad guys all along!" like FENIX, ZAIA, and the aforementioned Sword of Logos.

The Villains: The sisters started out as decent antagonists, but they probably got sidelined the hardest (I'll get there), which as individuals, I though Lachesis was the best among them and Clotho probably taking the short end, because BOY, was she benched! Nothing on her Human model OR the fact she got a Hybrid Form that just happens and is quickly abandoned. Atropos, while I do admit, the whole "make the heroine and female villain bond" is kind of getting old, I appreciate that this one had at least some purpose given that she's modeled after Rinne, kind of wish she had more of a presence since she seemed like she'd be an interesting change of pace as an antagonist (a creepy little girl seemed like a fun idea for an antagonist to me initially). Geryon... He's got a Monocle. Best Villain. 10/10. Gold Stars all around! Okay, jokes over. In all seriousness, I appreciate that we had another glorious irredeemable scumbag as a villains (after Orteca from Revice), but I don't think he's topping Storius or Regard. The Three Abyssalis Kings, now here's where I think Geryon worked, the idea that the main big-bad is the guy taken out midseason and he just swoops in after these three come in is a nice twist (if that's what you want to call it) but I thought Gigist was the best of them, since Gaelliah and Germain didn't add much other than "oh yeah, there's three of them."

Before I discuss the finale, I'd like to say, while I enjoyed Legend and his portions, but I think they should have been their own thing instead of shoehorning him into the main show, since it didn't contribute much to the main plot other than reveal the Philosopher Stone in Hotarou, and boy, does everything feel last minute!

So, as stated with the Sisters, this show just tossed everything into the last episode (heck, I couldn't believe the show was ending a few weeks ago, and that Majade and Valvaraad got last minute Final Forms and there felt like so much that should have been done more with (seriously, why is the dad still hidden, I was half assuming he'd be the most important character or the bloody twist villain or reincarnates as Nijigon), and everything just kind of... happens? now, I get it, there's a lot about Ichinose's ability to create his own solutions (remember that initiation test from the beginning?) but this just felt wildly out of left field and is kind of a mess. Also, looks like we're back to the "Reiwa Upgraded Initial Forms" again (not that I ever had a problem with that, mind you).

Final thoughts: It started out as an endearing comfort show that I could sit back and enjoy without having to compare it to Geats or whatever, but it just ended up being a mess, like if we reversed Saber and the horribly rushed beginning was the end of the show. I don't dislike Gotchard (yeah, I'm saying it), I had a lot I enjoyed, and even if this sounds dumb, it helped me get past my dad's passing which did make me feel emotional at times while watching, I'm grateful for those little moments that helped me stand up again. It's not a great show, nor do I want it to be. It didn't frustrate me like Revice, but I'm not going to let my biases dictate that, so here's my ranking:

1)Geats
2)Saber
3)Zero-One
4)Revice
Outlier) Gotchard

I honestly can't bring myself to put it over Revice, regardless of how I feel of either series, I will love the things I enjoyed of Gotchard and I will continue to be dissatisfied with its execution, but I don't think I particularly care where to rank this. It had some fun moments, great suits, and good action, but I will fully acknowledge this show ain't perfect and this will be another "I like Wizard" or "Zi-O wasn't that bad" upon my reputation, which I'm fine with.

Now we can eat candy with Gavv!

Geryon's plan to transmute the world in to gold was flawed, hence why Houtarou was able to move at all, instead of becoming a Houtarou-shaped piece of gold. It was merely a layer of gold plating that Houtarou used as the material to create the Chemy World, which seems like a reference to Kamen Rider using the power of evil to do good.

Ryusei!

Houtarou's epic speech is a memorable one for sure and you can tell he's serious. While he found meaning in the power of connections, Geryon hyperfocused on one shallow thing. If only Geryon could've seen the bigger picture of each small life working together, then maybe he could've used his powers for good. Houtarou sees the talent and hates that it went to waste on such despicable deeds.

Maybe Houtarou's father is Narutaki, so then we can kill two birds with one stone. :p Considering that Spanner's father is called Wrench, the tool-themed naming tradition seems to go back further than Spanner's parents.

It's a good metaphor! :thumb:

I've seen some people compare Gotchard poorly to Fourze, claiming that the latter does friendship better, which can be a valid opinion, but before that, it's just different. If people want Fourze, then they can just go watch Fourze. There are similarities like the high school environment and friendship theme, but it's the differences that make both of these shows unique and worth watching. Gotchard's friendship feels like an expansion of Ghost's friendship, to the point that their Final Forms both have rainbow motifs. A miraculous phenomenon with many colors to contrast Adel's and Geryon's ideals of singularity. But Ghost is more broadly about the meaning of life, so it doesn't lose its identity to Gotchard either.

Now that you mention it, the yellow flowers could be an apt metaphor for how the plot holes and clumsy pacing don't diminish the wonderful ideas. Even though the story is a lie, the magical part is true that Hopper1 made the effort to get the flowers to cheer up Houtarou.

Man VS God is such a staple of JRPG that it seems futile to complain about it too much. A god needs both omnipotence and omniscience to guarantee their success, but that's not satisfying for the narrative. Writing a lesser god who lacks one of those omni-traits creates a scenario where the protagonist can win after a hard struggle. The Fantastic Chemy category is full of off-brand pagan gods as well.

Siniy looks close enough to pure blue, while goluboy looks like a pastel azure. Maybe cyan would be the universal equivalent of this. Purple has an equal composition of red/blue, while violet has a clear preference for blue. Of course, this is only a scientific explanation based on RGB values, rather than a cultural one. To connect this to Gotchard, I'll add that the shiny blue suit is thematically appropriate, as blue pigment occurs rarely in nature and is thus symbolic of alchemical synthesis!

Rinne is underrated for sure. While I admit the show hasn't always utilized her effectively, like her contrived absence in the Kongo Laboratories arc, it clearly shows her useful qualities that only she can do. Both in personal life where she's the wise leader for Kitchen Ichinose Alliance and in combat where she excels in elegant hand-to-hand moves and studying her enemy meticulously. Majade SunUnicon is my favorite base suit for Reiwa Secondary Riders.

Which one's your favorite?

Fourze also had one of the best merchandise sales after Zi-O and OOO. Apparently, Gotchard is also profitable, so it must be doing something right. Speaking of Zi-O, Over Quartzer had a similar moral about this, that "history" and "truth" aren't absolute, but determined by contemporary beliefs. Alchemy is pseudoscience now, but in the past it was truth and it has potential to become truth once more in the future. That's the relentless hope of alchemists like Houtarou, clinging to a fantasy so strongly that they might turn it in to reality.

Tatchan probably just says what he thinks his viewers want to hear. Well, regardless of his reason, at least he's keeping the ChemyStory going in the epilogue.

I guess it makes sense for Rinne to try this, as it's implied that Atropos' soul is inside her somehow. Lachesis died as a human, so I think Spanner would leave it at that.

He would gamble his life to protect the world! I like his dedication and spirit and I'm glad the producer promoted him from dead guy to recurring character.

Even though the 101 Chemies didn't all get equal focus, at least the show compensated by giving focus to the supporting human characters. There were some people who complained about focusing on Sabi and Kajiki just before the final arc, but I think it's just like Gotchard's theme to remind people about the importance of all of Houtarou's friends, not only the main ones. I'm glad that I got to learn something new about all these characters.