This episode. Wow. I still think its weird we arent even at 20 yet and this is happenin. I mean, most series havent even had a secondary rider yet! I cant wait for the rest!

Is anyone else thinking Gaim might end up running out of steam? All those riders introduced (and/or killed) in the first 14 episodes. 46 or so to go? Where the hell are they going to go next?

It's always a risky move to jump this quickly out of the gates. The pacing so far is brilliant, sure, but now we've had this bombshell...

I for one hope Urobuchi resists the urge to keep one uping his previous emotional death blow. That's the way series' go from sublime, to ridiculous. Of course, keep ramping up the drama by all means, but there's got to be a "calm water" period at some point ... or does there?

Anyway!

One frelling fantastic episode. Am I right?

Nay, there's plenty of mysteries to work with like who is the girl in white, just who is DJ Sagara, what is Yggdrasil's actual goal, what is Sid's "S" lockseed, what's happening to the infected people, and so on (in case I missed some). There's a lot to still work with, no to mention there's still the drama of Kouta dealing with the revelations made. There's definitely a lot to work with until mid 30's, I think.

This is precisely my worry. I know the Butcher can run off the material he has for that long, but when it comes to sorting out the rest of Gaim's run he'll probably have to throw out an even more serious blow or twist to make it. I'm not doubting his skills, but.. tis getting ropey. That's all.

Why are two people overestimating the remaining episodes Gaim has left?
It's not 46 episodes, it's more like 36 or 35(assuming it has the usual for Rider in recent years, 49). Are people just expecting Gaim to have 60 episodes for no reason? If anything, it might have a couple less, since it started later.

That's a good point. For all we know, it could be the length of Decade.

I'm not overestimating anything. This is a 49-51 episode series. I'm saying there's enough stuff to work with through the majority (if not all) of what's left. Where h got his numbers is beyond me.

You know what I do find funny, people have grown so used to toku wasting our time, that Gaim is really unsettling with them. It seems this impossible concept to them that Gaim might actually have enough plot for the WHOLE series. They seem surprised they can't just write off the first twenty episodes as the show isn't just pissing around. It's funny that people have forgotten that the show is MEANT to have plot from the first episode to the very end, and the shows aren't supposed to start in the last twenty or so episodes, like pretty much every other toku show in existence. It's disturbing we forgot that.

Agreed.

Because Gaim has already done eveyrthing we expect it to do as most shows do, they think that there's NOTHING AT ALL that could possibly happen that we don't know about now.

We've kind of become used to rider shows being "predictable" in that we know how long stuff takes. We can predict when certain events will happen in most shows, like the secondary rider showing up or the final form debuting.

If anything, the amount Gaim has gotten done now without feeling compressed or awkward gives me giddy excitement for the show's future.

It's not so much that we have forgotten as much as we don't expect it.

Anyway, the Hase thing was spoiled for me. (hi, Suzu!) I also found it a bit strange that Kouta suddenly started acting like Hase was a close friend of his, despite never really interacting with him in the series.

And yet... and yet it was handled so well. I was able to ignore that tiny little gripe and sympathize with Kouta and his plight. Those shots of him having backed Hase into a corner and seeing his human form flash before him was incredibly powerful and very creepy. I am incredibly curious to see how this series ends, and I'm especially curious what elements we'll find throughout the story that we missed initially but found after a rewatching of the completed series.

One thing that does raise some questions for me, though, is the future scene from the first episode. Kouta and Kaito were very antagonistic in that future, yet I derived from this episode that Kouta and Kaito will unite their forces to stop Yggdrasil. Zangetsu Melon Arms was also in that scene. This episode established the Sengoku Drivers as prototypes, with the Genesis Drivers being the apex of the Rider systems. Yet, in the future, we see no Energy Riders, and Takatora is using his Sengoku Driver instead of his Genesis Driver. Maybe I'm just grasping at straws, but I don't think the Energy Riders are going to stay for the duration of the series. So what will happen that would cause them to not show up in the future save for Zangetsu, who downgrades back into an Armored Rider?

There are still a lot of things to go through in the series.The Energy Riders could be handled like the Horoscopes from Fourze,each getting their own story arc.

The fruit changing animals and people,Yggdrasil's goal,the DJ's origin and just who he is,the relationships of Micchy/Kouta and Micchy/Takatora,the other Beat Rider teams that haven't been introduced yet(who could possibly have their own riders),The girl in white's back story,etc.

The next episode should be very interesting though.It doesn't seem very fight heavy,so maybe some more backstory is let out.Also we haven't seen the DJ since he was a hologram in the one episode,and this is the first time he's showing up.My question is,which side is he on? Sure he's shown up as a hologram that one episode,but why talk in person to Kouta,and just Kouta?

I know I can;t wait to find out more.This series is doing one thing good,and that's wanting us all to come back and find out more.

The amount of people who've said "well that wouldn't normally happen until the thirties..." or whatever. Like shouldn't you be glad that Gaim has done more in fourteen episodes, than most shows do in twice as much, without feeling compressed or awkward?

Surely the sheer quantity of story Gaim achieves without feeling unnatural is testament to just how poor regular toku pacing usually is. I can't wait to bring this show up, next time someone tells me filler is a necessary evil in toku.

Gaim has definitely made it harder to watch older Toku. I mean don't get me wrong, I still love my favourite series, but Gaim has just replaced W as number one. Through no fault of W. But Gaim has ZERO filler. Even within episodes, it doesn't feel like a single, solitary scene has not served some purpose in this show. You couldn't trim the fat if you tried. Or you wouldn't be trimming very much fat. More like shaving it off.

But yeah, I don't know what's changed, but Gaim has certainly raised the bar.

I think you're just mistaking his natural want to save people. Even if they weren't good friends, they still new eachother, and Hase's like was in Kouta's hands. That's a huge amount of weight to put on a kid.

And yes, another thing I like about Gaim is how all the characters who are kids, feel like kids. they're emotional, a bit irrational, and have sometimes misplaced priorities. But it's not in any grating or frustrating way, but a natural, understandable one. These feel less like impossible role models for young kids to aspire to, and more like characters teens can relate to and look up to.

100 times this.This series has been story and plot,front to back.The only filler I've ever seen in any episode so far was a 2-3 minute recap at the beginning of the one episode,that's about it.

I have faith the series will keep pace,and will keep us watching to find out what happens next.

Split Lip does have a point: Gaim has, for better or worse (pretty much for the better) how tokusatsu is done.

In just 14 episodes we have a pretty fleshed out lore, awesome characters and real danger. This is what a good toku series is: something that draws you in and makes you care about this world that's being laid out for you.

It's almost magical that this was made. I'm eagerly awaiting what happens next.

Also I'm sure everyone has noticed this by now, but the Kyoryuger episode topics don't draw the same traffic as the Gaim ones. I just found that to be mildly funny.

The only thing that let that down was the way Kouta just stood there at the most crucial moment. That pissed me off so bad I think I probably gave this episode a harsher score than it really deserved.

He'd just been severely attacked, unexpectedly, by the Energy Rider. I don't think it's too much of a stretch to say he was too injured.

He didn't have a scratch on him, and when it cut to his reaction as Hase died, he was stood up right. I know he got demorphed by that Energy Arrow, but if he was too injured to react, the show didn't capture it very well.

He was still hurt from when Hase first attacked him,spent the entire time running across the city looking for him without a break,and then fought him again,just to be shot by Zangetsu.Also he could have had internal injuries from the shot.I'm not sure exactly how wounds from an energy weapon while henshined work,but if it was strong enough to knock him out of it,he was probably pretty weak.

Even if we assume that (assuming is all we can do) considering the lengths Kouta went to, seeing a Rider raise his bow to Hase, you think he'd do more than shout at him. The Kouta we've gotten to know would charge in, he wouldn't really think about the next step, he'd just do something. Injured, tired, whatever, it felt out of character that Kouta didn't try everything.

It's also a possibility that Kouta was entering shock. Additionally, Kouta has been established as someone who freezes in fear. Really, with everything he endured in that day, why wouldn't he?

That makes sense. Like I said, I was able to overlook it because it was handled so well.

I guess if it was shock, it would fit with the shows handling of human emotions, I could give it credit for that. Maybe the next episode will confirm the reasoning behind Kouta's lack of action.

I think it's too small of a detail to warrant justification.

Really, if this is the major complaint of one episode in a series praised by almost everyone, Urobuchi Gen is doing something right.

True that bro, true that.

Plus, he was shot. And injured. He barely mustered enough to wriggle-limp towards Sid, let alone make a fast move to stop Sigurd.

Wow, way to make me feel worse ;_; I didn't mean to spoiler everyone and I tried to avoid it and then yeah... discussions happened and I was already down that night, so...
I'm so sorry ;_____;

Yeah, that was amazing. The big twist had been guessed awhile back, but it's still crazy and the execution was awesome.

That music during the Gaim/Hase fight... man, that was great.

I wound up spoiling people long before that thanks to the live stream. Unintentionally of course, but still you weren't the first :(

Hah, I also watched the livestream. It was really hard to keep quiet though...

I'm glad somebody else noticed the apples. I'm still iffy on it not just being coincidence (after all, a rampaging Invess isn't going to stop to peel a banana or an orange), but I do hope it's subtle detail.

… Oh, I can't stay mad at you. I know what it's like to have a favorite character die (Peter. :()

I love this show soooo much! Episode 14 really amped up the drama.

Curious to see how Jonouchi will react to Hase's death.

So we finally have a confirmed death (or two...or three) in this series. I'm sad to see Hase go out the way he did but I'm glad the stakes have finally been raised in this series. And bravo for Kamen Rider finally getting a little dark again! I absolutely love this show and where it is headed!

okay guys, these twist were so obvious being a piece of Urobuchi's work, but damn this stuff is so good.

i knew this show would be dark and i am so damn happy it is, i am so glad to have a good rider show return to darkness after all these years

watching madoka really showed me just how potentially dark kamen rider gaim can be and i am so excited about it

My only complaint is: Episode 14 just set the bar EXTREMELY high. I'm hoping this series doesn't lose steam but again, it's the fact that recent toku has made us accustomed to pointless filler arcs, recap episodes and a story that doesn't pick up until midway through.

But that might not be a problem. There's enough loose ends to at least account for episodes up until mid-thirties.

Sid is a twisted bastard considering he basically put Hase in his position and was the one who put him down. The fact that Bravo is running around all loose cannon-esque makes me strangely happy. And since we already know Micchy tried to get Kouta to stop being a Rider before, I wouldn't be surprised if Micchy tried to use what he knows as leverage.

The simple fact that Micchy tried to get Kouta to relinquish his power but hasn't given up his own is also quite noteworthy.

Precisely what I've been saying! I'm with you on this, buddy.

Plus whatever happens after Gaim, in either franchise, is going to seem pretty damn tame. Not that I'm complaining about having something like this to watch every week...

So, just a question, what exactly is that fountain/park they always film at? The one where the Energy Riders appeared? It's in almost every Toku show.

Honestly, I'm not all that impressed with the whole 'some Invess used to be human' thing as a twist. I know Sid saying that killing InvessHase was a heroic thing is supposed to be a big shock, but he's not exactly wrong. Hase was going around hurting and potentially killing people, and there's no real evidence to suggest he could have been saved. Even when he partially turned back, he still just acted like an Invess that looked human.

It just strikes me as being an obvious twist that doesn't really add anything new to the story but angst potential.

Great episode loved it, would of liked if they introduced Mirikas character but still neat, and if would like to see some more Energy Riders, but it would still be okay if they didn't. I can now see Michy hating Kouta, for killing Yumma? Man I already forgot the name of that dude, and ain't Yumma in DBZ? Anyway, I sorta want all the NRG Riders merchandise. But still seeing Hase go I almost cried which was good since the first death of Ryuki wasn't special, well none of the deaths were.