If you had told me a year ago that I'd love a show that focused on fruit and had soda power ups I'd laugh at you

Soda!

Fantastic episode, great way for the show to come back after an all too long break.

Nice bit of recap at the start of the episode, it definitely had that "let's fill the audience in" vibe, but it moved along quick enough and didn't feel too forced.

The tension between Kouta and Micchy, you can cut it with a knife. Definitely interested to see where this goes.

Hasse losing everyone and everything because of his broken driver pushing him to the breaking point next episode. Can't wait to finally get the confirmation on the nature of the evolved invess.

Jonouchi turning towards Orren, I love it. Always happy to see Bravo make an appearance.

Couple great fights towards the end of the episode. LOVED the Genesis Driver (Genesis...biblical reference?), it just came off so sinister. Also didn't expect the arms to, well, be like the other arms. Given the design of the energy riders, it just didn't seem like the armor actually folded out from the fruit, but I guess they do afterall? Shin-Zangetsu is pretty damn badass, wonder what Orren is gonna think of him hahaha (probably be a bit bummed that he has to make new cakes of him).

I liked it. It was clearly a bit of a set-up episode again, but still enjoyable. I'd hazard a guess that Micchy and Kouta are headed towards a big falling out in the near future.

I'm guessing that tree scene is easily the most important one this week, especially when Mai comes face-to-face with colored contacts Mai (or possibly future Mai... Mirai Mai?). I'm guessing that "priestess" talk is going to come back in some way.

I'm digging the Zangetsu upgrade. He really tore the hell out of those poor Riotroopers... er, Kurokages.

Agreed. The tree itself is probably Yggdrasil, the mythological one not the company, or some facsimile thereof.

I do so I can finally be vindicated :lol

Way I read it was that the Sengoku Driver's were made for the "kids" to wear and test out. So the voice was young and enthusiastic, while the Genesis Driver was made for "Adults" to wear so the voice is more calm and "professional" sounding. But yeah, really like the voice though.

Man, this episode really makes you feel bad for Hase…and realize how much of a dick Junochi is.

And I kind of have to laugh at the irony of going to Oren on advice on how to be a man. :lol

This show refuses to stop getting better, doesn't it. The promise of Gaim and Baron teaming up makes me think, though. Once the whole dance team thing inevitably disappears completely, I think Baron is going to become a straight hero.

They remind us here how much he hates Yggdrasil, so once he and Kouta have a common enemy, and no real reason to fight each other, I feel like he'll start to warm up a bit. Plus it fits with the whole Warring States shifting alliances thing.

Of course then there's that bit at the start of the 1st episode, but I prefer not to try and reconcile that with my fan-theories for Gaim, because it makes my head hurt.

Speaking of shifting alliances, Jounouchi is even more of a dick than I thought! How could he just abandon poor Hase-chan like that?

Oh, and Gaim did another Rider Kick, woo! That's what, like, 3 or 4, counting the last Wizard episodes and probably a Kick or two in the movie?

Wow, love this episode, it's so good to have Gaim back.

I'm impressed that Hase's story is still ongoing and that there's so much more to unveil. I can't wait to see how he'll be now that he's totally finished and let down by all his friends.

Micchy and Kouta are rapidly travelling down divergent paths. It's going to get really interesting. I see a lot of Kureshima in Micchy.

Correct me if I'm wrong but…didn't we see a giant tree in the Yggdrasail base last time around? Seemed to look an aweful lot like the Sacred Tree Kaito and Mai spoke of.