Apparently.

It's just, there's a LOT about this situation that doesn't add up, more than usual, and I feel like Ex-Aid is usually smarter in its writing than this. Niko even points out how odd it is to just release a game out of the blue, but beyond that, this is a game using some kind of revolutionary bleeding-edge technology that makes reality itself a game? And you didn't wanna hype that up? There's just so many red flags here.

I think I might make it sound like it bothers me more than it does. It's just kind of a thing I found weird and nobody else was bringing it up so I felt like mentioning it. Trust me, as a Ghost fan, I am totally willing to excuse stuff like this. I mean, I still don't know how Igor managed to get evil magic contact lenses into the hands of most of the world's population that one time, you know? :lol

Which is the same thing I'm assuming. And once again Ex-Aid is making me bust out the "A" word.

I wasn't actually questioning the "risking your life" part since it's made clear nobody knows that going in. It's like the one thing here that makes 100% sense to me.

Oh, and since we're speculating right now, can I just mention that I'm growing more and more convinced that people who get Game Overs aren't actually dead? Between the way Bugsters are basically immortal, the way people just kind of fade into data when they "die", and the way they keep insistently using the word 消滅 instead of 死 or something, it just really feels like there's something else going on here. Maybe not a sudden happy "everybody lives!" ending, but definitely some sort of twist.

Gonna go ahead and start this post even though I'm technically still watching the episode, because my internet absolutely refuses to load the literal last minute of it (you think Kamen Rider Chronicle is paying money to have technology screw you over, try Centurylink...).

Anyway, I love how KRC is essentially Kamen Rider Ex-Aid Go. It makes use of a recent gaming trend without seeming like it's trying to hop on a bandwagon, while making it seem both super cool and fun, but also terrifying.

I do kind of agree with Fish though, I knew the public knew about the Bugsters, but I had forgotten they also knew about the riders. To be fair, did they actually mention the term "Kamen Rider" in that press conference? I think they just called them doctors. They also only showed blueprints of the riders it looks like- it's entirely believable that the players don't recognize what they've been told are game characters as the same heroes fighting the virus.

Oooh, in fact, maybe they'll have a point about how the Riders have been doing so well at treating game disease, that the public/media has largely stopped regarding it as a threat? Sort of a "the riders screwed themselves" kinda thing, that could be interesting. The mind control thing is probably more likely, though.

EDIT: oh, also, the Wiki pointed out that the art for KRC shows a humanoid form of Lazer that isn't Giri Giri Chambara. Probably doesn't mean anything, but it occurred to me, why is Lazer on there to begin with if he's dead? Genmu isn't on there. Still waiting on a new Lazer form with all his reappearances, and it looks like the Hyper Battle DVD isn't gonna deliver, so....maybe? Please?

But that's when you realize Ex-Aid makes loads of references to video games
And then think about how the SEGA Saturn was handled

I now have the strange urge for Ex-Aid to fight along side the great and all powerful Segata Sanshiro.

Welp, there's your new nightmare fuel, kids.

Seriously, the last scene was one of the creepiest things I've seen yet!

The best part is they already have the actor, but knowing Toei they wouldn't want to actually get Sega to lend the character

Para-DX is cold-blooded. Forget Gremlin, Gremlin was a punk compared to this dude.

Don't forget the Dreamcast! Man, I got burned on that one. Great system with a 12 month lifespan!