Oh, yeah. He expected Jin to use it, but wasn't surprised when it got onto Vulcan's hands. He probably was aware Naki was in Fuwa's head. Especially since his later plans were to liberate Naki from Fuwa's head.

Speaking of, when *does* Naki get put into Fuwa's head? I want to say during his surgery post Horobi in the early episodes, but I can't remember if that was ever said or just implied. It could easily have been when the chip got put inside him, for all I remember.

Ah! This is one where Project Thouser answers. It's almost immediately after Horobi almost kills Fuwa, since Gai murders Naki at the same time it happens. I think somewhere during or after Fuwa's recovery in the hospital before he was ever conscious.

Edit: the chips had been in there heads once Yaiba and Fuwa were part of AIMs. None of them probably remember when, since both were probably brainwashed after the surgery. It's how they were able to transform, after all.

It's after the battle with Horobi; Naki is still working for Gai in "Project Thouser".

Ah, cool! I havn't seen Project Thouser, so I must have seen someone writing about it and half-memorised that, explains why I couldn't remember it properly. Thanks!

Yeah, Project Thouser gives some nice behind the scenes stuff going on, like how Horobi got his keys and belt with Naki smuggling them, how they lol'd into Fuwa's head via Gai, some nice scenes with Williamson, how and why Jin was revived (apart from what the MBJR V-Cin says), and Fuwa going around talking with a not-Fuwa voice.

Edit: I just kind of wish there was more to it? A part 3 or something? One that gives us a Proto-Thouser with Gai testing his keys on a Shotriser or Forceriser?

The most important thing is that it gave us the name Williamson

Hey what's the deal with Aruto's dad? like he feels really important, yet according to the wiki he only appears in like 5 episodes, and I feel like I've seen 3 of those having watched only the first 6ish episodes. So do they like talk about him at all? do they ever have aruto get him to laugh?

He's a pretty major character in Reiwa - The First Generation. It also makes Ichigata canon, since his father was a Kamen Rider before any changes to the timeline were made. It's a pretty decent movie, even if you don't care for the Zi-O parts.

Aruto never got him to laugh or smile, but his actions led to Aruto being able to make other Humagears do that, instead.

He barely appears in the show and when he does it's almost only his death scene, but he is basically important in two ways. One that concerns the transformation belt and one that concerns an important decision that Aruto makes.