Kamen Rider GAVV Episode 1: "A Snack Kamen Rider?!" Discussion
 

A stranger from another world appears only to collapse in hunger...

Nice first ep. Cool ref to Agito when Shouma lands on earth.

Didn't expect few hints of lore about his mother already. So he is half human (unless she is not his biological mom).

I found the kid actor was surprisingly good for his age.


only cons I would find to the ep are maybe the containers scene to be a bit on the long side and as I expected before the show start, the Gouchizo interupting the action (and their voice) to be a bit on the annoying side (but it's a kid show and they're here for comedy I guess. Hope not too much)

Also I don't remember where but pretty sure I already saw Valen's pal somewhere. I don't see him mentioned in the cast.

Shouma's homeworld has a surreal vibe similar to the Ideon, the homeworld of the Noto from Donbrothers. The trope of a group of kaijin (Granutes) disguising as and living among humans is also similar to the Anoni and the Juuto. Granutes feeding off humans' psyche is also similar to the Noto relying on humans' brainwaves as consumable goods. The Stomach family also feels like a combination of the Sonozaki family from KR W and the Noto.

Why is Shouma chased by the Stomach guards inside the Stomach facility? It seems like he's running away from them, and bringing (or stealing?) something valuable. That valuable thing could be his Henshin Belt Gavv, which is a modified/upgraded version of the standard ones owned by all Granutes. And why is he banished to the Earth, not captured by the guards? Why does that particular (trap?) door lead to the Earth? Does someone control that door (or the whole place) and let him escape? Shouma says @ 01:00 that this is the world his mom lived in. My hypothesis last week here about Shouma being a human-Granute hybrid is very likely correct. And if he recognizes the Earth as his mom's homeworld, then does it mean that he had visited it before, at least once? He can't recognize something he has never seen.

The pedestrian crosswalk light is green @ 02:34, so the driver that almost hit Hajime (the kid of the week) must be the stupidest, most irresponsible driver I've ever seen. I get that the writers intended to point out Shouma's nature as a super strong non-human creature, but they should've done it without making other character(s) do a dangerously stupid thing. Making one character look good/smart/competent/strong by making another one look bad/stupid/incompetent/weak is a sign of crappy, cheap, lazy writing. Shouma says @ 07:41 to Hajime that the people of his species have a mouth on their stomach called Gavv. If Granutes have a mouth on their stomach, then does it mean that the mouth on a Granute's face only functions as a speech/respiratory organ, but not as a digestive system? Shouma is likely the only Granute with a functioning upper mouth due to him being a being a human-Granute hybrid. That's why Shouma creates Gochizous that come out of his Gavv every time he eats something via the upper mouth. Perhaps that's also why his mom told him to never eat any of their snacks @ 09:11 because eating foods through the upper mouth will cause his Gavv to produce Gochizous. But this scene @ 09:11 raises several questions. If the Gavv is his (and the other Granutes') true mouth, then isn't that where he's supposed to put food into, not the upper mouth? What happens if he put actual foods (not Gochizous) into the Gavv? Does it digest foods like the mouth on a normal human does? The trailer video also showed him eating proper/heavy meal from a bento box (through the upper mouth, of course), so doesn't it mean that he'll also create Gochizous based on proper/heavy meals, not just candies/snacks?

Hanto says to a woman @ 03:35 that her husband disappeared 6 months ago, and he's trying to connect the man's disappearance with a Granute. He was described as a freelance writer in the synopsis, but this scene shows that he's closer to an amateur/novice journalist like Shinji Kido in KR Ryuki. Like Shinji did, Hanto also has a boss/superior, albeit his boss is seemingly less bright than Shinji's because he's suggesting that the man was murdered by his wife.

The Granute of the week submits several human souls to a Stomach field agent, and he's rewarded with a Dark Sweets/Dark Snack that looks like youkan. He then eats (through his upper mouth) some of the Dark Sweets @ 08:45, very likely to enable him to transform into his kaijin form @ 10:01. So, it turns out an ordinary Granute's upper mouth can also function as a digestive system, similar to Shouma's. He's planning to attack Hajime and begin to act suspicious in front of him, which drives him away. Then a weird scene happens. Hajime, who is supposed to be heading home, is heading to a pier instead, after being driven away by the Granute of the week. Why does he do that? It seems like he's being Jedi-mind-tricked or mind-controlled by the writers to take a detour to the pier, haha. It looks like a higher force is making him head to the pier only because that's where Shouma is supposed to debut his transformation into KR Gavv. Just right at the moment the Granute of the week is about to attack Hajime, Shouma conveniently appears to save him. Or perhaps Shouma is able to sense a Granute's presence as shown @ 09:34? The Granute of the week actually uses a trinket that looks similar to the one used by the Stomach leader guy like shown in the trailer. That trinket is likely produced when a Granute in human form eats a sufficient amount of Dark Sweets through the upper mouth. A brief flashback scene @ 11:28 shows all members of the Stomach family in their kaijin forms in front of a woman who could be Shouma's mom, who was captured and ended up as a victim of the Granutes. That flashback scene also shows Shouma being in pain, which could imply that he was likely a test subject who was experimented on and imprisoned in the Stomach's facility due to his nature as a human-Granute hybrid, and the first scene in this episode is actually his escape from there. Shouma's situation could be similar to Souji Kusakabe's (Souji Tendou's mimic) from KR Kabuto who was imprisoned by ZECT and used as a test subject for the Zecter experiments. As shown @ 13:24, Shouma has only been 30 minutes in the Earth, but he has produced multiple copies of at least 6 different types of Gochizous, haha. The debut fight scene in the next 7 minutes is quite typical for this franchise. What I didn't expect is that the Henshin Belt Gavv also produces the sword, Gavvgablade. What else can be produced by this thing? I hope it doesn't work like Doraemon's 4D Pocket that'll provide every solution to every problem faced by Nobita, I mean, Shouma.

What's weirder than Hajime taking a detour to the pier is that his mom also arrives there, haha. Does Hajime call his mom to come to the crime scene and pick him up? I understand that the writers' intention was to make a civilian character (Hajime's mom) view Shouma/KR Gavv as a monster and lump him with the Granute of the week, but it'd be better if it's done gradually, not in a rushed manner like this. If done in a rushed, heavy-handed manner like the pier scene, then it'll feel forced, unnatural, and weird. Why would a kid take a detour to a pier when he's told by his dad to go straight home? His mom also being there adds an extra dose of weirdness.

There's another weird thing. If Shouma has already produced so many Gochizous as shown @ 13:24 (at least 30 units), then where are they when Shouma is fainting @ 22:29? Gochizous aren't Chemies that could be conveniently stored inside RCC's. Why don't they help him? Aren't the Gochizous supposed to be Shouma's minions/retainers/helpers? If they can help him during battle, then they surely can at least help him find some foods.

There's a potential logical anomaly @ 20:25 when the news anchor mentions that several explosions of unknown cause occurred yesterday at 11:30 at Nagihama, Tokyo. No way in God's green Earth that the authorities are unable to determine the cause of several explosions of that scale occurring in the middle of a metropolitan city. Pickpockets and other small-time criminals are almost always identifiable via ubiquitous CCTV cameras, yet the authorities are unable to determine the cause of those explosions? I smell something very fishy here. No way the authorities has no intelligence regarding the Granute invasion. I think the authorities are not unable, but unwilling to disclose the cause. The authorities (government, police, military, intelligence agencies, media, etc) could be merely playing their parts in covering up the Granute invasion, and bits of information only appear sporadically in social media as shown by Hanto during the preview section @ 22:55. This cover-up could be orchestrated by the third faction: A governmental/extra-governmental/inter-governmental/clandestine organization that has been secretly investigating the Granute invasion like I hypothesized last week here, and very likely has also been secretly planning to gain something from it. This organization also likely have an indirect connection with Stomach.

The OP is quite nice, but I much prefer the battle theme. It's more upbeat.

Next week:

The debut of the KR Gavv Zakuzakuchips form.

I hope KR Valen will debut in episode 3 or 4. I'm curious as to who'll provide Hanto with the Valen Buster. I hope it's not Shouma.

I looked. Well, it's not a brilliant first episode, but it's a pretty good one. I like that setting up the status quo for the show was left until later, making the pilot essentially an introduction to Shoma. He's a very likable main character, if a bit goofy. Still, I would prefer not to be led by the hand by a boy in the human world and Gochizo in battle. Besides, it would have been much more fun if Shoma had grabbed different Gochizo at random, not always getting the desired effect, rather than using their prompts. But overall, I like him. It's also great that it was immediately established that, despite the terrible fate of his mother, Shoma's goal is to protect people, not revenge.
Granuts are quite creepy and disgusting, although in the guise of kaijins they stand out only for their mouth on their stomachs.By the way, Gavv (at least from what has been shown so far) is simply a feature of physiology, and not a living, much less an intelligent, organism. Although I also don’t rule out the twist that it’s actually a parasite.
The battle was colorful and stylish. And if we have already seen trips through skyscrapers and races around the city, then a stretch fight between containers is cool.
A few more words about Hanta. He turned out to be much more lively and awkward than expected from the descriptions and trailer. At the very least, we were shown that he is not just a typical secondary brawler. It's very interesting to know more about him.
Overall, I enjoyed this start and am looking forward to the continuation of Gavv's adventures.
P.S. Also Hanta`s Master seemed very suspicious to me. Although, IMHO, everyone whose belly we haven’t seen is suspicious here.
P.P.S. By the way, even if Gochizo die during use, they go to heaven for that. So there is no need to be sad. Also, considering that Candy Gochizo has created different types of motorcycles, then, at least in theory, Gavv is the rider with the most bikes in the franchise.

I'm not sure what's komura's cooking, but i liked it. I think, i could safely said that the granutes are essentially addicts, and the agents would fill their addictions in exchange of doing whatever evil stuff the plot demands.

The gochizo being used as a replenishment for the battle damaged armor is a clever way to justifies the large amount of trinkets, also a way to emphasize the "mouth" aspect of gavv

I wonder if shouma is somehow related to the stomach's families (maybe a cousin or a distant relative), i'm not sure if komura would ever go in that direction, probably takebe would

Ah, so I wasn't the only one who thought this. :rock:
Also, while it doesn't closely resemble it, the chase scene at the beginning gave me Kamen Rider BLACK vibes.

I very much enjoyed the first episode of Gavv.

The protagonist is super interesting and unconventional in certain ways, he's half-alien and the belt actually an organ of his body, not something artificial. Although it is special and unlike the ones other members of his species have so let's see where this leads.

Love the style too, candy as a theme works strangely well for Kamen Rider, maybe because the "Juicy!" line from the transformation jingle is such a nice callback to the real life Kamen Rider gummy advertisements of the past. And present, I doubt they will let that opportunity slip away.

The action was awesome, super fun and well done. I really like the suit too; how attacks eat away at the armor but snacking some additional gummies restores it.

I'm 100% in on Gavv; it's really fun so far. Also, as a fan of King-Ohger I smiled when I saw the merch cameo :)

https://i.imgur.com/albYTGZ.png

https://i.imgur.com/H18sdsL.png

I do like how Gavv reinserts Gochizous into his stomach in order to regenerate armor. I don't believe we've seen something like that before. Really ties in to how he has to eat to gain powers. I did actually laugh when the Gochizou's soul flew out after the fight, that's some peak black comedy right there.

Also, they're totally gonna sell those Dark Treats as actual candy in the future. They better or I'll be dissapointed.

Also also, for a candy-themed series, the fight music goes surprisingly hard.

As much as this new rider is fun.... I think I'm gonna pass on this one until he gains friends who know his secret, as well as people to start treating him like a hero and not a monster.

Is it just me or did this pilot feel the most Kamen Rider that Kamen Rider has felt in a long time? It's hard to put my finger on it. But the villains in this feel legitimately threatening in ways that past Rider villains haven't (probably because they're implying that normal people are actually dying), it features a main character who isn't truly human, and the added emphasis on the bike in the final scene is a bonus (I hope it lasts).

The fight choreography in this was sensational, especially the bit where they were fighting while wedged between the shipping containers. The gimmick actually seems to work, and Komura's brand of humor is on full display here. This was the best first episode of a Rider I've seen since Zero-One. Here's hoping Gavv can hold the momentum.

Yeah that was great.

I laughed out loud at the "save citizen from a car accident" scene, I expected the usual, not this :lol

https://i.imgur.com/s6Wazqu.gif

Music was great, went along really well with the fight-scene for sure.

So... episode 2? :lol

I wouldn't say long time myself; the first episode of Geats was pretty darn great.

But compared to last year's endeavor - this was most definitely leagues ahead.

Agreed on the action and I do hope they can keep this going, the 20 episode block being finished has me hopeful. And a bit afraid of what might happen after.

I'm with you on this, certain moments gave me Showa and early Heisei vibes, particularly BLACK, Kuuga, and Agito.

https://i.imgur.com/uhNwxT6.jpg

When I think of Kamen Rider, I'm generally thinking of a show like this.

Gavv's premiere is wildly successful when it comes to doing what Kamen Rider has arguably done best ever since around Decade, which is taking a completely off-the-wall silly surface-level story concept and using it to portray deeper and more complex ideas, without losing sight of the simple fun of the premise.

Because, before anything else, this is a fun episode of a show, as you'd expect from the candy motif. Shouma's a charmingly excitable lead who can find wonder in something as simple as eating a gummy. Sugihara's typically kinetic direction runs through like, every kind of adrenaline-charged thing he's ever done with the action, from making stillness move, to a big CG chase scene that remembers to get the real suits in there where it can, to another showdown around shipping containers... I could probably go on just about the fight scenes for quite a while. The most important thing is less how familiar a lot of it feels, though, and more how well Gavv sets itself apart right away. The Gochizo are disposable in a way something like a Chemy isn't, which ends up making them even more adorable than they already would be (plus, Gou Sakabe kills it on the music as usual by making Gavv's main theme basically be them cheering Gavv on), and the idea of Gavv having to repeatedly transform as his armor keeps breaking off makes Shouma's power seem fragile in a way that, physically, stresses how this is a Rider made out of soft candy, but also thematically works well if the show is going to make a point out of how weak Shouma starts out versus the strength he'll presumably gain throughout a year of adventures.

That's already more than enough to make for a solid premiere, but what takes this one to the next level for me is that it's a first episode that explicitly has the Kamen Rider telling the villain "I'm a monster, and so are you", which is as Kamen Rider as Kamen Rider can be. There's so many layers to *why* there, I'm not sure how well I can explain it, actually. Part of it is that I feel like these characters are meant to be outsiders more than simple paragons, and between Shouma being a literal visitor from another world whose belt is a gross second mouth, and Gavv's frequently slouched posture, they're already nailing that aspect. The hugely important thing is that since these shows have that Ishinomori DNA of exploring humanity and free will and all that, it's critical that both good and evil come from the same place to emphasize that the bad guys aren't just obvious "others" who need to purged from society or whatever. The element of choice is where a ton of nuance comes into the story, and that's why Shouma allowing the Granute that decision before going for the finisher was a staggeringly well-done moment. It suggests Koumura understands Kamen Rider down to its bones in a way you don't see every year. (Not that the variety is a bad thing of course.) So yeah, needless to say this far in, I'm very excited to see where Gavv takes itself over the next 40-50-some episodes.

Nailed it. :rock:
Just with the first episode alone I think this would be great as an entry level Kamen Rider show for those who want in on the fandom.

Giving this a go due to the staff ensemble hype, the preparation that they have recorded 20+ episodes before airing including better work on the effects, either due to more budget or being more polished in that aspect.

Shoma ("show my") Stomach is a non-human lead Rider, and this isn't the first time in the franchise, as there were Takumi in Faiz who was an Orphnoch or Wataru in Kiva who was a half-Fangire..... ironically, Shoma IS created by Inoue.... the surname of his mother Michiru who married a Granute. Wonder if a human-Granute marriage descendants will have a difference with pure Granutes.

Shoma's flashbacks with Michiru shape him in the present where Michiru made him promise to not eat Dark Snacks, which means humans, making him the safe monster in Hajime Hiroi's eyes, also he feels weak due to his seeming failure to protect his mom, which is what makes him another goody-two-shoes lead Rider to try his hardest in protecting Hajime against Granute Hound, and also showing concern to the truck drivers.

After Ryuki mostly changes the Riders' henshin using items that can be carried anywhere, Gavv brings back the organic 'belt' that is part of the Riders' body, and Shoma lying on the beach also uses Agito reference. Shoma's stronger than normal humans even untransformed to be tougher than a speeding van, though he fares the same to monsters, where Shoma's unable to fight Granute Hound until he becomes Gavv.

Hanto Karakida is more upbeat than I expected, not as much as Shoma, but he's interacting with open curiousity to his subjects. Thought he'd be the super calm and collected type as the secondary Rider. Him investigating missing people incidents reminds me of Ryuki about Mirror Monsters eating people. If Shoma's an outsider, wonder if he'd be a human Rider that can highlight the contrast.

Seems that Hajime is a one-off, and next week the story repeats this one of someone finding Shoma, but this time, it's a recurring character, the female lead Sachika Amane. What'd make Shoma separate himself from Hajime, but not Sachika?

Well, the talk was about the "most Kamen Rider" episode... Geats definitely won't fit that, it'd be total opposite; Riders out for personal gain, main Rider with vague motive and agenda, boy scout that is rather jaded and cynical....

Geats is the most hated series for those expecting Kamen Rider values to be celebrated.

The pilot specifically.

As in, having actually threatening villains, creative fighting choreography and a bike action scene* being featured. Aka three things both Geats and Gavv have, but Gotchard lacks.

*Kinda debatable if Gavv's ride counts, but it is a vehicle action sequence

Probably won't comment all the time, episode by episode threads can grow tiring after a while for numerous reasons.

But I will say this is a solid first episode from a character and mystery standpoint!

Action Wise, it's fun to sort of get a Kamen Rider that has an armor mechanic (unsure if it's just for Poppin Gummy form or if the rest will follow suit) in which it needs to be regenerated. And I'm curious to see if the sword mini-bike attack will come back more effective later on. It was a cute bit of comedy.

Also I've been sold on the Gochizos, they are basically the Pikmin mixed with the Little Green Men from Toy Story and that's just great.

Ngl though, feel like those are kind of superficial requirements. Especially when compared to the very good Kamen Rider core example of Shoma going "I may be a monster, but so are you!" to the Granute. Alongside him choosing to distance himself from the kid who helped him out and wandering off to his next adventure.

That exchange and those scenes alone were what hooked me into this episode and it honestly makes me wonder how exactly we'll be seeing Shoma obtain the title and name: Kamen Rider Gavv.

Good first episode. It's a bit early for me to feel like I have a full sense of the show's vibe, but I'll agree that it's probably the best first episode since at least Zero-One.

I'm still a little iffy on the whole snack gimmick, but the idea that the suit gets damaged and can be repaired mid-battle is pretty cool. I also liked the cinematography in the big fight scene. It's not quite Ultraman levels of swag, but still very dynamic and fun. Hopefully they'll keep this up once they burn through the traditional early episode bonus budget.

I liked the stuff with the kid, which is not a sentiment I usually have for tokusatsu. I don't want him to stick around, but I really liked the idea of Shouma coming into his life, fighting off a monster, then moving on. I'd love to see the show stick with that as a recurring trend, have more of a "wandering hero" theme where each episode has a new supporting cast and no permanent home base. I know it's not going to, but I didn't realize how much I'd want that until I watched this episode.

I cannot believe that, eleven years after Gaim, we actually have a show where "Juicy!" is part of the henshin jingle. I know that Sentai's been gone from the site for years now, but I hope that wherever they are they're still watching this and feel a sense of vindication.

Requirements is not the right term, "tropes" is more fitting.

It was never said a Rider show specifically needs to have these things; it's just that they can tend to given their ancestry, so DaikaijuSokogeki01 named them as possible reasons why they enjoyed this episode as a Kamen Rider pilot episode more than past ones following Zero-One.

They didn't even mention bike action sequences, I was the one to throw that in there, they enjoyed that we were given a bit of focus on a bike for Shoma to ride at the end.

Yeah same, that would work so well with this kind of protagonist.

Maybe it's just a quirk of the fan-translation that I watched, but I found it interesting that Shoma referred to the Gochizo as his "minions" rather than friends or partners. It makes sense with how many he can make (though I bet not having any of the flavor he needs will be used to put him in a pinch at some point), and more importantly with how he treats them as expendable! I was worried he would repeat the "befriend the collectable monsters" gimmick Houtaro did, but it's actually very different. He also said "I can use these too," and I wonder if that implies other Granutes can also create and use minions?

And IDK how reliable it is, but I read on the wiki that the Gochizos are voiced by the same actors as the masked agents of the Stomach family (although heavily edited). So until we learn otherwise, my theory is that those agents are the Stomachs' equivalent to Gochizos, created when a full-blooded Granute eats humans in the same way Gochizos are created when a hybrid like Shoma eats snacks.

It's also interesting that the word Gochizo doesn't appear in the episode at all. Will Shoma come up with a name for it himself or is he not yet familiar with the term?
It is also quite interesting how Hanta will receive his chocolate Gochizo.

And then I remembered how Takeshi Hongo wanted to console the child and almost injured him because of his cyborg power. Classic!

My main issue with Geats's first episode was that I was personally put off by Ace's arrogance. It took a long while for him to grow on me, whereas I'm already more sympathetic towards Shouma as a character.

We also established that the world is reset after every DGP so everyone who was killed, besides the Riders, just came back to life. Unless Gavv pulls some Takahashi-level bullshit out of its ass to bring back people who've been eaten for a long time, I am optimistic that death will be an actual dramatic stake in this show.

But yes, I agree wholeheartedly in Gavv also exploring Ishinomori's original idea of the lead Kamen Rider not being human but choosing to fight for humanity anyways. That's something the franchise has sorely been missing since Philip in W. It's not just the surface level stuff that Gavv seems to be celebrating. If anything, this feels the natural answer to Shin Kamen Rider and Black Sun bringing KR back to its roots, but through the Reiwa lens of more colorful gimmicks and characters.

It's a cute name, and I thought they looked similar even before that particular translation was used :lol

https://i.imgur.com/ujCVJ4c.jpeg

We didn't know that yet when the Jyamato murdered the restaurant owner, that scene was very well done and rather terrifying, especially for the young ones.

The show is are very particular about these acrylic stands wrapped in red goo strings, assuming they are not permanently destroyed, but rather drained over a long period of time when used to make the "Dark Treats" I would think you can always free the people trapped inside still. Of course at some point during the process they might vanish forever, no resource is endless.

But I wonder if freeing Shoma's mother, once he realizes the possibility of bringing her back, will be an important motivation for him later on.

What I find interesting about this is that the core behind that idea is a loss of humanity, something Shoma does not experience. I assume he did however inherit his mothers ideals which he wants to uphold, even if it means being seen as a monster by others.

Even the Granuts snack is reminiscent of Haven from Black Sun.

Well, there are, of course, examples of Wizard in the franchise whose dark side never came to light. But I think that in the case of such a trusting and active hero as Shoma, it is quite possible that he will accidentally try the Granuts snack. It?s not for nothing that it looks like a youkan. And then the question for Komura is whether this will lead to the berserker form, to the dark arc, or both.

Considering that his mom made him promise that he won't eat those snacks, I find it unlikely that he wouldn't know what they look like.

I think everyone else here nailed my thoughts already but....wow, what a fantastic episode! Shoma, the action, the comedy, the music, etc., it's all very much working for me. And Shoma has great chemistry with the kid, I do hope he becomes a recurring character.

This is why they look like yokan. After all, Shoma promised not to eat them, and not similar snacks.

I have a feeling he could also be the equivalent of what that one teenager was to Gokai Red in one of the early episodes of Gokaiger, the kid who briefly tried fighting as Shinken Red but failed. We won't see him for a while but he'll return in a pivotal episode kind of deal.

That kid is 100% back, even if he's just among the people Shoma saved when they cheer him on to not give up which unlocks his final form.

It is written in the book of "Kamen Rider Things That Happen" so it shall indeed happen.

A promising first episode, and a huge relief, given that I couldn't bear to keep watching Gotchard given Shouty McLead. Shouma is a more charming character played by someone who's a better actor (although that bar is set limbo-low.)

I clocked a number of things I don't recall seeing in post-Showa Rider before. Lots of interesting little details. That the Gavv driver is a body part is interesting, but more interesting is that we see what a proper mouth is supposed to look like on one of these beings, and Gavv's looks *weird* and *wrong.* Good golly: I think this Kamen Rider might be a cyborg! If so, the toyetic nature of the driver at least has a plausible in-diagesis explanation.

So far, my Gaim/Ex-Aid aspirations for this series haven't been dashed. Fingers crossed it continues to be delightful.

Gochisousama deshita!

It's unexpected that the shady confectionery company Stomach also have a bunch of magic doors leading to different places. Shouma's Gavv is a mystery, as Granute Hound expresses surprise at its red color. A Gavv is part of Granute anatomy, so it doesn't seem like the kind of thing that Shouma could just steal and slap on his waist. However, organ transplants exist IRL and most Showa Riders had them. Maybe Shouma's Gavv is a prosthetic, making him a Remodified Granute.

I think the OP will be an acquired.... Taste. After listening a few times, I've decided that I actually like it, but not as much as ALMIGHTY and ChemyStory.

The container fight scene was awesome for sure! I could hardly contain my excitement.

He's certainly quick to jump to the conclusion of mariticide. If he's the Granute behind this, then Stomach seem to be using journalism to cover up their unethical method of candy production. I'm curious to know more about the public opinion of them. People today care more strongly about the ethics of food production and the welfare of any livestock involved, but this hasn't reached Granute culture. Even Shouma's indifferent treatment of Gochizous might be seen as controversial.

It's just like Zenkaiger Episode 1 with Juran protecting the kid from Tozitendo, despite being persecuted himself. The theme of prejudice common in Komura's works fits so naturally in the Kamen Rider setting, reminding that Riders often come from the same source as the monsters and the moral that being a monster doesn't mean you have to act like one. Shouma also acts like a happy guy who loves to eat and party, while hiding a bitter sadness of being detached from his family and the memory of a past he can never return to. Makes me think that he indulges in gluttony as a distraction from his tragic life, like Shinnosuke with his milk candy.

Komura created the clever name Hiroi Hajime, with kanji meaning "the first to pick up", as in the first person to pick up Shouma. Maybe Morichi should take notes from her! Hajime did a good job here as a viewer perspective and it's cool how the first episode focuses everything on the setting and Shouma, leaving next episode to reveal more about other main characters Hanto and Sachika. I wouldn't mind seeing Hajime appear as an occasional guest though.

Like Orphenochs, fall damage can only render Shouma unconscious.

While this seems like a downside on the surface, the fact that Shouma can produce so many Gochizous in a short amount of time means he can probably stay in a struggling fight when most other Riders would get dehenshined. Even though Vice was compared to Venom before, I think this is more fitting for Shouma, as I don't recall seeing Vice actually eat anything other than that one time he removed his mask.

I was pretty sure the Gochizous were going to be treated as expendable, but the surprising part is that they're willing accomplices to their own deaths, literally inviting Shouma to eat them and instructing him which mouth to eat them with. Shouma casually asks a Vrocan if it can die to become a bike and it's like, "what kind of bike?". Like they're all Mr. Muffin or something. I was expecting Shouma to have to go hunting for them in the wild, like Nitou with Magic Land's mayonnaise fish.

People are complaining how Henshin Belt Gavv's sounds are unpleasant, which I agree, but like, you guys try making cool non-painful sounds while being chomped to death! Just another reminder of Shouma's monstrous nature, that even henshining requires a sacrifice. Anyway, I like how it drools the belt strap around Shouma's waist!

Overall, a delicious sweet premiere that leaves me hungry for a savory dish! A shame that people are using it as fuel to dunk on Gotchard though, regardless of opinions. I think it would be much better if we can judge Gavv on its own merits. Besides, Houtarou enjoys creating food as much as Shouma enjoys eating it and the only point of creating amazing food is to give somebody an amazing culinary experience. While food can be an art, it's an art that exists to be destroyed and we should remember this: Food is both life and death.

Would say Gotchard does have creative fighting choreography with the alchemy use, for first episode. The villains are also said to be strong points of Gotchard (of which the Dark Sisters are featured in first episode).

A̶n̶d̶ ̶G̶e̶a̶t̶s̶ ̶n̶e̶v̶e̶r̶ ̶h̶a̶d̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶o̶t̶h̶e̶r̶ ̶3̶ ̶m̶a̶i̶n̶ ̶R̶i̶d̶e̶r̶s̶ ̶u̶s̶e̶ ̶b̶i̶k̶e̶.̶.̶.̶.̶

For primary Riders it's definitely unusual, as only Tendou and Tsukasa are similar types. I'd think Ace is a milder case than most because he does regard himself highly but doesn't look down or be condescending to others. Perhaps this is also due to me knowing much more arrogant characters in the various secondary, tertiary, or other supporting Riders but dunno.

It creates the question wondering which Riders in the DGP genuinely care about other people, or are just using civilians as a means to get ahead in the game (Michinaga's question and assumption to Takeshi), considering that yes they can be reset (though turns out, not exactly all), and that saving people gives bonus points.

Well.... Gavv has the same producer as Gaim's, Naomi Takebe, returning just after one series being absent after Geats (which features both Takebe and Takahashi).

To be fair, it's the Gochizos that ask Shoma to eat them, and Shoma adhered to that. Unless you mean about the part of Shoma seeing them as minions rather than friends/comrades. Though, it's an unusual case that it's the hero that is able to produce minions/mooks/fodders, rather than the villains.

Though there's nothing morally wrong to be sad over something traumatic, or to show concern over a tragedy that befalls others (e.g. the truck drivers), albeit it may drive someone to poor decisions if they're consumed by it, but so far it is the reason why Shoma is a goody two shoes. Eiji is what's considered the most noble protagonist even among the lead Riders (with other being Yusuke), and he's definitely this type.

I think there are a lot more cases of character's names being meaningful throughout the franchise though than Hajime. Like, Shouichi meaning "first call", Makoto meaning "truth" (cop), Shinji meaning "to believe" (in brightness), Ren meaning "group", Shu(ichi) meaning "tumor", Tsukasa having a kanji for "gate" (dimensional wanderer), Hidari meaning "left" (Shotaro's the left side of W), Emu Hojo meaning "eternal dream" (gamer) + "life treasure" (doctor), etc.

While I disagree with using other series to put down another one, it can feel that by this, people think the opposite in putting other series to elevate lighthearted stuff like Ghost, Saber, or Gotchard is the right thing to do, because the people who dislike or criticize something so positive, uplifting, inoffensive and optimistic can be the ones condemned and deemed as a red flag (like how some may wish bad things on those who don't like Gentaro), particularly if by contrast, they like more edgy and grimdark series such as Geats (considered the culprit for Gotchard hate, before now Gavv may be that too), which can have them accused as terrible people who just wants to spread misery to others and glorify the dark parts of society.

Now it's off topic, which belongs in "General Rider's Thoughts", but since we're talking about it, I think that Tsukasa and Ace are actually the most different riders in the entire franchise. Ace is as goal-oriented as possible, while for Tsukasa only the path is important, and the goal, in principle, may be absent. Ace is self-confident, while Tsukasa is narcissistic. When Keiwa asked the riders to save his sister, Ace became outraged and yelled at him. When Kaito refused to save Natsumi, Tsukasa punched him. The latter is especially eloquent, since editing masters can simply glue these two scenes together, cutting out Tacoon and Di-End, thus getting a confrontation between Decade and Geats. Plus, how can you imagine Ace falling victim to Natsumi's super move?
What these two riders have in common is only an initial negative impression, and that has a different reason. Ace goes towards a goal that, despite all his talents, he has not been able to achieve for 2000 years. Tsukasa is just a "passing Kamen Rider". The same episodes where Apollo Geist put Natsumi in a coma show the difference well. Even in later episodes, when Neon and Tsumuri gets kidnapped or Sara ends up inside a tree, Ace remains the same competent and aloof person. While Tsukasa runs around the city almost crying, pushing away those who want to help and asking for help from those who don't want it.
Because the narcissistic asshole Decade is just a mask for casual acquaintances, so that they won?t be too sad when he leaves. And Ace, despite all the deception, shows his nature quite early. And, even though he has a lot of positive qualities, the negative ones are more noticeable.
Tendou is not quite the opposite, but his differences are also noticeable. The most obvious: during Jamatoball he would announce:
https://i.ibb.co/s2CdW81/Match-by-myself.png
And in general, those who say that Tendou is similar to Ace should reconsider Kabuto and remember how capricious MC Tendou was. Do you think he would agree to play in DGP for more than a couple of episodes? And even then, each mission would then begin with Tendou declaring that he would not take part in them. After which he would go to feed the girl Juka, the rest of the riders would lose, they would come to ask him for help, he would refuse, and then still come at the most crucial moment. But in general, this is unlikely, because my grandmother probably said that if someone promises to fulfill your wishes in exchange for services, then they will deceive you. So Tendou would most likely just steal the driver and core id and run away.
The main difference between Tendou and Ace is that Ace is an empathic egoist. That is, he puts his own desires first, but at the same time recognizes the value of the desires of others. At the same time, Tendou clearly values ​​the wishes of Juki, Hiyori, and perhaps even Kagami above his own. But, at the same time, he is egocentric and therefore will strive to realize not so much their desires as his understanding of their desires. And this completely contradicts Ace?s worldview, which recognizes all desires (except for some controversial cases) and values ​​the will to fight for them.
Plus, we must admit that Tendou and Tsukasa have a much better sense of humor than Ace. Comedy is an important part of these shows and even the darkest of them, so it's worth noting that animal puns never made anyone but Ace laugh.
If Ace really resembles anyone, it is, IMHO, Kaito Kumon. Both of them initially value only the opinion of the strong, but at the same time recognize the need to help the weak. Yes, Ace is more friendly and pleasant, but this can be attributed to more (much more!) life experience. Moreover, he can also be harsh and rude, and Kaito sometimes manages to charm people (Zack, Mai, Yoko, partially Kouta). The difference between them is that, having found himself close to divine power, Ace decides to make all people happy, and Kaito comes to everyone?s favorite maniac: ?Only the dead do not suffer.? But this is mostly due to their different roles in their respective shows.

Oh, these people would be so in 2011!
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/f3/83...78457ee1b0.jpg
But, let's be honest, on those rare occasions when someone doesn't like Gentaro (although, as we already discussed, few people call him their favorite rider), they don't like him for his loudness, stupidity and monotony of solutions to problems, and not for the light tone and optimism. I'm sure a dark show with the main character being a stupid, loud schoolboy would irritate viewers much more. Actually, the second season of Amazons is partial confirmation of this.
Plus, if we talk about Japan, Gentaro may also not like the fact that his appearance is clearly a school bully, but at the same time he does not have any of their shortcomings. In this way, he seems to justify characters similar to him to the target audience. That is, Gentaro's image is clearly inspired by the Crows-Zero franchise:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mc5X05k21IY
In principle, he is more than just inspired: he looks like someone kicked out of Suzuran for being too friendly. And it?s unlikely that parents would want their children to admire such guys.

I have returned to this website after being unactive for quite some time to say...

..I liked this episode. I hope Gavv stays good and becomes as good as Ex-Aid.

It's good to see you again!

I also hope Gavv can hold its ground, if not become even better over time! :)

And Sento.

Asking him is the weird part! Like, you would be confused if a cow asked to become cheeseburger, right?

Godai and Eiji are noble, but I'd say there are other Primary Riders who rival them in this trait. Shinji stayed true to his philosophy and fought to protect everybody, including his fellow Riders. Kenzaki is basically Eiji, except with a dead parents backstory. Takeru couldn't risk his life, so he risked his afterlife to protect everybody, even believing in Adel's goodness deep down.

Regarding Shouma, it's way too early to put a label on him like that. People did that to Secondary Keiwa and got angry when he turned out different. First impressions can be deceiving, so we should be patient and see how Shouma reacts to more complex moral dilemmata.

Those are cool as well. I appreciate it when a writer seriously considers their names. The "Sin" in Sin Specter is pronounced "Shin", also meaning Makoto!

Well, I wouldn't wish harm on anybody who dislikes such uplifting shows, as that would go against the spirit of friendship that those shows encourage. If Gentarou, Takeru, Touma and Houtarou wouldn't do it, then as their fans, we shouldn't dishonor them by defending them in such a hostile way, as that would make us the same kind of evil that those characters fought against.

For Tsukasa, this would be the result of development. He was initially focused on his goal of finding his place to belong and only when he found his own world and got rejected by it did he finally find meaning in his friends with whom he shared the journey.

I guess this would depend on the nerves in Ukiyo Ace's body rather than his personality. It's an involuntary reaction after all, which was used to expose the Tsukasa Worm in World of Kabuto.

Yeah, this is where we can clearly see the difference between these guys, that Tsukasa puts much more weight in his emotions and connections, so once he realizes that his goal didn't make him happy, he focuses on what actually matters to him. Tsukasa found happiness despite his world rejecting him, while Ace had his world from the start, several lifetimes over, yet refused to enjoy it. I imagine Tsukasa would actually get ticked off at Ace's lack of gratitude for having so many places and families to belong.

DGP is a game to obtain your ideal world, so Tendo who claimed this world was made for him would have no desire to change it, unlike Ace who has changed it repeatedly.

Tendo is the sun, so he lives to share his life-saving warmth with others. The sun also scalds, but his heroism shines in the morals people learn when they meet him and strive to become stronger to confront him. While he shows the path of heaven, walking that path is a choice that others must make for themselves, so he won't help them beyond that. Ace sometimes has moments like this as well, teaching Keiwa not to trust in rivals and using DR to abolish DGP and create a world where happiness is free for everybody. Both characters value individuality, but while Tendo accepts his place in the world, Ace denies his place and becomes a god instead. Niram's speech to Ace is similar to how I imagine Tendo would talk to him.

This is so true. Ace is cool when he doesn't try, but when he tries, he becomes a goof.

Yeah, "won't be too sad when he leaves", a common reason to justify/excuse asshole behaviors. Which may apply for Ace too because he's living for 2000 years which'd mean he'd be always separated from other mortals who won't live nearly as long. I just want straightforward care like just directly telling them more (to get your point across or explaining something wrong within them), to be encouraged more, rather than encouraging being rude or aggressive and justifying those as tough love, preventing sadness, being blunt/honest, etc. It's easy but I find it more sincere for someone to just be straightforward about how they care for someone than act coldly and have them perceived as might or might not be a tsundere.

Not Sento. Though Sento does view himself highly, he's also still goody-two-shoes and like most other MCs as generally has a firm moral compass to reject any type of wrongdoing like killing Aoba or Banjou's suggested method that would cause casualties. The other ones are anti-heroic types who'd mistreat others or employ pragmatic/underhanded actions.

There's a difference between arrogant types like Sonic the Hedgehog (I think Sento qualifies as this), or types like Iron Man/Tony Stark or worse Lelouch (which the others fit).

I mean, people are still mad when even an actual asshole (which should have their bad traits more blatant) pulls a heel turn like Supana resorting to Chemy genocide in late Gotchard.....

People can just have black and white view, and it seems this type is the more vocal one on bringing up about morality talk. To only deem the idealized paragons, and at worst those who sided with them (can mean the fanbase who adore them for irl), as the good ones (white), and have anything that aren't exactly like them deemed as evil and paint them as acceptable targets for ridicule, mistreatment, antagonism, regardless of the scale like if they're actual mass murderer or even having disagreement to the heroes. There can be villainous characters (not talking about KR or Toku specific) that are based on appreciating true heroes' nobility, deeming anything that aren't like true heroes as threats that must be eliminated.

The wishes are all just a long game for him to eventually uncover the DGP's secrets. Him wanting to be always chosen in the DGP and live without working makes sure he can add up his experience and dominate the DGP to keep winning and complete the puzzle by his further wishes. His wish to become family with the DGP staff is to keep contact with them and gather more info about the DGP, and his attempted next wish is to become someone that knows even more about the DGP, first staff, then Game Master (after Win tells him Game Master knows more than the staff). He eventually learns that the DGP is using his mother for wishes by absorbing people's lives and happiness and later he strives to not use his Creation powers the same way, albeit initially are held back by his mortal body's limitations until Suel's words got to him.

So, didn't we discuss that an anti-hero is someone who does good things for bad reasons? In this regard, shouldn?t Tsukasa and Ace be more likely to be considered anti-villains, since motives like finding a home or finding a mother cannot be called bad?