[DreadBringer]

Kamen Rider Gaim watch

The Overlord Saga

Episode 29: The Overlord King

Written by: Gen Urobuchi, Directed by: Takayuki Shibasaki

The Gaim characters really had a thing of surviving from heights, like Oren/Sid jumping from several stories or Kouta jumping from a tree. And here, Takatora survives his fall from a cliff, while the white Overlord, Rosyuo approaches him. At Drupers Kouta still wonders about Takatora betrayal, which he presumed due to Ryoma influencing him (a secnario that could happen if Takatora is more shakable by Ryoma), with Micchy, the one that causes this problem, just listening without any words. It's shown that due to Kouta's Rider activities (well, it's one of the requirements in Bando's help wanted sign...), Mai fills in for Kouta whenever he had to go saving the world, with Bando enjoying the benefit he gets for hiring 2 workers with the price of one. Which essentially means that Mai works for free, as Micchy stated, but Mai is ok with this as she wants to help Kouta, as both does what they can. So Mai's attempt to help Kouta not suffer alone is implemented, but on domestic stuff, and no other attempt for alerting the city? Yoko enters Drupers to ask a favor.

Takatora wakes up, finds himself bandaged, turns out that Rosyuo actually saved him. Rosyuo identifies himself as Femushinmu, descendants of his world's former inhabitants. Takatora asks why he saves him, but Rosyuo ignored it in favor for his own questions, such as if Takatora's the leader of the forest explorers and the function of the Drivers (which Rosyuo took from the green Overlord, Redyue). Takatora explains that he was the leader, but not anymore, and demonstrates that the Driver is made to absorb the fruit's nutrients without eating it, which impresses Rosyuo. Takatora asks about how Rosyuo can survive the forest, which Rosyuo explains as him being chosen by the forest, then continues about how the forest tests those who challenges it and chooses one worthy soul as the ruler, and Rosyuo deems it as a mistake.

The favor Yoko asked is that Ryoma is reduced to relying on the other Armored Riders's help (Kouta, Kaito, Micchy) as he's betrayed by Sid and lost his research. Yoko even notes that Sid planned this ahead by destroying all the Lock Vehicles, after Micchy's suggestion. For this Ryoma asks for the Armored Riders' Lock Vehicles as Sid didn't get through them. Ryoma explains that Sid goes after the forbidden fruit, which can only be acquired by 1 person, with Kouta learning that Sagara helps Ryoma too (I mean he was in Yggdrasill first hosting Beat Riders before helping Kouta...). Ryoma notes that they can't repair the artificial crack and it takes time to produce Lock Vehicles, which means Sid can get ahead from them, and Ryoma wants to prevent that with the help from those Riders. For this time, Kouta accepts the cooperation likely for mutual goals without any anger, but had 1 condition which is to let him see Takatora. Ryoma claims that as Sid's supervisor, going after Sid will lead to him too. As Kouta leaves, Kaito claims that it's not his concern, highlighting him not being tied by morality as he holds power above anything else, making him a wild card depending on how much he can gain power. The whole scene, despite Ryoma's calmness and politeness here, still reminds me on the scene in ep. 11 where a scientist begs Gaim to save them despite treating him as guinea pig, this shows how Ryoma can have a downfall too, at least for now, despite his higher level genius.

The 3 dicusses about going with Ryoma's plan, with Kouta explaining his reasons to not let Sid go and settle things with Takatora. Kaito again criticizes Kouta's trusting nature to believe every word someone tells to him without considering the possibility of it being a trap, and tests him if he'd believe that one of them secretly works for Sid, which Kouta quickly denies. This proves Kaito's suspicion to be true that Kouta won't believe about Micchy being traitor (what he indirectly refers for his claim that one of them can join Sid) despite Kaito's honesty. Although Kouta frequently comes out on top when his ideology clashes with the other Riders, such as Kaito (selfishness), Micchy (keeping secrets), or Takatora (methods to do good), this one's the part that is completely Kouta's flaw, which is about how he sometimes doesn't understand about what makes others evil, and rules out the possibility of someone being evil (unless he sees them in his own eyes like Sid or Ryoma), albeit Kaito mistook Takatora for a traitor with Kouta clinging to him due to Micchy's manipulation in this case, so Kouta's get a bit unfair judgment here from him, with Kaito just instantly deeming Takatora as the bad one here which is the wrong in his part. By this Kouta still have more room of improvement in his character journey. Micchy gets a call from someone, which he rejects. Kaito leaves, claiming that he doesn't need their help to take down Sid, explaining how Micchy will suggest them to split up anyway, to Kouta and Micchy's confusion. Kaito'd refer to Micchy's ulterior motives of helping the enemy side

Rosyuo claims that "there's no point of surviving", pointing to the Helheim's surroundings that has been turned into ruins. For the upcoming invastion at that time, Rosyuo adopts social darwinism mentality in the new world to prioritize the strong and chosen ones to survive, but it turns out to be a big mistake as the chosen ones misunderstood his intentions (likely to defend themselves in the invasion) and instead abuses Rosyuo's mentality to prey on the weak, with flashbacks of Demushu and Redyue killing some lesser subjects. Takatora realizes here that Helheim didn't destroy the civilization, but the foolishness of its inhabitants, as Rosyuo's mentality turned everyone power hungry with no one left to stop the destruction. Rosyuo points out that the remaining Femushinmu are the strongest, but the most foolish, so the hope of reviving their civilization is gone. Rosyuo then turns to ask the Driver's function if it's to defend the weak or corrupt strong ones. Takatora didn't answer, but had flashback of his former allies. Rosyuo then concludes that humans are just like them, to walk on path of darkness and despair. Due to this, Rosyuo concludes that humans don't deserve fruit of knowledge, as they're similarly foolish, only valuing power, explaining it as a key to survive their doom and ascend to higher evolution, the one given to the hero that braves the forest, and formed after Helheim took over a world, which Takatora learns that this is Ryoma's goal. From this scene, this paints Kouta's plan against Overlord in better light, making it actually convincing compared to Kouta's previous attempts, with Takatora's (the better one perhaps, to reaffirm his belief to Kouta) the one to do the job to negotiate with one of the Overlords. Though of course, Demushu and Redyue are psychos, while Rosyuo is someone merely bitter and jaded about his species, and realizes his previous mistakes, which means Rosyuo is the Overlord that is easier to reason, the one that Kouta'd like to seek. Rosyuo himself is a parallel to Takatora, as both wanted to create a better world, but Rosyuo is someone who had suffered the consequences of his misguided approach as his world is filled with the strong hunting the weak, leaving him with nothing but his ruins and the remaining subjects who are psychos. While Takatora didn't instantly get what he wants, conversing with Overlord does give him more insights here as Takatora may get an insight about how disastrous it can be if Project Ark is done, or furhter more information about Helheim, as Takatora incorrectly assumes that Helheim created those ruins before.

As Gaim and Ryugen reaches Helheim, as Kaito predicted, Ryugen suggests for them to split up, but although Gaim did take Kaito's words into consideration, Ryugen still convinced Gaim to let them split, assuring him that he'll call Gaim if anything happens. Ryugen goes back to the real world to meet up with Sid, who turns out to be not in Helheim, using the warehouse as a good hiding spot. Micchy asks for Sid's motivation to gain forbidden fruit, which puzzles Sid as he claims no one will refuse the power of god. This contradicts Sid's claim before that adults will question power given to them for free unlike the kids he look down, as well as Micchy prefering for godlike power to serve him instead, still prefering to gain power in form of influence and manipulation. Sid approves of kids who think alike, praising him as little monster, and asks for his help to dispose their mutual enemy in Kouta. Micchy plans to fight Kouta as Zangetsu Shin, as Kouta wouldn't be able to strike back. Sid points out Kaito as someone who will interfere, so Micchy suggests Sid to hold off Kaito. Micchy's turn into dark(er) side by switching from Ryugen to Zangetsu Shin is also symbolized by him wearing matching white sweaters in his civilian attire, and aside from him using stronger Rider, it's another manipulation to abuse Kouta's trust with his previous bond to Takatora, gaining himself further upper hand.

Gaim Jimber Peach Arms senses something, which is Baron nearby, who gets ambushed by Sigurd. But suddenly he hears Micchy calling for him, claiming to be attacked by Zangetsu. Gaim is further puzzled, and it's even worse that he likely didn't know yet that Takatora is Micchy's older brother, which likely would make Gaim question why would the older brother attack their family. Micchy switches from Ryugen to Zangetsu Shin, who confronts Gaim. There's Baron using Spear Victory, Sparking version to spam multiple banana projections where one of them hits Sigurd. I'd admit this one as one of the cooler ones with the range it covers. Baron switches his belt to Genesis Driver, to turn into Baron Lemon Energy Arms, which surprises Sigurd. I think this is a rare case of Riders taking their belt off.. without de-henshin into their human form...so that's how Baron upgrades himself, more efficient than I thought. Not only by Takatora before, Sigurd's lack of skill/experience is his undoing against Baron here too, which Baron himself lampshades as he gains the upper hand. As Gaim gets hit by Zangetsu's attack, he remembers Kaito's words into account, that he can only rely on his own strength, who Gaim denies, pointing out that he's only made it because of the mutual trust between himself and his friends. But Gaim's thought here is a dramatic irony as said trust is being abused by Micchy here to make Micchy free to beat him up while he's shaken by Takatora's apparent "betrayal". Though still keeping his belief, Gaim finally fights back, as he realizes that he can't die here, upgrading into Jimber Lemon Arms, and actually schools Zangetsu in fight, ending with an Au Lait slash finisher. Micchy is stunned and loses his composure as his plans fail; Gaim turns out to value his life enough to fight back, and furthermore, Micchy is not as good of a fighter as Gaim or Takatora, where the latter can fight Gaim Jimber Lemon Arms to a standstill, showing how much Takatora outclasses Micchy in skill, and as soon as Micchy's manipulation is dispersed, he'd get his just desserts. This is also perhaps Gaim applying the lesson to take care of himself in the earlier part of the series, to defend himself even if he's shaken by current situation or former partner, better implemented here than the words of him claiming to fight for himself in ep. 5 to join Ryugen's fight with Baron.

But doesn't mean that the fighting is done to finish off the enemy completely, where Gaim questions Takatora the reason of his betrayal, as he's interrupted by Demushu joining the battle, focusing on Gaim. Zangetsu calls Sigurd to change plans as the Overlord has arrived, but is intercepted by Baron, who doesn't take someone leaving a battle midway well. Sigurd leaves the fight anyway with Baron chasing after him. There's Redyue watching the fight too. Demushu overwhelms both Gaim and Zangetsu, using his mist ability to track the latter and then raining fireballs on them, noting that the Riders are more spirited before but are cowards now. Micchy laments again about his plan always being interrupted, as Sigurd fights Demushu. Baron catches up to them, with Baron and Sigurd quarreling about who fights the Overlord. Baron however isn't above teaming up like he did before, as he assigns Gaim to hold off Sigurd while he fights Demushu. Sigurd jumps into Demushu's fight, but is intercepted by Gaim as he didn't intend to kill the Overlord, especially regarding Takatora and an Overlord's conversation above. But a new big danger happens as a crack appears nearby, and Demushu ventures to it. The episode ends with a Kikaiger appearence as the next episode isn't canon...