[DreadBringer]

The series in the TV has finished airing, and I haven't caught up with the writing even if I have watched it all on TV, so I'd post 2 episodes at once per writing for now to make it quicker, as after Gaim there'll be a new KR series airing (so quick), which is W/Double.

Kamen Rider Gaim watch

The Forbidden Fruit Saga

Episode 40: Awakening to the Over Lord

Written by: Gen Urobuchi, Directed by: Hidenori Ishida

Kouta learns some new info while walking through the secret entrance, namely about how Ryoma doesn't seem to care about the state of Yggdrasill's base now (his place for research), only pretending. I still wonder what's in store for Ryoma to be nonchalant that his work may have been damaged. Kouta also learns that among the captive, there's Rat, Rica, and Akira. Ryoma caught on the insight about how the machines work, but insists for Kouta to ask Redyue to save the people from the machine. Kouta is enraged to henshin into Kiwami Arms, while Ryoma puts smooth-talk demeanor to claim he wants to talk but waits until Kouta calmed down. While Kouta's compassion display is the one that some characters, or possibly audience, can find stupid, and enraged scenes like this seems to be more approved, I'd think Kouta being enraged here to fight is actually the rash one, though of course understandable, as beating the shit out of Redyue won't stop the machine. Actually damage the machine instead by the henshin... Ryoma also henshins into Duke, as Redyue spins creating whirlwind, taking all the fighters above ground. As a manipulator, and the best one, Redyue also tries to break Gaim's ideals, by questioning his reason to fight for other people, pointing out that he's tempted into power by the "snake" which means it's suspicious, as Redyue uses teleportation to distract Gaim. Though Gaim spontaneously claims he'll protect his kind, Redyue points out that Gaim no longer belongs in the world, but instead he's one of the Overlords, like how he can't enjoy human food anymore. Redyue then gives hypnosis to Gaim, which Duke deems as interesting (another data gathering I suppose), as he turns himself invisible, and escapes into his still-functioning lab, rebooting the Master Intelligent System, watching the recording for everyone, seemingly planning big something of the new data he got, at least learning that Roshuo's the one holding Fruit of Knowledge.

Roshuo shows and explains the Forbidden Fruit to Mai, about the compromise of (saving) the world or the king, either creating new world by destroying the old one for the king to rule, or saving the world from Helheim's invasion at the cost of leaving the king with no place to rule. Likely the first time Mai sees Sagara in his Helheim attire, Sagara adds up, similar to what Redyue claims against Gaim, someone with too much strength will naturally draw hatred, inspiring fear. I guess Sagara doesn't take into account for the part of saving the world from the forest, if he talks about destroying old world even if this refers to Kouta, despite Mai asking if Kouta would be hailed as a hero instead, likely refering to the part of leaving the king with no rule. Nevertheless Mai calls out Sagara for putting Kouta in suffering from being feared part, questioning his plans. Sagara points out that it's Kouta's decision though, already made too, with flashbacks of Kouta picking Kiwami Lockseed, which means Kouta already gained a bit of the forest ruler's power. Even a small part of the Forbidden Fruit gains Kouta a final form... imagine full fruit (I know this is public knowledge already ~). Sagara explains to Mai, as well as Redyue to Kouta (after relieving Hase's moment) about how if someone can control the fate of the world, they're no longer human but an invader, violating the law of the world, regardless of what Kouta does to them, because hating is easier than understanding. While as some Rider shows establish, that what matters is someone's soul rather than their form, this deals with other's perception of them, which can't be controlled as it's free will of individuals (or groups). Being a superhero won't guarantee you getting the deserved recognition, due to the nature of superpower despite their moral, those powers enable behaviors that human laws and norms have not evolved to regulate, causing risk and panic in society. At the end though, Sagara's exposition can be a waste of time for Mai, as she knows Kouta enough (and a trait she's worried about) that his choice is obviously protecting the world and destroying himself (with her truly saddened over this), over giving up the world to save himself, for a question Sagara presents.

The hypnosis for Gaim begins, which shows an illusion about Kouta's (his human mode) hypothetical future when he saves the world this way, following Sagara's suggestions to become Overlord that has the power to do it, albeit even now he had gained some part of it. In Kouta's vision, he finds people in a Zawame park declaring him as a monster and scared, fleeing from him. Other than that, the hypothetical seems to swap Kouta and Yuuya's place, with Kouta gaining a claw like Hase's, then mutates into Byakko Inves (the Inves form of Yuuya), and Yuuya being the one to become Gaim (as Yuuya found the Sengoku Driver at first). The difference is though, Yuuya as Gaim shows hostility towards Kouta as a monster, even gleefully attacks him withou regard, eager to turn him into 'fruit juice', and Kouta being the confused monster that feels this is all wrong, running away. Later, the hypothetical puts Kouta in Hase's place, visiting Drupers with claw arm, to the surprise of Bando, Rat and Rica (who are there when Hase visiits), and like Hase, Kouta can't hold himself back to stab Rat. Kouta also relieves Hase's moments in the place he was killed, causing scene there, but still has Byakko Inves as his monster form, including Yuuya as Gaim attacking him. Kouta though, sees a positive if he's the one being put in this situation, as Yuuya wouldn't be killed, only concerned about others (and he wants power for that) regardless of what happens to himself. This again shows how much Kouta values lives, even if it's only 1 death, like how if it's put in math, Kouta views any life as infinity, and 1 times ∞ still equals hundreds/thousands (likely the victim count of Helheim on Earth) times ∞.

The illusion after Redyue's monologue is a standalone one, with Kouta being attacked by Knuckle and Marika, but defended by other Inves, including Overlords like Dyudyuonshu, treating him as an ally, with later illusion Redyue and Shinmugurun intercepting him as Kouta tries to escape, and with the other Inves and Overlords, tries to convince Kouta to join them, destroy the world who reject him and replace it with a new world for himself. After Kouta as Byakko Inves battles, reverting Gaim into Yuuya, crisis of conscience happens with Redyue (pseudo devil) egging for Kouta to finish him, while Yuuya (pseudo angel) claims that his friends will get after him, of which Yuuya's words resonate with Kouta. At the end though, just like Micchy, she cannot understand virtue of goodness, not taking into account that Kouta might be, and is already is, selfless enough to put other people above himself, even lacks care of himself for that, or that goodness is exactly about this, doing the right thing even at great personal cost to themselves. Her temptation failed at the end just like Micchy's before with Kouta attacking the Overlords, turning into Kiwami Arms within the illusion (and fighting back to Redyue in real world), symbolizing him fully committed into throwing away his humanity for the sake of the world, without regrets, shown in him growing vines as human after Redyue ran away. Even Yuuya in the illusion watches this proudly, after he's confused on Kouta's decision to turn into the Overlords.

Kaito, Zack, and Yoko reaches the machine, with worried Zack trying to free Rica to no avail, but Kaito is being awesome here, he simply kicks the machine (in human form), damaging it and disconnecting the masks. Kaito is the most rational there, and this doesn't involve moral ambiguity, so this part of him can be used as an example, in solution-thinking. This as well reminds that, despite the greatness of humans to advance in technology like this, something Redyue acknowledged and learned, the technologies are still really damn fragile, with Kaito not needing to use Rider power to deal with it. Outside of the tower, Kaito runs into Micchy, informing that Mai's no longer in the machine room, though he sees it as a good thing to face Micchy without Kouta around, nothing would hold him back. Both henshin into Baron and Zangetsu Shin respectively, with Zangetsu Shin boasting his newfound strength by tanking an attack directed to his belt, but Baron insists that he's a fool as he's used as a pawn by Overlords, though Micchy's arrogance deludes himself into thinking he's the one manipulating Overlords. Though this probably is also related to Micchy's moral depravity, I wonder what would Kaito think about Takatora, someone who got mocked by Micchy for him being used as pawn, Kaito only thinks of Takatora as traitor due to Micchy's machinations.