[AkibaSilver]

To drag this back to the episode at hand, this was a lot like Zero-One as a whole - some odd choices, but I enjoyed it overall. Horobi and Aruto's final fight works for me, especially in the resolution, and it doesn't disappoint both in how it reinvents the "Gotta use the base form on last time" and just pure action. It's like they looked at what Ghost did with it's finale, and improved on that, what with the whole "Sometimes, the solution is to reach out your hand" etc. Aruto thinking about his dad (because that's what that scene is about for me, not Zea masterminding it) and using his memories and experiences to pull him past his anguish and grief, and then pulling Horobi out of his? That's what I'll remember from this.

As for the rest of the cast? Well, they're certainly here! People are ragging on Vulcan's ending, but honestly, it's the perfect one I can see for him. He's moved past his rage at society, and he's made his peace with how his family (which he doesn't even remember) are doing, so what's left but to go help people? Even if that punch totally covered the woman in glass, way to go dude. Do I wish he'd got another scene with the Prez? Maybe, but Vulcan always did his own thing.

Yua and Naki going into AIMS? Look, I'm just happy Naki (and also Ikazuchi, talk about a nothing character) got remembered for the big montage, and that they managed to keep to Naki picking their path in life. Yua's lack of focus in the season is always going to be a sticking point, and her character was underdeveloped, but we'll always have the resignation punch. Highlight of the season, even if it lost her the ZAIA pension.

Horobi and Jin reforming MestubouJinrai as a vigilante group devoted to stopping malice? Coming full circle from the start of the show, even down to Jin calling him dad again? Sure, I like it. I also don't mind Jin's resurrection, although that's mainly due to how the Horobi/Aruto fight resolved itself without him, so it's all thematically good. He's a phoenix, he comes back, he redeems. This also seems to me as Horobi's penance for causing so much trouble for 45 episodes, staying on the outskirts, staying forever vigilant. Against, say...

Azu! I'm surprised how she just gets away to set up the not-summer movie, and I think I like it more for what it's saying (Just because two people have moved past, doesn't mean we did it, malice is no more - there will always be hatred) than how it does it. Reminds me of Ex-Aid's finale in a way. At least we have an easy lead in to the V-Cinemas this time around.

And then, we get to Aruto. I want to like him reconnecting with Izu, but this bit just doesn't work for me that much. Even though the Vice-Prez and Shesta get to be there (Didn't think they'd be here, wow.) I get why the show does it - can't have 01 crossovers without their female lead, after all, and I like how it does emphasize this isn't the same old Izu - but it's just a little odd. Hopefully Iz-2 will get explored a little in summer movie town, but as for now, the show leaves us on Aruto Ja-Naito, and that'a fair enough.

So yeah, 01. It did a lot of good, and it did a few things wrong. Solid mid-tier Rider show, decently enjoyable, lots of fun stories, tries to do a lot with the central theme, and doesn't reset the universe at the end. 7/10.