[DreadBringer]

Kamen Rider Gaim watch

The Yggdrasill Saga

Episode 17: The Peach Rider, Marika, Descends!

Written by: Gen Urobuchi, Directed by: Osamu Kaneda

A trial occurs for Micchy that his Yggdrasill objective tasked by Takatora was to take away the Sengoku Driver from his apparent best friend Kouta. I've been wondering how's Kouta's job hunt for now, and the episode finally shows it. Being a Beat Rider is actually even harder than just receiving hate comments, but you're also denied in normal job occupations. Though this part is why I can be fixated (should be a room to improve) on what other people see in someone including myself, as Kouta's difficulty here stems from people's hate to him. Micchy approaches Kouta and asks him about condition, which as an open and honest person Kouta quickly tells that he can't get a job, and Micchy would get further explanation from a passerby refering Beat Riders as dangerous. Micchy also confirms about Kouta's suspicion that Yggdrasill prioritizes their research above protecting the city, and albeit Micchy still claims that he'll expose Yggdrasill to the world to Kouta, the previous episode already showed the audience about how Micchy's heroic claims are lip-services, courtesy of Takatora. In a discussion with Kouta talking about protecting something nonsensical to other people, Micchy talks about how he values Kouta and Mai, or his happiness with team Gaim and places them above him as he won't care how he changes to maintain that. While again this sounds noble, anything will be detrimental if taken to the extreme, even if it sounds noble at first.

Oren is shown to have taken Jonouchi too to Yggdrasill, accompanied by Yoko. As Oren hears commanding sounds from a radio, the instructor claims to better not know his identity, but to the audience, it's revealed as Micchy giving commands... but with purposely deeper sound tone, which is a mindful move to play mastermind, and his voice sounds really monstrous in Oren's room. Yoko gives Oren and Jonouchi the new Sengoku Drivers, which Oren learned where the Drivers come from, but Oren's aim is to meet Zangetsu, as usual, which Micchy claims he'll give when he does good in his tasks. Yoko then visits Micchy's room, and after explaining his aims to show off his ability to command and manipulate, once again in-universe, Micchy got refered as a demon, this time by Yoko, agreeing with Sid. When interacting with co-workers (as Micchy's assistant and watcher), Yoko seems to had jovial persona, but as she's smiling upon the darkness of the Yggdrasill progress or Micchy's dark nature, the smile is not a show of benevolence, but a part of her unhinged and taunting nature. Gives me a bit of Saeko vibe from Faiz.

Micchy's plan is started from now, and the workers seem to approach Akira, who is walking on her work attire, and coincidentally had similar lower part as Yoko's.... as Kouta is eating at Drupers, he got a call that claims they had Akira captured, and that they demand his Sengoku Driver. It's revealed that Micchy's the one calling him, and his voice changing works successfully enough for Kouta to not realize that it's his best friend calling. When Kouta reaches the destination, he comes across Oren holding apparently Akira hostage, with her mouth being shut. As Kouta demands Akira first, Oren gives her to him, where Kouta tries to free the binds in Akira, but suddenly Akira reacts violently to take away his Driver, and that "Akira" was actually Yoko in disguise; Yoko's outfit at lower part is already similar to Akira's, and the ones that need to be changed is only a long hair wig, coat, and a mask to cover her face. They remark about how Kouta falls too easily for this trick, claiming his naivety... which is right for this one, even if Yoko still didn't take away the belt from Kouta, albeit even the audience likely would have hard time guessing it's a disguise, other than noticing that Akira and Yoko wears similar skirt and heels.

As Yoko resorts to fighting to take the Driver from Kouta, he gets a call from Micchy again, who Kouta thinks his threat is ineffective now as it's revealed Yoko disguised as Akira, but Micchy actually plans more ahead than Kouta thinks... the intelligent one in Team Gaim would be useful, but would make formidable enemy if he turns over them especially with someone with standard intelligence dealing with them. Akira is actually on Charmant, enjoying a complimentary meal (from a lottery... which is actually how those workers "kidnap" Akira), revealing that Jonouchi had been trained to bake cakes well enough, serving her foods, but as it's Oren's apprentice, he'll be given orders to attack her if Kouta didn't comply. Though Oren ruins the plan when, it's revealed that the Acorn Lockseed used by Jonouchi is sabotaged, dropping a frying pan from above in similar manner as the Arms fall to the Rider Suit, but as Jonouchi is still in human form it'll just KO him instead. Oren would prefer for his customers to enjoy his food uninterrupted, and resorts to taking Kouta's Driver by force as the other option, which is a show of redeeming quality for him to prioritize everything in his shop first, well except troublemakers.

As Bravo fights Gaim, Micchy notices that Bravo ruins his plans, but Yoko uses this derail as a test for Micchy to do actual dirty work himself, taunting him as becoming an adult would require to do so, sharing Sid's ideals (as an excuse to be a dick, or for this case, for Yggdrasill to gain upper hand), as Yoko claims Bravo would lose because of how Gaim uses Class S Lockseed (brought up again after a while), which shows when Gaim Jimber Lemon Arms' finisher goes through Bravo's Duriasshe, knocking Bravo several stories down, landing on a car (this scene got censored on my TV ._.). Despite him claiming Kouta as naive, Oren is stupid as well among the villains, that he lacks other solution after his redeeming quality kicks in, to retrive the Driver other than brute forcing. Yoko henshins into Marika to fight Gaim, and it's already well-known, but props to Minami Tsukui for being not only a woman who does her own stunts as Rider, but is also part of the few actors in overall who does so. Though I think Marika getting a bow as primary weapon didn't take full advantage of Yoko's existing combat skills, which is close melee combat, albeit of course any Riders can punch/kick (kicking is Minami Tsukui's standard) in addition of their weapons (and bow can be used as melee as well), and likely it's the reason Gaim claims she's too strong, even more than Sid (who has no combat experience). Well despite that, the fight here I would say is well-choreographed, with the fighters keep moving around in a fast-pace to try dodging, hiding, and shooting each other. As Micchy is put on the test here when both fight evenly, he henshins into Ryugen and... instead shoots Marika, still valuing his friendship with Gaim at this point, which allows Gaim to use his Jimber Lemon Arms' Au Lait finisher which is a simplistic slash from his bow. Ryugen even instructs Marika (take note, she's not reverted into human form after the attack!) to tell Ryoma that he'd protect Kouta, which Marika actually complies without much question...

As the Yggdrasill's plans are foiled by each of its member, despite mocking the one who foiled it, both Oren then Micchy, Akira only gets a day of her life, as far as she's concerned, she only wins a high end meal from lottery, before planning to Kouta about their dinner. For Marika to tell Ryoma, it's revealed that in his talk with Takatora, it's likely part of Ryoma plan to keep Kouta using the belt, as the data results are beyond Ryoma's expectations. Getting the vibe from Evolt here to be fascinated by the heroes' evolution and let them be, though here is to benefit from data and fulfill Takatora's expectations in their productions. Ryoma letting Micchy to keep his bond with the Beat Riders is also used to make Micchy a spy, which convinces Takatora enough to hand Micchy to his hands. I'd say Ryoma's planning is between smart enough to take advantage of every situation, or is too optimistic to do that and realizing the shortcomings too late. Micchy proves himself as well in intelligence to figure out that Ryoma wants to watch over Kouta, from the fact that Marika didn't support Oren in his fight against Kouta, which means they're deliberately keeping the Driver to Kouta... so the Yggdrasill plan isn't actually foiled then. Like to Sid, Micchy makes his own move to get out from his brother's shadow from this and his persuasion for Yggdrasill to use his talents right, which convinces Ryoma that Micchy is smarter than his older brother. The episode ends with Micchy watching a footage of their christmas dance, seemingly genuine to keep his happiness with his friends remain, and his manipulation had made him enough to be in both sides' good grace, a companion to Team Gaim and an useful asset at Yggdrasill...