[DreadBringer]

Kamen Rider Gaim watch

The Overlord Saga

Episode 24: The New Formidable Enemy: Overlord

Written by: Gen Urobuchi, Directed by: Hidenori Ishida

The fight between Baron and the Overlord continues, as Baron is still overwhelmed, but tries to use Punish Mash, Sparking version. The Overlord still counters it with its other power to turn itself into a crimson mist, allowing him to float around and pass attacks. It's also able to be used offensively, which wrecks the place and Baron around. The Overlord kicks away Mango Arms' weapon, and then teleports to finish him off. Marika arrives and shoots the Overlord, which is blocked by blue shockwaves, and also deflects Marika's Sonic Volley. Marika reminds Baron that his purpose is to collect data and he can beat the Overlord later, but Kaito insists to fight as it's the easiest way, while harming himself by punching a tree and scratching his fist on it (not censored on my TV, yay, though it made me wince), earns exasperation from her. I guess this is a proof about Kaito not being in Yggdrasill cause, but excuses his actions as benefical for Yggdrasill, but to fulfill his own agenda for power. Above a tree, there's another Overlord, colored green.

In Team Gaim's garage, Micchy is doing arts and crafts with Mai, and as this is Micchy we're talking about and it's only those 2, it's surrounded with flowery effects and romantic sound effects. While the intend is obviously to show Micchy's simping for Mai, I don't think it's implemented well here. It should be done exclusively in Micchy's perspective, but the scene is instead implemented like normal including the flower effects, with the effects suddenly gone (without cuts) when it moves into a more serious conversation. Mai laments about Kouta's hero complex again, to help others without putting thoughts to himself, which got teased by (likely secretly jealous) Micchy as her constantly worrying about him. So apparently Kouta still haven't changed in Mai's eyes, but Mai's not pissed off about this unlike at the earlier part of Gaim, only getting tsundere type denial but also without the animosity, just flustered. I wonder if it's her characterization not fully defined yet at that early part. Though the point of this was about Micchy being similarly worried and assured her that he'll keep an eye on him like stopping him from doing dangerous stuff.

At Yggdrasill school, Micchy interacts with his previous rival, who remarks that Micchy's not in school for long time, who tells him that he had more important matter in life. As said student feels regret treating Micchy as rival (so treating others as rival is the best affection he can show, this guy's just stock shonen rival like Kaito!), while Micchy tests him to predict the rival what he'll be 10 years ahead, and if he can control his fate. Looking down on his peers, he claims that he can't, and that the most important thing in life is power to give and take away, which he notes to himself as influence. Another part of showing how Kaito and Micchy are foils to each other, in this case, both are power-hungry and selfish, but Kaito wants physical power, while Micchy wants power in form of influence and manipulation. Though while Micchy is a dark character, this is a good reminder to be implemented in life that, there are more in it than just doing academics at school.

Kouta is exercising at a rooftop (not dancing, I mean that's a physical work too), to try out the Peach Lockseed, which he expected to grant him enhanced power or speed (complete with the abrupt imaginary scene of him getting those powers) but is neither. As he suddenly is able to hear multiple voice even with nobody around at the rooftop, he realizes that he got super senses. Like how the Overlords have Grongi vibe, this part also has Kuuga Pegasus form vibe to gain super senses. He also notices Micchy who he hears via his Jimber Peach Arms power, and calls him out from the distance to join him in the rooftop. With his newfound super senses, Kouta suggests to use a new plan to save the world aside from Yggdrasill's extremism, which is to track down Overlords, who are Helheim's bosses and can control the plants. Micchy is surprised about Kouta knowing this, which Kouta says DJ Sagara told him. As Micchy is bewildered, Kouta talks about how DJ Sagara has been helping him recently, which makes him think DJ Sagara isn't actually Yggdrasill's dog. But due to DJ Sagara's alignment with Yggdrasill, Micchy points out that it can be him using Kouta instead, which Kouta acknowledges as a possibility, but explains the reason that he wants to find out why others want to use him (if they actually do), and for Yuuya's death (which Micchy brings up as the result of him getting used), he cannot back down anymore and had to maximize the chance to contribute more in doing good, like how he becomes more powerful with Kachidoki Arms, despite it being given by someone suspicious like DJ Sagara. Micchy is likely starting to crack a bit that he points out that Kouta never listens to him, and warns him that he may regret this path, but Kouta believes in him enough to warn him, unaware that Micchy plans to make him suffer more, or that the friendly conversation is the means for Micchy to report to Ryoma not long after... I guess for here, Micchy again makes a good point (even if it's for his selfish agenda), about how enjoying help for others who is manipulating them means that you only succeed in short term, like about how before, being Armored Rider means you can protect people from Inves, but in the long-term, it helps Yggdrasill collect data to advance their plan like New Generation Riders. Kouta's open nature here is also for once, disadvantageous, it's used against him here by Micchy to secretly help Yggdrasill.... so I guess Micchy should thank Kouta for not listening to him for this once. But then again, it can be the villains overestimating their manipulation, that Kouta's usage of the power they give to him can backfire to them, especially with him being aware of the possibility of being manipulated by DJ Sagara.

Micchy reports to Ryoma about DJ Sagara helping Kouta, by creating Kachidoki Lockseed and giving him his card and Genesis Core. As a narcissistic bastard, Ryoma claims others, especially "internet celebrity" can't create Lockseeds without his knowledge, and Takatora remarks that DJ Sagara isn't a part of object. Micchy spills out Kouta's plan to hunt down Overlords, with unknown reasons. It's shown in Helheim that the green Overlord actually learns human language, which it thought as interesting, while the red Overlord focuses on training. DJ Sagara then appears between them in astral projection, and more about him is revealed as he also can speak Overlord language (to the red one), while speaking human language (to the green one), reminding them to not let their guard down. Yggdrasill now wonders who DJ Sagara actually is, but Ryoma insists them to focus on Kouta, likely stop giving leeways to him for his increased power and knowledge of the Overlords. Ryoma also gives Sid another Cherry Lockseed, and him planning to use his own Lockseed with an 'S' logo. Ryoma's arrogance blinds up to let himself use an outside source (collecting Kachidoki's data again) as a room of improvement...

Mai is practicing dancing alone as Kaito appears besides her. Kaito, likely out of touch of what the Beat Riders are now, wonders why she's still dancing after the misery Beat Riders had. She confirms it, along with Zack and Peko too, along with the dance teams being together now, and informs that they got audience to see their dance albeit not as popular as the Inves Game era, likely something Kaito missed, or pessimistic for her campaign to win back the people before. Mai thinks of the new change as fun, and tries to invite Kaito back to dancing for the fun. Kaito declines as he's dead set on a new goal, making dance pointless now. So Mai's not really restricting the dance for someone serious here if she's happy about how fun it is and invites someone not really into dance back. Knowing Kaito's true aim, Mai warns him, coming from her desire to make others happy, about how power can had a price, like being at the top can make him lonely due to having no one left around making him the saddest person. Though like Micchy's warning to Kouta, Mai's warning a different type of person (with him claiming himself they had different idea of strength), that as he's a social darwinist, it's natural for him that weaklings wouldn't last long, which means him being separated from other weaklings is always expected as he's "the strong". But despite the claim of their idea of strength as different, Kaito indirectly brings up what Mai suggests as strength in ep. 8, where if Mai can overcome unimaginable power that puts her to despair and still dance, then he'd consider her strong, which would mean Kaito approves Mai's idea of strength suggested to him before and make them not so different, but it shook Mai's confidence a bit, feeling that Kouta can deal with Kaito better.

Gaim arrives in Helheim and starts his plan to track down Overlords using Jimber Peach Arms, which succeeded for him hearing Overlord languages, but is stopped by Sigurd. He uses the Lockseed with 'S' logo, which is called Sid Lockseed (LockSid?) to summon 3 automated Suika Arms. Gaim uses Kachidoki Arms, which is able to take one of the Suika Arms out when they operate in Gyro Mode. Sid makes them switch to Odama Mode, which resists DJ Gun's firepower better, and launches them to Gaim. Kachidoki Arms' flag attached in his back is also can be used as weapon here to repel the rolling Suika Arms. Sid is enraged by Kachidoki's durability and switches them to Yoroi Mode, to fight Gaim head on with its weapons. Kachidoki Arms reveal his other ability which is to combine with Musou Saber, forming Taiken Mode, which is using the weapon as a sword, and destroys both of the Suika Arms with it. While the debut of Kachidoki Arms had good spectacle, I think his fight against 3 Suika Arms here showcases its power better. Yuuya's death also impacted Gaim here to try harder not creating unnecessary bloodshed as he left Sigurd despite the opportunity to finish him off, unlike before at ep. 21, to focus on his more important goal, bailing out with Jimber Cherry Arms' speed.

Gaim with Jimnber Peach Arms arrives at the ruins and finally meets an Overlord, the green one, who remarks that human language is simple. Gaim realizes that they can talk, but he also got ambushed by the red Overlord, still speaking in Overlord language. Gaim being Gaim, he came to reason with them and points out that he doesn't want to fight, even trying to insist the green Overlord telling him that. But the green Overlord thinks that it's bored after staying in the forest for very long time, and decides to use the Riders as her toys to satisfy her boredom, and with the Overlord's loud voice, it brings up another Kuuga reference, where like Pegasus Form, Jimber Peach Arms experiencing sensory overload, forcing him to de-henshin, and the green Overlord hanging Kouta with their plant control, before leaving him with teleportation insisting him to be more fun toy, letting Kouta drop. For the Kuuga references here, I like that here, an option to reason with the talking monster is tried here, something which Kuuga didn't (of course you need to be safe from monster attacks, which is only Yusuke for him being an organic Rider), but I still have to say that Kouta's too optimistic here, while moral alignment doesn't depend on your species, where do you get that monsters can be more reasonable than humans running big corporations?