[DreadBringer]

Kamen Rider Gaim watch

The Forbidden Fruit Saga

Episode 39: The Do-or-Die Tower Break-In Strategy!

Written by: Gen Urobuchi, Directed by: Kyohei Yamaguchi

Though likely others can agree for saving Mai, the debate of using Ryoma's secret tunnel between the Beat Riders, Oren, and Jonouchi still present as it's madman like Ryoma proposing it, but Kouta is left with no choice to go along with it. The debate even increases with Kouta trying to stop Micchy. Kaito argues again about Micchy can't be saved now, using Takatora as an example. But that jumps into conclusion to assume that he's trying to save Micchy and claiming Kouta would be killed (as well as callously treating his death as a window for others to save Mai), though that may be a cold front, for something later), even if it's not 'saving', Micchy still have to be dealt with, not leaving him unprovoked. I guess Jonouchi still has a trace of his cowardly trait to complain that no one including him can stay behind anymore without being lame, or Zack's trace of his old personality to mock Jonouchi as lame, though this is probably gentle ribbing as Zack was concerned about Jonouchi when he used Suika Arms before. Note that Zack tried to object about Micchy too here, but quickly rushes for Mai. The silly stuff continues at injured Peko trying to wake up, but stopped by Chucky with his eyes popping out. I guess this succeeds in lightening up Kouta, thanking all the people there.

As Mai stays in Micchy's office, Micchy responds to Mai's plead for Micchy to return to his former 'sweet, kind' self and stop his cruel deeds, he talks about how kindness is a weakness, using himself as an example for being useless in Team Gaim before. Well, actually, power is the thing that extend your deeds, contributing more for heroes or damaging more for villains, while Micchy was useless, the team was being carried by Kouta, a noble hero, and he's certainly not useless too, like ep. 9 where he carried the team with his smarts! So that'd be his ego to look down on kindness and dismiss others, just being jealous of their achievements. Micchy channels Sid to make dirty choices and gashlighs Mai as being confused again, but Takatora's hallucination doesn't disappear, claiming no one will understand Micchy now. With Micchy going apeshit to snark back as Takatora being fool and dead, Mai witnesses Micchy's insanity directly in front of her, all with horrified expression, emphasized in her eyes, as it's Micchy talking and rampaging to no one.

In their way to the tunnel, Ryoma informed that the cracks are opening all over the world, thus changing SDF's objection into barricading themselves, which he admits, while getting up close to everyone there again. He purposely wants for Helheim to invade the world, in a display of similarity against Kaito before, but also narrates about what happened, like hinting an Overlord more powerful than Redyue from the missile attacks. Micchy now ditches Rat and Rica for not obeying him, letting them get sacrificed for Roshuo's Queen for sheer spite. Kouta's not the only one getting this treatment for defying his control freak aspects, telling Redyue that they got what they deserved, which intrigues her to be so cold to his "friends" It's incredibly petty too, as the disobedience is about them leaving Yggdrasill Tower against his wishes. Although she praises his cold-blooded traits after killing Takatora, as a more experienced manipulator, Redyue tries to give tips to Micchy, to not underestimate Kouta who is blessed by Fruit of Knowledge, using his resources right like using Mai as bait. However, although he doesn't treat her as person, this is his sole care for others, threatening to end his partnership with Redyue if she involves Mai.

Ryoma's actual purpose is shown when the group encounters a huge crowd of Inves in their way, as they fight them off to defend the van too after some bickering from Oren and Jonouchi, which is to further collect data by recording their fights. Bravo suggests Gaim and others to keep going as both him and Jonouchi take care of the Inves army, with Yoko driving. After they reach the secret entrance, Kouta suggests to help Bravo and Gridon, with Kaito insisting they have no time. But Ryoma thinks he can support Kaito's statement by devaluing those 2 as only dead meats now, which enrages Kouta that they can only reach there due to those 2 holding the Inves off so they can keep going... although of course Ryoma won't care if they don't make it or if the kidnapped people are drained completely. Although Kaito is focused on the mission, acknowledges the truth of those 2 might be dying, and has similarity to Ryoma, he won't stoop as low as him to dehumanize them and devalue their sacrifice, giving a satisfying punch to Ryoma, drawing blood from his lips, giving him a warning if he's going to be tactless. As they enter the building, they discover another of Ryoma's treacher other than his behavior, the security system of several Suika Arms and Tulip Hoppers, which Ryoma didn't tell. Kaito, Zack, and Yoko henshin into their Rider form, with Knuckle using Suika Arms midway, but not using the weapon, but punching the enemies with watermelon projection in his arms, while Kouta and Ryoma goes to Redyue's machine.

Roshuo watches the machine working on the coffin of his love, lamenting about how the golden fruit may not give his love back, hinting the limit of the power it holds. Micchy takes Mai to him, declaring her as the only valuable human for now, and entrusts Roshuo to take care of her, due to not trusting Redyue. Despite his condescending attitude, although he distrusts Redyue for good reason, his judgment seems to be clouded himself here by his possessive love for Mai, giving her to someone who thinks humanity isn't worth saving (inflated view for Mai there), and assuming the best for Roshuo to not let an innocent get harmed as a proud ruler, albeit will accept Roshuo's decision if she's not worth protecting. Roshuo even insists for Micchy to not act like he know him. Another irony between these "pairing" is that, without opposites attract in effect due to obvious reasons, Micchy has turned into an opposite for Mai too, with Mai being horrified by his actions while she's now the only person Micchy cares about now, at least in terms of keeping her safe, after ditching Rat and Rica. Other than that, Mai is caring and empathetic, wants to make people happy, and resorts to informing others about Helheim when she learns it. Micchy had no qualms constantly betraying anyone, only cares for his selfish goals, and focuses on keeping secrets from others. Both also undergo outfit change with Micchy's suit and Mai's dress.

Roshuo learns something likely out of his mind that what scares Mai isn't her current situation, but about the fear of her friends' well-being to risk their life to rescue her, putting his belief in humans to question. Roshuo nevertheless tests Mai, especially that one of the friends is someone who betrayed whole humanity and allied himself with Redyue. However, a group doesn't necessarily contain identical individuals, which is what Roshuo thinks to assume her other friends as the same, but can't assume anyone on the group as the same as one black sheep among them, with Mai pointing out that her friends are a team. Mai then continues with a quote that can really frustrate some of the audience that it sounds really stupid, the claim to not stop trusting someone after a betrayal, which refers to Micchy here to still believe in him after all what he did. Though to be fair for her, she still knows little about his gradual transformation, and she acknowledges that he did horrible things, but she deals with it by trying to get to know the roots behind it and get mutual understanding instead of axing him off. Other than that, Micchy is too multifaceted and changes too many times. Mai turns back the topic on Roshuo, assuming that Roshuo stops trusting anyone after 1 betrayal, which he confirms. Like Kouta to Demushu before, Mai delivers a comeback to Roshuo that she points out that's the reason why the castle is so lonely, means at least Mai has some foundation for her decision to not stop trusting. Being distrustful does have bad consequences too (and I also have to work on this), like how it can deprive one of human connection and authentic living, and not letting go of past betrayal can get in the way of current living (the bad consequence of dwelling in the past) or how one projects their feelings due to that. For what Kaito said before about Mai being strong, accepting the fact of someone's betrayal means one can withstand uncomfortable feelings from a BS someone pulls.

For building the base without telling others, like Mai to Roshuo above, Kouta notes that Ryoma doesn't trust anyone. As Ryoma doesn't see the value of connecting with people, he elaborates about his world view to be ruthless; abandon captured families, give up on friends who betray, feel no guilt for a murder of one's friend. By that someone will be free from stress, as he thinks Kouta suffers for being good to others, while Ryoma, disturbingly, is cheerful and upbeat because he couldn't care less for anyone. This marks how sociopathic he is, and this is "don't give a fuck" mentality taken to the extreme, literally doing anything without regard of what others feel about that including heinous things, and what I hope that mentality won't turn someone into. Kouta and Ryoma comes across Shinmugurun, where Kouta henshins to fight, but Ryoma stands by for a while before he henshins into Duke, showing off the Genesis Driver's ability, that he can gain an upper hand against even an Overlord, using Lemon Energy Squash to clone himself into 4 illusions, before he shoots Shinmugurun. Duke however leaves the Overlord to Gaim, continuing to capture data from Duke's scanning device. Gaim upgrades into Kiwami, and makes use of a neat ability of his ability, summoning 6 different weapons, using first 5 which are Bana Spear, Kiwi Gekirin, Donkachi, Ichigo Kunai, Kagematsu as throwing weapons, giving nods to Gates of Babylon, before finishing him off with Orange Charge.