[DreadBringer]

Kamen Rider Gaim watch

The Forbidden Fruit Saga

Episode 45: Baron's Ultimate Transformation

Written by: Gen Urobuchi, Directed by: Osamu Kaneda

Zack approaches the surprised Peko about the betrayal of the 2 Team Baron members, and assigns him to give a note to Oren... quietly. Peko is further confused but likely gets a hint that Zack is actually doing something good in secret and also asks for Peko to keep it secret too. As Kouta gets treated in garage including by Akira, the others discuss about what happened to Kaito, presumably eating a Helheim fruit, but points out if someone eats Helheim fruit they had to lose their mind, while Kaito keeps it. While Oren warns him again about facing Kaito in that condition, Kouta notes the similarity between him and Kaito with his wounds healing quickly, surprising others like Jonouchi, due to Kiwami Lockseed. Though Kouta knows that being a human or monster, it doesn't matter (as he gets over his potentially pariah situation for that), what matters is the soul. Peko gave the note to Oren.

Micchy is forced to acknowledge about how his actions are drifting everyone apart from him while still sobbing. Appropriate karmic situation as he never viewed them as person but more of an extension of himself thinking they have no right to act out on their own against his twisted schemes that is meant to 'protect' them. Takatora hallucination explains about Micchy's real situation, related to one of the show's theme about growing up, that Micchy is the triumphant example of the antithesis to this; he can never leave his comfort behind, his childhood (the dance representing this), unlike others who are ready to move forward and face their fates, such as accepting awful truths and working towards it. And he's the extreme example of trying to keep his childhood with all the schemes he's pulling throughout the series, like keeping them all in the dark while forcing Kouta to comply to him, to make each of them 'keep smiling', even directly stating that he'll betray everyone to keep the situation in the team like that. And Micchy still considers Takatora hallucination's words as mocking him.. I'd guess he's still bad here, not too genuine of admitting his mistakes, like how Takatora hallucination returns his question that he keeps clinging in his shadows, which'd mean him keeping himself in dark path, and the hallucination considers his pain as nothing compared to the ones that carry the fate of the world on their backs.

As Yoko insists for Kaito to rest, he also talks with Mai on his dreams. So for the new world where Kaito wishes only the strong survive, he'd lump those who trust only their strength and trample on the weak as the weak too because they'd be extinct if they went against those who are stronger, refering to the Overlords.... well Kaito'd be a 2nd Roshuo if he accomplishes his goals. Then Kaito goes creepy with his approach to Mai, forcing her to be with him, a case of objectifying as well to think it doesn't matter if she asks he wants her or golden fruit. So apparently because of Kaito turning heel, he or the writing (is it intentional as irony or just OOC?) has to make his approach to Mai ironically as contemptuous as Micchy does? Y'know, the person who Kaito calls out as not treating Mai as a person, or the woman who Kaito respects for her emotional strength; of which despite questioning his wants too (of which Kaito uses as a declaration of objectification), she folds quicker here, only lamenting that Kaito can do whatever he wants, instead of trying to object (not with '-ify') his wants like she did before to various people like that including Kaito, all for an excuse to keep the final battle (as well-choreographed as it is) and keep her away from interfering. While Kaito being the secondary Rider that never changed his core character and concluding in him turning extremist can flow well, I don't think his treatment to Mai here should be related to his goal of his ideal world, other than the means to accomplish his goal.

At Drupers, Oren seems to comply to Zack's note by creating a bomb, following his mercenary past (.. of which Bando slowly and seemingly forcefully salutes at him). Zack expects the bomb to be bigger, although Oren assures the bomb's capability. Knowing Zack's true intentions to secretly disable the enemy and help the alliance, Jonouchi praises him as tactical. Zack thinks of himself as a coward to exploit Kaito's trust on him, due to having no chance to stand up against Kaito or Yoko, but Oren assures him that he's heroic because he's doing it to someone who turned on humanity. Though this is consoling to Zack, I'd feel this still hints of Oren's brutal approach despite changing sides, to essentially encourage pay evil to evil when someone is evildoer. As someone who has been Kaito's right hand man, Zack tells more about Kaito regarding his character, he's always been worried about where will he turn his obtained power after fighting Yggdrasill and Overlords; as someone holding power above morality, he can do good as anti-hero by fighting off Yggdrasill and Overlords (of those the 2 is actually seen as weak in Kaito's eyes due to secrets for the former, and preying on the weak which leads to extinction for latter), but with no big threats left.. he'd turn it into the whole world he despises turning him into anti-villain; Zack knows Kaito better than anyone, and deduces his turn into dark path sooner or later. Peko is worried about Zack confronting someone like Kaito, but he taps him to assure him that he'll stop him.

Zack confronts Kaito for sending an Inves army to destroy the world, and talks about his growth that being a leader changes him, giving him reason to fight and making him learn to feel good for protecting people (which he did in episodes like 36). So they do address Zack's character change here and they did establish him as another altruistic guy since Knuckle, albeit he's already quickly amicable to the others right after gaining Knuckle that it feels too quick, but they do address it here though probably very late. Though this is revealed after he turns slightly worse to do pragmatic stuff to get the job done (Oren and Jonouchi's belt are destroyed as a result), albeit he feels bad about it. Still, Kaito is also always been like this on the Beat Riders Saga too, and as a major moment for him Zack addresses Kaito's behavior that it has never changed until now, I mean Zack also witnesses Kaito's nature at Beat Riders Saga especially as his right hand man, though Zack is still as much of an asshole as Kaito, even being the one Kaito calls out for cheating (along with Peko). Zack leaves, while also planting a bomb in an electrical box nearby. As a professional spy, Yoko notices that Zack's movement in his pocket is suspicious, and goes to assault Zack, revealing Zack holding a detonator. I refer to her skills because it leads to a disappointing next moment (I know female Rider death is a franchise-wide problem, but I want to explain the reason here, as I also wouldn't want for the opposite to happen like them not getting hurt only because of female) that Yoko gets an anti-climatic death, with Yoko not having any idea to protect Kaito other than running in front of the bomb (as Marika), and even acts slower than Zack did (approaching the detonator) after their tussle. That aside, the bomb seems to be strong enough to de-henshin Marika, as Yoko falls from the building. She should've been more composed and have more solution to this (or even successfully intercepted Zack I guess before, after she fought Oren on equal terms as human). Kaito and Zack then fight as (Armored Rider) Baron and Knuckle, with Baron seemingly killed Knuckle, but praising that Zack has grown strong despite the cowardly move. Kaito then approaches the lying Yoko, who indirectly declares her love to him, wishing if Kaito would've sought her like he did to Mai when she's the one with golden fruit, with Kaito giving some reciprocation though in different way to see Yoko and golden fruit independently. By this Yoko's death also seem pointless, what comes after this is only some romantic-lines.

For the better stuff, aside from Zack's above, there's Kouta living with the fact about how he lost his humanity, only being able to eat Helheim fruits, with Akira learning more of the state of her brother now. It's distressing to Akira too as for her it could be that Kouta can be suicidal for the despair he suffered, with her warnings before, but Kouta stays intact, he has fully turned into a monster despite outwardly looking human. The conversation falls back into Kouta wanting to change as different man for his sister's sake, with Akira telling him doesn't mean Kouta has to turn into this monstrosity, but assures her teary self that he's able to help others doing the right things this way, like how she views human job as (entertainment does help others in its own way too y'know though). True, gaining powers can make someone contribute far more to the society compared to the limitations of normal humans, albeit with consequence he had to acknowledge for him. For long last though, SDF actually didn't abandon Zawame, as Kouta later realizes, arriving at last to evacuate the Rider alliances, though at limited time so their objections about Zack, Akira, and Kouta isn't addressed. Kouta insists Akira to get on the helicopter, while assuring others he'll take care of Kaito and Zack.

Kouta goes to face Kaito, while again, Mai interacts with him to express disapproval of him and Kaito fighting, while Kouta tells her he had found his own future now and is fighting for both Kaito and her. The other thing that is told from this scene is about how Kouta doesn't view Mai as object unlike the bad guys, though it still doesn't change about how Mai's dumbed down into a prize when either one of them won, with little to no will against the current situation, only going along with the fight regardless of who wins or if the outcome is what she wants (she doesn't want the world to end, of course she's supposed to side with Kouta here), her ascension to godhood is played like if she's still a normal human. Kouta summons his own army of Inves. Kouta objects to Kaito's goal of replacing the world with a new one to dismantle social darwinism, with Kouta arguing that Kaito underestimates the current world to be unable to do that. Kaito argues that being strong automatically rips away their compassion, using his childhood as an example. This is a generalizing view of Kaito like other anti-villains such as Takatora (ironically not taking Yggdrasill workers into account) or Roshuo, as Kouta points out there are handful of strong and compassionate people; the ones who use their power to save the world, which got rejected by Kaito due to those people dying, using Kouta as example, likely from the fact that he (nearly) died before against Micchy. Though still in Kouta's argument, there are many morally good trait and deeds in addition to saving people, the really good ones do more than just superheroics, and Kaito didn't fully know the context of something like Kiwami Arms vs Ryugen Yomi fight. I guess despite Kaito being someone who doesn't give up and uses failures as lessons, like Micchy (adding up to his comparable traits), Kaito also constantly clings into the past/childhood which is the powerful Yggdrasill takeover of his family, though Kaito clings to bitter moment while Micchy clings to happy moment. Kaito refusing to move on blinds him from the surrounding fact, only constantly projecting his past to any situation and denying objections like Kouta did here. While Kouta, though he also underwent terrible moment in Yuuya's death, he grows out of it to move forward and forgiving himself. Both henshin into Baron and Gaim to fight while their respective Inves army also fights, with the fight between Riders moving into Lock Vehicles fight, then Dandeliner fight, then Gaim turning Jimber Lemon Arms to fight off stronger Inves, with Baron changing into Mango Arms who got overwhelmed by Jimber Lemon Arms. Gaim upgrades into Kachidoki Arms to fight off even stronger Inves as Baron turns into Lord Baron. While the fight is nice (..at the cost of Mai's role) like the transition to both of their bikes.. I guess I feel like some part is lacking to skip some forms, with Gaim's Pine and Ichigo Arms being unused (should be pitted against Mango Arms). Gaim Jimber Cherry Arms is also unused, though probably Peach Arms wouldn't gain advantage. I wonder too if the Riders don't care about friendly fire to the Inves army they summoned there.