[Sh Ranger]

Reminds me of a similar event from Strongest Chemies. X Wizard and Nijigon both ask Houtarou to stay in an illusion world and both times Houtarou says there are people who need him and he wants to return to their side. While X Wizard was misguided, Nijigon is projecting his own fear on Houtarou from not wanting to experience the despair he watched. Houtarou and Nijigon are like both the mother and child to each other. Nijigon assuming a SteamHopper-like appearance upon his birth could be due to Houtarou having imprinted on him, hence Nijigon suddenly acting more Houtarou-like as well. The cold Alchemist Union could only create the egg, but Houtarou was able to hatch it with his warmth and nurture Nijigon in to a proud Chemy.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zolda

And, if Nijigon was integrated into the Gotchardriver, then how and when did he move into Houtarou's body? Is it because he's gradually fused with Houtarou's body due to Houtarou's continuous use of the Gotchardriver? And why did it take a long time for Gigist to locate Nijigon's position, if it has such a high level of energy signature?

Based on how Gotchard can transmute himself in to Wild Forms, gaseous or liquid states, I'd say Nijigon had transferred to Houtarou from the moment the latter first equipped the Driver. So Gotchard is still the human user's body after all, with the ability to manipulate biomass secretly granted by Nijigon. This also explains further why Geryon coveted Houtarou's basic GotcharDriver, as it was the only one that contained Nijigon's essence, in addition to Houtarou's strong synchronization with Chemies.

I guess Gigist missed Nijigon's energy signature as it was simply camoflauged by Houtarou's, like how Ryutaros had been hiding in Ryoutarou ever since Urataros appeared.

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Originally Posted by Enchilada645

And speaking of fun though, Rainbow Gotchard's debut. This might just be my favorite Final Form debut as a whole? I think the pieces around it work so well and I love how the emphasis is on Houtaro fighting to save the Chemy that were corrupted by Gigist. Cause really that has been the whole show, Gotchard fights to save the Chemy from the Malice that hurts them. There's just this unique nature to Rainbow compared to prior final forms. There's never been a Final Form that's felt so upbeat and fun in its debut, there have been cool grandiose, terrifying, uplifting, even sobering ones, but Rainbow's really stands apart from the crowd I feel.

Rainbow Gotchard's debut lives up to the feeling of bright and fun for sure! It's not gimmicky like Platina (stay tuned for next episode!) but it does focus on functional combat alchemy by connecting it to one of Houtarou's Gotchas. It's inspiring how Houtarou never stays depressed for long, as he assures Nijigon that he'll find a way to revive his friends, somehow. He's not stuck in the past or worrying about the future, he focuses on what he can do now.

My favorite Reiwa Primary Rider Final Form is still Xross Saber, but I have to appreciate how Rainbow totally goes full power full throttle with the same bright and fun aesthetic that Gotchard has always been about. The standby jingle sounds full of hope, dreams and justice, which is exactly like Houtarou and his vision for the future where humans and Chemies can live together in harmony. A Final Form weapon would've been nice, but I guess I don't need one every year.

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Originally Posted by Enchilada645

Also that insert song? Back-On + Beverly? That's a win to me.

Agreed!

Quote:

Originally Posted by AkibaSilver

But yeah, pretty good final form debut, even with small character beats for Rinne and Valvarad (has he has a solid win in the last 15 episodes? Classic Spanner).

He may be a Valvafraud, but he's our Valvafraud!