[Paladin]

The Desire Grand Prix players struggle to decipher a code that holds the secret to their escape.

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[Mesnick]

Well, this episode is inferior to the previous one, but still good. Pleases with gorgeous fights, a full-fledged return of Tacoon with a new desire and fever forms. Of the minuses, I would note that it is impossible to solve the puzzle instead of with the participants, because this is exactly the case when playing by yourself is much more interesting than watching. Also, the fact that absolutely everyone was able to get fever forms looks very far-fetched. Still, it's a good ending to a two-episode arc. Now only plot-important riders are left, which means the show becomes even more unpredictable. But the form shown in the promo of the next episode looks completely off topic. I hope at least you will be pleased with the functionality.
Theory: given Keiwa's new desire, it seems to me that he, Buffa and PunkJack will team up against Ace in the last round of the current DGP.

[Actar]

Kinda confused about how the Fever Raise Buckle works, but from what I understand, "Golden Fever" is when they match the top and bottom armors. It doesn't necessarily need to be from the "???", as it can randomly generate any of the smaller Raise Buckles, but if it announces "Jackpot," it will double up the currently equipped bottom armor. And that seems to be the only way to get Fever Boost because Boost is not available in any of the other slots.

[DreadBringer]

So for Geats, really the only one that can be a Rider are DGP participants, due to the need of ID Core...

As I said before, Keiwa doesn't turn selfish or uncaring for using his money for himself, and here his concern for Tanba grew bigger. He was just rather cynical as seen in ep. 1 and his eliminated self takes it to the extreme of being unmotivated for smaller things like jobs where he resorts to quick way in gambling. In ep. 1 he thought that world peace is just an illusion, and well, his eliminated self are just that too in how he thought world peace is too much for 1 person to do, not rejecting it. But Yoshiki's brave action of shielding Kozue inspires Keiwa to take action again, but still doesn't eliminate the problem that, he still doesn't have the power to act on his ideals even with his cynicism lifted.

Of which now, the solution is now rather easy to just touch a Rider's ID Core which Ace instructs to get back DGP memories. So Keiwa's video recordings aren't involved yet. I guess what Keiwa needs to learn regarding his cynicism to achieve world peace is that, he doesn't need to shoulder his burden alone, albeit there are likely few who'd agree to support that, but he can use other's help even with differing goals... like Emu as M getting the other doctors to work.

Ep. 10 had Ace claiming that he'd hope Tycoon's doing well (actually nope), and this episode does display it to some extent in him trying to get the "Tycoon I know". Ace in general is also being more defiant towards DGP, including his very stunt of asking Keiwa to touch his ID Core that baffles Neon. Other than advocating Keiwa, the scene of Ace questioning the DGP's premise of saving the world, yet they aren't letting the very person who fits the bill join is also a savage one. Giroli is forced to obey his DGP's advertised purpose by letting Keiwa join or DGP's secrets can be exposed, and even then he still gave some extra requirement of swapping places with Tanba. There seems to be lack of reaction regarding Keiwa knowing that Giroli is the Game Master though...

Later of course, Ace vowing to not become Game Master's pawn despite being a player, by foiling and exposing Win's schemes. It's exposed actually due to Win's shortcomings of him forgetting to check the scratches of the glyphs thus Ace immediately figured it out. Win's clown act actually ended up being too overboard thus Ace and Michinaga knows that he was suspicious from the start and was only putting up an act so that they think he's a different Punk Jack. Similar to Ryuki, while there are arguments of the secondary Rider being "actual MC", the actual primary Rider is the one that threatens the game the most, with Shinji being Shiro's actual nuisance. Shinji was also the one to question some other Riders if Shiro may be just tricking them, of which it'd be kinda true later.

With Win being exposed, Tsumuri still can be suspicious for being a part of DGP, but she now seems to be playing a role similar to Yua, the secondary female lead who are, not yet heroines at this point but someone a part of a suspicious group that has some conscience that puts her at odds with other members, with also her seemingly smiling to Ace's defiance to Giroli hinting her turn. She takes her job as a navigator seriously to not allow an infighting between the Riders despite that it'd likely benefit DGP when Win covers DGP's plans up by offing Ace (though it's unlikely he'd be able to best him in fighting anyway).

I guess this episode solidifies that the main group would be the trio of Ace, Keiwa, and Neon, while Michinaga is grouped with Win so far, as the anti-Ace squad, and potentially agreeing to co-operate with Win at this point after rejecting Win's help before. Like Kabuto too, while the main Rider is cocky and morally ambiguous, there'd be a handful of other major Riders who are even worse people in those 2. And that seems to extend to even Jiro Ogata for the hostages, that he's the sleazy one to agree about leaving Ace behind to escape, albeit he still had decency later to get the Hayama siblings home safely.

There are already a handful of Ace and Neon moments, due to them being paired up for Concentration game, and Neon being the one invited first, Keiwa relatively lacked interaction against those 2. Thus this episode, though still lacking in dialogue part, gave Tycoon some more time with not only Geats, but also Na-Go, as tag team partners for the first time (with Buffa just giving extra finishing blow). There's also Ace trusting Tycoon and Na-Go to take care of Yoshiki's sister.

Now Keiwa's wish has changed, previously on ep. 2 after Taira's death he asked about bringing back the killed Riders, and now it's turned into his actual wish (but likely extends to civilians too). What I wondered is, if players can change their wish mid-game or not. Ace clams that Keiwa's ambitious in his wish, of which I'd say Keiwa takes good advantage of the DGP power to go big, as his wish wouldn't only benefit himself in likely his parents but also others, unlike Taira (who could've wished for a world without disease or something), though Ace would still disregard it as he'd be the definitive winner. Keiwa also talked about taking small steps to win, of which it was the same as what Neon instructed to Tanba to help him, purely coincidental as Keiwa wasn't there yet.

While he's retired, there's more regarding Tanba here, that he's portrayed as someone who deeply values human life and potential, particularly youths as usual due to their longetivity, as humans can enjoy many things in life, thus he feels compelled to protect that and making him one of the more unambiguously good player. I do want a role reversal that Tanba watches Keiwa protect him instead, and it did happen, though Tanba only thanked Keiwa later for saving, without bringing up DGP. Albeit Tanba likely learned too that he too needs to enjoy life himself too, letting go of his wish.

Keiwa does have badass performance in his return as Tycoon by saving Neon, and works well with Geats just like Na-Go, thus it's shown further that Tycoon does indeed get better too. But... why Keiwa in human form still seems sloppy in dealing with the Jamatos in contrast? Sometimes it seems that they can make Riders good in fighting but limit their showings as human, Aruto was kinda like this too before. Otherwise, Keiwa is technically a "thief" here by taking a dropped Ninja Buckle that was shot from Buffa's hands? I also don't know what happens to Keiwa's collar that it doesn't function, is it due to him being a player now?

Lots of actions in this episode with all the lootboxes being filled with Fever Slot Buckles for all the remaining Riders. Now I finally understand how the Fever Slot powers work better. I do read before that it's about randomized Buckle, but it's seen in this episode for the part of giving random Buckles, and as a downside too that it gave the Riders lame Buckles but they can re-roll. If they get the same Buckle as they currently use, it'd upgrade it... RabbitRabbit/TankTank way. Propeller Buckle was something given from a hatched egg for the final boss in "Encounter" DGP of which Na-Go made use of, but apparently so Propeller's really a weak Buckle judging from Na-Go's reaction in this episode... why'd the eggs be a "solution" for Knight Jamato before...? Keiwa's luck somehow now spreads to everyone that they got lucky roll for their 2nd. I'd say that Na-Go's Golden Fever Victory is my favorite finisher visually among the Riders here to make use of volume bars as wide AoE attack. And they're keeping up the theme, previously Geats went Dante of using motorcycle as weapon, now they go Bayonetta with him shooting guns from legs, 2 Hideki Kamiya creations.

The Archimedel part had him claiming he'd destroy DGP to make way for the Jamatos... so it's either that the Archimedel's always an enemy separate from DGP (with Giroli somehow having his contact), or a DGP member that went rogue and started his own scheme, betraying them.

[GoldenXtreme]

I have a bit of a theory at this point about Keiwa. I suspect he is going to have an unusual arc where he progressively loses his sense of self. Each round of the DGP he'll wish for something different, but lose, causing his civilian mental state to deteriorate each time, possibly even escalating into giving him something of a hero-to-villain arc. I don't have any real proof, just a bit of theorizing on my part.


The puzzle in this episode was fun, the video gamey elements in Takahashi shows always amuse me. I also liked how Ace interacted with the kid he was charged with protecting this round, lets him show his more wholesome side.

[AkibaSilver]

God bless you, old man Rider. The most altruistic guy we've had on the show so far.

But yeah, did this 2-parter today, and it's a pretty good. The return of Keiwa was very nicely handled, as the deepening of the mystery surrounding the Jyamato and the DGP. Of course this entire thing is a set-up between higher powers, it remains to be seen how both sides benefit.