[DreadBringer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

KAMEN RIDER ZERO-ONE EPISODE 21 - “OBJECTION! THE TRIAL”

The stake is of course higher, but this also shows how underhanded ZAIA can be in how they'd involve an innocent (as in next episode) without caring about Yuto's fate, only caring about their benefit and that's if Ishinori won and had an innocent wrongly punished. Though that also shows for all the care Aruto shows to Humagears like how Deneb did to Yuto (no, not this Yuto!), he'd show care for humans too to object to this.

About Humagears opting to rampage, while Horobi isn't actually hacking the Humagears, it's still them being hacked, but by Ark, not by Horobi. Ark installed something on Humagears to have them go on rampage on offensive. Even Horobi is just one of Ark's servants just like all those Magias, the difference is that Horobi is a major villain, not MOTW. The series had Humagears going on rampage after being mistreated, treated as MOTWs to destroy, so no, the show doesn't justify the solution to murder the name-caller (it's actually something really petty). Other than that, yeah this is the franchise moment where the secondary Rider starts using the primary's views and have them remind the protagonist about what they've learned, Fuwa snapping Aruto back into Humagear advocate.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

KAMEN RIDER ZERO-ONE EPISODE 22 - “EVEN SO, HE DID NOT DO IT”

This is probably the first part of the series dedicating into giving catharsis via Gai's defeat, including how he made MetalCluster Hopper Progrise Key to take down Zero-One, but it backfires on him. The first package of Thouser beatdown. Moreover, it's Ark beating Gai as Aruto was controllable, so Gai was beaten by his own creation here. I wonder if there's a way to make internal reveal (new info for heroes, old for viewer) something good, if yes, then this one's just a poor execution (at least to you). But now in-universe it's pointed out that Gai is a hypocrite who twists things around he see fits, he'd criticize someone that "uses the power for evil", but he'd deflect the blame on him on anything else. But this is obviously done to maintain his company's image, not about Gai having standards/limits on how his company works, protecting himself while Ishinori is actually arrested.

And of course, Gai declaring himself as human supremacist, but in reality has dim views on it. Gai is so hatable that, even Horobi had something to pick fights with to him, as shown here in him ranting about humans taking and using Ark for themselves, which can create an evil vs evil scenario in Horobi vs Gai. Unfortunately, yeah Yua's meant to be made as Gai's secretary, not minimized by external factor (cmiiw), this is her disappointment despite strong start.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

KAMEN RIDER ZERO-ONE SO-DO AI 06: KAMEN RIDER ZERO-ONE - METAL CLUSTER HOPPER

Which is another way of saying that I really liked the debut for Metal Cluster Hopper, and I wanted more from its SO-DO. The live action suit goes big with its presence – huge metal spikes everywhere – and goes small with its performance. The debut is just Aruto locked in a metal cage as the Ark demolishes Thouser, and everything offensively is the suit, nothing from the man inside. The design of the suit really conveys Prison, and that’s a neat concept for a new upgrade. It’s basically Silver Hazard Form, but I like Hazard Form a ton, so I don’t mind it that much.

Yeah, this is a sick suit, with the sleek shining metal. But as someone who prefers performance than looks, I also appreciate MetalCluster Hopper's power which is something more than just hand-to-hand combat and is devastating. The swarm of locusts it can conjure gives flexibility and variation, and armor wise it can freely change its hardness, plasticity, and density, making it incredibly good armor. And as you said, this one's similar to Blizzard form or OOO PuToTyra form, being uncontrollable berserker. Aruto though resisted the influence from Ark's MetalCluster Hopper like Drive and Mach's Deadheat form. And here, the gag of Fuwa brute forcing through technology comes handy to free Aruto from the uncontrollable form.

[Kamen Rider Die]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreamSword

For better or worse, it'd be against Aruto's' current character to just leave everything in the hands of someone else, especially in regards to something he's so passionate about. It's right there in his catchphrase as Zero-One.

Sure, and I noted the catchphrase thing, but HOLY HELL is Metal Cluster Hopper too dangerous to be used in service of Aruto's ideals. Putting that Key in the Driver in hopes that it can save the day is like sticking your arm in a wood-chipper because you dropped your phone. There's got to be a better way! Maybe think it all the way through! I know this kid's got familial obligations and a deep, personal bond with Humagears, but this sort of recklessness is way beyond recognizable human psychology.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

Fun Fact, Part 2: Another important guest actor. Match is portrayed by Baba Ryouma, who was Iwasaki Ryuji/Bluebuster in Gobusters and Seigi/Uchuu Keiji Estevan in Sharivan Next Generation

A Gobusters reunion! Neat!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frontier

It's fun they were able to do an episode with 2/3 of the Go-Busters (Red Buster was in the last Rider season). Kind of grappling with the idea of falling in love with a robot and not really going that deep into the implications, but it's hilarious that we had the Humagear of the week actually succeed in his mission by pretending to go evil by insulting her into slapping him and then regaining his sense enough to say his catchphrase. I guess this counts as a breather episode? Despite the Metal Cluster Hopper aspect.

It's definitely a breather episode. Everyone's taking a bit of a break after the last three battles: going on dates, getting wrapped up in matchmaking, almost killing friends... the usual.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreadBringer

Yeah, this is a sick suit, with the sleek shining metal. But as someone who prefers performance than looks, I also appreciate MetalCluster Hopper's power which is something more than just hand-to-hand combat and is devastating. The swarm of locusts it can conjure gives flexibility and variation, and armor wise it can freely change its hardness, plasticity, and density, making it incredibly good armor.

It's got a lot of fun moves on it!

[Kamen Rider Die]

KAMEN RIDER ZERO-ONE EPISODE 24 - “IT’S OUR TURN”



One of my favorite Kamen Rider moments is the finale of the Fourze summer movie. Gentarou’s getting beat down in space, and it’s up to every one of his friends on Earth to activate enough Astroswitches to create the McGuffin that’s going to save the day. It’s a moment that leverages dozens of disparate stories – and occasional disposable elements – to create the most epic resolution imaginable for a franchise that’s all about the power of empathy. It’s not even that folks are paying off a debt, or whatever; there’s not really a sense of obligation to it. It’s just that Gentarou has shown them the value in helping each other out, so now they’re going to help him out.

This episode… I mean, it’s only halfway through the show, so it can’t hit that hard-earned feeling of the Fourze movie, but I loved it just the same. Probably my favorite episode so far in Zero-One.

It works because it exposes the real flaw in Aruto’s recent usage of Metal Cluster Hopper: it wasn’t that he couldn’t see the danger to himself or his friends, it’s that he only saw the danger in the Humagears. Much like Ark could only see the violence and cruelty of humanity, Aruto was stuck seeing Humagears as only potential opponents or helpless victims. It wasn’t malicious, or anything. He’s not Gai, looking down on the very concept of AI’s walking around. But it’s born from a fear that any Humagear could get hacked, or go berzerk, and just generally terrorize the public. This is what Aruto has to deal with nowadays: Humagears constantly going crazy.

Except, y’know, that’s not accurate? Aruto used to see his role as building a bridge between two species, and showcasing the power of humanity working in concert with Humagears. He’d forgotten that in his conflict with Gai, and it’s up to Izu and a stacked roster of Humagears to remind him.

I really liked how this episode turns the reins over to the Humagears, and Izu specifically. Yua’s back in her Kamen Rider Secretary role, and Fuwa’s randomly exposing all of his inner traumas to a captive terrorist, so there’s really no one else to fix this problem for Aruto. Izu immediately steps up and marshalls the friendly Humagears of the last two dozen episodes to both study and solve the problem of Metal Cluster Hopper. (Which, boy does this approach make Aruto look even more careless and reckless! His plan was mostly just staring at his Driver and hoping this time he didn’t lose control and attack people. Give full ownership of the company to the Humagears!) It’s the Humagears working together to counterbalance Ark’s nihilism with their own faith. It’s them reminding Aruto of the need to see people as more than just victims or villains, but as sources of strength and reserves of decency.

I dug the hell out of this story. I love that the conclusion of Aruto’s steady descent into self-negating sacrifice was Izu metaphorically reaching out a hand to him. (Just like in the opening!) Aruto’s had help and support around him all this time, he just needed to be reminded that they were there. The whole show is built around the idea of partnership, and here’s this beautiful story about Aruto needing to let his family shoulder some of his burden. Hard to find any flaws in a story that big-hearted.

[Enchilada645]

The real Metal Cluster Hopper was our friends along the way.

I'm posting this now. Full thoughts will come in a bit. I just needed to get this out of the way.

Also here is a meme

[cosmicrescend0]

Whoops, nearly got too frantic about dicussing a new Takahashi Rider that I nearly forgot to watch this Takahashi Rider! It's Episode 24!

-Everybody, jump! Isn't that such a cute resolution, the Humagears giving Aruto the strength to overcome the Ark's malice in return for always believing in them? I don't really have anything more to say than that, depsite the whole MCH debut taking about 3 episodes? It's simple, but sometimes simple is best! It's a nice contrast, Aruto can only get where he is today with the help of his wonderful employees/family, and Gai is undoubtely a one man parade due to his overwhelming ego, and the difference that makes is overwhelming!


-I really enjoyed the Humagears taking the reins this episode! Enji excellently decieving Gai, Okayata and Subaru infiltrating the MJBR hideout, even something like Match intentionally setting a scenario up to get scrapped by Nikaido for the sake of a Best Match? In a way, Horobi was kinda right: Gai (and sort of Aruto) vastly underestimate how capable Humagears can be on their own! (Also can we talk about how gutsy it was for Izu to jump in in front of the walking death machine (knowing that if she gets scrapped, it's over) when she could've just asked him to hold the blade while transforming or smthn. Really cool!)

-I love how the Humagear keys look? Very pretty...

[Nokination]

First off, Gai actually manages to beat MCH, and then he welcomes Enji who was "supposedly" taken over by the Ark. Aruto while stuck in the hospital because of MCH, who actually doesn't believe in HumaGears for once, thinking that it's likely one of them will go berserk while he's in the hospital, which even Izu points out is rather out of character for him, usually being the one to put all his faith into HumaGears.

Once again, Match is great in this episode, he might be one of my favorite HumaGears so far. We then get to the main part of this episode, where Izu gets all the goodness from HumaGears to try and overwrite the evilness of the Ark, I really like this, it's why even with how episodic the first 10 or so episodes are, they really help to build up the HumaGears and this moment makes you remember all the good Aruto did for the HumaGears in those episodes, so it really feels like good karma for Aruto for having always had faith in the HumaGears no matter what.

We then find out that Enji was never taken over by the Ark, but was just acting, though Gai then forcefully transforms him into a Magia anyways, then we see Gai beating the Magia up, I never understood why he'd transform Enji into a Magia just so he could kill him, but I guess it's so he would have an actual reason to kill hm, being that he's a Magia now, as opposed to just killing a HumaGear which would look bad for him.

Through the new Progrise Hopper Blade, Aruto can actually control MCH now and it's great to see, I also like how when he does his catchphrase and pose Izu does the pose with him. The sword can also turn Magia back to normal, which is nice to see after so many episodes where the HumaGear would have to be destroyed and then brought back through a copy of their data, it's something I thought would've happened sooner, like how in Donbrothers the heroes can turn the Hitotsuki back to normal, so I'd assumed something like that for Zero-One would've happened sooner, but at least it's here now. Even though we're still in the middle of an arc, this episode sort of felt like an ending to me, with everything seeming to have gone right, maybe except for the end there with Horobi having escaped. But, all in all, this was a great episode and maybe my favorite of this arc so far. Didn't realize I wrote so much

[Enchilada645]

So this was a really nice episode and now we know the reason why berserk Metal Cluster exists. So Metal Cluster can mindlessly use Mammoth with Thouser jacking it, because there's no way we can bring out the mecha again.

Anyway, aside from the resolution on the whole love thing (Honestly like you said before, I think it's better for the world that those two are together), we get a very focused episode on fixing Metal Cluster. Especially since Aruto had no real plan, so well... we get the Humagears repaying Aruto's kindness by working together.

The cameos here were really nice with seeing the construction worker and younger astronaut brother breaking into Metsubojinrai's defunct base to get the data. Then of course the little montage of all of them making cool looking P-Bandai items. I jest though since I do like the concept of the Humagear Keys. And then we get Metal Cluster Hoppers weapon, the Progrise Hopper Blade.

Which results in a debut I was much more happier with. Gai gets defeated, there's still the looming threat of ZAIA, but like... there's that catharsis that you feel since Gai did not want to lose like this. Also the whole "How did you do it?" , "I bet you don't have a clue, cause I don't either" exchange was absolutely great.

Overall a very satisfying episode if I'm being honest. It's the victory needed against Gai's absolute stomping of everyone since I really don't count any Berserk MCH wins against him as wins. That being said I loved how petty Gai was where he's like, "I'm turning you into a Magia so I can take my frustrations out on you."

[Frontier]

The past Humagears who Aruto had bonded with all showing up with their Progrise Keys beeping out their names as they help channel themselves to helping Aruto was very effective.

I have to admit I didn't realize Enji was trying to trick Gai at first but it was a really clever reveal, and also let Enji redeem himself after the mess that became his movie.

"Everybody Jump" really does just sum up the point, of Aruto carrying on and helping realize the dreams and ideals of Humagears together, not just shouldering the burden on his own but by working with them and by being supported by them.

The Progrise Hopper Blade just looks really cool. I love how it's both a giant honking sword that lets Aruto finally save rampaging Humagears gone Magia but also lets him basically get a double-bladed weapon. It's just really cool!

"I bet you don't have a clue, cause I don't either" - That line is so Aruto yet also so Meta that I absolutely love it.

It's a tale as old as time of a bad guy finally getting hist just deserts, but man is it satisfying seeing Gai angry, frustrated, and properly defeated.

[DreadBringer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

KAMEN RIDER ZERO-ONE EPISODE 23 - “I LOVE YOU FOR YOUR BRAINS!”

I really wanted to like this one! It’s a frothy romantic comedy, heavy on the comedy. It’s got the first Valkyrie appearance since I can’t remember when. It’s got a Humagear accurately diagnosing all of Gai’s psychological failings in front of Aruto, Yua, and Izu. The turn into the climax features a Humagear swearing so hard that they accidentally became a monster. It’s sort of got it all?

Valkyrie appeared last time in ep. 18.... so 5 last episodes before. Aside from that, Match (coming from Build) seems to be one of the more underhanded Humagears, he employs extreme methods to get the job done in mercilessly verbally abusing Ebii, as well as purposely corrupting himself to Ark so that Teruo displays his 'worthiness' for Ebii in front of her eyes by putting his life on line for her. It does succeed at the cost of his own life, but damn that's an overboard one to pair someone. More like showing that there can be Humagears who while not evil, aren't exactly safe due to some of his extremist tendencies in Match.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Funny to see Ebii again so quickly, and with way more to do than the last storyline, but her character is too broad to believe in. She’s desperate to get married, and won’t accept reality, and that’s the extent of her character. She’s permanently and inescapably In Love, the end. I know this is a quick single-episode appearance for her (I can’t imagine there’s another chapter of her and her jealous friend to deal with), but there’s so little non-comedic character to her, and it got on my nerves after a while.

I didn't talk about Yuto previously, but as the outcome has been given for him before (at first glance, seems a happy one that he's free from accusations), now I can. Weirdly I feel more for minor characters compared to major characters, due to how the major characters' struggles and how they face them are highlight, but here, I gotta say poor Yuto. Ebii is inadvertently hypocritical and gets away scot free throughout this part, her coldly breaking up with Yuto after she falsely accused him. It's also about how she accepted Teruo's proposal within a much shorter three days, compared to Yuto proposing after only a month (of which she saw as suspicious and reported him for it).

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

In the same vein, man, cannot believe that Aruto keeps using the Metal Cluster Hopper key! I know that it’s not in a Kamen Rider’s personality to stand by while there’s danger, and The Only One Who Can Stop You Is Me, but this key has literally only ever been used to cause greater danger. It’s a goddamn trap! It was inflicted on Aruto by Gai, as part of a scheme! STOP USING IT, YOU COLOSSAL DUMMY. It’d be like if the Driver was constantly on fire, and Aruto’s like This Time I Probably Won’t Get Burned. It’s a nowhere strategy, and it’s only making things worse. And he does it twice in this goddamn episode!!!

And it's something pointed out in-universe with how Fuwa berates Aruto for doing that. So it's something that is done on purpose? Tbf for Aruto, it's a trap by Gai because, Aruto is trapped by damned if you do/don't situation (the hard choices a hero can face, and can be used by villains as well in their tactic), thanks to Gai he can only use the MetalCluster Progrise Key, because no other Progrise Key can be authorized except for itself, meaning that he's forced to either stay out of battles or henshin as an unstoppable rampage. If Aruto didn't do something, he'd be the "indecisive" type of someone heroic and self-sacrificing, of which, can be something annoying too for some for the inaction? I guess this one displays what if someone with Kamen Rider personality isn't the "annoying" indecisive one.

[Kamen Rider Die]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cosmicrescend0

I love how the Humagear keys look? Very pretty...

They're very cool! I like how they've got this extra-translucent look, kinda shimmery and ethereal. They're the kind of keys that sell that their power is more spiritual and intangible than the regular keys. I like that!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nokination

Through the new Progrise Hopper Blade, Aruto can actually control MCH now and it's great to see, I also like how when he does his catchphrase and pose Izu does the pose with him. The sword can also turn Magia back to normal, which is nice to see after so many episodes where the HumaGear would have to be destroyed and then brought back through a copy of their data, it's something I thought would've happened sooner, like how in Donbrothers the heroes can turn the Hitotsuki back to normal, so I'd assumed something like that for Zero-One would've happened sooner, but at least it's here now.

It's a great touch for the completed version of Metal Cluster Hopper, that it's provided with a weapon that saves Humagears. Giving Aruto a tool to rescue Humagears from the Ark is way more interesting than just He's Powerful Enough To Beat Thouser, you know?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Enchilada645

Overall a very satisfying episode if I'm being honest. It's the victory needed against Gai's absolute stomping of everyone since I really don't count any Berserk MCH wins against him as wins. That being said I loved how petty Gai was where he's like, "I'm turning you into a Magia so I can take my frustrations out on you."

It's super fitting for Gai to get embarrassed by a Humagear and then turn it into a monster so he can feel like a big, tough, righteous dude again. Gai can't understand a world where AI would put themselves at risk to help a human, so he needs to create a monster that fits his worldview again.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frontier

"Everybody Jump" really does just sum up the point, of Aruto carrying on and helping realize the dreams and ideals of Humagears together, not just shouldering the burden on his own but by working with them and by being supported by them.

It's funny how it's kind of a refutation of Aruto's catchphrase, you know? All this time he's shouting about how he's the only one who can take action, and how he's there to stop evil Humagears... and then here's a story where he needs to be lifted up by Humagears, to work in unison with them to safeguard everyone's hopes for the future. Really nice message.