Kamen Rider Gotchard Reviews

Episodes 1-3 Thoughts So Far

So coming off Kamen Rider Geats, I wasn't sure what we were expecting to get, but as the final episode draw near and more information about Kamen Rider Gotchard was announced, I was kinda curious, looked at some of the cast information, and I was just excited to see what the show was going to be about. I gotta say, I see why this Kamen Rider show is going to be divisive, but at the same time, I'm really enjoying it so far.

Our Heroes

Hotaro might be a bit too generic to some and loud to others, but I don't really see him as this unlikable idiot. After having four Kamen Rider seasons back to back with young adults already pretty stable but their development is around using their status as a Kamen Rider to become a better people and influence others on their journey to stop evil, I kinda like that he's just this high school student who's better physically than academically. 

And since he's trying to figure out what he wants to do with life outside of taking care of his mom and their restaurant, having him learn and desire to be an alchemist to befriend and protect the Chemies is a nice touch, especially since it's in contrast to his new friend/potential love interest/I ship them/more experience ally, Rinne.

Rinne is sorta similar to Kiriko from Kamen Rider Drive in that like most people, I had initially thought she should've been Kamen Rider Gotchard. But instead, she's the experience brooder to Hotaro's optimism, which I do like since she'll make him more mature and he'll help her open up. Given that her dad left her and "betrayed" the Academy to run off with the Chemies, there's clear implications she fell out of love with Alchemy and her dad didn't want to burden her with that.

Hotaro was given the driver as the start of his journey, so with his help, she'll find her own love for Alchemy again and make her own path. And given what happened in episode 4, I will say that it looks like she's on that path, and I hope the claims that she'll be treated as the secondary protagonist reigns true. Hell, I'd think she's on the way to make a great Secondary Kamen Rider, but Toei has only been willing to include tertiary female Kamen Riders. 

Spanner Kurogane/Valvarad: I hate him, and I like that I hate him. He believes that Chemies are tools and are too dangerous, even though we already know from episode 1 the Chemies and humans can work together. The fun part is that the show already presents that he's wrong, but for now his experience makes up for that since he can fight, I'll give him that.He's so arrogant, but skilled that he created a Kamen system, but he's not a Kamen Rider...yet. The idea of a Kamen Warrior is pretty awesome. Also, I have...certain thoughts on that later.

Our Allies/the Alchemists Academy

So I haven't seen Fullmetal Alchemist, and to be honest, I like that there's an Alchemist Academy that's an underground school. Which makes me wonder how it affects their normal studies but it sorta feels like an extracurricular unless being at the school does affects their school. 

Renge's hilarious I just love that she just has these random outfits, and she wants to use alchemy to help her family, sorta like Ochako Uraraka from My Hero Academia, but I hope we get to see...well how. You know, using it to help without abusing it to help.

Sabimaru: Uhh, I don't trust his AI, but I like having a shy boi, hope we get to learn more about him.

Minato's cool, I really appreciate having supportive teachers, and while his reactions are appropriate, he has the student's best intentions at heart.

Fuga: Hotaro's father. I don't think he's completely dead, and the fact he took the Chemies from the Academy really makes me wonder if the Dark Sisters weren't the only threat...maybe the Academy also has some dark secrets. I hope we get to learn more about it.

The Other Characters

Hotaro's mother, Tamami Ichinose: Kamen Rider has been having more active moms as of late. Yukimi was the heart of the family in Revice, Geats' main goal was to find his mother, so having a kind loving mom who just wants the best for her son is just nice. Please Toei, don't kill her off.

Ryo, Hotaro's friend. I kinda want him to get involved in the plot or become an Alchemist, but having an non-token human in the cast has more potential. This show's got some dark elements...not too dark mind you, but using him as the victim and observer of Chemies and Malgram.

The Villains

The Dark Sisters still each have something interesting despite being only 4 episodes again. It's like the first time the main antagonists are all women, dark alchemists after the driver to open the Door the Darkness. My mythology knowledge is low, so learning they have ties to Greek lore gives them some unique variety.

Atropos: making the leader a creepy child is unnerving and her actress is doing pretty well for the material.

 Clotho: she's just the brute, and loves being the physical one, and I appreciate them a crap ton.

Lachesis: is cute, and I mean that in an evil way. She's got underhanded tactics, loves messing with people's heads.

Chemies

Hopper 1 is adorable! They're a physical model with good movements, and the fact they breakdance, can fit in Hotaro's bag, and defends Hotaro from Spanner is just awesome.

I also just like they're not evil. They just end up being forced into evil by the villains and the Malgams.

Malgam

I thought the Jyamato was cool though they were more of a group threat than having their own individuality.

The Malgams themselves are downright sinister. They're what happens when a Chemy is fused with a human containing massive human malice. And while the Dark Sisters ones make sense, it's the humans ones that scare me. 

The bank robber who merged with the skateboarder threw his partner off a bridge!

A salaryman took out a knife and wanted to invoke a public stabbing murder spree on innocent teenagers and young adults just because they were happier than him while giving them poison spores..

Then we get Kariya stalking Rinne, who can dive and swim into the ground and sink people below them. 

Like this show is dark, and I'm looking forward to more. So next up, my thoughts on episode 4.