Kamen Rider Gotchard Reviews

Gotchard Episode 38 Review

So people were predicting that the 101 Chemy either was Hotaro, Hotarou's father implanting it inside of him given birth, something Houtaro created using alchemy in the past but forgot, or came from Daybreak. The reveal that Fuga hid it in the driver for safe keeping this whole time was only pretty close to what some people were expecting, but it adds to the Geyron's claims the Driver was the lock for the Door of Darkness.

Speaking of Darkness, how they frame this revelation through Houtarou's perspective as someone who's been watching him since they gained sentience offers a lot of questions: did it help Houtaro be able to transmute and perform alchemy as Gotchard and prevent him from ever going into malice, was it testing Hotarou all this time and started protecting him if it was absolutely necessary, all of it shown through his subconsciousness being black and nearly empty but the two of them. It fits the theme of the episode really well, especially when it acts Hotarou to not fight.

And think about it from their perspective, Houtarou's done so much for the Chemies: a breakdown after enduring so much resulting in this situation, and it may be a challenge of escaping malice: apathy. Not caring or having the ability to feel negative or positive emotions can be both a good and bad thing. Good in the sense that you won't risk falling into temptation: bad in the sense that you are holding yourself back from accomplishing great goals and aspirations.

Tomagon even points this out: he sucks at alchemy and was just a normal high school boy. At any point he could've thrown in the towel and it went to someone else. The question is who: and would they show an entire species the same amount of human respect he does? There are some characters in the show you can argue for or against that could fill Hotaro's role: Sabi, Kajiki potentially, Rinne, but when you show someone ike a Chemy this with no experience other than what they've seen, arguing they wouldn't want to been born in a world of lives being trampled on and exploited would also argue for that mentality.    

Even Houtarou doesn't answer until he remembers something that makes him human: his psyche reminds him of something, someone, some aspect of his life to keep him going. In the past episodes before this, Houtarou's mother has also been able to use cooking to connect to his issues and pick him up when he feels bad.

The moment she goes away and he notices someone else in need, he takes his own mother's advice and goes to cook for Tamagon, and it brings a key point. Inaction can cause malice, but what about comfortability? Immediately once Houtaro gets into the zone of tranquility, he decides on his own he has to go back and fight, and it continues back to his lessons beforehand. To beat malice, he has to find his own way through his triggers to achieve his dreams, no matter how many times he falls, but that doesn't mean he has to take on that malice himself. 

And the Omurice is both cute and funny. Like obviously it's either a prop, but the fact he's still able to eat and understand Houtaro's perspective to get through the fear and try to make a better future. And you can't just brute force your way to malice: learning, accepting we all have it, and putting in the effort to make it a reality.

And while glaring disdain is at Rinne and Supana's performances, their actions also fit within the themes of the show. Rinne started out completely apathetic and only doing this because of an obligation with waning appreciation. Now in a crisis of losing of her best friend, she naturally has a breakdown: granted the idea to give Hopper1 a means to keep him away/searching the flower was indirectly her fault, but it was told in good intention. And Renge being able to able to pick herself up to get back in the fight and do her best against Gigist also ties in with Houtaro, we can't let malice drown us in complacency. 

Even Spanner gets some love: he cooked a purple omurice for Houtaro, Tamami,  and Kajiki back in episode 6, and now here he is making an omurice to surpass Spanner, and while Houtarou and Spanner's dynamic is one of highs and missed potential, their development also ties back into him. Back when Spanner became a Malgam, the old him would loved to harness the Black Flames in order to get stronger to protect those he cares about. But....like Rinne and Houtaro having to break out of their own despair and inability, he still chooses to fight Gigist and protect Houtarou than given him. For the debut of a Final Form, it's important to show how much the characters have changed from episode 1 to now, and while one could debate about if Houtarou's a Static or Dynamic character, the Spanner we met back in episode 3 would not act like this to anyone but Kyoka.

As for the transformation and debut of Rainbow Gotchard, what needs to be said. Debuting in June was probably a coincidence (although one could see Tamagon being afraid of being born as a metaphor for being closested and gaining the courage to come out) and while it would have been more impactful for the purification wave to happen towards the end of the episode before the fight, just the satisfaction of them fighting the Fantastic Malgam with blinding speed, pride in his abilities, free flowing deflecting, and Houtarou finally being able to use Alchemy with just his own power in suit into water droplets, and the cranes like from his cameo in the Geats movie brings it all together.

And even all the little moments, transmuating a trident into a sword and figuring out alchemy through his own intelligence: another sign education can be comprehended differently, depending on the method, slapping himself with a high five as it's him and Nijigon high fiving together, the raining stopping after Houtarou hatched from the giant egg and giving the sky some color, to even the flower appearing behind him after deciding to continue the fight, all to the theme of the new insert song: The Sky's The Limit, was fitting.

Saving Macentatures, VanFenrir, Hadon, GinFriffn, and DonPoseidon from Gigist, and Hopper1 returning with the yellow flower ties all the way back into episode 36 as Skebows and Antropper also return from the "dead-ish," because in a way, had Hopper1 not tried to cheer Houtarou up before, the strong emotions from being forced to kill them to stop Gigist's abuse of their bond wouldn't have resulted in Gotchard's evolution. Guess Rinne's book and the stories Fuga told her paid off after all.

Houtarou finally being able to thank Hopper1 for a treasure and promising to never abandon him, Rinne thanking Renge from the advice, and Minato and Kyoka just watching over their kids reminding them that it's as adults, we have to the light their path forward: it's hard to say if this is the best final form debut, but it definitely ends the debut on the high note.

Also, where's Lachesis this whole time. Probably next episode.