Recap: Kamen Rider Drive, Episode 18 – Why is Lieutenant Otta After Him?

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A Roidmude named Judge has been taking the law into his own hands. Confirming the case indeed involves a Roidmude, the SID are trying to figure out why a Roidmude would be interested in justice for humans. Gou pops in and says the Roidmude is just playing his own game.

Gou notices the SID is missing a few people. That’s when Kiriko realizes Chief Jun has been gone for three weeks even though he was only supposed to be gone on a 7 day vacation. Rinna says Kyu is at a book signing for one of his that was published recently.

Gou uses Kyu’s computer to show them the Judge Time underground website where people can post requests for justice to be handed down on certain people or groups.

Otta seems personally invested in this case. It’s the first time Shinnosuke has seen him this serious.

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Otta visits a former colleague, Detective Tachibana Shingo, to tell him Judge has made his return after 5 years. It’s as Tachibana originally thought, this Judge is not dead. Since he is no longer a detective, he hopes Otta will finally catch him.

Outside Tachibana’s home, Otta sees Shinnosuke who followed him here.

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They head to the piers where Otta tells his story. Tachibana was the veteran who taught Otta everything he knows about being a detective. Shinnosuke has heard of the intimidating Tachibana who never came across a case he couldn’t solve.

But 5 years ago, Otta and Tachibana worked on a case of serial revenge cases in which the suspect hunted down people whose names were posted on a website. They eventually found a lead and were sure they had found the suspect. But the suspect ended up committing suicide.

Tachibana, however, suspected the true culprit was someone else and continued investigating. He was never able to solve the case though and was forced to retire 2 years ago.

Otta is determined to solve this case for Tachibana. If he can’t, he will quit being a detective.

Back at the SID, they look at the Judge Time website to see the most requested
targets at the moment are Tenkawa Angel Real Estate and a gang known as Black Candle.

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While Shinnosuke and Otta check out the real estate company, unbeknownest to them Gou is already looking into Black Candle on his own and sees they are already harassing another person. Gou thinks this is great since the Roidmude should surely appear.

But Judge has chosen the reality company. As soon as he appears, Otta charges toward him, but gets electrocuted by the Roidmude along with the owner and his bodyguards.

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Shinnosuke henshins and fights the Roidmude who has exceptional kendo skills. Judge manages to get away.

Meanwhile, Gou has taken care of the Black Candle delinquents. The guy he has saved asks Gou if he is Judge. He wanted to film him. Gou says he is not, but the guy wants to film him for his web series anyway. He is a true hero of justice.

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Kiriko suddenly arrives and the siblings trade barbs. Annoyed by Kiriko’s ribbing, Gou decides to go with the guy to film. Suspicious, Kiriko asks Colorful Commercial to follow.

Back at the SID, a recovering Otta asks Rinna to make him a new contraption that can handle Heaviness and electric shocks.

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Across town, Gou is being filmed and interviewed about justice.

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Otta brings Shinnosuke to the bridge where the suspect from 5 years ago died. However, he didn’t commit suicide. The young man, Okajima Touma, was killed by Judge to be used as a scapegoat. How do they know? For one thing, Touma had ripped a button form the coat of the murderer, but they were never able to find it. And second…

Otta sees a young woman on the bridge. She bows in greeting.

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This is Akie, Touma’s sister. She invites them to the apartment where she tells them that even after 5 years, she still is drawn to that bridge. Tachibana also visits to offer a stick on incense every month. She knows her brother would never be able to commit suicide, but it was only Otta and Tachibana who believed her.

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Akie saw the news of the new attacks. Otta vows to clear her brother’s name.

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The Roidmude idols are discussing Judge. Brain suggests resetting Judge like they did to Chase to stop him from doing strange foolish things like helping humans. Medic and Chase think they should watch for a while. Heart says one thing they should learn about humans is that they are not simply good or evil. It is much more complicated than that. Chase says Judge, for example has a twisted feeling stronger than just a sense of justice. Heart says it’s revenge.

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Back at the SID, Rinna has finished the upgraded Piko Piko. Kiriko sees there’s been a spike in requests on the Judge Time site for the Black Candle group after they posted a YouTube video.

Gou heads to where Black Candle are waiting. The Heaviness arrives and Judge appears.

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Gou henshins. Judge manages to block all of Gou’s attacks. He turns his attention to the one remaining Black Candle member, but Shinnosuke, Kiriko and Otta arrive.

Otta, armed with the Piko Piko 3, charges toward Judge. Shinnosuke yells after him, but Otta tries attacking Judge only to get hit with several kendo moves. The attacks trigger a memory for Otta of him sparring in kendo against someone.

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Shinnosuke and Judge take their fight away from a slightly unconscious Otta.

Shinnosuke henshins. Gou joins him.

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Belt-san says Judge’s abilities have a frightening determination. But Shinnosuke says Judge’s justice isn’t real.

“And you think your justice is the real thing?”

Shinnosuke says he at least knows he must put a stop to cowardly monsters like Judge.

Shinnosuke decides to go Dead Heat. Belt-san commends Shinnosuke for being able to get a handle on Dead Heat now.

But Chase suddenly appears and attacks Shinnosuke and then Gou who comes to help.

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A recovered Otta chases after Judge who tries to hobble off. Judge stops and Otta says the technique Judge used earlier is the same technique he’s fought against before.

“Are you…!?”

And it indeed it is. Judge is Tachibana. He laughs before escaping.

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Chase gets off his bike and suddenly his bike combines with Gou’s to form Ride Crosser on its own. Chase hops in and starts shooting at both Shinnosuke and Gou.

Shinnosuke down-henshins, but Gou completely de-henshins. Gou demands Chase return his bike and charges toward Road Crosser amid a barrage of fire.

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Episode Thoughts

This was a solid episode. It’s great to have Otta’s turn in the supporting character spotlight and it’s been fun seeing him become more comfortable with the SID crew.

The case of the week though is pretty grimdark. Kind of a Death Note-type deal mixed with modern internet technology. But most dark, it would appear the original Judge murdered an innocent man for goodness sakes. It was very sad seeing the sister. Damn.

I will assume Tachibana has some kind of reason for becoming a Roidmude. They focused on a picture of his, I guess, wife or something. So that might play into it. But the most I took away from this episode was getting to see Otta pre-SID and being a serious detective.

I also enjoyed the Shijima sibling ribbing too. That was a fun little scene, seeing siblings actually doing what real life siblings would do with teasing and getting under each other’s skin.

But what is up with Chief Jun? (Who is apparently back next episode, but I doubt his absence is of any importance to the story lol) And was that Kyu under the hood with the computers?

Overall, a good solid episode.

2 thoughts on “Recap: Kamen Rider Drive, Episode 18 – Why is Lieutenant Otta After Him?

  1. This is definitely a far better arc than the one with Rinna. For one, it really gives you an entirely different perspective of Gen from the bumbling cop of the first few episodes. His initial disdain of the SID also makes sense now. He thought that the division was just made up of whacks because he himself is indeed competent. I also like that twist that Tachibana turns out to be Judge though we still don’t know if Judge is just copying Tachibana, as in the other cases, or if Judge really is Tachibana). That just adds a lot more depth in Gen’s narrative.

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