Recap: Kamen Rider Wizard, Episode 38 – Stolen Hope

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Wiseman asks Sora why he doesn’t seem to be making very many Phantoms these days. They’re going to need many Phantoms to be able to hold a Sabbath without an eclipse. Plus, if Sora wants the Philosopher’s Stone, he’ll have to do his job.

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Meanwhile, Haruto and Shunpei are at Donut Happy. Owner and Worker show them their new Dori Dori/Dream and Dream donut, but Haruto still wants plain sugar. Speaking of dreams, Shunpei remembers having asked Haruto what his dream was.

Haruto answered that “right now,” it’s defeating the Phantoms, so that must mean he’s got some other dream.

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Before he can confirm or deny, a soccer ball comes flying towards them and they all duck except for Worker. Haruto catches the ball and gears up to kick it back to the kids, but stops and tosses it back to them instead.

Be careful when playing soccer, he says, the fun stops when someone gets hurt.

Medusa finds Sora and tells him she’s found a new Gate and has already sent Phantom Bahamut to take care of it.

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A guy and a girl, Kazuya and Naomi, are practicing soccer on the field. She asks about his knee and he says it’s fine. She advises him not to overdo it even though it’s been almost a year since “that incident.” But he’s got to practice since tryouts are coming up.

Bahamut interrupts them and they try to run away, but Kazuya’s knee doesn’t seem to be as fine as he says. He falls and Naomi covers him with her body. Kraken alerts Haruto and he hurries over to the field, already henshined.

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Shunpei goes to see if the two are okay while Haruto takes on the Phantom. But none of his tricks are working on Bahamut who says he’s happy he’s found a playmate and will save some fun for later.

Kazuya thanks Haruto and asks who he is. Just someone who wants to protect hope, Haruto replies as he de-henshins and turns around. Oh!

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Turns out, Haruto and Kazuya know each other.

They all head to the shop and the others are all excited to hear Haruto was a soccer player. He and Kazuya had hoped to turn pro together. The others excitedly asks Kazuya and Naomi about what Haruto was like in the past, but he says they shouldn’t talk about the past.

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Naomi has no problem with talking about the past though. She says Haruto was total scum. Kazuya tells her to stop it and not say it like that while everyone looks at them, bewildered.

Kosuke joins them. Trying to change the subject, Shunpei asks which one of them is the Gate. Haruto doesn’t know, but he has no problem protecting both of them. Naomi says she doesn’t want to protected by him and scoffs at the idea that Haruto is a hope protecting mage since he’s the one that took away someone else’s hope.

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Kosuke, Rinko and Shunpei accompany Kazuya to his apartment. He is not really interested in telling them story of his life, but Naomi says why not just tell them what happened between him and Haruto.

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Kosuke says he should, as Haruto’s current rival he needs to hear from his old rival. Kazuya says it happened at last year’s tryouts.

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Flashback to Kazuya and Haruto telling each other no hard feelings regardless of the outcome. Both of them play hard and well, but when both get a shot at the ball, Haruto ends up kicking Kazuya’s knee, resulting in the injury that’s sidelined him for a year.

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Naomi adds that recovery looked impossible at first and Kazuya’s only at this point through painful rehab.

Shunpei tries to say it was only an accident, so… But that’s not what Kazuya can’t forgive Haruto for. It’s that Haruto ran away and disappeared from his life. (Awww.)

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Rinko sees Haruto standing outside and goes to him.

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Meanwhile, Sora asks Medusa is she, personally, is happy with more Phantoms in the world. Why would she be happy? That’s right, Sora says, it’s not like they’re gaining new friends. They’re not human, after all.

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What are you getting at? Medusa asks. Oh nothing, Sora replies, just thinking about my future. In his head, the wheels start turning, so the goal isn’t merely to create more Phantoms?

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Kazuya insists on going to practice.

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Rinko tells Haruto about Kazuya saying it’s that he left that he can’t forgive him for. Hasn’t he told Kazuya about getting caught in the Sabbath?

That’s not it, Haruto says. He had quit the team on his own long before it.

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Flashback to Haruto telling Kazuya in the hospital room that he didn’t make the team. Haruto says he hoped to carry on both their dreams, but Naomi scoffs at that saying Haruto is nowhere near Kazuya’s level. And how dare you when you’re the one who stole his hope in the first place.

Kazuya tells her to stop and she storms out of the room. Kazuya tries to make Haruto feel better and says he hasn’t given up hope. This injury is nothing and he’ll be fine.

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But later on, Haruto sees Kazuya frustrated and angry in the locker room.

So maybe he can’t protect him since perhaps he has taken all his hope away.

Across town, Shunpei and Kosuke watch as Kazuya goes hard with practice. Kosuke says he kinda understands where Kazuya is getting his drive right now.

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Kazuya starts to feel some pain in his knee and Naomi tries to get him to stop for the day, but he wants to keep going. This is all because of Haruto right? she asks, just because he saw him again?

“I know how important Haruto was to you, Kazuya”
“I’m not putting on a brave front! I just want to show him that even now, I’m fighting for my dream. I won’t run away.”

He’ll make the team, that’s his hope.

Kazuya kicks a ball, but Bahamut shows up, happy to hear what Kazuya’s hope is. Kosuke quickly henshins as Shunpei calls Haruto who hurries over.

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Meanwhile, a dapper man with a cane enters the antique shop.

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Kosuke is no match for Bahamut who turns his attention to Kazuya. Haruto and Rinko run onto the field as Haruto henshins straight to Flame Dragon.

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Shunpei and Naomi try to drag Kazuya to safety, but he stops them and stands up on his own. He watches as Haruto absorbs a number of blows from Bahamut. Haruto pulls out Drago Timer and the other three join the fight, but Bahamut easily handles all four of them. The four muster up energy to stand up, but Bahamut slashes a whip at them and the three disappear.

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Bahamut has Haruto by the throat, but Kazuya stops the Phantom from attacking by kicking balls at him. You’ve got some nerve, Bahamut says and sends a shot at Kazuya’s arm. Naomi, Shunpei and Rinko run over to shield him, but so does Haruto who ends up absorbing the attack.

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Back at the shop, Wajima comes out to greet the well dressed customer but then recognizes him. The man says he is in debt to Wajima from before. The rings Wajima made were so well done that he’s here to ask him to make another one. He shows Wajima a glowing purple stone.

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Episode Thoughts
Toku loves their bromances, eh?

But seriously, it’s great to finally get to see more of Haruto’s backstory outside of watching his parents die.

The whole soccer thing is random, but I’ll definitely take it over Haruto being some kind of serial killer and sexual predator. YouknowwhatI’msaying?

I like seeing that Haruto was an active guy, he had a best friend and a pretty normal life before the Sabbath. It’s not some big, shocking, epic backstory, but it is a refreshing and nice addition to Haruto’s character that grounds him.

A very good episode. I liked it a lot.

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