Recap Kamen Rider Gaim, Episode 28 – The Betrayal of Zangetsu

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Kouta hurries into the Garage where everyone’s gathered. He is happy to see Mitchi there, safe and sound. He excitedly explains to them that the white Armored Rider, Takatora, is willing to help them.

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The others are also very excited… except Mitchi of course, who puts on his smiley face to hide his inner contempt.

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Kouta is home for dinner with Akira. She apologizes for their modest dinner of a fish filet each. Money is tight this month, but she promises to work more shifts. Kouta says he should find a job soon then, but Akira says it’s okay. She knows he has something important going on.

“So, do what you need to do, okay?”

Kouta appreciates his sister’s support, but next day, he goes out job hunting anyway. He wants to help. But his search is interrupted by an Inves attack at the mall. He drops his resume on the ground and runs off to fight the Inves. He henshins and uses Pineapple Arms to pulverize the Inves.

He runs back to pick up his resume, but it’s all ruined and stepped on.

Over at Yggdrasill, Takatora is filling Ryoma, Minato, Sid and Mitchi in on what he’s learned about the Overlords. He hopes they can use the Overlords to find a way to stop the invasion.

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Takatora notes at how passive Ryoma is for such a huge discovery. I just have to see them myself, Ryoma says.

“I don’t know how Kuzaraba Kouta found out about them, but it is clear he is no longer the enemy,” Takatora says.

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Don’t you think you’re being too shortsighted, Mitchi says, the Overlords don’t seem to be very friendly. Perhaps this is all hopeless, that’s why I haven’t reported this to any of our superiors, Takatora replies.

“For the first time, we have an option other than despair. It’s worth exploring this possibility.”

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Meanwhile, the red Overlord, Demushu is being reprimanded (or something) by the white Overlord leader, Reshuo.

Kaito is walking around Helheim when he comes across Mitchi creeping behind a tree.

“Here to silence me?” Kaito asks.

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Mitchi gets ready to henshin, but Kaito says he doesn’t intend to tell Kouta the truth. He won’t believe him anyway, so it’d be pointless. Besides, he wants to personally deal with Mitchi.

Why, Mitchi laughs. He doesn’t get in his way. Kaito insists Kouta may get in his way, but he is not his enemy. Unlike Mitchi who is. Kaito says he will never accept a cowardly weakling like him.

But Kaito says he’ll let him go for today. “So go run off with your tail between your legs.”

Mitchi glares at Kaito while he walks away.

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Kouta is at Drupers with Mai, sad about his resume and another day of job hunting getting ruined. But fear not. Bando puts up a Help Wanted sign.

Specifically, he needs some part-time help at Drupers. Work duties? Serving customers, miscellaneous work… and also protecting Zawame.

Oh! Why don’t you try it, Bando says. Kouta is incredibly grateful.

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Meanwhile at Yggdrasill, Takatora and Mitchi are in the Crack room looking through data.

Takatora decides to unknowingly disturb their peaceful research, by saying:

“He really impresses me. I’m talking about Kazuraba Kouta. I had given up long ago. ‘To save humanity, sacrifices must be made’ is what I kept telling myself. But he’s different. He never gives up. Thanks to him, I have new hope. I bet that’s what draws you to Kazuraba Kouta. I understand what you feel now, Mitsuzane.”

“That’s right, it’s all Kouta-san,” Mitchi says. To himself: “Everyone who gets involved with Kouta-san goes nuts. He is dangerous.”

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Sid and Minato join them in the Crack room. Takatora tells Minato to take care of Mitchi while he and Sid stick together. They enter Helheim.

Ryoma watches from above, grinning.

But as soon as they’re alone, Sid takes a swipe at Takatora and they fight.

Takatora manages to get Sid on the ground. Minato comes by and Takatora tells her to detain him.

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She moves closer, but oops. She turns to Takatora and slashes across his chest and sends him flying.

Sid thanks her, but she rebuffs him. Take this seriously, she says, we’re dealing with Kureshima Takatora.

They tag team against Takatora who realizes they’ve been at this together all along. They get the upper hand a little, but before Takatora can run away, Ryoma appears.

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Takatora realizes he too is part of this and Ryoma takes his Lock Seed out and henshins. He jumps down and takes on his friend.

“It’s a shame,” Ryoma says, “I thought we could reach new heights together.”

The three of them push Takatora back. “We made the Sengoku Drivers together. Wasn’t it to save humanity!?”

Ryoma does not answer.

“RYOMA!!!!”

Ryoma charges up his crossbow and sends a huge burst of Lemon Energy toward Takatora, forcing him to de-hensin.

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“My friend, I regret that we must now part,” Ryoma says. Sid charges and tries to push Takatora back over the cliff.

Takatora fights back and he spots Mitsuzane behind some trees. He tells his younger brother to run and to tell headquarters what’s happened. Mitchi appears to be emotional, holding back tears. Then his demeanor changes.

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“Listen, work with Kazuraba Kouta to save humanity! I’m counting on you, Mitsuzane!”

Sid takes advantage of this moment and delivers the final blow that sends Takatora flying over the edge of the cliff into the depths of Helheim. No one would survive that fall, Minato says. Ryoma adds that even if he did, he wouldn’t survive in Helheim without a Driver.

Mitchi walks over. They turn to look at him, surprised that he actually let his own brother die. Mitchi remains silent and picks up his brother’s Driver and Lock Seed.

Kouta goes to Yggdrasill Tower and is surprised when he is told there is no such employee named Takatora at the company.

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Kouta returns to Drupers to work. He wonders what’s going on. Kaito is in a booth and asks for a refill of coffee. Such a dullard for an employee, he remarks.

Before Kouta can deliver a comeback, Bando gets a call for an order and asks him to deliver some fruits instead.

Kouta hurries out. Kaito seems suspicious.

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Kouta arrives at the address. It’s a large warehouse. He walks in, no one seems to be around. Until…

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The white Armored Rider appears. Takatora? Whoever it is, it attacks Kouta and knocks him around the warehouse.

The guy is about to finish Kouta off for good, but he gets some barrels thrown at him. It’s Kaito. “I knew it,” he says.

Kouta tries to stop Kaito from henshining, but notTakatora attacks. Kaito steps aside and henshins to Lemon Energy Arms. He takes on notTakatora directly.

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Kouta watches, distraught that they are fighting. Kaito manages to hold his own until one shot from the bow and arrow sends Kaito flying.

Stop it, Kouta says, stop it! He henshins straight to Kachidoki Arms and gets in between the two Riders before they kill each other.

notTakatora unlocks a Lock Seed to summon an evolved Inves and two regular Inves to keep Kouta and Kaito busy while he runs off.

Kouta and Kaito quickly finish the Inves off, but notTakatora is long gone. Kouta wonders why Takatora would do this. Kaito says it’s because he is too trusting. In the end, “you can only trust your own strength.”

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No, Kouta says, people should understand others. That’s how he and his friends made it this far.

Are you planning on facing the Overlords with that naive notion in mind? Kaito asks. “Either way, you’re the type that doesn’t learn until you suffer.”

Kaito advises to not let his guard down around his friends. He’d do much better.

Kouta is not sure what is going on, anywhere. Meanwhile, notTakatora is in the shadows. He de-henshins and it’s Mitchi and his evil glare.

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At Yggdrasill, Ryoma and Minato are walking down the hall. Suddenly the alarm sounds. A fire! In the Crack room!

Sid has absolutely trashed the place. Helheim is going to choose the one victor soon, so that means he too is in the running.

“Now that my biggest threat, Takatora, is gone, I don’t have to hold back anymore.”

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Minato points to the Crack. It’s closing! Goodbye, Sid says as he jumps through before the zipper closes up all the way. Ryoma is beside himself.

Episode Thoughts
You know things are going to get really crazy when they go straight to opening credits and not have their first commercial break until ten minutes into the episode.

Wow! Sh-t’s really get splattered all over the fan now. Mitchi watches his brother fall to his death. Damn. I just knew Takatora was going to get a horribly tragic death sooner or later. I was expecting later. What I did not expect was Mitchi actually having no problem with it.

I mentioned earlier that I thought a Takatora death would only fuel Mitchi’s evilness or anger towards Kouta. But really, it was Takatora’s glowing praise of Kouta that drives Mitchi completely over the edge. Everyone is always going on about Kouta. Kouta, Kouta, Kouta!


Honestly, I want to see Mitchi go even more insane because I absolutely want to see the most heartbreaking of scenes with Kouta and Mai and everyone else realize Mitsuzane is a complete and total asshole. Then of course, maybe at the end, Mitchi gets that redemption death or something, saving Kouta or Mai or whatever that’ll be even more tragic and heartbreaking. Yeah?

Besides, it’ll give Mahiro Takasugi more opportunities to be AMAZING. Damn, he’s absolutely killing it and selling it and errthing. He’s awesome. So good.

Anyway, we still haven’t seen how crazy things can get yet.

I loved that fight between Takatora, Minato and Sid. Just like I loved the Shadow Line in-fighting in this week’s ToQger, I loved watching these guys who had been supposedly working together all this time, just beat the crap out of each other. (With lasers and blasts of course.)

I really liked Kouta and Akira’s scene. I wish we saw more of Akira though. Even just encouraging Kouta like she did in this episode. A simple scene every now and then that reminds us that not only does Kouta have a sister, but it helps to build up Kouta’s mission to save humanity.

Though we could certainly see Takatora again in the future, one way or another, I thought they did a good job with his death. It was so quick and sudden, as it should be. It adds to that shock value and reminds you that Gaim is not going to pull any punches, especially now.

Oh, but where’s the rest of Team Gaim? Jonouchi’s girls have replaced Rat, Rika and Chucky. =(

But anyway, great episode.

9 thoughts on “Recap Kamen Rider Gaim, Episode 28 – The Betrayal of Zangetsu

  1. OH SH*T!! MICCHI JUST CROSSED THE LINE INTO BASTARD TERRITORY. THE GUY HAS TO DIE A PAINFUL, HORRIBLE DEATH. NOW.

    This definitely gets a lot more interesting from here on. Micchy’s downfall to villain is definitely something. As always, the lighthearted humor at the start definitely puts you in a complacent feeling before that twist in the end hits hard in the face.

    BTW, a bit of a spoiler: Roshou (the Overlord king) will apparently save Takatora.

  2. Another masterful episode indeed, full of the humour, and pathos that has become the hallmark of this rather impressive season. Plus it’s pretty crazy seeing so many allies and friendships break apart as the lust for power comes ever closer into their grasps. Also, I am really enjoying Kaito, he is a true wild card in the series, not aligning with anyone yet really, and just using who he can to further his own goals. I can’t wait to see where he is headed and what his endgame will involve.

    1. Yes! Kaito’s story has developed very well. As has everyone else’s too. I mean, every character, you can see where they’ve come from and every surprising move or sudden twist is believable when they could have easily not been. So good.

      1. Huh I better watch Kamen rider giam I’ve only watched Kamen rider ooo I love Ankh and Kamen Rider Den o Momotaros and Ryutaros are funny

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