Recap: Kamen Rider Drive, Episode 35 – Why Did the Hostage Situation Happen?

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SWAT teams and police are surrounding the Department of Motor Vehicles. Live news is reporting there is a hostage situation inside the Special Investigations Division.

We go inside the SID to see Nira laughing as he is pointing a gun at Shinnosuke.

Rewind 20 hours.

The SID are at a loss in trying to find Nira.

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Meanwhile, Chase joins Shinnosuke who is waiting outside the hospital fully expecting Nira to attack a just released Yukari once again. Kiriko has also asked Chase here to take care of Brain in the event he shows up as well.

And sure enough, just as Yukari waves over to them, Nira appears. Belt-san is surprised to see Nira back in Roidmude form when 106’s core had been destroyed. Shinnosuke does not care. He’ll defeat him regardless. He henshins straight to Type Tridoron.

Chase henshins and joins in the fight. But Nira unleashes a familiar green mist. Aha! Nira must have fused with Brain!

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Shinnosuke uses a Max Flare, Funky Spike and Midnight Shadow tire mix. But Nira shoots out vines to wrap both Shinnosuke and Chase. He then shoots a vine at Yukari’s wrist.

That’s when Gou arrives to help. He shoots at Nira who decides to retreat. But before he leaves, Brain appears and promises to get his tablet back one day.

The guys de-henshin.

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Chase approaches Gou and asks about the tablet holding Banno… Gou grabs Chase’s collar and reminds him not to tell his neechan about any of this. Okay, Chase says, as long as he uses it to help them if anything happens. Just like how he helped revive Shinnosuke.

Gou tells Chase to stop acting so friendly. They’re not buddies. Gou leaves.

“Buddies?”

Chase says he’ll bring Yukari safely home and Shinnosuke should focus on finding Nira and Brain.

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Meanwhile, Medic approaches Brain to mock him for joining forces with that idiot Nira. But Brain merely turns to her and says she needs to call him “Brain-sama” from now on.

Brain shows her his golden form and repeats that she must now call him “Brain-sama.” You must be joking, she says as she transforms as well.

Medic tries to attack him, but Brain merely waves his hand and she goes flying into bushes before getting slammed onto the beach. Brain then sends explosions all around her before blowing her up her butt, forcing her to untransform.

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Heart arrives and says, as a friend, he is very happy Brain has reached this evolution. Brain untransforms and tells Heart that this is all for achieving his dream.

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Brain literally leaps on over to Medic and laughs at her face.

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Later that evening, Yukari thanks Chase for accompanying her. But as she walks away, he sees something glowing on her wrist. He tells his Shift Car to watch over her.

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Chief Jun sees Shinnosuke up on the roof. He sees that Shinnosuke must come up here when he’s stuck and says that it is the same for him. And for Papa Tomari as well.

Chief Jun tells Shinnosuke that he and Papa Tomari were on the same team when he was assigned to First Division. He shows Shinnosuke the photo and says he has been blaming himself for The Incident. On the day of the robbery, Chief Jun didn’t warn Papa Tomari that his fortune for that day was “extreme bad luck.”

Chief Jun then met Krim and after learning the conspiracy behind The Incident, he swore to uncover the truth. But the mystery only got deeper and deeper. That is, until now that Tomari’s son has become a police officer and Kamen Rider and is closing in on the real culprit.

Shinnosuke swears he will end this. Chief Jun tells him to be careful as his opponent plays dirty. And he should remember that even in a pinch, his friends will still be here to support him.

Kiriko comes running and tells them Nira is holding a press conference.

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With Brain as Noumi-san by his side, Nira explains that Makage was behind the robbery at Eitou Bank. NoumiBrain points out that Makage was actually 001, the leader of the Roidmudes. And the one who defeated him was the Kamen Rider Tomari Shinnosuke.

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However, they add, it turns out the Kamen Rider is merely working to become the new leader of the Roidmude and is being supported by the SID. They point out the connections between the SID and the Roidmude: Rinna’s ex-boyfriend, Otta’s mentor, Kyu’s friend.

And the biggest proof, the newest Kamen Rider was a Roidmude that attacked the citizens. And Officer Shijima Kiriko was fully aware, but kept it a secret.

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NoumiBrain asserts that the SID is dangerous and contemptible. Nira announces the SID is dissolved and will be taken into custody.

Officials come into the SID ready to arrest them. Chief Jun says they have no choice.

But he points at a fish on the floor to distract the men and allow Shinnosuke to run out.

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Nira receives word about Shinnosuke’s escape. Brain says it is time for the next part of their plan.

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Shinnosuke is on the run all night long as everyone gets thrown in jail.

Next morning, Shinnosuke hides under a bridge where he meets Belt-san…

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…in an interesting new form.

Anyway, Shinnosuke is still hopeful. Especially after Chief Jun saying his friends will always be there for him. Belt-san agrees Shinnosuke has been able to overcome several pinches thanks to believing in his friends.

Nira suddenly pops in and tells Shinnosuke to kiss his ass before running off. Shinnosuke henshins and chases after him.

Shinnosuke tries to uphensin to Tridoron, but Nira knocks the Shift Car out of his hand. Chase arrives.

Brain taps in and says he can see Chase is angry. Chase says even if Kamen Riders and Roidmude are destined to fight, these actions are far beneath Brain and pathetic.

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“I’m sorry, but are you saying you don’t like me?”
“Yes, that’s right.”

Chase henshins and he and Shinnosuke take on NiraBrain. They manage to separate Nira from the Roidmude body. But Brain appears and they see his golden bod for the first time.

Brain unleashes a lightning blast towards them, allowing Nira to run off. Chase tells Shinnosuke to go and he will stay to take care of Brain.

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Shinnosuke chases Nira all the way to the SID. Nira is sitting in Chief Jun’s chair, his back to Shinnosuke who gets the handcuffs ready.

But Nira turns around and he has a gun and is pointing it right at Shinnosuke.

Brain and Chase are still fighting. Chase asks if the Promised Number is related to reaching the Ultimate Evolution. Brain says yes.

And one more thing… “I don’t like you either!”

Brain says he can end Chase once and for all, but he won’t because Chase still has a role to play which he will find out soon enough. Brain sends Chase flying.

Back at the SID, Nira admits that this is the gun he used to kill Papa Tomari.

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The city stops to watch the breaking news of a hostage situation at the Department of Motor Vehicles involving an armed police officer. Yukari knows Shinnosuke must be involved, but she suddenly feels a pain on her arm and collapses. Proto Zero Shift Car sees this and quickly goes to report to Chase.

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Gou watches the news on his phone. Banno asks if Shinnosuke is the Kamen Rider whom Krim is working with. Gou asks if he can help once more.

But Heart suddenly appears demanding Gou hand the tablet back. Gou refuses. Heart says he’ll take it by force. They henshin and transform.

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Chase, now de-henshined, lies unconscious on the street where Brain left him.

Kiriko worries about her boys.

Shinnosuke tells Nira to give himself up. Nira just laughs. He tells Shinnosuke that he tipped off the police before they came here.

He turns on the news which is reporting that Shinnosuke is the hostage taker. This was all a trap!

“In one hour… you will be dead!”

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Nira cackles.

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The siege of the SID has begun.

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Episode Thoughts

Wow. Very interesting.

I hope the next episode has a little more back and forth between Shinnosuke and Nira, if not a whole episode’s worth. A great climax for this arc should help redeem the haphazard way we got to this point, including having to sit through Nira’s hysterics all this time. lol

A hostage situation with guns on a children’s show though. I love Japanese TV!

I think Drive has not done the best job meshing the comedy and the drama together. As evidenced by how much more interesting Nira is when he’s more serious. I think they could’ve easily made him contemptible and annoying without all the slapstick. And of course how much more awesome Chief Jun is when serious as well.

There’s always a way to keep and maintain a lighthearted, even crazy tone while still making sure your overall dramatic ambitions are in check. Even with at least 10-12 more episodes left, I think Drive could’ve done that a little better with the balance than they did.

Anyway, with the SID, I hope we’ll get to see all of them in action together close to the finale. You know it will happen. They’re all buddies, after all.

Brain-sama is awesome. The idols still have no (even vaguely) clear purpose, but at least Brain has been deliciously wicked and nefarious. I mean, look at this:

What the hell is that?!

I have no idea. Bu I do I know it’s awesome though. He’s been colorful, amusing and in terms of actually doing stuff, he’s been doing stuff. A lot of stuff.

I’m assuming after this Nira/Papa Tomari arc, we’ll be moving on to the Banno arc before then moving into the finale arc. So I’m hoping they can continue stepping it up like they’ve been kinda doing recently.

3 thoughts on “Recap: Kamen Rider Drive, Episode 35 – Why Did the Hostage Situation Happen?

  1. As much as I found the episode interesting, I really can’t get invested in Nira’s whole character narrative. It’s not just the severely misplaced slapstick, I just can’t seem to buy into him as a plot-moving antagonist, probably due to how his character was handled overall.

    And I can’t help but yet again lament how underutilized Medic and Heart are up to this point. Brain-sama’s jealousy could have really been interesting if Medic’s part in the idols’ dynamics was fleshed out more. We don’t even have an idea why she is so attached to Heart.

    But hey, that silly jump into her Brain made was hilarious.

    1. Also “A hostage situation with guns on a children’s show though. I love Japanese TV!” B-but Pinoy “children’s” teleseryes already have these >:D

      1. lol but at least here it’s not actually kids in hostage situations. Unlike in teleseryes, it’s kids getting kidnapped and or physically and mentally abused. Plus the bad guy gets what’s coming them on Japanese kids shows. On teleseryes, they are forgiven and invited to dinner. lol

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