Recap: Kamen Rider Ex-Aid, Episode 21 – Chasing the Mystery!

Ex-Aid 21

Detective Uesugi is attempting to get answers from Kuroto’s father who refuses to talk. That causes the detective stress.

Meanwhile, Emu is stressed out after tough surgery training with Hiiro. Hiiro concludes Emu is only good at game treatments and that he should thank Poppy for scouting him. But Poppy says it was Kuroto who suggested Emu to her.

Emu wants answers, but Hiiro says as doctors, they should concentrate on treating people, not solving mysteries. Just in time, they get the call from the prison where Detective Uesugi has collapsed. They head over and confirm he has Game Syndrome.

They want to bring him to the CR, but Detective Uesugi wants to go back to talk to Papa Dan. Suddenly, the Kaiden Bugster emerges and takes over Detective Uesugi’s body.

Ex-Aid 21

Emu and Hiiro henshin and change their stage to the Ninninger dojomanse gate to do battle. Kuroto Dan appears, but not to face them. His target is Taiga who is also lurking around nearby.

Emu and Hiiro deliver a Critical Strike at Kaiden Bugster and forces it to go back into Detective Uesugi’s body. Meanwhile, Taiga and Kuroto Dan deliver their own Critical attacks at each other. Kuroto Dan loses the face off, but warns them to butt out of his business otherwise they will end up like Kiriya.

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Kuroto heads back to his lair and believes he’s collected just about all the death data he needs. Now he just needs to receive lethal damage data and his Level X Gashat will be complete.

At the CR, Detective Uesugi tries to force himself up, but collapses. He wants to avenge the death of his son after he contracted the Bugster virus. He’s been investigating the case privately and hopes to reveal the full truth of Zero Day. Papa Dan had been arrested for the incident after admitting to it, but he never revealed the reason for creating the Bugster virus.

Detective Uesugi has learned that two men disappeared last Christmas (Kuroto and Kiriya) connected to Papa Dan, so he’s even more emboldened to continue his investigation.

Emu offers to continue the investigation while Detective Uesugi is in the CR. Hiiro tries to stop Emu as he wants to find out what Kiriya found out from talking with Papa Dan before Christmas.

Ex-Aid 21 Ex-Aid 21

Emu asks Hiiro to look after Detective Uesugi, but Hiiro grabs Emu by the collar again and pins him against the wall. Hiiro again expresses his worry that Emu will die. But Emu is determined to find out why Kiriya had to die.

Emu and Asuna met with Papa Dan. Emu introduces himself and Papa Dan knows of him. Emu gets to the point. He says Kuroto is responsible for Kiriya’s death. Papa Dan says he had high hopes for his son.

Anyway, Emu wants to know what Papa Dan told Kiriya that day. Papa Dan seems willing to talk if it means Emu can stop Kuroto.

Ex-Aid 21

Over at GENM Corp, Taiga tries to bribe Tsukuru into making him a Gashat that can kill Kuroto. He is unwilling until Nico punches him in the stomach.

On the way back to the CR, Emu and Asuna run into Kuroto. Emu says they know everything.

Ex-Aid 21

Apparently, the Bugster virus was born out of minor computer malfunctions that occurred during Y2K. And it was Kuroto who found the anomaly and exploited it, leading to Zero Day. Kuroto then laid all the blame on his father.

Kuroto just laughs, saying it was the only way so he wouldn’t get himself caught.

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Back at the CR, Hiiro asks Detective Uesugi what the purpose of investigating the past is especially when you can’t bring back dead people anyway. Detective Uesugi regrets not being able to protect his son. That brings about the stress and the Bugster appears.

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Kuroto laughs some more as Hiiro calls about Detective Uesugi. But Kuroto wants to play. They henshin and meet Hiiro and Kaiden Bugster on the same battle Stage. As Hiiro takes on the Bugster and Emu takes on Kuroto, Taiga and Parado pop in to fight as well.

Taiga and Parado end their fight early. Before Parado leaves, he drops the hint that Kuroto is dangerous as he’s looking to transcend the concept of levels.

The two Emus deliver a Critical Finish at Kuroto who is forced to dehenshin.

Hiiro muscles up and finishes off the Bugster with his own Critical Strike. Kuroto happily collects the data.

Emu and Hiiro both dehenshin. Hiiro tells Detective Uesugi to take cover.

Kuroto gets up and introduces them to Kamen Rider Chronicle which will allow people to all become Kamen Riders and fight monsters in the real world. It’s a real life survival game.

Ex-Aid 21

Emu is livid at the idea of using people’s lives in a game. Just like using Kiriya’s life like it was nothing. Kuroto says some sacrifces are inevitable.

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Kuroto wants to grant unsatisfied people dreams and adventures. He wants them to be entertained by his games and he thinks he has the god-like talent to make that happen.

Ex-Aid 21

Emu’s anger grows even more, especially remembering all the people who have died because of Kuroto’s insanity.

Kuroto says Emu can’t do anything when he has a Level X Gashat. Kuroto activates it and henshins.

Emu henshins to Mighty Brothers XX and hurls two Finishers at Kuroto. Huge explosions, but Kuroto disappears.

They bring Detective Uesugi back to the CR to confirm he’s cured of Game Syndrome. Detective Uesugi thanks Emu for saying he would avenge his son. They will work together to stop Kuroto Dan.

Poppy tells Hiiro that it’s important to save the people in front of them, but also those who have already gone. Hiiro acknowledges that he might have underestimated Emu.

Poppy is excited that Hiiro is softening up and eats some of his cake.

Emu and Detective Uesugi fall out of bed.

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Episode Thoughts

It was an okay episode. So, we learn that Kuroto basically created the Bugster virus and that its origins are in Y2K. But we still don’t know exactly why he wants people to kill each other, other than him thinking he’s god or that he’s legit insane. But maybe next week when he goes shirtless is when we’ll learn the whole truth. Once someone in a toku goes shirtless, you know sh-t’s about to go down. lol

Interesting though how morbid Genm as a Rider has become. Talking about genocide and stuff. But it definitely fits with Kuroto’s Most Dangerous Game insanity.

I like seeing Hiiro showing more concern for Emu and even softening up to Poppysuna. If that last scene happened earlier in the season, I wouldn’t be surprised if he cut her instead of the rest of the cake. Hehe. But he’s growing more into becoming a team player I guess. Though that kind of contradicts what he kind of showed last week. But we’ll just go with that for now.

Also, it would be nice if the season ended with Emu becoming a real doctor. Unless they go with some Gaim-type apocalypse ending, I see the season ending and Emu continuing on to becoming the doctor that cheers his patients up with brand new Nintendo Switches.

They really need to calm down with what they’re doing with Nico. It’s really too much and getting quite annoying. I definitely feel Taiga’s pain. Unless he enjoys having Nico hang all over him. We don’t really know what goes on between them in that abandoned hospital after hours. lol

Elsewhere, I like that new location (or just new angle of an old location lol) they used for that last battle. And speaking of locations, I see you Toei using the Igasaki dojomanse gate from Ninninger.

Overall, it was just an okay episode despite the sort of big reveal about teen Kuroto and Y2K.

0 thoughts on “Recap: Kamen Rider Ex-Aid, Episode 21 – Chasing the Mystery!

  1. Yep, Kuroto has definitely fallen down the slippery slope. I would also want to see what his true motivations are and why he has that god complex.

    One thing that I find curious is that, with the pace they are going now, we pretty much know what our big bad’s end goal is. And we are just at episode 21. Not even halfway across. That leaves me curious as to what the second half of the series is all about. Considering all the toy leaks, it would be interesting if this goes with Kuroto actually winning and creating the world he wants (something that the big bads of both Drive and Ghost never achieved). That would turn this series further up a notch.

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