Recap: Kamen Rider Ex-Aid, Episode 30 – Strongest VS Strongest!

Ex-Aid 30

Poppy is shocked to learn Parado is Level 99. She is eager to bring Emu back to the CR, but Taiga warns that as long as Parado can get inside Emu’s body, there’s nothing they can do.

Parado is a little disappointed in his fight with Emu. He wants the two of them to play hard with lots of passion and intensity. Parado turns on the eyes again.

Ex-Aid 30

Poppy shows Hiiro, Taiga and Nico the Proto Mighty Action X Gashat and 6th Game Driver and tells them how she found it. Nico reads through the manual which shows that this Gashat somehow suppresses the Bugster virus. Poppy thinks they can use this to save Emu. Taiga says it’s too dangerous.

Just then, they get an emergency call. It isn’t Parado, but Motors Bugster attacking a Rider player. Poppy and Nico tell the boys to stand back and let the ladies handle this one.

Ex-Aid 30

Poppy and Nico both henshin and tag team against Motors. But Motors races off. Karito, the Ride Player, is forced to dehenshin.

Ex-Aid 30

Emu suddenly comes walking up, all smiles. He says he just escaped Parado. But they all notice him using “ore,” so they know it’s actually Parado playing around inside of Emu again.

Ex-Aid 30 Ex-Aid 30

Parado removes himself from Emu and henshins so he can take care of traitor Poppy. Nico is resolved to defeat Parado and Hiiro and Taiga also henshin. But Parado easily takes care of Hiiro, Taiga and Nico with a 3X combo.

Parado then delivers a 6x combo at Poppysuna and forces her to dehenshin as well.

Before Parado can kill Asuna for good, Emu yells out. He gets up, overcomes his Syndrome and demands Parado fight him. Parado is excited, knowing that protecting others is what gets Emu all excited and fired up. So now it’s time for them to play with each other.

Before leaving for the proper stage, Emu tells Hiiro to take care of the patient, tells Taiga and Nico to beat Chronicle and tells Poppysuna that he must do this alone.

Emu follows Parado as they walk to their game stage.

Back at the CR, Poppysuna wants to go help Emu directly even though the others say it’d do more harm than good. Hiiro says they must do what they can. Poppysuna believes what she can do is to test the Proto Gashat herself. Taiga repeats that it’s dangerous, but Poppysuna repeats that she is a Bugster, go it’s okay.

Ex-Aid 30

Parado has brought Emu to the now-abandoned location where Emu was operated on to release Parado six years ago.

Emu is ready to end this all here and now. Parado looks forward to playing. Both of them maximum henshin and change their stage to the Toei mine.

Ex-Aid 30

Meanwhile, Poppysuna tries to henshin using the Proto Gashat, but nothing happens. She decides to just literally hop into the game instead and gets chased by basic Bugsters. She ends up on a rooftop where she runs into a weird static Bugster with creepy musical score.

Hiiro, Taiga and Nico do what they can do.

Parado enjoys playing with Emu finally, but Emu says he never wanted to play with Parado. Both of them drive each other’s gauge down. Parado declares that the winner of their game will rule the world.

Ex-Aid 30

They both ready a Critical Finish and it is Emu who is forced to dehenshin. Parado is enjoying the game, but Emu is surprised since they are supposed to be the same level. Parado laughs that Emu only has the “M” skills when he inside of him.

Parado is about to finish Emu off for good. Taiga and Hiiro charge at Parado, but he just swats them away.

Parado turns his attention back to Emu, but gets shot at by… a repainted Kamen Rider Genm Level 0. Has Dan Kuroto returned from the dead?

Kuroto fights Parado, upset at him being a traitor. Poppy scolds him and says he promised only to save Emu. Parado does not appreciate other people interrupting him and Emu playing with each other.

Parado wants him and Emu to take this somewhere more private, so he tries using the red eyes. But this time, there is no effect. Poppy explains that the game area around Genm Level 0 suppresses the Bugster virus.

Parado thinks that’s lame so he leaves.

Kuroto lets out one of his trademark guffaws and they all head back to the CR.

Ex-Aid 30 Ex-Aid 30

Poppy says she isn’t sure what’s going on either. She just found Kuroto (that creepy Bugster on the roof) after she slapped the Driver onto him.

Ex-Aid 30

Kuroto was just a broken record until Poppy inserted the Gashat and he snaps out of it, realizing he’s truly immortal.

Ex-Aid 30

The others can’t believe it. Kuroto repeats that he is now an immortal god.

But Poppy sucks him into a game console. Nico thinks that’s gross.

Episode Thoughts


So…! We’re getting into some strange territory now! lol

I definitely don’t know what’s going on and really have no idea if this episode’s developments extend all the way to the finale or are just a short term, 2 episode story. Maybe even just a build up to the next power up. I have no clue.

So Kuroto popping back up, presumably just a backup data version of him, courtesy of Poppy and then getting trapped in a handheld game console is just unexpected yet difficult to grasp in the grander scheme of things. Use ProtoDrive, pre-release game to defeat the villain? Uh… okay sure.

The more interesting part of the episode was the stuff with Emu and Parado though. That part of the story has just completely shifted into Parado just being obsessed with wanting to play with Emu.

I’m starting to think Parado is basically Kyuuemon from Ninninger. Kyuuemon ended up being the “Big Bad” of the season, but almost a redeemable one because all he was looking for was the love of a family. You kind of pitied him even. Parado, meanwhile, is just longing for a friend and playmate. All he wants is to play with Emu. What’s wrong with that?

Well, for one, Parado’s obsession with Emu kind of conflicts with the assumed plan for Bugsters to take over the world as some kind of revenge for being used a playthings themselves in video games. But then we still don’t know all the details of Kuroto’s development of Chronicle so we circle back to him wanting to be God.

I don’t even know. But after enjoying the last few episodes, I just came out of this episode kind of bewildered.

At the very least, Poppy and Nico look like they’ll be keeping their Drivers and Gashats, so I hope we see them continue fighting through the rest of the seasons. More female, main cast Riders please!

0 thoughts on “Recap: Kamen Rider Ex-Aid, Episode 30 – Strongest VS Strongest!

  1. In my case, I’ll actually add “pleasantly” to bewildered. While they did throw in quite a lot twists into the mystery, Ex-Aid have actually done well in keeping me invested in it that I wouldn’t mid if it’s not clear yet as of now. That was something that the last two seasons lacked.

    One thing that interests me now is that Parado and Kuroto has pretty much switched places. While Parado is now part-human, Kuroto is now pretty much a Bugster. That also puts an interesting implication for all those who have vanished from game syndrome. One thing I do notice, though, is that the show seems to be downplaying the fact that Nico is now practically infected with GS for the second time.

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