Papa Dan invites everyone to come to Seito District 9 tomorrow at noon to face off against Chronus and win the ultimate power that can save humanity. Prospective Ride Players believe that means the power to resurrect dead people so they all log on to Amazon Japan to order Chronicle with same day shipping.
Kuroto gives Emu his brand new ultimate creation, the Hyper Muteki Gashat, to help take care of Chronus.
At 10:23am, Emu, Taiga and Kuroto, already henshined, face Papa Dan at the meeting place. But he summons Hiiro to come use the new Level 100 Taddle Legacy Gashat. Hiiro tries to activate it, but it doesn’t work. “You still doubt me?!” Papa Dan asks.
Papa Dan summons Kiriya instead. Emu remembers the whisper challenge he and Kiriya had last episode. Taiga says they should all just focus on Papa Dan.
Papa Dan, Kiriya and Hiiro henshin. As Papa Dan readies to hit pause Emu tries to use the Hyper Muteki Gashat, but it does not work and instead ejects itself. Kuroto grabs it and uses it himself. Papa Dan hits pause, but Kuroto is able to move because the new Gashat makes the user invincible.
But the Gashat has a 10 second time limit and Kuroto goes back to normal after his long-winded cackle and explanation. That allows Papa Dan to hit pause again, grab the new Gashat and fire at Emu, Taiga and Kuroto.
Back at the CR, Kuroto is distraught that the Gashat is gone. He explains that Emu couldn’t use it because when Parado was reprogrammed, Emu lost the power of M. Nico mentions that Emu hasn’t gone “ore” in a while. Not even a blowing of the hair with a smile.
Meanwhile, Papa Dan tries to build Hiiro up in order to have him able to use the Taddle Legacy Gashat. Papa Dan says Hiiro can’t be all wishy-washy.
A dozen or so people are lingering around, waiting for the Chronicle battle royale. Papa Dan explains to Kiriya that he will be Game Over-ing all the people who show up in order to drive more people to buy into Chronicle to save their loved ones. All the player data are in the Gashats anyway allowing him to play around with them. Which is why dead people are treasures in the game.
Kiriya asks for his reward after a job well done and Papa Dan hands him a Gashat. Kiriya says he wants the new Hyper Muteki Gashat as his prize for taking out Emu. Sure, Papa Dan says as long as he performs well.
Parado approaches Asuna on the rooftop after she calls him to talk. But it’s really Emu who has something to ask. Emu wants Parado to get into the Driver so he can sneak into Papa Dan’s Driver like Kuroto did, allowing him to evade the Pause and defeat Chronus.
Parado asks what’s changed after Parado’s own offer to work together. Asuna mentions how viruses are often used to create vaccines. This is sort of kinda the same thing. And Emu is using his judgment as a doctor to work with Parado.
Parado says sure, on one condition. After defeating Chronus, the two of them get to play. Emu agrees to it.
It’s 12pm and only two guys show up to face Chronus. They henshin, but Emu and Asuna arrive and try to stop them. Kiriya pops in and Emu maximum henshins.
Emu and Kiriya fight, but Kiriya is able to easily force Emu to dehenshin. Kiriya turns to Papa Dan for the Hyper Muteki Gashat so he can finish Emu off for good. Papa Dan tosses it over before he turns his attention to the two Ride Players.
Taiga, Nico and Kuroto arrive.
Parado tells Emu to hurry and get him into the Chronus Driver. But Emu reminds Parado of when he whispered into Emu’s ear about how they’d make a great couple be an unstoppable pair.
Emu injects himself with Parado and he goes ore. The eyes glow red and the wind blows through his hair. Emu maximum henshins. He charges toward Papa Dan.
Kiriya sees Papa Dan about to press Pause, so he kicks him. Kiriya then tosses Emu the Hyper Muteki Gashat.
Papa Dan forces Kiriya to dehenshin and asks what the hell he thinks he’s doing. Emu says it was all an act. What Kiriya whispered to him was to basically just play along.
Now it’s time for Emu to use Hyper Muteki. He docks the Gashat. Papa Dan presses Pause, but the uphenshin continues and Emu becomes Hyper Muteki Ex-Aid.
Papa Dan thinks the power up only lasts 10 seconds like earlier, but it doesn’t. Emu keeps going and says his invincibility duration is infinite. Emu resumes the game and the others un-Pause.
Emu unleashes a Hyper Critical Sparking at Papa Dan, consisting of several Rider Kicks. After a few seconds delay, the attack hits Papa Dan for a “Perfect Victory.” But Papa Dan is still henshined and he decides to retreat.
Emu dehenshins as well and Parado leaves his body.
“So you tricked me?”
“Yup. To get back the power of Genius Gamer M.”
“This makes my kokoro dance Emu.”
Kiriya and Emu smile.
Back at the CR, Kiriya is back in his normal clothes. He introduces himself to Nico, but she hides behind Taiga. He comments on their closeness.
Anyway, Kiriya tells them that he pretended with Papa Dan just so he could get Proto Gashats. And now he can help out at the CR.
But how about Kuroto? Kiriya approaches him and says he won’t forgive him, but he will work with him since Emu has accepted him. “I have no intention of begging for forgiveness,” Kuroto says.
Kiriya turns back to the others and tells them how Papa Dan treats dead people as treasure in the game.
And how this latest stunt has only increased the active player base.
Meanwhile, an increasingly disheveled Hiiro struggles with his decision. Papa Dan appears and tells him it’s time Hiiro kills Emu or he will delete Saki for good.
Episode Thoughts
After last episode…
But who knows. I’ve raised my expectations really high after this episode. I might just be setting myself up for disappointment.
And sadly I was right. Or jinxed it. Either way, this episode was kind of a letdown after such a (over)dramatic episode and cliffhanger. And with that one week break too to build even more suspense.
Most everything this episode was very predictable. Maybe the only slight surprise was Emu injecting Parado back into his body, but even that was not unexpected.
Even more, this was a power-up new toy episode. And Hyper Muteki is supposed to be the Final Form? Yet it didn’t even leave a scratch on Papa Dan. Didn’t even get him to dehenshin. So the build-up and pay off wasn’t there making this debut fall flat, despite everyone celebrating a “perfect victory.” Okay, they “defeated” him this game I guess, in the gaming sense. But they were all high-fiving each other like that was the last they were going to see of Chronus or even Papa Dan.
And without some spectacular battle, I doubt that’s the case.
Elsewhere, I was hoping Kiriya and Emu’s big secret actually was a big secret. But Kiriya tricking Papa Dan was the most likely scenario (though I did originally think that was Hiiro’s plan too, but I’m pretty convinced he’s just crazy and had hoped to get his girlfriend back with as little collateral damage as possible).
It would’ve been nice to stretch the tension between Kiriya and Emu and the rest of the CR out maybe at least an episode or two. Even with the same “working from the inside” result. Especially with all that noir treatment from last episode complete with night rain scene cliffhanger.
The whole high noon challenge thing also fell flat and kind of pointless too.
If this were a really big event, you’d have seen tons of people appearing to play Chronicle against Chronus. Not just those couple of people. (Ultimately just two?) But I guess that’ll be saved for when Papa Dan is ultimately, actually finished off I guess.
The dramatic intro seems to be staying which is weirder now than it was last episode, especially considering how undramatic this episode was in comparison.
Saki continuing to be on repeat is an amusing detail though.
Anyway, overall, I was very disappointed this episode even though I set myself up for it. My only positive is that with such a dud of an episode, they’ve still got ~14 episodes left to ramp up the action and really deliver big climaxes heading into the finale. I’m keeping a tempered expectation that the show still has things up their sleeve.
Fix the video please bb
Done! Thank you!