Recap: Kamen Rider Zi-O, Episode 44 – 2019: Aqua’s Call

Kamen Rider Zi-O Episode 44

Sougo recognizes his former classmate, Kazuma, being a victim of the rash of sudden disappearances across the city. They figure Schwartz must be involved somehow, especially with Tsukuyomi and Tsukasa’s powers he absorbed.

Speaking of, Tsukuyomi is nowhere to be found. But just then, there’s a big rumbling outside. Sougo, Geiz and Woz run outside to see a 2050s Time Mazine prototype arrive.

Kamen Rider Zi-O Episode 44

Out of the Time Mazine pops Kamen Rider Aqua, Minato Miharu.

Miharu says he is here to get Geiz and Tsukuyomi to return to the future.

On the other side of town, Another Drive attempts to attack Heure, but he is able to freeze time and run away. He runs into Ora and tells her what’s happened. She says there shouldn’t be Another Riders anymore. Heure has an idea.

Kamen Rider Zi-O Episode 44

Over at the shop, Miharu tries to explain that Geiz and Tsukuyomi must return to the future because changing the past is too dangerous. Woz reads all about Miharu in his book.

Miharu says he’s also met Riders in the past before, but what Geiz is doing is much different. And what Geiz is doing the exactly the same as Schwartz’s actions.

Geiz doesn’t take too kindly to the comparison, but Sougo gets him to calm down.

Kamen Rider Zi-O Episode 44

Meanwhile, Tsukuyomi asks Tsukasa about Schwartz. Tsukasa says he and Tsukuyomi are the same as they come from different dimensions. He appears here to stop the dimensions from getting twisted. Tsukasa believes Sougo is partly responsible for the screwed up timelines and Schwartz is taking advantage of that.

Kamen Rider Zi-O Episode 44

Tsukasa adds that he will decide very soon whether or not this world should be destroyed. The fact that his power was taken is not a big deal, unlike Tsukuyomi’s power being taken. Her mere presence in this world causes problems and she does not belong here.

Back at the shop, Heure and Ora have come to ask for help. Heure hopes they can hide out here from Schwartz until Sougo, Geiz and Woz can defeat him. Ora doesn’t agree, but Heure says they should just stay here for now.

Kamen Rider Zi-O Episode 44

Geiz says they’re pretty bold to come crawling here after Schwartz dumped them, especially after all the horrible things Heure and Ora have done to them. Geiz tells them to leave.

Ora is ready to walk out, but Sougo says Geiz is being too harsh and that he and them are the same.

Uncle Junichiro teaches Woz some cooking tips. Ora is annoyed that she has to help.

Sougo and Heure are alone for a chat. Heure acknowledges that it is pretty bad for he and Ora to come to them for help. Sougo says the more the merrier. Heure asks him if he’s an idiot.

Kamen Rider Zi-O Episode 44

Or is this just how a king is supposed to act. Heure asks Sougo how he can just accept them so easily.

Sougo says he hasn’t forgiven them for all their evil deeds, but he also knows they are just trying to create their future. Heure says he and Ora were just puppets of Schwartz who were brought here from their own timeline.

Sougo realizes Heure and Ora are nothing like Geiz. Geiz has somewhere to return home to while Heure and Ora do not.

Sougo says Heure and Ora can call Kujigoji their home and he drags Heure back to the shop.

Kamen Rider Zi-O Episode 44

Geiz watches from the bridge.

Meanwhile, Schwartz watches Kazuma running and winning a race in his own world.

Back at the shop while Geiz thinks about the situation, Heure frantically announces that Ora is gone. He runs out to look for her and thinks he sees her. But Another Drive suddenly appears again. Tsukuyomi arrives and shoots at Another Drive, allowing Heure to run away.

Kamen Rider Zi-O Episode 44

Miharu arrives and pulls out Eiji’s boxers before he henshins. He battles Another Drive.

Sougo and Geiz arrive. Geiz is surprised about Another Drive, but Sougo says he hasn’t really obtained the Drive Watch yet. They both henshin and take on Another Drive.

Miharu is surprised to see Sougo as Grand Zi-O and is worried that history has changed too much. He asks Sougo and Geiz to take care of this while he grabs Tsukuyomi and they run off.

Another Drive activates the Heaviness, but Heure arrives to counter with a time freeze. That allows Sougo and Geiz to deliver finishers at Another Drive.

Kamen Rider Zi-O Episode 44

But they are shocked when Ora emerges from the burning corpse of Another Drive.

Down by the water, Miharu tells Tsukuyomi that he’s come for her and that her real name is Alpina. He warns that rewriting history is forbidden and she and Geiz must return to the future with him immediately.

Kamen Rider Zi-O Episode 44

Tsukuyomi remembers both she and Geiz vowing to stop Sougo from becoming the demon king. She says if they go back, Sougo will surely become Oma Zi-O.

But Miharu says it’s the other way around. He explains that Geiz and Tsukuyomi came from a future with Oma Zi-O, thus a different timeline. So them staying here will only ensure Sougo will become Oma Zi-O.

Tsukuyomi remembers Schwartz saying as much about the different timeline and Tsukasa says her presence here is already twisting the timelines and dimensions.

Miharu reaffirms that and says Tsukuyomi and her power must return to where she came from. Tsukuyomi reveals that Schwartz took her power.

Kamen Rider Zi-O Episode 44

Ora walks away, not answering Heure asking what the hell is going on. Schwartz appears, calls Sougo an “imitation Oma Zi-O” and henshins to Another Decade.

Schwartz brings Sougo and Geiz to another dimension and completely ravages them in explosions before summoning Kamen Riders G4, Rey, Dark Ghost and Fuma to battle them.

Kamen Rider Zi-O Episode 44

Episode Thoughts

So, this is the final arc. Woz made that announcement at the beginning. Lol

The main takeaway for this episode is essentially: There are infinite timelines. There were different timelines from the very beginning and every episode this season just created more different timelines as well.

Okay sure. No need to dissect the details there because we’ll get nowhere. lol

First of all, I thought Kamen Rider Aqua was another new Rider. So I was surprised to see the clip in this episode of what looked like the backs of Eiji, Hina and Ankh waving Bye to him. I wondered if they had just edited that in like they did for the clips of the returning Riders earlier this season. But l wondered if there was more to Aqua that I should know about and I learned he’s actually not a new Rider!

I realize that I actually never watched the OOO-Fourze Movie War. And remembering that this is the movie Gentaro first meets Nadeshiko, I kinda don’t want to watch it. (Long story lol)

Anyway, my concern last week was Why would they introduce another new Rider so late. But since he’s not a new Rider, let’s just ignore I said that lol

The idea that changing the past is dangerous is definitely something the show has touched upon many, many times over the season. But there really haven’t been any consequences to that. They’ve obviously changed history about 44 times already. (22 times if we only count each arc/pair of episodes as one timeline each lol)

I kinda understood Miharu’s explanation of the different timeline. But then why didn’t Geiz and Tsukuyomi stay in their own timeline instead of coming to this one. Or did the mere action of them going back in time to change history and stop Sougo from becoming Oma Zi-O create the new timeline and that is unavoidable. I mean, in Geiz and Tsukuyomi’s original timeline, Sougo became Oma Zi-O. They built a monument to honor the moment he first henshined. So they…

Wait a minute, this is exactly what I already promised myself I wouldn’t do. I wouldn’t dissect every detail, especially of the time traveling aspect, because no matter what, it’s not going to make any sense. Lol I’ll stop.

Anyway… in non-timeline related developments this episode…

Sougo said Geiz was harsh for pointing out the trouble Heure and Ora have caused. But I think Sougo was more harsh for comparing Geiz to them, knowing all the trouble Heure and Ora have caused. Can’t really blame Geiz for feeling that away towards Heure and Ora. They’re the ones (with Schwartz of course) who have created Another Riders and endangered them and all the people of Tokyo all season long!

Sougo just welcoming them easily is very interesting. It’s certainly in his character to be sort of naive like this, but at the same time, a more realistic and natural reaction would be to be more weary of them. And seeing Ora seemingly becoming Another Drive certainly maintains that even if they’re no longer Schwartz’s puppets, they can’t really be fully trusted.

It also all feels like the usual “villains-turned-BFFs” plot both Sentai and Kamen Rider like to do where the cute villains end up teaming up with the heroes because they’ve all hung out together all season long.

It doesn’t really make sense, story-wise, here (though again, we shouldn’t be overly hung up on the details with Zi-O lol). But not knowing anything about Heure and Ora’s backstories and origins also makes it hard to really accept their quick change of sides. Schwartz throwing them away doesn’t automatically mean they should be welcome in the Kujigoji, you know? Sougo’s reasoning definitely did not hold up for me and it felt very easy.

If Sougo is so ready to accept Heure and Ora, why didn’t he help Hiryu recover from his pain more! (I’m missing Hiryu lol)

So this final arc is supposed to try and reconcile the different timelines. That actually helps Tsukasa’s involvement in this whole thing make a little more sense. But it’s going to be very, very interesting how they can tie all of this together in the end.

2 thoughts on “Recap: Kamen Rider Zi-O, Episode 44 – 2019: Aqua’s Call

  1. Now this starts to be interesting! 🙂
    Very well said, that Geiz and Tsukuyomi (or rather Alpina! 😉 ) should return to the future. Although I didn’t watch full Movie War with OOO and Fourze, I read some info. Miharu seems to be very clever and aware of possibly danger. And Geiz doesn’t understand the fact, what’s he doing is forbidden. And I don’t like he ordered Heure and Ora to go away. Where are his manners!? :/ Luckly, Sougo interceded and that’s what made me happy 🙂
    The scene with Sougo and Heure was very nice. But I’m interested the fact, how Ora transformed into Another Drive. Well, soon we can find out. And don’t forget about Tsukasa. I can feel soon he’ll reclaim his powers. And hope, he won’t destroy Sougo’s world.
    There’re only 5 episodes left. Whew, how fast time flies! 😀 And the most important question is, when Sougo will discover himself, that Schwarz manipulated him and Schwarz’s guilty of everything?

Share your thoughts!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Back to top