Recap: Kamen Rider Zero-One, Episode 12 – “The rider kick increases the power by adding to brightness.”

Recap: Kamen Rider Zero-One, Episode 12 – The Famous Detective is Coming

During a briefing on the investigation in the attempted murder of Owada, the investigators say they found nothing in the Hiden HQ raid. But Yua casually tells them the President has a secret lab next to his office.

Izu tells Aruto about the authorities intending to search the lab. But since a new Progrise Key is currently being made, they can’t let the police in to mess things up. So they must defeat the real culprit and obtain the Zetsumerise Key to prove Hiden is not liable.

VP Jun walks in with the two investigators. Aruto says now is not a good time to be going into the lab, which only makes the investigators more suspicious.

But just then, older model Humagear (like Aruto’s father) detective Wazu Nazotoku comes in. He swears on the name of Hiden’s CEO that he will solve the case.

Over in Daybreak, Horobi performed a forced shutdown of Assassin-chan so he can obtain his Key. But Assassin-chan breaks free of his binds and says it is time for him to leave the nest as he has learned all he needs to be the best assassin.

Assassin-chan is able to summon two Magia which attack Horobi and Jin. That allows Assassin-chan to pick up his Zetsumerise Key to go Dodo. Horobi and Jin also henshin and they all battle.

Back at Hiden HQ, VP Jun remembers Wazu being the old CEO’s pride and joy, a legendary detective who could solve anything.

While the others are busy talking to Wazu, Aruto gets a text from Wazu who tells him to pretend he has a call.

Wazu is able to communicate to both Aruto and Izu and says he has a plan to get them out of this situation, but Aruto’s got to trust him. Izu warns him against it, but Aruto decides to go along with the plan.

The detectives turn their attention back to Aruto and demand the password to the secret lab. Aruto says the password is one of his hilarious jokes, but he’s forgotten it since he has so many.

Aruto says he will call them back when he remembers, but right now he has other business he must attend to. Aruto henshins and leaves. VP Jun and the two detectives chase after him.

Izu approaches Wazu and says she has a lot of questions for him. Wazu says they must bring Aruto back first.

Aruto escapes to the rooftop where he is immediately met by Isamu who says he shouldn’t be running from the police. Aruto reaffirms his belief in the Humagear before they battle. Aruto is able to leave Isamu in the dust and hop away.

Back at the office, Shester is showing VP Jun some of Aruto’s gags he can try to use to unlock the secret lab.

Meanwhile inside the actual lab, Aruto is able to sneak in using a secret entrance. Izu tells Wazu to start talking.

Wazu wants to first reveal that he and Izu are siblings.

Wazu is excited to meet his little sister. But after some analysis by Izu, she says this is some kind of joke. Wazu says he is serious. He was made by Grandpa Hiden as Izu’s prototype for how she is today.

Wazu explains that Grandpa Hiden was aware of the plot to use Humagear for nefarious purposes. That’s why he built Wazu to be his right-hand man and a detective. Wazu was able to do that when he uncovered a great evil (MetsubouJinrai.net) which he immediately reported back to Grandpa Hiden.

Grandpa Hiden programmed Wazu to awaken to help Aruto and Izu.

Izu checks the database and it doesn’t appear Wazu is lying. Aruto reiterates that he believes in Wazu, especially when he has a kind smile like his father. Aruto and Wazu shake hands.

Wazu says Izu can call him her older brother, but she is not interested.

Later, Aruto continues to draw the authorities’ attention away from the lab to allow it to finish the Key.

Aruto hops onto a roof where Yua attempts to arrest him. Aruto asks if her revealing the existence of the lab is the way ZAIA works. Aruto takes her silence as her answer and jumps on her to launch himself away.

Meanwhile in the forest, Horobi, Jin and Assassin-chan are still battling. But Assassin-chan has gotten much stronger. Horobi and Jin have to deal with a number of Magia, allowing Assasin-chan to run.

Aruto calls Izu for an update and she says Wazu is broken as he has been taking her to random, nonsensical places around the city. She says he is incredibly dumb and has hoodwinked Aruto into believing him.

Aruto asks Izu for them to believe in Wazu just a little longer.

Izu, however, is losing her robotic patience even though Wazu tries to lighten the mood.

Turns out Isamu has been following them the whole day and he too thinks Wazu is an idiot. Isamu calls Wazu trash and Izu agrees.

But Wazu says he already knows who the culprit is and has found all the answers to their questions. He suddenly sounds the alarm when a van comes speeding at them. Wazu tells Isamu to stop the van as it has persons of interest.

Isamu henshins and slams the van to a halt. Inside are three men who Wazu says is a gang of thieves who steal Humagears, remodels them and sells them on the black market. Wazu shows them a photo of Assassin-chan and asks them to spill all they know about him.

Wazu, Izu and Isamu end up at a festival. Assassin-chan is actually Japanese-dance Humagear Matsurida Z who perform in a group of five at festivals. Izu says those Humagears were indeed stolen, but they have a different face from the culprit in the videos.

Wazu explains that the thieves were proficient in being able to change Humagear data and faces before they would sell them. He realized that since Assassin-chan’s face was not in Hiden’s database and he kept reviving after being destroyed, this was the explanation.

They find a Humagear with Assassin-chan’s face lurking about. Since there have already been four of the five dance Humagears, this must be the 5th and last one.

Isamu acknowledges Wazu is pretty good. Wazu scoots toward Matsurida Z #5.

Izu understands what Wazu had been doing all day. Isamu thinks Wazu is almost like a real human detective. Izu wonders if he has reached Singularity.

Matsurida Z #5 runs, but is stopped by the current Assassin-chan. Isamu henshins and charges toward them. Aruto arrives and he and Isamu try taking on the powered-up Assassin-chan.

Nothing seems enough against Assassin-chan. Thankfully, the lab alerts Izu that the new Key is done. She hurries back to retrieve it and slides back just in time to hand the Shining Hopper Key to Aruto.

Wazu suggests Aruto use Breaking Mammoth instead. But Aruto goes ahead with the new one.

Aruto uphenshins to Shining Hopper.

Episode Thoughts

I liked the episode.

Wazu is a fun character. I enjoyed seeing Izu and Isamu doubting Wazu and then getting their comeuppance when it turns out Wazu really is the best detective ever. It was fitting that it was Izu and Isamu doubting Wazu since they always do things by the book and not look out of the box. Surely they’ve now learned that sometimes an unconventional approach to things can actually be the best course of action.

Wazu being able to do all of that too, as Izu pointed out, is another aspect of the Humagears reaching Singularity. You can’t really program how to be a great detective. (Otherwise, Wazu would’ve done exactly what Izu and Isamu wanted to do.) Wazu was able to learn and develop his skills on his own.

I wonder what that little bit with Wazu suggesting the other Key was about. I hope it means something in the next episode.

Izu having to confront things that may be foreign to her has been very interesting. I guess it is all part of her reaching Singularity or something like that.

The biggest development, if I understand it correctly, is that Grandpa Hiden knew MetsubouJinrai would be a problem and took steps to possibly fight back against them whenever the time came?

I’m not sure where they’re taking Horobi and Jin right now. After a climactic offensive a few weeks ago, they’ve kind of fallen into a bit of a rut. Especially Jin who has really become some kind of like cute five-year-old boy hiding behind his Papa Horobi. It’s very strange. Lol We also didn’t really get to see how Horobi reacted to Assassin-chan’s Singularity either. So it’s hard to get a read on what the impact of Assassin-chan going rogue is. Unless this is all according to Horobi’s keikaku.

Overall, it was a solid and enjoyable episode.