Recap: Kamen Rider Zero-One, Episode 16 – This is the Dawn of ZAIA

ZEA is giving Izu a recap of what has happened while she’s been incapacitated. She declares this the final, decisive battle against MetsubouJinrai.net.

Aruto slashes through the army of Magears before he and Jin can focus solely on each other.

Isamu and Yua watch from behind a tree, wondering how Aruto is able to use the Grip. But Yua realizes it must be ZEA which was able to predict all this.

Jin is able to find an opening and, remembering his dear Papa Horobi, attacks Aruto and slams him against a building.

Aruto wakes up in ZEA where he meets Izu who tells him to activate Shine System which will adhere to Aruto’s will and support him both on offense and defense.

After making a pun, Aruto promises Izu he will win this battle so she must promise to also get well soon.

They pinky swear and Aruto activates Shine System.

Jin is taken by surprise by this new power, but he charges toward Aruto, not giving up the fight. Aruto, however, is able to effectively use Shine System to knock Jin onto his back.

Jin reaffirms his, their mission to eliminate humanity. Aruto asks what have humans done to them for Jin to feel this way.

Jin says he does not know, only that it is what Horobi has always told him.

Aruto realizes Humagears are truly innocent. Everything they know about good and evil is acquired through their learning process. If only their learning hadn’t taught them evil, they wouldn’t be fighting each other like this.

Aruto says he hopes humans and Humagears will be able to laugh together someday.

Jin says Humagears will only be able to laugh when humans are all dead.

Isamu and Yua stumble over to watch as Jin launches a Flying Utopia finisher at Aruto who quickly counters with a Shining Storm Impact.

They both land safely on the ground, but Jin is soon forced to dehenshin.

With his final “breaths,” Jin declares that humans will be eliminated some day. It is as the Ark wills.

Jin collapses to the ground and explodes.

Isamu and Yua believe it is all over, finally.

Back in Daybreak, the Ark begins to fabricate two new Keys. A white-clothed person walks in and steps on Horobi’s lifeless body.

It is Gai who proclaims it is now 1000 percent complete. He retrieves the two new Keys.

Back at Hiden HQ, Aruto welcomes back Izu who has been completely repaired and rebooted. She does a little dance to check and she confirms she’s as good as new.

Izu thanks Aruto for repairing her. But Aruto says he should be the one grateful to her. It is thanks to her, after all, that he is able to navigate through his responsibilities as president. Izu says she’s just doing her job.

But now it’s time for the emergency board meeting to decide Aruto’s fate as president.

Shester asks the board to raise their hands if they support Aruto’s removal from his position. Only VP Jun raises his hand. SVP Sanzo alerts his boss to the fact and VP Jun tries to play it off.

Aruto is shocked by the result. SVP Sanzo tries to reign in the focus by complementing Grandpa Hiden’s foresight and the success of Aruto as Zero-One in protecting the company.

The board stands and applauds Aruto.

Aruto stands and bows to the board.

Over at A.I.M.S., Yua is watching a news report declaring MetsubouJinrai.net has been eliminated and the Humagear threat has been neutralized by Hiden.

Isamu approaches Yua who confirms she is returning to ZAIA after being reassigned. She jokes that she is relieved she no longer has to look after Isamu. Isamu agrees.

They have the lifeless body of Horobi tied up in the middle of a dark room. Isamu asks what they should do with it now and Yua says whatever he wants.

Isamu asks what has he been fighting all this time. He has hated MetsubouJinrai.net for so long, yet all he sees in front of him is scrap metal.

Next day, Aruto and Izu are downtown as the city celebrates Christmas. Everyone is happy and joyous for the holiday.

Over at ZAIA, Yua gives Gai a report on the deWewmise of MetsubouJinrai. But Gai says MetsubouJinrai will not disappear as long as Humagears exist in the world.

Gai explains that because the ship, that is, the Ark is alive. And the one who created the Ark… was him!

When Hiden was set to launch the satellite 12 years ago, Gai included data on criminal psychology and the history of the world’s foolish wars into its learning samples. That allowed for the creation of an artificial intelligence that hated humanity, the Ark.

And the Ark eventually created MetsubouJinrai.net. But it fell to the bottom of the lake during Daybreak. Now that it is awakened again, they will use its power to bring about the rise of ZAIA technology to rule the world.

Putting the pieces together, Yua asks if A.I.M.S. was also a pawn in Gai’s game, especially since she and Isamu put their lives on the line.

Gai deflects and says the real battle is about to begin. And as his right-hand woman, he expects a lot from her in the future.

Yua clenches her firsts.

Downtown, a pair of Magears arrive and begin rampaging. Isamu joins Aruto and takes back his Grip before they henshin to Assault Wolf and Shining Hopper, respectively.

They battle the Magear into the night and finish them off.

Isamu feels something bad is on the horizon.

Next day, Aruto holds a press conference, flanked by VP Jun and SVP Sanzo, trying to explain why there are berserk Humagears even after the defeat of MetsubouJinrai.net.

Aruto, unfortunately, has no answers. But everyone is shocked when Gai walks into the room.

Gai approaches the front of the room and announces ZAIA will be launching a hostile takeover of Hiden Enterprises in order to control the Humagear situation.

Gai vows that once he gains control of Hiden, he will eliminate all Humagears threatening humans. Aruto says Gai has no right to decide that. But Gai believes they will soon find out which president will be worthy of making such decisions into the future.

Meanwhile in the dark, cavernous room, Horobi opens his eyes.

Back in his office, Gai proclaims the beginning of his era.

Episode Thoughts

No no. You’re not telling me Jin is dead for reals right? We haven’t seen the last of Jin, right?

I know Toei didn’t design a whole entire pretty suit and is about to release premium figures of it just to be used for 16 episodes and a movie. lol

I thought the moment Aruto and Jin had before Jin’s “demise” was very interesting and a little emotional. Aruto saying that MetsubouJinrai only hating humans because they were taught or learned that mindset. Of course, the show’s been hammering home the point that Humagears learn and adapt through their experiences in whatever field of work they are in. So now we’re able to apply that to Jin and Horobi, we assume, with regard to their anti-human feelings.

The scene worked very well between Aruto and Jin because we’ve already seen how Jin’s path to Singularity has included moments where he’s learned and adapted based on his experiences. He’s been able to sort of stray from whatever Horobi’s been brainwashing him with. The climax of course was the excellent Episode 6 (I think still my favorite episode of the season) where Jin’s Singularity, perhaps, gets forcibly aborted by his Papa Horobi since it wasn’t going the way daddy wanted it to.

Now we may know of Jin’s development by Horobi. But we don’t necessarily know all of Horobi’s origins quite yet. So how much influence, if any, does Gai have in that origin is likely one of the questions we’ll face moving forward.

I certainly hope we get a lot out of Yua’s shock of boss Gai and ZAIA’s true motives. Perhaps this launches her into her own investigations of her mysterious boss and the company. It would be great if it was her who ends up uncovering the big secrets.

I liked Aruto and Izu’s moments while in ZEA and after she comes back online. It also worked thanks to both of their characters being well-developed, but also their relationship being well-developed as well. Not only the boss-employee dynamic, but the sincere feelings Aruto has for Humagears, but especially for Izu. And of course Izu’s innocent robotic naiveite of human emotions and friendship/family.

The episode played out well to sort of bridge what we’ve seen so far and the next chapter. That is, the rise of ZAIA and Gai. But I certainly believe Horobi and Jin are still very much a part of the story. And I’m looking forward to seeing more from them.

Overall, a great, exciting episode that definitely ushers in and announces this next chapter and arc in Zero-One