Recap: Kamen Rider Zero-One, Episode 18 – “This charge attack will send you flying.”

Recap: Kamen Rider Zero-One, Episode 18 – This is my Floristry

Izu is able to recover and reboot Sakuya and finds her program was overwritten somehow. Aruto asks Izu to find similar irregularities in other Humagears.

Sakuya, retaining her memory, tells Aruto that Rentaro cheated during the competition by placing the flower in her arrangement saying it was a nice complement, but later criticizing it during judging.

Aruto and Izu confront Rentaro who says it doesn’t matter anyway since competing with a robot is a joke. Gai appears, after having been informed by Aruto, and says it is not a joke. He takes this very seriously as it will have a negative effect on ZAIA.

Rentaro admits that he underestimated Sakuya and feared losing once he saw her beautiful arrangement. So he decided to sabotage her.

Gai says there must be a rematch, otherwise he will sue.

Over some coffee, Aruto and Gai talk about Grandpa Hiden. Gai says Grandpa Hiden was a brilliant man, but he used his talents incorrectly. Humans should not coexist with AI, but they should use it to evolve. When Gai suggested that to Grandpa Hiden, he refused to listen.

Aruto asks what Gai’s real relationship was with his grandfather.

Gai reveals he worked with Grandpa Hiden on a project 12 years ago. That is when the photo was taken. Aruto is shocked to see Gai doesn’t seem to have aged at all since and asks how old he is. Gai says he is eternally 24, but Izu analyzes him and says he is actually 45.

On the other side of town, Isamu confronts Yua and asks why she repaired and reactivated Horobi. Depending on her answer, he says he may have to arrest her.

They flash back to when Yua warned Isamu that she may betray him one day. Isamu had replied that he would defeat her if that ever happened.

They both henshin to decide whether today is the day. But when Isamu has Yua on her back and unarmed, Gai appears and henshins to defend his right-hand.

Gai is able to force Isamu to dehenshin. Isamu refuses to give up and he goes Assault Wolf. But that still is not enough to overcome Thouser’s power. Gai delivers a Thousand Destruction finisher to force Isamu to dehenshin once more and mocks him.

Over at the lab, ZEA has completed fabrication of an Assault Grip for Aruto. Izu says once ZEA has learned something it can easily replicate that data, just like Sakuya and ikebana.

But Sakuya says ikebana is not just about replicating. She acknowledges Rentaro’s arrangement was beautiful, but once he decided to cheat, it became hideous. She learned that ikebana is a display of one’s heart. And she learned that from her learning at the Tachibana school.

In the holding area of the competition venue, Rentaro is psyching himself up when the hooded figure appears and slaps a belt around his waist. Rentaro asks who this hooded figure is and they reply “The one who will guide humanity.”

As the rematch is about to start, Rentaro stumbles into the room and his ZAIA Spec, scanning Sakuya, activates something. Rentaro whips out the stolen Crushing Buffalo key and henshins to a Magear!

Aruto cannot believe a human has turned into a Magear.

Yua jumps into action, but Gai takes it upon himself to henshin and take on Rentaro. Aruto tries to stop Gai for fear that attacking might harm Rentaro’s human body. But Gai shoves Aruto aside and takes the battle outside.

Aruto henshins and tries to get Rentaro to wake up, but it doesn’t work. Gai insists there’s nothing they can do now as Rentaro has become nothing but an ugly beast.

Gai again pushes Aruto aside, delivers a Thousand Break which sends Aruto flying before stabbing Rentaro in the chest. That seems to break through the Magear armor and return Rentaro to normal.

Gai picks up the Crushing Buffalo key. Aruto hurries over to Rentaro who wakes up. Gai says they will settle the rematch another day.

As they walk off, Gai tells Yua to look into the strange things moving about in the shadows.

Izu and Sakuya approach Aruto and Rentaro. Rentaro says he has no right to participate in the rematch after what he did. But Aruto relates that Sakuya was able to learn much about ikebana from the Tachibana school.

Sakuya says she learned through the Tachibana style, but she only understood when she saw Rentaro’s arrangement. Ikebana reflects a person’s heart.

Rentaro, slightly embarrassed, feels like a teacher being taught by his student.

But later at the rematch, Rentaro is declared the winner again, He says, however, that Sakuya’s arrangement is also lovely and that it appears to truly reflect her heart.

Aruto tells Izu that even if they lost, he still feels happy. He has learned Humagears don’t just learn, they can also teach people about the heart.

Rentaro holds his hand out and he and Sakuya shake.

Meanwhile over at A.I.M.S., Isamu interrogates Horobi about the new developments. He knows the device used to turn a Human to a Magear is a Raidriser.

Isamu demands Horobi reveal who his accomplice is. Horobi says it is Naki.

Episode Thoughts

This was a good, work-like episode. It helped establish a few things to help move everything forward. The biggest of course being the Raidriser that somehow turns humans into Magears. That and the tease of Naki certainly helps to set up how this next arc will play out.

Elsewhere, the kokoro part with Sakuya and Rentaro was also interesting as it again added more to the possibilities with Humagears and their eventual Singularity. Obviously, there’s the actual beating heart of a real human being. And then there’s “heart” that seemingly Humagears can essentially develop through feelings and emotions. I can see the show exploring that more in the future.

Seeing Sakuya rebooted makes me hopeful that Jin will soon pop up somehow as well. I miss that guy already!

Elsewhere, Isamu and Yua’s too-short battle was very exciting. I enjoyed it a lot. It was great directing, especially in such an enclosed location. Also, I found it very disconcerting to hear Gai’s ringtone is the Japanese alert system tone. Lol. But what to make of Gai being 45 years old? Some sketchy things going on at ZAIA! lol

Overall, a good, solid episode.