Recap: Kamen Rider Zero-One, Episode 31 – Take off Toward Your Dream!

Aruto is struggling to come up with his new company’s slogan. Izu knows a company’s slogan is like its guiding principle, especially for its leader.

Aruto says he would like to help people whose lives have been inconvenienced by the loss of Humagears. One such person is Ishizumi who arrives with a deactivated G-Pen.

Ishizumi asks Aruto to reactivate his dear assistant, but Aruto says that is up to G-Pen himself.

They have Ishizumi leave G-Pen and return home for now. Aruto would like to hear G-Pen’s feelings first. Once G-Pen wakes up, Aruto asks if he would like to return to work with Ishizumi-sensei. But G-Pen does not comprehend and cannot connect to ZEA.

G-Pen walks out and Izu says he must not be able to act or form new thoughts independently. As Humagears achieve their learning through ZEA’s data archives, without it, Humagears would be unable to grow further.

As they are standing outside, Jin appears. He has been waiting for one of his Humagear friends to pop up so he could liberate them. Just like now.

Aruto says G-Pen is Ishizumi’s dear partner. Jin says Humagears are no human’s mere tool.

They both henshin. Aruto declares that he will guide Humagears so they will be able to smile with humans. But Jin says no one asked him to do that and to not drag his friends into his self-righteous dreams. Jin grabs G-Pen and flies off.

Over at Hiden HQ, Yua is unable to connect to ZEA as well and says this might be ZEA’s way of declaring it will not yield to ZAIA. Gai says it doesn’t matter since without ZEA, Humagears are useless. They now just have to deal with Aruto.

Aruto and Izu inform Ishizumi that G-Pen can no longer be his assistant. But Ishizumi says while he did see G-Pen as just an assistant before, he now believes he can become a mangaka. And that’s partly thanks to Aruto’s words to him before.

Jin tries to get G-Pen to think for himself. Since he has free will, he can reach Singularity and be free. G-Pen walks away as Horobi pops in.

Horobi asks Jin what’s the point of being free. As long as humans control society, Humagears will be a powerless class.

Horobi says they cannot live alone and that they must create a network only for Humagears. And that is MetsubouJinrai.net.

G-Pen scares people as he walks by. Running low on battery, he stops and looks up at a billboard of the upcoming movie adaptation of Ishizumi’s Perfuman Tsurugi.

Yua arrives with two A.I.M.S. officers ready to destroy G-Pen. Yua wonders what he is looking at and realizes it must be close to developing sapience.

Aruto arrives and Yua asks why he reactivated the Humagear. Aruto tells G-Pen that Ishizumi wants him to make his debut as a mangaka with his very own creations and not just remain an assistant.

Ishizumi believes G-Pen will feel very fulfilled when he is able to do that.

Yua says if G-Pen does develop sapience, humans will no longer be able to control him. But Aruto insists G-Pen is not a tool.

Yua suddenly remembers being called Gai’s tool.

Aruto tells G-Pen that drawing a manga with all his passion will make him a true mangaka. He hands G-Pen a pen and pad and encourages him to think for himself.

“It is okay for Humagears to dream!”

Jin, watching from nearby is taken aback. Yua is shocked.

G-Pen announces that he would like to try drawing his own manga.

The A.I.M.S. officers ask Yua for authorization to shoot and kill. Yua shakes her head as Aruto and G-Pen walk away.

Back at Hiden HQ, Gai is furious at Yua and reminds her she must do anything he says since she is his tool. Yua has a momentary head pain before affirming her toolness.

In the parking garage, Isamu arrives hoping to speak with them. Gai leaves Isamu to Yua as he and the pair of A.I.M.S. officers leave.

Isamu and Yua both henshin and battle.

Isamu is able to defeat Yua with several finishers. He says will fight her as many times necessary to bring her to her senses. Yua says the world isn’t so kind as to allow people to live alone.

Isamu walks away, not knowing Yua was able to swipe his Assault Wolf Key.

At Hiden Manufacturing, Gai confronts Aruto and demands he hand over all Humagear data. But Aruto says how Humagears live in the future depends on their own free will. And he will make sure that everyone can reach their dream.

They battle and Gai seems to have Aruto in a tight spot. But Jin appears to help Aruto.

Jin says that thanks to Aruto, he has learned what will drive Humagears to Singularity. Jin thinks it will be worth gambling the future of his friends on Aruto’s dream.

Jin and Aruto team up to humiliate Gai once more, forcing him to dehenshin after a pair of finishers.

A furious Gai vows to crush Hiden Manufacturing.

Later, Ishizumi thanks Aruto as G-Pen begins work on his first manga.

At Hiden Manufacturing, Aruto has already decided on a motto for his company: “Take Off Toward a Dream”.

Izu has fixed the Humagear and asks Aruto which data they should install. Aruto chooses Shester. But since she doesn’t work for Aruto, she instead offers up Matsurida Z to help celebrate the new company.

Episode Thoughts

Certainly not as explosive as the last two episodes, but the story continues moving forward in a great way.

It was great to see another example of Aruto’s impact on changing people’s view and attitude toward Humagears. Of course, Isamu is the biggest one. But seeing how everyday people will evolve from only using Humagears as mere technology and instead actual beings is very interesting. Just like how Aruto grew up regarding his Humagear father as a real person and not just a gadget of some sort.

It was also nice to see how “Take Off Toward a Dream” now applies to Humagears also and not just humans using Humagears. Before, it was all about how Humagears would help humans reach their dreams. But now, Humagears will be able to reach for a dream as well.

That scene with Gai being absolutely furious at Yua in the office was great. I think (hope!) they’re doing well slowly building up to a nice climax with Yua’s story. I hope it will be as impactful as Isamu’s climactic arc as well.

Jin and Horobi’s dynamic continues to be interesting. The tables really have turned and you really don’t know what’s coming with them. So that’s very exciting.

Overall, a good, solid episode!