Recap: Kamen Rider Zero-One, Episode 35 – What Do Humagears Dream Of?

Kamen Rider Zero One Episode 35 Recap

Jin says he will liberate the Humagears, but he needs MetsubouJinrai.net to do so. Aruto chases after Jin and they battle. When Aruto has Jin right where he wants him, Horobi suddenly steps in to shield Jin from Aruto’s finisher.

Horobi himself has no idea why he has done this. Jin whisks a confused Horobi away as Izu reminds Aruto that ZAIA Spec owners are still rampaging.

Yua just sits and listens to Naki ordering ZAIA Specers to murder all humans. But a still weak Isamu grabs Naki and asks them what their dream is.

Kamen Rider Zero One Episode 35 Recap

That question seems to get Naki to disconnect from the ZAIA Specs and the wearers are back to their normal selves.

Izu informs Aruto that the rampaging has stop.

Kamen Rider Zero One Episode 35 Recap

That evening, President Gai addresses the nation and assures everyone that they are working on a bug fix for ZAIA Specs and that it will remain safe to use. He says ZAIA.I.M.S. forces will eliminate the perpetrators of the hacking of ZAIA Specs: MetsubouJinrai.net.

Kamen Rider Zero One Episode 35 Recap

Over in Daybreak, Jin asks Horobi what’s wrong. But Horobi does not answer.

Kamen Rider Zero One Episode 35 Recap

Jin just smiles at him.

Kamen Rider Zero One Episode 35 Recap

At the hospital, Isamu wakes up to Naki by his bedside. Yua walks in and says she helped revive Naki in order to find out what Isamu’s real past is.

Naki proceeds to tell the story of Isamu’s life and concludes that he actually lived a boring, uneventful life. The only interesting thing about Isamu is that he has a very strong funny bone which Naki’s demonstrates by telling an Aruto-style pun. Isamu laughs himself off the bed.

Kamen Rider Zero One Episode 35 Recap

At Hiden Manufacturing, Aruto remembers Horobi sacrificing himself to save Jin before. Izu points out that they concluded Horobi did that to push Jin towards Singularity. But Aruto doesn’t think that’s the case this time since Horobi himself wondered why he saved Jin today.

Mr. Hatakeyama calls Aruto and Izu over to tell them about Koichi continuing to use ZAIA Specs. Aruto tries to snatch the ZAIA Specs off of Koichi’s ear, but Koichi shoves Aruto away.

Koichi says they can save their vegetables if they do some harvesting now. Knowing how important this factory is to his father, he wants to do everything he can to save it, especially after Midori was destroyed. He wants to do this much to see his father smile.

Aruto is reminded of how he promised to make his father smile too.

Kamen Rider Zero One Episode 35 Recap

In the forest, Gai and Horobi, flanked by their men, meet. And they battle.

Gai is able to jack Horobi and forces him to dehenshin. Gai unleashes a finisher, but Aruto arrives to shield Horobi from it.

Kamen Rider Zero One Episode 35 Recap

Horobi is shocked. Why would Aruto do such a thing? Aruto directs the question back at Horobi about saving Jin. And Aruto concludes that Horobi did that because he is a father wanting to protect his son. Not because of any will of the Ark.

Kamen Rider Zero One Episode 35 Recap

Aruto believes Horobi’s dream is to be a father to Jin. He says Horobi is not a tool of the Ark, but his own person with his own dreams.

Gai says a scrap of metal like Horobi can’t have dreams. But Aruto insists that that is not true. Humagears are not at fault for all this. But it is the person who created the Ark in the first place: Amatsu Gai.

Gai reiterates that tolls have no right to dream.

Aruto henshins to Metal Cluster and he and Gai battle.

Gai summons four Gigers to finish Aruto off, but they and the henshined ZAIA.I.M.S. officers all shutdown when Naki appears.

Kamen Rider Zero One Episode 35 Recap

Naki says their dream is to make Horobi’s dream come true. That’s why they’re here now.

Horobi henshins and battles Gai, completely overpowering him and eventually delivering a finisher that forces Gai to dehenshin.

Kamen Rider Zero One Episode 35 Recap

Gai says this is 1000% impossible. His ZAIA.I.M.S. men hold him back as he vows to get revenge on them all. Gai stumbles off.

Aruto calls after Horobi. Horobi says Aruto appears to be different from other humans.

Aruto says his dream is a world where humans and Humagears can live and smile together. “We’ll see,” Horobi says as he and Naki turn to walk away.

Horobi wonders if Aruto is the man who can change the future of Humagears.

Kamen Rider Zero One Episode 35 Recap

Later, Aruto and Izu accompany a repaired and reactivated Midori back to Hatakeyama Farm.

Over at Daybreak, they have successfully revived their Rai, Ikazuchi.

Kamen Rider Zero One Episode 35 Recap

“All as the Ark wills,” Ikazuchi says.

Episode Thoughts

Hmm, not sure what to think of this one.

First of all, it was a pretty crazy scene having Yua listening to Naki essentially ordering ZAIA Spec peoples to go around and murder non-ZAIA Spec-wearing people. (What is this? Apple vs Samsung wars?!) Yua just sat there while people possibly murdered other people. Umm… okay Yaiba Yua.

But I must say, I’m disappointed that Isamu actually lived a boring life. I like my dramatic twists and sad backstories. So Naki revealing that Isamu essentially lived an uneventful life feels very off.

For one thing, I don’t like the feeling that it basically negates 34 episodes worth of character development for him. I’ve repeatedly said that Isamu has probably the best character development of any character this season. And with Naki’s storytime this episode, the show is basically saying “Yeah, forget all of that.”

Especially considering the “reveal” happened in what was essentially a throw-away scene also feels like a slap in the face to a truly great character.

Isamu’s ended up being a mere plot device for Gai’s ultimate keikaku. As if we need more reason to hate Gai. And also as a plot device to introduce Naki.

So I felt like this episode was a huge disservice to Fuwa Isamu. He deserves much better than getting a very contrived retcon in the middle of the season.

Horobi coming to the realization that he likes being a daddy, I mean… father also kind of felt underwhelming. It was only last episode that we were reminded of him being programmed as a father figure/caregiver. And Aruto remembering Horobi saving Jin all those episodes ago was pure exposition to set-up Horobi’s sudden epiphany that he likes being a father.

There was so much potential in perhaps dragging it out an episode or two more. But when they ended the episode with the MetsubouJinrai reunion, it felt too much like déjà vu instead of a pivotal moment that gives us insight to Horobi’s true character. Or a moment that signaled a new, or at least new-old threat returning to cause terror.

And considering how pathetic Gai has become with his ass getting handed to him week after week, there really wasn’t any sense of danger or tension at the end of this episode. Not like we’ve seen pretty much every week for the last few months.

And I don’t feel like this was some kind of transition episode. I get what they were trying to do in terms of plot development. But I honestly don’t think they hit the mark this time. And worse, they completely fouled out on some aspects.

Obviously this upcoming pseudo-hiatus was not planned. But this definitely wasn’t a great episode to leave us with for what could conceivably be at least a month of recaps and specials.

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