Recap: Kamen Rider Revice, Episode 14 – The Commander Is…a Deadman!?

The Deadmans are excited for Gifu-sama’s impending return. Aguilera wants to hurry the “filtering” process which is when Gifu-sama determines whether sacrifices will be allowed to exceed Phase-2 and become Giftex. If you don’t pass the filtering, you’ll get erased.

Before that happens, Lawyer Kudo wants to settle the score with Ikki. Julio reminds Amahiko that he also has Sakura to follow up on.

Aguilera says Sakura being the last sacrifice would be wonderful. But Olteca has someone else in mind: Wakabayashi. All he has to do is retrieve a certain item and return to them.

Over at Fenix, George is speaking with Daiji and Hiromi about having confirmed that Commander Wakabayashi is a Deadman. He realized it when the officer that attacked him last week knew the name of the Barid Rex Stamp when only George and Commander Wakabayashi were the ones with knowledge of that name.

Hiromi cannot believe it. But George says Commander Wakabayashi will be coming for the Gifu Stamp next which only George knows is being kept in a secret cargo room. Commander Wakabayashi listens in on their conversation.

Meanwhile, Sakura is running late and can’t even enjoy some of Papa Igarashi’s pancakes before having to hurry to school.

After breakfast, Ikki is cleaning the bathhouse before they open when Lawyer Kudo barges in. Ikki is upset that he is wearing his shoes inside the bath and tries to forcibly remove them.

Lawyer Kudo says he wants to pay Ikki back for the lecture he gave him. Kudo transforms, Ikki and Vice henshin and they take their battle outside.

During their break period, Sakura’s friends are showing her the news of Kamen Rider Jeanne being very popular online these days. And later during class, Amahiko appears outside the school calling for Sakura to come down and meet him. Sakura’s friends think Amahiko is her boyfriend.

But the students scatter when Amahiko summons Planarian Deadman to go grab her. Sakura tries to sneak away to henshin, but her friends annoyingly chase her around the school, preventing her from doing so.

Back at Fenix, Commander Wakabayashi enters the secret cargo room and believes he has found the Gifu Stamp. But instead finds a Kamen Rider Ichigou figure and George, Daiji and Hiromi having set a trap for him.

George has the Gifu Stamp in his hand while Hiromi and Daiji have their guns pointed at Wakabayashi. George knew Wakabayashi had his office wiretapped.

Hiromi is most upset by this betrayal. He looked up to Commander Wakabayashi and cannot understand why he would join the Deadmans and cost so many Fenix officers their lives.

Wakabayashi tells Hiromi to shoot him then if he feels so wronged.

Over in Deadman Land, Aguilera is dressed in a red gown and remembers being told that she was chosen by Gifu-sama himself to be his bride back when she was just a little girl. She is looking forward to the moment she becomes his bride.

Back in town, Lawyer Kudo demands Ikki take back everything he said to him. Kudo says he worked so hard to become a lawyer only to lose every case. He sold his soul to the Deadmans in order to finally become a winner.

Kudo calls Ikki the country’s biggest egoist since he lacks empathy and sticks his nose into other people’s business to satiate his own need for attention, regardless of the trail he leaves behind.

Vice jokes that Ikki is getting lectured for a change. But noticing that Ikki must really be bothered by Kudo’s words, tells him that it’s okay to be a busybody. Vice says Ikki should just keep doing what he does best.

Ikki understands and thanks Vice for the wise words. They battle Kudo and are able to defeat the Deadman, separating Kudo from it.

Back at school, Sakura and her friends are hiding in the gym when Amahiko finds them. He taunts them and says Sakura better come out or he’ll turn her friends into sacrifices. Sakura has had enough and she charges toward Amahiko to punch him in the gut.

Amahiko calls her a coward then sticks his tongue out at her. Sakura doesn’t care anymore. She henshins right in front of her friends. Amahiko orders Planaria Deadman to deal with Sakura. But Julio appears and stamps Amahiko’s contract, telling him to deal with this himself.

Sakura is able to defeat the Deadman and separate Amahiko from it. But Julio picks up the unconscious Amahiko as does Olteca to the unconscious Kudo and they take them away.

Back at Fenix, Hiromi is unable to shoot his former mentor. Wakabayashi pats Hiromi on the back, then grabs him from behind saying he’s always been a strait-laced guy. And because of that, he has something to share to leave him in despair.

On the day of the ceremony, Chameleon Deadman had infiltrated Fenix, killed the REAL Commander Wakabayashi and assumed his identity.

Chameleon Deadman whacks a hysterical Hiromi to the floor and swats Daiji aside when he charges toward him. He demands the Gifu Stamp which George has no choice but to toss over to him.

Chameleon Deadman says this likely brings an end to Fenix’s activities and he leaves.

Ikki is shocked when he arrives.

At the wedding venue, Olteca has the Gifu Stamp in his hand as Kudo, Amahiko and Chameleon Deadman step up to the Gifu shrine for their filtering process. All three are accepted and are granted Giftex status.

Chameleon Deadman says he is not a fan of his original form and prefers Wakabayashi’s body instead. Aguilera says he’s a pretty interesting fellow.

Anyway, both Aguilera and Julio are excited that they only need one more sacrifice. But Olteca says they already have their sixth.

And that sixth is Aguilera herself, much to her and Julio’s shock.

Episode Thoughts

So a very busy episode this week. And I guess themed around accepting who you are? I dunno. Lol

Kudo hated being a bad lawyer loser, so he signed a contract. And in having zero confidence in himself, turned his frustration on Ikki by calling him Japan’s biggest egoist. That apparently still hits a nerve with Ikki, but Vice comes through with some simple, yet wise words to say there’s nothing wrong with that. Ikki sticks his nose in other’s people’s business. But he does so with good intentions and that’s cool. You do you Ikki!

Meanwhile, Kamen Rider Jeanne has become a hot issue around the country and is gathering up fans faster than the latest J-pop idol group. And after some teasing of the usual “must hide my identity” trope (along with some pretty annoying friends of hers lol), Sakura henshins and reveals her identity to everyone. Embrace who you are! Even if you’re a superhero!

I was actually expecting a bit more from a potential Sakura-Amahiko rivalry. But instead I feel like they played it up for laughs instead. Especially making Amahiko some crazy creeper. That was very strange. And him making creepy, skeevy faces at Sakura at the school gym would’ve been the strangest moment of the episodes if it weren’t for…

Chameleon Deadman/not-Wakabayashi randomly laughing his head off! What a jarring, unexpected moment that was. I think coupled with Hiromi’s hysterical reaction (which is very much in character for him, from what we’ve seen) and the fact that the Wakabayashi we’ve come to know has been strait-laced commander of Fenix, that explosion of maniacal laughter was hilariously disconcerting. Kazuya Tanabe did an excellent job in that scene.

That whole sequence plus the revelation of Chameleon Deadman killing(?) the real Commander Wakabayashi then perfectly led into the even more shocking and bonkers reveal that Aguilera is not only some kind of child bride (ewe), she had no idea she’d also be a sacrifice for her beloved Gifu-sama.

A child bride for goodness sakes. Talk about creepy! Lol

Plus, who is Chameleon Deadman’s birther? Will that be a revisited plot point in the future? Or are we to just ignore that and accept him liking Wakabayashi’s body more.

Also, it’s very interesting how Olteca (and even the other three) was more in the know about what was happening than either Julio and especially Aguilera. That’s some drama brewing there.

And we haven’t even mentioned what’s going on in George’s head either. I know the gears were turning in his head as he tossed the Stamp to notWakabayashi. But we obviously don’t know what he was thinking there.

Though there is the mystery of how the Chameleon Deadman was able to infiltrate Fenix HQ in the first place. Hmm…

Overall, this was such a wild, full episode. Lots going on. Fast-paced. Exciting. Surprising. Hop on for the ride everyone!

And it looks like next week will be the first sibling henshin? Yes please!

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