Recap: Kamen Rider Revice, Episode 45 – Never-Ending Nightmare, Protectors and the Protected

Daiji, Hiromi, Hana and Tamaki are running around the forest looking for the cocoon holding Olteca. The slimy pod disappears around Olteca and he regains consciousness.

Tamaki charges toward Olteca, wanting to punch him, but Aguilera tells him to hold back. Olteca says they look pathetic and Aguilera announces they will be handing him over to the proper authorities.

Olteca asks if the two of them get free passes for pretending to be heroes. But Aguilera says she will be joining him behind bars once this is all over. Tamaki is shocked.

Hiromi slaps handcuffs on Olteca and Daiji says he thought he was dead.

Suddenly, Gifu flies begin encapsulating people in their own cocoons around the city.

Back at home, Ikki, Vice, Mama Igarashi and a just-arrived Buu-san help George pack up his things and clean up. Buu-san says Papa Igarashi is doing fine and now in a public hospital.

Meanwhile, Ikki wonders if sealing Gifu away wasn’t such a good idea after all. Vice says there was no other choice. And besides, this allows Ikki to avoid having to fight and lose more of himself. Vice asks if he’s forgotten more stuff, but Ikki says he’s fine.

George thanks Ikki for letting him set up shop here for a while. He asks Vice to help him with his boxes. Mama Igarashi invites George back for a bath sometime.

Ikki breathes a sigh of relief, saying it is over. But Daiji calls to tell him about the cocoons.

At Weekend, Sakura wonders if she’s truly grown stronger. Lovekov asks what she means, but Sakura tells her that it’s alright and she will just continue to protect her.

At George’s car, he comments that Vice is a weird demon since he doesn’t feel “demonic” at all. Vice says it’s probably thanks to Ikki. As George drives away, Vice begins hearing Gifu in his head.

Ikki and Vice arrive at Weekend HQ just as Giftarians begins popping up everywhere. They all hurry out, but Hiromi and Aguilera tell Tamaki to stay behind and support them from here while also staying safe from the action

Giftarians and Hell Giftarians continue to pop up everywhere as Gifu flies infect the peoples. As they henshin, Sakura notices Lovekov has a big cut on her back. She tells her to get to safety.

Vice is in pain as he hears Gifu in his head, calling for the demon to rise. Ikki tells Vice to focus on taking care of the Giftarians first.

Kagerou asks Daiji if he can take over for now, but Daiji says he will decide when that happens.

Vice tells Ikki and Daiji that he’s okay. But they all realize Gifu is still out there somewhere.

Back at Weekend, Sakura tells an annoyed Lovekov to rest and heal, saying she can handle this on her own in the meantime. Hiromi, meanwhile, thanks Tamaki for holding down the fort. Tamaki asks Hiromi if he feels bad, not being able to henshin. Hiromi says he understands what Tamaki is feeling and points out that most people want to protect, rather than be protected.

Over at the cemetery, George visits his father’s grave. He says he knows Daddy Karizaki has been watching over him this whole time and that he’s had him in the palm of his hand. But not anymore. George drops his father’s mask and the stone he gave him as child onto his gravesite, saying he doesn’t need to rely on him anymore.

Next morning, Ikki realizes Vice is gone and he runs out to find him hanging on an invisible cross in the sky. Vice says humans are the real demons.

Suddenly, Gifu emerges from a portal behind Vice who then drops to the ground. Gifu seems to speak through Vice, saying that everything must be returned to nothingness.

Daiji comes running up and allows Kagerou to take over this time. Kagerou and Ikki henshin to try and take on Gifu, but they have to face off against Giftarians. Sakura and Hana also henshin and Sakura tells Lovekov to get to safety again.

Kagerou is forced to dehenshin and Daiji takes over again. But nothing they do works against all the demons that Gifu repeatedly summons.

Lovekov comes slithering over to help Sakura, but she gets blasted. Sakura is upset at how stubborn Lovekov is. But that moment of distraction gets her dehenshined. Hana comes over to shield her from attacks, asking what the hell she’s doing.

Ikki and Daiji try to deliver a finisher at Gifu, but it doesn’t even faze him. Gifu blasts them both and, speaking through Vice, invites the Igarashis to join him in creating a new world.

Episode Thoughts

My biggest emotion this episode was when I went from “Yay Olteca!” to “Where ya going Olteca?!” within seconds. lol They finally bring him back, then immediately shuffle him off to Weekend jail. Hmph.

But having Olteca back fits perfectly with the theme of this episode. The theme being “We’re back to where we started.” lol Really! This episode felt like we just finished one lap on the track at the World Athletics Championships and we’re back to where we were just some moments ago.

Ikki regrets sealing Gifu. Even though they were going crazy trying to save crazy Daiji from preventing that very thing. But it doesn’t really matter, because Gifu is still around, obviously.

After Daiji’s found peace with his inner demons (again, since he already did that months ago when he got his new toy), it’s time for Sakura to dig up her inner demons that she’d already come to terms with as well.

George said goodbye to his father by tossing his mask on his grave and he’s back to the same George he was before Daddy Karizaki even showed up with a mask in the first place.

Juliamaki’s back to apparently questioning what his relevance to the story even is anymore. While Hanalera remembers she’d perpetrated evil crimes on people in the name of her wooden fiancé that she’s still yet to pay for.

So, basically, we’re back to where we started before the ground started shaking after Episode 15 and definitely before things really derailed after Episode 25.

Setting aside all those random character beats that are just a mess at this point, let’s focus on the main plot development this week. And that is Vice essentially being some kind of vessel for Gifu. What profound meaning or learning can we glean from Vice being easily susceptible to demonic possession like that?

They seem to have purposely included George telling Vice that he’s not your typical demon. Vice’s reply was that it’s likely because of Ikki. But what George pointed out doesn’t really make sense considering Lovekov is also not your typical demon either. Lovekov is a darned plush toy who loves punk rock for goodness sakes.

Though apparently, next week’s episode is about Sakura not treating Lovekov as a toy that needs to be protected. Perhaps paralleling Juliamaki also preferring to protect rather than be protected. Not really a final arc-worthy plot point, but whatever.

An Ikki-Vice showdown for the final episodes definitely makes sense though. Breaking them up somehow only to reunite them in the end. Or maybe a tragic ending for Vice. Yet, the Daiji-Kagerou nonsense showed that having your inner demon hanging around is the ideal scenario. (Which then contradicts Papa Igarashi-Vail’s situation, but, oh well.)

I dunno. My ideal final arc would’ve been the Igarashis coming together to fight against a Gifu-possessed Vail or something.

Anyway, I’m more looking forward to the seemingly family-focused movie. But that’s still months away for us non-Japanese fans. Long after the season’s over.

This episode was definitely one of those filmed the same week as movie production, so that’s why it was mostly the talented suit actors in action this week.

In the meantime, there’s still five episodes left for the season to try and cobble together a reasonable finale. This episode felt very much like it was setting up whatever is to come in the final weeks.

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