Recap: Kamen Rider Revice – Birth of Chimera

Kamen Rider Revice Birth of Chimera

Hiromi is battling a mysterious man in the forest which he realizes is Azuma, the other man alongside Akaishi who formed a contract with Gifu centuries ago. Azuma says he must lead humans down the proper path.

Azuma chokes Hiromi unconscious and leaves him for dead.

Kamen Rider Revice Birth of Chimera

George, meanwhile, finishes work on what he calls the strongest Driver ever. He believes this can finally get him out of Daddy Karizaki’s shadow and without using the power of the devil.

George tries to henshin, but instead out pops Chic, the demon Papa Karizaki had installed inside him. Chic wants to use Gifu’s eyeballs, which George has on the table, to create an immortal Kamen Rider Army. George refuses and Chic calls him and his father both naïve.

George and Chic fight over the eyeballs with each ending up with one each.

Kamen Rider Revice Birth of Chimera

In the city of Horai, young Otani Nozomu is with his mother who is taking medicine for her illness. She says the new medications have been working much better and it’s thanks to the work of Dr. Sotoumi. Nozomu promises that he will become a doctor one day and ensure she can be healthy.

Papa Otani arrives home from work and says they’ve been very busy as Dr. Sotoumi is preparing his Investigational New Drug. He adds that it’s even like the doctor has changed personalities as he’s been too pushy while preparing for clinical trials.

Papa Otani says he’s not too tired for his daily arm wrestling face off with Nozomu though. Mama Otani is their referee as they playfully tease each other.

Kamen Rider Revice Birth of Chimera

Next day, Nozomu meets with his good friend Mukai Ryu who wants them to workout together. Nozomu says he’s too tired today and they instead pay their respects at the shrine for now.

Ryu teases Nozomu about his dream to become a doctor, but he knows Nozomu has what it takes.

Ryu tells Nozomu that his life might change today as he will take part in Dr. Sotoumi’s clinical trials. The new drug aims to activate certain parts of their genes to strengthen their bodies. Ryu says that since he can’t join Fenix anymore, the drug will at least be able to get closer to his dream of being a hero.

Ryu heads to the assembly hall for the clinical trials. Dr. Sotoumi welcomes the test subjects and shows them the Driver and Vistamp that will be used to administer the experimental drug into them.

Kamen Rider Revice Birth of Chimera

The potential subjects are shocked when Dr. Sotoumi says this test will see if they can become Kamen Riders. One of the subjects quickly raises his hand, but his attempt to henshin results in an adverse effect.

The doctor tells his lackeys to get the subject into another room and then asks the other potential subjects if they’re still game. Ryu steps forward. Dr. Sotoumi’s assistant Minami hands the Driver to Ryu and he is actually able to henshin into Kamen Rider Chimera.

Dr. Sotoumi applauds and says Ryu is fit for this blessing from god.

Kamen Rider Revice Birth of Chimera

On the other side of town, the Otanis are walking home from Mama Otani’s doctor’s appointment where they got good news about her health. Papa Otani suggests they go out for dinner to celebrate.

But the unsuccessful test subject comes stumbling toward them. He begins attacking Papa Otani who does his best to defend against him.

Ryu arrives just as the test subject turns into a demon. The Otanis are shocked when Ryu henshins in front of them. Ryu battles the demon and is able to finish it off with crab and crocodile finishers.

Kamen Rider Revice Birth of Chimera

Ryu does not understand why Dr. Sotoumi would allow this result from the trial. He runs back to the hall to confront the doctor. The doctor assures him that Ryu won’t suffer the same fate. But Ryu says that’s not the point. He accepted this chance in order to save people. Not whatever this has ended up being.

As Ryu runs away, Azuma appears. He is appalled by these experiments and says he will judge foolish humans who have gone down the wrong path. Dr. Sotoumi admits that he was actually under the influence of a demon.

Chic pops out and introduces himself. He impales Dr. Sotoumi with his hand and then possesses his body. Chic knows of Azuma since he was able to absorb some of Akaishi’s data. Azuma has been working through history to right humanity’s wrongs, killing many along the way. But the endless repetition of foolish wars drove him to despair. Azuma went into hiding after World War II.

Kamen Rider Revice Birth of Chimera

Now Chic wants to offer Azuma a way to get back in the game and fulfill his goal, which Chic says he also shares. Especially as Azuma is wasting away, Chic believes Gifu’s eyeball and the Chimera Driver will give him an immortal body.

Azuma accompanies Dr. Sotouma’s lackeys as they begin randomly attacking people. Azuma acknowledges that this bloodshed is necessary in order to guide humanity down the right path.

The Otanis get caught up in the attacks. Nozomu and Papa Otani tell Mama Otani to get to safety, but she tells them to just leave her behind instead. They of course refuse.

Kamen Rider Revice Birth of Chimera

Ryu comes running in to help protect them and takes on the goons himself. But it turns out this was all just a trap to lure Ryu out in order for Azuma to get the Driver.

Azuma says they must accept these “small sacrifices” for humanity’s future. Ryu henshins, but Minami shoots at him, ejecting the Stamp from the Driver. Nozomu picks it up and Ryu dehenshins when Azuma grabs the Driver from his body.

Chic puts the eyeball in the Driver and Azuma henshins to Kamen Rider Daimon.

To the horror of the Otanis, Ryu suddenly turns into a demon. Azuma declares Ryu a pest to humanity’s future and delivers a decisive blow at him.

Kamen Rider Revice Birth of Chimera

Mama and Papa Otani quickly shield their son as Ryu explodes. The blast burns through Nozomu’s parents.

As Nozomu finds his bearings, he sees his dying parents by his side. Papa and Mama Otani are relieved that Nozomu is okay and hope that he will remain safe.

Nozomu cries in agony as his parents take their last breaths.

Kamen Rider Revice Birth of Chimera

Nozomu watches as a laughing Chic and Azuma walk away. He vows to avenge his parents’ deaths.

Kamen Rider Revice Birth of Chimera

Over at an old Fenix hangar, George places the Gifu Eyeball in a Driver and slaps it on himself.

In Area 666, the former NOAH facility, Chic and Azuma set up shop for their headquarters. Chic shows Azuma a photo of the Igarashis as they are the ones who have Gifu DNA inside them. They are Azuma’s next targets.

Kamen Rider Revice Birth of Chimera

Sometime in the future, the Igarashis are at the airport. The siblings are seeing off their parents who are going to go on a vacation.

Ikki taps Nozomu and asks if he can take their photo. Nozomu obliges and the Igarashis hurry to the gate.

Nozomu watches as Azuma and his goons follow the Igarashis. This is his opportunity.

Kamen Rider Revice Birth of Chimera

Special Thoughts

Amazing. I loved this. Considering I have loved all non-main series Revice content so far, that’s not a surprise.

Could we have gotten Kamen Rider Chimera instead? Like, chop off half of Revice and done 25 episodes of Chimera? It’s actually almost like the story that Revice should’ve had was perfectly encapsulated in these 25 minutes.

First of all, can I say how awesome it is to see Mamehara Issei! He really is living every fanboy and fangirl’s dream. I still remember first watching Produce 101 Japan and being absolutely shocked to see his introduction performance being Ex-Aid‘s theme song. “EXCITE” is of course a great song and Daichi Miura is an amazing artist. So maybe it’s not a surprise.

What was a surprise was seeing that Issei was actually a big Kamen Rider fan. When Produce 101 Japan first premiered, one of my first thoughts was “Ooo! Lots of potential future Riders and Sentai team members!” lol

But seeing JO1’s “Mame” actually now in a Toei-produced toku project is so awesome. Especially it being Kamen Rider. He’d do so well as the main Rider of a series too.

I guess seeing him in the role also helped a bit in endearing the character the story to me. But honestly, the story really is great.

All the moments with the Otani family were the kinds of scenes I wanted more of from the Igarashis. This was definitely a prelude to the film where I’m sure all those family feels will be heightened even more.

I was stunned by the moment Mama and Papa Otani shieled Nozomu. That’s already an emotional moment in and of itself of course. But the fact that they literally showed the fire burning through them like they were just in the radius of an atomic bomb. Like, WTF! My jaw dropped. That was insanity.

So an already emotional moment made even more tragic by that simple, but definitely impactful detail.

Nozomu vowing to avenge his parents’ death is the kind of energy I wish the Igarashi siblings had for all the crap they have had to go through this year. But no, they’re more concerned with irrelevant nonsense.

But I digress. This post is all about gushing over yet another wonderful non-main series side story of Revice that should’ve actually been in the main series instead. Even Azuma’s story seems more sensical than whatever they did with Akaishi.

And seeing Chic pop out and being related to the Karizakis reminds me again how the show has completely wasted George as a character.

On one hand, it makes me frustrated again at all the dropped balls from this season. But on the other, I am so happy that something like Birth of Chimera actually exists.

There’s still five episodes left of the main series. But I already know, the strength of the first 10-15 episodes plus all the TTFC and Blu-ray exclusives will be what helps carry the heavy weight of the 30-35 episodes of inexplicable craziness that has come these last couple of months. Revice won’t be a complete waste like certain other seasons thanks solely to those aforementioned parts of the year.

Overall, aside from taking my mind off of the main series for a little bit, Birth of Chimera really is a wonderful prelude to the movie and has definitely gotten me even more excited for it.




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4 thoughts on “Recap: Kamen Rider Revice – Birth of Chimera

  1. omg! I remember Mamehara Issei from PD101! and how he was a big Kamen RIder fan! How awesome to see him actually start in Kamen Rider now! Love it!

  2. What the hell happened with this season though? lol When they can have great stuff like this and then trash stuff like the main series.

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