Recap: Kamen Rider Geats, Episode 1 – Daybreak F: Invitation To Be a Rider

Kamen Rider Geats Episode 1 Recap

A mysterious woman named Tsumuri is welcoming the three remaining players to the final mission in the Desire Grand Prix after six months of battle. Whoever survives will become the God of Desire and can change the world.

Kamen Rider Geats Episode 1 Recap

Meanwhile, 22-year-old Sakurai Keiwa is at a job interview. But the prospective employer is not too receptive to his idealistic, but seemingly sincere sentiments about being a meaningful contributor to society. The interviewer points out that the world is a battlefield and Keiwa may not be able to survive with that kind of attitude.

Later, Keiwa calls his older sister Sara to update her on his interview. He knows he messed up and wishes he could just win the lottery and get the money he needs to buy whatever he wants. Sara says she knows if he ever won that much money, he’d probably just donate it to help animals or something.

Sara offers to treat him to lunch and asks what Keiwa would eat if it was his last meal on Earth. Naturally, he says, it would be tanuki soba.

While waiting for their food, Sara is watching live-streamer Kurama Neon showing herself having run away from home only to be approached by her family’s bodyguards to take her back. Sara is a fan since she loves how rich girl Neon just wants to live a normal life.

Kamen Rider Geats Episode 1 Recap

When their food arrives, a strange wave pulsates through the restaurant, even splashing hot soba onto Keiwa’s face. The siblings discover a strange force field between them. And just then, a strange figure known as a Jyamato walks in.

The Jyamato slashes at the restaurant owner who gets thrown across the room. It tries to attack Sara next, but is blocked by the force field. It turns its attention to Keiwa who gets his cheek slashed at.

Tsumuri announces to the players that the mission has begun. The three of them slap their Drivers on and proceed.

Kamen Rider Geats Episode 1 Recap

Keiwa and Neon run into each other, but are quickly surrounded by Jyamato. A mysterious polar bear-headed Rider and a bull-headed Rider appear and they take on the unending stream of Jyamato. Every defeated foe scores each Rider some points.

Tsumuri watches the battle and wonders where the third player is. After taking some time to relax in his green room, Yukiyo Ace proceeds to the battlefield.

Kamen Rider Geats Episode 1 Recap

The polar bear Rider, Goutokuji Takeshi, escorts Keiwa and Neon to safety on a rooftop and dehenshins. Keiwa thanks him and he replies that it’s just force of habit to help someone in trouble as he used to be a firefighter. The bull Rider, Azuma Michinaga, appears and says Takeshi only saved them for the points. Takeshi denies it, saying he is not like Michinaga in that way. Michinaga counters that Takeshi definitely is as he’s only here for the grand prize.

Kamen Rider Geats Episode 1 Recap

The two of them wonder where their fellow finalist is and wonder if he is plotting on going for big points by attacking the fortress.

Keiwa screams, wanting to know what the hell is going on. Michinaga says the world is coming to an end.

Suddenly, a large monster-like fortress appears in the sky. Takeshi gets swatted by one of its tentacles and is slammed into a wall. That eliminates him from competition.

Michinaga smiles at there being one less opponent for him. Keiwa is shocked at Michinaga’s apparent flippant attitude about seeing a person just die. Michinaga says that should be the least of Keiwa’s worries right now.

The fortress monster begins attacking the city. Neon falls over the side of the building, but Ace swoops in on his bike to catch her. Keiwa comes running to make sure she’s okay.

Ace says that’s too bad as he hoped she’d be single. Keiwa and Neon deny they are in any kind of relationship.

“So you’re saying I have a chance?”

Kamen Rider Geats Episode 1 Recap

Neon is quite turned off by this cocky guy. But Ace puts his arm around both of them and says you can always change the world if you keep trying. Keiwa says that is a lie. He has realized that the world will move on and life will not change. The perfect world is just dream. But now it’s coming to an end.

Ace says not to worry. Why don’t they just end this world and try again in a new one?

Kamen Rider Geats Episode 1 Recap

Keiwa and Neon watch as Ace henshins to the fox-looking Kamen Rider Geats.

Kamen Rider Geats Episode 1 Recap

Ace has no problem handling the steady stream of Jyamato, using all the weapons, attacks and tricks in his arsenal. He soon turns his attention to his main target: the fortress.

Ace hops on his bike and attacks the fortress from inside the castle. That weakens it enough to give him time to Boost. Keiwa is shocked to see Geats’ body just flip upside down. But even more shocked to see the fortress completely destroyed.

Ace has cleared the mission and is declared the winner.

Ace introduces himself to Keiwa as Kamen Rider Geats. He dehenshins and explains to Keiwa that this is all a game to rewrite the world.

Kamen Rider Geats Episode 1 Recap

The sound of a bell begins to ring through the city. Keiwa watches in awe as the city magically begins to rebuild itself as if nothing had happened.

But Keiwa suddenly wakes up in his own bed in his own room. He concludes that it was all a dream, but actually doesn’t remember what happened in it.

Keiwa is at the restaurant and is about to enjoy a bowl of tanuki soba when Tsumuri appears to tell him that he’s been chosen to become a Kamen Rider. She also approaches many other people (including Neon) across the city, presenting them with their own Driver and Core ID.

“Welcome to my world,” Ace says as he looks over the city.

Kamen Rider Geats Episode 1 Recap

Episode Thoughts

I don’t know what the hell is going on. 😅

But isn’t that always the case with the first episode? And that’s especially the case for me as I didn’t even watch the trailer for the season, to be honest. I don’t mind going into the season not knowing much and just following along.

Even so, all you can get from a toku premiere is your first impression which you then take with you to the next episodes. And for me, as always, it was an exciting, fresh start.

The biggest thing I took from this premiere though was how Keiwa’s story would be the typical origin story of your title hero. I legit had to double check who the title character was because I, at the very least, knew what the character who would be Geats looked like. He obviously did the hand-off with Ikki last week too.

So seeing Keiwa get the typical title hero set-up and later, Ace getting what could be described as the typical secondary Rider set-up is very interesting.

Without digging too deep into my memories, I don’t necessarily remember another season that started out in this way. The series definitely established Keiwa as a character very well. You understand him and maybe even connect with him already. Meanwhile, Ace is much more mysterious. And his, sort of, opposite personality to Keiwa definitely highlights this interesting switch up.

For a bit of a snap judgment, it should be interesting indeed to see how they peel back the layers for Ace. And depending on how well they do that (or maintain the mysterious, charismatic aura) could set the tone for how the rest of the season will go.

In reading a bit more about the season and its premise, I see it was influenced by games like Fortnite and Apex Legends. *whoosh* That goes right over my head. lol It should be fine though. I get the basic tournament-kind of deal. Reminds of the wonderful Super Sentai Saikyou Battle of course.

When the first images were released of the season a few weeks ago, the group of basic black Riders with different heads was very intriguing. On one hand, the idea of an army of Riders popping up so early brought back traumatic memories of a certain recent season. Lol But now seeing how it plays into the story, I feel like there’s lots of possibilities with this gimmick. And it’s certainly a toy gimmick. I assume Bandai will be selling those base Rider bodies and then making an unlimited number of heads to pop on. lol

Which got me thinking that the season might bring in a bunch of fun guest stars to be Riders of the Week… or I guess Players of the Week. Much like seeing Kyoryuger‘s Yamato Kinjo.

I don’t think they’re doing something like that, but it would be fun to see. And at least be a way to not overwhelm with too many secondary Riders.

My first thought whenever they were describing the idea of creating a new world or something like that was “Ah! So they’ve found an in-story excuse to retcon anytime they want to during the season!” lol

We only get a quick glimpse at the end of how that part of the story might work. It feels like an interesting “alternate universe”/Decade-type world-hopping kind of dynamic that would present some nice possibilities too.

But again, I have no idea what’s going on and have barely a logline’s worth of knowledge about what the season will be about. I know I’ve said “interesting,” like, a dozen times so far. And that’s really how I most feel right now. It’s an interesting premiere. It’s always great to have a fresh start, regardless of how one might feel about the just-concluded season. And like with every premiere, I’m interested to see how this brand-new season will play out.

12 thoughts on “Recap: Kamen Rider Geats, Episode 1 – Daybreak F: Invitation To Be a Rider

  1. Honestly, I hope that Ace mostly stays the same. It would be a refreshing change to have a cynical lead surrounded by various idealists, than to just have Mr. Hero. Dig into him sure, but don’t have a major change.

    I’m wondering what the odds of Neon and Keiwa actually ending up getting shipped together by the fans is.

    I feel some of what you are getting is also shades of Ryuki dripping in, which from what I understand is very intentional (Ryuki also managed to be one of the highest rider count shows and make it work, so that is a plus).

    And yeah, the dread of many starting riders and hoping the keep things under control, but also don’t over correct and leave to little story.

    1. Yes that would definitely be refreshing change of pace.

      I already expect Neon and Keiwa to have a romantic angle. Keiwa’s sister would love to be Neon’s sister in law I guess lol

      I haven’t watched Ryuki, so I wouldn’t know. But I have heard great things about it.

      We’ll see how things go. Always positive when seasons start 😄

      1. Ryuki’s a good watch overall. First real series with evil Riders, lots of darker elements, and a compelling villain. My only real gripe is how obnoxious and naive the main Rider could be a lot of the time, especially with how he never seems fully committed to putting an end to the most blatantly irredeemable Riders (if you watch the series or just remember the first Kamen Rider Brave special a couple years ago, you’ll know who I’m talking about in regards to irredeemable).

        The series seems off to a good start so far. Lots of intriguing questions (what are the monsters? who or what is puppeteering this whole game? where did this godlike power to recreate the world come from?), a different kind of main Rider, and some sprinkled in darker moments that may indicate a more dark season overall.

        Finally, I know I’m a little late, but I too was disappointed how Revice fell off a cliff and never seemed to be able to climb back up after episode 28. I think one of the main issues is the fact that after Olteca, the season lacked any compelling, charismatic, or just plain fun villains to make the conflict interesting. Vail had potential, but hardly had any interaction with his arch nemesis. Akashi was bland, two dimensional, and way overstayed his welcome. Gifu only spoke in three episodes. George was never really a villain. What’s funny is that the writers tried to make the villains more compelling by playing to the family theme, what with Akashi suddenly viewing Daiji as a son and Gifu suddenly claiming that the Igarashis were his family. But they clearly didn’t realize that they wasted the perfect dark-sided contrast to the family theme: Olteca. Unlike the Igarashis, he clearly came from a horrible family and thus never had or cherished familial love. He arguably had a more sympathetic backstory than Julio/Tamaki. I’m not saying he should have been redeemed or anything, but I wish he had been released from Gifu’s stomach sooner than he was, like mid-30s or so. He could’ve been a reluctant ally to Weekend and the Igarashis, helping them defeat Akashi and Gifu in retaliation for being betrayed. And then over the course of that temporary team-up, have him witness several instances of the Igarashis being a loving and supporting family and have him become jealous and angry. Then have him be the final boss after Gifu is defeated, maybe by having him make a contract with Gifu to obtain his power if he were ever defeated or something like that. His final motivation, instead of the whole make the world mine shtick, would be to tear apart the Igarashi family out of pure spite for having what he could never have. And unlike what the writers failed to do, tie in the final boss’s motivations with Ikki’s memory loss to make it seem relevant. Have his main goal be to attack the Igarashi family in order to goad Ikki into continually transforming so he will lose the rest of his familial memories and thus damage the Igarashi family seemingly beyond repair. But that’s just my two cents.

        1. I hope to watch more pre-OOO seasons in the future.

          About Revice, that is a wonderful idea you’ve laid out. I laid out a similar story in my Season Wrap-up for George. Have him basically be envious of the Igarashi family. But your connecting that with Olteca’s horrific past is even better I think. They really wasted an opportunity to flesh out that backstory. His story would probably be the best jumping off point for a story about how inner demons can be brought out by external factors as well. And I think there could even be room for a good redemption story too since they can have the real Makoto Hatsushiba fighting to regain control of his body and soul over the demon Olteca or whatever. It’s all overly convoluted though, the way they laid out the “rules” for the demons and Deadmans. But whatever.

          Lots of great potential wasted for really inexplicable reasons.

          1. Thanks for the positive feedback. By the way, off topic here, but did you ever watch the Kiramager Yodonna spin-off? It has a noticeably darker tone, would probably make Juru’s girlfriend a little less insufferable in your eyes, and gives awesome development to an already awesome villain.

      2. They’ve done this formula before with Kabuto where the secondary rider acts more like a classic idealistic protagonist. And the titular rider himself is the opposite of that character

  2. The writer really likes the word “daybreak” huh. It’s used once in Zero-One, and now it’s used here again.

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