Recap: Kamen Rider Outsiders, Episode 0 – End of Genms, Beginning of The Plan

Kuroto is excited to start a new game where he is the main character and one that will bring him a glorious ending.

In the park, Gai is eating some ramen while Rin updates him on Kuroto’s moves. She explains that Genm has been buying out any and all tech companies it can afford. Gai is impressed since he never thought Kuroto would be a good businessman. But Rin says it’s likely due to him using a Gashat.

Rin does not have an update on Zein, however. She asks if Zein really wants to exterminate humanity and Gai says based on their findings, that is the likely scenario. That’s why Kuroto’s intelligence could be the deciding factor.

Ark takes over Rin’s body and explains that the rebirth of Genm has brought about a new form of malice into the world.

Over at Genm Musou HQ, Kuroto is excitedly scratching off lottery tickets and winning with every one thanks to the Gashat. Just then, the mysterious woman with the “Smart Brain” pin enters Kuroto’s office. She introduces herself as Smart Queen, secretary to the president of Smart Brain, a tech company who wishes to create an ideal future.

Kuroto slams his foot on his table, pointing out she doesn’t have an appointment scheduled. Smart Queen tells him to get his foot off the table because Genm Musou and everything it owns now belongs to them after the Smart Brain president bought them out.

Smart Queen moves to take the Genm Musou Gashat, but Kuroto grabs it first and asks what they want. Smart Queen says they just want to expand their company. She demands Kuroto hand over the Gashat.

“Go to hell!” Kuroto replies, remaining defiant. He runs out of the building, but is also running out of battery. He runs around the park looking for someplace to plug in. but he collapses. He takes a photo of Papa Dan out of his coat before he shuts down.

A mysterious woman appears and brings him to a charging station. When Kuroto wakes up, he calls her an evil woman, thinking she is Smart Queen. But the woman says he’s mistaken. She introduces herself as Sonoda Mari and says it was Smart Brain that stole her appearance.

Kuroto does a quick scan and concludes that she is telling the truth. She explains that Smart Brain is interested in an ideal future and are involved in many fields including technology and medicine. Kuroto asks why they would go out of their way to take his life’s work.

Mari says it is because Zein sees the leader of Smart Brain as a threat. That leader is Ark Orphnoch. Orphnochs are the ultimate form of human evolution and they run Smart Brain.

Kuroto says he never thought anyone other than him would be a threat to Zein. Mari asks him if he will defeat Ark Orphnoch then. Kuroto says he will, but not because she asked him to. He just wants to make the people who took is company pay. Mari tells him to be careful. But Kuroto doesn’t need such warnings because he’s the main character and his story will not end with a Game Over.

Smart Queen approaches Ark Orphnoch on the roof. He is imagining the day when Orphnochs rule over the human race. And obtaining the Genm Musou Gashat is key to that.

Kuroto and Smart Queen come face to face. Smart Queen henshins using technology created by Smart Brain. Kuroto says the only ending to Genm Musou will be one chosen by god himself. Kuroto henshins and they battle.

Kuroto is able to pause time. He loads a Critical Finale and delivers the finisher at Smart Queen. She is forced to dehenshin and burns away. Mari arrives and warns Kuroto that Ark Orphnoch has appeared.

Kuroto says it is time for the bosses to face off. But Gai and Rin arrive to say they must all work together as Zein is their true enemy. Kuroto says that’s not his problem and walks away. Ark Orphnoch says humans will never get his help.

Gai is sure that one day they must all fight together.

Suddenly, a strange hooded man appears to Mari. He says that Ark Orphnoch’s vision is merely a prediction. But [they] will make it a reality. They have created a plan to gather all evil Kamen Riders throughout history into Project Outsiders.

Episode Thoughts

I honestly knew nothing about Kamen Rider Outsiders until I saw that it had been released. I was quite surprised actually that it was even a thing. But also not because it’s been funny to watch Dan Kuroto’s story still continuing after all this time.

It’s an interesting concept, especially for a little miniseries like this. And seeing Kuroto and Gai as the main characters works well with the theme they are going for with the story.

As an Episode 0, I guess this bridges the gap between the other specials so far and the actual Outsiders series that is to begin in a few months. And this episode did a good job laying it out on the table to set-up the series.

Now, in the last week, there was a lot of anti-Zero-One sentiment on Twitter. And it was sad, but everyone has their own opinions of course. I certainly do when it comes to toku, both Japanese and American. But after the last week, I would love to see Gai take center stage and raise Zero-One‘s flag here. It would be awesome.

By the end of this miniseries, I certainly hope it’s not Kuroto’s Game Over. I honestly would rather see him truly immortal and just pop back up at random times in the future on different seasons and specials and movies, etc. It’s a running gag at this point. But Toei’s done a good job keeping his story fresh as well as insane. Lol

So overall, this was a good start to the miniseries. And I think it will be a great extra bit of content for Kamen Rider, separate from the on-going series.