Recap: Kamen Rider Geats, Episode 12 – Stratagem III: Slot★Fever

Win tries stealing Michinaga’s civilian, but Michinaga says he doesn’t need his help and will defeat Geats his own way. As they fight off Jyamato, the others find shelter in a chapel. Grandpa Tanba asks Ace to please take care of Keiwa for him as he can no longer go on with the game.

Grandpa Tanba says he doesn’t want to be a burden to them youngins anymore. Keiwa protests, but Grandpa Tanba says all of them still have the rest of their lives ahead of them. All the potential and happiness are still waiting for them.

Just then, the Jyamato arrive and Ace and Neon try to push them out. One Jyamato approaches the captives, but the little brother throws his backpack at it to protect his sister. He shields her from the Jyamato. This triggers something in Keiwa and he thanks the little boy for making him realize what he truly wants.

Keiwa helps Ace and Neon drive the Jyamato out the chapel and close the door. Keiwa remembers Ace’s words of encouragement to Grandpa Tanba earlier and asks how he can also protect people.

Ace tells Keiwa to touch his Core ID and perhaps it might trigger something. Keiwa does it and he remembers everything about his time as Kamen Rider Tycoon.

Game Master calls Ace to scold him for doing things without permission. But Keiwa grabs the phone and begs Game Master to let him play once more. Keiwa wants to be sure that there really is something even he can do. Ace says if this game really is to protect the world, then there is no reason for Game Master to refuse Keiwa’s request. “Unless, you have something you’re not telling us.”

Game Master says he’ll oblige only if Grandpa Tanba relinquishes his spot in the DGP. Grandpa Tanba has no problem saying yes and Game Master prepares Keiwa’s Core ID.

As the Jyamato storm the chapel once again, Keiwa runs out to find his Driver and Core ID waiting outside. He grabs it and then comes across a Ninja Buckle that gets knocked out of Michinaga’s hand in battle.

Neon is forced to dehenshin and gets thrown back to the others. The Jyamato approach them, but Keiwa arrives just in time as he henshins and shields them from attack.

Keiwa gives Ace a Boost Buckle as a thank you for getting his memories back. They take care of the Jyamatos in the chapel, but a Jyamato Rider pops up and the group gets split up.

Meanwhile, Win and Tsumuri are in a tower looking for clues to the password. Win believes players of previous seasons must have left them clues. Tsumuri finds a used Propeller Buckle on the floor and believes a player must have been eliminated here before.

Win spots a journal and recorder on the table, but Ace manages to grab them first. Ace points out how Win is so invested in his work for the DGP that he even faked his love obsession for Tsumuri. Win drops his act and the two of them prepare to fight, but Tsumuri will not allow this as it is against the rules.

They head to the ballroom as Ace says whoever figures out the password will win. Ace notices the two letter blocks Win had switched around earlier. Ace says he doesn’t understand why they’re trying to trip him up, but he will not stand for Game Master doing what he wants with him.

“We may be players in his games, but we are not his pawns!”

Ace says they are all here of their own free will and they will not allow anyone else to decide their fates.

Keiwa and Neon run into Michinaga and they, Ace and Win all henshin. They each find a Fever Slot Buckle and lock it in. They don’t get the power ups they want at first, but when they pull the lever once more, each of them gets their matching power up. That allows them all to use their maximum power to quickly take care of the Jyamatos that swarm around them.

Another Jyamato picks up the defeated Jyamato Rider’s Driver and henshins. Ace notices the Jyamato uttering a word (“Jurapira”) before henshining.

After all the Jyamato in the area are defeated, they focus back on trying to find the passcode for the exit door. Ace says all the letters at the door are also at the each of the paintings inside. The letters spell “hirake,” which Keiwa says out loud, but is not accepted by the lockpad. Ace tells them about hearing “jurapira” earlier which he believes is Jyamato for “henshin.” That means that they will need to decipher “hirake” in Jyamato language. While Ace, Keiwa and Michinaga face off against the newly arrived Jyamato, the others get to looking through the journal for how to crack the code. “Hirake” in Jyamato is “seozuda” and that is the correct password.

The door opens and they all are able to quickly run out and get back to the human world and safety. They have cleared this round. The bus driver takes the brother and sister home.

Tsumuri officially eliminates Grandpa Tanba. Before he goes, he tells Keiwa it is okay that he is done. He doesn’t need to get younger. He just has to live his life to the fullest, even at any age.

Keiwa tells Grandpa Tanba to take care of himself as he disappears when his Core ID is retired.

On the sidelines, Michinaga asks Win what the Game Master’s plans are. Would you cooperate if I told you? Win asks. “It depends,” Michinaga replies.

Keiwa writes down his wish for this season of the DGP. And instead of world peace, he would like all the people defeated by Jyamatos to come back alive. Ace says that’s a grand wish. But Keiwa says he will take it one step at a time with the belief that he will indeed win.

Meanwhile, the gardener fertilizes his baby Jyamato spawn and says it is time for them to take the world and destroy the DGP.

Episode Thoughts

Wow! It feels nice to have two great Geats episodes in a row! Like, I really enjoyed this episode. It was fun and exciting and not annoying. That’s all I ask for. Lol And Keiwa’s triumphant return was a big plus! The main character’s back y’all! lol

Just kidding, but it really is nice to have Keiwa back in action. And I think they did a pretty good job inserting him back in. I don’t know if it was because of Thanksgiving week though, but last week’s episode felt so long ago. So I did feel a little disconnect or like a big pause instead of a steady, built up tension to lead up to Keiwa’s big moment. Nonetheless, it was great how they were able to pair Keiwa and Grandpa Tanba’s story together. That helped to give a bit of emotional weight to Keiwa’s grand awakening, so to speak.

Ace telling Keiwa to touch his Driver was also nice. It’s the little moments like that which help to maintain that air of mystery around his true personality and feelings. But it also allows you think that yes, there’s a nice guy deep down somewhere in there. Even if you know he has a douchey-streak in him too. Lol That definitely helps with being able to connect with our actual main, title character. Even if the main character isn’t the typical Keiwa-like hero/good guy, you still need that connection with them in order to be invested and interested in their story. Especially for 50 episodes.

Ace calling out Game Master for his shadiness too was also perfectly placed in the episode. It didn’t come out of nowhere like a lot of the stuff they did a few weeks ago. But it fit with Keiwa’s re-entry into the DGP as well as the emerging narrative that the DGP is not on the up and up.

Elsewhere in this episode, I can already see Michinaga somehow getting involved with the #BeatGeats agenda of the shady DGPowersThatBe. But of course, with Michinaga, there will be some limits to what he is willing to do. Though in the future, I’m sure it would make for great story to see him slowly pushing those boundaries. Especially for his wish and his bro.

Good to see a more serious Win. It was nice to see that his love for Tsumuri was just an act. It did come off as unnecessarily goofy. So now that the jig is up, it’ll be great to see the #BeatGeats mission in full gear. And now with potentially Michinaga involved as well.

The creepy gardener adds a new danger and threat on the horizon. And with the DGP emerging as a potential threat on its own, it’s good to see this third faction, so to speak, pop up. I welcome it now that most of the other pieces of the season have been cleared up a bit these last two weeks.

In nitpicky stuff, there was really bad greenscreen towards the end of the episode. Like, it really threw me off seeing all of them as they walked to the big door. It was weird since they were on location already. So it felt odd.

But if that’s the only complaint I have this week, then it was a good week. More of this kind of Geats please! Enjoyable, fun and exciting. And yay! Welcome Back Keiwa!