Recap: Kamen Rider Juuga VS Kamen Rider Orteca

George Karizaki wakes up and immediately turns on his live stream to show everyone his morning routine including his shower and lemon apple banana green shake. He also updates everyone on his work at Genomix with the Humanity as Kamen Riders project and helping Hiromi restore his real body age.

George makes a glass for both himself and his Daddy which he sets at his photo.

George’s development of the Juuga Driver needs some tweaks until the general public can use it. But he wants it to bring about peace and happiness, so despite public opposition, he will ensure that the project succeeds.

George says the world is at peace now, so there is no immediate need for Juuga.

He practices his henshin pose and says goodbye to his viewers.

George heads to the lab, but gets a call from Hiromi along the way with some news. Orteca has escaped prison.

George arrives at the lab where assistants Isao and Michiru are excited to see him as his help the other day allowed them a breakthrough in their work. George tells them to thank Daddy’s friend Mr. Takada who has helped with the Juuga Driver and the Humanity as Kamen Rider project.

Mr. Takada comes in and tells them they still have a lot of exciting work to do. George tells him to calm down a little and Mr. Takada remembers when Daddy Karizaki would tell him the same.

Mr. Takada asks the assistants to give them time alone, so they leave. All so Mr. Takada can show George a video from Orteca announcing the formation of the Shinsei Deadmans. Orteca asks George and Co. to lend him their technology for the sake of this new organization. And in return, Orteca will leave them be.

Mr. Takada asks George to get Blue Bird to help them keep the lab safe.

Just then, the Brachio Deadman appears outside. George rushes out with the Juuga Driver and henshins, eager for this rematch. George finishes off the Deadman and thinks he sees the Vistamp user recording nearby. But George is forced to dehenshin before he can chase after them.

George unfortunately overdid it a little and the Juuga Driver still can’t handle that much work. But more urgent is the negative netizen reaction to the video of George’s battle that is now online. The peoples believe monsters still exist because Kamen Riders exist. George is determined to show Kamen Riders can be a force for good.

Mr. Takada offers to work on the Juuga Driver to upgrade it, but George says it’s alright. It doesn’t need maintenance, but an update. George takes the Driver to someone he feels will be of great help.

At the Sawagami Research Institute, George excitedly meets Rinna-san who is at the top of electronic physics. He recounts her work with the SID and Kamen Rider Drive. Since then, she’s even won a Nobel Prize and married Gen-san. But Rinna does not want to hear anything about Otto and punches through a photo of his.

Anyway, George asks if she can help him update the Juuga Driver. She points out that it’s a wonderful coincidence because someone else came in with the same request… her junior, Makoto Hatsushiba.

George is shocked that Orteca would ask Rinna to help with the Demons Driver and even more that she is very much enamored by him. She goes to finish working on it.

George knows Orteca is the one who sent the Deadman and says he shouldn’t have been released without his approval. Orteca brags that his charisma allowed him to gain control of the Demons Driver.

He recounts how someone approached him in prison and promised him human-surpassing evolution as long as he retrieved the Juuga Driver.

Rinna comes out with the updated Demons Driver and Orteca leaves, saying he has no time for George’s nonsense.

George again brings up Gen-san, but Rinna mentions that she has proof that Otta is engaged in an affair. She shows George text messages that she believes prove Gen-san’s infidelity. She left their house after an argument and has been sleeping here at the Institute.

George promises to figure out what is going on with Gen-san as long as Rinna can help him. But Rinna-san decides to take a nap instead. George calls Hiromi for help, but Ikki instead answers the phone saying Hiromi passed out drunk at the bathhouse.

OH MY GOD! George exclaims and does what he can to try to wake Rinna up.

Meanwhile, Orteca is being followed as he walks downtown to meet Shinsei Deadmans acolytes. One of them unexpectedly being HanaGuilera. Orteca is taken aback, but Hana is actually just here to get her revenge on him.

Orteca runs away. Hana tells the other two ladies that Blue Bird will pay them for their acting skills today.

Orteca heads to the department store to buy a disguise and he runs into Juliomaki. Tamaki tells Orteca not to call him Julio anymore and says Orteca continues to live in the past. Tamaki is sure Orteca will end up in jail again anyway. But when he gets a call, Orteca is able to slip away.

Orteca meets with the Giftex who sprung him out of prison and covets the Juuga Driver. Orteca assures the Giftex that he will get it in no time, there is no need to rush.

Back at the Institute, George manages to wake Rinna-san by pretending Gen-san has arrived. Actually it is Tamaki who wheels Hiromi in. And everything becomes very clear for Rinna.

The text messages she saw from Gen-san were actually from Hiromi and not some lady he was having an affair with. This immediately perks Rinna-san up and she hurries over to upgrade the Juuga Driver which takes no time at all.

Hiromi shows George that Mr. Takada has been taken by Orteca who threatens his life unless George hands over the Juuga Driver. Mr. Takada tells George not to listen to Orteca.

Hiromi believes the monster who broke Orteca out of jail is the one ordering him to retrieve the Juuga Driver. George realizes that he is the only one who can fix this mess, especially since the Juuga Driver is the target.

George laughs to himself right before Rinna-san hands over the upgraded Driver. He hurries over to the lab where Orteca is holding Mr. Takada and the two assistants.

Orteca demands George hand the Driver over, but George tells him to come get it himself. Orteca is fine with fighting since he thinks the world is too small for both their big genius brains. He suddenly stabs Mr. Takada and shoves him toward George.

Orteca laughs and says he should tell George the truth now. But George already knew it. Mr. Takada was the Giftex. George knew Mr. Takada took the missing Gifu eyeball and how his style is to pose as an assistant to steal other’s research and findings. So George expected Mr. Takada would come for his work next.

Orteca is impressed at how George got caught in Mr. Takada’s web on purpose. George even lowered his computer’s security in order for Mr. Takada to easily take the Gifu data. Orteca realizes Mr. Takada was going to use Shinsei Deadmans acolytes as test subjects and George knew Mr. Takada would take his Humanity project from him. That’s why Mr. Takada manipulated cancel culture to target George with help from the two assistants.

Mr. Takada applauds them figuring everything out and explains he wanted to use George’s project to facilitate humanity evolving into superior beings. And to achieve that, he needed the Juuga Driver gone.

Mr. Takada scoffs at George, saying Daddy Karizaki was also obstinate and arrogant. He remembers when Daddy Karizaki called him an untalented man and removed him from working on the research of devils so as not to have him overwhelmed. Since then, Mr. Takada absorbed all the knowledge of other scientists. And that allowed him to contact George, Karizaki’s son.

Mr. Takada was able to swipe the Gifu Eyeball and shoved it inside himself, all to usher in a new era of evolution and him becoming the ultimate being. George says science is for the peoples and there is no need for research that tramples on humanity.

Mr. Takada says Daddy Karizaki also committed many crimes against humanity. So it’s no surprise his son would be the same as well. George says that is exactly the reason he will not make the same mistakes. Mr. Takada continues to insult Daddy Karizaki

George says he will not let anyone mock and disrespect his family. He henshins and engages Mr. Takada in battle. They take the fight outside. The two assistants run out to help, but Hiromi and Hana take them on and prevent them from Stamping themselves.

Rinna-san arrives with an updated Planarian Stamp which George is able to use to wear down Takada Giftex even more. Orteca arrives and Takada begs him for help. But Orteca says he doesn’t need to evolve as he is already best man genius. So no thanks.

George says Takada does not come close to matching Daddy. He delivers an Amazing Finish at the Giftex and he explodes, along with the Eyeball. Hiromi handcuffs Takada.

George explains that Daddy let Takada go back then because he didn’t want to burden anyone else with a deal with the devil. George realizes that backhanded kindness hurt his father in the end.

Takada asks Orteca why he didn’t help, but Orteca says he is owned by no one.

Hiromi, Hana and other Blue Bird officers take Takada and the assistants away.

Now it is time for Orteca and George to battle. Rinna watches as they both henshin and fight. She tosses them each a new Stamp to make things even more fun.

They deliver finishers at each other and Orteca gets the worst of it. They both dehenshin. Orteca tries to run away, but Gen-san arrives to arrest him. Rinna is excited to see her love again and apologizes for doubting him.

Orteca tries to run, but George hugs him to stop him from getting away.

Later, George is back on his livestream to announce that the Gifu Eyeball is destroyed and peace is restored. Gen and Rinna-san are reunited. And Orteca is back in prison, but with a lower sentence.

Now, George is focused on finishing his project and asks his Daddy to watch over him.

But George gets a call that Orteca has escaped again. All the others are chasing him around by the sea. George gets dressed and hurries out to help them with Juuga Driver.

Special Thoughts

It was alright. Definitely not annoying like the last half of Revice. But again, I still think all the non-series Revice content has been the best part of the season.

I will say, it’s funny how they kept saying Orteca was still living in the past. But honestly, I would like to live in the past as well. Specifically the period that includes the early days of Revice when it was still good and before it went sideways into nonsense land in the end. lololol

Anyway, I was excited to see a George and Olt… I mean, Orteca-focused story. They both definitely deserved much better material in-series. And Seki Hayata as Orteca was definitely wasted. Probably 2nd only to Hiromi and Junya Komatsu.

While the story of this special was kind of underwhelming, I still appreciate it for existing. It’s just I can’t help but think again about how Revice just dropped the ball so much.

Fun to see Rinna-san and Genpachi. And it actually feeling quite natural and seamless instead of random cameos.

I did like seeing a bit more of George and his Daddy issues. But again, that should’ve been a bigger part of the series itself. I also liked the Battle of the Geniuses. The tension between George and Orteca was quite good for what little we saw of it in-series. So again again, a waste of potential, but fine for getting a little of it here.

Funny thing I felt like the guy assistant looked familiar and then saw that it was actually Naoki Kunishima who played the poor Misao Mondou on *cringe* Zyuohger. Great to see him here! Not great to be reminded of that unfortunate season lol

What’s with this special reminding me of my toku series regrets? lol

Also, in the end, it actually just felt like the special was just an excuse to have Noritaka Hamao in his boxers as much as possible. Lol

Overall, an okay special miniseries. Nothing mindblowing. And sadly a reminder of what could’ve been. But a solid watch nonetheless.