Recap: Kamen Rider Gotchard, Episode 45 – A Fateful Encounter, a Junction of Love and Hate!

As Houtarou and Rinne battle Jungle Malgam, Clotho pops in and knocks Ryo to the ground before he can reach Hijiri. Houtarou turns his attention to Clotho who says that Gaelijah considers Hijiri as a woman who can change the world. And that way, Clotho will be able to have her wish granted.

Clotho and the Malgam take Hijiri and leave.

Houtarou, Rinne, Sabimaru and Renge quickly hurry to Ryo. They are able to track Hijiri’s GPS location. Rinne offers words of encouragement to Ryo, telling him to stay strong. Houtarou will accompany Ryo to find Hijiri while Rinne, Sabimaru and Renge check on other previous Malgams who might get reactivated.

Meanwhile, Supana helps Kyoka-san as Lachesis is very close to regain her human memories. Supana says memories can be a source of hope or despair. But Kyoka points out that Supana was able to find his greatest strength in the midst of the painful memories he’s suffered through.

Supana is worried that not everyone can handle regaining their memories like this.

Lachesis wakes up and she tells Kyoka and Supana that she remembers it all. Lachesis says her human self was a vain, greedy and cruel woman. But she can’t bring herself to hate her. She had dreamed of becoming a singer and being able to reach people around the world with her song. So at the very least, she was a girl with big dreams. Something like her Gotcha.

Supana smiles and says he never though he’d hear her say that. Lachesis smiles back.

Over in the forest, Gurion and Atropos finds Clotho. Gurion calls Clotho “Gaelijah’s dog”. Clotho says all she wants is to go back to the way things were. She wants the good ol’ days with her sisters.

Gurion sees Clotho has strong feelings for family. Clotho gets on her knees and begs for Gurion to forgive Lachesis when she eventually returns. He says of course because he loves this family as well. Clotho is grateful. Atropos smirks.

Hijiri wakes up in a factory and is greeted by Gaelijah who calls her the chosen one. She says Hijiri is a monster herself. And to prove it, Gaelijah restores Hijiri’s memories from when she became a Malgam. Hijiri cannot believe she would try to kill her brother.

Gaelijah says it’s not a stretch that someone would fall to such despair when a bond such as Hijiri and her brother’s is broken like that. Such despair gives the greatest potential to Chemy powers. And that is the power they need to guide the world down the right path.

Hijiri protests that she is not a monster and she runs outside. Jungle Malgam chases her and is about to attack. But Houtarou and Ryo arrive just in time.

Houtarou henshins to Rainbow and battles the Malgam. He tells Ryo to hurry and take Hijiri to safety. But Hijiri screams at him to stay away and runs into the forest. Ryo runs after her.

Hijiri says she has no right to be with him after hiding from him that she is a criminal’s sister. She is cut from the same cloth as him.

Just then, Gaelijah appears and wills the Meikoku to engulf Hijiri. Suddenly, a Malgam is appears and Gaelijah says it is a projection of Hijiri’s malice that has manifested from her special powers.

The two Malgams battle Houtarou so he calls on Hopper1 and SteamLiner to help as SteamHopper. They destroy the Battery Malgam, but Gaelijah says it will just turn into an endless of cycle of malice bringing about more malice.

Battery Malgam reappears and zaps at Ryo. Ryo forces himself forward through the pain, much to their shock. As Ryo collapses to the ground, Houtarou is able to open a path for him to Hijiri.

Hijiri again pleads with Ryo that he must stay away because she is a monster like her brother. But Ryo asks her to remember how they first met. She asks why he isn’t afraid of her. Ryo replies that he was, but his best friend Houtarou encouraged him not to give up. Actually, Houtarou has been encouraging him all this time to have the courage to keep going.

Hijiri says things are different and it doesn’t matt what he feels because her brother being criminal means she is one too.

Another Battery Malgam pops out and attacks Ryo. But Ryo is determined to protect her, it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks. Ryo continues to push forward as he takes a beating from the Malgam. “Please don’t throw those memories of joy we shared away,” Ryo says.

That triggers Hijiri’s memory of when Ryo said those very same words to her before. Hijiri regains all her memories, including Ryo being able to save her back then. The malice suddenly leaves her body and the Malgam weakens. Houtarou tosses UFO-X to SteamHopper and they uphenshin. Together, they finish both Malgams for good, but the malice flies into the sky.

Houtarou helps Ryo up and he approaches Hijiri. She thanks him, but asks why they both forgot what had happened before. Minato-sensei arrives with the others and explains that it is due to Chemy Law. He shows them exactly how it works when he erases the prisoner’s memories.

Ryo begs Minato-sensei to erase Hijiri’s memories again so she can forget all these horrible things. Even if it means she will forget him too. Houtarou asks Ryo about his vow to protect her.

Ryo says he may not be a Kamen Rider, but this is something he can do to protect her. He promises to always keep her safe. Sabimaru and Renge say they understand Ryo’s feelings, but ask if he is sure. Ryo says if it can make Hijiri happy, then yes.

Hijiri steps forwad and says she would absolutely not be happy if she forgets about him. Even if her memories are terrifying, she wants to keep them all and be together with him. If that’s okay. Ryo says of course it is.

Minato turns to leave. Rinne asks if he is okay with breaking Chemy Law. Minato remembers his dear friend Daiki. He made a promise long ago to stand behind his friend’s dream of using alchemy to bring joy to the world, even if breaks Chemy Law.

He turns to Houtarou and says it is up to him to make his dream happen. Not for anyone else, but for his own Gotcha.

Elsewhere, Gaelijah is still content, saying that such a power cannot be completely extinguished. She watches as the malice cloud is sucked up by a seal.

Hijiri and Ryo are at the bridge. She tells him that she will not give up. She will return to her job at the haunted house and continue to visit her brother until he agrees to see her. She will keep trying until her brother accepts her just like Ryo accepted her for who she is.

The two share a romantic moment when UFO-X makes a heart in the sky for them. Ryo and Hijiri hold hands as they watch the fireworks made by Houtarou, Rinne, Sabimaru and Renge using alchemy.

On the other side of town, Lachesis is singing a song as Supana brings her and Kyoka-san a delicious meal. Lachesis takes a spoonful and she thinks it’s delicious.

Kyoka says there are real changes to her cells and that she is progressively becoming more human. She wonders if perhaps having a dream would speed up the process. Or maybe even her falling in love. Lachesis asks who she would even fall in love with. Kyoka looks at Supana and notes that he did cook this delicious dinner for her.

“Don’t be silly,” Lachesis says. But all of a sudden, she gets a flash of Gurion in her head, saying that she is a defective doll.

Just as suddenly, the malice cloud begins raining down on Shibuya. Gaelijah declares that malice is the true light that will guide humans and Chemys through evolution. Let the memories return to everyone and the cycle of hatred can engulf the world once again.

Next day, a virtual character begins broadcasting about an evil conspiracy being kept from the people through memory wipes. It shows videos of the Malgam attacks and calls on everyone to dig up and uncover the truth.

Episode Thoughts

Okay, I have no idea what’s happening next week. But this week’s episode? WOWOWOW! Plenty of MaGMcMs throughout this episode.

Again, Gotchard shows how it’s done. How to properly plant the seeds and lay the groundwork for stories that they can deliver satisfying and fulfilling climaxes such as this. I might still be on a high after this episode, but what other season has been able to tell actually good, emotionally affecting stories for supporting characters as well as Gotchard has? I mean, it can’t be very many considering some seasons can’t even do that for the title character.

But here, we get an amazingly emotional story for Ryo. A character that has been almost merely the comic relief and the typical oblivious friend of the hero. But because the show has been able to integrate him into Houtarou’s story and the greater story as a whole, you absolutely feel connected to what this episode was built around. And that is Ryo and Hijiri’s relationship.

What is great is in addition to of course their first arc earlier in the season, this episode was able to tie in all the other plot threads as well. Again, something other seasons are unable to do.

First, there was the subplot of Lachesis regaining her memories. But also tying it together with and using Supana’s own experience with drawing strength from his own painful memories. We’ll get to the show feeding us hopeless romantics later.

But having those moments with Supana and Lachesis and Kyoka helped to provide the support for the emotional moments of Ryo and Hijiri afterwards. I mean, those emotional moments would have already been impactful on their own. But when you can relate it to so many other stories and plot threads and characters, it gives it a grand feeling. They even were able to tie in Minato’s personal story too.

Like, you can really be absorbed in the moment. And that was very much the case in those forest scenes. Of course, still very familiar story beats. But Gotchard has been able to make them fresh and dynamic with the well-rounded and developed characters and the strong connections each story and plot thread has with each other. And of course, that includes the fast-developing stories with the sisters and Gurion too.

No question that these emotional and impactful moments are all building up to what will be Houtarou’s endgame. The show is building that path to the ultimate climax step by step. And it’s been so engaging the entire way.

Now! Rewind a bit to earlier in the episode. And I was going crazy with the smiles between Supana and Lachesis. Like, hello?! I was like, Okay, the show is really going Bakuage with them? And then at the end with Lachesis singing the song and Kyoka probably being the biggest Supana-Lachesis shipper there is? I was so hyped. Lol I still am!

And how awesome that the show was able to include Alisa Sakamaki’s song “Just Say ‘I Love You'” too. I had no idea she was a singer as well.

It’s a beautiful song and she has a wonderful voice. So perfect for that scene with Ryo and Hijiri. But perhaps even more perfect a theme song for Supana and Lachesis, yes? hhehehehehe

At the same time, I know that happiness now means something bad is about to happen. Huhu lol

Anyway, Gotchard has been such a great season. And the fact that these episodes have been so fast-paced, but still emotionally satisfying is a major feat. Only five episodes left and still plenty of story to cover. But I have no worries the season will be able to stick the landing. I’ll be careful to keep my expectations in check. But the way that they have delivered so well so far really has me excited and feeling bittersweet as we reach the finale.

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