Recap: Kamen Rider Gotchard, Episode 50 – This Is My and Your CHEMY×STORY + Season Thoughts

Before he is completely engulfed by gold, Minato-sensei advises Houtarou to believe in himself and push forward.

Gurion pops into the gold cube and Dreatroopers suddenly come flying out, shooting gold everywhere. When a gold beam is about to hit Supana, Kyoka-san pushes him out of the way and absorbs it instead. As she is engulfed by gold, she says she is fine and encourages the kids to win this battle.

Gurion tells them all to just sit and watch as he sends out even more Dreatroopers.

Inside the cube, Clotho approaches and says that her longing for power made her lose sight of what she really wanted. And that is to protect her family of Atropos and Lachesis. Clotho henshins to Dread Type Three and vows to make Gurion pay for taking her family from her.

Meanwhile, Mama Ichinose asks Houtarou where he’s been when he walks into the restaurant. He apologizes. But before he can tell her more, she reveals she always knew he was a Kamen Rider.

Houtarou says that he came here to tell her that he has to go out and fight because he is a Kamen Rider. Mama Ichinose says she doesn’t care if he’s a Kamen Rider. What if he dies out there?

Houtarou says that this responsibility was thrust on him at first and it has been hard. But he is serious about it now and he is determined to have humans and Chemies live in peace. He refuses to run away from his Gotcha.

Mama Ichinose says any mother would stop their son from going into danger. But she will not do that because she is Ichinose Houtarou’s mother. She asks him to just promise her that he will fight with everything he’s got and to never look back. And most importantly, promise to come home to her.

Houtarou hugs his mother and promises her he will. Mama Ichinose gives Houtarou the food she had wrapped and prepared for him before he leaves.

“Really didn’t fall far from the tree,” she says.

Houtarou meets with the others and shares his mother’s onigiri with them. They all agree that this is really their final battle and they must take Gurion down no matter what.

Just then, the largest swarm of Dreatroopers come flying out of the cube. Houtarou, Supana and Rinne directly henshin to their final forms. Gurion manifests the Meikoku Kings once again, but this time as his dolls.

Back inside the cube, Clotho gives everything she’s got against Gurion including an Over Catastrophe all-Card finisher. But it is no match for Gurion who easily forces her to dehenshin.

Sabimaru and Renge do what they can to hold off the Dreatroopers as well. And together with Rinne and Supana, hold down the fort below to allow Houtarou to manifest a bridge to the cube.

As Supana battles Gigist, Papa Kudoh appears to team up with Rinne against the other two Kings.

Houtarou crashes into the cube and is forced to dehenshin. Clotho comes stumbling in front of him and collapses. Houtarou runs over and takes her in his arms.

Clotho says if she had never met Houtarou, she would have never realized what she truly wanted. He begs him not to fall here and will curse him if he lets Gurion win. Clotho asks Houtarou to promise to make his dream a reality.

Just then, Clotho sees her sisters Atropos and Lachesis appear to her. She grabs their hands and she dies.

Leave the rest to me, Houtarou says.

Gurion walks up and mocks Clotho as merely a weapon of war who suddenly had dreams of happiness. Joy, hopes, dreams, love; they’re all meaningless words that the weak cling on to.

Houtarou says Chemies and humans and the Sisters have every right to help each other reach new heights. Gurion says Houtarou is naïve. When he turns everything into gold, he’ll be able to create something of lasting worth. That is the goal of alchemy, after all.

Houtarou and Gurion henshin.

Back down below, Sabimaru and Renge quickly save civilians from Dreatroopers using their Freeze-In-Place Forumla Bazooka. Included in this group of civilians are Tacchan and the thugs from the other day. They are shocked that the alchemists would save them. Renge says of course they would especially to prove that they and the Chemies are on the side of the people.

Ryo arrives to join Renge and Sabimaru and they hurry to help others in danger. Tacchan and the thugs are inspired by the alchemists to do what they can to help as well.

Renge, Sabimaru and Supana reunite with Rinne and Papa Kudoh are they finish off the remaining Kings. They hurry over to Houtarou.

Houtarou is struggling against Gurion who starts by turning Nijigon into gold and then all the other Chemies who come to help as well, forcing Houtarou to downhenshin. Hopper1 and SteamLiner are finally turned to gold and Houtarou now dehenshins, allowing Gurion to destroy the Driver.

Gurion picks up the golden Nijigon and uses him to embiggen the Dreatroopers. That speeds up the golding of the Earth, including Houtarou himself.

While Gurion marvels at his El Dorado, he is shocked to see Houtarou moving and fighting through the gold. Gurion tries to shoot more gold at him, but Houtarou is able to push forward, powered by the feelings, hopes and dreams of his family and friends.

Houtarou is able to break free of the gold, saying he will never give up. He transmutes a new Gotchardriver. And all the Chemies, even while gold, pop into it.

Houtarou declares he will create a whole new world because he is a big shot alchemist now. He henshins to SteamHopper Ultima. And to Gurion’s shock, Houtarou transmutes all the gold of Earth to create a brand new world.

Gurion says the Philosopher’s Stone’s power should have been complete, but Houtarou says his alchemy wasn’t so perfect after all.

Minato-sensei and Kyoka-san join the kids as they watch Houtarou punch Gurion into the sky and toward the new world.

Gurion says alchemy like this has never been seen before. But Houtarou says while Gurion’s ability was incredible, no one will be happy if he uses it in the way he wanted.

All the Chemies are behind Houtarou who says that “eternity” just means nothing would be able to move forward. What they need to do is push on, no matter what, so they can all created new Gotchas!

Houtarou and the Chemies battle Gurion, overwhelming him with all their powers. And finally, the Chemies power Houtarou’s final kick at Gurion. They force the Philosopher’s Stone out of his body and it shatters into 100 pieces, each of them being absorbed by each of the Chemies.

Gurion marvels at the beauty of chemistry as he turns to burnt ash.

A few months later Houtarou is speaking with the gorgeous Kaguya over the phone, telling him all about the final battle and its aftermath. Houtarou says nothing big has changed, moreso a lot of little changes.

Now that people have heard the stories, the Academy has gotten a lot of new students. Minato-sensei is amused by Renge and Sabimaru leading tours of the campus.

Supana has found a new goal. Kyoka-san says he has a lot left to live for, for both him and Lachesis.

Rinne is working on becoming a stronger alchemist than her father as she has a friend she would like to see again.

As for the Chemies, they have gone back to being sort of an urban legend, partly fueled by Tacchan’s viral videos. Some of Kitchen Ichinose’s customers talk about the legends. Though skeptical, they’d love to see some Chemies if they are real.

Houtarou says they didn’t erase anyone’s memories, but grown-ups surprisingly seem eager to forget such happenings. Perhaps out of convenience.

Mama Ichinose comes over to remind Houtarou that today is a big day. He almost forgot. So Houtarou tells his mother he’ll be back soon and hurries out, bumping into a customer accompanying Ma-san and Shima-chan. She tells her father, Ma-san, that she senses Houtarou is a special guy.

Mama Ichinose takes the photo of their family and tells Papa Ichinose that Houtarou really takes after him.

Houtarou meets with the others on newEarth which will become a sanctuary for the Chemies. Houtarou is excited to see everyone together. But Supana says they’ re not here for a picnic, but to see whether this planet is suitable for human life.

Hopper1 arrives, bringing Ryo with him to newEarth.

Renge says Houtarou’s big dream might just come true one day. But Houtarou is sure it will.

Houtarou trips over himself and Rinne helps him up. She feels a déjà vu from this moment. But now it’s time for them to push forward for their new Gotchas.

…

Later, Kaguya and Houtarou meet Kamen Rider Gavv to give him a special new Gochizo. He thanks them and gives them some gummies.

Episode Thoughts

Hmm… so did Houtarou achieve his Gotcha or not? lol, I mean, he wanted humans and Chemies to live in a peaceful world together, side by side. But he instead created a whole new world for just the Chemies! Hmm… lol

But actually, this was a very interesting finale. And I’ll be honest, I had to think a lot about it and the season to appreciate it. But before we get to that, let’s just talk about this episode first.

I think it played out very well. I think there were two highlights for me. First was Clotho’s death and that moment with her sisters. That was the first MaGMCM for me in this episode. It was really great to see that moment and remember how we first met them in Episode 1.

Clotho’s final words to Houtarou also helped me to understand what perhaps this whole season was about. But again, we’ll get to that in a minute.

The other highlight was Houtarou and Mama Ichinose at the restaurant. I have loved their relationship and bond all season long. (One reason I really dislike the Movie War because they ripped apart that relationship for a plot point that made no sense.)

Their mother-son relationship has been so strong all year. And it has helped to provide a big chunk of the depth of Houtarou’s story. Her support and encouragement for her son kind of exemplifies what Houtarou ended up being for other people. Which in turn helped him to grow as well.

But it’s that kind of simple, though meaningful relationship between a mother and son that adds so much to our title hero as a character.

How can you not be emotional watching a mother worried about her son, but also having trust and belief in him to allow him to go out there and fight. The onigiri that she had already prepared and had ready for Houtarou was such a nice detail to show that. And when she handed them to him, the tears started rolling down my face once again hehe.

The rest of the episode then showcased the strong bonds our Academy friends and the whole Gang have developed through the year. And it’s that bond that powered Houtarou to find the way to defeat Gurion for good.

Elsewhere, great to see our gorgeous Kaguya once again! Hehe. And I cheered when we got to hear Beverly Caimen’s powerful voice again with the original insert song! And fun to see the voice actress of Hopper1, the singers and composer of the season’s theme song make cameos at the end!

It is a satisfying conclusion to the season. Though I wouldn’t be surprised if many don’t think so. But let’s get into this season as a whole.

Season Thoughts

It’s interesting because I think the basic understanding of alchemy is turning lead into gold.

But I had to dig deep and go all the way back to high school summer reading. I don’t know why I didn’t before, but I guess now after the finale is as good a time as any. But in thinking about Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist, for example, it wasn’t about finding gold necessarily. It was a story about finding that “treasure” or following your destiny. You could call it a “Gotcha!” as a matter of fact. Lol

And alchemy itself is a more wide-ranging concept that included the pursuit of perfection. In turning rough stones to gold, but also with regards to the human body and even immortality.

Thinking about that, those ideals were certainly present in each of the antagonists of the season. Using alchemy for their own selfish reasons.

Now, thinking about Houtarou. For him, he was running toward his Gotcha. And though he didn’t achieve or reach that Gotcha after 50 episodes, like he said here, he wasn’t going to just give up. He’s still going to work toward it and push forward. A common refrain from the characters, especially in the last ten episodes.

These 40s delivered climaxes for all of our main characters. Some satisfying conclusions and wrap-ups. But also on their own showing how they did not give up as well. Perhaps in the past, they had been resigned to failure or “what could’ve been”. But many of them came to realize that there is always a path forward. And that there is worth and value in pushing forward as well.

Of course, to keep going, they all drew upon each other for strength as well. And I think the Sisters are probably the best contrast to that enlightenment for a Rinne or Supana or Minato or Ryo or Sabimaru or Renge or Kyoka. Even Kaguya too.

For the Sisters, their realizations came too late. But because of the relationships they were able to build with each other (despite their initial antagonism and their original purpose) and with the Gang, they were able to open their eyes to a new way of thinking. And they were able to learn that value of having a dream to reach for.

I won’t say this was a perfect, neat ending. But that’s okay. During the 40s, there wasn’t a clear endgame per se. Only Houtarou’s ultimate Gotcha. And while he didn’t get that Gotcha quite yet, it doesn’t invalidate the journey he’s taken this past year. And in fact, the way this season ended is quite refreshing.

I’m sure many people will deride certain plot holes. But I really think there’s so much good during this season that certain potential plot holes or unresolved plot threads can get, I guess, buried without affecting the overall experience of watching the season. Whereas in other seasons that aren’t particularly strong in other aspects, similar plot holes would be amplified.

I know many, including myself, would’ve absolutely welcomed the Sisters being resurrected in the end, for example. But at the same time, I always appreciate when a season doesn’t do the happy miracles. Because I think that really helps to add depth and meaning to both the characters who have been lost and those who survive. Especially for the surviving characters to be able to move forward. It makes their sacrifices and overcoming struggles mean so much more.

That is best depicted with Kyoka-san talking about Supana living his best life for both him and Lachesis. Or even Rinne seemingly working to find a way to meet Atropos again in the future. It’s not the instant miracle. But one that she will work toward. All going back to what Houtarou exemplifies in the end.

At the start the season, Houtarou had no idea what he wanted in life. He was just going through the motions. Carefree. Had no idea what to put on his career form. Now he has a dream and goal. And is determined to see it through. With lots of friends to help him too!

Houtarou mentioned to Mama Ichinose that this responsibility was thrust onto him at first. But in the end, it was his own power that transmuted the new Driver and ultimately transmuted the new world. And his own power was fueled by the hopes and dreams and feelings of his family and friends. But he also had a positive effect on others as well.

Again, bringing us back to those bonds and relationships that can bring about support and strength.

My updated personal rankings of Kamen Rider seasons will come tomorrow. But my favorite seasons are ones that are heavy on more character-driven stories. When the characters are strong, it can really help to support and reinforce any overarching plot.

And that’s very much Gotchard.

During the season, I got some of the things that I was missing in recent years. It was a joy to watch week after week. It was a feel-good, positive season. And being more fun and loose doesn’t mean it can’t handle dramatic and heavier stories too. Which they were able to do.

I looked forward to every episode. I looked forward to seeing where all the characters would end up. I was invested in them. And in turn, I was invested in the overall story.

This season had a relatively large cast of characters, but did very well in providing each with ample development. That in turn allowed the season to deliver some wholly satisfying moments where characters’ own stories would come together and intertwine in creative ways. But also furthering the overarching plot as well, most especially Houtarou’s journey.

Where other seasons struggled to find ways to fill its 50 episodes, Gotchard seemed to have an overabundance of possibilities. I won’t ignore that even as great as these episodes in the 40s were, they still felt rushed. With a lot ideas that deserved much more time to breathe and just savor more.

(I’m looking forward to the Director’s Cut of the finale. As well as any potential movie or special coming in the future!)

But like I mentioned last week, there isn’t really anything during the season where I could point at and say “They should’ve tightened that up” or “They should’ve cut that out” or “They should’ve inserted this”. Those are common feelings I have had in recent years. But not here on Gotchard. It was well-paced and everything made sense where they were placed. Things weren’t just pulled out of thin air. Little, if any, forced plot twists. Whether to provide faux tension/drama or to advertise a new toy.

Sometimes you just have a good feeling when watching a season. And Gotchard was that for me. When it was good, it was really good. But at its weakest, it was still much stronger than recent seasons at their best. That’s how I feel.

Overall, a really great cast. A solid story. Strong, memorable characters.

And what’s great for me is I still have a lot of the extra Gotchard content I need to catch up on! That includes the Producer’s Blog that I only just discovered today too. I’m looking forward to reading each episode’s insights.

Thank you to the entire cast and crew of Kamen Rider Gotchard! It was great to be excited to watch Kamen Rider again after a few years!

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Also, here are all of Houtarou’s Gotchas from the season! Hehe

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