Suga-san tells a worried Shoma that a still unconscious Hanto is alright. He shows that Hanto’s wounds have already completely healed. So it’s only a matter of time before he wakes up. Shoma is relieved.
Suga asks about Kamen Rider Vram and what happened. Shoma says he is responsible for all the recent disappearances. But Suga says that news has died down the last few days. Shoma flashes back to him asking Lage9 about joining him and using his power against the Stomachs. He hopes he was able to get through to him.
Shoma would like to talk to him again, but he is worried about how Hanto would react.
Meanwhile, Nyelv visits Lage9. He is impressed at Lage9 having been able to back Valen and akaGavv into a corner. But he expected as much from his work.
Nyelv gives him a new power-up cup which he says Lage9 can use if he would like even if it looks like he might not need it.
After Nyelv leaves, Lage9 thinks of Shoma’s words to him, not knowing a pair of Shoma’s Gochizo have been watching the whole thing.
At Hapipare, Sachika is printing out missing flyers for Takeshi. She is worried since he hasn’t returned home yet even after the monster was defeated by the Kamen Rider. She hopes he hasn’t run away for real. She gives Shoma a stack of fliers as well before heading out.
Before Shoma leaves to go look for more Stomach Inc hideouts, the surveillance Gochizo come to tell him of Lage9’s location. Shoma hurries over.
“Pushy, aren’t you?” Lage9 says. Shoma asks if Lage9 remembers what he said. He is happy that it appears Lage9 has given it some though. So he grabs Lage9’s hand and brings him downtown to where Sachika is passing out the missing fliers alongside two other family members of missing people.
You of all people should understand their pain, Shoma says. Lage9 replies that he never even knew humans existed until he joined Stomach Inc. So why should he care.
But seeing the father of a missing person getting brushed off and falling to the ground reminds Lage9 of experiencing the same exact thing when he was being ignored as he searched for his brother.
Shoma begs Lage9 to return all the people he Pressed. But Lage9 says he’s already shipped them off. Shoma wants to rescue them before they get turned into spice then.
Lage9 remembers his brother’s dying words. “Why do you think Komeru had to die?” he asks. Shoma says perhaps he wanted to quit kidnapping humans.
Lage9 begins to cry. That sounds so much like his little brother who had the kindest heart.
Lage9 says the only way to rescue them is by getting into Stomach Inc’s facility. He asks if Shoma is ready for that and he says he is.
Shoma introduces himself and Lage 9 does the same, saying his name is Lakia.
The two go in search of a way to get back to the Granute world. Shoma says he was in such a rush to escape, he didn’t pay attention. Lakia notes that they intentionally keep that information from them part timers so as to prevent them from traveling back and forth between worlds. They are only ever told about a few Press collection points. And this is where they are now.
The only way to possibly find a portal is to follow an Agent about to deliver the Presses back home. And just then, they see an Agent walking by. They follow it into a public restroom and see the Agent walking into a stall.
Lakia tries to hold his hand up like the Agent did, but nothing happens. When Shoma does, it unlocks the portal to the Granute world. They walk through and find themselves in the room of staircases and doors. They try several doors, all leading back to the human world, until they find one that takes them to the Stomach castle.
They head to the underground factory with Shoma knowing his way around, even able to enter the right codes to unlock doors. “You sure know your way around,” Lakia says. Shoma says his memory is a bit hazy. But Lakia says he was never told anything about the insides of this building.
Lakia grabs Shoma’s hand when an Agent comes around the corner. And at that moment, Shoma suddenly has a memory flash of some kind involving Hanto’s mother!
Shoma does not understand why. But he has no time to think about it as the Agent shoots at them.
Lakia takes on the Agent and Shoma picks up its blaster and shoots.
Back in human world, Hanto wakes up. Suga-san says he looks pretty good for someone with one foot in the grave. Hanto asks how he got here and is shocked when Suga says it was the red Gavv. Hanto then catches himself when he reveals Shoma’s name and says Suga better not have done anything weird to him.
I haven’t done a thing, Suga-san says to Hanto who has no idea Suga has already been analyzing Shoma’s DNA.
Back in the factory, Shoma and Lakia find the assembly line and Presses lined up all over. Shoma finds Takeshi’s and tries to collect them all. But suddenly, Glotta finds them.
Long time no see akaGavv, Glotta says. “Never though I’d see you here again.”
Glotta also acknowledges Lage9 and says he must be a traitor since he’s here with akaGavv. Doesn’t he want his Dark Treats, she asks.
Lakia says those things are not even worth a bite. He tells her his name is Lakia Amaruga, the older brother Komeru Amaruga “who you murdered in cold blood after getting him addicted.”
Glotta smirks and says she has no idea who the hell that is. But whoever it is, it’s not their fault that Dark Treats destroy lives. The Granutes themselves choose to consume them and they call that personal responsibility.
An enraged Lakia henshins and charges at Glotta who is amused that he is the third Granute hunter.
Lakia urges Shoma to quickly collect the Presses. Glotta battles Lakia, upset that they would make a mess of her factory.
After Shoma has collected all the Presses, he and Lakia hurry to find a door to return to the human world. Glotta slashes at them and they end up falling through a door leading into a concert hall. Glotta transforms into her Granute form and Shoma urges the people to run for safety.
Hanto sees the tweets about the disturbance and he hurries over.
Shoma uphenshins to Cake and summons a Hoippu-hei who carries the briefcases of Presses out to safety.
Lakia pulls out the new jelly cup Nyelv gave him earlier and decides to try it out. It allows him to uphenshin to Jelly Custom, making him invisible. But it also seems to wrap his heart in barbed wire.
Lakia quickly takes care of the two Agents, though the power-up is not the most pleasant feeling.
Lakia hurries over to join Shoma who is battling his Glotta-neechan. Hanto arrives and is about to henshin, but he is taken aback by what he is seeing. “Why is Shoma helping Vram?” he wonders.
Glotta continues to overpower both Shoma and Lakia. Shoma tries to deliver a Caking Finish and Glotta counters with her own. She is able to push Shoma back, but Shoma’s attack causes her scythe to shatter.
Glotta transforms back to human form and commends Shoma for being surprisingly good. She says he’s still the youngest child of the Stomach family after all, no matter how rotten he may be.
Lakia and Hanto are shocked by this revelation.
Glotta decides to spare them today in return for entertaining her. She hopes they can tussle again sometime. She leaves.
So you were the Stomachs’ younger brother all this time, Lakia says. Shoma does not know what to say.
Just then, Hanto steps forward. “What is the meaning of this? Were you a Granute all this time?”
Hanto grabs Shoma by the collar and demands answers. Shoma still cannot find his words so Hanto punches him in the face.
Episode Thoughts
Okay! Alright! I liked that a lot!
Wonderful that I had no idea the big reveal would be in this episode. Maximum impact for me because I think this happened when I least expected it. And I think it worked out very well.
Having Hanto learn of Shoma’s Stomach identity after an already emotional episode with Lakia empathizing with human families losing their loved ones; just a perfect progression of emotions in these 25 minutes.
Even that amusing scene of Shoma and Lakia having to figure out how a bathroom stall was a portal to the Granute world. A light moment to pierce through the emotional and serious episode, it all worked hand in hand to result in a well-executed narrative.
I didn’t think about Lakia also not knowing Shoma’s identity until those moments were Shoma seemed to know his way around everything. I never thought of that impact. But Lakia gave the proper reaction in the end as well to the revelation. Not as big of a shock as it was to Hanto of course. But the right reaction from him to the situation and his dynamic with Shoma.
I really loved that scene earlier where he saw himself in the human father(?) who was also desperately looking for his child(?). Of course it was a big turning point for his character. But also a wonderful way to perhaps draw a parallel or connection between humans and Granutes as well.
Again, it’s absolutely wild to see how Gavv is doing so well in depicting the scourge of drugs on people and families like this. I’ve said Toei and the talented writers they enlist for Kamen Rider and Sentai can handle and depict these difficult topics better than more “adult” television series and movies. Just another example of how creative and impactful these two Sunday morning programs can be.
I must say though, I’ve been spoiled by Boonboomger‘s weekly updates to their opening credits. I’m waiting for Lakia and Shoji Kohei to get added in, but nothing yet. Even though they quickly updated it to make Siita disappear after she “died”. Makes me worried Lakia and Vram are not long for this Gavv world. But I’ll stay positive. Lolol
So far, I’ve been the least annoyed by Nyelv. Maybe partly because he hasn’t been as overt in his apathy to or his delight in murdering humans for drugs. But if that new jelly cup he gave Lakia somehow leads to something horrible for him, then Nyelv will absolutely shoot up to #1 on my Stomach Sibling hitlist. So Nyelv better not step too far over that line! Lolol
Speaking of, I think it was also perfect that it was Glotta who ended up revealing Shoma’s identity in this way. The big sister who likes to play around and enjoys some good drama is of course the best sibling to deliver good television in this way. Lol
It was awesome to see her fighting in full this time. But still doesn’t make her any less contemptable as her siblings. Especially after that smirk and complete disregard for poor Komeru in this episode. (Not to mention being a part of Shoma’s mother’s death of course and all the other murdered humans on that conveyer belt, past, present and future.) I would’ve been right behind Lakia charging at her for that reaction and response. *shudder*
It was definitely an intriguing tease that memory flash for Shoma regarding Hanto’s mother. The show has been very good in planting seeds that have already sprouted into great things. So I’m looking forward to seeing where these memories lead for Shoma.
And finally, the bromance has finally broken.
First off, it was funny how Hanto immediately went to “Why is Shoma helping Vram?” and not the other way around. But it was a great way to show Hanto’s deep hatred and resentment for the Granutes that took his mother of course. Understandable for him, but naturally, we know there is more to it than just “All Granutes bad”.
Hanto worried about Shoma coming into contact with Suga-san was also a small, but important moment too. One, to highlight how he cares about Shoma. Which then makes the perceived betrayal in the end all the more painful. And two, to further show the potentially increasing threat of Suga-san.
Like Lakia’s, I think Hanto’s reaction was also the proper response to the situation at the end. Though I wouldn’t have minded if the show dragged it out a few more episodes, they still have been able to properly lay out Hanto’s suspicions and worries in the last couple of weeks. As well as show the friendship and mutual care Hanto and Shoma have developed in a short amount of time.
Such a great cast, honestly. Because to further elevate the already strong writing, we get some wonderfully nuanced performances. Most especially from our three Rider heroes. Kohei Shoji of course, I’ve admired since Kiramager. And he’s done so well in bringing to life the tragic story of Lakia and his brother.
Yusuke Hino has done so well in navigating the pain and trauma of Hanto losing his mother and the genuine friendships he has with Shoma and Sachika.
And Hidekazu Chinen. I think he has been amazing in making Shoma this endearing character in a way that is so different from many other title heroes in the last couple of years. Cheerful and fun, but not over the top. Being able to balance that childlike wonder of delicious treats with the darker and more serious side of his character.
Again, just all a part of what has made these 20 episodes so good! It’s actually crazy to me that it’s only been 20 yet. But they’ve packed a lot in while still obviously having a lot of story left to tell.
So overall, another great, if not excellent episode. And even more exciting heading into next week!
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12 thoughts on “Recap: Kamen Rider Gavv, Episode 20 – Break In! To the Dark Snacks Factory!”
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I will note this isn’t the first time Kamen Rider has looked at the whole drugs issue, and its a bit darker than the last. Also feels like the perfect time for a bit of breaking the fellowship (with much better reasons than the last time or two), and don’t expect the team to be back together for a couple of episodes. Good writing, now to just keep fueling the train to wherever its going.
Yes, good momentum.
Didn’t expect the revelation would come so soon. Glotta let it slip out of her tongue (yeah, the pun is lame).
Fuck this episode starts with many emotional scenes and ends with so shocking twists first shouma getting flashbacks of hanto’s mom(but why she was alive and safe in granute world) then glotta spitting out the truth which make the trio clash (hurts to see it as a gavvalen shipper but so interesting to see the lore) but at least she still considered shouma a part of their family lol
Yeah! But looking forward to seeing the fallout!
Glotta is awesome and badass, as per usual. I just can’t ever hate her! I’m glad they didn’t do anything ridiculously stupid and kill her off so early.
That memory of little Shoma with Hanto’s mom in the Granute World was intriguing and also “enlightening.” Since it seemed to occur after the incident 18 years ago, I think this means Shoma is “cleared” of being the Wolf Granute. That head pain Shoma felt looking at Hanto’s photo was probably him recognizing her from when she tried to help him find his mother. Of course, that only furthers the question: Who the hell is this Wolf Granute? Maybe there is indeed another, separate hybrid running around out there…..
That dark Shoma in the next episode preview transforming into the new Bitter Gavv Rider is also intriguing. Fans seem to be speculating that it’s an evil clone of Shoma. Whatever it is, Suga’s definitely the one behind it and the creation of the Bitter Gavv Driver since he stole Shoma’s hair and blood. This is what he meant by “spicing” things up for Hanto. Given the abrupt and convenient appearance of this “clone” however, I’m not sure if it’s as simple as that. I think it’s more likely someone’s using Shoma’s appearance to frame him and manipulate Hanto. In other words, this wouldn’t be the real form of Bitter Gavv’s user. Suga WAS also excited at learning how Granutes disguise themselves as humans, after all. Perhaps Bitter Gavv will show off his “real form” once he is forced to after he takes a big hit or when the real Shoma shows up.
And speaking of Suga, he just gets more and more interesting by the episode. I really like that he’s interacting with Shoma now and acting as an ally. Now he knows Shoma’s a Granute (he knew that tidbit before meeting him of course), that he’s the “original” Kamen Rider, and his real name. You just can’t tell whose “team” Suga is on. For all we know, he’s in contact with another of the Stomach Siblings besides Nyelv. The man is committed to playing both sides while acting as a pleasant, funny guy to be around. Much more believable than someone like Akaishi from Revice, who could never stop acting shady and vaguely sinister while posing as a good guy. And it also seems like Suga will be the first “villainous” character so far to have enough respect for Shoma to refer to him by his real name and not as “Red Gavv.”
I really do hate how on both Toei shows, they always refer to each other by their SEntai or Rider designated name and not their real names. I guess to help promote the toys. But it’s annoying. lol
And noooo don’t remind me of Akaishi or Revice! lololol
Hahaha! It’s just my way of describing how great Gavv’s characters have been; this season may be on track to become the best of the Reiwa seasons at the rate it’s going. I also think Suga’s been a better scheming manipulator than someone like Kekera from Geats. Why Keiwa accepted his help and guidance after seeing Kekera cheering on his sister dying in plain sight, I dunno. Hanto, on the other hand, clearly doesn’t trust Suga despite his friendly demeanor and without even knowing the full extent of his shadiness, but he’s still forced to rely on him in certain cases. Suga’s friendly, eccentric behavior and his playing of all sides can be positively compared to Evolto from Build.
And hey, at least the villains not referring to Shoma by his real name has a narrative purpose this time around. It shows how “different” regular Granutes view him. And it shows how his siblings look down on him and don’t acknowledge him as their little brother. So Suga, who certainly seems poised to be a major future threat, referring to Shoma by his real name already makes him a “unique” villain in this season.
Speaking of referring to names, I think maybe it would’ve been an even better reveal if Shoma slipped and called her Glotta-neechan instead of Glotta just coming out and saying it. Would’ve made Hanto even more shocked I think hehe
I think Suga acts for his own agenda, he just wants to see his “creatures” fighting each other whitout caring about what could happen to the world.
Very good pacing so far. Really a good continuing story even after several climactic events already
*crossesfingers* that they maintain it all the way through! hehe