KR Zero-One 20 released

[takenoko]

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Last week's rating: 3.42 / 5 (12 votes)

Alt Title: Maybe her name should be Tsumida, but this episode is a sin

2 / 5 boring and toothless

The only thing I wrote in my notes is:

"Smile just needed an update? Hiden, send out your damn updates!"

Otherwise it just feels like they're spinning in place waiting for the next big story thing to happen. No one did anything interesting and it felt like the bad guy's redemption is completely unearned.

My biggest disappointment is in Foreman Takumi, since his introduction in the last episode made it seem like he'd have some funny bits or do something really cool. But he gets knocked down and turned into an evil robot super easily. Then they just clone him to build the house really fast. I'm not really sure why he was even a part of this story

[Arigomi]

The foreshadowing with Fuwa seems to imply that he is actually the hooded figure. We never explored the side effects of him using Assault Wolf. It was never intended to be used by a human. Aruto is fine using it because Satellite There predicted its creation and made sure that Shining Hopper was compatible.

[takenoko]

So Fuwa's getting in touch with his feminine side?

[Xirix]

I dunno, I'm sure it doesn't make 'any' sense whatsoever, but I have the feeling the new cloaked figure is Yaiba. At any rate it's probably someone we should know since they bothered to cover her face.

[DeMatgic]

Just finished watching it, I'd say it was better than last episode. With 2/5 going to ZAIA, I feel like they're gonna pull something out of their ass to keep Hiden from getting bought out. We had some more Fuwa at least so that's good, and Thouser wasn't being a dick to the other riders beyond jacking Kong's... data. Speaking of, it's been made apparent that he can just use progrise keys normally in his weapon, so he's pretty much been taking Aruto and Fuwa's powers solely because he can.

Foreman Takumi going Magear seems kind of a pointless addition, yeah. It could have easily just been Arayashiki turning into a Raider and attempting to ruin the house only for Vulcan and Thouser to stop him but eh.

Maybe the hooded figure is actually long-haired Izu from the opening? I have doubts that it's Fuwa, but I do feel like using the Assault trigger may be letting Ark corrupt him.

[BreadToku]

I liked this episode more than the conclusion of the florist two-partner, but I'm still just waiting for something to come along and shake things up. Even though they had mentioned there being five of these competitions, I really don't believe this set-up will last for more than another two or three episodes (or maybe I'm just way too optimistic!).

It's not even that I don't like the individual story we're getting, but I honestly found the earlier one-offs to have been more entertaining and easy to invest in, like the one with the humagear basketball coach, or the sushi chef one. Also I feel like those earlier episodes did a much better job of feeling distinct from each other compared to the last two stories featuring these humans turning into monsters.

Favourite part of the episode was Aruto reaching out his hand to the Raider, but when he gets knocked away, he's quick to just kick the guy in the face.

[Catastrophe]

A predictable finish. HIDEN didn't even win again this time, so assuming they don't shake anything up then it's a given the next three are theirs.

The only actual interesting thing is whatever the hell is going on with Fuwa. At this point, I honestly can't tell. Is Assualt Wolf fucking with him, or is he a hybrid Humagear? Is Horobi actually functional or is it in his head as well? I'm half expecting that when Aruto and Izu confront him that he's offline.

The rest of the episode was meh. What even is the point of Thouser? All he does is turn up when someone else is fighting a Magia, steal their progrise key data and use a jacking break on them. Gai doesn't feel as menacing as he did the last arc almost because he doesn't have anything to do.

My biggest issue, is if you compare where we are now with some other shows, it seems like narratively we are far behind. Episode 20 of Build was Hazards debut, so shit was getting real and even in Ex-Aid, the fight was ramping up against Zombie Dan. Zero-One just seems to be spinning its wheels at the moment and it's really not that enjoyable.

[resop2]

Seems like a three way lottery now for who Naki, the hooded figure, is:

Evil long hair Izu - She's in the opening credits, but unexplained how she knows where Gai's champions are.
Fuwa - Explains why Fuwa experiences video effects reality around the hooded figure, but also unexplained how he knows where Gai's champions are. (I love the idea that Horobi is still deactivated though.)
Yaiba - She would know who Gai's champions are, and I like the idea that she's a crying freeman figure who has to do evil against her will. However, when the hooded figure is first seen it is an immediate cut from when Yaiba finds out a progrize key is stolen.

I liked the episode. I thought it came up with a good message for its target audience while advancing the hooded figure story line.

[takenoko]

Why do you guys think there's something up with Fuwa? Did I miss something?

As compelling as evil Izu would be for being the hooded figure, I feel like it's going to be revealed to be Yaiba. It'd explain why she's been backgrounded and how someone stole the Buffalo key 4 episodes ago, since she has connections in ZAIA.

Love the observation that there would be no point in concealing the identity unless it's someone we know already

That'd set up a torn allegiance between her president and her co-worker. Who will she choose?!

[DeMatgic]

Speaking of Yaiba, I didn't notice until this episode that her cut in the action part of the intro (around 3:28) is Valkyrie in Rushing Cheetah form as opposed to Lightning Hornet. It's probably a moot point, granted, since Zero-One is in his Rising Hopper form. But if she doesn't end up being the hooded figure, then damn, even the OP considers her unimportant this arc.

Also the video static thing has been done several times in this franchise even in scenes where characters aren't losing their mind. I just don't see Fuwa being the hooded figure.

[Catastrophe]

Why do you guys think there's something up with Fuwa? Did I miss something?

I guess the most frequent indication is that in the past three episodes, there has been some strange static effect with the hooded figure appearing behind or near Fuwa. This episode especially when he was chasing it was well.

It’s hard to say though if it’s supposed to be thematic foreshadowing or lazy writing though. If it was happening in the previous arc I would have thought the former, but given how much the writing has slipped the vast month I can’t say for sure.

[resop2]

Why do you guys think there's something up with Fuwa? Did I miss something?

Because he wasn't supposed to be able to use the Ark key, yet he did (even though it caused self injury to do so). Also, in an early episode Yaiba implied that something was wrong with Fuwa.

Of course, the static video might mean that Fuwa is becoming a Greeed.

[takenoko]

Oh, I just thought that effect was from Naki following him. Do you think he's like losing his mind or developing multiple personalities?

[Kogashi]

Oh, I just thought that effect was from Naki following him. Do you think he's like losing his mind or developing multiple personalities?

No but I do think his memories are altered either forcefully to make him anti-humagear, or because he's actually a humagear himself designed to be a weapon against his own kind... as for the cloaked figure my chips are on 'it's Jin but his interesting personally is gone and is fully controlled by the Ark who speaks in a female voice cause 'terror of a male form with female thoughts assaulting mankind for their transgressions' trope

[BreadToku]

No but I do think his memories are altered either forcefully to make him anti-humagear, or because he's actually a humagear himself designed to be a weapon against his own kind... as for the cloaked figure my chips are on 'it's Jin but his interesting personally is gone and is fully controlled by the Ark who speaks in a female voice cause 'terror of a male form with female thoughts assaulting mankind for their transgressions' trope

Why does this show bring out your most cynical thoughts every week