KR Zero-One 30 released

[takenoko]

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Last week's rating: 4.09 / 5 (23 votes)

Alt Title: Guess we're back to Zero One

This was a great episode. A lot of great character and character relationship moments. I had a lot of nitpicks about the writing and setup though, but still felt like it was a return to form. Probably literally the best thing Takahashi has written in like 15 episodes. 5 / 5 stars, with a bump in the curve because it's Takahashi and I really don't see him doing better than this.

Props to Jin for growing into a fantastic character. What a beautiful man he is.

The rest is notes I wrote while watching:

Is this a clip show? If so, I'm going to lose it.

This conversation between Aruto and Jin is really good. Like motivationwise, this is a real good clash of ideals and a point where they should see they have some common goals.

This stuff between Fuwa and Yaiba is good too. It's like we spent a quarter of a year on a big ass distraction instead of focusing on these characters and their relationships that were the heart of the show.

I love that Fukuzoe and the other guy are sucking up to Gai.

Also how stupid is Aruto to leave Izu and the Zero-One driver with Hiden. I know it's a TV show, but was Aruto's big plan really to just ride his bike around and pick up broken Humagears? Gai's first move was to attempt to destroy Izu, he could have easily done that during the time Aruto was out riding his bike around.

Uh, can Izu be backed up? I thought it was kind of a big plot point that Izu and Was weren't able to be backed up. Because secrets. Also does Amatsu Gai have all of Hiden's technology now? He literally had the Zero-One Driver in his hand last episode.

Again, Jin could have just not saved Izu at all. They could have totally fixed this by having Gai fire Aruto and take the Zero-One Driver by force, but instead Aruto jumps through these character defying decisions in order to set up this conflict to set up this episode out.

/me laughs out loud at Aruto getting shot. Why didn't Jin take that bullet, he's better equipped for that.

What? If Izu knew that the Zero-One technology belonged to Aruto in the first place, why did she agree to be left behind and have the Zero-One Driver be left with Gai? OMG this writing

[VerusMaya II]

This was a really good episode, but it does suffer because it's having to wrap up the scattered mess that was the job competition arc.

Was there supposed to be a time skip between last episode and this one? It felt like that's where it was going, with characters acting like they hadn't seen the other for a bit. But there also couldn't have been that much time, because Izu and Satellite There are still in the process of being scrapped/wiped. Wibbly-wobbly time stuff.

Relatedly, I wish they had dwelled on Aruto working on his goal individually, and without his president/Kamen Rider abilities for a bit longer. Maybe show him actually in the middle of repairing a Humagear. Maybe show him talking with someone who actually loves their Humagear (what about that dad with the Humagear actor-daughter???? or anyone from the first arc???). Show that even though he's out of the business game, he's still in the minor leagues.
But I guess they had to budget their time, and Aruto had to transform again by the end of the episode. I'm glad what little time we had was allotted to some good talking between Aruto and Jin.

Which, speaking of: Jin's actor is fantastic. The micro-expressions on his face as he jumps from determination to anger to understanding to sympathy during his talk with Aruto! And at the end when Horobi walks up to taunt him, and his expression tightens up and he acts self-assured and righteous in front of Horobi. My boy is growing up! I love him!

Izu at the end: "we'll make our own company, with blackjack. and hookers."

[takenoko]

I know! The time jump is my biggest question. Is there supposed to be a time jump (in which case how is Izu still even functioning?)

How long has Aruto been bumming it on the street, because there's been enough time for Gai to announce a recall on the Humagears, for people to start dumping them in the street for Aruto to start picking them up (unless this was a thing that happened before he quit as president?). Also, if the Humagears weren't being dumped yet, what was Aruto's plan to do while he was on his self imposed exit from Hiden Intelligence? It's not a mystery series, it's important to know what the main character plans to do so we can know if they're succeeding or failing or if they're an idiot with no plan, which is how it looks here.

A.I.M.S. is already bought up by ZAIA and Fuwa's already quit by the start of this episode.

Someone pointed out that Fukuzoe and Yamashita are pointedly without their beloved Siesta now, which is super eerie.

It kind of feels like maybe some of the fan frustration actually trickled out and they rushed the last and this episode to the next arc. The sudden thing about Hiden and its rebuilding of Daybreak Town with no setup might have also been a victim of that. Again, not a writer, but maybe someone should have ahead of time went "5 rounds, that's like 10+ episodes, people will get sick of that. Rule of 3's, ya'll"

[Xirix]

Oh shit you're right, Shesta wasn't there was she... oh boy.

[Catastrophe]

The thing that makes this episode work is that Gai has always underestimated Aruto. He's not smart in a business savvy sense, but he did preemptively download all the humagear backups onto physical media and keep them on him. Izu creating a loophole by quickly making another company was neat as well. Looks like Taiga isn't using his clinic anymore?

Everything worked with this episode. I too was worried about it being a clipshow, but it came together in the end. I'm hoping the Fuwa vs Yaiba thing is sorted out quickly, because I'd hate for it to be several episodes of Jackal jobbing to Rampaging Vulcan.

The only issue I have is with the two AIMS jobbers. It's like they are an even shittier rip off of the Kaiser Hell Brothers.

[jamebarktoku]

This was so good. Aruto and Jin's scene was really well written and acted. Isamu seems to mellowing but it feels very on point and in character for him to focus his rage on an easy target (Gai) and to fight Yua to get her to wake up. Gai is finally feeling like an actual threat instead of being a scenery-chewing, pontificating ass with technology that helps him fight (steal other's technology).

The fight choreography in this episode was actually really good for a change. I especially like Aruto closing the Attache Calibur to defend himself and spinning the thing around before opening it back up and unleashing his finisher. It's such a cool detail that's so fast you'd miss it if you weren't paying attention. Not to mention his Metal Rising Impact not only seemingly calling back to Faiz's finisher, but visibly throwing Thouser into a cliff was such a satisfying detail.

Unfortunately, I have some niggles. Yua is slowing getting demoted to mook by being the commander of the Raider army AIMS has become, but also getting defeated rather easily. Speaking of the Raiders, their design is really cool, but god, the guys using them are absolute non-characters. At least the Hell Bros had distinct personalities and actually had comradery to boot. Horobi popping up at the end feels ever so slightly out of place, and feels like Takahashi suddenly remembered Horobi existed and added him on the end.

I just hope Yua and Horobi actually get given something to do, besides helping the villain or carrying out the 'Ark's will.'

[WannaFantaMan]

This was easily a 5/5 episode for me. Seeing Aruto kick the ever loving FUCK out of Gai IN ZERO-ONE'S BASE FORM WAS BADASS AF!!! Also find it hilarious that Yaiba thinks she can go toe to toe with Fuwa after she and Gai gave him that broken power up. IT'S NOT GONNA WORK YOU STUPID HOE(I apologize for calling her that but at this point in the show, is is VERY MUCH a stupid hoe OTL)!!! Also loving how Aruto and Izu where one step ahead of our FAVORITE douche baggy president basically the entire time and he was freaking out xD.

[resop2]

Someone pointed out that Fukuzoe and Yamashita are pointedly without their beloved Siesta now, which is super eerie.

And, predicted Izu creating Hiden Industries 2.0.

Will transference (from the gag battle video) be how Fuwa transfers Naki to Siesta?

Will those who get Zaia specs be transferred into a battle royal VR game where the winner gets a shocker Zaia chip implant?

You know, it would be pretty handy to have Humageers around since they cannot get Covid-19.

[kevinlafriday]

It was a good episode and all, but I'm having problems with Aruto's ideology about Humagears. "Humagears' deaths are not different from humans'", "Humagears can dream too", these are dangerous thoughts (if applied to real life). At the very core, humagears are supposed to be tools to empower human lives. In that sense, the core value of ZAIASpec is supposed to be superior to that of humagears. But this show decides to make Gai a mindless evil idiot in a world (read: stupid fictional Japan) of idiot mob mentality (read: stupid Japanese people in the show) that doesn't punish blatant criminal acts.

Let's say those things can't be changed; I just have one question: why doesn't anyone ever think of destroying the rider belt everytime they beat anyone in this show? Or at least cut the hands/legs so they can't transform anyone. Problem (somehow) solved.

And about Yua: slave's gonna be slave.

[Go-On Macaroni]

Looks like Taiga isn't using his clinic anymore?

That was it, thank you. I was looking at the place and I knew I recognized it from somewhere but for the life of me, I couldn't place it.

[Catastrophe]

It was a good episode and all, but I'm having problems with Aruto's ideology about Humagears. "Humagears' deaths are not different from humans'", "Humagears can dream too", these are dangerous thoughts (if applied to real life). At the very core, humagears are supposed to be tools to empower human lives. In that sense, the core value of ZAIASpec is supposed to be superior to that of humagears.

It's almost like you haven't been paying attention to the show and the themes its trying to demonstrate?

[DeMatgic]

If I'm gonna nitpick anything, it'd be how did Jin sneak into Hiden and grab both Izu and the driver without anyone noticing? They were pointedly shown to be in the side lab of the president's office, which is basically at the top of the building, and there were no signs of a break-in anywhere.

Otherwise, I just had the biggest grin when Zero-One stepped out of the explosion and started kicking ass in Rising Hopper form. The episode was great beyond the first couple minutes of "we're having a clip show?"

[TypicalStandUser]

This is a nice episode. Hopefully, Aruto can make more backups of the Humagear data & save all the other Humagears from the first few episodes, as well as Siesta.

That said, still waiting on Noriko Hidaka voicing the ARK with her Sybil System voice.

[takenoko]

If I'm gonna nitpick anything, it'd be how did Jin sneak into Hiden and grab both Izu and the driver without anyone noticing?

Yeah, if Jin can do that at any time, how did Zero-One stop MetsubouJinrai.net ever?

[Catastrophe]

It's more that Yua sees him leave, tells Gai he's heading to Hiden and then she's gone already?