Kamen Rider Ex-Aid Episode 5 Live Reaction

Kamen Rider Ex-Aid Episode 5 – Crash! All Gathered! Live Reaction.

Warning! Spoilers!

The episode begins with Pallad commenting that they have 'all the players' and can 'begin playtesting'. Graphite is angry and just wants to kill the Riders and take over, but Pallad comments you 'can't force a puzzle open'.

I do wonder if either of these guys is the Big Bad. It seems Pallad is calling the shots, but I'm not sure.

The next morning, Emu is running to work when he comes across an injured man on the sidewalk.

We also find out that at least the President of Genmu doesn't know who Kamen Rider Genmu is...and to make matters worse, the four new Gashats that were being developed were stolen by someone...and the person Emu found is infested.

The President finds Kujo and Taiga in his office and tells them to go retrieve the four stolen Gashats.

As fate would have it, the person Emu found is also the guy who stole the Gashats, which naturally leads to arguing, as while he IS a thief, he's also ill with the Gaming Disease. Hiiro wanting to deal with him results in him running for it...and the group running into a Bugster that's ALREADY separated from its host, which Asuna remarks isn't a normal Bugster.

Making matters worse, said Bugster has one of the missing Gashats in its head: Gekitotsu Robots, a robot fighting game.

Still, no real time to think about it, so Emu and Hiiro transform and go to Level 2 to fight it...and it proves to be pretty dang powerful. Making matters worst, Genmu shows up and while they're able to do some damage to him together, he uses Shakariki Sports and transforms to Level 3 and overpowers both before disappearing with the Bugster.

Emu looks for the patient, only for Koju who tries to act cool while explaining that as far as he knows, the thief is Genmu.

Afterward, they meet with the President and discuss events. While Hiiro is decisive in his assertion the mane is a criminal and doesn't deserve their help, Emu is equally decisive that criminal or not, a person suffering from the Bugstar virus needs help.

While this is a nice moral debate, I will point one thing out: this isn't a NORMAL virus. This is a virus that spawns a powerful destructive monster. It kinda IS necessary to cure him even from a non moral perspective.

Hiiro doesn't like Emu's idealistic attitude, but likewise Emu has no interest in abanding a patient.

The President commends Emu on his desires, but points out that the criminal does need taken down. Emu replies that a life is a life, and he can't just abandon a patient. The president tells him he's like a crystal, which he likes, but also worries him. After all, not all patients are GOOD people.

I like this moral question here. It provides a NATURAL point of conflict.

The conversation is interrupted when the Bugster attacks again and all four Riders arrive and make it a challenge for who can get the Gashat first. Genmu also shows up to the fight and finally SPEAKS...and yeah, it's twisted and kinda demonic.

Lazer fights Genmu while Brave and Snipe fight the Bugster, Emu a bit hesitant to fight Genmu, thinking he's a patient. Things don't go well, as not only is the monster pretty dang strong, Genmu's Level 3 form is just too powerful, and Lazer lets it slip that he knows who Genmu is. Or thinks he does, and prompts Genmu to try and kill him, but he manages to detransform before the worst can happen.

Brave has to destranform too, but Snipe keeps fighting.

Emu tries to talk Genmu down...but Genmu says that he's mistaken...which holds true as the patient comes up, much to everyone's shock...

And is holding the weapon that Genmu normally has...and transforms into Graphite, with his transformation call being a dark echo of the heroes' transformation.

So yeah, apparently at least Graphite and possibly Pallad can transform into human form...wonder if this is what happens if a Bugsters manage to completely overtake their host.

Snipe goes BERSERK on Graphite and attacks him, but is no match for him, especially in his current state, but does manage to land a hit on him with that spinning bullet attack before having to transform back before his health bar is empty.

Genmu lifts Emu up by his neck and tells him that the world is a 'the strong survive' type of game...and Emu wonders just who he is. Genmu tells him to 'play the game' and find out...which causes him to switch into M mode and say “It's on now!” before transforming.

Yeah, Emu's ticked, not just at being deceived and tricked, but by having his ideals stepped on. He uses the stage selection function to transport them to a jackyard and while clearly overpowered, manages to counter the Level 3 power up Genmu has with an Attack Up...and jumps OVER Genmu rather than hitting him and attacks the Bugster with a Mighty Critical Finish to destroy him. And THAT'S why he's a genius gamer.

That said, I DO wonder just who that Bugster's host was, or if it even had one.

Graphite decides to just leave at this point.

Emu uses the Gekitotsu Robots Gashat, which summons scrap heaps as the power up holder along with a small robot ally that transforms into armor when he transforms to Level 3. And it looks AWESOME! He has cool looking red armor and a power fist on his right arm. Now that both are in level 3, Ex-Aid is able to fight back and actually overpower Genmu.

He uses his Gekitotsu Critical Strike...which involves a ROCKET PUNCH that slams Genmu flying back and slamming into a wall, followed up by Ex-Aid punching his fist back into the rocket punch and cause an explosion.

Unfortunately, Genmu managed to escape, but Ex-Aid DID hand him his first actual defeat. Awesome!

Genmu limps away nearby and destransforms, his Rider Gauge almost depleted...revealing that he's the President of Genmu...didn't see that coming.

He meets with Pallad and Graphite as the episode ends.

Over all, a pretty cool episode! I also liked the fact it was clear that Ex-Aid was just as outmatched, but managed to counter using his BRAINS not just brute force to get his own Level 3 and even the odds. Also nice to see the big bad Dark Rider get handed his first defeat.