Air Dates: September 4th until August 2023(!), Sunday mornings at 9:00 am on TV-Asahi
Screenwriter: Yuuya Takahashi Subs done by Anon at NYAA
Main Cast: This will be an ongoing work in progress and this section may never be 100% complete! Most was written up after viewing the first episode though we didn't meet every character and sure a bit more will be added in for every show but hopefully most things will be known by the fifth or so episode. That did happen but the first contest ended in the ninth show and two new Riders will be added in for the 12th recap. All of the riders are fighting an alien race called Jamato.
Desire Grand Prix rules
Not all about the game has been revealed yet but this is what's known up until the 15th episode. The contest lasts for six months, during it a Kamen Rider gets points with the most being for killing the alien Jamatos. Points can also be earned for saving human lives and other acts of heroism but not as many as slaying a Jamato. At the end of the contest the winner gets to choose what kind of world he wants to see exist, check on Ace below to see his wish as he won the last contest. Once a contest ends any person involved will have their memories reset and know zero about the contest and Jamato army so that person can live their live in peace. If they return for another contest those memories will return. The Jammer Area is a bit like an arena, when a battle goes on the action can only take place in this smallish area and it's forbidden to leave or attack outside of it. Also the Grand Prix staff is not allowed to interfere but that hasn't stopped the Game Master Girori from doing so! Will update this section too as we go along.
Hideyoshi Kan as Ace Ukiyo/Kamen Rider Geats.... He truly is an ace fighter though slightly arrogant and is the most current winner of the Desire Grand Prix. Ace had a very unique and selfish wish for his new world. It would be one where he would be the Star of Stars or in other words immensely popular and to say he has a huge ego would be an understatement! KR Geats has acquired too many weapons to count! He won this season's first Grand Prix in the ninth show, the second contest in episode #12 and is now considered to be a Deza God.
Ryuga Sato as Keiwa Sakurai/KR Tycoon.... Newest Kamen Rider who was recruited at the end of the first episode. Keiwa is the younger brother of Sara and he was a college student who had been looking for work with no success. His weapon is a powerful Armed Arrow, also has acquired a Booster Buckle which makes weapons even more powerful. His wish if he wins the current Grand Prix is to have world peace. After his return from being 'retired' Keiwa's wish is to have all the dead Riders come back to life.
Yuno Hoshino as Neon Kurama/KR Nago.... She was also recruited at the end of the first episode and is the youngest Kamen Rider. Neon comes from a very wealthy family and until becoming a 'superhero' had been a very influential celebrity influencer, especially among high school girls. Her weapon is an Armed Hammer. If Neon wins the Grand Prix her wish is to find her 'true love' of the world!
Kazuto Mokudai as Michinaga Azuma/KR Buffa(buffer).... Think the Buffa is actually short for Buffalo and he is as tough as one! He has two weapons, one being a Water Shooter and obtained his second from KR Dapan which is a Magnum. But actually these weapons change hands so often am having a hard time figuring out who has what! If Buffa wins the Grand Prix his wish is to see.... all Kamen Riders eliminated(!).... but would he be killed too? Buffa now has a Zombie Buckle, why not a true weapon it does provide protection.
Tsubasa Sakiyama as Win Hareruya/KR Punk Jack.... The newest Rider who we first met in the tenth episode though there was another person who played Punk Jack in the fourth and fifth shows. This Rider has been recruited by the Game Master Girori to bring KR Geats down and get him thrown out of the contest! The why part isn't known as of yet but bringing down the ace KR Geats many prove to be impossible!
KR Riders Dapan, Merry, Ginpin and Keirou have been killed or retired from the contest.
The others of the cast, don't think many more will be added in
Kokoro Aoshima as Tsumuri.... Navigates the Grand Prix as far as figuring out the points and other tidbits go but don't know enough about her yet. Such as how did she become a staff member of the contest, could she have been a former Rider?
Shugo Oshinari as Girori/Game Master.... Just added him in for the ninth episode though he's been part of the cast since the beginning. Giroro runs the rest center the Riders go to during their breaks from fighting the Jamato army. But we learned in the eighth show he's also the masked man Game Master who is Tsumori's superior but is there someone above him? After viewing many more shows will be NO but not 100% certain on that.
Nene Shida as Sara Sakurai.... My main reason for watching this show! She's the older sister of the newest Kamen Rider Keiwa and works as an OL. Their parents were killed over a decade ago in an accident.... that's what she thought until this episode seven.
Previous recaps:
It's not important to read all of these but would recommend the previous show or two as so much was explained for the current story and won't always refer back to those things.
Will have to say that not many regular length dramas have as many things take place as this series does, once again a lot of new plot twists, mysteries and other tidbits were thrown at us. In that last episode which is the above post KR Geats aka Ace has finally been eliminated from the Desire Grand Prix or has he? Right above are the four remaining Riders, in the bottom middle is KR Punk Jack. He was brought into the contest by the Game Master to bring down KR Geats which never happened though something else occurred to get him 'retired'. KR Geats has won the last two Grand Prix contests but I'm a bit confused on a few things about his winning, such as did he win another contest before this series began? One other thing is that though KR Punk Jack is still a Rider as it shows above he was never seen in this episode and it's just three Riders for now protecting the Earth.
In that second screenshot above is an older man named Archimedel and still don't know much about him. This man seems to work with the Game Master Girori but really have no clue about their relationship. We see Archimedel for about one minute in each episode and it appears he 'grows' the Jamato monsters in a greenhouse, I'm confused about this man but sure everything will eventually be explained. What is also a little baffling to me is what happens when a Rider wins the Desire Grand Prix. When KR Geats, now only Ace for a while as he's no longer a Rider, won the first contest his wish for winning was to be the world's 'Star of Stars' or the most popular person on the planet. Which happened but when he won the second contest that being a 'Star' has continued and thought a World would be reset. Ace's wish for winning the second contest was to have the Game Master Girori and the game's navigator Tsumuri be his family(!), that will go on until a new Rider has won this third contest and the reason for them being a family is that Ace wants to learn so much more about the Grand Prix.
As you can see in the middle screenshot the third and final battle for the current Desire Grand Prix is about to begin. Once again the Riders have to take down a powerful Jamato who is different than the other creatures and is the size of a castle, it's called Last Boss and truly is the size of a castle! The three remaining Riders are Tycoon, Nago and Buffa who have all improved as fighters but without KR Geats can they take down the Last Boss and the other Jamatos who are now so much more powerful? Watching the action from the Rider HQ was the Game Master Girori who felt KR Buffa will be the winner(he wasn't!) and he has been the best fighter besides KR Geats. In the second to last screenshot is the Last Boss monster who is so large and for now the Riders appear to have no chance in taking down this semi-Jamato. As a matter of fact even the Riders felt they had a zero chance of winning, even against the regular Jamatos who in each episode have become much more powerful.
Soon the many oddities about the storylines will begin to pop up. Ace is leading a normal human life though as the most popular person on Earth it's not exactly that normal! When a Rider is 'retired' from the Grand Prix they lose all memories of being a Rider, but that won't be the case for Ace and what a conniving man he is. Ace was at a photo shoot when the studio was swarmed by a Jamato army, he was able to get everyone out to safety and headed to the battle scene where the Riders were getting pummeled. The one who got beat the worse was surprisingly KR Buffa who was so hurt he couldn't even stand up, to his dismay who should be there to help him but Ace! KR Buffa does not like any of the Riders, especially Ace, and his wish if he won was to rid the world of all Riders. In the third screenshot above is Ace trying to help KR Buffa but it was too late as the Rider was so badly injured he soon disappeared though Ace did get his Driver ID. When a Rider is 'retired' from the contest they go back to their normal human life, when a Jamato beats a Rider they are officially dead! That Driver ID is what enables a human to transform into a Rider and use their powerful weapons.
By touching a Driver ID if a person was a Rider all of their memories return, that's what took place with Ace who went to the Rider HQ but there's much more about his triumphant return. Naturally the Game Master Girori is not a happy person with Ace around and demanded that he return KR Buffa's Driver ID, Ace was 'retired' by Girori in the last episode and to the Game Master is not worthy of being a Rider. 'Not so fast' said the game's navigator Tsumori who has been on Ace's side and has been furious with Girori interfering in the contest. This scene is when I wondered if Ace hadn't won another Grand Prix before this series began, if so it he's won three to date. As you can see above Tsumori told everyone that Ace is worthy of being a Rider..... for the rest of his life! She showed Girori and the other two Riders the first wish that Ace had written down when he became a Rider, that wish was to remain a Rider until the day he dies! So that wish had to be written before this series began and Ace has so many tricks up his sleeve, there was nothing Girori could do so now it's time for Ace aka KR Geats to save the world again!
In front of the other Riders and the game's staff Ace always appears to be shocked by some of what takes place in the game and of Girori's decisions. But it's all an act as Ace knew the Game Master had some devious scheme and was all prepared. Before he was 'retired' Ace had written himself many notes about being a Rider and how the contest operates, he also left a list of what to do when there was a Jamato attack. So that's why Ace approached the injured KR Buffa and took his Driver ID, all of these events had been carefully planned out. Besides being an unbeatable fighter Ace's intelligence is the main reason he may never lose a Grand Prix. So it was off to save the Earth by himself as Ace will become KR Geats until the end of the show. KR Geats is now more powerful than ever, he has some of KR Buffa's weapons plus KR Tycoon gave him a few of his own. This is the second time KR Geats has fought this 'castle like' Last Boss, the first time was a struggle but it was much easier this time around as KR Geats defeated the huge creature and the entire Jamato army!!!!
So does this mean that KR Geats has won the Desire Grand Prix for the third(fourth?) time in this series? For now that's not clear as to his bewilderment the contest hasn't ended as more Jamatos began to appear, what's going on? KR Geats has now transformed back into Ace and approaching him was Tsumori with some startling news. The match isn't officially over as this has never happened before when a 'retired' Rider has come back to win a contest and there was no rule saying it was legal or not. So the Game Master Girori as you can see above has scheduled yet another contest, this will include the other Riders Tycoon and Nago, perhaps KR Buffa too? It'll be a Desire God playoff and what that means is unknown as that announcement ended this episode. This is now such a superb series and I've been looking forward to these episodes as what an interesting and action packed show this has become. Will be back in two weeks with the next pair of recaps and plenty more screenshots here that should help you follow the story a bit better.
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