Encounter VII: Trump Card Ninja
- Original Airdate: October 23, 2022
Written by: Yuya Takahashi
Directed by: Kazuya Kamihoriuchi
Summary
Keiwa: The Final Round of the Desire Grand Prix: a game of Kick the Can.
The objective is to kick it without being spotted by the final boss.
Geats managed to do it, but it turns out that the can needs to leave the Jyamar Area itself, or the game continues.
What's more, if all Kamen Riders are defeated...
...the world will end.
The objective is to kick it without being spotted by the final boss.
Geats managed to do it, but it turns out that the can needs to leave the Jyamar Area itself, or the game continues.
What's more, if all Kamen Riders are defeated...
...the world will end.
Geats succeeded in kicking the can away... or so he thought, as it turns out that the final boss managed to catch the can before escaping. Meanwhile, Keiwa learns that Sara has been targeted by the Jyamato and — despite being grievously injured due to Ace's manipulations — rushes to save her.
As Keiwa reaches the place where Sara is at, he transforms into Tycoon in front of her, fighting off the Jyamato while protecting her. However, during the fracas, Sara inadvertently touches Tycoon's ID Core, which causes her to remember a long-forgotten memory. Just what is the truth buried in the Sakurai siblings' past...?
Tropes
- Bittersweet Ending: The Riders successfully kick the can and save the captured civilians, but because of how badly injured Keiwa is, Tsumuri saw it fit to eliminate Keiwa on the spot rather than risk getting himself killed. There's also the fact that Sara knows about the Desire Grand Prix now.
- Colossus Climb: Keiwa climbs up the by-now giant Saboten Knight Jyamato after acquiring the Ninja Buckle, giving him leverage to perform a Boost Grand Victory to save the captured civilians.
- Conflict Ball: Michinaga considers taking the penalty to be more acceptable than seeing Ace win, causing the two to fight each other and waste everyone's time as the Saboten Knight Jyamato disappears again, taking Sara with them.
- Dare to Be Badass: Ace tells the down-for-the-count Keiwa to fight for his happiness, giving him the Heroic Second Wind he needed to go and save the people captured, including his sister.
- Darkhorse Victory: Neon ends up being the one who kicks the can out of the arena and winning the game... though it ends up being subverted as the overall game is not over, as the Jyamar Area has just expanded.
- Easily Forgiven: For all his anger towards Ace for manipulating him in the previous episode, here Keiwa seems to have gotten over it, though he still accuses him as lying in Ace's seemingly genuine praise, which Ace admits he might be.
- Foreshadowing: Neon practices kicking the can in the Desire Temple lounge to Michinaga's and Giroli's chagrin. She's the one who gets to kick the can out of the Jyamar Area instead of Ace or Michinaga.
- Graceful Loser: After being assured that he'll be sent back to his normal life, Keiwa takes his elimination with stride (and also relief given what he went through) and hands the Ninja Buckle back to Ace before fading away.
- Jerkass Has a Point: Ace points out to Keiwa that working together so that he could claim the win means that everyone else would have to sacrifice their wishes for his sake, which makes him come off as selfish instead.
- Mood Whiplash: The episode goes from Keiwa recording his Apocalyptic Log to Neon training can kicking in DGP'S lobby and hitting Michinaga in the head.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: With Sara caught inside a Jyamar Area and later abducted, Keiwa becomes more selfish and willing to fight despite his injuries; while Ace took it as an early cue the Jyamato has appeared at first, he later calls out Keiwa for how hypocritical he is.
- No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: His actions for saving Sara meant Keiwa exposed himself to more risk, causing him to be eliminated for his own safety.
- Put on a Bus: Keiwa ends up getting eliminated due to his injuries despite being a major character.
- Surprisingly Realistic Outcome:
- Ace and Michinaga's infighting allows the Knight Jyamato to escape first, then for Neon to be the one to kick the can out of the Jyamar area later on.
- The other Riders reject Keiwa's proposal for a team-up since it means they would give up their wish doing so.
- Keiwa fighting in spite of his injuries means Tsumuri disqualifies him for his own safety.
- A Taste of Power: Keiwa gets to experience using his signature Buckle, Ninja, before he gets eliminated from the Desire Grand Prix due to his injuries.
- Take a Third Option: After being called out for asking the others to sacrifice their wishes to save Sara and knowing the usual 4 way competition will probably doom her, Keiwa opts to sacrifice himself to save her instead, getting horrifically injured to rescue her knowing full well he'll probably die in the process. Keiwa's drive to throw himself away for the sake of a goal resonates with the Ninja Buckle causing it to go to him instead. He doesn't die, although his injuries mean he's removed from the game but he does save her and seems to gain the respect of the others by putting his money where his mouth was and giving up his wish instead, which, given that he had a thought up better wish back in #2 but couldn't change it, is still a win in his book.
- The Reveal: Sara and Keiwa's parents were killed in a previous Desire Grand Prix and — despite being civilians — were not brought back to life for some reason, unlike the past victims of the DGP.
Final Mission — Kick the Can
CURRENT STANDINGS
CURRENT STANDINGS
Ace Ukiyo/Geats (active)
Keiwa Sakurai/Tycoon (retired)
Neon Kurama/Na-Go (active)
Michinaga Azuma/Buffa (active)
Keiwa Sakurai/Tycoon (retired)
Neon Kurama/Na-Go (active)
Michinaga Azuma/Buffa (active)
DGP Rule #8
In emergency situations such as injury or illness, participants who are unable to continue will be retired.
