Ignore this
Sometimes after a hard week of work, writing about a boy who just wants to get his brother back only to deal with former friends turned bullies he now has to befriend so they can save the world together, and about two people interested in romance but have their fantasies turned against them, you just want to watch a teenage boy willingly choosing to harm himself to save innocent creatures while a teacher has PTSD over his plan to train his students by siding with the villains competing with his angst over the splitting image of his best friend potentially following the same fate.
Kidding of course (partially), but there's a lot to unpack.
This is where the Review starts
Toku isn't a stranger to giving their protagonist's a hangout spot to go through, and while Geats technically had the lounge for the players, having the Kitchen Ichinose be used in just a casual setting, but having the other protagonists help out Hotaro while recovering from the mental drain just adds that nice flavor of character. It's always been fun to see how it's used, especially since Hotaro is still focused on his failure to get back the Chemies.
Repetition always depends on execution, but portraying it differently can be used for the protagonist's goals and current standing of the events and motivation, and while Gotchard occasionally has a dialogue issue, it works here.
Also, Fire Gotchard got taken out of the Upgrade montage, shame. It's still in the opening though. But at this point, they should add Kyoka into the opening.
Not to self toot a horn, but after weeks of Lachesis admitting Minato's plan was to fake his deception into turning on his students as a means of training them so they can take on Geyron, not only is justified, Lachesis' concern boiling into fear not just of herself, but Minato's guilt boiling into his choice to seemingly resign to his fate and allow himself to get eliminated is just open to so much interpretation, is his goal to just stay a bystander or sacrifice himself so they don't die. He thanks Spanner for serving as a distraction to help him escape, and from the preview it seems he's going to the Ouroboros Realm, but why?
That and in general, a teacher being concerned their efforts to support their students might not be enough and worried getting involved to help will only result in their students losing their life is tragic as hell. Any teacher learning the lives of the students they teach are in jeopardy, or at worst, death: it's one of the most emotionally heart-wrenching scenarios anyone could go through, and sadly from experience, his fears over that have been seen face first.
Plus, one could argue Clohto is the most bland of the siblings, but that hesitation of killing her own sisters leading to Atropos using Dread finally, and growing like two feet tall was a long time coming just as Spanner comes in for the save: cool as this all is, there's one plot point that would be a detriment to not see play out.
Lachesis has warned Atropos before that Geyron would eventually see them as expendable: there's several ways that could play out, but if Geyron is going to die this arc, that should play a factor soon. Either sacrificing or using her and Clotho while Lachesis is away, Atropos seeing Geyron snap at her and ultimately deciding she's better off with just the sisters and recruiting Lachesis back into the fold.
It's always fun watching the Dark Sisters fight in Rider, Malgam, and especially human form, nice camera angles common from Reiwa, and Minato using alchemy in the water tank to escape was fun.
Hotaro's actually physically gifted/trained, so it makes sense he'd still have the energy to cook and cater even though, naturally's he's gonna be tired from the Iron drain, but rest enough to recover.
Dragonalas and Gaiard being the first two Chemies and the origins of the other Level-X Chemies adds a lot to worldbuilding. It still plays into the movies goals of getting most of the remaining ten levels, while reminding people they're still a threat given the relevation the GotchardDriver is the lock why the Level-X Chemies serve as the center key even if the minor ones play a part. They're all still relevant, which given people accuse modern Rider of not treating the toys seriously, is still impressive, and gives Dragonalas' Malgam enough of presence given how the Super Forms are needed to take on the Gold Malgams and said Malgams use the Chemies rather than working on them, which a certain figure is all too easy to address.
"The future of this world will not be decided by those with twisted ambitions but by the youths who faithfully walk the correct path! And I will light the path forward for the next generation" As any good adult should. Truer words have never been spoken.
Kuroana's a black hole, Gigabaham's not the fish it's based off, but a mishmash of Bahamut as a dragonic shadow wind god, does make one question how it turns Fuga into a dark hold Rider with red accents, but: a) the black is the center part of the suit and b) who cares, Kamen Rider Wind looks awesome.
Wind fiths with Minato's finance and Majade's elegance. The aerial dog fight as Wind calls out abuse versus cooperation with Chemies to the Malgam before curbstomping him with the most visually impressive drill spinning kick and finisher of the series is just the cherry on top.
If only Geyron didn't show up at the end. Dude looked pissed, nice alchemy sword.
Renge's nicknames for the others are a fun character beat. Seems she started calling Rinne Star Scholar only recently, but Daddy Kamen Rider has been such a fan term, it's nice to hear a character in a show actually say that for a change. She can't even pronounce Ouroboros correctly, and to be fair, it's not the easiest
Anyone who says Reiyo can't act now is lying, she handled her temporary sayonara from her father pretty well. Even on her way to decide to fight, she's still distraught as Spanner still watches over her. Getting better at those noticing those quick character beats while Minato watches his students go off.
Also didn't expect Geyron's cube was powered by the strongest of the Level-10 Chemies. That was a nice reveal.
Fuga's been using a body double that doubles as a Homunculi. Not too bothered by this, it makes sense he'd try to hide his real body given how necessary his survival has had to be if he was the one who created the AlchemisDriver, reconfiguring the GotcharDriver to be used as a source of good. It took Geyron ten years to get physically back into the fight, if Fuga's actively trying to find a way to help the heroes behind the scenes but can't use his full power to do or running the risk of himself becoming a casualty, that's fine.
We don't always need the protagonist's parents to die, especially in a series where all three of their parental figures have played a pivotal role in the development of their students without murder or death, but it could come off bothersome to some.
How fitting SteamLiner helped Fuga and Hotaro escape the Dark Sisters in the beginning of the series through the Ouroboros Realm trying to keep the Chemy's out of their grasp and now it's being used to take them there to the final battle (of this arc potentially) to rescue the Chemies. Always appreciate when story beats come around full circle.
Still, as for the potential final fight, there's a good chance it will be a two parter and Platinum or Cross Hopper will debut but probably have it's first fight in the next episode. Either way, it should be exciting given all of the protagonists on the heroes side are going to get involved in some way or form.