 This article is about an episode in Kamen Rider Ex-Aid.
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Christmas Special: Targeting the Silver X mas! (クリスマス 特別編: 狙われた白銀のX mas！, Kurisumasu Tokubetsu-hen: Nerawareta Shirogane no Kurisumasu!) is the twelfth episode of Kamen Rider Ex-Aid. It features the debut of Genm Zombie Gamer Level X, Ex-Aid Sports Action Gamer Level 3, Brave Santa Beat Gamer Level 3 along with a Christmas version of Ex-Aid Action Gamer Level 1 and the Sports Gamer, as well as two new characters: Masamune Dan and Nico Saiba.
It also explains Poppy Pipopapo's true identity, features the death of Kiriya Kujo, as well as featuring the drawing concepts of Ex-Aid Double Action Gamer Level XX whose form(s) first appeared in Kamen Rider Heisei Generations: Dr. Pac-Man vs. Ex-Aid & Ghost with Legend Rider and will make its first appearance in TV series on the next episode.
This episode broadcast was accompanied by web broadcast of the twelfth and final installment of Kamen Rider Information Program: Poppy Pipopapo's Room.
Synopsis
With Christmas around the corner, Emu runs against time to defeat the Salty Bugster again and save another patient, while Kiriya's investigation leads him closer to the truth, but his life is in danger when he faces Kuroto's new power.
Plot
Following the reveal of Genm's identity as Kuroto Dan, Emu catches up to Kiriya and gets the full story of his friend who died on Zero Day: after hearing of his Bugster infection, he was so shaken up he got caught in a traffic accident, which is why Kiriya is investigating the Bugsters.
At CR, Kuroto's deception is discussed, Hinata confirming that only Kuroto was involved in all of Genm Corp., and that the Ministry of Health will handle the matter. Emu talks with Shuhei's mother and learns that she and her husband are patissiers (cake makers) whose business around Christmas bothers Shuhei and that he broke his leg climbing a tree in a park; Emu finds and climbs the same tree, finding something on a branch. Meanwhile, Kiriya visits a prison and meets with an inmate, former Genm Corp. CEO Masamune Dan. Emu talks with Shuhei about always being alone as a kid and playing video games to occupy himself (a flashback showing a crayon sketch of a 2-player game he envisioned), and that Shuhei instead climbs trees to cope; however, Shuhei's infection flares as the Level 3 Salty attacks his parents' patisserie, Le Couple. Arriving with Poppy and Shuhei, Emu transforms into Ex-Aid Sports Action Gamer Level 3 using his newly acquired Shakariki Sports Gashat, Salty summoning a group of his same Bugster Virus chefs as before and Brave Beat Quest Gamer Level 3 joining the fight. Salty is knocked into a Mighty Action X block, releasing a Christmas Energy Item that turns Ex-Aid into a Santa Claus-dressed Level 1 form and decorated Sports Gamer bike as it starts snowing. Shuhei's mother comes over to Shuhei and says Emu told her he'd climbed the tree to get at holly berries for a wreath he was making for her but fell, giving him a cake decorated with their family. As Salty attacks again, Poppy breaks open two more blocks and sends Christmas Energy Items to herself and Brave, dressing them as Santa, too; Poppy uses Brave's DoReMiFa Beat armaments to trigger a remix of "Jingle Bells" and starts singing along. Brave and Ex-Aid keep fighting Salty as the Bugster Viruses are entranced into dancing along with Poppy; they hit Salty with a Gashacon Weapon dual B-Button attack, all of them striking a pose for the camera before the Bugsters explode into the message "Merry Christmas" for the audience. A cloud of cell Viruses are pulled into the Gashacon Bugvisor by a nearby Parado. Poppy's singing, however, is stressing out Shuhei all over again; Poppy admits that she's actually a Bugster herself from DoReMiFa Beat, but Emu and Hiiro respond that anyone could have figured that out. Back at their hideout, Kuroto and Parado look at their new project, the "ultimate game": Kamen Rider Chronicle.
After a Christmas party at CR, Emu mentions to Director Kagami how Salty separated from Shuhei on his own, Hiiro explaining that viruses survive vaccines by mutating, leading to Emu realizing the Bugster virus is evolving. Just then, Kiriya calls for the Riders to gather so he can tell them something, but before leaving, Taiga is stopped by a girl wearing Genm Corp. game merchandise; she introduces herself as Nico Saiba and asks him to defeat the Genius Gamer M.
Kuroto arrives to meet Kiriya, revealing the prisoner Kiriya had visited to be his father; Kiriya says that Masamune told him Kuroto had met Emu 16 years ago, revealing that he knows how Emu can transform without a compatibility surgery. Kuroto offers Kiriya a new Gashat beyond the first 10 as a trade for keeping silent; Kiriya takes the Gashat but says he wants Kuroto to pay for Zero Day, transforming into Lazer Bike Gamer Level 1 and triggering the new Gashat, Dangerous Zombie, but upon putting it in the Gamer Driver, it zaps away most of his Rider Gauge health. Kuroto says Kiriya knows too much, taking back the Gashat and using the Gashacon Bugvisor with a new belt to form the Buggle Driver, transforming into Genm Zombie Gamer Level X (Level 10), summoning a swarm of Bugster Viruses dressed in torn civilian clothes and stumbling about like zombies to intercept the other Riders as they arrive outside; Lazer desperately transforms into Chambara Bike Gamer Level 3. The Riders transform to Level 2 and destroy the Bugster Viruses, but Lazer is easily overpowered by the new Genm, even Sickle Mode Giri Giri Critical Finish seeming to do nothing, before Genm steals the Gashacon Sparrow and Giri Giri Chambara Gashat, using his own Critical End finisher and depleting the last of Lazer's Rider Gauge. Kiriya claws at him, but is pushed aside as it begins to rain.
The other Riders arrive as Genm leaves, running over as Kiriya's body begins to digitize and fade. Kiriya gives his Driver and Bakusou Bike Gashat to Emu, telling him to take his fate in his own hands. The Driver announces: "Game Over" after Kiriya dies and his body completely fades away into nothing. Emu cries holding the Gamer Driver over the place where Kiriya's body was as the others look on in shock.
Cast
- Emu Hojo (宝生 永夢, Hōjō Emu): Hiroki Iijima (飯島 寛騎, Iijima Hiroki)
- Hiiro Kagami (鏡 飛彩, Kagami Hiiro): Toshiki Seto (瀬戸 利樹, Seto Toshiki)
- Taiga Hanaya (花家 大我, Hanaya Taiga): Ukyo Matsumoto (松本 享恭, Matsumoto Ukyō)
- Asuna Karino (仮野 明日那, Karino Asuna): Ruka Matsuda (松田 るか, Matsuda Ruka)
- Kuroto Dan (檀 黎斗, Dan Kuroto): Tetsuya Iwanaga (岩永 徹也, Iwanaga Tetsuya)
- Kiriya Kujo (九条 貴利矢, Kujō Kiriya): Hayato Onozuka (小野塚 勇人, Onozuka Hayato)
- Parado (パラド): Shoma Kai (甲斐 翔真, Kai Shōma)
- Nico Saiba (西馬 ニコ, Saiba Niko): Reina Kurosaki (黒崎 レイナ, Kurosaki Reina)
- Masamune Dan (檀 正宗, Dan Masamune): Hiroyuki Takami (貴水 博之, Takami Hiroyuki)
- Haima Kagami (鏡 灰馬, Kagami Haima): Hanamaru Hakata (博多 華丸, Hakata Hanamaru)
- Kyotaro Hinata (日向 恭太郎, Hinata Kyōtarō): Hironobu Nomura (野村 宏伸, Nomura Hironobu)
- Narration: Junichi Suwabe (諏訪部 順一, Suwabe Jun'ichi)
- Rider Gashat (ライダーガシャット, Raidā Gashatto, Voice): Hironobu Kageyama (影山 ヒロノブ, Kageyama Hironobu)
Guest Cast
- Minako Yamanaka (山中 美奈子, Yamanaka Minako): Hitomi Miwa (三輪 ひとみ, Miwa Hitomi)
- Shuhei Yamanaka (山中 周平, Yamanaka Shūhei): Kodai Takagi (高木 煌大, Takagi Kōdai)
- Emu Hojo (Child): Rai Takahashi (髙橋 來, Takahashi Rai)
- Salty Bugster (ソルティバグスター, Soruthi Bagusutā, Voice): Takeshi Maeda (前田 剛, Maeda Takeshi)
Suit Actors
- Kamen Rider Ex-Aid Level 1, Kamen Rider Lazer Level 3: Satoshi Fujita (藤田 慧, Fujita Satoshi)
- Kamen Rider Ex-Aid Level 2, Level 3: Seiji Takaiwa (高岩 成二, Takaiwa Seiji)
- Kamen Rider Brave Level 1, Kamen Rider Lazer Level 1: Jiro Uchikawa (内川 仁朗, Uchikawa Jirō)
- Kamen Rider Brave Level 2, Level 3, Kamen Rider Lazer Level 3: Jun Watanabe (渡辺 淳, Watanabe Jun)
- Kamen Rider Snipe Level 2: Eitoku (永徳)
- Kamen Rider Genm Level X: Yuya Nawata (縄田 雄哉, Nawata Yūya)
- Salty Bugster: Shigeki Ito (伊藤 茂騎, Itō Shigeki)
Rider Gashat
- Gashat Used:
- Ex-Aid
- Brave
- Snipe
- Lazer
- Bakusou Bike, Dangerous Zombie (failed), Giri Giri Chambara
- Genm
- Level Used:
Energy Items
- Energy Items Used:
- Ex-Aid
- Christmas
- Brave
- Christmas
- Poppy Pipopapo
- Christmas
- Ex-Aid
Errors
- When Kiriya calls Emu about having something important to tell the Riders, in the first shot that Kiriya is seen, he is on his mobile phone. In the next scene right after where Taiga is intercepting the message from Kiriya through his Game Scope, Kiriya is no longer on his phone.
- It is possible that Kiriya decided to call Emu first, after which he started a separate call to Taiga via his Game Scope; the two occurrences being cut and edited together to avoid repetition.
Notes
- As part of Super Hero Time, this episode aired alongside Doubutsu Sentai Zyuohger
episode 43, Ep. 43: The Witnesses of Christmas.
- Closing Screen:
- Text Color: Yellow
- Count at episode end
- Gashats in Ex-Aid's possession: Mighty Action X, Gekitotsu Robots, Drago Knight Hunter Z, Shakariki Sports, Bakusou Bike
- Gashats in Brave's possession: Taddle Quest, DoReMiFa Beat
- Gashats in Snipe's possession: Bang Bang Shooting, Jet Combat
- Gashats in Genm's possession: Proto Mighty Action X, Proto Taddle Quest, Proto Bang Bang Shooting, Proto Bakusou Bike, Proto Gekitotsu Robots, Proto DoReMiFa Beat, Proto Giri Giri Chambara, Proto Jet Combat, Proto Shakariki Sports, Proto Drago Knight Hunter Z, Giri Giri Chambara, Dangerous Zombie
- Games Cleared: Mighty Action X, Taddle Quest, Bang Bang Shooting, Bakusou Bike, Gekitotsu Robots, DoReMiFa Beat, Giri Giri Chambara, Jet Combat, Drago Knight Hunter Z, Shakariki Sports
- This is the final Ex-Aid episode to air in 2016.
- This is the first time since its debut that Ex-Aid doesn't assume Hunter Action Gamer Level 5 (Full Dragon).
- It is also the first time since their debut Ex-Aid, Brave and Snipe don't assume their Level 5 forms.
- The air date of this episode is exactly on Christmas Day, hence the "X mas".
- It is also one of only five in Kamen Rider Series history to air on Christmas Day, following the original Christmas episode of Kamen Rider, episode 10 of Kamen Rider Black RX, episode 45 of Kamen Rider Hibiki, episode 16 of Kamen Rider Fourze.
- This episode features the first death from a Game Over.
- As a result, announcement of "Game Over" is heard for the first time.
- This is first episode since episode 1 to not feature the opening sequence. Also like that episode, it features the theme song EXCITE at a point during the episode in lieu of the opening sequence.
- This is the first time Kuroto transforms directly into Genm from a different form other than Action Gamer Level 1. In this case, Zombie Gamer Level X.
- Ex-Aid's Action Gamer Level 1 and Brave's Beat Quest Gamer Level 3 are the only forms to get Christmas version.
- While only an odd coincidence, this Christmas episode is the twelfth episode of the Ex-Aid series. This relates to the carol The Twelve Days of Christmas by having the number of the episode match the number of the carol's title and intentionally being a Christmas episode.
- This is the second episode to use the Christmas sponsor bumpers and this far in the series, the only one to not use the show's standard opening credits and theme at all. Instead, it jumps right into the aftermath of Genm's reveal and only shows the title screen briefly.
- This is the first episode to not have a prelude cut screen before a Rider performs a Critical Strike or a Critical Finish.
- This is the first special to have a Kamen Rider die.
- This is the first episode to feature a permanent death of a heroic Kamen Rider since Kamen Rider Drive's What is a Roidmude's Last Dream?.
- After the episode aired, Kiriya's death went viral on Japan's Twitter feeds with the hashtag #Why did Kiriya have to Die So Soon? (#なんできりやすぐ死んでしまうん , Nande Kiriya Sugu Shinde shimaun?, loose translation). Many parents of young children were upset that they decided to show something dark like a character dying on screen with the villain triumphant. Others were just simply upset they had to explain the concept of death to their pre-school kids on a happy occasion like Christmas.
- One two-and-a-half-year-old was so angred by this, he took his toy Gashacon Sparrow and told his dad he was going to hunt Genm down to bring Lazer back. [1]
- Further controversy of the Ex-Aid hashtag posted on the official Twitter page was that it was similar to the tagline of the 1988 anime film Grave of the Fireflies, which angered survivors of WWII and their families. This became such a controversy that the handler of the Ex-Aid Twitter page would eventually be replaced and dismissed.[2].
- Also owing to Kiriya's death, the "Next Episode" screen until episode 36 now shows Genm Level 1 on the fourth block joining Ex-Aid, Brave, and Snipe Level 1, a position previously occupied by Lazer Level 1, whose landing there had previously made Genm bounce off and land beside the blocks instead.
- Having so many people saddened by the death of Kiriya, Toei thanked the fans for their support of the show. They then offered a commemorative T-shirt with the date of Kiriya's death and the words "GAME OVER" so fans could "mourn" the character.[3]
- This is the second Christmas special to have a Rider die, the first is Tiger's a Hero.
- Video Game References in this episode:
- When the Christmas Energy Item appears, Emu calls it an "event item". Event Items are special DLC for timed events game companies give players only during special times of the year like Christmas. These can range from unlockable costumes to bonus levels or game areas centered around a theme, such as in the case of the Christmas Energy item which gives the Riders Santa outfits, creates snow in the Game Area and gives Riders a minor boost in stats.
- Poppy sings her own version of "Jingle Bells", Pipple Pells, while Ex-Aid and Brave battle. This is a reference to vocaloids who perform at Christmas concerts and winter festivals such as Crypton Future's Hatsune Miku.
- When Genm is in the middle of transforming into Zombie Gamer form, a heavy dark fog covers him before he emerges fully transformed. This is a reference to the survival horror game Silent Hill, as fog plays a major role of the mythos of that game series.
- Genm jumping out of the Rider image could be a reference to jump scares in horror games and movies.
- Final appearance of Lazer Chambara Bike Gamer Level 3.
DVD/Blu-ray releases
Kamen Rider Ex-Aid Volume 3, DVD
Kamen Rider Ex-Aid Volume 3 features episodes 9-12: Beat Up the Dragon!, Uneven Doctors!, Who's the Black Kamen Rider? and Christmas Special: Targeting the Silver X mas!
Kamen Rider Ex-Aid Collection 1, Blu-ray
Blu-ray Collection 1 comes with 12 episodes.