I swear I'm going to finish these reviews the day the episode comes out subbed before the end, promise this time, dealing with sickness hasn't been easy at all

Me in something I forgot to add in a past review I'll add in post: "Minato's so refreshing, because in most of these YA shows, the teachers are either usually evil, incompetent, useless, irrelevant to the plot, or screwing their underaged students. Here he's just a good dude who fought getting impaled to a metal street pole to help his injured students."

Professor Minato betrays the students.................

I still stand by what I said. Honestly, no issues, anyone can clearly tell whatever his conversation with Master Geryon, the main antagonist is, it's most likely a gambit to push his students to become stronger without his help, to figure out why the villains can now work into the school. After all, what do teachers do to prove their students are growing and learning: test them.

Besides, this is the guy who believed in Hotaro from day one, found out his school's administrators weren't going to take their innocent student being held hostage and forcibly controlled to pilot a Kamen Rider against their will seriously and went against them to save him, learned another his superiors joined the same cult responsible, helped his students stop the other executive who took what he's trying to teach his kids for a grudge about as petty as a Drake feud. Yeah, this is getting resolved before episode 25 at the latest.

And don't criticize Spanner for losing against Minato/Kamen Rider Dread IV. People have been calling Spanner a fraud, but to be fair to our joke hating mutt, he's a 19 year old graduate fighting Minato: and go back to Dread's debut: Sabimaru was turned against his will, Rinne was taken down, Spanner got taken down in seconds, Renge was emotionally helpless, and Gotchard was trying to hard counter Dread. Minato had his arm impaled on a metal pole, and still continued to fight, and help everyone escape. Spanner fought him as Valvarad head on, matching him with a triple Chemy use. The only mistake is that he didn't counter the Type Zero finisher with his own and even then Dread has a more natural affinity.

Plus, every Dread user fights differently: Sabimaru's being forced to use his knowledge of Chemies to bring out their full potential while the suit uses swift acrobatics to make up for his lack of physical skill. Lachesis uses foreplay and agility to erect sadistic pleasure before using the cards for torment.

Clotho goes in more raw than an Egyptian God primarily on dominating through sheer force without taking a break or techniques. Minato can rival Clotho in hand to hand combat, but his strikes are more focused and proficient: teacher said it himself, life experience played a factor.

The real surprise was that Minato declared the students were all expelled, and that Alchemist Academy was/is dissoluted. I didn't get the chance but while I privately joked about it being a glorified club room, I had expected it to be a hybrid of Fourze dealing with the social circles with it being the home base like how Saber's cast eventually used the Southern Base as their home to rebel. Having them being kicked out, and bringing in the Dark Sisters as students with their own outfits came completely out of left field.

There are going to be comparisons to the Swordsmen of Logos betraying Touma, which was also divisive, but Saber's detractors never understood that Reika and master Logos were using half-truths and playing on each of the cast's vices: Ren's admiration for Kento, Ryo and Tetsuo lost a Saber to the dark side twice, and Rintaro's loyalty to the guild against Touma taking up the sword of Kento's sealer, the fear Touma would make the same mistake in pursuit over power, and Rintaro's friendship with Touma.

While that had buildup, it's made clear that Geryon used his connections within Alchemist Academy as their alumnus, bringing in the Dark Sisters as replacements to the investigation cards.

There is an argument to be had that Minato's change makes some sense. If his decision to work with Geryon isn't being forced or is his excuse, he's shown before in the past that he sees Chemies are a threat that interferes with human lives, it's just Hotaro's been doing a good job proving others and he himself at least allowed the father-daughter from 14 and 15 to keep the photo.

But on the heroes side, we can at least confirm that Rinne's belief in her father was valid. From our perspective, we know that Fuga was genuinely a good person who entrusted Gotchard with the belt. Yet everyone Hotaro meets considers him a traitor at worst, and are trying to find him at best to figure out what's going on. The fact the Alchemist Union surrendered and willingly allied with Geryon, who caused the events ten years ago just because they believe capturing the Chemies makes them a bigger threat is insane.

But let's talk about everything else that happened:

Geryon making the Malgams is an interesting shakeup, and pushing the potential of the Level-X Chemies to their limits given how they were able to tank a finisher, and the Moon Malgam made a good, albeit goofy first impression. It was really funny Sabimaru searching through the shadows of solid surfaces to find it paid off instead of just being a gag with Rinne putting the finishing touches on that.

Daybreak is starting to feel more like someone from the future or at least from a parallel universe coming back to mentor and ally with the heroes. The way he calls Rinne Kudo before addressing her by her first names definitely screams, we used to be close or something. There's the possibility if it is future Hotaro, that someone other than Minato will betray him and that's the start of people assuming it has something to do with Rinne, but we'll find out eventually. 

My knowledge on homunculi is limited, but assuming that is what Geryon used to create the Malgam, this may hint that the Dark Sisters either are the same as those clay creatures, or mixed with them given the whole "older brothers," conversation. If they were so vile they needed to be contained, then the trio of siblings either may be human hybrids or were experiments that could better blend in with humanity.

It's just fun to have these fun small interactions with Rinne, Renge, and Sabimaru. Hotaro working at a restaurant really gives more to his character than his "idiot well-meaning nice guy" people only hate if they seem to generic, but he's feeling a lot more fleshed out lately thanks to the Level X Chemies and Geryon's Malgams pushing him to take his role as Gotchard seriously.

Not sure if this was intentional, but the gag of Sabi and Renge finding the random lotus root spicy, Rinne being the only one to try it out felt like it was Hotaro's experimentation and creativity festering into his thoughts.

It's also just a fun characteristic to have Gotchard Daybreak's "you can/or shtick." It's just really funny.

One suspect line that deserves critique is that the Academy students were too slow in retrieving Chemies. It is a valid argument to point out that yes, sending high schoolers to capture sentient creatures potentially capable of destruction is risky, and given this seems to be the only student branch responsible, they should have either more staff members, or an elite team of alchemists responsible.

However, the heroes have collected about sixty seven cards given that the movie is canon now, which they have done within the span of four months. The combination of a student who was chosen by one of the most gifted alchemists in society, the daughter of said alchemists, two upper seniors, a graduate student considered A-class, and their teacher have been able to acquire fifty percent of that.

It's not a knock against the show, but it makes no sense on the academy's side to see that progress and not think it's enough. Leading an alliance with the Dark Sisters to replace people who have done about sixty percent of the work, and considering that slow progress is completely asinine. Despite being the ages of fifteen through nineteen, those five have accomplished way more than any of the seniors we've seen on the show!

Also, question, who rocks the Alchemist Academy's clothes the best out of the Dark Sisters? It's different from their usual getup, but fashion's subjective, curious on this one.

The best part of this episode is easily Spanner: there will be no slander on his character, genuinely. His dynamic with Kyoka-san, err Professor Kyoka adds a lot of layers to his character. Him being a cook makes sense because she's not that good at taking care of herself and it adds to his pride as being a better chef than Hotaro: he wants to one up Hotaro not just because he wanted the Gotchard driver, but to prove he's consistently able to provide value to the people he's sword to protect: the innocent with his virtue, and ensuring Kyoka's well being.

Adding his guilt and drive to repay Kyoka and the two trying to investigate why the Academy is covering up the truth behind Fuga's incident and protect Rinne since that's their lead to them, but also to make sure his daughter isn't harmed really proves while he's not the best at showing it, he has the heroes' best interests at heart. Sure he's on a, "not slump," i.e. losing streak, but Kyoka's advice to help him get ready for his new upgrade is simple: evolve in a way that appeals to him.