Series REVIEW: Kamen Rider Gavv

Of all the weird and wonderful bits of Kamen Rider merchandise out there, one piece that's easily considered the stuff of legend are the Kamen Rider Gummi. Ask anyone who's been following the franchise for the two decades, and they'll fondly recall the adverts of the child who can't get enough of them, crying out his catchphrase of "juicy!" With how much of a tradition they became over the years, it's amazing that it took until 2024 for an actual series to adopt them as its motif. While not strictly about the franchise's particular brand of gummies, sweets, confectionary and all things sugary take centre stage in Kamen Rider Gavv - the sixth main line Rider series of the Reiwa era and 35th overall. Junko Komura (best known for her work on Super Sentai series Zyuohger, Lupinranger vs Patranger and Zenkaiger) led the series as its main writer, Teruaki Sugihara as main director, Hiroshi Butsuda as SFX director and Satoshi Fujita as Action Director. The series ran for a total of 50 episodes, and is notable for being one of the few series since 2010 to not to have a crossover with its predecessor as a Winter movie release.

Around 20 years ago, Michiru Inoue was kidnapped by Bouche Stomach - a Granute from another dimension and CEO of Stomach Inc, a powerful company that has made great profit in the Granute world thanks to their addictive Dark Treats. In the present day her son Shoma, a human-Granute hybrid, finally escapes his captivity and flees to the human world. After trying some of the sweet treats the human world has to offer, Shoma discovers his ability to create "Gochizo" - small minions that burst from his Gavv, a second mouth located on his stomach.

With the secret ingredient to the Dark Treats being humans themselves, Shoma quickly acts to protect this new world - using his Gochizo to become Kamen Rider Gavv and put an end to Stomach's scheme. Meanwhile also investigating the Granutes is freelance writer Hanto Karakida, whose mother was also kidnapped whilst he was young. Eventually becoming Kamen Rider Valen with powers derived from Gavv, the two Riders soon cross paths. Later, Rakia Amarga undergoes experimentation by Stomach to become Kamen Rider Vram under the guise of helping defeat the "Granute Hunters", but has the ulterior motive of infiltrating the company to find his brother's killer. Together with the help of "anything shop" Hapipare owner Sachika Amane, the three Riders fight back against Stomach's forces to end the production of Dark Treats once and for all.

At times it can often seem that the weirder a Kamen Rider theme gets, the further it strays away from the core themes of the original series. However don’t like Kamen Rider Gavv’s candy-coated exterior fool you, because this series has more in common with the classic shows than you might think. From the very first episode we see Gavv presented as a “misunderstood” hero of sorts – Shouma’s half-Granute heritage making him seem more monster than human to the general public. Because of this Shouma hides away who he really is, similar to the turmoil Takeshi Hongo feels after being turned into a cyborg by Shocker. The parallels only deepen when Gavv begins to delve into the realms of genetic experimentation, the act of which (albeit all in slightly different ways) leads to the creation of all three of its main Riders. Rakia’s motivations of infiltrating Stomach to enact revenge (and becoming a Rider in the process), also subtly mirrors Kamen Rider Stronger’s origins. But while these elements may homage Kamen Rider’s early days, Gavv very much makes them its own by letting them play out to much greater effect – weaving them in as integral parts of the story rather than just origin stories or plot points slowly phased out as time passes.

Gavv’s more serious side doesn’t end there either, with the series tackling a lot of complex themes within its story of a boy who loves sweets and believe they can help heal the world. Stomach’s production of Dark Treats and the stranglehold they have over the Granute world is not too subtle allegory for addiction, something that is particularly prevalent in earlier episodes where many of the Granutes help harvest humans simply to continuing fuelling their habit. The placement of a corporation as the series’ main villains also brings with it a different type of evil – one where domination is obtained through greed and corruption. This goes hand in hand with the familial aspect of Gavv, with each of the Stomach family stuck in their own cycle of misery brought about either directly by their actions or those of their father. Kamen Rider Gavv is a series that wears its positivity on its sleeve, but there’s no doubt that its colourful visuals and light-hearted theme are used to intentionally mask a more bitter interior. That isn’t to say Gavv isn’t without its moments of humour nor is it an especially depressing affair (it’s still a kids show after all), but these themes (and more) are nevertheless present – some more explicit, but others alluded to and more dependant on how much the viewer wants to engage with the story beyond surface level.

Most of the reason these themes are so well conveyed in the series is thanks to the strengths of its characters, whose development in turn is owed to both rich backstories and/or they way they play off one another. Naturally at the centre of all this is Shoma, the perfect blend of the tortured protagonists of classic Kamen Rider and the happy-go-lucky heroes of its modern iteration. Despite living his whole life in captivity, watching his mother be murdered right in front of him and being hated by the rest of his so-called family, Shoma is just a sweet boy who wants to eat sweets and share his love of them with the world. He’s a hero who always tries to see the best in everyone, something which is often to his detriment as some are quick to take advantage of his trusting nature. But even when this trust is broken, Shoma never stops trying until fighting truly is the last resort. His half-Granute heritage is something that proves to be a constant source of anxiety early in the series, believing himself to be a monster and thus hiding this side of him from those closest to him. While naturally this eventually does come to head, the drama is eventually resolved through clear communication and understanding – something that comes to be a key part of these characters’ relationships. But on top of that Shoma is just a really likeable hero – actor Hidezaki Chinen plays him with real earnestness, flipping between that childlike joy and heroic determination at a moment’s notice.

Shoma's place in the series is all the more interesting when compared to the show's other two Riders, both of whom spend a great deal of time motivated by revenge. When we first meet Hanto he's determined to expose the Granutes, chasing down leads in the hopes he'll be able to find his mother. His quest for answers not only leads him to fall in with dubious scientist Kenzo Suga, but also lose another of those closest to him to the Granutes. Undergoing the surgery to become Kamen Rider Valen, his mission is as much to exterminate the Granutes as it is to protect people. It's only through the time he spends with Shoma and realisation that he is half-Granute that Hanto is slowly able to get past the cycle of revenge he gets caught in, even when faced with his mother's captor. Hanto is possibly the best realised character in the show, both down to Yusuke Hino's great performance and the development he goes through throughout the story. The man is absolutely put through the wringer, but keeps on fighting despite the disadvantage he's at compared to the other two Riders. Similarly we meet Rakia at his lowest, consumed by his hatred for Stomach Inc after his younger brother became addicted to their Dark Treats. Although he doesn't eat the sweets himself, he has no problem collecting Human Press for Stomach if it means getting closer to them. But because Shoma is able to get through to him, Lakia eventually pulls down the walls he's built up around himself - not only accepting the others' help in bringing Stomach down, but also learning to love the human world as well. Whereas Chinen plays Shoma like a literal kid in a candy store, Kohei Shoji (who previously played Takamichi/Kiramai Silver in Mashin Sentai Kiramager) plays Rakia with an aloof and disinterested manner that allows for both ample development and some surprisingly good comic timing.

Three may be the magic number in regards to how many (heroic) Riders the series has, but Gavv's side characters are further proof that you don't need a Driver to make an impact. Sachika Amane may never transform once, but she is without a doubt the emotional foundation of the show - not only representing the best in humanity for Granutes (or half-Granutes) like Shoma and Rakia, but also an example for Hanto as well. Ever upbeat, her desire for everyone to simply be happy feels like the ethos for the whole series. While it is curious that Gavv does not feature any female Riders despite it clearly being a distinct feature of the Reiwa era as a whole, the absence of one doesn't suddenly devalue her as a character. A bigger disappointment is not shaping more individual episodes or mini-arcs around her, so that she had more of a chance to step outside of that support role. The second key supporting character in Gavv is Dente - Shoma's great-uncle who helped found Stomach Inc. together with his brother Zonb. As well as just being a fun character in general, Dente's choice to assist Shoma is significant because he's the one member of the Stomach family who wants to atone for their sins.

Dente's actions are so important because they're such a stark contrast to the rest of the Stomach family, who take the position as the primary antagonists. Zonb and Bouche are both gone by the beginning of the series, but their legacy remains - as do the consequences of their actions. Family is a key theme in Kamen Rider Gavv, but not completely in the traditional sense when it comes to the Stomachs. Many of them suffer from family-related trauma, but it's their choice to not break their cycles of hatred that sets them apart from the heroes. That certainly isn't to say they're nice people - they're violent, elitist and see humans as nothing more than profit. But it's those deeper characteristics that keep them interesting characters even when the story isn't making the most of them. Youngest daughter Siita doesn't have much depth beyond being a catalyst twin brother Jiip's mental breakdown but he, along with Lango, Glotta and Nyelv all have their moments. Sometimes they may appear underwhelming, but the knowledge that behind all the power (be it strength or status) they're all actually kind of pathetic makes it so much more interesting. Lango, the elder son who feels his family's legacy was tainted by his father's perversions. Glotta, the psychotic eldest daughter who simply wants to keep her her family together. Nyelv, the opportunistic genius. And finally Jiip, broken after losing the one closest to him. All the components are there, but Gavv's decision not to fully delve into the two decades that precede it often limit what it's able to do.

If there's anything holding the Stomachs back from reaching their full potential its the appearance of other key villains in the show, all of whom serve a purpose but just don't have the same level of depth or interest to them. Despite having quite an interesting backstory, Suga's researching of the Granutes in order to evolve humans into a more perfect lifeforms doesn't really venture outside of typical mad scientist territory. It also doesn't help that this arc is sidetracked with the creation of evil Shoma clones, the "Bitter Gavv" storyline offering little more substance than another Rider for Bandai to market. His grooming of Hanto and the eventual exposure does wonders for Hanto's character development, but it speaks volumes that in the end the most notable thing about Suga is the fate that eventually befalls him. Similarly Granute President Bocca Jaldak's takeaway of Stomach Inc midway through the series, coupled with his daughter Lizel's marriage to Jiip, heavily takes the focus away from the Stomachs as the main villains of the series. There's nothing inherently wrong with either character - in fact both make for excellent villains. Both highlight the classism within Granute society, with Bocca muscling his way in to effectively takeover Stomach while his daughter is spoiled and narcissistic - effectively gaslighting Jiip as she toys with his ever-decaying mental state. They're effective villains in that you instantly dislike them, but neither are interesting in the same way the Stomachs are. Bocca just plays the role of the super strong bad guy (and credit where its due, Hiroki Yasumoto's voice work brings such aura to it), and Lizel has any semblance of growth crammed into the final episode where it doesn't really feel deserved. But then in her defence, she plays a part in making Jiip a more interesting character. So it's hard to say either is wasted, but at times they do feel like they're getting in the way of potentially better things.

And then there's the suits. Regardless of any issues one may or may not have with Gavv's story, there's no denying that not only did the series embrace its core motif wholeheartedly - it also did it in a way that few series have ever quite matched up to. Confectionary isn't the easiest theme to build an action series around, but the designers behind the scenes came up with an incredible array of Rider forms and abilities that are as inspired as they are ridiculous. Each one successfully takes a core trait of its respective snack and transforms it into a cleverly devised ability - such as the sharp-edged blades of ZakuZaku Chips, the pillow-like armour of Fuwamallow or the freezing abilities of Blizzardsorbet. Wordplay is also used to full effect, whether it's the clever use of onscreen onomatopoeia in action sequences or simply puns like making Caking form a literal king with whipped cream soldiers. The same applies to the other Riders who appear as well, whose arsenal might not be as versatile as Gavv's but is just as well thought out. The best Kamen Rider shows are often the ones that can take their motifs and flawlessly apply them both visually and thematically, which is something Gavv does almost effortlessly.

Similar praise should also be given to all the creature designs for the series, with the Granutes bringing body horror back to Kamen Rider in a big way. The overarching motif of them all having second mouths on their stomach is well carried in both their human disguises and monster forms, and in the latter ties them all together whilst also allowing each of them to have their own unique animal design traits. Creature designers Tamotsu Shinohara (a veteran whose work on the franchise dates as far back as Kamen Rider Black RX), Shoma Muto and K-SuKe were all firing on all cylinders when it came to this series. This quality is then in turn able to feed back into the story, with Rakia fearful of how Sachika might react if she saw his (rather intimidating) true form. But undoubtedly one of the most refreshing things about Kamen Rider Gavv is how its monster designs are never overshadowed by the ever-increasing number of evil Riders. While the show may have a small handful of villain Riders, these are largely side villains – with the “big bads” like Bocca and Lango never sacrificing their Granute forms in favour of a last-minute power up. While Gavv might offer a considerably more nuanced take by giving the Granutes a whole class-based society where not all of them are necessarily either, it still helps retain that classic feel of the Riders being heroes that use the powers of the monsters to fight back against them.

Kamen Rider Gavv has all the components to be a perfect series. A rich backstory, well-developed characters and among the most inspired usage of a central motif the franchise has ever had. From the clever use of the confectionary theme with the suits to the way its darker themes hide behind that candy-coated exterior, the way it brings all these things together is nothing short of perfection. The overall handling of its characters may be less so, but even then Gavv manages to imbue its weaker elements with enough substance to analyse the characters beyond what's shown in the series itself. While a shame it couldn't have done more, it still did more than enough to make it one of the stronger entries in the Reiwa era. Next time we journey into dreams with Kamen Rider Zeztz, as Toei prepares to do the unthinkable - share a brand new Kamen Rider series with the rest of the world.