This Kamen Rider series is about games and doctors. For now you might be scratching your head and wondering how on earth do doctors and gaming go together. Well, it's 2018 at the moment I'm writing this, and apparently, rabbits and tanks are best matches (See Kamen Rider Build). So why not doctors and gaming? In fact, I believe that this whole idea was due to the word 'virus'. We have real life viruses that could infect the human system, causing a disease. While electronic devices have computer viruses which could infect the device, causing it to malfunction. As you can see, these two different concepts of viruses do the same thing, cause damage. Kamen Rider Ex-Aid is playing with the word 'virus' using a bit of imagination. And there you have it, the main plot, where computer viruses called the Bugster, can infect real life humans, and the doctors transforming into video game characters and legitimately fight the virus, in the real world. Cool theme right? Let's talk about the story now.

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Spoiler Alert!

Read at your own risk! You have been warned.

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The story begins with Emu Hojo, an intern doctor treating a patient which was first thought to only have cold which was soon revealed in the episode that the patient was infected by a Bugster which was slowly taking over the patient. Emu soon came across the Gamer Driver and the Mighty Action X Rider Gashat by accident. Emu transforms into Kamen Rider Ex-Aid using the Gamer Driver and the Gashat then defeats the Bugster which infected the patient. Video game style. The special effects used in the transformation scene and fighting scenes were actually video game effects which are however in this case, very effective because of the theme. I really liked how they used those effects whenever a character gets hit. It displays "HIT!" when someone gets hit, and "GREAT!" and "PERFECT!" when a certain combo was used. In addition, there were energy items in the Game Area where the Kamen Riders could use in different situations like "Speed Up" for speed increase and "Muscle Up" for attack increase. As we could immediately see, This show is very game themed and has lots of interesting effects. Back to the story, there was a mystery. The Gamer Driver could only be used by someone who has gone through a compatibility surgery otherwise could not be used. Why could Emu use it? Well, he's the legendary Genius Gamer 'M' who won many tournaments. But was that all the reason he could use it? We'll find out soon. 

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Emu soon finds out that he was not the only Kamen Rider who fights the Bugster virus. Elite surgeon Hiiro Kagami/Kamen Rider Brave, the unlicensed "dark doctor" Taiga Hanaya/Kamen Rider Snipe, and coroner Kiriya Kujo/Kamen Rider Lazer. In the first few episodes, it was a battle between the riders for the Gashats as well as curing the patients with the Bugster virus in the process. A mysterious Kamen Rider appears before them. Looks exactly like Ex-Aid but was black instead of pink and was siding with the Bugsters. It soon turned out that the black Ex-Aid-like Rider was called Kamen Rider Genm, his true identity was Kuroto Dan, the CEO of Genm Corporation and the one who created the Gamer Driver and Gashats in the first place. More importantly, he was the one who created the Bugster virus.

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You think being a Kamen Rider and curing patients of the Bugster virus is easy because you're in a suit of bulky armor? Wrong. The Riders' and Bugsters' strength are level based like in video games. If you have a Bugster to fight which has higher level than you? Best of luck. And more importantly,  All Kamen Riders in this series have a Rider Gauge (HP bar if you want to call it that). Riders will still take damage from Bugsters like in video games and when the Rider Gauge hits zero, the Kamen Rider wil get a 'Game Over' and die like in any video game. However, there is no 'continue' option. If the Rider dies, they vanish and die for real. This was demonstrated when Kiriya Kujo discovers that Kuroto Dan was Kamen Rider Gemn and the secrets he holds. Kuroto Dan transforms into Kamen Rider Gemn, and Kiriya Kujo into Kamen Rider Lazer. Kuroto Dan manages to silence Kiriya by completely depleting his Rider Gauge. Kiriya gets a 'Game Over' and died after giving his Gamer Driver and Gashat to Emu. This scene was so sad because Kiriya Kujo kept telling lies to protect others, and once he spits out the truth for the first time, he died. What was worse, was that the setting of that episode and the day it was aired was Christmas Day, making it the gloomiest Christmas in Tokusatsu history. This was not the only sad scene of the series, Hiiro Kagami and Taiga Hanaya has a long hate relationship between them which the reason was revealed early in the series. 

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The most interesting relationship I believe was Emu Hojo and a cheeky Bugster, Parad, who soon became Kamen Rider Para-DX (pronounced as 'paradox') Before Emu defeated Kuroto for good, it was hinted that the reason why Emu can transform into Kamen Rider Ex-Aid without the compatibility surgery was because Emu was infected by a Bugster virus which made him compatible with the system. And that Bugster which infected him was Parad. Together, Emu and Parad is the Genius Gamer M. Without Parad, Emu is just a regular doctor who likes gaming but not a super gamer. Because Parad is the cause of Emu to be such a strong Kamen Rider, with Parad being the enemy, he raises the difficulty of saving people to whole new level. 

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After Kuroto's defeat and death (death caused by Parado), Parado uses Kuroto's hard gathered Bugster data to create a new game, Kamen Rider Chronicle. This new game allows regular citizens to fight Bugsters in the real world. With Bugsters showing up on the map, the citizens flock to the locations to fight the Bugsters. As you may think, it sounds like "Pokemon GO" with a bit of fighting. You think that's a chance to eliminate the Bugsters? Wrong again! The game was not designed for the citizens to hunt the Bugsters, but rather the opposite. The Ride Players that citizens can transform into were extremely weak. And like the Kamen Riders, If you get a Game Over and die, that's it, you vanish and you're dead. Kamen Rider Chronicle was more a game to eliminate humans made for the Bugsters. I guess this is more "Human GO" than "Pokemon GO". This is starting to turn out like Sword Art Online's arc (See Sword Art Online) that if you die in game, you die in real life.

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Emu and Parad, humanity and Bugsters' strongest had a chance to duke it out in a battle one on one. This battle was one of the most epic scenes in the entire series. Their attacks clashed so powerfully that I was on the edge of my seat during their fight. But of course, for story reasons, Emu loses (because this is just half of the story). However, before Parado finishes Emu off, they were interrupted by Kamen Rider Genm. Sounds familiar? Yes, it's Kuroto Dan, revived as a Bugster. Knowing that Parado stole his game, as a game master, he wanted to take it back and sided with Emu. Parado makes a retreat after Genm's appearance. We then find out Gemn's level was zero, yup the lowest level of all and the weakest. But he has one niche which was 99 lives, meaning that once his Rider Gauge reaches zero, he can revive and start again as long as he has remaining lives. 

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Kuroto reveals that Kamen Rider Chronicle's boss was a Bugster called Gamedeus and only Kamen Rider Chronus, a legendary rider who can stop time. Unfortunately, Kuroto's father, Masamune Dan soon appears transforming into Kamen Rider Chronus. He did not take the Rider's side nor the Bugster's but became the very evil villain which both sides hate. The actor was really able to bring Masamune Dan's cold businessman attitude to the table. He treated the Bugsters and the Riders only as merchandise. Even his own son! He didn't even call him by his name! Masamune Dan wants to make money by selling Kamen Rider Chronicle worldwide. Even if it means more people will get infected by the Bugster virus. What's bad for the Bugsters? Kamen Rider Chronus can eliminate them if he wants to. Sounds scary...

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Emu soon defeats Parado with his new form, Hyper Muteki (invincible form), and teaches Parado the fear of death, Emu manages to persuade Parado on joining forces to stop Dan Masamune. I really like the scene where Emu and Parado work together to defeat Kamen Rider Chronus. It was like watching a perfect co-operated game-play. 

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After a few more episodes, Chronus was defeated somehow... using only level 2 forms which are considerably weak. This is a really bad ending and I felt it was very rushed for such a good story. They could have ended it better. It might feel better if I consider that they still have film the movie "Kamen Rider Ex-Aid  True Ending" and the "Kamen Rider Ex-Aid  Another Ending" trilogy. However, I still think they should not have ended it on such a rushed note.

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The ending aside, overall this Kamen Rider series was fun and engaging to watch. With the game theme, it makes the drama more fresh. I also like how they referenced real life games. Super Mario as Mighty Action X, Zelda's Quest as Taddle Quest, Bang Bang Shooting as Splatoon and so fourth. They even used elements of the life games like Kamen Rider's Ex-Aid's Hyper Muteki form is a reference of Super Mario with the star item making him invincible. Story wise, fighting an evil game CEO, the main character being also a patient, and deciding between reviving a dead loved one and saving someone you hate and more. These themes make Kamen Rider Ex-Aid such an interesting story. Not to mention that the action and effects were amazing as well. It was just the ending that disappointed me, but otherwise, it is a great drama worth watching.

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Score: 7.5/10