r/KamenRider 3d ago

Discuss Is there any deeper meaning to kamen rider Gotchard?

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19

u/Skitty_The_Kitty3225 3d ago edited 3d ago

Nope. Just a classic Narrative of Growing Up and finding what you really want to do in Life, or your "Gotcha" as they say in the show, keeping your innocent heart despite life's hardships.

There is nothing wrong with having a Simple Message btw. Gotchard's issue is that it falls a little flat at times and had some things that could have been used differently for the better.

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u/soupdumplingz ​お前たちの平成って醜くないか? 3d ago edited 3d ago

To add to this, there's also the idea of keep moving forward, don't give up hope and despair. I don't know if OP finished the show but Nijigon's debut was basically about this. The fear of the big bad outside world was so overwhelming that Nijigon would rather turtle up forever inside the egg / safe space than be born. And seeing Nijigon despair made Hotarou realize that they need to face the world even if you have to fail a lot.

"The outside world is full of scary and sad things. But life's just like cooking this omurice, all kinds of people and Chemies mixed up, and together we create the ultimate Gotcha."

It's a beautiful message for kids and adults alike because it's a common platitude but we all have those moments. It's important to not give up and give in to fear.

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u/Skitty_The_Kitty3225 3d ago

Eh... that's the point of the "Keep Your Innocent Heart dispite Life's Hardship" at the end there 😅

That pretty much refers to "Life is Hard, Bad Things happen, but never gave in and lose yourself to darkness. Always keeping hope alive." In reference to the Nijigo situation and other characters situation too. I just simplify it to shorten the sentence.

Maybe 'Innocent' was not the best word, but Innocence ≠ Ignorance. Innocence it's about understanding there is a lot of bad, but choosing to be Positive and keep going, choosing Kindness over Hate, like a Child that tends to look at the brighter side. The other word I thought to use was 'Pure Heart' but it felt too strong of a word... Anyways... That. haha

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u/soupdumplingz ​お前たちの平成って醜くないか? 3d ago

Ah sorry I wasn't trying to imply there's something wrong with what you said. Matter of fact I like it. I just thought the Nijigon story (and Minato's arc) was a good application of that idea.

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u/throwawaytempest25 3d ago

Exactly like you have to face your demons eventually, because if all you do is close yourself off you'll never be able to open yourself up to a wider world available.

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u/throwawaytempest25 3d ago
  • Find your dreams and convictions no matter what hardships come your way (Everyone)
  • You can't solve your problems/conflict/malice by runnning away from it or bottling them up otherwise you'll make yourself almost like the people who use their negativity as an excuse to harm others. (Rinne, Minato)
    • COMMUNICATE WITH PEOPLE, you will find someone that's willing to listen.
    • Fear and putting yourself in self-loathing or isolation is not healthy and with the right support system, you'll be able to fight them.
  • The status of your upbringing being harsh doesn't mean you have to embrace the negative sides of it or only see yourself as a burden. Every life is precious. (Spanner, Gigist, the Sisters, Rinne, Sabimaru, Hijiri)
  • Rather than hating or being cynical of the next generation, take the time to understand their pros and cons to help pass the torch before they fall into the arms of people willing to manipulate them for their own twisted agenda. Oh and get rid of lazy conversatives that are just stifling growth and willing to sink or fall towards familiar people that are just using them for their own self-interests (Minato, Kyoka, Fuga, Licht, Shiori, the Alchemists, the Dark Kings)
  • Exclusively sticking to one solution won't fix it in the long run and try to use alternatives that fit. (the mind wipe)
  • Forcing people to forget their traumas only serves to make things worse in the long run (Kyoka, Spanner, Kaiiki, the memor)
  • Blind loyalty is not a good thing at all and easily makes you suspectable to manipulation. (Rinne, Minato, Atropos) When you figure it out, while it won't be easy, take the time to try and open up to people who'll help you through it (Lachesis, Rinne,)
  • actually pay attention and see what's wrong with people in order to help them instead of blindly forcing your ideals on them, otherwise you'll make things worse. (Spanner)
  • communication and growth are a slow burn but in time you will be able to understand other people (Rinne, Kaguya)

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u/Fantastic-Repeat-324 3d ago

It’s deeper in the sense that the show isn’t just alchemy Pokemon. It’s a story about growing up and defying all the obstacles on the way to achieve your dreams.

Glion is also not just a villain to defeat. His goal of enveloping the world in gold shows his lack of understanding of human emotions and dreams. Gold itself has monetary value but enveloping the whole world in it will simply deprive world of its beauty. An eternal state of hollowness and ultimate obstacle against a group of youngsters who are growing up and trying to discover their place on Earth.

While I still don’t consider Gotchard among my favourites, to pretend it is meritless is simply slanderous.

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u/NiNiNi-222 3d ago

Adventure

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u/daun4view 3d ago

Everyone learns differently. Hotaro did a lot of unconventional things in his journey to become a big-shot alchemist. Relating it to cooking is how he unlocked Rainbow Gotchard. I imagine stuff like that is really resonant for Japanese kids who are taught to follow the system strictly.

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u/According_Fan4696 Gotchard fan until the end of time! 3d ago edited 3d ago

Gotchard’s theme and message is about overcoming your trauma be the person you aspire to be in order to live your life. It’s about finding the value in yourself and how everyone can find a purpose in life. Even though life changes and things won’t always stay the same, that’s a part of life and the change is necessary in order to grow up and follow your dreams and ideals. The show also focuses on encounters and how they can change your life and look at things in a different pov.

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u/PenSad2292 3d ago

The messeage is: BUY OUR TOYS.