Kamen Rider Gaim: The Great Soccer Battle! The Golden Fruit Cup! Full Summary

The Gaim summer movie, Kamen Rider Gaim: The Great Soccer Battle! The Golden Fruit Cup!, was recently released and The Tokusatsu Network’s K. D. Komiyama got a chance to see the film as well as provide a summary of the movie’s plot.

Warning: The following summary contains spoilers for the full movie

Kōta is fighting a pack of Inves in the plant-life invaded Zawame City. After defeating them, he is met by a young man who asks him about soccer. Kōta explains that it is a game in which two teams “battle” for the ball. “Why battle?” the youth asks. “Because it’s fun, and it motivates you to become better next time,” Kōta answers.

After parting ways, Kōta starts hearing what appears to be a crowd cheering. He then realizes he’s in the middle of a football stadium. The seats are full of spectators cheering for Team Baron and Team Gaim. Kōta then is made to change into a uniform and the game starts. Also in Team Gaim is the supposedly dead Yūya as well as Sid and Hase in Team Yggdrasil and Team Charmant respectively. After an intense match that includes Armored Rider transformations, Team Gaim wins, moving one step closer to the All Rider Cup as well as what is rumored to be the power to grant any wish, the Golden Fruit.

Kōta, who got carried away and actually enjoyed the game, is then congratulated by Baron in a very bizarre and atypical moment of sportsmanship, reminding Kōta that along with the absence of invading plant-life in “this” Zawame City, that something strange is going on. The youth, who goes by the name Lapis, appears before Kōta again, and while the former seems pleased about something, Kōta asks what is going on but to no avail.

Back at Team Baron’s loft, Peko, who looked jealously as Zack and Baron transformed during the match, starts ranting about how he wants more power to obtain the Golden Fruit. He then produces a Genesis Driver, transforms into Kurokage Matsubokkuri Energy Arms and attacks Zack and Kaito. Just when Peko seems to have the upper hand, strange vegetation begins to sprout out of his body and he is literally absorbed by his own Lockseed. At the same time in another place, a different, rusted Lockseed recovers some of its lost golden colour.

Meanwhile, at Charmant, Hase is giving a startled Jōnouchi the beating of his life. After transforming into Kurokage and overpowering even Bravo, the same plantlife takes over and Hase vanishes. Again, somewhere, the Golden Lockseed recovers some of its luster.

Kaito, who had been looking into Peko’s disappearance, catches a glimpse of a concerned Lapis witnessing everything. Also, a blueish locust-like creature leaves the scene.

Bravo theorizes that one of the Armored Riders must be behind the disappearances and announces his intention of finding the culprit. At the Kureshima estate, Takatora tells Mitsuzane that he is off to visit his sick wife. Mitsuzane is puzzled since he defeated Takatora himself in battle and he never had a wife, so he decides to investigate as well.

Takatora, who appears to be in the same trance Peko and Hase went into, discusses the events with Sid before defeating him by throwing him off a roof within Yggdrasil Tower after which he threatens a startled Yoko, who flees. Afterwards, Takatora gathers an army of Kurokage Troopers to face Oren’s mercenaries. A long, fierce, exhausting battle ensues in the streets of Zawame and Baron enters the fray. Zangetsu Shin overpowers a berserk Gridon, who falls victim of the strange plantlife as well. The other Armored Riders, in the frenzy of battle, use their final attacks on each other and disappear in the same way the others did, with the same locust-like creatures flying away.

Lapis has been watching all along and says that “it is happening again. “Mitsuzane appears and confronts him, revealing that while looking into what happened to his brother, he found a recording by Ryōma Sengoku who, in the recording, is studying an ancient stone slab that suggests the Overlords tried to replicate the Fruit of Wisdom artificially.

Among all of these events, DJ Sagara appears before Mitsuzane and Lapis, the latter referring to him as “the Snake.” Sagara warns them about what is going to happen.

Kōta, who had been investigating, is faced by none other than Yūya who tells him that he needs to covet the power of the Golden Fruit as the other riders did. Confused by this statement, Kōta notices that Yūya is in possession of a Lockseed he had never seen, the same Lockseed that has been recovering its power. Confirming this is not the Zawame he knows, Kōta questions Yūya. He then transforms into an older man, Kōgane, who claims to be “The God of the New Generation.” Using the now fully recovered Lockseed, the man transforms into Kamen Rider Mars. He explains that the Armored Riders, in their struggle to obtain more power, were the best source for his “seeds of evil” (the locust creatures) to thrive and that now these seeds have empowered him to become ruler of the world.

Kōta transforms into Kamen Rider Gaim and faces Mars. The battle takes them to where the other Riders vanished and Gaim uses their individual Lockseeds (Banana, Durian and Donguri) to fight Mars, who proves to be stronger at every try. After transforming into Jinba Lemon Arms, Kōta is taken over by the same plantlife. However, judging by the expression of Kōgane, the outcome was different. Pleased with this, he explains that no matter how righteous you are, the thirst for power is something everyone has in their heart.

Mai encounters Kōta, who transforms into Yami Black Jinba Lemon Arms and attempts an attack on her. Mitsuzane intervenes and confronts Kōta. Lapis then appears and confesses the truth to Mai. He is a Femushinmu (Overlord) named Shamubishe (or “konpeki” in Japanese, meaning “deep blue”) who couldn’t stand seeing his kind get torn apart by war and sealed the source of it all.

Kōgane then appears before them, intent on getting revenge on Lapis for sealing him away. He, in turn, reveals that Kōgane is an artificial Fruit of Wisdom created by Femushinmu scientists. However, it developed consciousness and exacerbated the competitiveness of whoever came by it, leading to the Femushinmu war and their demise. It has now come to this world to become a god in it. Ryōma, who was present when the seal was broken, was the first victim of Kōgane’s Lockseed.

Mai cannot believe her ears and Mitsuzane is no match to the power of Yami Black Jinba Lemon Arms Gaim, who now intends to kill Mai and Lapis. However, Yoko appears and saves them both. Kaito also shows up as a flashback reveals Yoko saving Kaito right after the Armored Rider battle. It is now Baron, Malika and Ryugen against Mars and Yami Black Jinba Lemon.

Mai begs Lapis to help Kōta. Lapis, who has the power to manipulate dreams, enters Kōta’s mind and tells him that this plant-free Zawame City is a collective dream he created in order to avoid another war like the one that took place in the Helheim forest. He witnessed what was happening in Zawame City, overlapping Roshuo with Takatora (explaining the existence of a “wife”, Roshuo’s Queen), Redyue with Mitsuzane, Demushu with Kaito and Kōta with himself. After talking to Kōta about soccer, he thought it would be better for everyone to live in what he thought would be an ideal world.

Kōta is then approached by his dark, cynical self. They have a discussion about righteousness, power, giving up and perseverance. While taken aback by the fact that this dark figure is part of his own self, Kōta refuses to give in and declares that being able to make a choice is what makes the difference. With Lapis witnessing the whole exchange, Kōta literally punches himself in the face, waking up from the trance Kōgane had put him into.

Transforming into Kachidoki Arms, Gaim overpowers Mars, who transforms into a swarm of the locust-like creatures and transports everyone into an open field. The swarm becomes a horse riding Mars and challenges Gaim again. Gaim transforms into Kiwami arms. Lapis, encouraged by what he saw in Kōta’s mind, uses his powers to create a horse for Gaim and the two Riders clash. The battle culminates with Mars’ transformation into a giant centaur monster and Gaim Kiwami Arms defeating him with the Dai Dai Dj Gun, which releases the other Riders. The remnants of Mars become a fiery goalpost with the Golden Arms armor at its center, confirmed by Lapis to be Kōgane’s true form.

DJ Sagara appears again and gives Lapis a silver Lockseed, similar to Kōgane’s, that allows him to transform into Kamen Rider Kamuro. He then transforms into a blue soccer ball and the Riders kick it around, defeating Mars’ fire clones until Gaim takes a shot at the goalpost. Combined with the power of Kamuro, the shot destroys Mars.

Lapis expresses his gratitude towards Kōta and tells him he can finally “rest”, and then he disappears. Kōta, back in the half destroyed Zawame, says goodbye to Lapis and promises to save this Zawame as well. Deep in the Helheim forest, the wind blows to reveal Kamuro’s spear and Lapis’ bracelet, left there a long time ago.

Continuity errors and notes:

Micchy retains his memories from the real world and killing his brother, but this is never explained as to why, nor did it have a particular impact on the plot of the film, rather the opposite. He fights with Dark Jinba Lemon Arms Gaim in an attempt to turn him back to normal, although it could be argued that his reason was to protect Mai, thus combating with Gaim was only by proxy. It’s not revealed to Kōta that Micchy has real world knowledge or focuses on that he’s hiding it from him either.

Ryōma is killed by Kōgane before Lapis creates the dream world. The video footage shows Ryōma breaking the seal and releasing both of them and being attacked. He is not shown to be alive in the dream world, but the camera is found by Kaito in his lab on the floor where he dropped it, which shouldn’t be there as it’s a different world. Presumably he is revived afterwards, but this is not shown.

Kamen Rider Sigurd and Duke are absent from the final fight scene. No reason for their particular absence is given.

Lapis’ “remains” are shown before the end credits, showing his final resting place in Helheim Forest. Presumably, he is dead for the entire course of the movie and the character is similar to a wandering spirit. It’s unclear if he was sealed along with Mars, or merely reawaken when he was released. How he “died” is not explained either.

Special thanks to Paul, aka Igadevil for his contribution!