- Written by Yuya TakahashiDirected by Shojiro Nakazawa
16 years ago, a young boy named Emu Hojo was struck in a traffic accident. He was only saved due to the brave efforts and determination of the surgeon who operated on him. This has inspired him to take up medicine. In the present, Emu is a pediatric resident at the Seito University Hospital, aiming to repay his "debt" by saving his young wards. The problem, however, is that he is an utter klutz who gets no respect from his patients or co-workers. Most of the time, it seems that the only thing he is good for are video games.
When one of his patients, Souta, escapes the hospital in order to attend the launch party for the newest entry in his favorite game series, "Mighty Action X", he decides to take him there. After all, the boy's dizzy spells may be caused by the over-excitement, right? Oh, how very wrong. Souta's sickness is no ordinary flu - it's the Bugster virus, an extremely dangerous threat born inside the digital domain, now somehow preying upon the real world's inhabitants. The infection turns Souta into a raging beast and he escapes into the city.
The only way now is to operate on him... but not in the traditional sense. Asuna Karino, an agent of the Ministry of Health, has been scouting people capable of using the Gamer Driver - a device capable of excising the Bugster virus from their host. She's been looking for the elusive M - the master gamer, who leaves no game unfinished. But Emu, determined to fix his mistake and save his patient, grabs the Driver and runs straight into combat. Asuna demands that Hojo returns the device, since ordinary people can't use it. But to her shock, he can use it, and very well to boot! And on top of that, the timid intern's attitude completely changed!
This episode provides the examples of:
- Bait-and-Switch: At the very start, Emu looks like he's performing CPR, begging someone to not give up and die. As it turns out, he just was very immersed in his video game.
- Being Watched: Emu and Asuna don't realize it, but Taiga has been watching them from afar.
- Camera Abuse: When Ex-Aid lays such an awesome beatdown on the Bugster Viruses that he even smacks one directly into the camera.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Emu's first bout with the Bugsters as Ex-Aid was completely one sided in the pink Rider's favor. Neither the Giant Game Virus nor the Bugster Viruses posed much of a challenge to him. Heck, Salty Bugster managed only one good hit on Ex-Aid and that didn't affect him for long.
- Crash-Into Hello: Zigzagged. Emu, while chasing after Souta, almost runs over Asuna with a trolley (long story). He missed her by an inch, but while she tries to check up on the intern, his shoe falls on her head and bonks her unconscious.
- Dumbass Has a Point: While Asuna called Emu out for taking Souta out of the hospital, he was on to something when the patient's symptoms were connected to him not being able to go to the Mighty Action X launch party. Asuna unwittingly triggering the Bugster's transformation by trying to take Souta away only proved Emu right.
- Early-Bird Cameo: The other Riders appear at the end of episode before their proper introductory episodes.
- Foreshadowing: After being briefly stunned Asuna's movement suddenly gets jittery and odd video gameish sound effects are heard for a moment which would be a recurring quirk of her identity as a game character.
- Finger Gun: Done by Taiga to Emu after watching his first fight as Ex-Aid.
- Instant Expert: Emu has no issues handling the powers of the Gamer Driver. Justified in that his superb performance as a Kamen Rider stems from his gaming skills. That's right - Ex-Aid literally employs the I Know Madden Kombat trope!
- Ex-Aid: I make a point to never read the manual!
- Oh, Crap!: Emu, when he is told that he took a kid out on a game launch when he needed an immediate surgery.
- The Reveal:
- Emu is the legendary gamer M that Asuna has been on the lookout for the entire episode.
- Asuna's true identity: a mascot of a dancing game.
- Title Drop: Two examples:
- Just like last year, this series' first episode title is from the transformation tune of the Gamer Driver - one that is shared by the Level 1 forms of all the Riders.
- At the end, when Asuna shows Emu the CR center, she calls him Kamen Rider Ex-Aid.
- Vagueness Is Coming: Taiga's observation of Emu's first fight as Ex-Aid.
- Taiga: Things are going to get intresting.
- Kiriya wanders around the wrecked gaming center, observing the damage done by Souta's Bugster Union.Kiriya: Everyone is raring to start the race.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Asuna calls Emu out on taking out a sick patient from the hospital.
- Asuna: You fail as a doctor.
Gashat Count: Ex-Aid: 1
