 This article is about a Rider in Kamen Rider Gavv.
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Kenzo Suga (酸賀 研造, Suga Kenzō) was a researcher of Granutes who transformed into Kamen Rider Bake (仮面ライダーベイク, Kamen Raidā Beiku). After death, he was resurrected as a zombie by Nyelv Stomach and became the fourth Kamen Rider Bitter Gavv (仮面ライダービターガヴ, Kamen Raidā Bitā Gavu) before meeting his demise again.
History
Background
Kenzo Suga was once an ordinary scientist and was shown to have raised a baby in the past. However, it's implied that the baby passed away before even reaching childhood.
Having been disillusioned by how fragile humans are, he has been researching into the Granutes and how to evolve people for nearly twenty years. He had numerous people (at least eight according to his own memories, later revealed to be eleven before Hanto and himself) sacrificed for his ambitions over the years, two of which volunteered including a woman who is presumably his relative as his first experiment and a proclaimed assistant as his eighth. During this period, Suga meets Nyelv Stomach, who comes from the Granute World through the Door Space, and the two started to exchange information, with Nyelv providing Suga with the Granute Organs.
Indoctrinating Hanto
Kenzo Suga took the Chocodon and Chocodan Gochizos that were cheering Kamen Rider Gavv's victory over Granute Bon. As Hanto Karakida was investigating who Kamen Rider Gavv is, he also came up to Gavv and ask him if he is also a Granute. He introduced himself as a Granute researcher to Hanto, who was annoyed by his interference in this investigation.
When Hanto visited his laboratory, he told him everything he knew about the Granutes thus far and how long he's been researching them. He also mentioned developing a device to help combat the Granutes.
Hanto approached Suga again with the upper half of Soji Shioya's Human Press and begged for his help if Soji's life could be saved but was no longer possible. Suga suggested to let Hanto take revenge on the Granute who took his mentor's life and presented him with the completed Valenbuster, but needed to undergo surgery in order to use it. Hanto initially refused to undergo the operation but later resolved to go through with it. He witnessed and filmed Hanto's first transformation into Kamen Rider Valen and his fight against Granute Otake with Kamen Rider Gavv also arriving to witness it. After Otake's defeat, Suga stole four of Gavv's Chocodon Gochizos and ran off.
Sometime later, Suga received a USB drive from an unknown sender containing footage of Gavv's and Valen's recent fight against Granute Yard.
Suga and Nyelv.
One evening, Nyelv visited his laboratory, Suga thanked him for sending the USB drive from before and was told by Nyelv that Shoma was getting stronger, and gifted him three of the Gummy Gochizos he's taken along with a Granute organ. During Nyelv's visit, Suga told him about how Shoma gets his powers from human snacks and in return gave Nyelv his documentation on the Valen system along with pudding to help with his own research.
Nyelv brings Granute Lage Nine to Suga's lab to show him the completed Vrastumgear, allowing Suga to observe the use of a Mimic Key in person.
When Shoma brings an injured Hanto to the lab, Suga takes a hair off Shoma's jacket, which he uses to create several clones that would end up becoming the Dark Shomas, who cause panic to the city.
He would later present Hanto with the new Chocold Gochizos, which he claimed to be his new creations, as his Valentine Day's present (in actuality, a part of his plan to corrupt Hanto).
True Colors Revealed
When he was eventually found out by Hanto to be the creator of the Dark Shomas, Suga nonchalantly asks Hanto to collaborate with him a bit more, only to be met with a hard refusal. Later on, he would have a Dark Shoma capture Shoma to be used as a bargaining chip to force Hanto to come to him, where he proceeded to show his new transformation device, Bakemagnum.
He transformed into Kamen Rider Bake before taking on Shoma for the test run, trouncing the half-Granute hybrid with his new power. However, after deactivating his transformation, he discovered that his old body is not sufficient to use the power and that he still needed Hanto for his plans.
First Defeat
He would then show his plan of creating an ultimate lifeform that won't fear death to Dark Shoma, before Rakia eventually barged into his lab to destroy the Dark Shomas. He managed to escape with his research data, while leaving Dark Shoma to keep Rakia busy, and unfortunately, Suga’s lab and “children” are destroyed by Vram.
He finds Hanto with Shoma and offers him a chance to return, believing that Hanto is still reliant on his technology. However, upon being met with Hanto's refusal, he transformed into Bake to personally take care of business. However, he was eventually dealt with a crushing defeat by Hanto, who managed to gain a new power as Valen Frappe Custom.
- "Humans... are strange, fragile little things, aren't they...?"
- ―Suga's dying words after his defeat by Valen[src]
As he lays dying, Suga reminisces about the fragility of humans. He is found by Nyelv, who assures him that he will continue his research in his stead.
Legacy
A month after his defeat, Suga's abandoned laboratory is taken over by Rakia, who makes it his new living space that is visited by Shoma and Hanto.
Death, Revival & Final Death
It was revealed that Nyelv held onto Suga's body and kept him on life support, but during the operation where Nyelv would surgically splice him with the Granute corpse provided by Bocca Jaldak and a Bitter Gavv, his body eventually died, rendering him brain dead. Once the operation was complete, he became a mindless zombie commanded by Nyelv and went around the human world to test his hypnosis capabilities before eventually being confronted by Shoma, Hanto and Rakia.
Transforming into Kamen Rider Bitter Gavv using the Marble Breacookie Gochizo, he fought against the three and used his hypnosis via the Bakemagnum to convince Valen that Gavv and Vram are his enemies. He then retreated from the fight following Nyelv's command.
Suga would hypnotize more people (including Shoma's uncle) to commit suicide at the Kazami Coastline, only to be halted by Shoma and Rakia who assumes his Granute Lage Nine form to inject them with euphoria toxins. As Valen returns to the fight, no longer brainwashed, Suga would ultimately be defeated by Gavv Master Mode and Vram A La Mode Mode while vainly trying to protect the Bakemagnum as ordered by Nyelv.
Personality
Suga is shown to be laid-back but gets energetic when subjects relating to his research is brought up. He has a habit of pushing his glasses up and snapping his fingers to emphasize his point.
However, unbeknownst to most people, Suga is an amoral man willing to sacrifice people, either by using them as test subjects, or bait, to fulfill his goal of creating the strongest lifeform that can beat the Granutes. He also used Shoma as a hostage and fight him purely to demonstrate the Bakemagnum's powers to Hanto to keep him as his subject.
After being revived as a zombie, Suga lost his sense of self and became a mindless puppet that Nyelv freely controls.
In Other Media
He is playable in his Bitter Gavv form in Kamen Rider Battle: Ganba Legends.
Powers and Abilities
Powers
- Granute Organ Transplantation: After transplanting Granute organs into his body by himself, Suga can harness the power of the Gochizo and transform into Kamen Rider Bake. Suga admitted that the process he used was exponentially safer than the method he used on Hanto due to having done it on him prior as an experiment.
- Artificial Granute Physiology: After being transplanted with body parts from a deceased Granute, Suga was revived and has gained the special abilities of that Granute along with a Bitter Gavv.
- Hypnosis: Suga can hypnotize those he's shot with hypnotic bullets fired from the Bakemagnum. However, due to Valen’s strong willpower, it took three bullets to control him.
Abilities
- Genius-Level Intellect: He is intelligent enough for Nyelv to refer to him with deference.
- Master Engineer: Suga reverse engineered the powers of the Gochizo to create the Valenbuster in a short time. He also created several Dark Shoma clones using a piece of Shoma's hair and the Chocold Gochizos.
- Skilled Surgeon: Suga is able to perform complex experimental surgeries, implanting a Granute organ in Hanto with only anesthetics.
- Skilled Combatant: During his first fight, Kenzo displayed a high level of markmanship as he was able to fully exploit the environment's resources and terrain. In conjunction with the use of the Bakemagnum, he employs an aggressive and chaotic fighting style, constantly switching between close and long range combat.
Weakness
- Limited Gochizo Capacity: To transform Suga requires a supply of Gochizo that are consumed after each use. He is currently dependent on the Bitter Gavv clones for replenishing his supply.
- Transformation Recoil: Due to his age, transforming into Bake substantially damages Suga's body. This was shown when Suga's hand shriveled and eventually blackened after his first usage of the Bakemagnum, with the implication that further usage of Bake might kill him. By the time he transformed into Bake a second and final time, the damage has spread up to his neck.
- Hypnosis Break: Not only can the toxin of Granute Lage Nine break the trance of Suga's hypnosis but it also renders the victims temporarily immune from a second attempt.
Forms
Kamen Rider Bake's character theme is Hikentai no Shinka Ni Okeru Kosatsu.
Kamen Rider Bake
- "Fire! Beyond biology! Bake!"
- ―Transformation announcement[src]
- Rider Height: 195.3 cm
- Rider Weight: 84.2 kg
- Ability Parameters[1]
- Punching Power: 2.5 t
- Kicking Power: 6.4 t
- Maximum Jump Height: 7.1 m
- Maximum Running Speed: 100 m per 6.6 seconds
Breacookie Form (ブレイクッキーフォーム, Bureikukkī Fōmu) is Bake's chocolate chip cookie-based primary form accessed by using a Breacookie Gochizo in the Bakemagnum.
Compared to Gavv Blizzardsorbet Form, Bake has slightly lower punching and kicking power, while being slightly faster and having a higher jump height. He can manifest the onomatopoeia "crunch" (サクッ, saku) as explosives, which becomes crumb-like cluster bombs when shattered. However, the transformation can put a strain on his body as his hand is shown to be damaged post transformation.
Breacookie Form consists of the following parts:
- Breacookie Hard Mask (ブレイクッキーハードマスク, Bureikukkī Hādo Masuku): The head.
- Breacookie Roast (ブレイクッキーロースト, Bureikukkī Rōsuto): The face. The biological tissue generated by using Breacookie is extremely robust and its combat abilities can be increased according to the amount of energy chips consumed.
- Bake Firing Eye (ベイクファイアリングアイ, Beiku Faiaringu Ai): The eyes. Its role is to thoroughly analyze the subject's condition and send the obtained information to the recording organ, BC Indicator.
- BC Indicator (BCインジケータ, Bī Shī Injikēta): The recording organ. The special crystalline structure also has a neurotransmitter auxiliary function that amplifies the functions of various parts during combat and enables smooth links with weapons and other items.
- Knack Body (ナックボディ, Nakku Bodi): The body. Bake has acquired destructive physical abilities beyond his own skill level by harnessing the power of Gochizo.
- Baked Hard Chest (ベイクドハードチェスト, Beikudo Hādo Chesuto): The chest. The biological tissue generated by using Breacookie is extremely robust and its combat abilities can be increased according to the amount of energy chips consumed. This allows a certain degree of control over the load on the body.
- Baked Hard Grab (ベイクドハードグラブ, Beikudo Hādo Gurabu): The arms. It is linked to the transformation device and weapon Bakemagnum and has been adjusted to improve its shooting performance.
- Bakebuckle (ベイクバックル, Beikubakkuru): The special mechanism. It works in conjunction with the transformer and the Bakemagnum to make up a transformation system
- Baked Hard Boots (ベイクドハードブーツ, Beikudo Hādo Būtsu): The legs. It changes into hard stone by baking it with special energy. It can redirect that heat to perform an ultra-hot kick.
This form has the following finishers:
- Bakemagnum finisher:
- Baking Full Blast (ベイキングフルブラスト, Beikingu Furu Burasuto):[2] Bake opens and closes the Crimson Jack twice, generating spiraling violet energy toward the Magnum Point. He then fires a concentrated stream of energy at his opponent.
Marblebreacookie Form
- "Breacookie! Yummy!"
- ―Transformation announcement[src]
- Rider Height: 195.3 cm
- Rider Weight: 106.4 kg
- Ability Parameters[3]
- Punching Power: 3.0 t
- Kicking Power: 7.0 t
- Maximum Jump Height: 5.5 m
- Maximum Running Speed: 100 m per 7.2 seconds
Marblebreacookie Form (マーブルブレイクッキーフォーム, Māburubureikukkī Fōmu) is Bitter Gavv's chocolate marble cookie-based form accessed by using a Marblebreacookie Gochizo in the Henshin Belt Bitter Gavv.[4]
In this form, Bitter Gavv is physically stronger than all previous forms of Bitter Gavv, but is slower and has a shorter jump height than Bakibakistick Form. Suga incorporates his hypnosis ability into the Bakemagnum's bullets, as demonstrated when he influenced Valen into attacking his fellow Granute Hunters, but it took three bullets to do so. He can still summon and use the onomatopoeia "crunch" (サクッ, saku) that’ll explode as well, now with homing capabilities that can even catch up to Gavv Master Mode.
Marblebreacookie Form consists of the following parts:
- Marblebreacookie Alterhead (マーブルブレイクッキーオルタヘッド, Māburubureikukkī Orutaheddo): The head.
- Marblebreacookie Mug (マーブルブレイクッキーマグ, Māburubureikukkī Magu): The face. The biological tissue generated by using Marblebreacookie Gochizo is extremely robust, and by reconstructing the blend balance of the two biological characteristics of the transformer in real time, repeated trials are conducted during battle to find the optimal solution.
- Marblebreacookie Rage Eye (マーブルブレイクッキーレイジアイ, Māburubureikukkī Reiji Ai): The eyes. They boast excellent eyesight which increases the accuracy of his shots and can determine the level of hypnosis of his target.
- BC Gradnal (BCグラドナル, Bī Shī Guradonaru): The recording organ. The special crystalline structure also has neurotransmission-assisting functions that amplify the functions of each body part during combat and enable smooth links with weapons and other items.
- Bitbady (ビットバディ, Bittobadi): The body. The transformer's body transforms and changes by distorting the characteristics of Gochizo, exhibiting partially outstanding powers.
- Marblebreacookie Sternum (マーブルブレイクッキースターナム, Māburubureikukkī Sutānamu): The chest. The biological tissue generated by using Marblebreacookie Gochizo is extremely sturdy, and by reconstructing the blend balance of the two biological characteristics of the transformer in real time, repeated trials are conducted during battle to find the optimal solution.
- Marblebreacookie Alterarm (マーブルブレイクッキーオルタアーム, Māburubureikukkī Orutaāmu): The arms. It is possible to generate special hypnotic bullets that extend the special abilities of the transformer using the Bakemagnum.
- Marblebreacookie Alterleg (マーブルブレイクッキーオルタレッグ, Māburubureikukkī Orutareggu): The legs. By changing properties such as weight and hardness in real time, running ability, jumping power, and the destructive power of footwork are maximized.
This form has the following finishers:
- Bakemagnum finishers:
- Full Explosion (フルエクスプロージョン, Furu Ekusupurōjon): Bitter Gavv inserts the Marblebreacookie Gochizo,opens and closes the Crimson Jack three times before firing off energy swirls of marble cookies that explode on impact.
Equipment
Devices
- Bakemagnum - Transformation device as Bake and main weapon
- Bakebuckle - A belt worn around Bake's waist. Also serves as a holster for the Bakemagnum
- Henshin Belt Bitter Gavv - Transformation device as Bitter Gavv
- Gochizo - Transformation trinkets
Known Creations
- Valenbuster
- Dark Shoma Clones
- Chocold Gochizos
- Bakemagnum
- "K": described by Suga himself as the Strongest Lifeform that "never dies, has a longer and stronger life than anyone else". This experiment was only seen as data between the specs of Hanto Karakida and Dark Shoma, depicted with the silhouette of a baby and an electrocardiogram indicating that it is alive. K was eventually never elaborated upon and was presumably destroyed along with the Dark Shoma clones by Rakia Amarga.
Relationships
Allies
- Nyelv Stomach: The two have been in contact for an unknown amount of time but have been collaborating with each other by trading info to further their own individual research. Suga refers to Nyelv with the honorific "-kun", implying Suga is the senior among the two.
- Dark Shoma/Kamen Rider Bitter Gavv: Though treated kindly on the surface (by providing them food and shelter), Suga currently sees them as no more than minions for combat data and creation of Gochizos. He dislikes being called 'dad' by them, even though he created them all in the first place.
Enemies
- Soji Shioya: Although he had never met Kenzo in person, Soji harbored deep distrust toward him because of the vast amount of information he possessed about the Granutes, suggesting that the scientist was either delusional or concealing something from Hanto. Tragically, Soji’s suspicions proved accurate when Kenzo conspired to bring about his downfall with Nyelv’s assistance. Soji advised Hanto not to trust the scientist too much, which Hanto would ignore for some time until it was too late when Suga revealed his evil scheme.
- Hanto Karakida/Kamen Rider Valen: After a bad first impression, they quickly began to collaborate in their shared targets of investigations besides their different end goals. This partnership comes to a bitter end after Suga revealed that he's ordered for Soji Shioya's untimely demise, which complete broke Hanto. In the end, Hanto successfully defeated Suga after the young reporter refused to fall for the mad scientist's machinations anymore.
- Shoma/Kamen Rider Gavv: He's shown interest in Gavv as a subject for his unique hybrid physiology and modifications. Shoma's compatibility with Human DNA, and a source of research material, stealing Gochizos from him to develop his own Rider System, and eventually a DNA sample from him to use in his cloning research, ruining Shoma's reputation through Dark Shoma's actions.
- Rakia Amarga/Kamen Rider Vram: He was curious of the modifications to Rakia as a result of Nyelv's Gochizo experiments with the data he provided.
Behind the Scenes
Portrayal
- Kenzo Suga is portrayed by Shintaro Asanuma (浅沼 晋太郎, Asanuma Shintarō), who previously voiced Dragonalos and Dragon Malgam in Kamen Rider Gotchard. This character marks Asunuma's first live-action acting role since 2006, where he at the time, wrote and acted in a film titled LIP THINK. In getting the role, Asanuma expressed his excitement in being part of the world of Gavv and hoped to learn from filming with young actors.[5] In getting into character, Asanuma described Suga as someone who is "unable to read the atmosphere" and not a monster, but rather a "weirdo who has little interest in people", making use of the fact that Suga is not someone you'd want to open up to.
- As Kamen Riders Bake and Bitter Gavv Marblebreacookie Form, his suit actor is Kai Kitamura (北村 海, Kitamura Kai) in his first Rider suit acting role.
Etymology
Kenzo Suga's surname contains the kanji for "sourness" (酸, San).[6] His given name literally means "study" and "create" (研造).
Notes
- Bake is the first Gavv Rider to not have the character "vu" (ヴ) in his name at all, with the second being Caries. That being said, "b" sounds have been used in the past to emulate "v" sounds.
- According to Hidekazu Chinen in a staff blog, he believes that the "b" in Bake's name is due to him having different motivations from the other Gavv Riders.[7]
- Bake's armor is repainted from Kamen Rider Bitter Gavv Sparkingummy Form but with differently shaped eyes, whereas the undersuit is the same as Valen except with silver lines. There are also cookie-colored parts on top of the hands, knees, and feet. The knee pads in particular are repainted from either Kamen Rider Ghost or Specter. With the exception of these parts and the undersuit, Breacookie Form is identical between Bake and Bitter Gavv. Bitter Gavv Marble Breacookie uses the same armor pieces, but with modified eyes and a different distribution of brown.
- Before his death, Suga is left-handed, as shown when he holds the Bakemagnum in his left hand, but after he’s revived by Nyelv, he is right-handed, possibly due to his left hand being replaced with the deceased Granute, which has three fingers.
- Suga's transformation pose is a homage to that of the Zenkaigers
, more specifically Juran, a role who Asanuma previously voiced.[8] - In contrast to Kamen Rider Valen, Suga's glasses are visually reminiscent of Willy Wonka from the film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.[9]
Full view of Suga's left hand after his revival
- On his Twitter, designer K-SuKe described Suga's left Granute hand as having design of a "red Tyrannosaurus".[10] This is another nod to Asanuma's role as Juran.
- Despite his new left hand only having three fingers, Suga as Bitter Gavv still has five left fingers when transformed.
- Presumably as reminiscent of his past, Suga is occasionally seen humming the lullaby during episodes 27 and 28. The audio drama extends on it by revealing Suga listens to it as a distraction whenever he is injured.
Appearances
- Kamen Rider Gavv
- Episode 3: Soda Punch Is a Guilty Pleasure
- Episode 4: More Marshmallows Please!
- Episode 5: The Memories Are Painful
- Episode 6: Transformation Is Bitter Chocolate
- Episode 7: What Flavor Lies Beneath the Mask
- Episode 8: Dual Chocolate
- Episode 10: Extra Large! Candy Cannon!
- Episode 12: A Bond Connected by Doughnuts
- Episode 14: Miraculous Awakening! Caking
- Episode 15: Escaped Granute!
- Episode 18: Extremely Strong! The Pudding Bodyguard
- Episode 19: The Secret Bittersweet Flavor of Pudding
- Episode 20: Break In! To the Dark Snacks Factory!
- Episode 21: Too Bitter Gavv
- Episode 22: The Truth Is Sweet and Bitter
- Episode 23: Broken Sweets
- Episode 24: A Spoonful of Revival Ice Cream
- Episode 25: Virtual Happiness, The Taste of Nectar
- Episode 26: Angry Pudding
- Episode 27: Sour and Sweet to the Point of Burning
- Episode 28: Chocolate Frappe of Bonds!
- Episode 31: A Difficult Marriage (Mentioned)
- Episode 33: One-Hit Kill!! Over Gavv! (Mentioned)
- Episode 41: Glasses Creeping Closer (first death & revival)
- Episode 42: At the End of Broken Feelings (final death)
- Kamen Rider Gavv: Guilty Parfait (flashback)
- If coffee is a poison. It is a slow poison.
References
- ↑ https://www.tv-asahi.co.jp/gavv/rider/bake/breacookie/
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sSViL6d2Lg
- ↑ https://www.kamen-rider-official.com/news_articles/2697https://www.kamen-rider-official.com/news_articles/2697
- ↑ https://www.kamen-rider-official.com/gavv/04/
- ↑ https://tvablog.tv-asahi.co.jp/reading/gavv/861/
- ↑ https://www.kamen-rider-official.com/gavv/28/
- ↑ Character Book 2025 , pp. 79–81, "SOLO INTERVIEW Shintaro Asanuma"
- ↑ https://x.com/KSuKe37957985/status/1941742820123091372
External Links
to be added