Fuuto PI is quickly becoming one of the season’s most viral anime series, with clips of the show passed around on social media drawing in a whole new audience who wouldn’t usually watch the show. Some viewers, however, may be confused diving into Fuuto PI as some of the character interactions and the show’s intro sequence suggest something happened before the show started.
Have no fear. Here is everything you need to know about Fuuto PI.
What Is Fuuto PI About?
Fuuto PI is based on the manga written by Riku Sanjo and illustrated by Masaki Sato. It is a sequel to the live-action tokusatsu series Kamen Rider W that aired in Japan in 2009 and acted as the 20th installment of the long-running Kamen Rider franchise. Fuuto PI tells a new story using the same characters and setting first seen in Kamen Rider W.
Fuuto PI follows the employees of the Narumi Detective Agency. The agency, owned by Akiko Narumi, has only two detectives: Shotaro Hidari and Philip. These two men have a fascinating past, and by using a device called the Doubledriver and a series of objects called the Gaia Memories, they can turn into the armored hero Kamen Rider W (pronounced Double.)
When Shotaro encounters a beautiful woman who disappears into thin air, he believes something is up. This is confirmed when someone comes into the agency asking for help tracking down a self-proclaimed witch who performed the same vanishing act. Shotaro accepts the case, throwing the Narumi Detective Agency into the center of a new mystery that will push them to their limits.
Who are the returning characters of Fuuto PI?
Shotaro Hidari
Shotaro always wanted to be a “hard-boiled” detective, however his attempts to act cool frequently fall flat. Because of this, many call him the “half-boiled” detective. Initially the assistant of the Narumi Detective Agency’s original owner Sokichi Narumi, Shotaro took over the lead position when Sokichi was killed during an event called “Begins Night” when Shotaro and Sokichi saved Philip from a strange machine. It is also the first time Shotaro and Philip transformed into Kamen Rider W. During this time Shotaro became very close with Philip, while also becoming more secure in his own skin.
Philip
Philip was rescued from a strange machine by Sokichi during Begins Night. Philip had no memory of his past and couldn’t remember his name. He was given the name Philip by Sokichi, who decided to name the boy after his favorite detective Philip Marlowe.
Philip has a unique power. He can access the Gaia Library and its Infinite Archive, a metaphysical space that holds the sum of all of humanity’s knowledge. Philip uses this archive to help Shotaro make connections that will help him solve cases.
During Kamen Rider W, it is revealed that Philip is actually the son of the head of the criminal Sonozaki family who ran Museum, an evil organization that armed criminals with Gaia Memories. It was revealed that the original Philip died when he fell into the True Gaia Memory hidden under the Sonozaki family’s home. The current Philip was reborn from the True Gaia Memory as a data form avatar. This is why he can access the Gaia Library.
The Sonozaki family had been using Philip to make new Gaia Memories hoping to trigger an event called Gaia Impact, which would turn all humans into data forms like Philip. This was stopped by Shotaro and Philip. The Philip seen in Fuuto PI is much more human than the one seen at the start of Kamen Rider W as his extended time as a physical entity and his recovered memories allow him to be a more rounded person.
Akiko Narumi
The daughter of Sokichi, Akiko is the owner of the Narumi Detective Agency. She supports Philip and Shotaro and helps them solve their cases. She is married to Ryu Terui and is most known for smacking people who annoy her with her slipper.
Ryu Terui
Ryu is introduced as a superintendent working for Fuuto PD’s Paranormal Crime Investigation Division. At the start of Kamen Rider W, he is trying to track down the person who murdered his family.
Advised by a mysterious woman called Shroud (who would be revealed as Philip’s mother,) Ryu uses the Acceldriver and the Accel Gaia Memory to transform into Kamen Rider Accel. By the time Fuuto PI starts, Ryu has married Akiko Narumi and has become a close friend of Shotaro and Philip, frequently helping the pair with their cases.
What else do you need to know about Fuuto PI?
What is a Gaia Memory?
A crucial element of both Kamen Rider W and Fuuto PI is the Gaia Memories. Looking a lot like a USB drive, each Gaia Memory contains all the Earth’s knowledge on the subject they are named after. They also allow the user to turn into a monstrous Dopant or a Kamen Rider.
If the Gaia Memory is inserted into the body, be it directly or via a tattoo-like mark called a Living Connector, the person becomes a Dopant, a hulking monster with a look and powerset based on the contents of the Gaia Memory inserted. Using a Gaia Memory like this can cause long-term damage as it will slowly corrupt the user’s mind.
Purified and refined Gaia Memories can also be inserted into a Driver, allowing the user to take on an armored Kamen Rider form. While these forms strip away the harmful effects of the Gaia Memory, the resulting powers are weaker than they would be if you absorbed the Memory directly.
At the start of Fuuto PI, there were three types of Drivers: the DoubleDriver used by Kamen Rider W; the Acceldriver used by Kamen Rider Accel; and the Lostdriver. The latter type was used by Shotaro when Philip was temporarily lost during the plot of Kamen Rider W, and versions of this driver were used by several characters in the show’s spin-offs.
Who is Kamen Rider W?
Shotaro and Philip can become the armored hero Kamen Rider W by inserting two Gaia Memories into their DoubleDriver. The W suit has a different color on each half. These colors change depending on what Memory is used on that side of the DoubleDriver. For instance, W’s most iconic form, CycloneJoker, is black on one side and green on the other. This form is accessed by inserting the green Cyclone Gaia Memory and the black Joker Gaia Memory into the DoubleDriver. During both Kamen Rider W and Fuuto PI, the pair use many Memory combinations, including the white and black FangJoker, the red and silver HeatMetal, and the yellow and blue LunaTrigger, each with their own unique powers and abilities.
It isn’t plain sailing being Kamen Rider W. when transformed as Shotaro and Philip share a body. This means that when they transform, one of their bodies (usually Philip’s) collapses onto the floor unconscious. This means the pair have to work together on a spiritual level and also protect the second body during combat. Due to this shared body, Kamen Rider W has been nicknamed the “two-in-one Kamen Rider.”
By inserting a Gaia Memory into the Maximum Slot on the side of the DoubleDriver’s belt, Kamen Rider W can perform a Maximum Drive. This finishing move can knock the Gaia Memory out of a Dopant, returning them to their human form. Also, at the start of a battle, Kamen Rider W will often say their catchphrase, “Now, count up your sins!” aphrase Shotaro Hidari picked up from his mentor Sokichi.
Who is Kamen Rider Accel?
By inserting a Gaia Memory into the AccelDriver, Ryu Terui can become Kamen Rider Accel. During Kamen Rider W, Ryu acquires several other Gaia Memories that can work with his AccelDriver, giving him access to new forms. Many of these forms are seen in Fuuto PI’s intro sequence, suggesting they’ll be used during the series.
On top of his basic red form, Accel can access a blue form called Accel Trial via the Trial Gaia Memory, and the yellow AccelBooster form by using the Accel Gaia Memory fitted with a device called the Gaia Memory Enhancing Adapter.