#also warning that the trope links lead to tv tropes lol

[naktergalen]

Rivamika Fic Suggestions List

Hello! First time posting on the Rivamika side of Tumblr. I just wanted to leave some of my personal recommendations for Rivamika fan fics on here to possibly help pass the time. I know that some people in the Rivamika chat will ask or put down some fic suggestions and it sucks that the messages get deleted after 1 week. Some of these stories are widely known in this community and some I think need a little more love lol. But I hope that you enjoy these stories as much as I have. I’ve split this list up into four categories. I wanted to let people know the status of some these fics in case they did not want to start an incomplete or in progress story. I know that many people are going to noticed that the Western Passage is not on this list. Sadly, I never got around to reading it when it was written for Levi and Mikasa and I can’t seem to find it anywhere for the life of me.

All of these fics can be found on AO3. I would link them but Tumblr apparently has an issue with links. If you guys want another list of fics, just let me know or you can tell me to GTFO and I will take the hint lol! If you have any fic suggestions for me, feel free to message me with them and I can add them on to the next list if anyone wants that. If any author sees their story on here and they want me to take it off the list, please let me know I don’t wish to make anyone feel uncomfortable. Also, last thing, I highly recommend leaving comments and kudos to the authors. I know that they greatly appreciate it and it helps them with improving their writing through feedback. I’ll shut up now.

DISCLAIMER: I know that not all of these stories are not for everyone, these are just my opinions and suggestions.

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Completed:

- Finding Comfort in Burning

Author: LittleWhisperer

Rating: Mature

This is a classic Rivamika fic and I know that the community loves it (as do I). If you are looking for superb character development, look no further than this baby right here. LittleWhisperer’s writing is so well done I can’t believe that this ain’t just a famous author writing in their spare time (oh wait I think they are). They’re so descriptive with the environment that you feel as if you are there watching as the scenes unfold. It’s a captivating story from start to finish and the building of Mikasa and Levi’s passionate relationship is soo scrumptious.

- Part of Me

Author: kenken_chan

Rating: Mature

Every Rivamika fan out there has to read this story!!! I cannot describe how absolutely wonderful this fic is! I was literally left speechless after finishing the last chapter because my mind was just blown away by the conclusion of Levi and Mikasa’s relationship. This really takes you on an emotional roller coaster and you can really grasp each character’s emotions through out the story. I will give a warning before hand, there are heavy subjects and situations presented that some people may not feel comfortable with. I personally think those subjects and how they are handled is what makes this fic such a diamond in the rough but if you are feeling uncomfortable then I understand that as well. I also know this fic has been out before and that the author had made changes to it since it was first released. If you haven’t read the edited version of this story, I would say give it another read now. I would love to hear what people think after they finish reading this gem.

- A Dangerous Game

Author: LittleWhisperer

Rating: Explicit

OMG! What a ride this story was! Once I started to read the first chapter, I could not stop! It just sucked me into the story’s world and I felt like I was actually there seeing the action and environment that the author was describing. This story keeps you in suspense and on your toes for what is going to happen next in this crazy Mafia AU. The relationship between Levi and Mikasa is magnificently done as they come to realize they have more in common than they think. I enjoy LittleWhisper’s work and I recommend checking out more of their works.

- The Taste of Pomegranate

Author: alienheartattack

Rating: Teen/Explicit

I have to say that I would have not expected me to like a Ballet AU story for Rivamika, but I absolutely enjoy every second while reading this one. The way the author creates the tension between Mikasa and Levi is splendidly done in this story. There are two more one-shots that follow after the original fic but they honestly feel like two more chapters that are just continuing with the story. I would certainly read the two one-shots after your finish reading part 1, you will not regret it!

- The Song Remains the Same

Author: MoraLeeWright

Rating: Mature

I enjoy MoraLeeWright’s writing so much! I think I binged read this story in about a day, I couldn’t stop myself. This fic does a really great job of slowly building the relationship between Mikasa and Levi. It gives their perspectives on the challenges they are facing together as well as the conflicting feelings each have about the growing bond between the two of them. I know that this is a Rivamika classic among fans but if you have yet to read it, definitely check this story out!    

Ongoing:

- Who Are You Calling a Bitch?

Author: xx_ciela

Rating: Mature

I was terrified that this fic would not ever get updated again, but good news its BACK! I am so excited to see where the story leads and whats going to happen to Mikasa, Levi and the other characters that are present. WAYCAB does an amazing job of mixing and twisting many different types of lore together to pull you into this fantasy type AU. Just when you think you have finally received the answers to your questions, it only lead to more questions lol. This story will keep you pensive and excited to find out what exactly is going on in this city. Its a slow burn in regards to Mikasa and Levi’s relationship, but I have a feeling that the wait will be well worth it. Undoubtedly recommend checking this out and leaving a comment for the author telling you want more!

- I Just Miss A Good Cup Of Tea

Author: EJelly

Rating: Mature

I discover this fic because of how it was blowing up in the Rivamika tag on tumblr lol. I’m soo happy that I decided on checking it out because I binged read the 28 chapters that were out already. Attack on Titan meets The Walking Dead in this baby. The way that EJelly writes action is spectacular, it feels like I’m watching a TV show. I also love the way they write in each character’s POV in order for you to understand the mind set of the characters during this zombie apocalypse. The relationship between Levi and Mikasa is beautifully built over the course of this story and I cannot wait to find out what lies ahead of them. Again, another slow burn that I have a feeling will be well worth the wait (it already has been)! Go check it out and leave a comment telling EJelly that you are excited for more!

- Just Until The Storm Has Gone (?)

Author: MoraLeeWright

Rating: Explicit

Put a question mark by this one because I’m not sure if this is still ongoing or not. Regardless of that, I urge everyone to go read this indescribable work of art. MoraLeeWright’s writing has just blossomed into such beauty and she does nothing but keep getting better as time goes on (I don’t even know how that is possible but she doing the damn thing). JUTSHG is in a class of its own, for me, in the world of Rivamika fics. This baby is from Mikasa’s perspective and it delves into her psyche as she is dealing with the after affects of war. Her relationship with Levi is so mesmerizing in this story and the way that MoraLeeWright creates their smut scenes is so yummy I just want to eat it for lunch. I can’t even call it smut because its so much more than that. You can feel the connection of two souls finally finding the other they have been looking for as well as passion they have for each other. I could go on about how much I LOVE this story but I’ll stop. This one is on my top 3 favorite Rivamika fics of all time.

Incomplete:

- No Rest for the Wicked

Author: Hallow17

Rating: Explicit

Freaking love this story and I’m SOOO SAD that its incomplete! Mikasa has to deal with the paranormal while also running a business in this fic. The budding relationship between Levi and Mikasa is well paced and so gracefully displayed that even though it is an incomplete story, it’s well worth reading the 19 chapter that have already been published. Everything you could ask for in a paranormal story is presented; ghost, action, spirits, and lots of angst! This is such a unique story its literally burned into my brain and I will never forget it. I hope that Hallow17 miraculously comes back to finish this baby off one day!

 

- Romance and Rivalry

Author: AmayaOkami

Rating: Explicit

I AM SO HEARTBROKEN THAT THIS STORY IS NOT COMPLETE I CANT EVEN BEGIN TO EXPLAIN MY FEELINGS!!! Ugh, this story is soo freakin good! I know that this is another story that is popular in the Rivamika community but I have no choice but to put it here! The build up in this story is amazing that you can’t wait to read the next chapter to see what happens with Mikasa and Levi. This is such a great take on a typical romantic trope but AmayaOkami puts so much personality into the characters that it gives off such a fun and exciting vibe. The comedy and awkwardness is displayed so well that I have to stop reading because I get bad second hand embarrassment lol! Omg please read it even though its incomplete, its too much fun to pass up on. AMAYAOKAMI PLEASE I BEG YOU COME BACK AND FINISH THIS RIVAMIKA ROMCOM I HAVE TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS!!!!!

One-Shot:

- Intertwining

Author: Livysan

Rating: Explicit

I’m staring off these one-shots with two of my favorite Rivamika “smut” stories. This is such a wonderfully written love scene between Mikasa and Levi. Livysan really expresses the yearning passion that Levi and Mikasa have for each and unfolds it in such a sweet and loving way. A must for any Rivamika fan to read.

- Until the Stars Disappear

Author: noiresetoiles

Rating: Mature

This is just an exquisitely done love scene between Levi and Mikasa I almost have no words for it. Its just down right BEAUTIFUL that pretty much all I can do to describe it. I really enjoyed how noiresetoiles decided to not use any dialogue in this story, it really shows how Mikasa and Levi’s actions tell how they really feel about each other. Again, a must read for Rivamika fans.

- Clean-Shaven

Author: hashire

Rating: Mature

The cute domestic fluff that we need from Levi and Mikasa! This is a one-shot but it is part of hashire’s Happily Ever After collection. The whole collection is about the domestic bliss between Mikasa and Levi after the war has come to an end. I definitely recommend reading the entire collection, you will not be sorry.  

- Pure Dawn

Author: sulkyfuckingcat

Rating: Explicit

A Holiday AU that has sexual tension and smut? Count. Me. In. Pure Dawn has all the build up and smutiness that any Rivamika fan needs if they are craving it. Go check it out if you haven’t, I know that its pretty popular in the Rivamika community and I can see why lol.

- Begging for Thread

Author: villanelle

Rating: Explicit

I believe that this one has been talked about a lot in the Rivamika community but I still have to leave it here just in case someone hasn’t heard about it. Its a must read. Written from the perspective of Levi the story explores his mindset as he is trying to deal with his emotions towards Mikasa. Mikasa has some taunting tendencies in this fic which I love as well.

- Looking Into the Heart of Light

Author: hashire

Rating: Explicit

Again, another domestic bliss fic about an eventful evening between Levi and Mikasa. Its a pretty quick read but its too cute to pass up. If your looking for a quick Rivamika fix then this is the fic for you.

[the-desolated-quill]

Watchmen - Movie blog

(SPOILER WARNING: The following is an in-depth critical analysis. if you haven’t seen this movie yet, you may want to before reading this review)

A movie adaptation of Watchmen had been in development in some form or another since the graphic novel was first published back in 1987. Over the course of its two decade development cycle, being passed from filmmaker to filmmaker who each had their own vision of what a Watchmen movie should be, fans objected to the idea of a movie adaptation, describing Watchmen as ‘unfilmmable.’ Alan Moore himself condemned the effort to adapt his work, saying that Watchmen does things that can only be done in a comic book. But where there’s a will, there’s a way, and in 2009, Watchmen finally came to the big screen, directed by Zack Snyder.

I confess it took me a lot longer to write this review than I intended and that’s largely because I wasn’t sure how best to approach it. Snyder clearly has a lot of love and respect for the source material and tried his best to honour it as best he could. Snyder himself even said that he considers the film to be an advert for the book, hoping to get newcomers interested in the material. So how should I be looking at this film? As an adaptation or as an artistic tribute? More to the point, which of the three versions of the film should I be reviewing? The original theatrical cut, the director’s cut or the ultimate cut? Which best reflects Snyder’s artistic vision?

After much pondering, I decided to go with the director’s cut. The theatrical release was clearly done to make studio execs happy by keeping the runtime under three hours, but it comes at the cost of major plot points and character moments being chucked away. The ultimate cut however comes in at a whopping four hours and is arguably the most accurate to the source material as it also contains the animated Tales Of The Black Freighter scenes. However these scenes break the narrative flow of the film and were clearly not intended to be part of the final product, being inserted only to appease the fans. The director’s cut feels most like Snyder’s vision, clocking in at three and half hours and following the graphic novel fairly closely whilst leaving room for artistic licence.

Now as some of you may know, while I’m not exactly what you would call a fan of Zack Snyder’s work, I do have something of a begrudging respect for him due to his willingness to take creative risks and attempt to tell more complex, thought provoking narratives that don’t necessarily adhere to the blockbuster formula. Films like Watchmen and Batman Vs Superman prove to me that the man clearly has a lot of good ideas and a drive to really make an audience think about what they’re watching and question certain things about the characters. The problem is that he never seems to know how best to convey those ideas on screen. In my review of Batman Vs Superman, I likened him to a fire hose. Extremely powerful, but unless you’ve got someone holding onto the thing with both hands and pointing it in the right direction, it’s just going to go all over the place. I admire Snyder’s dedication and thought process, but I think the fact that his most successful film, Man Of Steel, also happens to be the one he had the least creative influence on speaks volumes. When he’s got someone to work with and bounce ideas off of, he can be a creative force to be reckoned with. Left to his own devices however, and his films tend to go off the rails very quickly.

Watchmen is very much Snyder’s passion project. You can tell a lot of care and effort went into this. The accuracy of the costumes, staging and set designs speak for themselves. However there is an underlying problem with Snyder trying to painstakingly recreate the graphic novel on film. While I don’t agree with the purists who say that Watchmen is ‘unfilmmable’, I do agree with Alan Moore’s statement that there are certain aspects of the graphic novel that can only work in a graphic novel. A key example of this is its structure. Watchmen has the luxury of telling its non-linear narrative over twelve issues in creative and unorthodox ways. A structure that’s incredibly hard to translate into any other medium. A twelve episode TV mini-series might come close, but a movie, even a three hour movie, is going to struggle due to the sheer density of the material and the unconventional structure. Whereas the structure of the graphic novel allowed Alan Moore to dedicate whole chapters to the origin stories of Doctor Manhattan and Rorschach and filling in the gaps of this alternate history, the structure of a movie doesn’t really allow for that. And yet Snyder tries really hard to follow the structure of the book even though it simply doesn’t work on film, which results in the movie coming to a screeching halt as the numerous flashbacks and origin stories disrupt the flow of the narrative, causing it to stop and start constantly at random intervals, like someone kangarooing in a rundown car.

Just as Watchmen the graphic novel played around with the common tropes and framing devices of comics, Watchmen the movie needed to play around with the common tropes and framing devices of comic book movies. To Snyder’s credit, there are moments where he does do that. The most notable being the first five minutes where we see the entire history of the world of Watchmen during the opening credits while ‘The Times They Are A-Changing’ is played in the background. This is legitimately good. It depicts the rise and fall of the superhero in a way only a movie can. I wish Snyder did more stuff like this rather than restricting himself to just recreating panels from the graphic novel.

Which is not to say I think the film is bad. On the contrary, I think it’s pretty damn good. There’s a lot of things to like about this movie. The biggest, shiniest gold star has to go to Jackie Earle Haley as Rorschach. While the movie itself was divisive at the time, Haley’s portrayal of Rorschach was universally praised as he did an excellent job bringing this extreme right wing bigot to life. He has become to Rorschach what Ryan Reynolds is to Deadpool or what Mark Hamill is to the Joker. He is the character (rather tragically. LOL). To the point where it’s actually scary how similar Haley looks to Walter Kovacs from the graphic novel. The resemblance is uncanny.

Another standout performance is Jeffery Dean Morgan as the Comedian. Just as depraved and unsavoury as the comic version, but Morgan is also able to inject some real charm and pathos into the character. You believe that Sally Jupiter would have consensual sex with him despite everything he did to her before. But his best scene I think was his scene with Moloch (played by Matt Frewer) where the Comedian expresses regret for all the terrible things he did. It’s a genuinely emotional and impactful scene and Morgan manages to wring some sympathy out of the audience even though the character doesn’t really deserve it. But that’s what makes Rorschach and the Comedian such great characters. Yes they’re both depraved individuals, but they’re also fully realised and three dimensional. They feel like real people, which is what makes their actions and morals all the more shocking.

Then there’s Doctor Manhattan, who in my opinion stands as a unique technical achievement in film. The number of departments that had to work together to bring him to life is staggering. Visual effects, a body double, lighting, sound, it’s a truly impressive collaborative effort, all tied together by Billy Crudup’s exceptional performance. He arguably had the hardest job out of the whole cast. How do you portray an all powerful, emotionless, quantum entity without him coming across as a robot? Crudup manages this by portraying Manhattan as being less emotionless and more emotionally numb, which makes his rare displays of emotion, such as his shock and anger during the TV interview, stand out all the more. It’s a great depiction that I don’t think is given the credit it so richly deserves.

Which leads into something else about the movie, which will no doubt be extremely controversial, but I’m going to say it anyway. I much prefer the ending in the film to the ending in the book.

Hear me out.

In my review of the final issue of Watchmen, I said I didn’t like the squid because of its utter randomness. The plot of the movie however works so much better both from a narrative and thematic perspective. Ozymandias framing Doctor Manhattan makes a hell of a lot more sense than the squid. For one thing, it doesn’t dump a massive amount of new info on us all at once. It’s merely an extension of previously known facts. We know Ozymandias framed Manhattan for giving people cancer to get him off world. It’s not much of a stretch to imagine the world could also buy that Manhattan would retaliate after being ostracised. We also see Adrian and Manhattan working together to create perpetual energy generators, which turn out to be bombs. It marries up perfectly with the history of Watchmen as well as providing an explanation for why there’s an intrinsic field generator in Adrian’s Antarctic base. It also provides a better explanation for why Manhattan leaves Earth at the end despite gaining a newfound respect for humanity. But what I love most of all is how it links to Watchmen’s central themes. 

Thanks to the existence of Doctor Manhattan, America has become the most powerful nation in the world to the point where its disrupted the global balance of power. This has led to the escalation of the Cold War with Russia as well as other countries like Vietnam being at the mercy of the United States. It also allowed Nixon to stay in office long after his two terms had expired. The reason the squid from the book is so unsatisfying as a conclusion is because you don’t buy that anyone would be willing to help America after the New York attack. In fact it would be more likely that Russia and other countries might take advantage of America’s vulnerability. Manhattan’s global attack however not only gives the whole world motivation to work together, it also puts America in a position where they have no choice but to ask for help because it was they that effectively created this mess in the first place. So seeing President Nixon pleading for a global alliance feels incredibly satisfying because we’re seeing a corrupt individual hoist by his own petard and trying to save his own skin, even if it comes at the cost of his power. America is now like a wounded animal, and while world peace is ultimately achieved, the US is now a shadow of its former self. It fits in so perfectly with the overall story of Watchmen, frankly I’m amazed Alan Moore didn’t come up with this himself.

It’s not perfect however. Since the whole genetic engineering stuff no longer exists, it makes the existence of Adrian’s pet lynx Bubastis rather perplexing. Also the whole tachyons screwing with Doctor Manhattan’s omniscience thing still doesn’t make a pixel of sense. But the biggest flaw is in Adrian Veidt’s characterisation. For one thing, Matthew Goode’s performance isn’t remotely subtle. He practically screams ‘bad guy’ the moment he appears on screen. He has none of the charm or charisma that the source material’s Ozymandias had. But it’s worse than that because Snyder seems to be going out of his way to uncomplicate and de-politicise the story and characters. There’s no mention of Adrian’s liberalism or his disdain for Nixon and right wing politics. The film never explores his obsession with displaying his own power and superiority over right wing superheroes like Rorschach and the Comedian. He’s just the generic bad guy. And I do mean bad guy. Whereas the graphic novel left everything up to the reader to decide who was morally in the right, the film takes a very firm stance on who the audience should be siding with. Don’t believe me? Just look at how Rorschach’s death is presented to us.

It’s very clear while watching the film that Zack Snyder is a big Rorschach fan. He gets the most screen time and there’s a lot of effort dedicated to his portrayal and depiction. And that’s fine. There’s nothing necessarily wrong with that. As I’ve mentioned before in previous blogs, Rorschach is my favourite character too. However it’s important not to lose sight of who the character is and what he’s supposed to represent, otherwise you run the risk of romanticising him, which is exactly what the film ends up doing. Rorschach’s death in the graphic novel wasn’t some heroic sacrifice. It was a realisation that he has no place in the world that Ozymandias has created, as well as revealing the hypocrisy of the character. In the extra material provided in The Abyss Gazes Also, we learn that, as a child, Walter supported President Truman’s use of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and yet, in his adult life, he opposes Adrian’s plan. Why? What’s the difference? Well the people who died in Hiroshima and Nagasaki weren’t American. They were Japanese. The enemy. In Rorschach’s mind, they deserved to die, whereas the people in New York didn’t. It signifies the flawed nature of Rorschach’s black and white view of the world as well as displaying the racist double standards of the character. Without the context of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Rorschach’s death becomes skewed. This is what ends up happening in the movie. Rorschach removes his mask and makes a bold declaration to Doctor Manhattan, the music swells as he is disintegrated, defiant to the last, and his best friend Nite Owl screams in anguish and despair.

In fact the film takes it one step further by having Nite Owl punch Adrian repeatedly in the face and accuse him of deforming humanity, which completely contradicts the point of Dan Dreiberg as a character. He’s no longer the pathetic centrist who requires a superhero identity to feel any sort of power or validation. He’s now the everyman representing the views of the audience, which just feels utterly wrong.

This links in with arguably the film’s biggest problem of all. The way it portrays superheroes in general. The use of slow motion, cinematography and fight choreography frames the superheroes and vigilantes of Watchmen as being powerful, impressive individuals, when really the exact opposite should be conveyed. The costumes give the characters a feeling of power, but that power is an illusion. Nite Owl is really an impotent failure. Rorschach is an angry bigot lashing out at the world. The Comedian is a depraved old man who has let his morals fall by the way side so he can indulge in his own perverse fantasies. They’re not people to be idealised. They’re to be at pitied at best and reviled at worst. So seeing them jump through windows and beating up several thugs single handed through various forms of martial arts ultimately confuses the message, as does the use of gratuitous gore and violence. Are we supposed to be shocked by these individuals or in awe? 

Costumes too have a similar problem. Nite Owl and Ozymandias’ costumes have been updated so they look more imposing, which kind of defeats the purpose of them. The point is they look silly to us, the outside observers, but they make the characters feel powerful. That juxtaposition is lost in the film. And then there’s the Silk Spectre. In the graphic novel, both Sally and Laurie represent the changing attitudes of women in comics and in society. Both Silk Spectres are sexually objectified, but whereas Sally accepts it as part of the reality of being a woman, Laurie resists it, seeing it as demeaning. The only reason she wore her revealing costume in A Brother To Dragons was because she knew that Dan found it sexually attractive and she wanted to indulge his power fantasy. None of this is touched upon in the film, other than one passing mention of the Silk Spectre porn magazine near the beginning of the film. There’s not even any mention of how impractical her costume is, like the graphic novel does. Yes the film changes her look drastically, but it’s still just as impractical and could have been used to make a point on how women are perceived in comic book films, but it never seems to hinder her in anyway. It’s never even brought up, which is ridiculous. Zack Snyder’s reinterpretation of Silk Spectre is clearly meant to inject some form of girl power into the proceedings, as she’s presented as being just as impressive and kick-ass as the others, when the whole point of her character was to expose the misogyny of the comics industry at the time and how they cater to the male gaze. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying the graphic novel did it perfectly, but it did it a hell of a lot better than this.

Die hard fans have described the film over the years as shallow and ‘style over substance.’ I don’t think that’s entirely fair. It’s clear that Zack Snyder has a huge respect for the graphic novel and wanted to do it justice. Overall the film has a lot of good ideas and is generally well made. However, as much as Snyder seems to love Watchmen, it does seem like he only has a surface level understanding of it, hence why the attention and effort seems to be going into the visuals and the faithfulness to Alan Moore’s attention to detail rather than the Watchmen’s story and themes. While the film at times makes some good points about power, corruption and morality, it doesn’t go nearly as far as the source material does and seems to shy away from really getting into the meat of any particular topic. Part of that I suspect is to do with marketability, not wanting to alienate casual viewers, but I think a lot of it is to do with it simply being in the wrong medium. I personally don’t think you can really do a story as complex and intricate as Watchmen’s justice in a Hollywood film. In my opinion, this really should have been a TV mini-series or something.

So on the whole, while I appreciate Snyder’s attempt at bringing the story of Watchmen to life and can see that he has the best intentions in mind, I don’t think this film holds a candle to the original source material. 

[furederiko]

Would you look at that? It's my 1400th post! In Kyuranger episode 33, the team reunites with several old friends, as they welcome a new arsenal to their ranks!

NOTE: In case you somehow missed the notice, this belated recap-view is for the episode that aired on October 8th, 2017. Expect the one for episode 34 that aired a few days ago (on Sunday, October 15th)... soon-ish! ;D

- No intro narration? That feels weird. - With ORION's heroic sacrifice, the Rebellions are now left homeless, and without any necessary transportation. So much for their plan to head out into the Crux System to locate the whereabouts of Don Armage, right? Well... not exactly. - A familiar face teleports her way out of the blue. Yep, Eris returns! Her arrival heralds two major reveals. First, she pretty much confirms that the past has INDEED been altered. Remember how I was kind of concerned how Eris would play a part in the quest for Argo, knowing that Orion has passed away in battle 300 years ago? Turns out, that part of history has been rewritten. She no longer knew the white warrior, and it was none other than Commander Xiao who delivered the Carina Kyu Globe for her safekeeping (as well as entrusting the Vela Kyu Globe to the Vela Tribe, as we'll see later on through his... picture show). Second, in the event of anything bad happening to ORION, Eris has been asked to deliver a special message from Xiao (via the Capricorn Kyu Globe). And it speaks about... Fun fact: Do pay attention to Spada and Raptor's fun reaction when Eris shows up! XD - Legendary Battle Orion Ship!!! Turns out, Orion was building an intergalactic battleship for the past heroes' fight against Jark Matter. As has been teased in the closing scene last week, apparently Xiao took over the development, and completed the process in Orion's sake. It means Xiao was the one who hid the ship as well. - The coordinates that Xiao sends on his message leads Lucky and Tsurugi to... Orion's grave. Aaaawww -_-. At the same time, the others discover a hidden passage underneath the location. Unfortunately, Vice-Shogun Kukuruga is also on the move, tailing our heroes alongside Menaster of the Aries System, Twistler. The Jark Matters don't really have any clue of what the Kyurangers are doing there. Well, at least, until Balance spills the bean. - You see, Twistler unfortunately casts his power on Balance, Hammy, and Spada, that alters and twists their personalities. Balance becomes all classy and sophisticated, Hammy with her hair pulled back (NICE look!) behaves like an old-lady, and Spada is... a rude punk? LOL. This is worse than our regular body-switch trope, because not only they have become a completely different person, they also respond others by doing the opposite of what is being told. So much so, that Naga has to paralyze them using Aries Kyu Globe. - As for the Battle Orion Ship? Well... the 2nd team has already located it. I know what you're thinking... "That was FAST!". Surprise, surprise, the bridge's interior looks exactly like ORION's. Likely due to budget concern and to prevent spoilers ("Episode of Stinger" and web-series "High School Wars" would be released prior to this episode), it still makes sense knowing who is behind its completion. Oh, but there's a bonus item. A cold-sleep capsule is placed in the center, one which Lucky, Kotarou (seriously guys, again?), and Garu jump in to open without any care in the world. - Do we even need to guess who's inside? Of course it's none other than... Xiao himself! He's not even fazed or confused like his 'cold-sleep bro' Tsurugi was (the two even shared the spotlight in the ending sequence), seemingly more than prepared to encounter the Kyuranger's familiar faces. Aaaaawww for sweet reunion! Remember when he and Champ promised to find a way back to the present time? THIS is Xiao's way. Completely ignoring the fact that he's basically putting himself in a dangerous gambling situation. I mean, seriously, if ORION hasn't been destroyed, would the team even search for this ship and find him? Probably NEVER. LOL. And Champ? What about our wrestling robot? I'll get back to this later... - It's not Xiao if he doesn't start blabbing tall-tales right away. Both Raptor's and Naga's reactions to his shenanigans are priceless as usual. But having emotions puts the latter on a different sneer & jeer-ish level that is just... amazing. Even Stinger and Kotarou are tagging along this time as Naga breaks the 4th wall, while Lucky simply doesn't get it. Comedy gold! - Interestingly, Xiao confirms that he's aware of Don Armage's 'revival' as well. Does this imply that the current Armage is in fact the same one that Leo Red Orion had defeated in the past? He also reveals that... Battle Orion Ship can NOT be activated without the Orion Kyu Globe. Which is a problem, because the item could NOT be found in the past. So how will they counter Kukuruga's sudden air strike then? Leave that task to Phoenix Soldier and his Gigant Phoenix. Because while Naga brilliantly manipulates poor-twisted Balance, Hammy, and Spada to fight (what a FUN roll call! How I wish every member is altered), Lucky has a more important task: awakening the Orion Kyu Globe. - That's right, Orion's power has been passed down to Lucky, so he's the only one who can activate it. And it's a moving sequence too, because we get to see Orion again... albeit only in spirit form. Aaaawww, that makes me sad. Hmmm... if his spirit shows up, this confirms that he's DEFINITELY not the new Don Armage. There goes my Darth Vader theory then! LOL. That also means, Lucky's backstory might not be as important nor elaborate as we all presumed... Fun fact: Just like Akyanba, Kukuruga proves that he's also a smart antagonist. Not because he can absorb attacks and returns them. Kukuruga actually stops Leo Red before he can utilize the Supreme Kyu Globe! YIKES. Had Orion's club is not available nearby, he could've been a complete goner... - Orion Voyager debuts! True to its namesake, the golden colored arsenal is shaped like its original owner's weapon. It also activates Battle Orion Ship, with Raptor immediately jumping in to maneuver its first official lift off. The sequence gets better, because when Leo Red Orion boards the Voyager, it transforms the battleship into the team's 4th mecha, the Orion Battler. Sweet homage to ORION, right there! And I'll be damned, it's a sentient robot too. It runs off on its own halfway through battle! - Actual design might be bricky and tacky to look at, with a blue-gold color scheme that seems to be a common/standard of many Super Sentai secondary mecha. But even I have to admit, just like Gigant Phoenix, Orion Battler looks really good and visually impressive in action. I like how the ship's landing platform serves as some kind of coat-tail on the robot's back. Giving off the impression that it's wearing a cape or long coat! One more thing, I've been wondering how any passenger inside the ship would be affected by the transformation, since the battleship basically rotates 90 degrees to stand up. So it's such a pleasant surprise that this episode actually shows what happens to the other Kyurangers on the bridge LOL. A nice minor detail, considering the show could've simply ignored this fact and just ran along with it. - Back to the case of Champ. While the team is busy tidying up their new home, Stinger is quick to address the elephant (or should I say 'bull'? Nice 'flower' arrangement, by the way ;D) in the room: "What happened to Champ?". My oh my, this is one of the downside of having so many members. When one of their own is gone, the others don't immediately take notice! Seriously though, even I somehow had forgotten about him during my first viewing. According to Xiao, Champ put him to cold-sleep, and then went out to locate... Professor Anton. - This raises its own concern, because we all know Anton is a Jark Matter operative. Situation gets more dire, as Kukuruga and Akyanba seem to have discovered Anton's laboratory. One that contains the one and only... Champ!

Overall: This episode was undeniably the Super Sentai love letter to that iconic anime by the title "Uchuu Senkan Yamato". From the shape of the new battleship, the cannon sequence (which is a brilliant follow-up to Xiao's previous remark), down to the tune of its BGM, everything just felt like non-stop homage to the classic series. I have to admit, a 'reveal episode' like this sort of lost its charm upon second viewing. But when I first saw it via stream (without sub), it was genuinely entertaining and more enjoyable to experience. Like I've said above, Orion Battler is an impressive 4th robot. Yet it's far more impressive to know that the writers are addressing trivial and at times minor details that even the most devoted audience would've missed. IMHO, that's the sign of good writing! Next weekTomorrow: Champ Wars - A Luchador Story... PS: If nothing unexpected and incidental happens along the way, recap-view for episode 34 is expected to arrive tomorrow. Same time, same channel!

Episode 33 Score: 8,1 out of 10

Visit THIS LINK to view a continuously updated listing of the Kyutama / Kyu Globes. Last Updated: October 17th, 2017 - Version 3.02. (WARNING: It might contain spoilers for future episodes)

All images are screencaptured from the series, provided by the FanSubber Over-Time. "Uchu Sentai Kyuranger" is produced by TOEI, and airs every Sunday on TV-Asahi. Credits and copyrights belong to their respective owners.

[furederiko]

"GOOD LUCK!!!" The 32nd episode of Kyuranger sends off one of its key member to its final journey...

NOTE: Several unrelated things before I moved on to the recap-view. I couldn't rewatched this episode again (with subtitle) sooner due to unexpected situations at home. Hence why this post takes a bit longer to publish. And one more thing, I'll be off the grid throughout next week to deal with personal affairs, so recap-view for episode 33 will also be delayed until after October 15th, 2017. I'll probably batch that one with episode 34 in the 3rd week of October.

- Okay, let's start. New broadcast time!!! 09.30 JST means I can now wake up later than usual (not that I could do that casually, due to my 'trained' biological clock... -_-). This new time slot however, means more 'noise' issues to the streaming. Both figuratively and literally, as in internet traffic problem that caused delays, and pesky annoyingly LOUD morning aerobic held by the neighbourhood community almost every Sunday. On the bright side, this reschedule means the absence of that usual time stamp/clock! Although it does feel odd (like something's missing or somehow LOL) and took me a while to get used to, this clean footage definitely looks so much better than before because of it. - The show itself celebrates its new schedule with a neat special intro-narration that occurs mid-fight. Opening sequence remains the same though, here I thought it would get revamped like "Kyoryuger". It also debuts a Holy Moly flashy fan-service grin-inducing "Kyulette Chance!" by the duo of Tsurugi who firmly believes he should be the new Commander, and Stinger who tags along for unknown reason. Gotta love Kotarou's reaction to these two, particularly the "You're making us Earthling looks bad" jab to the former... LOL. Not unlike the cool intro narration, I'm not sure if the pair will continue to do this in the next episode (since Xiao already shows up later in the closing scene). Nevertheless, this is a hillarious gem indeed. - Don Armage looks a bit desperate, that he's offering Vice-Shogun promotion for Malistrates who can take down the Kyurangers. This is where Kukuruga's subordinate Dogyun (whose design reminds me of Decepticon Shockwave) steps in. Apparently, the Jark Matter scientist has the ability to control machines, and wants to utilize this skill to activate the numerous Consumarz on Earth. Remember, those machines were all shutdown by Tsurugi when he was awaken from his cold-sleep. - On the protagonist side, Naga confirms that Don Armage is situated in the Crux System. Somewhere around there, at least (Naga with emotions means he can openly cast jokes now LOL). Unfortunately, the team is facing a problem: ORION's condition doesn't allow them to do that. Not only the spaceship is damaged, but it is also beyond repair. Aaaaw... T_T. - Raptor, who is troubled due to her deep connection with ORION, wants to use Dogyun's ability to help repair ORION. Unfortunately, the Malistrate's skill is nothing but a fraud. Tsurugi explains that the appliances only become active due to a liquid organism matrix that triggers their electric circuits. So Dogyun doesn't play a direct role on them. - Things get more troubling, as Tsurugi's premature leadership is already put into question. Raptor feels that ORION is one of their important comrade, while he thinks that's just her usual delusions. This provokes Raptor's emotions, who runs away thinking it's useless to fight. A good example to why an inconsiderate guy like Tsurugi shouldn't be assigned as the new Commander *sigh*. - Spada has always been linked to Raptor (classic Yellow-Pink trope if you will), so it comes off as natural that he would stand up and support her. Aside from confirming that they are the early Rebellion members (possibly after Xiao and Stinger, and before Hammy and Champ joined the group), Spada admits that ORION might've been the miraculous spaceship that Raptor suggests. I don't know about you, but this scene makes me curious to see more flashback to the Rebellion's foundation! - Knowing a brief history that leads towards Raptor's attachment to ORION, Lucky decides to look for her while the away team deals with Dogyun who has rigged another set of Consumarz to level the area. Raptor is about to give up, troubled by the fact that she won't be able to save a teammate. Lucky proves that he's a better candidate to be a Commander, by encouraging Raptor to stand up and do something better for ORION's sake: fight on, to save the universe! - It's really nice seeing Aquila Pink being so fierce and feisty in battle. Not only she (with Leo Red's help) saves the day by using Telescopium Kyu Globe to remove the slimes from the reactivated Consumarz, but her action and strong feeling totally reaches out to ORION. Dogyun combines 10 regular Consumarz into a 'Super Big' Consumarz that's set to collide with Earth, and Kyutamajin is unable to stop it. So who's coming to the rescue? It's none other than... ORION. - The spaceship sentiently lights up its last remaining power, transports Spada, Balance, and Kotarou (the three stayed behind inside the ship) into Kyutamajin for safety, and rams the Giant Consumarz away from its destination. Which also means, ORION is sacrificing himself to save the Kyurangers and Earth. And to top it all, in its very last seconds, the ship sends one last transmission to the team, and most likely to Raptor in person... "GOOD LUCK". Aaaaawww... the FEELS. Dang you Kyuranger, even your ship is giving me misty eyes. Fun fact: Just like what happened to Orion or various other elements of the series, this is another strong nod to "One Piece". In this case, ORION serves as the Going Merry 'situation' for the Kyurangers. - In the end, the other Kyurangers agrees with Raptor, acknowledging that the spaceship is indeed the unofficial 13th member of the team. They pay tribute to ORION as it joins the stars in the sky, while Xiao can be seen overseeing a behemoth of battleship that would inherit its heroic legacy (the official CM for one has already been aired! LOL). Farewell ORION, thanks for taking us through an amazing rollercoaster ride throughout 32 episodes. You shall not be forgotten!

Overall: Personally, I think this was a good episode. Wasn't at the heights of the previous ones, but an overall good one nonetheless. It put Raptor283 in the spotlight, progressed her personal character journey that have already begun since episode 4, but at the same time, affecting the whole team in a major way. Of course, not every audience would take this kindly, nor in a positive way. The barrage of long and pointless heated complaints for this episode on RangerBoard, firmly reminded me why I walked away from that forum (glad I never rejoined and served only as passive spectator until now... totally forgot my password anyway LOL). This wouldn't please those who kept on arguing about her lack of focus episode and exposure. Completely ignoring the fact that they have ironically been downplaying her crucial importance to the show (seriously, Kyuranger would be nothing without Raptor's presence, eventhough she largely operates in the background), under the disguise of 'her defense'. Some people just could never be satisfied with anything! If you ask me, the fact that this episode was able to slip in a moving moment as a climax, and made us relate to the struggle of an android (who is portrayed by suit + voice actor), is an amazing achievement on its own. Do I want to see more development and focus story for Raptor? Yes. Will we get any? Probably not, because the approach to treat female characters as secondary at best is a common thing in Super Sentai franchise. Then again, Kyuranger has surprised us plenty of times before, so let's hold our horses and don't jump the gun just yet... Next week: Eris! Orion! And the Kyurangers' search for a place called home... PS: Just restating what I've said above. I'll see you again with the next recap-view after October 15th! Till then, stay safe, take care, and see you soon...

Episode 32 Score: 8 out of 10

Visit THIS LINK to view a continuously updated listing of the Kyutama / Kyu Globes. Last Updated: October 1st, 2017 - Version 3.01. (WARNING: It might contain spoilers for future episodes)

All images are screencaptured from the series, provided by the FanSubber Over-Time. "Uchu Sentai Kyuranger" is produced by TOEI, and airs every Sunday on TV-Asahi. Credits and copyrights belong to their respective owners.

[furederiko]

Don't let your shame messes around with the game! The 34th episode of Kyuranger reminds us that no matter how, why, or for what purpose we were born, it does NOT define who we are now...

- Hmmm... there's no intro narration again. Since it's already two episodes in a row, should we assume that this is the new norm? I guess so... - Our story immediately begins with a surprise revelation from our two Vice-Shoguns. Kukuruga confirms that Professor Anton's laboratory... is where they received 'upgrades' too! Recall how the two and Tecchu looked different in the past? Could it be... these Vice-Shoguns are in fact mechanical beings, then? That would explain why they can't seem to die. - This also brings a new theory to mind: could Anton has been faking his death all these time? As pointed out later, the professor had many cyborg enhancements, allowing him the ability to live for more than 300 years. Do you get where I'm leading with this? Anton could very well be... the true face of Don Armage!!! - Let's put that speculation aside for now, and get back to the recap-view. Akyanba decides to activate Champ, who is being kept inactive inside the lab. But is this our very own Champ? The answer to that doesn't take long. While several members stay behind on Battle Orion Ship (Raptor is piloting, Balance reenters Naga's brain using the modified Microscopium Kyu Globe to dig memory about Armage's exact location, while Xiao is... basically dumbfounded by this newfound shrinking ability), the away team encounters not just one, but TWO incarnations of Champ! Bullseye. - The one working with Kukuruga might look like Champ, but when he injures Hammy and Spada without hesitation, it's clear something is amiss. The second one might be proclaiming himself as Yagyu Jubeef. But he's not fooling anyone, not the audience, not even the Kyurangers. LOL. Jubeef is no doubt the genuine Taurus Black, who is merely masquerading behind a fancy luchador mask and silly accessories! Fun fact: Over-Time translates this masked character as Yagyu Jubeef, but the actual Japanese naming is 'Yagyuu Jubee'. Not confirmed, but it might be: 1) a wordplay to the word 'Wagyuu' that refers to a particular variety of japanese cow, popular for its high-priced meat. 2) a nod to a feudal figure Yagyuu Juubei, a name more popularly known as a samurai character from the fighting game series "Samurai Spirits". One interesting bit is also lost in the fansub. Namely the way Jubeef keeps on stuttering whenever he's trying to utter the word 'I'. He generally uses the informal japanese word 'Boku', but somehow always stumbles into saying 'Wagahai', which is obviously Champ's signature manner of speech. It might seem pointless, but it's exactly a hillarious minor detail that gives away Jubeef's true identity. LOL. - Let me take that back. Jubeef DOES succeed in fooling one Kyuranger. Garu the group's simpleton! LOL. Clearly Stinger doesn't buy Jubeef's words either, but it seems he's playing along and acting coy. What for? To find out WHY 'Jubeef' has to go all the trouble of acting this way, instead of just... you know, comes back to the team as his true persona. - His personal reason is... moving, to say the least. Champ discovered in the past, that Anton created him for Jark Matter's evil purpose. That other 'Evil-Champ' is the Bovine All Purpose Weapon Unit-00 ('Ushikai Hanyou Hakai Heiki ZERO-gou' in Japanese), the evil prototype model for his design. And his tendency to occasionally go berserk or out of control (which might be unlocked during that devastating showdown with Scorpio) serves as the proof. Simply put, it's a dilemmatic existential crisis to someone who as long as he has lived believe that he's a righteous robot created for justice. That's why Champ couldn't face the Kyurangers, feeling that he deserves no place to uphold justice with them, and went into hiding. All due to this dark 'lineage'. - Both he and Stinger knew about this fact, because Scorpio has told them before. But at the time, Scorpio's words was too ambiguous to believe, so they didn't really believe him. It's official now, the duo shares a similar 'bad blood' situation. Allowing Stinger to return Champ's own words about not doing everything alone. This is also where Garu nicely comes along. Despite being clueless about Jubeef's identity (even Kotarou calls him dumb LOL), Garu believes that Champ's justice is real, and wants him to rely on them as his friends. Harkening back to their short off-screen bonding moment (took them long enough to FINALLY share the spotlight in this episode's ending dance). Way to go, Garu! - And it... works. 'Jubeef' unveils his not-really--a secret, as the team's final lost member officially returns home to "bear with his shame" with them. Oow... there goes that cool luchador mask! A shame really, because I actually like that better than Champ's actual gigantic head. - It's plain hillarious that both Garu and Champ himself are taken aback with the fact that everyone else already knows. Two of a kind, huh? It's also a heartwarming moment to see Lupus Blue kicking Taurus Black out of his sudden berserk in battle. His signature kind of tough love that he gave to Lucky before. Champ has both Stinger and Garu watching his back now! Both in battle, and in keeping his 'running wild' condition a secret... Fun fact: we finally get to see Ursa Minor Skyblue and Taurus Black perform their signature "Polaris Impact" and "Aldebaran Impact" in battle. Leo Red Orion also steals the scene by using a popular trope in Japanese anime shows: overloading an enemy with infinite power. A major disadvantage for antagonist who can absorb attacks, right? - While Team 2-Reds&Blues deals with Unit-00 and Kukuruga, Xiao forms Ryutei-Oh with Hammy and Spada to deal with the two giant Consumarz. We get a first look of Battle Orion Ship's Voyager Launching Sequence here. Of course, the highlight of this giant battle is when all four Kyuranger robots enters the scene, and Orion Battler actually proposes to use him as the finisher. A truly smart reason for giving the robot sentience! "Ultimate Galaxy! Orion Big Bang Cannon!" genuinely looks impressive. The team does not have a combined human-size cannon like previous Sentai teams, so this works as a great homage to that standard in a relatively new way. Trivia: I used the word 'relatively new' because well... it's not entirely new. The 'giant mecha turning into a massive cannon' is a concept used by "Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger" with their DekaWing Cannon before (which by the way, was also used by Ryutei-Oh in that Space Squad crossover episode! Nice, huh?). It goes even way back with the case of Tetra Boy's Tetra Buster mode in "Choujin Sentai Jetman". - Naga sneezes Balance out of his body, as the two have discovered the exact location of Don Armage's base: Planet Southern Cross of the Crux System. Will they obtain the truth of his immortality there? Let's just wait and see...

Overall: Kyuranger has returned into a complete unit! That was FAST, eh? Similar to Raptor's case, this show reminded us once again that even a robot has a heart of justice. In this case, big but softie Champ received his very own long-awaited focus episode (which might not be the final closure to his personal arc with Prof. Anton). It also put Garu, considered by many among the generally 'underdeveloped' character, into the spotlight. Not only the wolf-man worked exceptionally well as a comic relief throughout, but he was given a powerful moment and speech, that cemented his place as the heart of the group. It was however, not a perfect episode. The handling of Champ's return, albeit heartwarming and moving, did feel a bit sloppy for my taste. Unlike the neat approach the show applied to Xiao, it was implied that during the previous 33 episodes, two Champs were both 'active' within the same timeline. A minor detail that could be problematic to the whole plot once you stop and think about it. It's an issue the show actually could've gotten away with, by simply having Champ putting himself on 'hibernate' mode during the long 300 years (considering he's a robot that runs by Operating System). Sure, it would feel redundant, but at least it would avoid nitpickers like yours truly to start 'questioning' stuffs. LOL. Overall though, I highly appreciated how the episode weaved intricate details from past episodes into one, while sending off a strong thoughtful message of self-acceptance to its audience. For that part, well done! Next week: Hammy Idol Debut feat. Hoshi Minato... PS: According to recent rumor, the next Super Sentai series is expected to start airing on February 11th, 2018. Since two additional breaks have already been scheduled, this partially confirms that Kyuranger will have a total of 48 episodes. Dang it, here I thought moving the broadcast schedule to 09:30 means there will be no breaks. I guess the annoying thing is inevitable, huh? Anyway, this means the show is still 14 episodes away. I wonder what it has in store for us in the final quarter then? Hmmm....

Episode 34 Score: 7,9 out of 10

Visit THIS LINK to view a continuously updated listing of the Kyutama / Kyu Globes. Last Updated: October 17th, 2017 - Version 3.02. (WARNING: It might contain spoilers for future episodes)

All images are screencaptured from the series, provided by the FanSubber Over-Time. "Uchu Sentai Kyuranger" is produced by TOEI, and airs every Sunday on TV-Asahi. Credits and copyrights belong to their respective owners.

[furederiko]

Garu needs to overcome his bad luck, in the folklore-inspired Kyuranger episode 14... NOTE: This weekly recap-view arrives unfashionably one week a little late than usual. As suspected, my internet ran out of juice earlier this week, so I had no access to the subbed-episode until... yesterday *sigh*.

- Yes, it IS a Garu focus episode! Yaaay. Last we had one was actually in... the FIRST episode!!! Which was also his recruitment, so that's saying much. Can't believe it takes 13 episodes to revisit his story again. But hold that thought! Because this one isn't addressing his grudge towards Jark Matter for annihilating his race, but more about... him being UNLUCKY. Ain't that ironic... - How to measure a member's luck, you ask? Well, through the Kyulette of course. A harmless gimmick that is secretly a double-edged sword that can both lift one's spirit but also has the power to drain it dry in matter of seconds. Just ask Lucky! I'm not a pro when it comes to luck to begin with, so I don't really get why this upsets Garu LOL. But when this episode begins with him being absent on the battlefield, and then followed by at least 5 times (there seems to be more) being Kyulette-d OUT from mission, it is definitely NOT looking good. Especially when we consider that Champ, Stinger, and Koutaro are not even part of the equation. And have I also mentioned that it took 13 episodes for him to get the spotlight? Oucch!!! Naturally, Orion's one and only Wolfman falls into a slump. - Our MotW is Malistrate Ewteljan. He's basically a douchebag who loves to imprison Earthlings who tries to have any kind of 'private' luxuries. His logic is that only he and his assistants have the... luxury to experience one. And to do so, he's having some time off at the Space Ryugu Palace. It's a special amusement facility mostly run by and for Jark Matters, so think of it, as a space casino or some sort. It also clearly serves as an obvious nod to a Japanese folklore by the title "Urashima Tarou". Prior knowledge to its story isn't a requirement, but it does help explain one particular humor that involves Balance. And also... Garu's change of wardrobe later on. You'll see. - Oh and yeah, there's a 12-seconds scene of Hoshi Minato the Space King of Pop (played by Super Sentai veteran Hiroya Matsumoto), as he sings and dances to promote the place. Is that "Lucky Miracle Paradise"? I can't really tell. For some reason, it gets me thinking: Is this hinting towards Minato being the true identity of Don Armage? I mean, what's the point of him being shoehorned into this episode without any particular reason, right? Unless... the writer just needed a last minute cameo. LOL. And yeah, when I saw the preview last week, I actually thought Minato is going to be involved heavily in the story. Alas, that's not the case, so I feel a little cheated somehow. - Thankfully, the parallel-operation to free Ewteljan's luxury prisoners totally make up for it. I'm always fond of the 'doing parallel missions at the same time' approach, so you can bet how pleased I would be that we're getting another one here. Due to that, six members are chosen for this mission, to be divided into two teams. The Rescue-Range... er, Team UN (Lucky and Spada), is tasked to infiltrate the Consumarz and rescue the captives, while Cosplay-Quarte.. I mean, Team DEUX (Hammy, Balance, Naga, and yes... *drumroll* Garu. Good for him!) distracts Ewteljan at the Palace by disguising as staff members. For the record, they aren't officially named as Un and Deux. That's just how I would like to call them, and... you'll understand why after seeing this episode. LOL. - Anyway, Team Deux needs to trigger the remote on Ewteljan's waist, in order to unlock the brig on his Consumarz. That means, the success of Team Un depends on them. Unfortunately, as soon as Hammy is asked to serve elsewhere, Ewteljan (who obviously prefers to be served by female staff) loses interest to the Palace and starts... complaining. So sans Hammy, the rest of Team Deux needs to practically pull off ANY moves to keep the Malistrate at bay. - What comes next is... well, hillarity ensues! One attempt after another, the trio works hard to please Ewteljan and prevent his mood level from plummeting. All the while, Commander Xiao is back to his usual antics, and messes things up by suggesting various Kyu Globes, much to Raptor's dismay (who has already pointed out the solution early on). I won't spoil the FUN details of what follows, or how Team Un would be affected by their tricks. But let's just say that Pisces, #58 Columba, #55 Lyra, and #51 Virgo Kyu Globe contribute in various effects to deliver... comedy golds. Seriously! XD Trivia: By the way, in case you haven't heard about it, Columba is the official name for Dove constellation. It is one of the many bird-inspired constellations, alongside Aquila and the Southern Birds family. - Let's move on to the action part then. I just realize that, it's a no female lineup once again! What happens to Hammy, you ask? For some reason, she's absent during the fight against Ewteljan, and is relegated to evacuating the palace visitors instead. Nitpicking aside, we get a new roll call scene, and it looks shiny amazing. The choreo is neat as well. Ewteljan remotely dispatches his Consumarz, so Xiao heads down to bring Ryutei-Oh to the battle. As suspected, the BN Thieves are taking over Champ and Stinger's positions. On the ground, the Red-Blue-Yellow team seals Ewteljan's fate. Another, and more accurate nod to previous seasons, by the way. Super Sentai flashback FTW! - Before the episode wraps, we're back to that "Urashima Tarou" gag. General audience might not get what is happening with Balance and that "Tamatebako", because it's pretty much a humor that would worked better for those who are familiar with the story. Then again, the scene is pretty self-explanatory (and Naga's reaction is always fun to see), so I'll just leave it at that.

Overall: That was downright FUN. I don't know about you, but it's possibly the most comical episode we got so far. A hillarious carefree comedic episode, but one that succeeded in producing genuine laughters. Yes, you can easily call this as filler, one that utilized the franchise's yearly trope of maid-cosplays and crossdressing. But since it made me cracking wholeheartedly, I totally don't mind at all. Admitedly, to those who are hoping for a continuation to Garu's personal story? This isn't exactly what they would expect. Heck, it might be disappointing for them. Granted, if you look at it as a harmless, gag episode that merely played for laughs? Then holy cow, did it work! Next week: The 2nd Argo components appears! And Hammy is taking the lead. For realsies... PS: Here's hoping I'll be able to watch and post the recap-view for episode 15 this week as well. Can't make any promises though... *sigh*

Episode 14 Score: 7,9 out of 10

Visit THIS LINK to view a continuously updated listing of the Kyutama / Kyu Globes. Last Updated: May 21st, 2017 - Version 2.01. (WARNING: It might contain spoilers for future episodes)

All images are screencaptured from the series, provided by the FanSubber Over-Time. "Uchu Sentai Kyuranger" is produced by TOEI, and airs every Sunday on TV-Asahi. Credits and copyrights belong to their respective owners.