#excited that we’re coming to the end of Wander’s initial mission arc

[redheadedgirl]

Made a separate blog for my D&D party!

The treasure hunt continues

We join the party as they take a short rest and spend some time getting to know the new members Ryker and Havayla. Turns out they're not only displaced in space, but also tiiiiiiiiime. It was year 564 PtF (post rift) when they left Hearthollow, now it is 604. To add to their confusion, Wander and Yiven point out the tree tattoo on both Ryker and Havayla's necks, previouslt unknown to them. Feywild is weird, yo.

While the party rests, Wander takes a moment to cast commune, asking Knowledge if the door will lead to the seed of the feywild (yes), are they are close to the seed of the feywild (almost touching distance), are the newcomers linked to the feywild (no more than you). Satisfied, Wander leads the way back to the puzzle door.

As a refresher,

[they see] a carved wooden door with an odd orange glow. It appears to be wooden, but is carved like bones and sinew. At the top of the door are winged celestial creatures angled down, as similar demonic creatures climb up from below. Between the opposing forces is a serpentine women with six arms. Written on the door in Sylvin is: “That which you seek is beyond Meralif’s door. The key is five treasures, five challenges from the fey. Find them, solve them, find the way.”

Across the door are five insets, in the shape of a triangle, diamond, circle, tear drop, and oval.

Wander places the shaped crystals in their matching indents. With the last piece, the door shifts, and she pushes it open. With a gust of air, the door opens into darkness.

The party steps in to a large cavern, 200 ft tall and at least as wide. Grassy ground stretches out infront of the door, dropping off into a subterannian lake. Flowering plants with large thorns (nature checks say don't touch) grow along the sides of the cavern and into the water. Across the lake is a massive weeping willow type tree, with large hanging fruit. Beholderooms loom far above, seemingly unbothered by the party's movements.

Arunak and Ryker see a deep, dark spot in the water. Wander casts Water Walk on the team and they quietly start across. Partway across, Arunak has a moment of perceptive clarity and sees the dark spot...move...

Yevin casts firebolt across the lake, away from the party, startling and making Havayla trip. The Beholderooms pause, taking in the sudden sound. Suddenly, there is more movement under Havayla as a giant snakey head bursts out of the water. Followed by another... and another... and another... it's a Hydra. Roll for initiative.

A hectic and desperate fight follows as the hydra attacks multiple times and disappears under the water. Clever tactics by Nahtan draw it's attention (cannonball), Ryker cobbles together a maltov cocktail arrow, Arunak attempts to stun, Yiven holds off the beholderooms, Wander casts harm, Zezu lops off a head in a flurry of bladework, Havayla protects with spiky spirit guardians, and Donkey insults it one too many times. Wrapped in the Hydra's tail, Donkey is pulled under and the worst is expected.

It is Aurora the unicorn that takes the killing blow. As the body begins to sink, Nahtan dives down and cuts the snakey monstrosity open, pulling out the lifeless body of his companion. Wander rushes over to cast Revivify, and Donkey's soul returns to his body.

Battered, the crew climbs to shore, except Nahtan, Yevin, and Arunak, who dive down to see where the hydra came from. And quickly return after discovering a nest of (probably?) dead beholders. On shore, Wander cuts down one of the fruits and Zezu cuts a path through the spiky vines to a stone door in the far end of the cavern. Opening the door reveals a cottage-like room, with a bed, kitchen, bookshelve, and a mist or liquid covered table in the middle. Wander uses her innate Firbolg abilities to sense magic in the room and is guided to the table, the foot of the bed, and a door frame leaning against the wall on the other side of the room. Ryker and Havayla argue that the crew should go back to safety and rest before exploring further.

As everyone decides what to do, Nahtan casts "Locate Object" looking for the Feywild seed. The fruit in Wander's hand starts to glow. Just then, they hear a strange flapping noise, like a blanket, coming from above the room. A shape drops from a hole in the ceiling as the Derailers come face to face with a friendly Flumpf.

And that is where we left the adventure. What is in the room? How will the crew get out now that they have found the seed? What is the Flumpf doing here? We'll find out next time, with the Derailers

[trinuviel]

A Bad Fit. Some thoughts on Daenerys Targaryen’s white costume in season 8 (part 1)

I’m a big fan of Michele Clapton’s work on Game of Thrones and I’m always excited when we get a first look at the costumes for a new season - so in light of  the recent season 8 teaser, I want to present my initial thoughts on Daenerys Targaryen’s new costume.

(GIF by @athimbleful)

At first look, this costume looks almost identical to the show-stopping white fur coat that she wore in the penultimate episode of season 7 when she flew beyond the Wall to rescue Jon’s company on the suicide mission she had sent them on. However, this is a NEW costume and it includes a number of interesting details.

Michele Clapton has a particular pattern when it comes to the use of costumes to create continuity between the seasons. At the beginning of a new season she often dresses a character in a costume that they wore at the end of the previous season, but with a few new details or alterations - this is a strategy that she has used with both Margaery Tyrell and Sansa Stark. 

The situation with Dany is a bit different here. It is a new costume but it looks almost identical to the season 7 fur coat at first glance. However, when you look closer you can see that the grey stripes of the season 7 coat has been replaced with a deep red colour, bleeding through the white like blood on snow.

Another interesting detail is the fact that the new coat is lined with red fur. 

Even her gloves have gone from grey to red.

Red and black are the heraldic colours of House Targaryen and while Dany wore black in season 6, Clapton only started to introduce small touches of red into Dany’s costumes in season 7 in order to signal that she is now starting to fully embrace her Targaryen heritage as she begins her conquest of Westeros.

It was a conscious choice of Clapton to withhold the use of red in Dany’s costumes until then - and that makes the introduction of the colour that more powerful when it was finally used.

People always say, “Why don’t you have this, why can’t you add that?,” and it’s like, “Well, sometimes you have to wait for that — you have to wait for the journey and for them to seek it out. With Dany in particular, finally we’re getting the [Targaryen] red. She was a confused woman, she was wandering … trying to seek something. And now she’s finally got her armor, she’s finally got everything, and she can finally echo the style of her brother with the extended shoulders and the red and the symbolism. He always had the big Targaryen [sigil] on his chest and now she’s got the big chain with the dragon’s heads on it.” (Michele Clapton to the Insider)

However, clapton still used the red very sparingly in the season 7 costumes. Red embroidery as a discrete accent to the edges of Dany’s power “suits” as well as the more conspicuous cape of pleated silk that invokes dragon scales. Dany’s season 7 costumes were generally dark, in shades from black to dark grey. The white fur coat was in many ways a radical departure from the rest of the costumes though had the same silhouette with the wide, pointed shoulders.

The white fur coat represents something new in Dany’s season 7 arc - something that interferes with her quest for the Iron Throne in the form of the threat of the White Walkers as well as her growing attraction to Jon snow.

I felt that there should be a definite shift in her look as she embarks on the mission of aiding Jon’s team trapped north of the Wall. I think it’s the first time that she has really been to the aid of another individual—let’s face it, she’s not going because of the Hound!—and she is putting herself at risk. (Michele Clapton to Vanity Fair)

While the coat is also connected to the loss of her dragon Viserion through the cream and bronze scale pattern on the back (which makes me very curious as to how the back looks at Dany’s new red and white coat), the white coat is very much to her feelings for Jon Snow. So it makes sense that she arrives in Winterfell wearing a variation of the coat now that they have become lovers. 

What is especially intriguing is that she’s obviously toned down the overt Targaryen symbols. She’s still wearing her Three-Headed Dragon chain but her hair has been spread over the front of her coat, obscuring this ultimate symbol of her Targaryen identity.

Incidentally, she had a similar hairstyle at her first, hostile, meeting with Jon at Dragonstone - but her hair was styled so that her symbol of identity and authority was clearly visible despite the loose locks of hair that falls down the front of her outfit.

Now this symbol is partially obscured - and you get a sense that she’s trying not to look intimidating when she’s meeting her lover’s family and her new Northern allies. Yet her costume still retains small details that is associated with her Targaryen identity- most notably all the dark red details. She is now wearing much more red than she did in the previous season. The wide shoulders are also retained and though it is a bit difficult to see, the shoulders are embellished with embroidery that mimics dragon scales, which is a feature that has characterized her costumes since season 3.

However, even here the look is softened by the materials, first and foremost the white fur but also by the use of what I suspect are silver Tila beads, which have softer corners than the shiny, sharp-edged black sequins that were used for her season 7 costume.

When it comes to Clapton’s costume designs, even the smallest detail is important because it carries meaning, it says something about the character.

I always try to make the clothes visually tell something. (FIDM Museum Blog)

I always try to tell that story — the costumes for me are narrative and you should be able to look at them [the characters] and understand where they are mentally in their journey. (Insider)

So all of these new details in Dany’s costumes are meaningful, they tell something about her character in relation to where she is in her narrative arc - and in the beginning of season 7, Dany is in completely new territory and in a new situation for her since she wants to make a good impression. She’s in the home of her lover, meeting his family - and she is also there trying to win over a people who has had a bad history with her family. They don’t trust a Targaryen, so it makes sense for Dany to try not only to tone down her Targaryen identity in her costume but also trying to affect a Northern style. 

In past seasons, Clapton has used Dany’s costumes to signal either her embracing or her rejecting a culture. During her marriage to Khal Drogo, she wears traditional Dothraki costume whereas she wears white in Meereen (season 5) to signal her rejection and mental removal from their culture.

”[The white] signifies her mental removal from some of the scenes that she has to be in — like in the fight pit. She doesn’t actually want to be there, so we wanted to show visually that she was removed. It was chaotic and bloody and colorful, and there was supposed to be this purity in the middle. She was visually removing herself from the things that she disagreed with.“ (x)

Once again, Dany wears white - and while her white fur matches the snow on the ground, it doesn’t match anyone else. Visually, she stands out like a sore thumb among all the dark-clad Northerners. So how does this relate to my claim that she’s trying to fit in? Well, some of the new details in her costume are rather telling.

Firstly, in the new teaser Daenerys wears a red neck cloth - and that is significant. Now it is cold in the North and she wants to keep warm - so a neck cloth is not unreasonable in this scenario - from a Watsonian perspective. However, all details have meaning in Clapton’s work and it is worth noting that Dany didn’t wear any kind of neck cloth when she flew North in season 7. That means that this new detail is significant.

I’ve seen a number of people say that it looks a bit like the high-necked undershirts that Northern women wear under their dresses, especially Catelyn Stark. There is indeed a resemblance but also notable differences. Dany’s red neck-cloth is not only made of silk but it is also tied in an ascot know whereas the high-necked undershirts that Catelyn and Sansa wear are in neutral linens and cinched at the neck with a string. The material itself is also wrong - the silk is too extravagant for Northern dress where it is the intricate embroidery that signals status and wealth, not fancy fabrics. So if this detail is meant to signify Dany’s attempt at Northern dress, it signals that she’s getting it wrong!

Secondly, in the EW cover photo Dany wears a variation of the red-white fur coat that we see in the teaser, only now another new element has been added - a white fur mantle across her shoulders.

This is a much more overt reference to Northern dress since fur-covered shoulders has been an element of Northern dress, and specifically Stark dress, since the very beginning of the story. This would be yet another example of Dany trying to signal her attempt to be close to the North, or rather Jon in particular. However, once again this costume element is close but no cigar - so to speak. It is placed directly on her coat and not attached to a long cloak like we see with Jon and Sansa. Thus, both in colour and silhouette, Dany doesn’t match Jon at all - creating a dissonant cord when she stands next to him.

Another aspect is the fact that Dany’s fur is all wrong when compared to the Northern cloaks - not just in colour but in the silhouette and texture of the fur as well. Dany’s white fur is longer and looks more wispy than the fur that the Starks wear. Furthermore, the fur cloaks of the Starks feature the whole animal (their heraldic wolf) from which the fur comes..

Once again, there’s a superficial resemblance that is actually undercut by small but significant details. It is like she’s trying to affect a type of dress that she’s unfamiliar with and getting it wrong. This is, in essence, Dany trying to cosplay a Northern aesthetic and still managing to look like an outsider.

Interestingly enough, Dany’s new shoulder fur does look similar to a couple of other costumes: Sansa’s white wedding dress in season 5 and one of Cersei’s black costumes in season 7. I’m not quite sure yet of what to make of this marked resemblance - other than Cersei is not a Stark and Sansa’s wedding dress was for an event that was not only horrible for her but it was also designed to make her a Bolton, to strip her of her Stark identity whilst using her claim to usurp the Starks as Lords of Winterfell.

There’s another interesting detail on the EW cover. If you pay attention, you can see that Dany also wears a red silk half-cape, similar to the ones she wore in season 7. 

However, whereas these capes looked natural with her season 7 costumes, it now looks like an odd fit with a heavy fur coat. This is not unsurprising since Dany’s season 7 costumes were inspired by the costumes her brother Viserys wore in season 1, which is a very conscious choice of Clapton:

“The silhouette,” [Clapton] explains, “purposely echoes that of the Targaryen style that her brother wore in Season 1.” (Michele Clapton to Vanity Fair)

“I think it’s quite interesting that we finally see her embracing her brother’s ambition,” Clapton says. “What does that say? You’re seeing the beginning of something. We’re not at the end yet and I think it’s very important at this moment that we start seeing who she is.” (Michele Clapton to Uproxx)

This isn’t really that surprising. She is after all, now trying to achieve her brother’s ambition of re-taking the Iron Throne. However, the combination of a silk half-cape with a winter coat that already has a shoulder fur just looks plain silly and impractical! The silk is flimsy when seen next to the fur, it is impractical and it is overkill. The red silk half-cape is part of Dany’s Targaryen style - especially as it matches what her brother wore.

However, this silk cape clashes with her “Northern” costume - she’s trying to be something she’s not because of her feelings for Jon (since the white fur coat is explicitly tied to her infatuation with him). This clash of different costume elements is rather interesting in the context of the politics of the story since the Northern Lords are vehemently opposed to any Targaryen, they value their hard-won independence and Dany is determined to rule all of Westeros, including the North. Thus, the costume reflect this uneasy alliance - written on Dany’s body. Despite her toning down the overt Targaryen style and attempting something that looks somewhat Northern, the red still bleeds through - she is a Targaryen conqueror who takes what she wants with Fire and Blood - even if she’s dressed like an innocent-looking white lamb.

A lot of people has also noticed how Dany’s new fur coat seems rather ill-fitting in the new teaser. She’s looks more bulky than when she wore the season 6 version of this costume. This doesn’t necessarily mean that Clapton and her team made a mistake. 

“I don’t think any costume should be looked at in isolation, rather, through the arc of the character. Each thing will tell a story. It might look like a costume is wrong, but actually it’s supposed to look like that. It’s telling you something about the character at the time.” (Winter is Coming)

Putting Dany in an ill-fitting costume just as she enters a new political situation, which is complicated by her emotional entanglement with Jon - it actually makes sense story-wise to put her in a costume that doesn’t really fit her subtly conveys that she is ill at ease. 

She’s now in a very unfamiliar situation in that she cannot just threaten people into submission because she’s infatuated with Jon and wants him to like her. She has to play a game of courtesy, which was never her strong suit. Even when she came begging for support in Qarth, she was never polite - instead rather threw a temper tantrum and screamed that she would take what was hers with fire and blood. As her dragons and armies grew, she never had the need to be a diplomat and be polite to the people she negotiated with because she had all the hard power and she wasn’t averse to using it. 

She isn’t her usual confident self, feeling like an outsider, which all the little details in her costume signals as I’ve outlined in this post. This outsider status is even underscored by the visual framing and blocking of the scene.

Dany is literally framed by Jon and Sansa who stand side by side as a united front. She looks small and she almost looks like she’s the one who’s the petitioner as she approaches the ruling pair of the North. It is also a shot that is eerily similar to the opening shot of Jon and Sansa’s parley with Ramsay before the Battle of the Bastards.

It is the same framing and blocking, only now it takes place in a much more confined space. Now the crucial difference is that the Winterfell scene is a scene of welcome but the visual framing imbue the scene with an interesting subtext that comes off as slightly adversarial, which fits well with Sansa’s cool welcome and Dany being visibly uncomfortable.

This is a case of the dialogue saying one thing but the visual language implying another, which is a strategy that the show used a lot in season 7. You have to keep in mind that the visual language (framing, blocking, costumes, non-verbal cues) constitutes half of the story - so a good way to create tension and subtext is to have the dialogue subtly clash with the visual language - and this is certainly the case here, both through the framing of the shot, the blocking of the actors and this is also embedded in Dany’s costume as I’ve laid out in this post.

[furederiko]

"Those times when it hurts... is when you most need to believe in your own fortune." In Kyuranger episode 37, Lucky receives an emotional closure to his personal arc... Also, it pains me to say this, but the show's FINAL quarter officially begins here. The countdown counter is now activated, and our starting number is 12. Including this one, that's the number of episodes left!!! Aaaaw... (-_-).

- After liberating Luth, everyone is aboard the Battle Orion Ship. Including Gramps, and Caesar who is gleefully playing with balls. By balls, I mean Kyu Globes of course, because let's face it, unlike previous mascots who had actual playmates, this poor thing is the only sentient mechanical animal of the series. I believe this is the third (or fourth, if we count pre-UrsaMinor Kotarou) time the team allowed outsiders inside their bridge. - Retainers? Silly Gramps, I see what you're doing here... but Lucky is not Takeru Shiba. At the very least, it's a reverse-scenario to Shinken Red's situation... if you know what I mean *wink*. Gotta love Tsurugi's fun upmanship attitude though, the older Red simply can't take a joke. Spada's body-language response sums it up nicely. LOL. - Quick update on their next mission, Planet Southern Cross is heavily guarded by barriers. Thus, with the help of Balance and Naga, Tsurugi proposes that the team replicates the ability of 4 Sages from 4 Constellation Systems (in alphabetical order): Andromeda, Cassiopeia, Cepheus, and Perseus. Kyu Energy of their Kyu Globes will be able to break the barrier, so they need to locate three of them since the first one is present and has been used before (special thanks to Spada for his informative little reminder). It may not be the way I've always wanted, but I'm glad these figures are utilized for something big and important. Trivia: These four Constellations are mythologically connected to one another. King Cepheus is the ruler of Phoenicia, Aethiopia. Queen Cassiopeia is his wife, infamous for boasting about her and her daughter's beauty that easily enrages the God of Sea Poseidon (seriously, what is wrong with Greek royalties?! they keep pissing off the Gods...). Princess Andromeda is obviously said daughter, who has to take the fall by being chained as human sacrifice, to be consumed by a giant sea monster. Perseus, is of course the Pegasus-riding hero who rescues her, and eventually becomes her husband. Remember that Hollywood movie "Clash of the Titans"? It was roughly based on this story. One more thing, I just learned that the first Super Sentai series "Himitsu Sentai Gorenger" received their powers from the Cassiopeia constellation. Will we somehow get a nod to this fun fact in the next episodes? We'll see. - Of course, that's the story for another day. For now, their primary focus is to clear out the circumstances with Lucky's father King Aslan in Planet Cayenne. For some reason, Lucky can't believe that his father has turned evil, and wishes to know the truth. The all-male double-Red double-Blue (and double-Yellow, if we group Gold and Yellow in the same color chart) Away Team arrives, and witnesses with their own eyes that Aslan's 'approval rating' is... VERY poor. The massive amount of extras, I mean citizen clearly despises this lying treacherous King who only cares about himself. Hmmm... I wonder why this sounds... *cough-FakeNews-cough* familiar? - Problem is, newly revived Kukuruga and Menaster of the Leo System Jyumottz have also figured out about Lucky's lineage, so they have prepared a trap through the King's public speech. This is obviously arranged to lure out the Kyurangers, and it works. Lucky tends to act on a whim, so naturally he exposes himself to the open as he tries to defend his father. - Kukuruga was the one who conquered and laid waste to the Leo System. Meaning, he's the one who forced Aslan to send his son away to Luth, and seemingly the reason why the King became a Jark Matter conspirator. We have seen the chivalry between him and Lucky before, but now things have become more personal! And Lucky demonstrates his true heroism, by taking Kukuruga's numerous hit and gets captured to protect the citizen's safety. This is remarkable. Because prioritizing his people's life and safety before him? THAT is the sign of a true leader. Dang it... the chills when Lucky practically begs his father to actually DO something. - At the same time, Tsurugi also proves he's a smarter and more perceptive Red (hence why he's sharing the ending dance with Lucky... but in a switched position). During the battle, he notices something is amiss when Jyumottz and his Tsuyo-Indavers suspiciously freak out to the sight of a raincloud. Gramps' statement about Aslan's change of 'personality' helps him deduce, that this Aslan might NOT be the real thing. An imposter, just like those Tsuyo-Indavers who were created by Jyumottz. The challenge now, is how to let the public know about this. - Lucky's public execution serves as the right stage. Kukuruga is about to use Lucky as an example to spread more fear to the people, as well as to show that Aslan is a devotee to Jark Matter's rule. Thankfully, the plan backfires almost immediately. Not just because Tsurugi's plan comes to play, but because Lucky himself openly exposes to everyone, that the King who's about to execute him is nothing more than... FAKE. - Lucky might be loud, relies on luck, and act first without thinking. But he's also smart enough to know when something isn't right. And this time, his own heartbroken tears help him realize the truth. But where's the real King Aslan, then? Turns out, in an unexpected surprise, Kukuruga has already killed him many years ago. That memory of when Aslan gave him Caesar, was also the father and son's final moment together. Aaaaw... the FEELS!!! Dang it Kyuranger, you always know how to push the right button when it comes to emotional shockers. - Tsurugi's plan further confirms this reality. Stinger, Champ, and Raptor respectively use the Aquarius, #37 Cetus, and #17 Antlia Kyu Globe's water-induced power to expose Fake-Aslan's identity. They doused the imposter with his weakness, turning him back into sand in front of his people. Aslan's reputation and good name has been cleared! He's worthy of his name after all... - Having been freed by Hammy, Lucky gets to do the first major thing in the name of his late father: avenge his death, and liberate the Leo System! Doing so in one fantastic action sequence too, because as we all know, Leo Red Orion is always a delight to see in battle. Kukuruga, Jyumottz, and his Consumarz are all defeated by Kyuren-Oh, Orion Battler, and Gigant Phoenix. Caesar even gets his share of revenge too. But is this really the last time we're going to see the Vice-Shogun? I kind of doubt it, since these higher Jark Matter figures seem to be coming back again and again. Let's worry about that later... - Lucky has proven his worth and compassion for his people, so he is more than just deserving of the throne. It's a royal legacy that he has earned. It might not be grand or massive in scale (or production design... no throne at all LOL), but the Rebellion conducts a special ceremony to celebrate this. Lucky gets to wear a cool-looking (seriously, WHERE can I get one?!) white Leo System Coat, specially hand-made by Stinger under Tsurugi's direction. Naga uses the #30 Corona Borealis Kyu Globe, so Hammy can officially crown him in front of the people. A small celebration, but a sweet and heartwarming one. You can easily tell how the Kyurangers resemble one big family. NOTE: One might argue that Gramps should have been the one to crown Lucky, but considering this has a much stronger feel, I personally don't mind. Don't forget, Hammy initially saw Lucky as a rival and resented him, but things have come along way between them, and among the whole team in general. It might feel simple, but this is character development too! By the way, I wonder if he is the first Red in Super Sentai who actually becomes a King... - With that, Lucky's personal arc has come to a satisfying close. The previous episode might not be as good, but the pay off in this one certainly is. I might not get the Darth-Vader twist I've always wanted, but this outcome is wonderful nonetheless. Lucky might not receive the long awaited reunion with his father Aslan, which was the primary reason of how he ended up becoming a Kyuranger. But he still discovered a home, his place in the universe, his royal legacy, while the memory of a benevolent father remains as uncorrupted as it has been. I can already see that the Leo System will serve as the second base for the Rebellion now, but that's not the most important thing. What truly matter is, from zero to hero, from wandering traveler to real royalty, the Lion of Rebellion has officially become... the Lion King.

Overall: Kyuranger has once again proven why it's an excellent series. Want to know why? Because it always succeeds in flipping audience's expectation. I personally came to this episode with the sole assumption that King Aslan is an evil traitor. That Kyuranger is merely going the same route to previous series. Turns out, that WAS indeed the case, but NOT they way I presumed it would be! Just like the Hoshi Minato twist, we did NOT get the actual truth about Aslan spoiled ahead of time. Even the episode's preview deliberately kept this as secret (looking at you and your repeated flaw, oh "Kamen Rider Build"). Thus the reveal was not only effective, it was genuinely unexpected, and also powerfully moving. This show keeps on surprising and exciting audience in ways they didn't see coming. That's more than just impressive, it's absolutely amazing! It's unfortunate that many audience seems to have dismissed Lucky early on, and refused to see what a worthy Red he has progressed to become. Actor Takumi Kizu has also proven over time that he too had the acting chop to rival the more popular Yousuke Kishi. This episode's emotional moments among previous others as good examples. And speaking of being a Prince and/or a King, this episode also tackled the lesson of true leadership. It's about a leader who would do anything for their people, and not a hypocrite who only thinks of themselves. To be honest, as a country Japan might not desperately need this kind of figure right now. Yet this issue easily becomes far more relatable in an international point of view, since lately many other countries seem to have suffered with the absence of one. The metaphor is current and relevant, as if the show is telling us that this is the kind of leader the world currently and desperately needs. This is why this episode shines, and why I couldn't help but shower it with praise! Next week: Abs-crunching Tsurugi? Sushi-making Garu? Bathing Hammy & Raptor? Space wuxia Xiao? It's a FAN-SERVICE FEST!

Episode 37 Score: 8,2 out of 10

Visit THIS LINK to view a continuously updated listing of the Kyutama / Kyu Globes. Last Updated: November 15th, 2017 - Version 3.05. (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.