#i simply love. this sequence very much. leo was so in over his head xD

[tiredassmage]

So I started blastin'!

[furederiko]

Countdown Counter: 6. Miracles and sacrifice. The spirit of Christmas brings the Kyuranger together in its 43rd episode. The very last episode for the year...

- From the get go, signs that this is going to be a special episode are already there. How? There's no opening sequence, which means longer runtime for the actual story. And instead of a Kyuranger, VA Subaru Kimura returns as the narrator recapping the previous episode. Also, the story picks up directly at the gate of Jark Matter's base, with 9 Kyurangers forcing their way inside. That exciting top-notch hand to hand action promises something bigger later on! Gotta love that brief black silhouette splash screen... - Elsewhere, Tsurugi gets the answers he is seeking as Don Armage activates the Planetium Bomb. The Jark Matter Supreme Leader is the pure definition of a complete nutjob. Trying to conquer the entire universe, just to blow and erase it up all at once? Psycho antagonist alert!!! His trump card is the assumption that his immortality will be his advantage to survive it. But isn't that illogical? I mean what happens when everything become void? He is aiming to become a God and recreate his own universe, which sounds genuinely preposterous. - Turns out, there's a bigger upper hand to that goal as he reveals his 'true' self to Tsurugi. Okay, it's being kept as a secret for now, but BLACK CROW-like wings? Are you thinking what I am thinking? This backs up the theory that the real Don Armage is none other than Kuervo. That would explain why Tsurugi becomes so dumbfounded after seeing it, right? But Kuervo should have been dead, so how or when did he obtain immortality? As I said on the recap-view for episode 42, he must have stolen it from someone who seemingly had sacrificed his. Yep, from Tsurugi himself! If this theory is correct, then it lines up to why Tsurugi keeps getting visions of his former comrade, as well as that strange chest pain to which I assume related to his immortality. But enough speculation for now, let's continue with the episode... - If you think Raptor and Commander Xiao are being sidelined, then you are a bit mistaken. They do get some time to shine! They are busy holding out the fort, preventing reinforcements from messing around with the plan. Raptor is the 'getaway guy', so she monitors the entire operation from Battle Orion Ship. That's how she's able to alert everyone that the Planetium Bomb is set to explode in just 15 minutes. There's no time to waste. - Masked-Aslan shows up as predicted. Since his sole mission is to eliminate Leo Red, he couldn't care less as Scorpius Orange leads a team to head off and plant the Black Hole Generator. It's up to the RGBs (Red-Green-Blues LOL) team to try and get Aslan back to his good side. Lupus Blue (who almost gets a second fatal hit) uses the Gemini power to increase man-power, UrsaMinor SkyBlue grows giant with the Ursa Major power, while Leo Red uses his Shining power up. But none of it is able to make a dent on Masked-Aslan. - The only way to save Aslan is through miracle now. And daang... seeing the Leo Kyu Globe rescues Lucky from the brink of death gives me the chills. It's the energy that represents the entire Leo System, meaning both Lucky and Aslan. So it makes sense that it wants what's best for the father and son. Thanks to this miracle, Aslan is freed from the Mask and regains his good conscience. A sweet reunion! Aaaawww... I'm getting misty eyed. - Of course, clueless Mecha-Madako (poor thing doesn't aware of her boss' real goal) just has to enter and ruins the moment. Aslan's mask returns to its true form, which is Don Armage himself! Oh wow, first Hoshi Minato's puppet, now this? Is he a leech or parasyte or something? Then again, that WOULD explain him leeching Tsurugi's power. - Time for a 10-members transformation scene. With a gorgeous constellation-themed roll call too! This is the part that is too bad for Raptor and Xiao, because they don't get one (the sole minor quip I had for this episode *sigh*). Still, the action sequence that follows makes up for that. For a bad guy that refuses to die, Mecha-Madako gets to go down in a special way. She gets to participate in probably the coolest and most thrilling fight choreography the show has done so far. And be the first one to be eliminated by Kyutamajin's glorious Orion Big Bang Cannon attack. Indeed, we've seen the other mechas perform the ultimate finisher before, so this is the first time Kyutamajin takes over their places. - Then this is where things take an unexpected melancholic turn. Before fleeing the scene, Don Armage damages the Black Hole Generator, forcing the device to be activated manually. That means someone has to stay behind and sacrifice themself to save the universe. Lucky offers himself to do the job, but Aslan refuses and takes that duty away from him. "Saving his son... is a father's duty.", he states. Aslan couldn't do anything for Lucky when he was a child, so this is his chance to make up for that. Aaaawwww... T_T. To which pretty much many audience begin to break down and cry... - Aslan's sacrifice saves the universe, and more importantly carves a path for his son's future. A surprisingly fitting metaphor for the month's holiday season, don't you think? It's a heartbreaking but powerful moment. A poignant victory for the team marked by a solemn goodbye. Hold on, is this the first time an actual Kyu Globe is lost in the battle too? - What comes next is an epilogue or some sort. Xiao and Hammy deliver some words of encouragement for grieving Lucky, while the others (thanks to Kotarou's idea) whip up a wonderful surprise. A CHRISTMAS PARTY!!! Doesn't quite make sense in timeline, but this episode DID air on Christmas Eve so there's your festive reason. LOL. Goodness grace, a Christmas tree decorated with all those colorful Kyu Globes looks amazing! And those hand-made (courtesy of Stinger) plushies? Santa-Caesar!! Aaaawww... XD. Santa-Xiao then shows up with a special little present, the Red-Green colored Christmas Kyu Globe. Don't ask how he's able to even have one, or how Tsurugi ends up dressed as a fowl (the only one who is out of place! Holy moly... LOL). All that matters is that it's a celebration, and it warrants the appropriate holiday cheer! NOTE: ...plus a special one-time only Xmas ending sequence! Everyone is in their Xmas costumes, with Caesar tagging along with his cute growls. "Uchu Sentai Kyuranger" truly knows how to throw a pleasant surprise. Am I right? What a fantastic way to end the year... :D

Overall: Goodness grace! The show delivered its best offering on its final episode of 2017. Seriously! I don't know if I'm being swayed by the holiday festive and all, but for me personally this was definitely the best episode so far. An exhilirating wrap up episode for 2017 that simply hit all the right spots. It had exciting action sequences that were on par with "Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger"'s memorable Christmas episode. Great emotional moments that pulled off the "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" finale (as well as "Star Wars: Return of the Jedi" explosive climax), with both Lucky and Aslan's actors helping sell a truly poignant fleeting reunion between father and son. Unsurprisingly a general theme in Hollywood this year, in case you're wondering. This episode made me laugh, cry, and put me on the edge on my seat. A thrilling roller-coaster ride. It's also a tight and complete episode per se, in a big screen production style. A strong kick-ass opening, great moments every now and then both big and personal, and delightful heartfelt closing. An all around satisfying episode, and undoubtedly a high point for the series that will be hard to beat. Calling this as a series finale would be fitting (previous seasons would have treated it as such), but we know that it's not. There are still a few episodes left for us to explore. Will they deliver the same height? Here's hoping... Next week (year LOL): Power ups abound... Mr. Pega returns... The true face of Don Armage! This does NOT really feel like our annual New Year's Clip Show, eh? PS: Once again, this was the final episode of the year. The show will be having its customary New Year break on Sunday, December 31st. Thus episode 44 will air on January 7th. That's next year, of course! LOL.

Episode 43 Score: 9,3 out of 10

Visit THIS LINK to view a continuously updated listing of the Kyutama / Kyu Globes. Last Updated: December 29th, 2017 - Version 3.10. (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.