Kikai Sentai Zenkaiger Episode 4- "VroomVroom Huge & Noisy!" Discussion
 

The Zenkaiger team encounters a fugitive from the Tojitendo forces.

Anybody else can't keep up with which way Zenkaizer's cockpit goes when the Zenkai Ohs swap components? It seems that they can still fight without him except they need him to perform the "Kikai! Super Zenkai Time!" inside the cockpit.

Another episode with only one Gear used and it looks like they filmed totally new footage just for Tenma Ranger running in the opposite direction, which I thought was weird. I really hope they start using Gears more often again.

I like Vroon a lot. He's like Tusk or Melt with his curiosity and love of books but with extra excitement like asking in the middle of a fight what Boukenger was and who's Secchan, although the latter question is a common joke. He would probably get along great with Kamiyama Touma. It was nice to see him stand up for himself after he realized that the way Tojitendo were treating him was abusive and mean. He deserves to be respected and have the opportunity to learn about the world.

The Tojiru Gear gimmick is so unique and humorous this season for how much crazy chaos they cause on a large scale. I mean, a bride and a nun in a boxing match? This is a Sentai for sure!

That was fun. The episode in general wasn't anything too special, but it's premise is what carried it. The sheer insanity of people becoming obsessed with boxing was just so fun. I loved that 3 of the boxers were a bride, a nun, and a schoolgirl. Things were crazy :lol

Vroom was okay. I liked that he joined the villains of his own volition, and then even got the chance to formally quit. His schtick of asking what everything is, while in character, got old quickly (Though I did like the method of shutting him up was taking his glasses). I much preferred Magine last week, where she was into magic and fortune telling, but it wasn't all consuming for her.

Vroon has my least favorite civilian suit but my favorite transformed suit. He's got awesome Transformers G1 vibes.

What an awesome insert theme. This show is so hype.

But that glasses trope though. :lolol

Okay Magine is still my favorite but Vroon is a very close second, his curiosity and enthusiasm is just so fun to watch. And even if they didn't delve too deep into it, his arc in this episode was really satisfying, from just starting to question Ijirude all the way to fully rebelling against Tojitendo.

Also, that reveal at the end? What? I was expecting something like that eventually, but I thought they'd save it for the endgame! I'm really interested to see where the show takes this from here.

You know, Vroom is fun, but this episode really shows why Magine is the best, i mean, look at what she summons to stop a boxing robot!
https://i.imgur.com/fFaqDs0.png

Of course the banana peel would have a pink wizard hat, that was a quick joke but damn me if it didn't make me like Magine more, it's also a fun way to put her own spin on a classic slapstick joke.

So in order to be the hero, Vroon had to GET UP and realise that HE IS NOW A CHALLENGER, allowing him to become a FIERY ADVENTURER.

(Hey, if Fish Sandwich can poorly implement references to shift svoruite Sentai in his review, then so can I)

Anyway, this was a funny episode. I loved the sheer absurdity of various people you wouldn’t expect to box (unless your familiar with the actors playing the bride and the old guy) partake in it. And Vroon is definitely living up to the pre-show love he was getting on Twitter.

"Isao and Mitsuko wouldn't do something like that!"

Something tells me they have.

Also, now we're complete with Vroon as Not Armada Optimus Prime! This is the standard course for Sentai, I feel, but we're definitely getting the 6th, but I imagine it'd be human. It just feels weird to have Kaiser have two mechs but one is unmanned.

With all the talk about the Tojigears being from parallel worlds, When do you think we'll start getting monsters using gears from the imprisoned Sentai worlds, kind of like Zi-O with the Another Riders.

Either that, or the Zenkaigers will find out their Sentai Gears actually do contain the imprisoned Sentai worlds, and have to choose whether to break them to free the worlds ASAP or keep them because they need their power to beat Tojitendo.

I doubt Toei would actually go for a twist like that (for one thing, "these collectables are actually evil and maybe the right thing to do is give them up" doesn't exactly sell toys) but it would be such an interesting decision to put on the heroes.

If that actually happens, I expect they'd break most of the gears but find some way to keep using the powers of certain teams (the Zyurangers, Gaorangers, Magirangers and Boukengers at least), probably involving getting the other rangers' consent/blessing.

Or they could find out that they can't forcibly free Sentai Gears like they can Tojiru Gears, and make "find a way to free the sentai worlds" a secondary goal, but that's less interesting. Though it could set up a good counter-twist that Kaito's parents sealed the Sentai worlds to keep them out of Tojitendo's grasp.

Another possibility would be if they find out that the way to free the Sentai worlds is by using them in the Geartlinger, turning them into one-use items but where using one up is also a good thing. That could actually be a really good excuse to keep showing off new gears, both because the Zenkaigers wouldn't be able to re-use previous ones and because the faster they use them up the faster the worlds get freed.

Basically, I don't expect the writers to actually use this reveal, but I kinda hope they do because there are so many interesting ways they could take it.

Maybe it's mentioned in the movie that has every Red Ranger appearing, but it seems their gears don't contain Super Sentai worlds, there is also some world where every single villain from Super Sentai lives in and that world's power is used for the robot villain of the movie.

https://i.imgur.com/g1BfKAU.png

This show is just too fun. I mean, the whole premise of everyone going around boxing the snot out of each other because of the monster of the week is peak Sentai. I could easily imagine this being an episode of Kakuranger... or Magiranger... or Zyuohger... you get the idea. It's in that perfect zone of being a threat to the world while also being completely silly. Not that every Super Sentai show was or is without more straightforwardly menacing villains and plots, but this very specific kind of whimsy is something that still defines the franchise to me. This kind of nonsense and these sorts of stakes are right at home here, and immediately, on that level, this episode is a huge success. The simple image of a bride and groom duking it out is maybe the funniest gag in the entire series so far, and it's only a couple minutes into the episode.

Which isn't to say it's all downhill from there or something! Because the reason this episode truly succeeds is that it's a completely fantastic introduction to Vroom. I mean, dang, if Magine weren't objectively the best Zenkaiger (Indisputable fact! Don't even try and argue!), I'd be tempted to say this might even be the best debut of the whole team. It's a real close call, as despite the previous tongue-in-cheek parenthetical remark, I honestly do think Magine's was great too, and probably has more relevance in the long run when it comes to what the show is about, but this episode still did an excellent job all the same.

I guess the crux of why I feel strongly about this one is that, unlike Magine, I didn't really have any strong feelings towards Vroom going in, which meant I ended up way more impressed when I had them coming out. It's pretty much a perfect little arc for the guy. One of the first things that happens with him is being shocked when Kaito asks his name as though it's the first time anyone's ever payed him any mind, and then what does he make a point to do when deciding to become a Zenkaiger? Proudly declare his name to the bad guy who's been treating him like junk all this time. Like, there ya' go, that's a story right there! And in-between all that, his exceptional curiosity is constantly being depicted in entertaining ways. Naturally, a ton of that is drawn from having him question all the usual tropes, a running gag I'm happy to see continuing.

He's only got the one note right now, sure, but the script knows how to play that note. It's all very endearing, and Vroom's earnest appreciation for the new world he finds himself in is, funnily enough, maybe what I was expecting from Gaon this whole time. The fun Gaon has with his pet humans is balanced out by his utter apathy for all these dumb robots spoiling his good time, but Vroom truly just seems genuinely happy to be somewhere that doesn't involve sweeping the same hallways day in and day out. He's cool and I like him a lot already.

(Oh, and I don't have anywhere else to fit this in, but I can't help but notice that Magine seems to get particularly excited during the giant battle, which is also consistent with last week. I know it's mean to steal the spotlight from Vroom at the last second, but now that it's apparent this going to be a recurring thing, I really wanted to point out how much I like the contrast with her usual demeanor. Like with her flipping out on Gaon for belittling her hobby, it's a nice added layer to her character to have certain things get her so fired up she sorta forgets she's supposed to be the nervous quiet one.)

Anyway, it's been great watching the team come together the past month, and I'm sure things will only get more interesting from here. I'm especially curious to see if the show seriously intends to do an exciting cliffhanger at the end of every episode, because as neat a way as that is to keep up the momentum that's at the show's core, it also seems like something that would be a bit of a hassle for the staff, especially once multiple writers start being involved.

Oh, Magine's excited, almost playful tone in the giant battle reminded me of something. I'm probably just reading too much into details and it's too soon to say for sure, but is anyone else seeing things that could foreshadow a Magine/Vroon ship? I doubt much if anything will actually come of that, but it could be really cute...

At the least I expect a filler episode where they are up at arms against each other by Vroon arguing over something trivial with Magine only to end up saying magic ain't real and make her angry/hurt her feelings with his usual love for science and academics. Then the whole episode would be about Vroon trying to make up for his dumb decision, they are back together again, MOTW destroyed, the end.

The monster/world of the week is loveably silly. Boxing world; boxing gloves manifest on people's fists and they have a sudden desire to fight.

"I'm winner!"

Magine uses her powers to summon a bananna skin with a little wizard hat on it. That's adorable.

So Vroon is just super curious, simultaneously endearing and annoying.

And the team is finally all here.

Vroon can.. split himself in half. Don't think the Boukengers could do that.

The Dairanger gear gives them the staff weapons. Also random detail I will share because I bothered to freeze-frame: when they use the Dairanger gear, the pink yellow and blue projections go to the Ranger of the same colour, but Zenkaizer gets red while Juran gets green.

The mech fight was fun. Looks like the miss-matched mecha are CGI-only?

And some last-minute plot: Vroon recognises the names of Kaito's parents. I think some supplementary material already revealed Ijirude copied the Sentai gears to make his gears, so I guess this brings the characters closer to finding that out.

The only thing that surprised me with Vroom's introduction is I thought he was going to be based on Toq 2gou based on the blue color and the glasses thing - exactly what Haru/Tokatti did in Toqger.

I'm liking this season overall so far, especially how they're celebrating but not overusing the previous teams.

Really loving Zenkaiger so far. The wacky villain-of-the-weeks, the colorful (pun intended) cast, and the surprisingly entertaining Mech fights.

Everyone is probably aware of how much I adore the outrageous villains, but for the Zenkaigers, now that all of the team members are together, I'm really enjoying, definitely going to be fun to see how they grow throughout the course of the show. And on a little side note, I love how when they fled into the library, Gaon tried to lock Jyuran out.

Kind of strange the other Mech combos were CGI instead of suits, because seeing how future Mechs and combos will likely be integrated into the series would probably be a little weird if that's the case, not that that's a problem or anything.

Next week: Looks like it's going to be that scene from The Emperor's New Groove... With a sushi competition!!!