[Fish Sandwich]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

TOKUMEI SENTAI GO-BUSTERS MISSION 20 - “5-WAY FUSION! GREAT GO-BUSTER!”

This is probably the episode of Go-Busters I think about more than any other.

There are some other strong contenders out there, but in terms of just, the sheer volume of specific scenes and moments and all that, that I can recall as if I watched the episode yesterday, I can't think of any episodes that pull ahead, if there are even any that could tie in that race.

It's a smartly considered story all around, doing all that good work on a series-structure level by digging into hyperspace more and all that, while also telling a really touching and well-executed standalone story in its own right.

And again, on so many levels, it sticks in my head.

There's the more superficial cool stuff like how Great Go-Buster is assembled in the hangar, instead of combining in the field, so you get that great sense of scale seeing the team riding the lift up to board it and all that, selling the imposing scale of the combination. (It's not the kind of suit that needs to move to look like it can mess a monster up!)

There's how Filmroid is voiced by Kenicihi Suzumura, who's always been the Japanese voice actor I'm most happy to see in anything for any reason. Plus, moving out of the superficial stuff, there's how that vocal performance aids that whole court jester vibe he's got that ends up making him really easy to hate when he ends up torturing Hiromu emotionally in a way that's a lot more vile than the typical Metaroid antics.

And then, crucially, there's all that stuff about Hiromu being trapped by that fantasy, and all the other things that go along with it to elevate it. It'd be good drama anyway. But when the episode highlights how easily Ryuuji and Yoko don't fall for it, what that says about Hiromu makes it even better. When it's chiefly Yoko who gets to reach out to Hiromu, what that says about those particular two characters and how far we've come from those first couple episode makes it even better. When you get that perfectly shot moment of the smoke clearing, revealing Red Buster defending his family with his arm dramatically outstretched in the most heroic fashion possible, it's even better. And when this show about imperfection has Red Buster making the choice to give up that vision of his ideal world to return to the flawed reality he'd give anything to protect, well, it's about as Go-Busters as an episode of Go-Busters could ever be.

So yeah, needless to say, this one is a favorite for me. Just to further emphasize how much, back when Kamen Rider Zi-O was airing the Quiz two-parter with Hiromu's actor, and I did the whole obvious joke where the pictures I chose for those episode threads were just Red Buster screencaps, guess what episode I grabbed the one for the back half from? Doesn't matter if it's 2019, 2024, or whenever else; This one will always be on my mind.