[Fish Sandwich]

I'm still not convinced Gavv is ever gonna top Caking, but it also feels like the show itself is entirely conscious of how high it set the bar for Shouma's big power-up stories so early?

As I mentioned at the time, BlizzardSorbet's debut works in part specifically because it seemed to actively avoid trying to be some climactic event, and now here comes Over Mode with a gag where Shouma has to do the big dramatic wind up to the transformation twice because the first time is way too easy for it to be a properly exciting moment.

It's similar to the gag the show did with the previous empty transformation trinket Dente gifted one of the heroes not too long ago, which is arguably redundant, but especially with how it plays up the initial fake-out so much harder, there's enough different about it to still work the second time around.

Emphasizing the personal sacrifice Dente makes to create the Gochipod is absolutely a great idea to give the new form the appropriate emotional weight to go with all that literal physical bulk. It keeps with the theme of Gavv's powers coming from the bonds he's forged, but from a new angle, where it's about how Shouma has inspired Dente to atone for the mistakes of his past. It's sort of morbid to have the new toy be made out of a guy's teeth, but I love that it's such an active penance. Especially with how Lakia was used a while back to call into question the very idea of treating Dente as an ally, this is an episode that really vindicates Shouma's whole sense of heroism.

Even still, with an opponent lacking any meaty existing connection to the heroes and the stakes of the big fight just being saving Vram -- a guy who can usually save himself -- the episode isn't focused enough to actually reach those Caking heights. But once again... that might all be part of the plan? It definitely seems like the Gochipod is going to drive at least a couple stories after this, so I can already vaguely see how the show might end up mining enough dramatic potential out of it so that the totality of it adds up to something far greater than the individual pieces, which would be a very fitting way for it to earn its keep in my eyes.

Picky as I may be about the (still quite enjoyable!) story, however, it's not like I'm above the charms of Over Mode. Not sure where I'll end up on the aesthetics. I don't have strong feelings either way right now, but BlizzardSorbet has grown on me immensely with time, so who knows? In terms of the fight scene here though, it's great. The action direction has always been a highlight of this show, and I think they found an incredibly simple yet effective way to have a debut that was both different from anything we've already seen in Gavv, while also conveying that sense of raw power. It literally is just the one hit, but a hit that satisfying is more than enough.