[Fish Sandwich]

I loved this one, but I'm not sure I can do too good a job explaining it. Every episode with Takamichi so far has been as stock sixth Ranger as it gets, and this is really no exception. In this case, it's the obligatory "learning to work together" plot where they finally become a proper part of the team. Again, something most of us will have seen a million times, and, again, not something I'm tired of seeing when it's done with this level of vibrant energy and polish.

Perhaps since this isn't an Arakawa episode, there's no deliberately twisted moral here. The structure is as straightforward as it gets, which also means it's totally solid. Takamichi's issues working as part of a group are established right away, they get dug into a bit, and finally he learns it's okay to accept help. Part of me always feels like I'm patronizing the show by applauding it for basic narrative cohesion, but I don't know, I've seen shows that don't always get that right! This episode is paced well, and all its beats lead logically into the next. Even if that seems like the bare minimum, I think it's worth giving due credit.

If there's anything clever going on here, it's definitely all in the little details. Things like Takamichi's aloof tendencies stemming from deliberately terrible advice he received from Garza back on Crystalia do a lot to add some intrigue and make the episode into something more distinctly Kiramager. Not every Sentai show has a bad guy who's a fallen "good" guy who was secretly always pretty bent. Garza donating Jouki to the monster of the week is also an interesting way to get King Express in there without undercutting the fact he's supposed to have control over that now. Granted, him standing around and letting it happen is arguably not that different, but I still find it makes it less embarassing for the guy than if he were in the cockpit himself.

And, hey, speaking of dinosaurs, how about Takamichi referencing Koh's kinda-sorta catchphrase from Ryusoulger while he was bathing? I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy all the cheap references. I think the key to handling them right is by making them feel natural, and people who don't recognize that line would absolutely not see it as anything other than a perfectly natural bit of dialogue. A little subtly goes a long way, even in a show this loud.

So yeah, I'd say this episode isn't doing anything to make me regret my earlier assertion that Ayumi Shimo can write as many episodes of Kiramager as she wants because they'll all be awesome. This one was quite the little wonder, so imagine how great the next one'll be!