[GrandComplete]

Episode 9 "The Ambition of The Bear Family"

The episode begins with a cool mock fight between Liu Bei and Gongsun Zan. And with Mi Zhu catching them as well as confirming that he doesn't remember being a Legend Hero. The show quickly takes a swerve as there is a bank robbery being done by men in bear masks.





The cops quickly chase after when we’re introduced to a new character Tae-O watching the chase on binoculars telling his fellow officers that they're after their wrong people.





We soon see he’s correct and in the Bear Family true hideout with their leader Dong Zhuo and his Hero Piece Hua Xiong!





Dong Zhou escapes and afterward, Tae-O is berated for going after the man alone. The situation deescalates as we meet another new character Wang Yun, a senior officer.





This allows us to learn Tae-O's backstory of being kidnapped and held for ransom and being saved by Wang Yun, which forges his sense of wanting to bring justice. After some shenanigans with Mi Zhu fooling around with one of the bear masks and being caught Tae-O notices Liu Bei Hero Pieces and questions him. While Liu Bei denies any connection with the Dong Zhou, fortunately, a report comes in from tracking him down and the two chase after him leading to a fight between the two Legend Heroes. Liu Bei uses Zhang Fei's turtle shield to block Hua Xiong's bullets and eventually runs out of Hero Power and forces him to go back into Guan Yu and try to take a shot but failing with Tae-O help at aiming Hua XIion goes down.




However, before Tae-O can arrest him Hua Xiong initiates a FInal Battle slowing downtime and the two summon their Legend Machines. Using what they’ve learned about combining multiple Legend Machines they become Legend King Dual Dragon!





Thanks to their combined powers Liu Bei wins however Dong Zhou gets away. The episode ends with Liu Bei being impressed by Tae-O skills and saying they should team up however he is displeased with the guy and decided to plant a bug onto Li Bei's jacket ending the episode.




So this episode is escalating the stakes of the show. A new mainstay character in Tae-O, and a brand-new antagonist on a level we haven’t seen in the show yet. And overall it feels very much like the beginning of the end of the first quarter of the show. I can’t wait to see how the Bear Family storyline is resolved. And after the relatively light two-parter last time this hits where it needs to IMO. The current theory is that Tae-O was a Legend Hero too before losing his powers but not all of his memories. We see at the beginning that Mi Zhu doesn’t recognize what Legend Heroes are but Tae-O knows about them but not specifics.


Episode 10 "Lu Bu The Strongest"

Tae-O tries to spy on Liu-Bei but hears nothing but silly antics from them Meanwhile Dong Zhou meets with the purple hair man from before. Who after playing around with Dong Zhou goons by controlling them offers him the same device that he gave to the Fly Bros and upgrading his rifle. He introduces himself as Zhang Jue and he’s an angel as well.



There is a scam contest in which people hit an item to measure their strength and if someone can get it up to 8,000 they win a diamond ring. However if not the person gets a consolation prize. But it turns out is just a way to lure people so that Dong Zhou can steal their energy to fuel himself. Liu Bei enters and wins surprising everybody as they all thought he was weak! Dong Zhou then comes out and sees the commotion and recognizes Liu Bei, Gongsun Zan, and Dong Zhou begin to fight but Hua Xiong soon gains an upper hand and absorbs both of their powers, Tae-O arrives and tries to fight as well. All hope seems lost until a new Legend Hero stronger than the other shows up and makes the quick work of Hua Xiong even when absorbing his power it becomes too much and forces him to retreat.



Tae-O claims Liu Bei is weak even with his powers and that in his hands would be better used. (Hmm foreshadowing perhaps?) We cut to the police station where Wang Yun is berating Tae-O for his reckless action and bugging people. Liu Bei tries to find the new Legend Hero whose name I’ll just tell you right now is Lu Bu. And eventually, he comes to him and they battle with Liu Bei wanting him to train him and Lu Bu asking for what reason does he fight and finding him to be quite naive, to be honest. Final Battle is initiated and we Legend King Nightmare in action.




The battle ended with Liu Bei knocked out and taken. As he wakes up to see a little girl with Lu Bu Hero Piece. Downstairs it’s revealed that the girl is Wang Yu's father and that he is the new Legend Hero.




Honestly, this arc has been hitting it twice in a row. We have Dong Zhou getting a power-up from Zhang Jue. Liu Bei's confidence goes up as we see him trying and succeeding in the strength contest And we see the difference between Liu Bei and Tae-O. As well as a new Legend Hero one whose motivation continues escalations as he wants to kill a gangster. The color grading and choreography were also fantastic this episode, especially this shot.

Episode 11 "The Bear Family Strikes Back
(Cool empire reference)

The little girl’s name is Diaochan and Wang Yun tells Liu Bei that he is already quite strong, it is his mental fortitude that needs work. The two decided to work together to bring down Dong Zhou. Tae-O arrives and comes in and gives a doll to Daiochan. Liu Bei and Tae-O discuss Wang Yun his legacy and one of his trophies. Tae-O finds out that Wang Yun is the new Legend Hero seeing Lu Bu Hero Piece with Daiochan and overhears their plans to attack. The next day Liu Bei and Gongsun Zan arrive and are waiting for Wang Yun when Tae-O showed up it seems like he isn’t coming but before anything else happens Dong Zhou shows up and a fight ensues. Using team-work the two overwhelmed Hua Xiong however Lu bu shows up beats them all! It turns out Diaochan has been kidnaped and his forced to work for him. During the battle TAe-O gets his energy drained but much like what happened in episode 10 it’s too much and the powers backfire. Even the red angel takes note of this incident. Before leaving Wan Yun gives a hint of where their hideout is. During the fight, Hua Xiong drains all of the energy of his crew despite his right-hand man’s instance of being a family. Later on, while storming their base Tae-O received a call of where Diaochan is. And after an extensive fight scene finds her along with the right-hand man.




The other is engaged in battle with Wang Yun when they learn of her safety ending the episode with Lu Bu taking on Dong Zhou,
Once again we see just how different Dong Zhou is from the other villains so far. With The whole hostage situation of Diaochan. This entire arc hits harder than others before due to continuing escalation of threats. Also, Diaochan is such a sweetheart. And hints of Wang Yun’s backstory are being dropped with there being no mother/wife. I can’t wait to see how this arc revolves and hope these two stays as main characters.

Episode 12 "The Birth of the Red Hero"

After swiftly beating Hua Xiong, Wang Yun orders Liu Bei and Gongsun Zan to leave in fear of the cops getting suspicious of the two. When Dong Zhou reveals a bomb vest and accidentally activates it. While trying to save his life Tae-O argues they shouldn’t since he’s a criminal to which Wang Yun states he’s human and their cops. Wang Yun successfully takes the vest off a throws it away before exploding. But Dong Zhou manages to steal Tae-O’s gun and kills Wang Yun taking his Hero Piece and running but was caught by other cops who then drop the piece. In his dying words Wang Yun wanted to apologize they couldn’t fight together, how much Tae-O has grown, and to give Liu Bei his trophy sword. Afterward time-skipping ahead Tae-O quits, and Liu Bei trains so much his hand bleed devastated by Wang Yun’s death. Tae-O then visits Daiochan reassuring her it’s going to be alright and meets with Liu Bei who insists they should fight together but he refuses. Afterward in his lair?




Tae-O integrates the Hua Xiong Hero Piece to learn how to become a Legend Hero and upon deciding on the Phoneix as his animal changes his name to Cao Cao and summoning the Red Angel to become a new Legend Hero. After breaking Dong Zhou out they fight under heavy rain and Cao Cao becomes Legend Hero Xiaohun Dun.



Whose powers even get Guan Yu and Zhang Fe’s attention waking Liu Bei up. In the battle, he reveals he has another Hero Piece becoming Legend Hero Xiaohun Yuan!




They engaged in a Final Battle and revealing his Legend machine Phoenix Chopper who swiftly defeats Hua Xiong.





As he’s groping on the ledge Liu Bei comes claiming he has a score to settle with him And Cao Cao telling him it won’t be necessary and shoot his hand making him fall into the river. The episode ending with the Cao Cao walking away and Liu Bei staring in disbelief in the rain




The final episode of this arc cemented it’s currently my favorite part of the show. Continuous escalation of two great characters. Coming off the last two-parter was refreshing. Tae-O now Cao Cao is going to stay for the long run and I can’t wait to see the rivalry they’ve been setting up with Liu Bei. Also, Lu Bu isn’t gone they made it appoint where Dong Zhou loses him and we never saw him turn into stone fully.