[Androzani84]

Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger Episode 26: Shushutto the Special

(Nice reference there, Gokaiger. But you’ll have to be offering a lot more than lip service to the shows you homage to be anywhere near as good as that movie)

We continue where the last episode left off, with Ahim resolving the bullsh*t conflict by simply giving them the damn keys.





Elsewhere, Marvellous, Joe and Luka wake up in a dimension that looks a lot like a game show.



For those who can see what’s coming based on past knowledge, Junior appears to confirm their suspicions.



Meanwhile, Warz Gill is genre-savvy enough to suspect the others aren’t just going to sit this out and sends Insarn and Barizorg to deal with them.



The Satarakura Quiz redux begins. But they’re not playing to get hints as to the location of the nuts. No, they’re playing to avoid being penalised (come on, your dad threatened to lower them into lava, Junior. You’re clearly not cut up for this evil entertainer gig). Even the prize isn’t all that special.



And whereas Satarakura went with difficult riddles, this guy goes with an identification round.





They think this’ll be easy...



But it really isn’t.





(Real Jigglypuff seen from above energy there)

After the first penalty is given, the scene shifts outside for some reason (did the set fall apart?)



Back on Earth, the Hayate Ninjas use their Ranger Keys to become the Hurricanegers once more.



They then use Chou Ninpo: Migake Kamon (I’ve no idea if that’s what they actually said) to enter the quiz dimension, leaving the Gokaigers at the mercy of Zangyack. In the quiz dimension, The Hurricanegers listen in on the quiz using Chou Ninpo: Jigoku Mimi.



They see that the Gokaigers aren’t even answering any of the questions, and getting constantly penalised. This spurs them to action.



As Luka is about to take her turn to fail, the Hurricanegers fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on what you think of the character) leap in to save the day.



But Junior soon forces them into the quiz by threatening to blow up the chestnuts he collected in the last episode (well then the plan is doomed to failure. He needs those nuts). Back on Earth, the remaining Gokaigers turn into a team where Red, Blue and Yellow are utterly unnecessary. (Or more cynically, Arakawa indulges in his never ending lust to make Dekaranger hip again)



Back in the quiz dimension, the Hurricanegers learn that neither of the three captives knew that he was going to blow up the nuts. They just don’t care about answering his questions. To which Yosuke continues to say what every other legend in this show should’ve said to them.



But, since they’re the only people that matter and and Arakawa and Utsusonmiya (the producer, whose name I have no idea how to spell) are never going to get rid of them, he’s predisposed to be lenient.



Thus, he, Kouta and Nanami pose a challenge to Junior.







(This brings up an interesting point. Up until now, the Zangyack have had zero interest in getting the Sentai Greater Powers that the Gokaigers are after. This is kind of a problem with Utsuusonmiya, since in all of the shows produced by him that I’ve seen (KR Wizard, Zyuohger and Lupinranger vs Patranger), none of the villains have had goals remotely relevant to the protagonists’ own goals. I haven’t seen ToQger, but I have no idea whether or not that one show is the exception to his style (and I doubt it is).)

After giving him two easy questions, Yosuke asks a question where the answer is the sound effect to release the chains.



The Hurricanegers recover the nuts and get the Gokaigers out as the dimension explodes. And just in time, as the other three are losing the battle. Ahim then asks Yosuke what he thinks of Marvellous now, and mercifully, his opinion hasn’t changed.



But he has decided they’re good people (based on WHAT? They did f*ck all to help out back there. Rule 1 of basic storytelling: don’t make your guest characters more useful than the actual heroes). And then we have the two Sentai doing simultaneous transformations.









After the roll call, the battle begins, with the Hurricaneger theme playing in instrumental (yeah, I hate that these theme reprises are all instrumentals. A lot of these songs do not work without the vocals and “Hurricaneger, Sanjou” is no exception. Thankfully, Gai provides partial lyrics).



After some solo moves, Kouta uses Chou Ninpo: Mai Jishi to even the odds, while Nanami combos with Luka and Ahim for the Triple Blast, Kouta and Joe swap weapons and Yosuke takes down a group of Gormin with Chou Ninpo: Kage no Mai (no way they would exclude that. They can exclude the Kasumi Bros and Shurikenger, but THAT (not to be confused with “that”) always finds a way to come back.



After the matchups to take down villains begin, the 4 supporting males overpower Barizorg, while Nanami is able to defeat Insarn with her Sonic Megaphone, with the two deciding to withdraw. Marvellous then attacks Junior in his “giant head form”



Gai then turns into his Gold Mode (or, as I like to call it, his “glorified finisher form”) and then channels everyone’s energies into the Gokai Chou Ninpo: Hurricane Scramble (which in no way matches the theme naming of either team’s attacks, but what do I know?)







Junior then uses his last breath to break the fourth wall.





As the nuts return to being people, Warz Gill zaps Junior with the Maximiser (that’s not actually it’s name. It’s the name of the PR version. The Sentai version doesn’t have a name). The Hurricanegers return their keys to the Gokaigers and a giant battle begins. And it turns out unlike his father, Satarakura is plenty powerful on his own (quick, Gai. Crash GoJyuJin into him)



But with a nod from the Hurricanegers, the Hurricaneger and Gouraiger (when did the Kasumi Bros approve of them?) glow with the Greater Power of the Space Union Style (in the only footage of this episode used in Power Rangers).



This power turns out to be the new Furaimaru (Newraimaru?), who then proceeds to combine with GokaiOh



Furaimaru: When Pirates and Ninja combine as one, the Shuriken equipment will be unrivalled under providence. HurricaneGokaiOh, on stage! (the original speech was cooler)

Quote:

The winds start up a tempest. The clouds part and thunders roar. When Hayate and Ikazuchi come together, the crescent moon head is authorised by providence. GouraiSenpuujin, on stage!

The fight resumes, with HurricaneGokaiOh having the advantage over Junior, with their new Shushutto Shuriken Chain and Gokai Mugensai Shuriken. They then separate Furaimaru so he can perform his Hissatsu Ougi: Midare-Sakura.



This defeats Junior for good.



Back at the Gokai Galleon, Nanami and Kouta pose with Joe and Luka Gokai Changed into HurricaneBlue and HurricaneYellow (these gender-flipped costumes will never not be strange to me. I’d have preferred it if they changed according to roles in the dynamic rather than colour).



After Ahim cheats at the Jigoku Mimi using a pair of cat ears (why didn’t she just use the KuwagaRaiger key, since I assume it has the same powers? Come to think of it, why do these keys contain skills and powers, as opposed to just the latter), Gai ends the episode with a group photo of everyone.



In the next instalment of our thread, the Gouraigers are bad guys? The calendar’s all strange? There’s a new female Earth Ninja? The answers to this in Hikonin Sentai Akibaranger, Season Tsuu episode 7: Delusional Spy.

Final thoughts: As I said in my overview of the Gokaiger tribute episodes, it’s nice that they have this as a mini VS movie rather than just the standard Gokaiger formula (a guest star shows up, says some vague lesson, the Gokaigers change into his/her series’ Sentai, there’s a giant battle where they display a new power that may or may not be used again). But I’m a little put off by a lack of overt references to or appearances by the Gouraigers and Shurikenger, and how easy it was for the Gokaigers to win the three who did appear over. Overall, this episode is still pretty average for me.