[Fish Sandwich]

You know, I actually really like Secchan? I mean, I like basically everyone in Zenkaiger, because it's just that sorta show, but this seems like a good opportunity to single out the hardworking expository robo-bird for some praise. And Secchan is working extra hard in this one! He's out there on the field trying to snap everyone back to reality, only to get chased after with bug nets for the trouble; he's trying to get in a good nap to recover from that harrowing experience, only to have to get right back to it when inspiration strikes on how to save the day; he's cutting deals with pirates to put those plans into action, only to have those pirates rip off his brand new invention in the end. He had a very busy day here!

Basically nothing in this plot goes right for the heroes if Secchan isn't there, and between all those heroic exploits AND still doing the usual recap and everything, it's got me appreciating him more than usual. It sort of snuck up on me just how charming Secchan is. I think it's a combination of writing like this, where you can really tell he's always trying his best to help out despite just being some toy robot, and also how fun that prop is, which elevates everything else immensely. There's this wonderful gap between his hyperactive screechy bird voice and how unemotive he tends to be as a puppet, and I love it to bits.

Because like I said, part of the appeal of his character is how he's limited in what he can truly do to help, and that's matched by the physical limitations of the prop. It mostly just wobbles its head back and forth while its wings jitter about, and they have to find ways to film around that. Which gets us stuff like him typing on a keyboard by just smashing his face into it. Like, how much of an argument do I even need to make as to why that's hilarious? I think it speaks to the quality of Zenkaiger that I genuinely look forward to seeing what exciting new spin they can put on waving a fake bird on a stick around each week.

And yeah, no surprise, but this is a quality episode all around. Nothing too extraordinarily complicated, but as an introduction for a big new power-up, it's rock solid.

Super Zenkaiser is cute, for one thing. Between how bulky that suit looks and this not being Kamen Rider, I'm not very worried about that glorious base suit getting effectively replaced, which is always a good feeling, and as a gimmick, a big dinosaur costume for Kaito is ~pretty~ on-brand for Zenkaiger! It's way more goofy than it is cool, and yet it's still so unmistakably cool. Just a real hard idea to complain about. (By the way? The whole "Himitsu no Power-Up!" thing? Like I've said before: this show is made by geniuses.)

The story around all this also does a thing I found clever, where the dramatic stakes aren't any higher than usual, but it's still subtly doing the kind of thing you'd expect out of this kind of episode, where we get a bit of focus on Kaito and his family, even roping Stacey in for a brief but meaningful (and adorable!) role in the plot. The episode gets to lightly touch on some bigger overarching plot type stuff, while mostly a silly romp like always. But again, look at that goofy dinosaur suit – that is completely the right move for Zenkaiger to make here.