[Fish Sandwich]

Jetman 15-16:

So, first of all, happy birthday to Jetman.



It's not exactly that nice round 30, but since this happened to line up, I figure I might as well acknowledge that Jetman's 31st anniversary is today. Or, I mean, with how time zones work, I guess I probably could've gotten away with celebrating this yesterday, when I watched an extra-sized block of episodes all written by Inoue that also featured Ryuu's literal birthday, which is where that screenshot up above is from. But instead, I'll just have to make due with another quick round of off-flavor episodes by guest writers. Oh well! (I did have some hot milk today out of respect for Red Hawk's adorably wholesome taste in drinks, though, so hopefully that makes up the difference.)

I poke fun at the lack of Inoue's unique style, but it's not as if an episode like 15 is a bad time or anything. Indeed, Mami Watanabe's script is an extremely serviceable day in the spotlight for Ako, who hasn't really gotten much attention up until now. She hasn't exactly shown herself to be the type who would get wrapped up in the overarching melodrama of the series, and sure enough, the plot this episode gives her puts its focus strictly on her high school life, as far away from the usual soap opera stuff as possible. You've got everything you'd probably expect from a teen superhero story, with Ako's secret identity causing trouble when it comes to her social life, creating particular friction with her best friend, only for the secret to eventually be revealed, allowing the two to reach an understanding and stay buddies. Real simple, real sweet little story. There's no amazingly fresh or clever twist here, and once again, it doesn't really feel like Inoue's episodes do, but at the same time, Jetman probably needs some episodes like this every now and then to break things up? I keep stressing the clear difference in attitude the other writers and this show have, but I don't want to make it sound like that's inherently a problem or anything.

And 16 isn't too bad either. Probably my favorite between the two of these episodes. Kenichi Araki is back, but unlike last time, there's more to the story than just how wild the monster's powers are. Don't get me wrong, Paper Dimension is a great monster, and the premise of things from pictures being brought to life and going on a rampage is a very strong, easy to grasp setup, but there's a proper dramatic layer beyond the mere threat of the villain this time around. There's a whole bittersweet story in here about a father who lost his daughter ultimately finding some sense of closure because of this incident, and I thought it played out nicely. It's one of the most atmospheric episodes of Jetman so far, for sure, due in large part to the very wistful nature of what it's about. While it still doesn't feel like the particular sort of drama Inoue writes for this show, it's got its own brand of emotional storytelling that's effective in its own way.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

Fun Fact: That suicidal woman was portrayed by Yoshida Mayumi, the actress of Lou/Pink Flash!

Neat!