[DreamSword]

Episode 2: Ohgaman Dies

DS: My reaction to a majority of this episode.

En-chan: I can only imagine given while we've kind of retained the status quo, we've also revised it thanks to Great Z

DS: Yeah this episode is very much a setup episode for what I imagine is the rest of the season. Great-Z has essentially taken everything that the Dogengers used to have. Their fame, their timeslot, their apartment, and even their villain! So the group decide to split into pairs and venture out to find ways to figure out just what the heck to even do now, since it's not like they can just beat the guy up.

And while it's all presented in a rather lighthearted tone, I did find myself surprised how seriously the whole thing is treated, and even how meta things kinda got at one point.

En-chan: There's a reason I said us teaming up like this was fitting for this series in particular.

There's definitely a pretty high level of gravitas at play that helps set everything up. Also considering Great-Z is a walking commercial, I totally get what you mean by it being meta.

DS: Yeah, and it doesn't even end there with him either, with how he talks about CGI effects vs Practical ones, albeit briefly. That is a debate that still goes on to this day, especially in the Toku world.

And because of that like, I can't help but feel like it's entirely intentional that his civilian identity, Riku, is very obviously dubbed over, haha.

En-chan: I didn't notice it in my first viewing somehow but yeah, the dude is very obviously doing ADR and that caught me off guard. lol

DS: I did love the bit too where he has the overly long finishing move. Why do I feel like I could see a show doing that unironically in the future?

En-chan: If there's one scene I've seen circulating in regards to Nice Buddy (even before I saw it), it was absolutely that overly long finishing move so while long, it's definitely iconic.

DS: "Iconic" is pretty appropriate here, actually. Because we also got some background in regards to Great-Z, mainly in that he's part of the same franchise that Great Ace from the bonus episode of Dogengers. I felt that was a nice way to keep him tied into the main cast, as well as establish why people in universe would be invested in him outside of just pretty special effects.

En-chan: I remember you talking fairly highly about Great Ace during your Bonus Episode review. So I was very much waiting for you to get to this show where we get the big connecting tissue here.

That said, A to Z huh? That's a lot of heroes, even if they did take a break for a while before Z.

DS: What? You didn't watch Great Base, Great Case, or Great Dane? Fraud confirmed.

En-chan: Dang, I've been outed!

DS: But Great-Z aside, uh, I was not expecting the title of "Nice Buddy" to actually mean what it ends up meaning in this show. In that this now the Dogengers Buddy Cop Show.

En-chan: Very much so, time to tackle this duo style.

I'm totally glad they solved this fairly and not by Ohgaman being Ohgaman and just picking everyone in advance.

DS: Haha, yes. Totally fair ladder lottery. Resulting in Team Pharmacy(Rookie+Ohgaman), Team Good Bois(Yamashiron+Fukuokalibur), and Team... uh, Red, I guess(KitaQman+El Brave).

En-chan: Team Red indeed.

Well I can't fault him too much tbh, he did basically set them up with the one dream everyone has. Living at IKEA.

DS: Yeah, how the heck does that even work? Did Ohgaman like... buy, the furniture store? In its entirety?

En-chan: Do not doubt the power of Ohgaman.

DS: But the most important thing in this episode.

"Imagine Dogengers with Guns" is now real.

En-chan: It's what every Toku Hero needs, as demonstrated very clearly by Kuuga.

DS: So, yeah, I really do gotta wonder where exactly we're going now, especially since if the next episode preview is any indication, Rookie and Ohgaman will be confronting Great-Z first. And I woulda figured they'd be the last group to face him.

En-chan: You'd think, but I suppose that just means they've got some fun surprises in store for us.

Let's just hope Yabai Kamen makes it out alright, dude was suffering a lot this episode.

DS: Bro has gotten no respect at all so far. I feel legit bad for the dude.

En-chan: We can only hope as this series continues he can get his groove back. And also a less heavy prop to swing around.

DS: Guess we'll find more out come next time. Anything specific you wanna talk about before we close out?

En-chan: I think I hit all the points I wanted to, so I'm good.

DS: Well alright then. Next time, watch me shoot En-chan live on stage!

En-chan: Wait, what?!