[Androzani84]

Sorry for the delay, I?ve been a little distracted. But I?m ready to begin now with?

Timeranger Case File 17: The Twisted Fist 04/06/2000

In our second episode in a row from Yamaguchi?s desk, Dolnero is annoyed at his low income numbers due to the spending that results. Noting they need a larger source of income, Lila unleashes Extortion Gang Leader Franc (the source for Flamecon in TimeForce), whose first act is to assault a pretty woman (just in case you thought he was going to be a sympathetic monster).

The next day, Tatsuya hurries off early in the morning, a recent ritual he?s adopted for training his teenage disciple Urasawa Makoto (played by a pre-Kamen Rider Gaim Hiromi Sakamoto). The other Timerangers? attempts at snooping fail, so Tatsuya decides to formally introduce him, revealing that Makoto insists on one-on-one courses. But later, as Makoto looks on at the bullies at his school, he chooses to hide from them. He asks Tatsuya when they?ll get around to a ctual sparring, but Tatsuya insists on sticking to the basics.

Makoto thus keeps cowering from the bullies and pushing himself unhealthily at night. As Tatsuya worries about his disciple, Makoto?s mother arrives at Tomorrow Research and reveals that Makoto has been getting up to things involving money late at night. Tatsuya agrees to investigate, as Makoto gets beaten up by bullies for not giving them enough of his money. A teacher breaks them up and goes to tend to Makoto in the nurse?s office, as the kid refuses to share his problems with Tatsuya. The teacher reveals that she?s given up on the boys after they got involved with the yakuza, while Tatsuya refuses to keep teaching Makoto if he?s going to exploit his teachings for revenge.

Meanwhile, Yuri has noticed a similar pattern of that gang targeting students across several high schools. The gang?s leader Shibuya learns that Makoto wouldn?t pay up and appears to ruin his gardening work (Well, they are kids in a country with strict gun laws, they can?t really do much else). This angers Makoto enough to lay out Shibuya in one punch? which gets applause from the teacher. That night, she?s installs him as the new head of the gang extorting money, teaching him that strength is justice, and the strong have a right to money. After Makoto lays out the one dissenter, the teacher encourages him to lead through example? as she turns out to be Franc?s human disguise victim.

And thus, after an offscreen makeover, Makoto begins beating Kida who won?t pay their share up. Franc explains to Dolnero that his logic is that not only are kids likely to have money, but keeping it to schools ensures word doesn't get out. Cue Shibuya confessing everything to Tomorrow Research, as Makoto is encouraged to begin beating up old people, adults and kids (Now isn?t that just self-sabotaging on Franc?s part? That ensures word gets out).

Tatsuya?s had enough and challenges Makoto to a karate duel? which he spends not throwing a single punch, not even in retaliation. The lesson works its magic, giving Makoto the realisation that using power for personal gain is not justice, but using it to protect those without is. Makoto tells Franc that he?s quitting the extortion business, which gets him to drop the disguise to try and kill the kid. But thsi turns out to be a sting for the Timerangers, who realised his hand in things offscreen (we don?t even learn what crime got him locked up, or how long for).

Battle ensues, with Franc initially dominating with his chain weapon, until Tatsuya fights back by tickling him, before, hitting with a barrage of karate moves until Franc begs for mercy. Cue a rebound, and our giant battle. This time, they start with TimeJet Gamma and attack with the Gamme Tornado, before switching to TimeRobo Beta and delivering enough rapid punches to send Franc flying through buildings. Finally, they switch to Alpha and recapture the Londars.

We then cut to Tatsuya?s karate class, where Makoto has started showing improvement. And that?s pretty much how it ends. Not much else to say.

Next time: Ayase is Alton in a locked down science lab against a Londar trying tos teal a new energy source in Case File 18: A Shadowy Premonition.

Final thoughts: A pretty basic episode with a pretty good moral (even if someone on the internet somehow interpreted it as ?fighting is always wrong?, and no I don?t know who that person is for you to go and egg their house), and a likeable guest star. I?m noticing that Yamaguchi?s episodes tend to be lighter on in suit action than most others.