[Androzani84]

Well, scratch doing two reviews this weekend, I spent too long out of the house yesterday. I think the new update schedule will be ?when I can fit it in?. Like right now.

Timeranger Case File 19: The Moonlit Knight 25/06/2000

We open where one of last week?s stingers ended, with Gien working on his robotic killing machine Nova.



Dolnero and Lila are unaware of this, because the latter is doing a simulated beach trip.



But then they go through what I thought I?d go through this Wednesday just gone.



Gien promptly restores the power, and tells them that it?s just a side effect of his side project, and they shouldn?t pay it any mind. He then turns out to have bought the pair an actual beach trip to go on (I wonder how they expect Dolnero not to stand out).



Lila dismisses all questions and sets off immediately, with Dolnero rushing off after her.



With the comparatively harmless villains gone, Gien is now free to experiment with the Lambda crystal he stole in the previous episode.



Speaking of which, meanwhile Tock explains to the Timerangers that Lambda-2000 can be converted into Zeta-3. And explains what Zeta-3 is.



Sion further explains to Tatsuya that Zeta-3 made waves due to how clean and efficient it was as a fuel source.



They theorise that the Londarz are probably building something, since even if they had the means to convert the Lambda to Zeta-3, there?s no way they could sell it without majorly affecting history. Meanwhile, Captain Ryuya gets up from his desk to inspect something else.



Turns out that he?s expecting his new robot, the titular Moonlit Knight, as it practices fighting with its swords in various holographic locales (and it makes hiya noises with every movement. That?s an instant cool factor for me).

The test over, the Moonlit Knight returns to its storage bay, whereupon it gets inexplicably hung upside down as Ryuya leaves.



Meanwhile, Gien has finished constructing Nova, and now simply needs to insert its power source: the Lambda Crystal. But first, he puts it into an insta-bake oven to turn it into Zeta-3.



He then inserts it into Nova to power the robot up, which causes Tatsuya to notice time freezing up.



And then all of the heroes see alternate versions of themselves (who can be told apart because they?re not wearing the Tomorrow Research jackets).











And then time resumes, as if nothing happened.



As all of them try to discuss the phenomenon with Tock, Gien unleashes Nova, making the robot grow to giant size using a modified compression seal (they notably avoid showing the bubbling blood stock footage, since it?s a robot. Nice touch there). Nova then proceeds to destroy the city.



The Timerangers see this, and Tock tries invoking the Emergency System?



?but nothing happens. Provider Base is devoid of Providus or any signs of life, while the 5 TimeJets lay underground, undisturbed.



Mercifully, it doesn?t take long for the Timerangers to figure out why the TimeJets aren?t coming.



Fortunately, it?s the perfect opportunity for those scientists from the previous episode to try and save the day, by sending in the death tank they were building.



But since our heroes are unaware of this, Tock flies out to tell them their only available strategy.



Ayase is confused as to why they?re not trying to capture Nova, before Tock explains that it?s not a criminal, just a robot powered by the stolen crystal.



Fortunately for their need of time to fire, the scientists? tank appears on the scene.



The Timerangers and Raimei join forces to blast Nova and manage to overwhelm it. But then Gien takes command, and has Nova unleash its full power to turn the tables.



As Tatsuya leads the others in rescuing the pilots from the rubble, Nova comes back in for the kill? at which point time stops and the moon eclipses the sun.



A jet soon emerges from a portal opened by this eclipse, which transforms into the Moonlit Knight.



Tock then properly names the robot as the Time Protection Beureau?s project involving the Zeta-3, Time Shadow. As the name is announced, the insert song for it gets played.

TimeShadow ~Unseen, Unheard~

Slipping through the break in the clouds...
...a dark, silent gust arrives

Rewriting today into tomorrow...
...those black wings dance in the dark night
Look up! That is...
...probably TimeShadow!
Running through the valley of buildings...
...is a dark shadow that leaves no traces
Repainting day into night...
The dark knight stands tall in the moonlit night
Look back! That is...
...definitely TimeShadow!
OH OH! Unsheathe those ShadowSabers!


WOW WOW! Cut up the darkness!

OH OH! Use those unwavering blades...

WOW WOW! ...and protect this day to the end!
For the sake of the unseen tomorrow!



Gien is decidedly unimpressed.



The resulting fight between the two robots causes Gien to crash through the roof into an abandoned mall, where the Timerangers do battle with the Zenits so they?re not completely useless this episode.



Time Shadow then preps its Ultimate Attack by combining its ShadowSabers into one twin-bladed weapon.



Using this, it destroys Nova in one hit, before departing back to the future. But rather than being mad, Gien is amused.



As he departs, vowing to cause more destruction, Yuri is disturbed by just how sadistic the robot criminal is.



And then Tock actually explains that bit of time warping weirdness from earlier: Gien?s experiments gave them a glimpse of another timeline.



And though they don?t know where Raimei came from, Sion pulled out something from its engine that disturbs everyone.



And speaking of Raimei, its engineers report the failure of the field test to their superior mentioned last time? Tatsuya?s dad.



Who in turn, reports the current status of his personal anti-Londarz project to his superior, the Minister of the Interior, who is also the Director of the Public Security Beureau. And apparently, Asami keeps his personal life private, since the Director is unaware of his falling out with his son, and assumes the two are partners in this venture.



And to end the episode, Gien approaches and unlocks a cabinet full of prisoners with danger signs on their containment capsules, planning to unleash more destruction.





Next time: The heroes must deal with the fact history has changed while dealing with a dangerous criminal from the Hells Gate, Madou. Check out Case File 19: A New Bond for the details.

Final thoughts: A pretty unexpectedly creepy episode, between Gien?s sadism, the visions of another timeline and the Rangers being borderline helpless to stop Nova. But we also get a cool new robot and an intriguing plot of the Ministry of Defence trying to come up with ways to save the city on their own (albeit, with private backing).