[DreamSword]

Episode 3: KitaQman Runs Away

I think I sense the start of a trend.

This episode continues Jiro's' arc of heroism, sure, but it also serves a fuller, more proper introduction to KitaQman and what he's about.

And his bit is a pretty solid one! He's essentially a dig/parody at social media influences who think they're making a difference when they aren't really contributing much, if anything.

That said, he's also probably the most optimistic approach to that sort of deal, inwhich it's acknowledged that while sure, KitaQman might be useless in a fight and rely too much on his brother to save him, he is providing valuable emotional support to the people of Fukuoka via his antics.

And ya know, I feel like that's sort of the mission statement of this show as a whole? Dogengers doesn't have the biggest budget, or the flashiest fight scenes, but it still does a great job highlighting these local heroes ontop of being alot of fun, and that's every bit as valuable, if not moreso. It's very clear that this is a very character focused story and I'm all for that.

That all being said... man, I'm totally gonna eat my words on the spiel I gave last episode, huh? It's implied that Jiro's' feelings for Yuki are romantic, but I really hope that's not the case. Like, it's not something that'd ruin the show for me or anything, but it would be a seriously missed opportunity to showcase platonic love between differing sexes. I know that's all very much a me thing though, and I can easily see everyone else being fine with the idea.

Also Yuki's' secret identity is incredibly obvious and part of me really hopes that all the blatant foreshadowing with her is just a bait-and-switch, but time will tell I guess. Still a fun episode regardless.

[Enchilada645]

Ah yes, now I'm recalling how these episodes went! I was confused on episode 2 because I forgot that we didn't actually get to KitaQman until Episode 3.

Dude's hilariously on point as an influencer and his flaws are clearly on display though of course with a neat little spin on things. That being said I love how he just rolled in front of the finisher to take a photo before quickly rolling away again.

Speaking of the finisher though, I do dig that our main hero gets to use a lance as a weapon. I feel like you don't usually get those kinds of weapons anymore what with how swords are the popular melee weapon nowadays.

[DreamSword]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Enchilada645

Speaking of the finisher though, I do dig that our main hero gets to use a lance as a weapon. I feel like you don't usually get those kinds of weapons anymore what with how swords are the popular melee weapon nowadays.

Yeah, that is rather unique, although given how his powers were granted by Ohgaman I'm surprised his weapon isn't a giant syringe haha.

[DreamSword]

Episode 4: Bruiser Yamashiron

Probably the most simplistic and straightforward episode yet.

Not that that's a bad thing, mind you, though it is notable given how straight and to the point the rest of the show has been so far.

Similar to the last one, while Jiro does have his moments(His superhero name is Rookie! He parodies the Kamen Rider Henshin!), the episode is almost totally on Yamashiron and the three heroes who make him whole.

It's a lesson that used to be often taught in kid's' shows; That our differences are what allow us to grow as well as keep our relationships interesting. Your friends might not agree with you or get along all of the time, but it's nothing to be ashamed of or shy away from.

Redron, Blueron, and Orangeron(who's yellow, but whatever) all couldn't be more different in terms of personality and body type, but it's their different thoughts and abilities, as well as their faith in one another that makes their combined form, Yamashiron, such a force to be reckoned with. And their designs are cool too!

I will however say that, if I'm right in the way this plot is headed, I feel like maybe this episode would've been better served happening a little later on in the overall plot? Especially if Jiro and Yuki do end up butting heads, which seems like a possibility, what with how she discovered that Jiro is Rookie and all. But hey, maybe the show will pull an angle that'll make everything come together in a way that I'll be totally down with.

But yeah, despite the simplicity, the action was actually rather engaging, and the comedy was still very solid all around. No real complaints from me in terms of this being its own standalone episode.

Also, Zi-O Trinity is a ripoff of Yamashiron. Yeah I said it.

[Enchilada645]

Yamashiron is a good boy.

Also when it comes to trinity style forms, I will say that Yamashiron pulls it off rather well! Can't argue there!

But yeah, it's a fun angle we've had so far in which we've been spending time with each of the main cast of characters while also getting a different villain in the mix aside from the usual Yabai Kamen shenanigans.

Also I'll be real for a moment here, never really had Japanese styled curry before, or curry in general. But shows like these whenever they bring em up really makes me want that style of curry.

[DreamSword]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Enchilada645

Also I'll be real for a moment here, never really had Japanese styled curry before, or curry in general. But shows like these whenever they bring em up really makes me want that style of curry.

En-chan, what's wrong? You haven't touch your limited edition Sonic curry.

[DreamSword]

Episode 5: El Brave Isn't Small

Eh, probably the weakest episode so far for me?

It's not a bad episode by any means, it's just that like 90% of it is one joke(El Brave is short!) played up, and not in any sort of super funny way.

The mini arc and the message that accompanies it works well enough though: El Brave learning to accept his own shortcomings as a hero, just as Jiro has to given how he just started heroing.

And while the running gag of the episode came up a bit short for me, alot of the other humor in it really did work for me. The rabbit being a very obvious hand puppet who needs a stuntman to fight, everyone moving into Jiro's' house, and the very gifable moment I showcased in this very post!

Probably the biggest disappointment to me though was how Yuki shows up only very briefly at the start of the episode and then never again. Seemed as if her and Jiro were finally going to talk, but then all focus turns to El Brave and almost never stops. I mean, rightfully so given it's his episode, but that initial mini-hook really got my hopes up.

But there's always next episode I suppose. Again, not a bad episode, it's just that none of its elements really engaged me as much as the previous ones. Still like El Brave as a character though.

[Enchilada645]

Given these current episodes are carried by whoever is the current guest star, barring gathered cast shenanigans aside, yeah I can see why this one didn't work out for you tbh.

That being said I do love how we have like actual size differences for our heroes, and El Brave might just be my favorite hero design wise when it comes to aesthetic.

But also, probably here we have one of the more memorable villains for me when it comes to Yabai Kamen's grouping. Purely on gimmick because like... again, rabbit puppet on stuntman in a black bodysuit, that stuff is genius and the way they use the two of them in this series is always fun I feel.

[DreamSword]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Enchilada645

That being said I do love how we have like actual size differences for our heroes, and El Brave might just be my favorite hero design wise when it comes to aesthetic.

Oh yeah. El Brave's' suit is a great design and really stands out in contrast to everyone else's'. And despite being used for a standard joke, it is cool to see a toku show actually acknowledge height difference for once.

Quote:

But also, probably here we have one of the more memorable villains for me when it comes to Yabai Kamen's grouping. Purely on gimmick because like... again, rabbit puppet on stuntman in a black bodysuit, that stuff is genius and the way they use the two of them in this series is always fun I feel.

Oh yeah, they don't even really try to hide it, which just adds to the great way that the show utilizes meta humor. Top notch stuff.

[DreamSword]

Episode 6: Fukuokalibur is Finally a Decent Hero

That title is so not indicative of this episode at all.

Despite that, this episode was a solid step up from the previous one, with a decent twist on the formula that we've had up to now.

The moral this time is all about body positivity and the classic lesson that one should be judged via their outer appearance, but rather the quality of their character and how genuine their intentions are.

Only the twist here is that it's something that Fukokalibur attributes to Jiro and his act of bravery in the first episode, rather than it being a piece of wisdom that the local hero passes onto Rookie. It blends well with Fukokalibur's' paladin-esque character too; Passing the lesson to a local baddie.

Ontop of that, the overarching plot gets a nice boost here, with Jiro finally getting to meet Yuki face-to-face, which makes sense given that we're now done with the focus episodes(or atleast so I assume). I do wonder what exactly it is Jiro so badly wants to tell her? And will the very obvious foreshadowing be a red herring or not?

The only real flaw I see in this one is that it's not entirely clear if Fukokalibur actually used to be ashamed of his old suit or not? The title and the words of the bad guy this episode suggest yes, but Fukokalibur himself remembering the suit fondly throughout the whole episode really suggests otherwise. It's not a huge deal or anything, especially since it kinda comes across as a love letter to Showa era hero suits, but I feel that aspect could've been delivered cleaner.

Well whatever. I imagine that next episode is gonna be the Jiro and Yuki show, and I'm very interested in seeing where that goes.