[DreadBringer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreamSword

Episode 24: Finding the Last Power Stone

Episode 25: The Unseen Power... Purple Bima-X!

And yeah, thinking about it, I don't recall it ever being stated what element Purple actually was in the original BIMA. And I suppose magnetic powers would aid in making illusions seem all the more real.

Forgot Bima-X Magnetic debuted this long, dunno if I spoiled you then in said preview picture, which yes, already revealed all Bima-X's 4 main forms. Also, "purple" is the English for "ungu", the name of the band that performs the show's theme songs.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreamSword

And while I won't spell my instant thought process outright, I will say that, hmm, I do wonder what all of that scrap metal could be used for, if it hasn't already?

My general thought is that, it's always more important to keep and recycle stuff rather than throwing it away. The remains of a once menacing final threat should be useful for anything they can cook up.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

Don't forget about Power Stone Ungu's other power: Catchy theme songs!

Ungu isn't exclusively a toku singer, they're Indonesian regular band (as usual, most of band's songs are love songs).

[Sh Ranger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreamSword

Episode 37: Iron Mask's New Strategy

As a result, the episode is just shy of being a straight up clip show, to the point that you can tell this was a budget episode due to how the editing is handled during the original scenes. But hey, I can definitely say that the bit at the end, where Karax kicks a dude into re-entry? A really fun(ny) reward for sitting through a bunch of old scenes. I appreciated that.

This recap's not as interesting as a comedic plot about ghosts and cake or a revision of a character's tragic past, but I totally remember that great Karax moment. He wanted the recap to end as much as the audience did.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreamSword

Episode 38: The Decisive Battle in Satria World

It's to the point that the credits of the episode are a tribute to him and his actor. Although in that regard, it does point out one minor flaw in all of this: If anyone's tuning in to BIMA-X without having seen BIMA first, the effect isn't going to be anywhere near as strong.

Noir is still a cool and wise mentor in his own right, but for sure, a big part of his appeal is Gackt's portrayal, the biggest surprise appearance for anybody watching Bima. Nevertheless, I think this episode does a good job showing his importance, both as the original target of Topeng Besi's ancient revenge and the legacy of his strong spirit of heroism to the modern Satrias.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreadBringer

Ungu isn't exclusively a toku singer, they're Indonesian regular band (as usual, most of band's songs are love songs).

Yeah, I figured they were too awesome to just be a band made for Tokusatsu.

[DreamSword]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Enchilada645

I will say I did enjoy what comedy we did get in this episode though. The bit with Ricca and Dimas at the factory and even Dimas pointing towards his toy with a smile when asked "How did you even move this potential doomsday device to our front yard?" were great.

Yeah, the bit with Ricca looking at her Dimas' thirst traps was pretty great.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreadBringer

Forgot Bima-X Magnetic debuted this long, dunno if I spoiled you then in said preview picture

Thankfully you didn't.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

Noir is still a cool and wise mentor in his own right, but for sure, a big part of his appeal is Gackt's portrayal, the biggest surprise appearance for anybody watching Bima. Nevertheless, I think this episode does a good job showing his importance, both as the original target of Topeng Besi's ancient revenge and the legacy of his strong spirit of heroism to the modern Satrias.

The episode, and a few other bits of BIMA-X, definitely give you all the context that's necessary. But a big part of Noir's' appeal is not only Gackt, but his whole stint he spends just bullying Ray in BIMA. Stuff like that is why I will never recommend anyone skip BIMA to get to X.

[DreamSword]

Episode 39: The Earth's Dark Power

Another episode that's primarily focused on action, but not entirely.

Iron Mask causes the Dark Power Spot to go out of control, and it proves troublesome for our heroes to fight around.

And it definitely makes for some very cool effects work during the entirety of this boss fight. But even more importantly, it allows for some nice character moments between all of the fighting.

The big takeaway is of course the part where Ray and Dimas go Super Saiyan and are willing to sacrifice themselves to save some kids who wandered onto the battlefield, but credit also needs to go to how Reza was still able to help despite still wandering Parallel World.

But actually, I think my personal favorite scene has to be when Ray and Dimas retreat to regroup and think things over, because it means that the rest of the family gets some time to shine, which has been missing for a bit. Randy is the one to put together the connection between the Power Stones and the Spots, and from that give an angle for the Satrias to act.

It really is the little things when it comes to stuff like this, ya know? Solidly fun episode, this one.

[Enchilada645]

Admittedly not much to say on this one, but I did enjoy it.

I do appreciate that it's always a challenge to figure out how to beat Iron Mask/Evil Torga. Like just because they do manage to beat him, doesn't mean the next fight's going to be easy for them.

I do also like the expansion on the cast learning about the Power Spots relation to the Power Stones and them trying to use that for the climax. I also appreciate Reza pitching in once he manages to catch wind of what's going on, even if he's worlds apart.

[DreadBringer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreamSword

Episode 26: A Trap for Torga!

Episode 27: The White Power Stone's Will

And just like that previously mentioned two-parter though, the solution kinda just comes fast and easy. It's noted that he can't use the White Power Stone due to not being in tune with it, but then come the very next scene, Torga is able to use it with no real issue. At the very least it does result in a very cool looking suit that ices the monster of the fortnight in a satisfying way. Heck, I think I like the White Tiger more than the Yellow one, actually.

Maybe this is the determination stuff that if you will something strong enough, you'd be able to do it. The shonen solution for problems...

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreamSword

But now we get to the good stuff, and that's Reza. His guidance of Dimas felt like Mikhail days, and I loved how it was made clear in these episodes that Reza is now fully in with every member of the family. His resolve to volunteer on being the one to enter the Parallel World makes sense too since, as he himself explains, he spent years there already, and thus has the best chance of survival. Am I sad that this means that Reza is likely gone for the foreseeable future? Yeah, but not only did we get that great scene with his and Ray's' parents out of it, but it's the sort of decision that feels very in character for Reza regardless.

I do like that the Mikhail identity isn't forgotten here that Reza uses his experience as the antagonistic Azazel (still keeping his dark theme after turning away from VUDO) to explore Dunia Paralel. Reza was only brainwashed, but this'd be the perks of getting a redeemed villain to your side, that they have their experience in a hostile environment that can be useful for info or further developments. Reza exploring Dunia Paralel shouldn't make him gone, or that'd be what I wish, for worldbuilding and likely to also give villains screentime in their home world, while featuring Reza as well.

[DreamSword]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Enchilada645

I do appreciate that it's always a challenge to figure out how to beat Iron Mask/Evil Torga. Like just because they do manage to beat him, doesn't mean the next fight's going to be easy for them.

It is neat to see that as our heroes evolve, so too do our villains.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreadBringer

Reza exploring Dunia Paralel shouldn't make him gone, or that'd be what I wish, for worldbuilding and likely to also give villains screentime in their home world, while featuring Reza as well.

This was a big piece of what I was hoping for as well. And while they have yet to immediately deliver, there is still time.

[DreamSword]

Episode 40: Reunion of a Family Torn Apart

Randy and Rena's' parents return, but unfortunately, VUDO never left.

As it turns out, the mom and dad have been doing their best to spy on the Vudo Empire all this time, while also trying to find a way to save Ray's' folks.

And it's when they try to deliver important information to their children that Vudo strikes, preventing some top secret information from getting out and in the end taking Rena hostage.

While the plot of this one is very straight-forward, there is still some decent takeaways here. The bit at the start with Randy was good for a giggle, the drama of Rena not knowing how to handle seeing her parents again was nice, and it's only now that Mossa's' secret identity is revealed to our heroes.

Thinking about it, this is the only tokusatsu that I can immediately remember where the villains are alot better at keeping their secret identities than the heroes are. Well, except Draconer I suppose. Still, it's impressive for just how long they've been holding out on those. Perhaps it helps that they very rarely get directly involved.

Anyway, yeah, that about covers all the big highlights on this one. It's overall just decent, and I suppose it's mainly here to signal how we're officially in the endgame of the show if it weren't obvious already. Which, you know, fair enough.

[Sunred]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreamSword

Episode 39: The Earth's Dark Power

Dayum, look at them go Kaioken x10.

[Enchilada645]

We hit Episode 40 and things immediately start going to hell. Ngl I do like it since we are raising the stakes just a bit as we reach the end of Bima-X.

I do like our villains maintaining their secrecy for the most part, and them getting a very clear victory over our heroes this time helps up the drama.

I think my favorite bit though was Bima-X using Atlas to track Rena via scent. I though that was a clever way to use one of the Satria's animal partners ngl.