ZyuOhger, Episode 28 - Review

Episode 28: 帰ってきた宇宙戦隊! (The Space Pirates Return!)

Airdate: Sunday, September 4, 2016

Synopsis:

The Gokaiger return to Earth in search of the Link Cube which reveals the secret history of Zyuland.

Review:

First Impressions

 As I assume is the case with pretty much everyone in the fandom, as soon as I heard this team-up episode was happening I was beyond excited.

Put-ups

 Pretty much the whole damn episode is one big put up. But let’s take a look at what exactly I liked the most…
 

 I am glad they didn’t waste time and we got Captain Marvelous right away in the cold open. It was amazing to see him again. He morphed right away and got into it with Bungrey.

 The fight scene between the 4 Zyuman ZyuOhgers and the 4 Gokaigers was friggin’ awesome. One of the best Sentai fight scenes that I can think of (the final battles from Gingaman and Gokaiger are the other two best scenes that come to mind). I loved seeing how the various teams fighting styles interacted and I also loved that finally the 4 Zyuman were doing well in a fight! Usually they’re just there to be beat up before Yamato and/or Misao come to clean up.

 We didn’t see much of it but the mid-air battle between Marvelous (in a wisely used Jetman Change) and Yamato in his Eagle Mode was awesome too. Mid-air battles are not something we see too often in Sentai, so it was nice to see something fresh.

 Amu tickling Marvelous to get the Whale Cube. The look on his face. Priceless.

 Nice touch showing Gai going around getting the Ranger Keys. Even if it was just a quick scene with him and body doubles of the ToQger kids, it was nice to see that base covered. It made me miss ToQger a bit, actually. I adored 5/6 of that cast.

 We got Gokai Changes for Go Busters, Kyoryuger, ToQger and NinNinger!!!!!

 They updated Super Sentai Getter! Loved it! GoRanger through CarRanger this week. MegaRanger through ZyuOhger next week! That was such a nice touch too! I’m glad it wasn’t just “Let’s ZyuOh Dance” or whatever.

Put-downs

 There wasn’t anything truly major that I didn’t like but there were a few minor things…

 While necessary to the plot and exposition and all that, the flashback with Cetus explaining the Whale Charge Gun and the establishment bored me. In any other episode, I would have been completely fine with it but with the Gokaigers around?! No1Curr.

 Another shoe-horned Zord fight with a re-used monster. Boo. At least it was as short as possible and really just gave Misao an excuse to be absent for the awesome fight scene between the 4 Zyumans and the rest of the Gokaigers.

 As awesome as the fight scenes between the two teams were, the fact that they were happening bothered me. It was what always seems to happen when the Gokaigers return for anything – they immediately fight the current team. 

 Bungrey was just searching for the Whale Cube. I mean it’s not something that was a surprise. He was introduced as a Giant Beast Hunter and, naturally, that is what he’d be looking for. Even so, it still seemed like a let-down to me – “Oh. That’s it?” I guess I was hoping that a character that brings as much to the canvas as Bungrey would have a more interesting goal.

 

 Misao getting all sulky when Marvelous did his fourth Gokai change was pathetic. It’s in character for Misao, sure, but…really guy? Really?

 A totally minor shallow complaint – Gai needs a haircut. His long hair is not a good look.

Final thoughts

 I pretty much loved almost every second of this episode (the Cetus flashback being the only bit where I lost interest). It felt like a Gokaiger tribute episode! I’m sure this series’ head writer having written over a dozen episodes of Gokaiger and Akibaranger helped with that. The Gokaiger cast is one of my all-time favorite casts, so I am ecstatic to have them back for bit.

As much as thought the Cetus flashback was the least interesting part of the episode in comparison to the excitement of the Gokaigers return, I am glad it was there. This episode isn’t just a disconnected lark to celebrate the anniversary (which I wouldn’t completely mind) but it’s actually being used to further ZyuOhger’s plot. It’s also what I liked about this year’s Sentai/Kamen Rider crossover episodes. They were two normal episodes that progressed the plot of both shows instead of the throwaway special we got with ToQger/Gaim and NinNinger/Drive.

I do with that Toei was doing a little more for Sentai’s 40^th. I think all the fanfare and excitement that we got with Gokaiger in 2011 for the 35^th Anniversary spoiled me. I wish we could get another All Sentai Team-Up movie the way Kamen Rider gets those fairly regularly (I know Kamen Rider is the bigger money maker and there are far less Riders than there are Rangers but still *whines*). Regardless, I am happy that we are getting these episodes.
  I am even more excited for next week than I was for this week’s episode. I can’t wait!!!!!

Final Grade: A