Ryusoulger Episodes 3-4

We can all agree there’s such a thing as being too busy. On the flip-side one can have far too little on their plate. What actually seems like the most damaging is when you have just enough of both to leave yourself totally distracted. That’s sort of what has happened this week when I found myself with enough extra time to dive into different side projects only to realize I’d completed nothing for the site. That doesn’t mean I haven’t done anything at all. In fact, the next month or so should see a good variety of articles now that I’m without a secondary home for my writing. Today however is about consistency as I hold up my new pace for Sentai recaps. Sorry normies but this one is all about that delicate mix of emotional turmoil and dinosaur spandex that only the Japanese can provide,

Story:

These two installments are primarily focused on bringing in Towa, the green and Bamba, the black ranger who right from the start aren’t very friendly. Right now they each show characteristics usually given to other colors and are a tad antagonistic towards the core trio. Each is far more adept at combat than the initial three however they opt for the path of least resistance noting that more lives could be spared by simply killing the person who’s been used to spawn a Minosaur rather than battle the monster itself. This is a creates an intimate debate for our heroes as their new friend Ui is the source of a new creature that acts like the Gorgons of old, demanding people look at it only to petrify them in seconds.

That debate reveals the morality of these characters with Koh and Asuna prefering to save everyone rather than trade lives. Melt is caught in the middle as he sees the logic in sacrificing one for the good of many yet can’t shake the feeling that such action is wrong. Things escalate further when Ui decides she may as well drown herself in order to stop the monster since she views herself as a screw-up. She’s stopped by Asuna who values her newfound friend too much to see them take this path. The day is saved when Asuna and Melt gain the aid of their dinoknights which in his case involves choosing a side in the argument. While it may be illogical in the long run, he would prefer to save everyone.

The following episode centers on Koh’s attempts to recruit the two extra rangers. More accurately it revolves around his attempts to convince Towa to join the team as he seems to be in charge despite being the younger of the pair. At first these idiots compete in a series of challenges to outdo each-other until the newest minosaur becomes a real problem.

The monster of the week comes from a father who regrets missing time playing with his son, a child who is seems to be in a coma or something to that effect. While Bomba is ready as always to strike the man down, Towa ends up being inspired by Koh to awaken his dinoknight and make things right.

Characters:

Immediately we have to talk about the bit with Ui. On a superhero program primarily produced to appeal to a five-year-old audience we saw characters hug it out in order to prevent one of them from committing suicide. For any of my readers who check out these reviews with a mild curiosity of what makes Sentai different from its Americanized bastard child, Power Rangers here’s a perfect example. A character like Ui is exactly what our kids shows need. She suffers from issues of loneliness and self-worth but is helped by the support of good friends. Once again I really hope she gets to join the team properly or prove herself as something more than a cute sidekick.

Towa and Bamba are a peculiar combo. Instead of the usual weirdo or bumpkin role green rangers generally suffer from, Towa’s a mix of the overconfident rival mixed with the childish energy of a red. Bamba is far more interesting to me as he seems like the true wise man of the team yet he let’s his younger, brash brother lead him around. Together they seem like some classic villain pairs where a smaller nasty one is under the protection of a fierce warrior. It was a risky move to make their first act a threat against another character’s life but it helped to show this series is willing to handle more serious subject matter. That being said I find Towa to be the least likable person on the show thus far. He’s got some work to do in the episodes ahead.

Koh is walking a tightrope when it comes to likability as well. On the one hand I’d like to encourage the sort of forgiving and hopeful attitude that allows him to work with the newbies yet it just feels wrong to want to make friends with guys who just threatened to kill someone he care about. Also his rivalry with Towa is going to have to be doled out in small doses or else it will become too much to bear.

I’m interested in seeing where Melt goes as a character. While his type is the logical and calculating member of the group he’s already broken from this path to fallow his friends in the pursuit of pure heroism. He seems more like a philosopher attempting to piece together a greater truth rather than traditional wisdom.

Right now Asuna is walking away with the MVP award. For as much as she may doubt herself, and tie her personal worth to her femininity, her moral compass is straight and true. She’s got more of the bombastic personality traits of someone like Leo from Zyuohger. And I consider that a good thing, especially represented in a heroine.

Villains:

Nothing much to report on this front. The two current commander haven’t received any notable developments. The Minosaurs were interesting though I’d like to see one that gets a larger narrative arc.

Action:

The action beats across episodes three and four aren’t as good as the previous installments. Mostly this is due to the flashy tools being trimmed down to focus on relationships. That doesn’t mean these are bad, the giant robo portions are still fine examples of their craft. What does concern me right now is that none of the enemies have come across as all that deadly, Sentai is often at its best when the heroes struggle to win so I really hope the threat level is boosted soon.

Overalls:

This pairing of episodes was almost evenly split down the middle. There’s much to enjoy from part three between the moral debate and suicide attempt whereas part four was just a bit too childish and empty. What sticks out the most is that this series currently has the grapes to tackle serious emotional content, mix up the traditional character roles, and let heroes voice unpopular opinions. Outside of those that begin as evil, how many rangers kick-off their tenure by raising a sword to an innocent girl? The influence of a new creative crew is clearly visible thus far and I hope episodes like four are a rare misstep.

That’s all for this recap, kiddies. I’ve been up all night and am in great need of some beauty sleep. Next week should be a special tribute to a timely movie, and maybe I can get something Easter themed posted before the next recap. Nothing witty to send us out. Gotta get this uploaded before I pass out on the keyboard.