Star Wars Book Club: Kanan and Duel of the Fates

In the time since the last proper Star Wars book club feature the franchise has changed dramatically. The Mandalorian proved to be much different than many people were expecting but still lots of fun, Resistance has come and gone, The Clone Wars has returned for a final season, and Rise of Skywalker got a lot of peoples panties in a bunch. While I've managed to watch and enjoy the majority of this content, I've largely neglected the written word wing of the series. That is until discounted reading material fell into my lap and a certain alternative script for Episode IX leaked online. Suddenly I've been thrust back into that galaxy far far away. With all this content at my fingertips why not revive the old book club feature with a double review of Star Wars: Kanan from Marvel Comics and the script for Duel of the Fates from those guys that brought us the dreadful Jurassic World films.

Kanan

Back when I made a point of keeping up with SW novels I still had a general rule of not getting sucked into the stuff coming from Marvel Comics. Not for any deep reason mind you, I adore Marvel, but simply because I could barely keep up with the traditional books. Adding comics to the mix would have been impossible at the time which means this complete hardcover collection of Kanan marks my first venture into this wing of modern continuity.

As you might expect given the title, this comic centers on Kanan Jarrus of Rebels and New Dawn fame with the focus on flashbacks to his time as a Padawan and his survival of Order 66. Fans of the show will get to see his Rebels crewmates in the framing scenes just don't expect much from them save for the final issue. This is about a budding Jedi and his strange master. Even at that this is very smooth and breezy entertainment, not dense emotional reading which is largely why it succeeds.

If I recall correctly this series was originally meant to be only 5 or 6 issues before receiving an extension. This shows in rough transition from the first story into the second with the flashbacks from the second arc being earlier in continuity than the first. Essentially it’s an ouroboros of a story but maybe that will make for a stronger reread later on.

While the framing device concerns a basic Rebels mission that returns to a planet from Kanan’s past the main action is in his past. For the first arc we see a little of his time in during the clone wars learning under master Depa Billaba. He’s got some clonetrooper buddies and a good relationship with his master due to their shared questioning nature. Depa is one of those characters you can see in the margins of the films and she even had some appearances back in the Dark Horse Comics. As for her personality here I wish she’d gotten more attention overall as she seems like one of the few Jedi with half a brain.

As I’m trying to avoid spoilers I won’t mention the particulars of how Kanan is seperated from his teacher but the remainder of that first arc concerns his introduction to the world of smugglers and criminals that shapes his identity moving forward. It’s well-balenced tale concerning his personal struggles alongside some fun interaction with different underhanded types.

The second arc moves back to how Kanan originally met his master to be and became her Padawan. While it benefits from more Depa it isn’t as memorable a story to the point that I’m blanking on a few details.

The writing from Greg Weisman is very snappy with some excellent interplay between characters and speedy pacing. As someone with a fairly passing familiarity with the title character I found myself caring more about him during these adventures than I have in the past. Seeing as Weisman has a background with animated shows it makes sense that he knows how to keep things straightforward without becoming boring. What helps immensely is the killer artwork Pepe Larraz. This guy knows how to make a killer pretty comic book. Every page is gorgeous and cinematic with just the right touch of cartoon aesthetic. Thankfully he’s the artist for nearly the entire run with only two issues featuring fill-in artists. One of them does a decent job of keeping the look consistent, the other is sadly too rough, kinda like a rough sketch with less interesting panel work.

So yeah this was the most fun I’ve had reading anything Star Wars in quite some time. There’s nothing all that surprising or vital about the story but it’s just solid, attractive comic goodness. In a way it’s much like The Mandalorian in how it exists as a fun adventure that doesn’t overreach or outstay its welcome. It’s a very short read as well but if you come across an inexpensive copy I’d definitely advise picking it up. Thing was good enough to get me considering more of the Marvel material. God, just when I think I’m out they pull me back in.

So let's chat about this Duel of the Fates thing. When this original script for episode IX by Colin Trevorrow and Drek Connoly first leaked to the net everybody started talking about how much better it would have been than what we got. Before even getting into a review let me firmly establish that is not true. Rise of Skywalker may have a wealth of issues but this thing is a goddamn dumpster fire of the first order… see what I did there?

Reading this script makes it very clear why these original writers still got some credit for the finished film as the two projects share a lot of the same beats only to achieve far different results. Take for example how in each story Kylo Ren obtains a device on Mustafar that leads him to an elderly Sith master on another planet. In the films case it is Palpatine on Exegol who marks the main conflict of the story. In this script is is some asshole we’ve never met before on a planet called Remnicore in a sub-plot that lasts like two scenes. There are countless other similarities such as rebelling stormtroopers, force-sucking powers, a fake-out character death, the wasted potential of the Knights of Ren. Yet the script manages to make even worse twists and turns as events unfold. When retelling the plot to my brother I initially forgot the revelation of Rey’s name simply because it was such a none moment.

Character placement and development make little to no sense. General Hux really wants to wield the force, a practice that leads to him commiting suicide with Mace Windau’s lightsaber. Poe and Rey have an awful romantic sub-plot that goes nowhere. Maz Kinata isn’t even mentioned. Everyone is seperated more often than they were during Last Jedi. And then there’s our force users. Kylo Ren barely interacts with anyone and isn’t a threat. Sure he has an evil scheme but it amounts to nothing as if the whole universe would have been better off ignoring him. As for Rey, yikes… these guys can’t write a woman. The developments they’re most interested in for Rey are her new tighter costume, fancy new lightsaber, and her assuredly more mature body, it’s a little creepy honestly. They even take the Falcon away from her, and people say Abrams was feeding negative fanboys. The final duel has no actiual reason to happen and resolves with decision from Kylo that had no build-up.

Even worse than the bonkers characterization and atrocious dialog (no one is no one) is the simple fact that this doesn’t even feel like an ending to this trilogy, let alone the primary saga. The key conflict pretty much amounts to restoring cell phone service while Rey tries to stop Kylo from reaching a fan-service planet. There’s less happening than in the film and yet there’s somehow less action and character development too. Lea is reduced to being kind of cowardly and apparently nothing changed for Lando who I believe is in two scenes total.

While doing my best to avoid major spoilers about the film I can probably sum up the scripts lackluster nature with one vehicle. Much like the movie there are super-powered Star Destroyers in this script. While the ones in the movie are convenient to say the least the audience is given enough information to make up their own origin. In this script there is only one such ship. It’s title is the Finalizer, actual spelling. Hux has it, it suddenly appears, has no point of origin, and despite being capable blowing up planets it finds ships much harder to deal with. Rather than have this thing appear as a sign of how desperate the conflict is they simply use it as a set piece where our heroes fly through chunks of exploded planet and shout quips at each-other. Probably not the best way to showcase a deadly tragedy but that's just how these gents operate.

For as awful as this script may be I honestly encourage anyone who can track it down to give it a read. Being entertainingly bad in a text format is a tough feat to pull off. With all the rubbish descriptions, putrid dialogue, and silly ideas there’s bound to be something that will give you the giggles. God, did I even mention when R2 plays a clip montage from the old movies? That shit totally happens. Lucasfilm made a smart move in canning this project and thankfully this script will linger as a relic of the weaker ending we could have been stuck with.

Thus marks my slight return to the realm of Star Wars written material. Actually I've got another post of two's worth of content to cover in this field but for now this will have to do. It's nice to find something like Kanan that provides solid entertainment alongside the likes of this dreadful script as it showcases all the folds and permutations of a franchise in flux. An announcement for a new wave of High Republic content focusing on the era 200 years before Phantom Menace come out recently. I'm curious to see what can be done once the pool of writers are allowed more freedom to craft stories without dancing around current movies. That's a topic for another night however. Right now it's Saturday night and I need me some horror movies. Ta.

CosmicSparky's Snack Report: February 2020

During the past few days I have written well over a dozen pages of academic content, created my very fist gifs, discovered the video editing features available through VLC, studied countless sources of information, finished a class, and conducted all manner of important correspondence with professors and money men. I've been quite the responsible lad and frankly I am thoroughly sick of it. This guy needs a break during his few days between classes which means you all benefit. I'm currently stuffed with paczki and feeling a need to write something fun but disjointed, don't have the attention for a single item. Snack Report it is. This month we've got a couple of outstanding treats alongside some disappointing flavor experiments. Let's take a bite shall we?

Reuben Pringles

Given how often I check on snack blogs it's always a thrill to find something that hasn't been reported on yet, as was the case a few weeks back when the search for Combos and energy drinks lead to the discovery of a brand new Pringle flavor. Not just any flavor mind you but one based on one of the greatest sandwiches known to mankind, the wondrous Reuben. I could just imagine the delicate taste of sauerkraut and thousand island placed into a crunchy chip. Could these ever live up to my hopes?

Opening up the tube provided a fairly accurate smell, not as good as the real deal but in the ballpark at least. The first taste was quite good as well. They tasted like both Pringles and my beloved deli delight, then something began to change. Over the following days some of the flavors begin to shrink while the cheese aspect overtook them. Problem was the cheese was more of the cheddar powder variety than Swiss which made for a twisted take on Reubens. It was still good but the glory was fading fast.

In the end these Walgreen exclusives were a fun treat though one that must be consumed fast. And for those who don't like Reubens (twisted monsters) these likely won't provide much in the way of satisfaction. I'll give em a three out of five pending they're eaten quickly.

Combos Sweet Barbeque Cracker

The reason I went into Walgreens that night was in search of their newest Combos exclusive, Sweet Barbeque flavor. Of the three Combo mediums cracker ranks far over pretzel and BBQ is always good, right, so these must be good... right?

Oh boy were these ever a let down. The initial scent was odd to say the least and the flavor followed suite. For starters the whole experience has a kind of overbearing hickory quality to it that throws more smoke which throws off the sweetness. It's not a horrible taste but it fails to satisfy on almost every front. I say almost because when left bored and hungry in class I still managed to consume a great deal of the bag. Still; these are pretty much a failure, albeit an edible one. I give em a two outta five.

Coke Energy Drink

Another item from that successful Walgreens trip was the spiffy new Coke Energy. I suppose it makes sense for Coke to enter the energy drink market though I'm not quite sure why instead of launching a totally unique flavor they just adapted regular and cherry Coke to the highly caffeinated format.

Results are honestly lame. It smells like Coke but a bit off, it tastes like Coke but a bit off. It's not as tasty or refreshing as the regular versions nor is the energy effect as smooth as titans of the field like Monster or Rockstar. Those factors are already enough to bring the rating down but there's another interesting tidbit to talk about.

My sister had heard from a few co-workers that after drinking this stuff they suffered a bout of the runs. Naturally I was doubtful of these reports but wouldn't ya know that after half a can I started to feel a certain need. It wasn't the full-on hersheys but Coke Energy seems to have a wee bit of a laxative effect to it.

So it doesn't taste that great, isn't very refreshing, isn't a great source of energy, isn't unique, and it might lead you to the toilet. This stuff ain't gonna last. We're talking a one outta five.

Fruit Loops Pop Tarts

After the disappointing antics of Coca-Cola I think we should turn to a brighter topic. I can't think of much better than Fruit Loops Pop Tarts. The loops are making several crossovers these days, including peeps, but the notion of toaster pastries seems silly at best. Worry not cereal fans as these are already among the top treats of the year.

Both the taste and scent are nearly perfect replications of the source material. Presentation is through the roof with printed designs on the frosting. Even the texture if good, if a little off as this is the desert style filling rather than typical fruit goo. Best of all they may be at their very best untoasted. Truly an outstanding snack and one I hope sticks around for a long time to come. Fuck it, I'm giving these a full five out of five but feel free to drop down by a half if you dislike the desert filling.

Cheez-it Extra Cheesy and Extra big

Yet another entry in this years wave of “extra” editions comes to us courtesy of the cracker brand most beloved by Corgis, seriously. Extra Cheesy Cheez-It isn't going to be for everyone, my nephew for instance thought there was simply too much cheese powder. For those of us who can't possibly get enough cheesy goodness these are a godsend. What's really great is how the major dosage of powder helps to separate these enough from the regular edition that both versions are totally valid. Nothing surprising here, just an excellent cracker. Four out of five.

While lacking a photo I also had the opportunity to try Extra Big Cheez-It which are nowhere near as impressive. Sure they're delicious, I mean it's still a big Cheez-It. These simply aren't different enough to be more than a temporary novelty, and don't seem much bigger than their already big ancestors. Still pretty awesome though so they at least earn a three and a half outta five.

Kit Kat Raspberry Cream

Already a relic of the Valentine's Day candy rush, Raspberry Cream was the latest holiday edition from Kit Kat. These special variants have been characterized by wildly shifting levels of quality ranging from the awful Pumpkin Spice to goddamn awesome Sweet Cinnamon. So where does this newest attempt fall on the spectrum?

So the smell is sorta artificial, as is the flavor. It's raspberry for sure but it's missing the bitey twinge of the real deal, opting for a smooth and mellow quality to lean heavily on the cream aspect. Sadly the cream has that sort of whey powder flavor mixed in there. Basically these are just alright, definitely a few steps above Pumpkin Spice but nowhere near Sweet Cinnamon territory. An accurate rating would be somewhere between two and a half & three. Not bad, just ok.

Arby's Mac and Cheese

Absolutely one of the most oddball moves from any fast food joint of late has got to be Arby's adding macaroni and Cheese to the menu. As both a lifelong connoisseur and a man with one mean recipe for the stuff I had to see what was on offer. The results were unexpected and a little confusing.

To begin with this stuff is thick for mass produced Mac and Cheese. This makes for a great filler and one hell of a winter warmer. It's got that cozy, mildly bloating feeling you crave. The flavor is where things get weird however. The taste is modeled far too much on white cheeses without a solid yellow to mix things up. These leaves the whole experience feeling a bit bland, they could really benefit from some pepper and paprika. That being said I've had a lot worse both from stores and cooks so I'd actually like to see this stick around, especially with the decent serving size for the cost. I'm gonna be nice and give this a three out of five.

Mtn Dew Maui Blast

Yet more store exclusives, this time from Dollar General. Frankly I'm not a huge fan of the place, more of a Dollar Tree man, but when new Dew is in the cards I can't stay away. Maui Blast was originally a limited time offer that I missed out on. It must have been successful as this month it became available full-time.

Right off the bat I love the tropical can design with tiki dudes in all four corners. The design is a perfect lead-in to the scent which is pure pineapple lifesaver candy. The flavor matches that smell and man is it ever tasty. Pineapple really is an underused flavor in the soda market so it's great to have something like this readily available. It's not a game-changer and I'm sure some folks won't like the candy styled flavor profile but I've gotta give this at least a four.

Skittles Dips

Alongside the Dew I finally picked up the newest Skittles which aim to replicate the whole fruit and yogurt combo with lackluster results. All they did was take standard-issue Skittles and apply a thick coating of artificial yogurt gunk. The eating experience starts off gross as there is only the coating, then gets pretty good once that mixes with the Skittles proper, then the coating disappears living you with regular candy. The novelty is so ineffective it leaves you questioning why you didn't just buy normal candy to begin with. In theory this could work but Skittles really needs to go back to the drawing board. Gonna give em two outta five.

And with that, I'm spent. It's been a long month and I've still gotta get in one more post by Saturday and get started on work for my next pair of classes. Success doesn't come easy so you all should expect plenty of snack reports in the months to come as I eat my stress. Tonight however I plan to celebrate with video games, Ultraman, and cheap Canadian beer. That's the hallmark of a future world-leader right there.

Ryusoulger Episodes 43-45 Review

This Super Sentai recap is brought to you by one of the core virtues of the franchise, dedication. That's because I'm trying to piece this together after countless pages of term papers on everything from neurological disorders to Matthew McConaughey movies... maybe those topics aren't all that different actually. So while I wait for school file uploading system to start working again we have an opportunity to catch up with the fabulous fighting force known as Ryusoulger.

Story:

This threesome of episodes serves as a sort of clumsy arc with our heroes learning about the past exploits of Master Black and the background on the Ryusoul Calibur while attempting to reach Master Eras and end this conflict. The team hits a bit of a roadblock however as Master Eras may not be so easy to destroy. In the past it was sealed away with the Calibur but overtime the monster began to feed off of the sword and has also intertwined its roots into the Earth itself. Quite the nasty little beast but let's not get too far ahead.

In an attempt to keep all this straight let's chat about episode 43. Pricious and Sedan have officially moved into the caverns under the floating temple where Master Eras sleeps. Not unlike how Kreon creates Minusaurs so does Eras give birth to Druidons. In fact she squirts out a new one named Gunjoji who soon takes his first tour of causing havoc on the human world.

Once our heroes hear the name Eras it sparks memories in Bamba of when his former master attacked their home village and swore to protect the mother of Druidons. The team must also deal with the cowardice of Oto and the teradon robot who each want to hide away from the battles to come. Fighting ensues, a second Gunjoji is born and the final confrontation looks to be taking place, or maybe not.

Suddenly we are treated to the speediest, most unnecessary bit of retroactive continuity I’ve seen in quite some time. Episode 43 ended with the whole crew walking into the caves all decked out in their shiny dino tights. Awaiting them inside are the Druidions who have just kidnapped Oto. When the next episode picks up the whole crew is outside, unmorphed, and is confronted by Sedan with the captured girl in tow. Not only do our heroes not enter the caves until roughly a third of the way into this installment but once they do it’s only four of them in their civilian garb. Oh and suddenly Gunjoji has made the leap from baby talk to full on sentences. Did the writers room suffer an attack by body snatchers?

Outside of the bizarre continuity issues, Episode 44 largely revolves around Oto and the Teradon overcoming their fears to join the fight with another new Druidon named Yabasword while Master Black arrives to defeat Gunjoji Jr.

Turns out Master Black wasn't actually protecting Eras but was trying to prevent his students from becoming Ryusoulgers so the Ryusoul Calibur that had sealed the beast wouldn't be removed. In order to watch over the situation, Master Black killed Sedan and has been wearing his skin for, I guess, a couple centuries by now... hmmmm icky and I just realized this is getting into the following episode's content.

Part 45 involves the team learning Master Black's history and attempting to formulate a plan to destroy Eras. So far the best option they have is Asuna's recommendation that they pull it out of the Earth, roots and all, like a weed. Before anything better comes to mind the team is sidetracked with a mission to recover Master Black's heart from Pricious.

During the big ending fight of the episode something strange happens. Eras seemingly commands the newborn Yabasword to turn on his comrades and rage against Ryusoul Tribe and Druidon alike. We're left hanging on that mystery for now so be thankful there's a full three episode left to get an answer.

Heroes:

Being this close to the end means the core crew are already well-developed so we really just get further proof of how much they've improved as a cohesive unit. I do feel it's important to note how much Koh has improved as a leader. Kid's actually making smart calls and placing himself in danger to protect those around him, such as taking Master Black's place inside the Sedan suit.

In the continuing drama of supporting female characters, Ui is still presumably out in Hollywood. Oto takes her place and actually helps out in battle by piloting a giant robot. I'm all for Oto pulling her weight in battle but once again it must be asked why wasn’t she just made a ryusoulger already? I mean if she’s gonna join the fight at least give a costume and some gadgets.

Meanwhile Towa is still just Towa. There’s a bit about how he was chosen to be the green ranger over Nada because he has a light in him. That better be some meaningful plot point cause I remember Nada and the dude had a lot more going on than this kid.

Villains:

Wyzul's absence is greatly felt during these episodes with the newbies severely lacking in personality. Pricious ain't much better though she does have some interesting banter with Asuna where their respective points mirror each-other only Asuna trusts her teammates whereas Pricious enforces loyalty. This has been a growing theme in this latter portion of the series and I hope something more can be done with it before the end.

You've likely noticed how little mention there is of Kreon. That's because he mostly sat these installments out after finding the card Pricious used to steal Wyzul's heart. Lil goopy guy is going on his own sort of Search for Spock mission and I'm all for it.

Overall:

Obviously I didn't have a ton to say about this batch of episodes but that's more to do with them being action heavy rather than any sort of quality issue. The show is simply trying to get all the pieces lined up for the big finale. Honestly I think I would have enjoyed more stand-alone fare as this series seems to work better in focused bursts.

One fun tidbit to mention is a shout-out to Mark Dacascos in episode 44. Alright, so it's just a funny bit from the writers but man would it ever be awesome to get him into this franchise. He could be a mentor, a villain, or even contained to a single arc like when Sho Kosugi appeared on Kakuranger. Somebody just get the word to him that Sentai loves him and would like to talk. Looks like someone shared it with his twitter now we just need a producer that likes to throw cash around.

Quality-wise the show is in holding position with the next few weeks proving once again to be the deciding factor of whether Ryusoulger will go down in history as great tokusatsu or just an entertaining diversion. As for yous truly I must get some sleep and prepare for another day of classes. Seeing as one of them is already done I should have time to get the updates flowing regularly again cause I've got a line of topics for you all including all manner of snacks, books, and god knows what else. Stay tuned and maybe I'll have something up for you this weekend.

Ryusoulger Episodes 40-42 Review

It can be tough sometimes to remember why we love doing the things we do. This is why it can be so damn difficult to sit down and do the otherwise fun activity of writing after putting together three to four college projects. The problem is only exacerbated further when forced to write about things you hate, such as the philosophical implications of Pixar movies, god how I loath them. What is very much appreciated is a show that reminds me why I watch silly imported childrens' action shows. Which is that despite all its warts, and yes there are several, this is such refreshingly honest entertainment to settle in with after nights of playing intellectual pretend.

I had hinted at covering this final run of Ryusoulger episodes in smaller chunks and the plan is to hold to that proposal. It's a good thing too as the show is really moving now. Characters are coming in, characters are going out, it's the hokey-pokey of serialized entertainment and, as usual, I'm already a few steps behind. So strap on your spandex and let's talk Ryusoulger.

Story:

The 40s begin with a relatively standalone episode that works to refocus the heroes as they move towards the grand finale while providing a few hints at the greater threat. The primary story involves a monster that can make fears a reality. This manifests in different forms such as Towa's legs locking up, robbing him of his speed, or Asuna putting on some poundage from her outragious eating habits. Even once the trick behind this critter is descovere he still proves nearly impossible to defeat as the whole group fears the potential deaths of their friends. As I said it's mainly a challenge to get them in the correct mindset for the dangers to come.

The key thing that was introduced here is master Eras, leader of the Druidons. Currently it's just a shiny ball inside an old temple but apparently its regeneration has been kick started with the usage of the Ryousoulcalibur. Not only does this suggest a deeper connection between both the Ryusoul tribe and Druidons, good thematic connections btw, but it's interesting to think Eras was on Earth this whole time while the underlings had fled to space.

Episode was a little bit of everything all in one package. On one front it was about Canalo and an ex-fiance, it was also about Oto's friendship with said ex, another Druidon general was introduced, and he tries to kill Kreon, oh and the team takes on a job as stuntmen. Yeah, it's a lot so let's bring it down to two key developments.

Remember Uden? The one episode general who killed off Nada? He's brother Saden is in town and while not quite up to the level of his sibling he's still one nasty lil bugger. The guy basically lives to take orders and destroy shit. When sent out to steal the Ryusoulcalibur he attempts to murder Kreon who got to it first.

As for our goopy guy Kreon, he is saved by the Ryusoulgers and in turn gives back the Ryusoulcalibur. After denying he was helping them the poor dude runs off to fine Wyzul that maybe the Ryusoulgers could be the key to getting Wyzul's heart back.

That's where episode 42 picks up, and while it's not clear how the established plan would resore Wyzul's heart he's basically going all out to finally crush the multicolored heroes by trapping them in a stage play of his own design. Among his many traps are having Canalo and Asuna act out Romero and Juliet with actual poison. As a whole the episode is tons of fun and has some great novelty such as using tricks from the live sentai stage shows during the final showdown between Wyzul and Koh.

This brings us to the big moment when Wyzul is defeated, a moment that ties Kreon and Koh together in a strange way. The Druidons killed Koh's friend and now he's taken the another of theirs which leaves Kreon alone with nowhere to turn.

Heroes:

Before getting too far into the heroes section I wanted to mentioned a leftover plot thread that's been bothering me for a few episodes. Anyone remember how the prime minister was another ryusoul tribe member who'd been hoping for death? Well she had a fairly chummy relationship with Gaisorg, presumably she knew it was Nada in the armor. What the hell happened to her? Like what was the point of linking her and Gaisorg only to never bring it up again? Just something I'd like to see covered in the remaining six or so episodes.

As for the main crew just about everyone has matured a little more of late due to the recent upgrade in threats. Koh and Bamba in particular with the former seeing a potential ally in Kreon only to possibly make him an even bigger foe while the later has been thinking ever more of his teacher who taught him to avoid attachments. Towa is still lagging behind everyone else and has essentially reached the point of being that guy in a war movie who's talking about his favorite candy bar mere seconds before getting blown up.

Meanwhile in the ongoing saga of where the hell is Ui? She's supposedly been very busy of late because she's been discovered by someone in Hollywood and is traveling over there for a bit. For as much as I've grown to enjoy this show the absolute lack of direction regarding this girl is just plain baffling. Remember when she helped with missions and actually spent time with the team? In the beginning she was very much an embodiment of the theme of human connection and now she's just jetting off to Hollywood. Far be it from me to suggest some damsel in distress outcome but can this please be an evil scheme or something?

Villains:

Obviously the major talking point is the exit of Wyzul. After Tankjoh stepped out way back in ep 5, 6? We knew Wyzul wouldn't last the whole show but that doesn't make his goodbye any easier. I wouldn't say Sentai has had a villain problem these past few years but there has been a higher than average amount of generic bad guys. Watching this cocky, eccentric blow-hard thoroughly enjoy his evil work has been a blast and while his final scheme didn't make the most sense it was a perfect send-off for a guy who viewed villainy as a show.

Kreon is definitely becoming more interesting given recent developments. the current command structure of Druidons has no interest in him, His best friend is dead, and the Ryusoulgers who he was starting to believe in are the ones responsible. Whether or not my prediction of him becoming the endgame villain comes true he's absolutely primed to be a key figure in however this conflict will end.

For her part Pricious continues to be evil for evil's sake. Her new lacky Sedan isn't quite as cool as his brother but he is a formidable opponent. There's nothing terribly wrong with either of them but fingers crossed one of them or Master Eras turns out to have deeper personality traits than just pure evil.

Overall:

It probably seems like I have a lot of complaints about this series but that's more from the lens of the story nearly being over than with my enjoyment of it. By and large the characters, action, and plots are better than ever. Plus it's great to see a show doing so much better in it's back half after witnessing Lupinranger vs. Patranger aimlessly wander during several points in its run. Ryusoulger really is one of the better sentai I've seen from this past decade to the point that even if it doesn't fully stick the landing it'll still be a solid wrap up to the Heisei era.

That reminds me that we now have plenty of information on the next sure that will fully usher in the Reiwa era of the franchise. So far Kirameiger looks like a real trip with lots of retro looking aspects alongside some modern production values. The suits ares very straightforward with a few nice touches, I really like how some of the villains have humanoid features rather than being fully costumed. What excites me the most is that these heroes have established careers. After years of each hero only working at being a hero it's exciting to imagine how the pink ranger being a doctor, or yellow being an e-sportsman might interact with their battle against evil. There's some very interesting talent behind the scenes with writers from Abaranger and Dekaranger, a decent looking cast, and some spiffy looking light-up robots. Color me excited.

There will be another review up soon enough since I already have a couple more episodes in the can. Blessedly the next couple of weeks are far less busy which leaves plenty of time to catch you all up on more super-heroics, snacks, and the first Star Wars book in a good long while. See you all soon.