REVIEW: Kyuranger 11
This was a good episode for Lucky. Well, not for him, because his luck takes a turn for the worst, but his sudden turn of misfortune was certainly good for the show and for his character development. This week revealed Lucky's deeper weaknesses, a cryptic tragic flashback, and a suggestion that Lucky may not be as happy as he appears. THANK GOD. It was as refreshing to see Lucky desperate and pained as it was to see Xiao competent and strong. And because Lucky was busy bleeding/dealing with a legitimate personal struggle, the rest of the team was able to step up and showcase their strengths.
There is definitely a new dynamic in the group now that Kotaro is on a mostly-equal level with them. His trouble-making and rash immaturity have greater consequences, but he still seems like he’s open to learning. He and Stinger make a great combo, with Stinger definitely becoming more humanized by his relationship with the little guy. Speaking of which, Stinger always looks like he’s about to cry. His intensity looks painful, but it does give him an effective, constant aura of a hurt little brother hiding behind a cool adult facade. He's basically a more likable Sasuke Uchiha.
Both Lucky's and Stinger's scenes are the highlights, but the mecha fight was great and also worth discussing. Lucky is missing from the Voyager vs. Death Worm fight because he is injured, and I think his absence resulted in a great scene. While a bloody and desperate Lucky is running after his significantly more powerful rival, Stinger, Kotaro, Champ and Xiao demonstrate some great teamwork in the fancy Ryutei-Oh – a mecha that gives me huge Gurren Lagann vibes (it’s the sunglasses). This fight was awesome – the Death Worm was a welcome change from the repetitive machines in the past weeks, and the cheesy space background lends itself to great old-school kaiju film vibes.
Speaking of effects, Lucky’s blood is ridiculously bright and fake. However, the early scene with him sitting in his cockpit on the dock of the Orion was almost movie-level quality. The budget and quality range in this series confound me, but the good parts are definitely an unexpected treat.
This was a very busy episode, which I have no complaints about. But I wonder if Madako’s return would have had a greater impact if it occurred during a less eventful episode. I like the twist that her personality changes every time she regenerates - this could be foreshadowing of a potential change of heart or a newfound weakness in Jark Matter. Right now, the Kyurangers appear genuinely overwhelmed by their rivals. Their only hope may be finding the weakest link in Jark Matter itself.
