REVIEW: Kyuranger 12
This week's episode was just as action-packed as last week's, and does an even better job at balancing the now massive cast of heroes. There's a little something for fans of almost every character this week. However, this episode is ultimately about our happy-go-lucky Red, who after the events of last week's episode is still not feeling very lucky.
Lucky's character growth in this episode was huge for both the plot and for building sympathy toward him. Abandoned on an alien planet as a child, he's dealing with a lot of pain that he alternates between burying deep inside and turning into positive energy. It was inevitable that there'd be a point in the series where Lucky loses his luck, but I didn't expect Kyuranger to play it so seriously. What could have been a fun novelty took a turn for the tragic real fast.
Lucky isn't the only character dealing with angst: with Ikagen's death comes a replacement villain, Stinger's older brother. I expect the next few episodes to nicely develop Stinger, Champ (who still holds a grudge against Stinger), and Stinger's more-or-less apprentice Kotaro. I was also glad that Garu and Raptor got a bit more exposure this week. Raptor hasn’t seen proper combat in weeks, while Garu hasn’t done anything other than nod in agreement since the second episode! Seeing Garu repeatedly punch Lucky was incredibly satisfying, even if he was hitting an already defeated man.
The fight against Ikagen required two things: the whole team and a new mecha combo! And I thought Zyuohger’s mechs were unwieldy: Ryutei Kyuren-Oh is so ridiculous it can barely move, and three of the Voyagers aren’t even included in it! I wonder how long Balance and Naga will be fighting separately. Also, maybe it was just me, but the background for the big battle seemed intentionally faker than usual. Like, that fake scale model building stuff is one of the reasons I love toku, but those toy cars seemed to be in the spotlight more than they’d normally be. That's not to say I didn't enjoy the fight; the fights in this episode were great, with maybe the exception of Lucky's use of the Gemini Kyu Tama.
I’m not sure if I find the Gemini ploy cheap or clever. Also, shouldn’t this be a skill for Hammy? Maybe I’ve watched too much Naruto, but I thought stealth was her game and at least the illusion of doppelgangers would be a talent of hers. What I’m really saying here is that I really, really want Hammy to be more useful now that she’s significantly less annoying. So many other characters are getting shown love that it's due time for Hammy to become a badass.
I am no longer worried about Kyuranger having issues balancing it's cast. This episode proved to me that while some characters must be on the back-burner each episode, they are all equally fun to watch while they're fighting. The chemistry of the group also seems to be improving, with the teamwork during fights seeming better and more believable. As long as Kyuranger can keep this balance up, this season is bound to be a memorable one.
