#also Naga is here and she's doing her best but dang we know nothing about the cult surrounding her do we

[lumeha]

Looking at an old post, does Religion in FIre Emblem still interest you?

YEAH !!

TBF, it interests / fascinates me in a way that is, like... even the most developped religion in a FE game (the Church of Seiros) is so bare-bones that there are a lot of things people tend to add just from their own experiences with religions, which, in the case of the Church of Seiros in particular, tends to hurt it a bit in the Western fandom IMO. But. (waves hands) that's.

That's something else.

But yeah, I actually still really like that topic ! Because, beside Fodlan, religion is both such an inherent part of the setting and yet such an ignored part of the setting that it's really fascinating.

Take Valentia. Do we now anything about the Mila and Duma faith ? Not really. We know... basic philosophies that oppose Mila and Duma (and once again I will say that the game putting them on the same level is actually crap because we're supposed to see the bothof them as highly flawed because "Mila encourages indolence" but my guys my gals my pals the fields aren't gonna till themselves even if the land is fertile !!! people are gonna work out in the fields !!! the nobles may be lazy and indolent but you can't tell me you expect flour to get into people's hands without work !!), but do we know anything about... either the beliefs or the practices of either religions ? EHHH. Discutable.

We know both faith "fuse" after the games, venerating Mila & Duma together, and there's something bittersweet about it, and I like that death doesn't stop them from being deities. Because truth is, in many religions, gods are alive from their deaths. Be they deified humans or deceased gods. I think there is something, there. And, hell, we know that despite her death Mila is still kinda. there. in a way. in spirit. So why would that stop.

In Elibe, we know a religion is centered around St Elimine. Do we know ANYTHING about it ? Shit no. We know St Elimine, Mario Kart Double Dash Bonus CD Character, we know she participated in the Scourge (if my memory serves me well), we know she has a really damn powerful staff, but. Beside that. Uh. No ??

But it's actually kind of fascianting to me. I kind of want to build on that at some point. You have priests. You have at least one theocracy in Magvel. Why is it a theocracy ? GOOD QUESTION WE DON'T EVEN KNOW IT'S SO FUCKING FUNNY TO ME

But. Yeah. Religion in FE. It's a mess.

I love it though

[furederiko]

"GOOD LUCK!!!" The 32nd episode of Kyuranger sends off one of its key member to its final journey...

NOTE: Several unrelated things before I moved on to the recap-view. I couldn't rewatched this episode again (with subtitle) sooner due to unexpected situations at home. Hence why this post takes a bit longer to publish. And one more thing, I'll be off the grid throughout next week to deal with personal affairs, so recap-view for episode 33 will also be delayed until after October 15th, 2017. I'll probably batch that one with episode 34 in the 3rd week of October.

- Okay, let's start. New broadcast time!!! 09.30 JST means I can now wake up later than usual (not that I could do that casually, due to my 'trained' biological clock... -_-). This new time slot however, means more 'noise' issues to the streaming. Both figuratively and literally, as in internet traffic problem that caused delays, and pesky annoyingly LOUD morning aerobic held by the neighbourhood community almost every Sunday. On the bright side, this reschedule means the absence of that usual time stamp/clock! Although it does feel odd (like something's missing or somehow LOL) and took me a while to get used to, this clean footage definitely looks so much better than before because of it. - The show itself celebrates its new schedule with a neat special intro-narration that occurs mid-fight. Opening sequence remains the same though, here I thought it would get revamped like "Kyoryuger". It also debuts a Holy Moly flashy fan-service grin-inducing "Kyulette Chance!" by the duo of Tsurugi who firmly believes he should be the new Commander, and Stinger who tags along for unknown reason. Gotta love Kotarou's reaction to these two, particularly the "You're making us Earthling looks bad" jab to the former... LOL. Not unlike the cool intro narration, I'm not sure if the pair will continue to do this in the next episode (since Xiao already shows up later in the closing scene). Nevertheless, this is a hillarious gem indeed. - Don Armage looks a bit desperate, that he's offering Vice-Shogun promotion for Malistrates who can take down the Kyurangers. This is where Kukuruga's subordinate Dogyun (whose design reminds me of Decepticon Shockwave) steps in. Apparently, the Jark Matter scientist has the ability to control machines, and wants to utilize this skill to activate the numerous Consumarz on Earth. Remember, those machines were all shutdown by Tsurugi when he was awaken from his cold-sleep. - On the protagonist side, Naga confirms that Don Armage is situated in the Crux System. Somewhere around there, at least (Naga with emotions means he can openly cast jokes now LOL). Unfortunately, the team is facing a problem: ORION's condition doesn't allow them to do that. Not only the spaceship is damaged, but it is also beyond repair. Aaaaw... T_T. - Raptor, who is troubled due to her deep connection with ORION, wants to use Dogyun's ability to help repair ORION. Unfortunately, the Malistrate's skill is nothing but a fraud. Tsurugi explains that the appliances only become active due to a liquid organism matrix that triggers their electric circuits. So Dogyun doesn't play a direct role on them. - Things get more troubling, as Tsurugi's premature leadership is already put into question. Raptor feels that ORION is one of their important comrade, while he thinks that's just her usual delusions. This provokes Raptor's emotions, who runs away thinking it's useless to fight. A good example to why an inconsiderate guy like Tsurugi shouldn't be assigned as the new Commander *sigh*. - Spada has always been linked to Raptor (classic Yellow-Pink trope if you will), so it comes off as natural that he would stand up and support her. Aside from confirming that they are the early Rebellion members (possibly after Xiao and Stinger, and before Hammy and Champ joined the group), Spada admits that ORION might've been the miraculous spaceship that Raptor suggests. I don't know about you, but this scene makes me curious to see more flashback to the Rebellion's foundation! - Knowing a brief history that leads towards Raptor's attachment to ORION, Lucky decides to look for her while the away team deals with Dogyun who has rigged another set of Consumarz to level the area. Raptor is about to give up, troubled by the fact that she won't be able to save a teammate. Lucky proves that he's a better candidate to be a Commander, by encouraging Raptor to stand up and do something better for ORION's sake: fight on, to save the universe! - It's really nice seeing Aquila Pink being so fierce and feisty in battle. Not only she (with Leo Red's help) saves the day by using Telescopium Kyu Globe to remove the slimes from the reactivated Consumarz, but her action and strong feeling totally reaches out to ORION. Dogyun combines 10 regular Consumarz into a 'Super Big' Consumarz that's set to collide with Earth, and Kyutamajin is unable to stop it. So who's coming to the rescue? It's none other than... ORION. - The spaceship sentiently lights up its last remaining power, transports Spada, Balance, and Kotarou (the three stayed behind inside the ship) into Kyutamajin for safety, and rams the Giant Consumarz away from its destination. Which also means, ORION is sacrificing himself to save the Kyurangers and Earth. And to top it all, in its very last seconds, the ship sends one last transmission to the team, and most likely to Raptor in person... "GOOD LUCK". Aaaaawww... the FEELS. Dang you Kyuranger, even your ship is giving me misty eyes. Fun fact: Just like what happened to Orion or various other elements of the series, this is another strong nod to "One Piece". In this case, ORION serves as the Going Merry 'situation' for the Kyurangers. - In the end, the other Kyurangers agrees with Raptor, acknowledging that the spaceship is indeed the unofficial 13th member of the team. They pay tribute to ORION as it joins the stars in the sky, while Xiao can be seen overseeing a behemoth of battleship that would inherit its heroic legacy (the official CM for one has already been aired! LOL). Farewell ORION, thanks for taking us through an amazing rollercoaster ride throughout 32 episodes. You shall not be forgotten!

Overall: Personally, I think this was a good episode. Wasn't at the heights of the previous ones, but an overall good one nonetheless. It put Raptor283 in the spotlight, progressed her personal character journey that have already begun since episode 4, but at the same time, affecting the whole team in a major way. Of course, not every audience would take this kindly, nor in a positive way. The barrage of long and pointless heated complaints for this episode on RangerBoard, firmly reminded me why I walked away from that forum (glad I never rejoined and served only as passive spectator until now... totally forgot my password anyway LOL). This wouldn't please those who kept on arguing about her lack of focus episode and exposure. Completely ignoring the fact that they have ironically been downplaying her crucial importance to the show (seriously, Kyuranger would be nothing without Raptor's presence, eventhough she largely operates in the background), under the disguise of 'her defense'. Some people just could never be satisfied with anything! If you ask me, the fact that this episode was able to slip in a moving moment as a climax, and made us relate to the struggle of an android (who is portrayed by suit + voice actor), is an amazing achievement on its own. Do I want to see more development and focus story for Raptor? Yes. Will we get any? Probably not, because the approach to treat female characters as secondary at best is a common thing in Super Sentai franchise. Then again, Kyuranger has surprised us plenty of times before, so let's hold our horses and don't jump the gun just yet... Next week: Eris! Orion! And the Kyurangers' search for a place called home... PS: Just restating what I've said above. I'll see you again with the next recap-view after October 15th! Till then, stay safe, take care, and see you soon...

Episode 32 Score: 8 out of 10

Visit THIS LINK to view a continuously updated listing of the Kyutama / Kyu Globes. Last Updated: October 1st, 2017 - Version 3.01. (WARNING: It might contain spoilers for future episodes)

All images are screencaptured from the series, provided by the FanSubber Over-Time. "Uchu Sentai Kyuranger" is produced by TOEI, and airs every Sunday on TV-Asahi. Credits and copyrights belong to their respective owners.

[furederiko]

Time is of the essence here! That's why we shouldn't waste another day, and hurry ourselves for the recap-view of Kyuranger episode 25!!!

- Why is the Horologium Kyu Globe so important? According to Tsurugi, it governs TIME throughout the Kyuranger's universe. With said ability, it will enable the team to travel back in time and figure out what truly happened in the previous fight against Don Armage. Basically, it's the most powerful Kyu Globe of all, right? - As shown in the preview, this episode also serves as a Kotarou focus episode. And it doesn't waste time to get into that side as well, as the young boy immediately shares to his big bro Stinger about his desire to see a special person from the past: his mother Akemi Sakuma (played by Mizuho Hata, who previously portrayed Mugi Grafton... a.k.a. the third former yellow in this show!). He reveals that she had passed away not long after his little brother Jirou was born... Aaaaaaaw -_-. Dang it, do we really have to start an episode in such a melancholic way? Even Stinger is on the verge of breaking down... NOTE: For the record, Kotarou's mother is never addressed by her actual name throughout the episode. Her name Akemi is featured in the credit, thus I'll be using that for convenience purposes. - Remember the closing bit of episode 24, with Spada and Raptor alerting the ORION to follow them to Planet Tocky as soon as possible? Is it because Tecchu has already arrived and is attacking them? Not really. The 'distress call' was more about solving the planet's peculiar 'system'. Which is where this episode gets really NEAT. NOTE: Starting this episode, I'll be writing the name of the Rebellion spaceship in all capitals. Just to further separate it from Tsurugi's comrade Olion, the other survivor of the legendary battle in the past. Beside, I just found out that 'ORION' actually stands for 'Offensive Resistance Interstellar Orbiter of RebellioN'. Yes, took me 25 episodes to land on that information! LOL. - Apparently, the flat-shaped planet contains 12 keys placed in 12 different, clock-wise locations. Basically, it's a giant CLOCK when observed directly from above the ground. These levers need to be activated within 30 minutes from one another, in order to make it work and bring out the hidden Horologium Kyu Globe. Failing to set them up on time, means restarting from scratch. Yes, as if borrowing that pesky time-based puzzles from the "Tomb Raider" rule book! Clearly Spada and Raptor alone are TOO shorthanded to get this job done. No way they can each trigger 6 keys in time. Hence they have no choice but to call on the other members! Fun fact: Horologium is the Pendulum Constellation, which is usually depicted in form of a giant clock. The planet's name Tocky/Toki, is clearly derived from the Japanese word 'Toki', that literally means 'Time/Hour'. As a verb, the word 'Toku' also means 'To Solve/Untie', which itself plays out as a nice pun for this episode's clock-themed contraption. Over-Time might be using Tocky as their choice of translation, as a reference to 'Tick-Tock', the onomatopoeia or sound produced by a pendulum clock. - Each Kyuranger departs towards their respective hand number, which is a truly neat little touch. So Lucky goes to #1, Stinger to #2, Spada to #9, Kotarou to #11, and so on. Unfortunately, things might not be as easy as it seems. How so? Because specters from their past/memory begin materializing to confront/distract them from their goal. Sort of like mini-bosses, if you prefer to compare it to video games. - And they are? In order of appearances: Eridrone for Lucky, Scorpio for Stinger, Gonessy for Hammy, original Madako for Spada, Kuervo for Tsurugi, Supreme Commander Big Bear for Commander Xiao, Virgo-Garu for Garu, Naga for Balance, Professor Anton for Champ, Otome game-esque Suitors for Raptor (nope, NOT kidding XD), and last but not least... Akemi for Kotarou. The last one shouldn't be a surprise, considering the boy was indeed thinking about her just before they arrived on the planet. - Before we proceed, let's do a quick analysis. There are THREE type of 'Memories' that come into play in these scenes. Pure comic-reliefs, in the case of Garu and Raptor. Clear cut antagonists, like the case of Lucky and Stinger. And the third is important/precious people of the past, like what's happening with Xiao and Kotarou. Some intersect one another. Intriguingly, there are TWO specters that are acting... somewhat oddly out of character: Prof. Anton, and also Kuervo! We know that both should've been allies, yet they end up attacking Champ and Tsurugi as if... they are antagonists. I know this might not mean much, and it can very well be a plot inconsistency at best. On the other hand, I also can't help but wonder if it's actually... foreshadowing about future developments? Just think about it. Perhaps, one of them (particularly the latter) might have been the true face of Don Armage all along? Hmmmm.... - Leo Red, Scorpius Orange, and Chamaeleon Green are the first to eliminate their obstacles. The others begin to follow suit one by one, through various kind of difficulties. For example, while Balance pretty much gets to his key without ANY resistance, Dorado Yellow is having tough luck due to Madako's regenerating ability. Ouch!!! To make things worse, Tecchu sends out another actual clone of the Octopus assassin. Precisely, Otaku-Madako (the version that I think is everyone's instant favorite... LOL) to basically 'annoy' the team with her... devoted love for Moe-Hammy (and later the whole team). How on Earth Tecchu was able to obtain her body part, is beyond me. But that can't even be compared to Naga, when it is revealed that NOBODY showed up in front of him. It's a personal heart-breaking situation for him, who immediately wonders if his lack of heart is the cause to that. This one's clearly foreshadowing to what's going to happen to him... soon. Which once again... brings the case of Prof. Anton and Kuervo into question. - Kotarou is having a different kind of dilemma on his own. He can't turn on the key, because that means his mother is going to be gone again! Aaaaawww. I think anyone who has a heart, would have no trouble relating to this situation. I mean, what will you do if you're given another opportunity to spend a second chance with the loved ones you've lost, right? Tsurugi notices this, and his response is admirable. He's leaving the decision in Kotarou's hands. And boy oh boy, not only Kotarou steps it up by fully understanding what he must do, he also proves his strong resolution for it. Seriously, Kotarou might be the youngest member of the team, but he is certainly one of the stronger (if not THE strongest) character in this show. He might be small, but what a big heart indeed! And it helps that his actor truly sells it organically. As I've said over and over again, this boy is going to be HUGE moving forward! - Time for a 12-members transformation and roll call scene then! Yep... it might be a tad long (from 14:25 to 15:29), but also as grandiose and thrilling as one would expect. I personally love how it shows a close up shot from both side of Reds. Really stylish! Moreso, to think that it's already happening in episode 25 when previous seasons saved it for the last few episodes, only makes me wonder: what else will Kyuranger have in store for its second half?!! NOTE: For comparison sake, Kyoryuger waited until episode 39 to debut their glorious all 10-members transformation scene. While Zyuohger saved its 7-members transformation until episode 45. - The team is then separated into two. First half (Reds, Orange, Black, Green, and SkyBlue) deals with Tecchu. While the second (Commander, Blue, BN Thieves, Pink, and Yellow) sends Otaku-Madako back to where she truly belongs... the Comicket. Ahahahaha. And then everyone join hands to put down Tecchu for good, with their "Ultimate All Star Crash!". WHAT. A. COOL. FINISHER! All the while, Akemi watches as her son gallantly fights as savior for the universe. She might not be real, but I'm sure she's feeling really proud nonetheless. - Of course, why stop right there, eh? The great Kyutamajin is summoned, and this time around, EVERYONE gets to be brought onboard. Yes... just the way it's supposed to. And yes, it's undoubtedly a glorious and exciting sequence that would make any Super Sentai fans geek out and lose all sense of sanity. Just look at how those Kyu Globes light up, while their pilots can be seen behind them. STUNNING! The formation is 'effective' now, as different limbs can perform even stronger feat thanks to each cluster governing them. The Kyu Globes can also detach to their own Voyagers to give air support. Don't forget its over-powered "Ultimate Meteor Break! Super Galaxy!" finisher move. Suffice to say, this is one great mecha battle! Definitely the best one that the show has delivered so far. Farewell Tecchu, we barely knew ye... - We got our thrills, and a heavy share of amazing action... so it's time to end the episode, in a sentimental note. Yes, Kotarou needs to turn his key as the last piece of the contraption. Which means... it's goodbye time. His mom entrusts her eldest son to the team, asking them to watch over him. At this moment, I'm sure all the mellow-hearted audience (like yours truly) is beginning to lose their ability to hold back the tears. Rightfully so, because it's nothing short of a moving scene. Dang it, first Stinger and now Kotarou. Why does this season keep on giving us all these feels? - Horologium Kyu Globe is finally obtained, so what's next? Discovering the truth. It won't be easy though, because Don Armage has decided to send out... not one, but BOTH of his remaining Vice-Shoguns, Kukuruga and Akenba. Looks like dark times are about to loom over the Kyurangers fairly soon...

Overall: This was the kind of episode that made Kyuranger such a fun show to follow. It had great action, thrilling spectacle, the right amount of humor, but more importantly, it had heart. It boldly showed why a large set of characters just simply works. But at the same time, it still managed to include a powerful heart-tugging moment for the youngest member of the team. Whom, in case you forget, also serves as the surrogate for its intended audience. I came expecting this episode to be a total tearjerker fest, but I got a rollercoaster of emotion instead. That's wonderful! Also, this episode was all kind of smart. Debuting a Clock-themed Kyu Globe as some kind of celebration to having 12-members (who can represent each number)... was undeniably brilliant. Yes, it could've been more 'perfect' had it took place in episode 24 (get it? 24 hours?), but we know the circumstances that prevented one (remember those Golf delays that happened twice?). So it's an amazing feat nonetheless! Interestingly, and I've repeatedly said this before: we're only at the halfway point of the show (coincidentally, only around 48 out of 90-plus Kyu Globes -around half- have been used in the show/movie until now). Yet it feels like so many things have happened! Naturally, the major question would be: what more can we expect from this show? I guess we'll just have to continue tuning in and find out... Next week: Is having emotions truly a good thing? Go ask Naga about it...

Episode 25 Score: 8,3 out of 10

Visit THIS LINK to view a continuously updated listing of the Kyutama / Kyu Globes. Last Updated: August 15th, 2017 - Version 2.10. (WARNING: It might contain spoilers for future episodes)

All images are screencaptured from the series, provided by the FanSubber Over-Time. "Uchu Sentai Kyuranger" is produced by TOEI, and airs every Sunday on TV-Asahi. Credits and copyrights belong to their respective owners.