#so consider this an undercover needles design lol

[gnarled-garden]

Spiky

Silly guy just wants to cuddle

[furederiko]

Beware the sting of the Scorpion! This recap-view for Kyuranger's 3rd episode, also marks the end of February...

- Before I start, I need to state one important thing first! It just occured to me after watching episode 2 again... this show also feels like a Super Sentai version of "One Piece"! Not just from the theme of adventure from one place to another (in this case planets, instead of islands), but through its characters as well. Lucky might have had his name derived from Luke Skywalker, but it could also be a simple reference to Luffy. How could I have missed that? Spada the fighting chef is basically Sanji. Witty Hammy might feel similar to... Nami. Balance's personality is a mixture of Usopp's goofball and Brook's dandyness, while Naga Rei is a blend of Robin's silence and Chopper's naivety. Big robot Champ is basically a bull version of Franky. Hot-blooded Garu is... Zoro, and not just because they sound the same (duh?). And many other similarities. I might be overthinking this, but "One Piece" is being produced by TOEI Animation, and is still hugely popular. So it makes sense right? Okay, now that that's out of the way, carry on... - We get to see a glimpse of Champ's backstory in this episode. YAY! And hey, did Champ (who is a robot, unlike Balance, so he claims) just... dream? Wow, this bit easily reminds me of Zane from "The LEGO Ninjago" series. It also helps that Professor Anton (Tsuyoshi Ujiki), his creator even looks similar to Dr. Julien! His whole 'being in Robot Wrestling Championship' also reminds me of "Real Steel". I also just realized that Champ couldn't wear his Rebellion jacket properly due to his body size, hence why he hangs it on his right shoulder. On a side note, are the Kyurangers playing... pool? WOW. That's another ball reference! - Commander Xiao Long Bao debuts! He's obviously a Dragon, a Purple one, and I'm really digging his design. If you think we already have too many goofballs in form of Lucky, Balance, and Naga (basically due to him parroting other's expression), then you might need to bite your tongue. Don't expect a stern figure like Doggie Kruger of "Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger", or a wise compassionate one like Torin of "Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger", because Commander Xiao is easygoing, carefree, and well... can't seem to take things uhm, seriously. His cheesy/corny pun-tastic gags easily reminds me of Nariya Ookido (Samson Oak) from the new season of "Pocket Monsters"! At least Xiao's hillarious though (seriously, I'm chuckling like crazy with everything he does), and not annoying like Nariya. His voice actor Hiroshi Kamiya (the voice of Trafalgar Law in "One Piece", and Takashi Natsume in "Natsume Yuujinchou") sounds 'different' here. Which is a pleasant surprise, considering it's rather RARE to hear him sounding gruff and un-ikemen-like. At first sight, that is, because his natural voice does become familiarly recognizable after a while. - However, his personality and constant teasing to Raptor isn't the utmost important thing regarding this debut. Why? Two reasons. First, I might be mistaken, but it seems Raptor's the only one who has known him. I mean, even the first three members Hammy, Champ, and Spada looks at him like a stranger. Second, because our Commander shows up by bringing loads of Auxiliaries Kyu Globes... all at once! I count there are 13 of them at the table. WOW!!!! I know there are at least 45 of these collectibles confirmed so far (because... I have the list, duh?), and it could go on towards 48 if the show's following Ptolemy's Constellations instead of the 88 modern ones. But do they have to reveal so many at the same time? What's wrong with obtaining them one by one? At least, I thought the show is going to do that *sigh* - By the way, as suspected, we get an update for the Opening Sequence once more. It contains a 7-members transformation scene now. Although... the way Libra Gold and Ophiucus Silver are standing with a little distance from the others looks rather... awkward. I get that the empty space is meant to be occupied with the remaining two members, but it still looks odd. With what's happening in this episode, looks like we're going to get the full version after 5 episodes. - This week's destination is Planet Needle, a so-called desert planet. And it's about to go even dry soon (in just three hours!), because apparently, the planet is in danger thanks to Jark Matter draining on its Planetium, its vital energy source. This is accomplished through a special spaceship called Moraimarz. Sounds like a plot from Netflix's "Voltron Legendary Defender", right? To be honest, when I heard the phrase 'desert planet', I sort of expected something like... Tatooine, perhaps? Alas that's not the case, because obviously Japan doesn't have the kind of natural open-space setting to pull this off practically. It still acts as the inspiration for the new character's clothing choice though. - Aaah, yes, we have another new character, and it's Stinger (Yousuke Kishi)! Eventhough he has actually showed up on the closing scene last week, parading around that odd-looking pendulum. LOL. I wonder why he debuts alongside Commander Xiao? Could they be... linked somehow? Hmmm. Anyway, true to his namesake, Stinger has crazy... stinger! I've read about this ability before, but I never expected that it would be this cool. It is used as an offensive poison-inducing weapon, and I really love how it's conveniently serving as some kind of whip too. Particularly when it is used to strangle Champ during their duel! - Yes, intriguingly, Stinger is linked with Champ's backstory! This has got to be a red-herring, but for now he's being regarded as the man behind Prof. Anton's death. The twist of the day, is that he's already a Kyuranger, and even has his own Constellation Blaster! #2 The Poison Star Scorpio Orange debuts, but not on the same side. Yep, only episode 3 and we already have an anti-hero on the loose! One that even takes down 5 Kyurangers without breaking a sweat. - This is a wonderful development, because it signifies that Stinger could very well be the first Kyuranger ever, even before Raptor joins the team. Commander Xiao must have known him already too. Hence why he's evading all sense of urgency. In fact, I have an inkling feeling that Stinger is acting as some kind of... spy/undercover agent. A ruse to get him close enough to Eridron. Proof? The poison he had struck to the Kyurangers, wears off on its own, which means, it's never lethal! Not just that, the way he treats the Malistrate Moretsuyo-Indaver strikes me as odd. Sure, he does attack him because he hates to be interfered, but he might have said that as an excuse to fight alongside Leo Red. - Just like Garu, Champ is in this not just to protect the universe, but also for revenge. Which is why they get along nicely. This is where a naive character like Lucky organically comes into play. His pure sense of justice doesn't want Champ to have a grudge against Stinger, because both are Kyurangers. After all, they need ALL NINE to form a complete set, right? It would be wrong if one member is working with Jark Matter. Beside, his easy logic says that a bad guy wouldn't be able to awaken a Kyu Globe, which is a very valid reason, IMHO. I just hope this doesn't mean that Champ's story will be resolved very quickly. - Interestingly, Champ, Stinger, and Lucky are all zodiac-based Kyurangers, right? (Taurus, Scorpio, and Leo). Speaking of zodiac, Gemini Kyu Globe (Futago/Twins) becomes the first Auxiliary Globe used in the show. Obviously, it is used to create a twin/clone, and so we have two Leo Reds now! Raptor herself delivers this item for Lucky to use. Wait, if she's on the ground (and clearly enjoying the fight), who's piloting the Orion? Balance! After all, controlling other machine is his ability. And see? The other members have recovered easily as well. - I can't explain the reason why Scorpio Orange summons his Scorpio Voyager to stop Leo Red, but highly likely it's a fan-service to Super Sentai mecha fans. Yep, while Kyuren-Oh is duking it out with the Moraimarz (the spaceship has a robo form!), we're getting a parallel fight between the orange and black Voyagers as well. Poor Chamaeleon Green gets her Chamaeleon Voyager position-swapped by the more offensive Ophiucus Silver though. That's twice in a row! LOL. As for Dorado Yellow? We get to see his Voyager's finisher instead. "Kyuren-Oh! Meteor Break! Super Galaxy!". - In the end, angsty Stinger is NOT part of the team yet. Worse, he's officially working with Eridron now. Thus his silhoutte becomes Dark instead. Will Lucky be able to win him over as friend? Or will Champ's words be proven, that he's a foe? Friend or Foe, that is the question. Oh and one more thing, the ending dance only adds Xiao Long Bao, with Spada (who's having a blast with the choreo!) and Hammy taking the spotlight. Guess we shouldn't expect Stinger in it until he's officially part of the team, eh?

Overall: I knew it! I've suspected that Stinger would easily steal my attention when I first saw him, and he did. But that's not all. He's vying Balance's place to be my favorite character of the show, giving the mechanical lifeform a run for his money. I really liked Stinger's anti-hero debut, as well as Champ's backstory. Unfortunately, the latter is also the reason why I'm not giving this episode a higher score. Right now I'm worried that the robot wrestler's story would be resolved too quickly. I might be worried for naught though. With that said, the season's world-building continued to impress. The fun new Commander was a great addition, because it's clear that he might be something more than meets the eye. Can't help but wonder what kind of secret he has under his sleeves? Perhaps, a rather heroic one? Hmmm... ;D Next week: The Final (for now, at least) Kyuranger debuts... Clumsy dreamer Raptor-283 steals the spotlight!

Episode 03 Score: 8 out of 10

Visit THIS LINK to view a continuously updated listing of the Kyutama / Kyu Globes. Last Updated: February 26th, 2017 - Version 05. (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.