Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Kaitou Sentai Lupinranger VS Keisatsu Sentai Patranger Number 35: The Good, The Bad, and the Normal - Summary/Review



Back to more cops and robbers and are just over the 2/3 mark of this season. The last episode introduced a new powerful weapon for the Lupinrangers with no scenario that needed it and has almost completely left the Patrangers in their shadows. Where can this season go from there? Click "read more" and we shall see.




Analysis


The episode begins with Kairi and Kogure talking at a public table when a new Gangler pops up from a sewer. Thirty seconds in and we already have our monster of the week.

Doryun Sanbu

This shovel handed purple man has the collection piece called "le grand fosse" which has the power to split people into a good, bad, and ordinary form. Hence the episode name. 


Like every main character in an RPG with "moral choice options".

Kairi henshins into Lupin Red and goes on the attack. Doryun comments about how early the fighting started and announces that he will use his power on Kairi. Just as Doryun is about to fire his splitting beam, the Patrangers show up which causes him to miss his target and hit Kogure. Well, this is the first time Kogure will get a major part in an episodes story since his introduction.



Kairi takes the three Kogure's away while the Patrangers continue fighting Doryun. However, the bad side of everyone who was split all gather and attack the Patrangers because they are the "fuzz". Not everyone has a secret street side who hates cops. One of the three Kogure make it back to the Lupinranger's Bistro, the other 2 are missing. Cut to intro!

I can tell this is going to be a silly or comedy focused episode.

One theme song later, Kairi is lecturing the nervous Kogure about losing the other two Kogure. Apparently, the nervous one is supposed to be the "normal" one. I feel slightly offended. Normal Kogure tells the Lupinrangers that if they don't return the three of them back together in 6 hours than all of them will die. Why 6 hours? Does splitting into 3 mean you have 1/4 of a day to live?

Cutting to the Ganglers base, the main villains give this new Gangler a little background. Doryun is a known shut-in so it was surprising to him that he joined into the race to become the leaders successor. That scene gave a tiny reason to remember this monster of the week and reminded us what the Ganglers goal was. I honestly forget.

Elsewhere, Tooma and Umika find the good Kogure helping an old lady cross the street while carrying her heavy bag. How cliche'.

He's all right because he's all white

Good Kogure cannot resist helping people in need and has been running around all over town getting dirty doing so. When did he have a chance to change clothes though? 

While the Lupinrangers are focusing on Kogure, the Patrangers are trying to track down Doryun and help the other people who were split up by putting them back together.

The sad part is this actually works.

It is played for laughs but this is another reason to support the Patrangers. The Lupinrangers know everyone who was split up has their life in danger but they only care about Kogure. On the other side, the Patrangers are helping people who just attacked them. But, they aren't the cool Phantom Thieves so, no sale.

Meanwhile, Kairi as located Bad Kogure. 


AAAHHHHH!!

After a comedic encounter, Kairi drags Bad Kogure back to the Bistro only to find that the Normal Kogure has gone out with less than 2 hours left. However, Noël Takao sends Kairi, Tooma, and Umika the location of where Doryun will appear next so the chase must wait. How do the Global Police still trust him at this point?

The Lupinrangers confront Doryun in a sewer where they find Normal Kogure in disguise as a construction inspector. This was an attempt for Kogure to redeem himself, but the Lupinrangers tell him that they will do the reckless work so he does not have too and a bunch of other loving statements. Kogure's disguises are how he gathers information. That was the new fact from this episode.



With all the sentimental stuff taken care of, it is finally time for some action. The fight is decent, even gets an interesting reaction out of Kogure who says he desperately tried not to see them fight. However, once Kairi uses his new weapon Lupin Magnum, the fight is over in a flash and they steal the collection piece. I guess the writers have completely given up on the Patrangers at this point.


Looks a bit like the Doron Changer

Kairi blows up Doryun with Lupin Fever, who is then made giant by Goche. However, this time the giant battle is underground. Plot twist?

Lupin Magnum's Robo Form is used to chase after Doryun underground and what follows is a silly battle. This Robo jets down tunnels, shoots up giant Pordermen, (who appeared out of nowhere), and knocks Doryun back to the surface by swing kicking him with a monkey bar and blasting him in the sky. Why was all this stuff underground?

Blasting out of the ground, Doryun almost hits the Patrangers car as they are trying to save the last of the split victims. 


Keiichiro and his team are left to witness the Lupinrangers easy win.

The episode ends with the Lupinrangers saving Kogure with only one minute to spare. They still don't care about anyone else who split.


Kogure is saved, the Lupinrangers treat him with hospitality and tease him about the bad side. The End!

Final Thoughts


This episode was silly, but passable. Kogure got some character development and any suspicion of him having dark ulterior motives is now gone. Other than that, nothing really stands out about it. Just more stroking the Phantom Thief ego. There isn't anything terribly wrong with this episode and it is enjoyable enough, just forgettable. 3/5

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