Welcome back to Super Hero Synopses, where people in positions of authority kind of suck! Kamen Rider Build reunites Kazumi (Grease) with his old boss, the former Prime Minister of Hokuto, as the two are pushed into a fight to the death. Kaito Sentai Lupinranger VS Keisatsu Sentai Patranger gives us our first look at a superior officer who seems to care more about procedure and public opinion than actually helping anyone.
Will we ever get to meet the Lupinrangers’ boss? Do the Lost Bottles have a more sinister purpose than simply making more monsters-of-the-week? Will Gentoku please go back to wearing his typical black suits? Come and share your toku fashion tips with us in our forum or over on our Facebook page.
Kamen Rider Build, Episode 40
“Revolution of the Apocalypse”
For all his bravado, Nariaki (Mad Rogue) doesn’t stand a chance against the debuting Build Genius and is fortunate that Evolt returns to collect the Hokuto Trio’s Lost Bottles from Kazumi (Grease) and allows his flunky to accompany him when he leaves. As the Riders return home, Misora and Sawa have to deal with the combination of Sento’s (Build) newly restored self-image against Gentoku’s (Rogue) seemingly fragmenting self-image, along with Kazumi’s depression at losing one of the few remaining reminders of his departed friends.
Sento goes to the shore to reflect and finds himself conversing with a mental image of Takumi, who explains that the Lost Bottles were created by their father in Hokuto. He encounters Kazumi and Ryuga (Cross-Z). The former wishes to return to Hokuto to investigate the source of the Lost Bottles, against the latter’s wishes, and Sento agrees to accompany him. The pair make their way to Sento/Takumi’s parents’ house. His mother is no longer there but Sento wants to examine any papers his deceased father may have left behind, while Kazumi goes for “a walk”. Sento discovers an old photo and uses his phone to send a copy to Ryuga, who recognises the subject as the woman who smuggled him out of Touto back in episode three.
Meanwhile, Kazumi attempts to infiltrate the facility where he was originally exposed to Nebula gas, only to be captured and exposed to even more gas. He’s then forced to fight against a Lost Smash formed from Hokuto’s Prime Minister. Sento and Nairaki both join the battle and it initially seems to go against the Riders, as Kazumi starts to dematerialise as if close to death, but Sento’s motivation inspires him to keep fighting. Sento manages to use the power of Genius form to neutralise the Nebula gas in the Prime Minister’s body and restore her to normal, and the two manage to force Nariaki out of his transformation. Ryuga and Sawa meet again with the smuggler, who reveals that she recently gave Sento’s supposedly-deceased father a ride.
Will Kazumi survive until the end of the series? Will Sento’s father be a friend or a foe? Would the people of Hokuto really accept a leader who was once a power-mad owl monster? Come and share your thoughts on Build with us on our Facebook page or in the comments below.
Kaito Sentai Lupinranger VS Keisatsu Sentai Patranger, Episode 19
“The Price for Disobeying Orders”
On the way to work, Sakuya (Patren #2) assists a woman being accosted by a lecherous oaf. The Patrangers are examining footage of cars being sliced in half to determine the cause. They are interrupted by their abrasive superior, Deputy Director Yamagami, who immediately clashes with Sakuya. Hilltop attempts to appease his boss by taking them all out for lunch at Bistro Juror. As they enter they are spotted by the man from before, Sudar, who is really a Gangler and resolves to make Sakuya pay for his interference. As Yamagami continues to pour scorn on Sakuya the rookie officer suddenly stands and pours his food over the deputy director’s head. Despite his protests that his body is moving of its own accord, Sakuya then flips the table and Yamagami fires him.
Hilltop manages to talk Yamagami down to merely giving Sakuya a two-week suspension but makes it clear that he is not to leave his house for any reason and confiscates his VS Changer. Good Striker appears in the bistro and is sure he detects a recent Gangler presence. The Lupinrangers visit Sakuya at his home and ask him about the incident. Sakuya mentions feeling like someone was gripping his hand and Touma (Lupin Blue) speculates that it could have been an invisible Gangler. Sakuya watches a news report about more mysterious property destruction and attempts to contact Hilltop. Unfortunately, Yamagami is also in the office and hangs up the call.
Sakuya decides to go in search of the Gangler only to encounter Hilltop. The two talk and Hilltop decides to return his VS Changer. The other two Patrangers are struggling to defend themselves against an invisible opponent. Sakuya spots some light leaking from the Gangler’s safe and manages to shoot him. When Sudar attempts to use his invisibility again the Lupinrangers throw paint over him and empty his safe before Touma asks Good Striker to help the police defeat the Gangler. Back at the precinct, Sakuya and Hilltop are ready to be punished for violating orders only to discover that Yamagami is overjoyed that their victory was front page news.
Do you have a boss as awful as the Patrangers’? When was the last time we got to see inside a ranger’s apartment? Do you like the Patranger-focus episodes or do you prefer the Lupinrangers to be at the center of an episode? Come and let us know in our forum or in the comments below.
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