Hey, everyone! It’s my first review, so let’s not waste any time on formalities and climb aboard with our favorite Traingers in Episode 35 of Ressha
Sentai ToQGer: ‘The Stolen Terminal‘!
The episode begins like many before it with Zed brooding on his throne behind his privacy curtain. Does he have a bedroom?
He still doesn’t understand Grita’s shine.
And this puts him into a bad mood, storming out of his blanket fort in his attractive monster form, spewing off more black aura than we’ve ever seen, sending his babysitters nobles flying. This pleases the Marquise, which in turn creeps me out, but I digress.
Mork quickly hatches a plan to monopolize on Zed’s broodapalooza to take out the Hyper Express Terminal.
A fleet of Darkliners and Crows overwhelm the Terminal and the Shadow Line takes control.
Theme song!!
Not to waste any time, the ToQgers rush to the Terminal’s aid, with Right and Akira spearheading the attack.
Unfortunately, there is so much darkness that they have to retreat. Mork plans on using that retreat to fortify the hold on the Terminal. Nero doesn’t like the idea of her taking charge and getting credit for what seems to be a successful operation.
Back to Zed. Still doesn’t understand why Grita’s shine isn’t his and resorts to threatening to consume her with his NEVERENDING DARKNESS (WHOA OH OH OH OH) unless she gives it to him. And Grita says nothing, LIKE A BOSS.
Well, looky here, it’s General Schwarz at the place where Grita died. After a brief flashback to that scene, he vows to honor her sacrifice to save him, no matter what.
Back to the ToQGers, regrouping at their base. The gang and the Conductor are trying to strategize when in walks a man with a giant bunny head! Oh, no, that’s just the President of the Rainbow Line! He escaped the raid safely and has a way for the ToQGers to get back in! Obligatory rabbit jokes, sight gags, and language puns because Japan can’t get enough puns!
Now that that’s out of the way, The President Explains it All: For the plan to work and get the Terminal back, they have to get all 13 trains together and use the Terminal’s new power. Hikari, resident person with a fully functioning brain most of the time points out that they only have 12. Unless they count Drill Express. (Which they do because DRILLS.) And, no, Ticket, it totes counts because he’s the President and he will do what the damn hell he wants.
If they don’t get Drill Express back from Schwarz, the Terminal (and every station in the line) is gonna have a bad time and become like the Shadow Towns. We can’t have that, so the team splits up, the main 5 going into the Terminal and Akira going to get his shit back from the Iron General.
Zed and Mork kick it in the President’s office, Mork’s really not feeling the feng shui of the place and wants Zed to destroy the whole damn thing. And while he’s at it, he just really needs to get rid of that whole Grita thing too.
Nero and Noire meet Right and the gang in front of the Terminal and a fight ensues. They didn’t even wait for the roll call to finish. They’re nobles! Do they not have any manners, geez?!
Schwarz is still at the cliffs by the river. Akira wastes no time before engaging in a fight.
Back to the Terminal, Mork has entered the fray and wow what the hey why are they so much stronger? Gotta be that high-grade darkness!
Heeeeeere’s Zeddy!
Akira’s not faring too hot now either. Using one of Zaram’s skills to get some breather room, the Conductor blows up his phone, telling him that the others are in some hot water and he needs to get back to them like yesterday.
Akira de-morphs and strikes a deal with Schwarz. He’ll do whatever Schwarz wants for the Drill Express. Where have I heard that before?
Zed is totally not obsessed with Right at all. Nope. No way.
Seriously though.
Noire worries about Grita. Right imagines Zed going down. (SNICKER)
Zed opens up the big bat-winged spider maw in his chest and tries to consume Right when Grita kirakiras her way through and pushes Right back into safety!
Looks like Grita’s not staying quietly inside of Zed anymore.
Mork has the white Darkliner take Zed away just in time for Akira to return with the Drill Express and it’s time to put the President’s plan into action.
But first, we get a quick flashback to what happened back with Akira and Schwarz right before he gave the Drill Express back. The men ‘bond’ over the shining they both saw and how it changed them. Though we still don’t know what Schwarz’s request was.
All 13 trains take another stab at rushing the Terminal, with the ring of Crow-piloted Darkliner Robo being completely decimated by RAINBOW LASER BEAMS.
The Nobles join the fight in their own Darkliners and charge them.
But the trains race past their barricade and right into the terminal!
Time for the 13 train car pile-up! I mean, ToQ Rainbow!
Mork, Noire, and Nero combine their Darkliners? Now, this should be a good fight!
RAINBOW BEAM CANNON
RAINBOW BLADES
ToQ Rainbow is massive.
ToQ Rainbow Final Slash! I was wrong about this being a good fight, it’s a slaughter.
The Nobles get away in the nick of time. Victory! The kids just pass right on out though.
Okay, so, Mork is basically like when your mom nags at you to get off the Playstation 2 and do your chores. Yes, Final Fantasy X will be there when you get done, just go out and do your chores, damn.
Mom, Spira is depending on me, get off my back for like 5 minutes geez.
It’s coming down to the wire for Grita, isn’t it?
And we still don’t know what Schwarz wanted from Akira.
Review:
This episode achieved two main things: Bringing Grita’s story back to the front and introducing the season’s Clusterfuck Zord.
Final Review
Even though it’s been slow burning, the plot about Grita and her shine has slowly become one of my favorite parts about the show. I must admit that I was very, very indifferent about Grita in the beginning of this season, but her plight won me over. I really want her to get a happy ending.
We also got a deeper peek into Schwarz’s character. He was moved by Grita’s sacrifice even though he was not good to her, and I think he understands Akira better now, too.
All in all, this was a pretty good character development episode. With the introduction of the Big Zord Combination tacked on. But when you have that many trains jumping onto one big station, you just have to crash into it, because trying to explain it would take too long.
I give this episode 4.5 kirakira kamehamehas out of 5.
This is Amber/pan2dapan leaving the station!
You can find me @pan2dapan on Twitter/Tumblr/Instagram/Facebook
See you next time!