Pick your jaws up off the floor, it’s time for my review of Ressha Sentai ToQGer Station 41: ‘The Christmas Battle‘!
In case you forgot, last episode we found out that Castle Terminal is sitting right smack on the face of Pleiades’ Shore.
While in shock, the ToQGers are whisked away to safety by the Rainbow Line. Akira figures out that this, this is their rainbow. Even if it’s currently a painbow.
Whaddya know, both Mork and Nero survived. Mork tells Nero that the reason that Castle Terminal showed up topside because of both the darkness drought and that Zed is a darkness-hating dingleberry clinging onto his nightlight that she has told him over nine thousand times to get rid of so help her and now they’re gonna do something about it.
On the Rainbow Line, the ToQGers try to get The Conductor to turn the train around, home is the other way what are you doing and The Conductor tries to get them to chill out because It’s Dangerous to Go Alone and We Need a Plan.
Grita tells them that the house that fell on their witch is Castle Terminal and she doesn’t know why it’s there.
Everyone is about to storm off anyway when the train is practically ran off the rails by Schwarz. They decide to play it smart and see what he wants, also to finally deliver Grita’s message to her bae.
Schwarz and Zaram roll up and demand Zed, but Mio interjects with Grita’s message of basically ‘Would you just stop? If I leave it will be Not Good and if I could, I would, but I can’t, so calm down.’
Schwarz decides to disregard her message because of reasons and attacks the ToQGers, which they deflect by transforming and it’s time to d-d-d-duel.
Tokatti and Hikari fight Akira even though they don’t want to, but Akira tells them that this is what he wants, so just hit him, no hard feelings.
During the battle, Mork and Mindy Nero run into Grita. As Mork threatens her, she reverts back to Zed. They try to stand up to him, but he’s not having any of that and thrashes them.
Zaram sees Zed and charges forward, Zed taunting him by transforming into 6-gou and they fight. As Zed!6-gou is about to deliver the final blow, Right stops him.
This offends Zed, because they were supposed to be looking out for him, and really, if you can’t trust your enemy’s enemies, who can you trust?
Right goes off on Zed for using 6-gou because Akira is 6-gou and just because you can use it doesn’t mean you get to. He goes Hypers and clashes with Zed, the combined shockwave of their manly punches de-transforming them both, sending 6-gou’s items flying. Right dashes to collect them before Zed.
Back in the fight with Schwarz, the others get the shit and transformations knocked out of them, sending them flying to the ground. Schwarz sees Zed and crashes into him, sending him flying off the ridge.
Schwarz pursues, intent on freeing Grita. Zed guarantees that he’s not gonna win, Schwarz admits that he’s not here to win, just be a distraction for Noire. She stabs him in the back, declaring that she will take her daughter back.
Zed blows them both back with a wave of darkness, Gritta appearing above him. Noire throws her afghan at Grita, releasing her and apparently giving her a new body because I’m pretty sure her old one was destroyed/turned into feathers and you can’t come back from being feathers, but I’m no alchemist.
Noire and Schwarz are relieved to see Grita free. Schwarz is rewarded with a mortal wound for his efforts. Zed goes to Noire, complimenting her on her scheme and she thanks him for not killing Grita but tbh, he probably couldn’t anyway. He responds by killing her.
As Noire dies, she taunts Zed again about being too late in killing her and says goodbye to her daughter. She becomes a mass of black feathers and fades away.
Grita mourns her mother while Zed is overcome with darkness and his Shadow form levels up. I wonder if he’s gonna have more forms than Frieza?
The ToQGers, watching this whole time, are stupefied by Zed’s new form. Mork and Nero come back (Again? They still aren’t pushing daisies?) and Mork is chuffed by Zed’s evolution and he wants nothing to do with it, this is like the exact opposite of what he wanted, like can he have any shine of his own, gosh.
Reaching out for Grita, Zed is stopped by Schwarz. Schwarz takes one last shot at Zed, knocking him back. He thanks Grita for saving him and repays the act by sending her away to safety on a Darkliner.
Zed retaliates by striking Schwarz repeatedly, Schwartz admitting that he may not have been able to defeat Zed, he still won. He’s got a shine and you don’t. you pompous dick. Zed delivers a final blow, Schwarz laughing as he fades away.
Mork runs to Zed’s side, complimenting his darkness, this is what she was telling him, look at how powerful he could be, stopping all that shining nonsense. Zed complains that all he ever gets is darkness, is sick of it, and lashes out like Mork just took away his Linkin Park CDs.
This only causes more darkness and Castle Terminal starts to sink. Akira concerned about the ToQGer’s rainbow, goes to stop Zed, seemingly destroying himself, not stopping Castle Terminal’s decent.
The ToQgers rush to the edge, fearing the death of their friend. They hear groaning and look down to see human!Akira at the bottom, getting up.
Akira apologizes for not stopping Zed before climbing up. He moves away from the others before they all crowd him, crying and hugging him. They tell him that they’re not crying about being sad, they’re crying because they’re happy he’s alive.
He wonders why they’re not sad about Pleiades’ Shore, and they tell him that while it yeah they’re sad about home, right now, they’re more happy that he’s okay and tell him that he better not leave them again because it hurts and they miss him a lot. That’s probably what you felt back with Schwarz.
Akira’s internal monologue is interrupted by a mass invasion of Darkliners erupting from the ground. Right offers 6-gou’s items back to Akira, asking him to fight alongside them again.
Akira takes them, admitting that he’s unsure if he missed them, but damnit he’s pretty happy now. He rips off that smelly old bandana and they all henshin together, just like old times, to battle the oncoming horde.
Right goes Hyper again and they summon the expresses, forming ToQ-Oh, Diesel-Oh, Build Dai-Oh, and Hyper Express Emperor. The Darkliner Robo march toward them and the ToQGers get to work.
As they work their way through the horde, they slowly bring together all of the robo, eventually into ToQ Rainbow.
ToQ Rainbow takes out the last Super Darkliner Robo and the final group of Darkliner Robo with ToQ Rainbow Slash.
As they celebrate, Right vows to get their home back.
Akira pays his respects to Schwarz before heading back to the Rainbow Line (OMG HE’S GOT THE JACKET BACK OMG). When he boards, it’s dark save for the Christmas tree and the candles everyone has.
Tokatti gives Akira an orange candle for himself and a black one for Schwarz. Mio places one for Grita in the window. Akira puts his hat back on and they all gather around and sing together while it begins to snow.
Back in Castle Terminal, Zed looks up at the Secret Base and sees the black around him.
On the Rainbow Line, everyone’s noticed the snow as The Conductor, Ticket and Wagon come in dressed festively to celebrate the holiday! Wagon brings out a cake and probably finished decorating while everyone changes into adorable Christmas outfits (OF COURSE RIGHT IS A CAKE. OF COURSE.) They welcome Akira back properly and toast each other and the holiday as the train takes off like Santa in the night!
Final Review
Friends, we made it. The finale of the ‘Christmas Trilogy’ as I’m calling it! We deserve a reward for making it through this rollercoaster of feels. A feelscoaster, if you will.
I keep thinking that with every whammy this series drops that yes, this, this is the climax, that this where things have peaked. And then, I’m proved wrong. Again.
As a sucker for a good redemption story, it’s nice to see both Noire and Schwarz find their respective shines. Granted, they by no means became ‘good’ but they still get their redemptions through Grita. I also love that they ended up showing up Zed by earning their own shine and not trying to steal someone else’s. There’s a lesson in there somewhere, I know it!
HOW ABOUT THAT ENDING THOUGH? I get feels through the majority of the episode, then they’re pretty much overshadowed by a ol robot fight and silly-cute Christmas costumes. LOVE IT.
I give this episode 4.8 glittering Christmas candles out of 5.
This is Amber/pan2dapan leaving the station!
You can find me @pan2dapan on Twitter/Tumblr/Instagram/Facebook
See you next time!
