It’s that time of year, so let’s unleash our animal instincts as I review the series premiere of Doubutsu Sentai Zyuohger- ‘Thrills in Animal Land’!
We begin our episode with a tour group out in the woods, checking out all the awesome creatures of the forest. Their guide is Kazakiri Yamato, a zoologist. There’s also his boss, Mario, who’s super into wearing animal costumes.
Yamato gets separated from the group chasing after his lucky charm, no, not a heart, star, horseshoe, clover, or blue moon. Not a pot of gold, a rainbow, or a red baloon. A cube. When he finally catches up to it, he finds an even bigger cube and obviously feels the need to stick his little cube into that bigger cube. Omg that sounds dirty.
The cube activates and Yamato is sucked into it and is brought to another world. One where square is most definitely the cool thing. He’s confronted by a group of furries anthropomorphic animals who identify themselves as Zyumans and that these four in particular are guardians of the giant cube Yamato came from, which is actually called a Link Cube and it is Very Important.
They show Yamato around and explain that they used to get down in the human world, but a piece of the Link Cube went missing. A piece that is exactly like the one Yamato has, that thief.
Meanwhile, our villains, out in space, approach the earth and decide to take it over for some game or something. They send down Jag’d who starts wrecking the joint. Our heroes back in Zyuland notice that the Link Cube is going bananas and Yamato thinks that he’s gonna be trapped in Zyuland so he uses his piece of the Link Cube to go back to the Human World and ends up dragging the others with him.
They are thrown from the Link Cube into a forest of fire, definitely not how Yamato left it. Jag’d introduces himself and destroys the Link Cube, trapping the Zyumans in the Human World. They obviously get hella pissed and their Champion Symbols (their pieces of the Link Cube) change into morphers and they become the Doubutsu Sentai Zyuohger.
Starting out strong, they use their newfound powers to fight Jag’d’s Moebas, but the number start to overpower them. Yamato, watches from a hiding place, feels the need to help them protect the Earth too, so he grabs his piece and charges straight to Jag’d. Obviously, he gets the crap knocked out of him, but his intense desire to fight changes his Champion Symbol into a morpher and he becomes Zyuoh Eagle.
Zyuoh Eagle soars into the sky and destroys the Moebas there before taking Jag’d out. Master Genis, leader of the Deathgaliens, sends down a Continue to bring Jag’d back.
The Zyuohger call out their mecha, trying out their powers before Eagle, Lion, and Shark form Zyuoh King. Zyuoh King easily defeats Jag’d and our heroes win the day.
Unfortunately, our Zyuman friends are stuck. Yamato offers to take care of them, but he’s not sure how people will handle their appearances. Luckily for everyone, the Champion Symbols give them human looks. While Leo, Sera, and Amu are excited to go with Yamato, Tusk doesn’t trust him and doesn’t want to go along. Whatever will they do??
Thoughts
This was such a good first episode. I just can’t say that enough. I really can’t let a good start get me too hype for a series, but I sincerely hope that it stays this way.
I really like the characters so far, especially the Zyumans. I really enjoyed their exchanges, especially when Sera yells at Tusk for yelling. Just super excited to see where it goes!
The design of this series is so pretty, even though I did have my doubts when the toy scans were released, but in action, it works so good.
I give this episode 9.0 Champion Symbols out of 10.
This is Amber, signing off!
Follow me on Twitter/Tumblr/Facebook/Instagram @pan2dapan