Recap: Ressha Sentai ToQger, Station (Episode) 18 – If I Call Your Name

ToQger 18

Ticket is happy Zaram, an ex-Shadow, won’t be ToQ-6. But Conductor thinks they should let him be the sixth member as he appears to be very strong.

The ToQgers watch them arguing. Right asks why one person would have two opinions and Ticket immediately says they’re not just one person. “He’s just talking to himself,” Hikari says.

“That’s rather harsh…”

But nonetheless, Hikari agrees with Ticket. How can they trust a former Shadow who could return at any time? Right says the rain stopping is a sign that he’s truly changed, plus, he’s renounced his Shadow name and is now nameless.

ToQger 18

He may be eccentric, but he’s not a traitor, Right says.
But he did betray the Shadow Line, Hikari counters. Right doesn’t understand why Hikari is so doubtful. Hikari says Right is too trusting.

Mio tries to get both of them to stop arguing when the lights suddenly flicker to announce their arrival at a Shadow Line Station, Henzutsuu or “strange headache.”

ToQger 18

Over at the Castle, Schwarz thinks about Zaram using the Drill Ressha Kuliner. But he is interrupted by Zett. While Schwarz says he will take care of the traitorous Zaram himself, Zett has a warning for him. He knows Schwarz is gathering quite a bit of darkness, but Schwarz better be careful not to act without permission.

ToQger 18

Back in Henzutsuu, notZaram sees Ring Shadow happily torturing the townspeople by saying their names which results in them receiving a painful shock using the ring that is on each of their heads.

notZaram approaches, commenting on Ring Shadow’s cruel taste in torture when the ToQgers arrive to see the former Shadow and current Shadow seemingly associating with each other.

“I knew it,” Hikari says.

Ring Shadow sends a fireball their way and the ToQgers quickly henshin.

Kuros pop in to take them on while Ring Shadow attempts to attach rings to their heads as well. notZaram gives them a heads up and tries to stop Ring Shadow himself, but he ends up with a ring on his own head.

ToQger 18

Ring Shadow tries to use Zaram’s name to zap him, but notZaram feels nothing, since he’s given up his Shadow name. Right thinks that’s a wonderful display of Zaram’s strong Imagination and proves he’s no longer a Shadow.

Just then, Zett arrives on his personal Kuliner, wanting to see Zaram’s shiny change of heart himself. Right steps in front of notZaram, but Zett sends one of his energy waves Right’s way, forcing him to de-henshin and Ring Shadow to attach a ring to his head.

ToQger 18

Zett walks over to notZaram and asks if it really is possible for a Shadow to shine so bright so easily after renouncing the Darkness. Zett forces Zaram to turn into his Shadow form and the rain comes pouring down once again.

“You must not shine that brightly if you returned so easily,” Zett remarks. Ring Shadow tests it out and as soon as he says Zaram’s name, notZaram gets zapped. “You’re still a Shadow!”

ToQger 18

Right refuses to believe that. But Zett decides to take Right with him until Zaram returns to the dark fold.

ToQger 18

The other ToQgers talk with notZaram under a bridge. Hikari says Right trusted him, yet Zaram returned to being a Shadow so easily. Mio says there’s no use in attacking Zaram right now, but Hikari says he’s not attacking. In fact, he’s happy Zaram reverted back so easily since he hoped it would mean Right would stop being so trusting.

Instead, it only strengthened Right’s convictions. Right will continue trusting Zaram until he kills him. That’s why Hikari has given up on that. While Hikari won’t be able to completely trust Zaram, he’ll stop suspecting Zaram will betray them.

The others are happy for Hikari coming around and notZaram understands. He will save Right… and it’ll be the perfect place for him to die.

ToQger 18

Eh!?

Back on Zett’s Kuliner, Ring Shadow toys with Right by repeatedly saying his name. But Zett just wants to simply talk to him. He wants to know why Right is so sure Zaram is no longer a Shadow. But Right wants to know why Zett is so obsessed with shiny things.

“I want to know too,” Zett replies. When he was in the darkness, he saw the same shining, shimmering splendidness that he currently sees in Right’s eyes. He has been obsessed ever since.

ToQger 18

Then stop creating darkness! Right says. “Without darkness, how can we survive!?” Zett replies as he sends Right and the two Kuros holding him dropping down to the floor.

Ring Shadow continues to torture Right.

ToQger 18

Back on the Ressha, the ToQgers are trying to think of ways to save Right and notZaram. Ticket thinks maybe they have to become ToQ-6 after all. Wagon offers to henshin herself.

But Hikari’s got a better idea.

ToQger 18

Zett is lounging while he, Ring Shadow and Right wait for Zaram who appears, playing his harmonica and soaked by the rain.

notZaram tells Zett to let Right go and remove his ring before they can talk. But Zett wants notZaram to talk first.

Right yells for Zett to stop and Ring Shadow tells Right to stop. But oh, Right is no longer affected by hearing his name.

“It’s no use,” Right says. “Did you know I had amnesia? You jogged my memory with all that name-calling. My real name… isn’t Right!”

ToQger 18

Fine, I’ll just give you a new ring, Ring Shadow says. He takes the ring off Right’s head, but before Zett can even warn the Shadow of his mistake, Right breaks free form the Kuros’ hold.

“I lied. My name is Right!” He explains he was just able to numb the pain after being tortured so much.

But Zaram still has his ring. Ring Shadow repeats Zaram’s name until the other ToQgers arrive. Hikari tells him to stop, “His name isn’t Zaram.”

ToQger 18

The four ToQgers have the Renketsu Bazooka and aim right at notZaram. They fire.

ToQger 18

But it isn’t an attack on Zaram. Instead, a rainbow appears in the sky. Tokacchi explains since Zaram is no longer a Shadow, he needs a new name. Which is why they’ve thought one up for him: Nijino Akira.

Akira looks up at the rainbow and his new name. Right smiles at his creative friends.

ToQger 18 ToQger 18
ToQger 18

Zett looks up at the rainbow himself and understands. He tries to reach out to the light, but a flash and he collapses again.

“Why won’t the light accept me?”

Zett hops on his Kuliner and leaves the ToQgers to Ring Shadow.

Hikari hands Akira the AppliChanger and the Build Ressha and both he and Right henshin together.

ToQger 18

The ToQgers are now six. While the five ToQgers take on Kuros, Akira tosses his weapon aside and charges toward Ring Shadow.

With Conductor and Wagon watching the fight on a Rainbow Pass, Ticket reminds Akira he’s got a weapon he can use.

Akira runs to grab it and can now fight a little easier against Ring Shadow. He inserts Drill Ressha/Kuliner into his Yudo Breaker to finish off Ring Shadow’s first life.

As Ring Shadow embiggens, the other ToQgers tell Akira they’ll take it form here. They hop into ToQ-Oh.

But Ring Shadow knocks their Fumikiriken out of the way and attacks. They need a new attack of their own and Akira tosses them the Drill Kuliner, now Ressha for them to use.

ToQger 18

Akira summons Drill Ressha and it comes barreling out of the ground right up into Ring Shadow’s butt, spinning him around and tossing him to the ground.

ToQger 18

Drill Ressha attaches to ToQ-Oh and they unleash a Drill Tornado finisher to get rid of Ring Shadow for good.

The ToQgers thank Akira for his help and the townspeople’s rings finally disappear and they are now free to call each other by name.

ToQger 18

Akira sees his AppliChanger officially bear his new name. The others approach him and Right asks if he likes it.

Yes, Akira says, “it will look great on my grave.”

Mio says he can board the Resshas now with the AppliChanger, but Akira says his job is to protect the rainbow, which means protecting the Rainbow Line tracks, unknown to others.

ToQger 18

Akira leaves, playing his harmonica. Interesting fellow, they think. But Right says the six of them will be just fine. He can see it.

Episode Thoughts
A nice little wrap up to last week’s introduction of Zaram, now Akira. He’s officially a ToQger, but still the lone wolf which will be an interesting dynamic to explore moving forward. I would definitely like to see him stay off the Ressha for a while. But it does pose an interesting question. Are there other Rainbow Line maintenance workers? And if not, that would mean Akira would definitely have to remain off the Resshas and concentrate on the tracks.

Again, that’s a very interesting dynamic to explore and different from the usual sixth Ranger getting makeovers and going shopping with the core five. (Yeah, I’m looking at you Super Megaforce.)

It kind of reminds me a little of Shinkenger I guess. We saw Genta out with his sushi cart most of the time. Or maybe a little like Gosei Knight wandering around. (And no, not rapping with little kids at the library or giving African kids Christmas presents.)

With the continuing myhtology, oh man, I actually thought Right was serious when he said Right wasn’t his real name. That would’ve been a huge clue and even if he was just trying to outsmart Ring Shadow, I think it is still a huge possibility that the names we know the ToQgers by right now aren’t their actual names, or these personalities we have grown to love aren’t really them in the first place.

The show’s kind of moved away from that element of the story, while still filling in those memories along the way. I definitely hope we get to see more about the ToQger’s past and get some big shockers very soon.

The slow peeling off of the layers of the Shadow Line has been at just the right pace and I expect things to really pick up in the next couple of eps as we reach the halfway point in the season.

One thought on “Recap: Ressha Sentai ToQger, Station (Episode) 18 – If I Call Your Name

  1. Akira-kun is a baka. The toqger are trying to tell him that not everything has to do with dying and I like the moments between Hikari and Kagura especially that smile he gave her I know episode 7 he smiled at her. Anyway I know that Right lied but just imagine what would the series be like if Rights name wasn’t Right.

Share your thoughts!

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Back to top