Recap: Ressha Sentai ToQger, Episode 21 – The Runaway Bride

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Wagon has happily prepared some treats for everyone to celebrate the arrival of Summer. They excitedly think about vacation, pools, barbeque, fireworks… festivals.

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“Festivals” triggers a blurry memory for Mio. Kagura notices her in thought, but Mio doesn’t let on what she’s remembered.

Over at the Castle, Gritta has just told her mother that she does not want to marry the Emperor. But Madame Noire says it’s okay and not to worry. She takes her aside to tell her what this wedding is really about for them.

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Gritta immediately goes to Schwarz-sama to tell him to leave the Shadow Line. She says thanks to him telling her to be patient and by giving her his handkerchief, she’s grown stronger. But she absolutely refuses to get married.

She says they need to hurry because the wedding her mother has planned is “truly terrifying.” She begs Schwarz to run away with her, but he asks for all the specific details first.

They leave to somewhere more private, but Baron Nero had just heard their conversation.

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It’s nighttime. On the Resshas, Mio has been thinking about that blurry memory since this afternoon. She feels it is an important memory, one that includes her and Kagura running somewhere.

Kagura is getting ready for bed and sees Mio looking out the window. She asks if Mio’s having trouble sleeping. Mio stops herself from telling Kagura anything so as not to worry her.

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Kagura asks if she’s okay and Mio says she’s fine. They head into the main car and Mio tries to lighten the mood even though Kagura definitely knows something is off.

Suddenly the lights flicker and Conductor announces a Kuliner is approaching in the opposite direction. But the Kuliner merely leaves something on the outside of the train.

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The guys and Wagon meet Kagura and Mio in the main car as Conductor and Ticket come in to show them the invitation to the Emperor’s wedding addressed to the ToQgers.

Wagon collapses to the floor. The Emperor was a bachelor all this time! “Yeah, you missed your chance,” Conductor says.

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Next morning, the ToQgers go to the area drawn in the invitation. The exact location isn’t given and it doesn’t even say who the Emperor is marrying.

Kagura notices Mio is tired and asks if she had trouble sleeping last night. Mio says she’s fine, but Kagura is not convinced.

Meanwhile, Gritta watches from the bushes with Shabon Shadow. The plan is to have him switch Gritta and one of the ToQgers.

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Shabon Shadow slides out and the ToQgers henshin. But Shabon Shadow shoots some suds towards Right and Tokacchi and they switch bodies and dehenshin.

Before the ToQgers can comprehend what’s happening, Shabon Shadow shoots another round of suds. This time it’s Hikari and Tokacchi (out of Right’s body) who switch.

Kagura goes to get things straight:

Tokacchi is in Hikari’s body.

Right is in Tokacchi’s body.

And Hikari is in Right’s body.

But now Shabon Shadow makes the biggest swap. He shoots suds at Mio and then at Gritta. They switch. Gritta is ecstatic. She goes to happily look at her reflection in the water. Mio shoves her out of the way to see her own reflection as Gritta.

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Mio drops the Schwarz handkerchief and Gritta picks it up before gleefully running away.

The others run toward Mio, but Madame Noire arrives with an army of Kuros. She shoots the ToQgers away and approaches MioasGritta, saying she will not have her daughter run away.

Mio tries to explain she is not who Noire thinks she is, but she ends up trying to run. Akira arrives and is confused about Shadow Line comrades fighting against each other. Madame Noire shoots at Akira, but he henshins and fights.

Kagura hurries over to MioasGritta and they finally run away. Madame Noire shoots at Akira again, allowing her and the Kuros to make their escape.

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Kagura and Mio are still running while Kagura updates Right and others about where they are. Right tells Kagura to take care of Mio, especially since she can’t board the trains in this state.

Mio grows weak and tired. Kagura realizes she’s been out in the sun too long so she brings her to some shade.

Back at the Resshas, Wagon has drawn some cute pictures of the guys for them to wear on their heads so they can keep track of who’s who.

Akira says they’ll get switched back as long as they defeat Shabon Shadow. He tells them about Madame Noire’s daughter, Gritta, being the Emperor’s bride to be.

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Gritta as Mio savors the great light she’s been able to enjoy in this non-Shadow body. She is excited to be able to go anywhere with Schwarz-sama in this body. Gritta hurries over to meet Schwarz at their meeting place.

Back at the Castle, someone is telling Zett they know where Gritta is. And that person is…

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Kagura’s brought Mio into the park under some trees and tells her to wait a sec while she gets her some water. Mio sees her body running by and goes to follow.

Mio stops Gritta in her tracks and asks for her body back. Gritta says no, she needs “this thing.” That’s pretty selfish of you, Mio says. But Gritta says she can’t give it back, she doesn’t want to get married.

Mio says she should just say so, but Gritta says that won’t do any good, that’s why she’s running.

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More running jogs Mio’s memory again. But suddenly both Mio and Gritta grow weak.

Across town, Shabon Shadow laughs that he didn’t mention to Gritta that staying swapped too long will force the body to reject the soul, causing them to die.

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The guys arrive, hearing Shabon Shadow’s explanation of the consequences. Hikari as Right says they’ll have to defeat the Shadow at least, before they die. Akira tells the others to leave it to him since dying is his job.

“Akira-kun, mind not making everything about yourself?”

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Right as Tokacchi says they’re used to switching lines, so fighting in another body will be a piece of cake. They henshin and take turns sending big blows toward Shabon Shadow.

Meanwhile, Mio and Gritta are starting to feel the bodies rejecting them when Baron Nero appears, demanding to know what she is scheming by marrying the Emperor.

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Mio as Gritta tries to explain she is not Gritta, but Madame Noire arrives to stop Baron Nero from doing anything dumb. GrittaasMio tires to run, but Kagura arrives to stop her. Madame Noire hears Mio, Kagura and Gritta and finally realizes what’s happened.

Baron Nero says fine, he’ll just kill both Mio and Gritta. But Madame Noire says she will not allow it.

“ToQgers, I’ll help you this one time. Take Gritta and run!”

Mio, Kagura and Gritta run as Madame Noire and Baron Nero prepare to battle.

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The guys outsmart Shabon Shadow and finish off his unbiggened life. And with that, the guys are back in their own bodies.

Meanwhile, Gritta and Mio switch back as well. Kagura and Mio are happy, but Gritta is disappointed. Still, she says she’s made it this far, she can’t turn back now.

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Gritta grabs the handkerchief from Mio and runs. Mio tries to go after her, but she is too weak.

The guys hop into Diesel-Oh and Build-dai-Oh to try and fight off embiggened Shabon Shadow’s bubbles.

Right calls Kagura to ask if they can come help. Kagura asks Mio if she’s okay and Mio says yeah, she’s fine.

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Kagura knocks Mio on the head. “All you do is say you’re fine,” Kagura says.

Kagura tells Mio that she’s noticed her acting strangely since yesterday. She wanted to help, but all Mio has said is “I’m fine.” That makes Kagura uncomfortable.

Mio realizes she only kept her problems to herself to keep Kagura from worrying, but she ended up worrying her even more. She did want to talk to her and maybe they can later, but right now her body is really weak. And she would like to ask Kagura for help.

Kagura turns and smiles. Sure, of course she’ll help.

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She grabs Mio’s hand and they go running.

BUT THAT’S IT!!! Mio remembers!

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Shabon Shadow has the guys covered in suds, but Kagura and Mio arrive in Police and Fire Ressha to help them out.

They attach Fire and Police Resshas to Diesel-Oh and they with Akira finish Shabon Shadow off.

Mio wonders what’s happened to Gritta.

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Gritta is up on a rooftop, the place she’s supposed to meet Schwarz at. She is excited, but suddenly that excitement goes out the window when a Kuliner arrives and out pops Zett instead.

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Episode Thoughts
OMG.

Okay, I think this may be ToQger’s best episode yet. It has everything that’s made the season so good, so far.

First of all, What has Mio remembered!? This might be their biggest clue yet and her saying that not all memories they might have are all happy is very interesting. I definitely want more of that.

The politicking and secret meetings and secret agendas really, finally came to a head and definitely set up the big wedding. I see big things happening with the Shadow Line.

But dude, we were so cheated out of what was likely an amazing battle between Madame Noire and Baron Nero.

ZOMG though at Schwarz absolutely using Gritta and probably ripping out her heart, stomping on it then putting it back before pulling it out and smashing it to little pieces. That was shocking.

And that fade to black ending with creepy creeper Zett. Chilling.

Riria was so good as both Mio and Gritta this episode. And just like how it was awesome seeing Suzuki Katsuhiro giving Nick a human face with human expressions on Go-Busters, it was great to put a human face on Gritta as well. And Riria really did a great job.

Body switching episodes are always fun. And this episode was no different.

And for the little things. I really like the detail of having Gritta always with an umbrella. I didn’t realize it was because, duh, they can’t stay out in the light too long. Zett too the other week when they were waiting for Akira.

I also loved seeing the Resshas running on the tracks at night. And it was great to see the reminder that yes, the ToQgers live on the Resshas. They eat and sleep on them.

Overall, this was maybe the best ToQger episode yet. Emotional, funny, dramatic, action-packed. I can’t wait for the next episodes. I know Kobayashi’s gearing up for that midseason punch.

Riria was great as both Mio and Gritta this episode. And just like HIROMUACTOR was great giving a face to Nick, it was great giving a human face to Gritta.

5 thoughts on “Recap: Ressha Sentai ToQger, Episode 21 – The Runaway Bride

  1. I found a funny since the guys are all switched that means that the couples are Right(Hikari) x Kagura and Hikari(Tokatti) x Mio. LOL. Hah. I really am going to enjoy this series. Also Tokatti looks cool without his glasses.

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