Recap: Ressha Sentai ToQger, Station (Episode) 33 – Number One at Karate

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Conductor thinks about the huge step the ToQgers have taken forward by now remembering their names. Wagon sees him and Ticket looking down from the Resshas at the ToQgers training.

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They are reaffirming their three goals: 1. To continue preventing the Shadow Line from taking over stations. 2. Recover Drill Ressha from Schwarz. 3. Visit Shadow Towns and free them.

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Akira says to leave Schwarz to him. That allows the others to concentrate on the other two goals. They start training.

Wagon points out how intensely serious they are now and Conductor says that with their memories back, it seems like they are becoming less childlike. Ticket says growing up is better than becoming an idiot. But Conductor is not so sure about that.

Akira notices Right and Hikari are doing something funny. Tokacchi explains that that they used to practice karate when they were kids. Right’s grandfather was their Sensei. Mio remembers they used to train, especially Hikari.

So who’s stronger, Akira asks. They’re not sure.

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Hikari remembers when he and Right were preparing to face off against each other when they were kids and he asks Right if he wants to spar. Sure, Right says, but Conductor interrupts to tell them the next station has been taken over by the Shadow Line.

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The ToQgers arrive at Chudoku (Poison Injection) Station. No one seems to be around until a group of people in karategis appear and attack. Each one of the karatekas take on one of the ToQgers who have no idea what is going on.

Maybe they’re hypnotized, Tokacchi says. Hikari does not hold back when fighting and Right says he should let up since these people might not be Shadow. Hikari says they can’t hold back now, Akira agrees.

Just as suddenly, a Sensei appears and attacks Right who is able to block it. Sensei sees that Right is well versed in karate and calls off the others who run off.

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Sensei apologizes for the sudden attack, but there’s a good reason for it. To make up for the trouble, Sensei punches himself in the face.

They have Sensei take a seat and he explains the townspeople are in danger after a syringe monster attacked and attached syringe bracelets to their wrists yesterday. A poison will slowly be injected into the townspeople until they die at sunset today.

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The only way of removing the bracelets is to break the syringe on the Shadow’s arm as he waits at the top of a building. The thriving martial arts community of the town tried storming the building, but there were too many of the monster’s minions and they failed.

The ToQgers head to the building, but Chushaki Shadow appears on a screen and says if they come any closer, he’ll inject the entire poison into the townspeople right now. He lets out another dose and the townspeople cry in pain.

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The ToQgers de-henshin to avoid provoking Chushaki Shadow, but then they too get a syringe bracelet attached to their wrists in place of their ToQ Changers.

Chushaki Shadow disconnects and Sensei comes running out from around the corner, lamenting at the ToQgers getting syringed as well. He falls to the ground in despair, but Hikari walks over and grabs his hands. It’s not too late.

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Hikari suggests they go back to the Resshas to think of a plan.

Over at the Castle, Mork and Nero are trying to throw Noire under the bus and ask why Zett doesn’t just off her now. He doesn’t want to hear any of that. But Mork is curious why. Zett looks in the mirror and again sees Gritta. Noire sees as well.

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Back on the Resshas, Hikari suggests they just attack from the front. But if the Shadow is who he thinks he is, then his plan will work. Hikari asks Right to go with him.

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Just them two? Hikari smiles.

At the entrance of the building, Chushaki Shadow again appears and tells Hikari and Right that he’ll be waiting.

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Right wonders how many Kuros there will be. Hikari laughs and asks if he remembers their duel. Sure he does. Hikari tells the story.

Hikari actually asked Sensei to let them duel. He wanted to beat Right. Even though Right started karate long before him, Hikari was sure he’d win since he practiced more. But Hikari still lost.

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He may have looked fine with the loss back then, but deep inside he was crying. Flashback to Hikari crying behind the dojo.

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Sensei sees Hikari. Sensei knows it must be frustrating for a slacker like Right who always skips practice beat him. Maybe he was born with that strength.

Even if it must piss off Hikari, it does not mean Hikari’s hands that practiced so hard are weak. Just from touch, Sensei knows how much effort Hikari’s put into them. But he tried so hard that he was too forceful and serious. Sometimes having a little fun can help him move easier and fight better. Like Right does.

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Sensei suggests Hikari play around a little next time and whip Right’s butt.

Right is devastated. His own grandpa wasn’t on his side?! Hikari smiles and asks if Right wants to play a game. Who can beat more Kuros?

Just like Sensei said, it’s important to be a bit more playful. Right likes that. And he thinks he will definitely win.

They fist bump when new Sensei arrives wanting to help. He’s not going to let them suffer alone.

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Right and Hikari look at each other and smile.

The three of them charge into the building and face an army of Kuros. Right keeps score as the head up the stairs.

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The other ToQgers are waiting in what looks to be their cars, worried that sunset is approaching.

Hikari, Right and Sensei arrive in Chushaki Shadow’s office. Chushaki Shadow welcomes them by attempting to shoot some poison from his syringe, but Hikari gives the others the go-signal and they storm into the office using the cars.

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They jump onto Chushaki Shadow. Right and Hikari were just distracting Chushaki Shadow so he wouldn’t notice Car Carrier Ressha approaching.

But Chushaki Shadow’s got a secret plan of his own. He disappears from under the ToQgers and explains that it was a fake. He taunts them and says they and the townspeople are going to die.

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Hikari is upset their plan failed. Right says this is Hikari’s fault. But Hikari says it is Right’s fault. They shove each other and are about to punch each other too.

But they actually turn to punch Sensei!

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Sensei blocks their punch… with a syringe! Sensei is actually Chushaki Shadow!

How did they know? Hikari noticed the Sensei earlier had come from the same direction as the bracelets, not from the building. He didn’t want to believe it, but when he held his hands earlier, he knew they felt like hands of someone who’s never done karate before.

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Hikari gives another kick and the syringe cracks to pieces. The bracelets are deactivated and fall off everyone’s wrist.

Akira finds the real Sensei and Chushaki Shadow reverts to his real Shadow form.

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The ToQers henshin. Hikari lands a couple of hits onto Chushaki Shadow before he lets a Hyper Right finish him off as they go flying out the window of the high rise.

Chushaki Shadow embiggens and the ToQgers hop into Cho Cho ToQ Dai-Oh. But it is not enough. The Shadow drains Cho Cho Toq Dai-Oh’s imagination energy.

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Ticket pops into the cockpit and tells them this is a good time to use Hyper Ressha. Right hops into Hyper Ressha to help initiate Hyper Ressha Tei-Oh.

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Chushaki Shadow thinks Hyper Ressha Tei-Oh is so big. But Right uses a Giant Flash finisher to finish him off for good. The power is restored to the Resshas.

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Back in the main car, Wagon sees a depressed Right and asks the others what’s wrong. They explain that he’s shocked his grandfather sided with Hikari. Hikari says Grandpa Sensei was just cheering him up.

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Tokacchi asks who won the game earlier. Hikari says he doesn’t know, but Right does. He was counting the whole time. And Hikari won by one.

But Right also defeated the kaijin, so that should count for 5 Kuros.

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Conductor and Ticket walk in. Conductor is happy and relieved the ToQgers still have some of their childlike childish qualities.

Hikari reminds Right that the game was most Kuros. So that means he wins. Right can’t believe it. He goes back to the booth to cry.

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Episode Thoughts

Ahhh! Loved this episode. It was so good.

I’ve always enjoyed seeing the flashbacks to when the ToQgers were kids. (Which apparently was just a couple of months ago, hehe.) Again, we get to see just how close the ToQgers were… I mean, are as children. It was great to see a brand new dynamic between Right and Hikari. The flashbacks really serve as a perfect way to establish just how strong the ToQgers bond really is.

It’s just great seeing them continually reestablish and solidify that bond that transcends being a member of a Sentai team.

Not only was Hikari and Right’s karate emotionally touching, it was hilariously fun as well. It also continues one of Right’s character trait about always being right and the best, but in a playful way.

Conductor being worried about the ToQgers growing up and maturing was very interesting. Maybe he is worried they will become weaker if their Imagination power is less. But they’re definitely still kids at heart and he knows they’ll be just fine. I really love how much Conductor, Ticket, Wagon and even Akira are big parts of the ToQgers’ lives, even outside of battle.

The story of the episode itself was excellent. I honestly did not see Sensei being Chushaki Shadow. So that was an awesome surprise.

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It’s about time they used Car Carrier Ressha! And zomg, that nighttime shot of the Resshas traveling through downtown was so good. More nighttime traveling please! (In addition to more countryside visits too!)

Right and Hikari storming the building and fighting off the Kuros was AMAZING. Hikari’s character song made that whole sequence even more awesome and badass. Love the song.

And Right finishing off Chushaki Shadow in mid-air was also amazing and awesome.

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I definitely want a 6-gou watch!

And maybe the most fun part of this episode was that the karate people at the beginning of the episode were actually the ToQgers’ suit actors! So they were actually fighting themselves! They must have had a lot of fun doing that scene.

This was really just an amazing episode. Maybe one of my favorites.

But next week though! I’m really pleasantly surprised they (or Kobayashi) are really pushing through with developing Tokacchi’s crush on Mio. YES!!!!

And finally, congratulations to ToQger for winning a special award and recognition from the Japan Railway!

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