Recap: Kaitou Sentai Lupinranger VS Keisatsu Sentai Patranger, Episode 17 – Secret Feeling

A young woman, Mina, gives Keiichiro a bouquet of flowers she says were left over at her part-time job. Keiichiro thanks her and says the flowers she always gives them brightens up the office.

“Everyone is grateful,” Keiichiro says. That seems to disappoint Mina. Tsukasa, Sakuya and Umika can’t believe he is so oblivious to Mina’s feelings.

Anyway, knowing Mina likes listening to records, Keiichiro gives her one to borrow. She asks if he would like to listen to it with her after he gets off work.

Keiichiro says he’s already listened to it many times and suggests she carefully listen to the first track “Secret Feelings” on her own. He excuses himself and leaves. Tsukasa and Sakuya hurry after him.

Mina says all the courage she mustered up today has gone to waste. Umika asks if she can listen to the record with her instead.

Outside, Sakuya points out Keiichiro’s lack of perception is definitely not a good look for a cop. Nothing Sakuya or Tsukasa say though seems to convince Keiichiro that Mina is doing nothing more than just being friendly.

Umika tells Mina that she is rooting for her and Keiichiro. Suddenly, Gangler Nero Kiruma shoots something out of his staff that causes all the people around him to fall asleep. He points at Umika and Mina and says they’ll be going to dreamland too.

Umika tries to run Mina to safety, unable to morph in front of her. But Mina runs back toward Nero to retrieve Keiichiro’s record. Before Nero can shoot at Umika who shields Mina, Kairi and Tooma arrive. But Nero uses a strange power out of his safe to whack Kairi and Tooma aside and allow him to escape.

Umika is surprised to learn Mina is rich when they arrive at a huge mansion. Umika asks why Mina works a part-time job if she’s so rich, but then sees the flowers she’s been giving Keiichiro are actually form her own garden at home.

Mina apologizes for worrying Umika by going back to get the record. But Mina says she has to return it to Keiichiro tomorrow. She’s actually leaving tomorrow night to go to school in Austria. That’s why she was determined to confess her feelings to Keiichiro today.

Umika says there’s still time and promises to set it all up for her. Mina looks at the record and thinks about Keiichiro telling her to carefully listen to the first track “Secret Feelings.”

Over at the GSPO, Jim Carter briefs the Pats on Nero’s victims and says they are all comatose and trapped in some kind of dreamland. Tsukasa says she hopes they’re having good dreams at least. Just then, Sakuya thinks he’s in a dream when he gets a text from Umika.

At Jurer, Kogure shows Kairi and Tooma what he believes Nero’s Collection Piece is. They realize the Piece allows him to extend his shoulder while he has a personal power of being able to put people to sleep.

In the underworld, Nero explains that he will just leave the humans in the dreamworld until they grow so weak they die. Goche thinks that’s boring. But Dogranio says Nero can do whatever he wants as long as he takes over the human world.

Next morning, Umika and Sakuya try to get Keiichiro to accept Mina’s feelings before she leaves for Austria. Keiichiro feels this is so sudden. But even more when Mina walks through the door.

Umika and Sakuya usher Mina and Keiichiro to their seats. Keiichiro is a little awkward with her. He slams his head on the table when he thanks her after she returns his record.

Mina gives Keiichiro another pot of flowers. He thanks her and then wishes her good wishes on her trip to Austria with a salute. Umika, Sakuya and Kairi can’t believe it.

And much to their surprise, Mina smiles and thanks Keiichiro. Keiichiro takes the flowers and record and quickly walks out the door. Umika goes after him and tells him to go back and do it right.

Keiichiro takes a seat and says this is too much for him. His focus is on defeating the Ganglers and nothing else for now.

Just then, Tsukasa calls to inform Keiichiro about the Gangler rampaging in the city. Keiichiro excuses himself and runs off. Umika calls after him and asks if he can at least see her off at the airport later. She bows her head.

Keiichiro, Tsukasa and Sakuya find the Gangler and morph.

Mina has packed her bags is about to leave the house for the airport. But she first sits at the piano and plays a song.

Umika rushes in to help the Pats against Nero, hoping to wrap things up and allow Keiichiro to make it in time. Of course, without letting the Pats know Yellow Lup is her.

Nero shoots and sends the Pats+Umika into dreamland.

Umika realizes where she is when she sees a victim from yesterday who expressed his dreamland of ramen. She then finds Tsukasa rolling around in stuffed animals and Sakuya wanting her to sign her photobook. Each of them seems to have their energy drain out of them as they enjoy their dreams.

Umika thinks they must have to break free from inside. She runs away from Sakuya and runs into Keiichiro who is happy to be a cop in a crime-free world.

Umika tries to get him to snap out of it. She thinks the song from the record could be it. She begins to hum the song as Mina plays on her piano.

It works. Keiichiro comes to his senses as he remembers moments with Mina. Umika is relieved and tells Keiichiro to hurry and break them out of this dreamworld. Keiichiro takes his gun and shoots at the sky.

The Pats, Umika and the other victims are returned to the human world. Tsukasa and Sakuya feel drained, but Keiichiro says as police, they must do all they can to protect the people.

Kairi is able to retrieve the Collection Piece. The Pats shoot at Nero. Good Striker decides to work with the Pats despite Umika wanting him to work with them (thus allowing Keiichiro to head to the airport).

The Pats combine and finish off Nero with a One Hit Strike. Goche embiggens Nero and the Pats hop into PatKaiser. They go PatKaiser Biker and then use Crane and Drill to become PatKaiser Strong to finish off Nero for good.

Umika is happy there is plenty of time for Keiichiro to head to the airport.

At the airport, Mina is happy to see the news on her phone of the Pats defeating the Gangler. She sends her best wishes to Keiichiro and gives a salute.

She heads to the gate and boards the plane, listening to “Secret Feelings.” But without Keiichiro seeing her off.

Keiichiro watches a plane in the sky from the waterfront. Umika gives Keiichiro the record and flowers he left earlier and asks why he didn’t go see Mina who was waiting for him.

Keiichiro says he can’t focus on two things at the same time. “I’m awkward.”

“I don’t understand! Jerk!” Umika turns and huffs away.

Tsukasa and Sakuya approach Keiichiro and take the flowers and record.

“Hey, there’s no chance those three from Jurer are the kaitous, right?” Keiichiro asks.

Tsukasa says she and Sakuya were there for their alibis. That’s true, Keiichiro says. But he wonders how Umika was in the dreamland earlier.

Somewhere else in town, Destra visits Zamigo. “That’s why you leaked that information to me?”

Zamigo takes a bite of his rock ice and laughs.

Episode Thoughts

Wow! This was quite a wonderful episode. A delightful episode at that.

And really, those are the words that fit this episode. It was a bright and happy episode with a great story. It was also a nice Keiichiro/Umika focus ep. A little 60-40 or even 70-30 in favor of Keiichiro. But great character moments from both of them.

I think it was obvious early on that Keiichiro wasn’t that manhid or dense. It is very much in character for him to set aside his own personal happiness or benefit to focus on his job and responsibility as a cop and a Patranger. Tsukasa pointed out that very fact and called him out on it just two episodes ago. Keiichiro going at things alone instead of as a team so as not to burden anyone else, for example. Based on what he know of Keiichiro, the only thing he is oblivious of is the Lups’ real identities. But that might be changing, apparently.

And with Umika, we saw her back in the innocent, kind, naive teenager side of her that kind of disappears when we aren’t being reminded that her friend got frozended (or whatever he does to them) by Zamigo. That’s very much in character for her as well. But this was a much better way to get her interacting with the Pats than the amusement park episode with Tsukasa, to be honest.

Speaking of, it was great to see Zamigo pop up at the end of the episode. It was great to finally see him again after disappearing for a couple of episodes. I really want to see him getting in on the action on a regular basis now. And it was definitely an intriguing tease.

But that was a nice way to cap off this pretty great episode. Mina’s earnest crush on Keiichiro felt natural. It wasn’t contrived or overly cutesy. Her realizing Keiichiro’s subtle message to her with the “Listen carefully to the first track” and accepting his feelings, acknowledging that he’s got a responsibility, but giving her sincere hope that there’s maybe something in the future. It was just done so well. Just little, subtle things here and there involving Keiichiro, Mina and Umika throughout the episode really came together at the end. And it was touching to have Keiichiro not go to the airport, but leaving open the door with both he and Mina understanding the situation.

And finally Keiichiro now maybe suspecting the Jurer Crew of being the Lups. I thought it was very interesting the way that also worked perfectly. Him being suspicious about Umika being in the dreamland is directly counter to Tsukasa, Sakuya and Umika all thinking he was so dense when it came to Mina’s feelings. So him suddenly having a suspicion about the Lups works. Though I hope Tsukasa eventually gets some kind of acknowledgement that she was the first one to suspect them.

I still am rooting for a broken helmet scene to reveal the Lups’ identities to the Pats. That would be awesome.

Overall, everything worked, everything felt sincere and realistic. Nothing contrived or forced. No one was annoying or being a caricature of a real person. Just a wonderful character-driven episode, topped off with a quick Zamigo tease.

I want MOAR of this version of LuPat. Totally enjoyable and well done like the big two-episoder, but this time in a lighter and more fun way.

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