Recap: Shuriken Sentai Ninninger, Episode 4 – There He is! Paonmaru!

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The Ninningers are being overpowered by a bunch of Hitokarage and a Yokai. They hide behind some crates to give them time to figure out a plan. Yakumo thinks of one that has them working together in different roles, but Takaharu ignores it. He jumps out and delivers a slash that finishes off every single one of the Hitokarage and Yokai.

It’s just another simulation. Takaharu laughs at his powerful strength, but the others sigh since this was supposed to be a teamwork exercise. Fuuka tries to get her brother to understand, but he doesn’t. Suddenly, a flipbook arrives on an arrow and it is from Grandpa.

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Kasumi flips through and Grandpa tells them to increase their Nintality and that the Sealing Shurikens will give them power.

The Ninningers think about how Kyuuemon was able to transform the Sealing Shuriken and how maybe they might be able to as well.

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Meanwhile, Kyuuemon again tries to convince Gabi Raizou to help gather fear. But he is more concerned with taking down Takaharu.

The Ninningers are training in teamwork again, but each time, Takaharu does it alone. First with a boulder and then with putting out a fire.

They head back to the dojo. Okay, okay, we know how awesome you are, Fuuka tells Takaharu, “You can cool it now.” But Takaharu says he can’t as he wants to get stronger for the next time he meets Kabi Naizou Gabi Raizou.

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Father suggests that the four of them train until they have enough power to balance out Takaharu’s while Takaharu will cool off and reflect on what he’s been doing wrong.

Takaharu heads to a food cart to enjoy some egg-only oden. He is not really sure what he’s been doing wrong so he’ll just enjoy more eggs. The familiar looking cart-owner asks why he’s only been eating eggs. It’s only natural you eat what you like most, Takaharu answers.

Nearby, a Sealing Shuriken attaches to an old refrigerator to become Yokai Tsuchigumo. Takaharu’s Gamagama-ju alerts him to the new Yokai and he hurries over.

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Takaharu henges as Tsuchigumo lets out strings of spider web to trap the people nearby. Tsuchigumo is able to attack Takaharu as the others arrive.

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The four henge, but Tsuchigumo morphs into a spider form and starts sucking everything in sight. The Ninningers grab hold of the people stuck in the webs to keep them from getting sucked in, but Takaharu is not so lucky.

Takaharu looks around as he’s trapped inside the fridge. He sees the familiar-looking cart owner has also been caught. The owner tells Takaharu he was very sloppy to have allowed himself to get caught. “Look who’s talking!”

But the cart owner finally reveals himself to be Grandpa. The others are trying to fight Tsuchigumo to get Takaharu out, but are unsuccessful since they can’t figure out a way to destroy the Yokai without also hurting Taka-chan inside.

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Tsuchigumo instead attacks them and forces them to de-henge. They run behind a wall to hide. Yakumo’s got a plan. He’ll get swallowed by the Yokai, but they’ll use Wood Technique to wrap his legs in vines. Once he gets Takaharu, they can pull them both out.

Kasumi says Takaharu’s recklessness is rubbing off on Yakumo, but Yakumo tells her to Stahp.

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Meanwhile Takaharu tries to use Flame Technique to get them out of the fridge, but it is not working at all. Grandpa tells Takaharu to calm down and have a bite to eat first.

Grandpa gives him a bowl of oden, but it doesn’t have an egg. Grandpa tells Takaharu not to be picky at times like this, so Takaharu eats it anyway. And it’s delicious! Grandpa finds the last egg and gives it to Takaharu which makes him realize that having a good mix and variety made it more delicious. Indeed, Grandpa adds, one flavor can get boring. When you have a lot of different ingredients in oden, it helps draw out each other’s flavor and even makes eggs taste better.

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Like oden teamwork?! Takaharu finally gets it. He asks Grandpa for a little help. Takaharu combines his Flame Technique with Grandpa’s whirlwind and manages to force Tsuchigumo to spit them out just as Yakumo was preparing to get eaten.

The others are surprised to see Grandpa too, but he tells them to go finish the Yokai.

Takaharu henges and they all easily take care of the Hitokarage while working together. Turning their attention to Tsuchigumo, Takaharu remembers the oden.

He tells Yakumo to take the lead and explains that he is the egg, Yakumo is the chikuwa, Nagi is the ganmo, Fuuka is the shirataki noodles and Kasumi is the hanpen. They don’t really understand. (Kasumi likes daikon instead.)

But Takaharu says they should work together so they can draw out each other’s powers.

“Easy, right?”
“Quite easy.”

Referring back to his plan from the earlier simulation, Yakumo lets Kasumi-nee do her thing. Kasumi uses Water Technique to create the misty fog. Takaharu shoots an arrow to draw Tsuchigumo’s attention. That allows Nagi, Yakumo and Fuuka to attack from all sides.

With Tsuchigumo down for the count, the Ninningers use their blade, bow and claw Shurikens to finish him off.

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Suddenly, the Sealing Shuriken in Takaharu’s hand burns up and transforms! They must have increased their Nintality.

Kyuuemon pops in and embiggens Tsuchigumo. The Ninningers summon the Otomonin.

But Tsuchigumo spits out his web and they all get tied up. Takaharu asks Yakumo for an “easy” solution, but it is Kasumi who suggests Takaharu-kun tries the transformed Sealing Shuriken.

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Takaharu attaches the Shuriken to the Ichibantou and it summons a large green elephant! Grandpa watches and says a Sealing Shuriken has returned to its true form.

Takaharu uses his Ichibantou to break free of the spider web and he jumps onto the newly arrived Otomonin. It easily sucks in all the spider webbing that Tsuchigumo shoots at them.

Takaharu decides to name it Paonmaru. They quickly suck all the webs off of the others and Takaharu initiates a henge that allows Paonmaru to change into robot mode. Tsuchigumo is feeling his imminent defeat.

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Takaharu initiates the gattai and the Ninningers form Shurikenjin Paon.

They first use a Paon Jet then Paon Boomerang to finish Tsuchigumo for good.

Later, Takaharu picks up the newly returned Sealing Shuriken and he tells the others they should work to collect all of them.

They all run home as Kyuuemon shows Gabi Raizou. He now agrees to help with the fear.

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Episode Thoughts

It was an okay episode. Definitely a typical “There’s no ‘I’ in team” episode. I don’t know if I really like that Takaharu is all “Look at me” all the time, especially since we already had Yakumo’s “easy”-ness the last two eps. But let’s hope that it’s all part of season-long character development.

This was also a typical new toy episode too. So while we didn’t really move forward in story or even character, it was still fun overall. I mean, how can you not enjoy oden helmets, yeah?

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