Recap: Uchu Sentai Kyuranger, Episode 17 – Lighting the Dome of Darkness

Kyuranger 17

Garu is eager to find the third and final Ryukotsu Kyutama so they can destroy Jark Matter for good and avenge Champ’s death. Balance comments about being impatient and that they should just take their time. Garu has finally had it with Balance’s laid back, slacker attitude and says he should shape up.

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Garu grabs Balance, but the others hold him back. Commander Ronpo says they have no choice but to take their time if the Rashinban Kyutama is not ready. In the meantime, he shows them an area covered in a dark dome which they must investigate. He adds that the Hikari Kyutama is scheduled to be delivered today from HQ. Though Commander Ronpo is not sure if the Hikari Kyutama can actually light up, thus possibly being of help to them in the dark dome.

Anyway, the Kyulette chooses Lucky, Hammy, Balance, Raptor and Garu. They head down to investigate and the Hikari Kyutama will be sent down to them when it arrives.

Balance’s analysis shows the dome can’t be destroyed from the outside. So Hammy uses some Digging no Jutsu to dig their way in underground.

It really is pitch black in the dome when they arrive. They find they’ve lost contact with Orion while Under the Dome. Suddenly, light fills the dome once again. They notice a big black hole in the middle of the sky.

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A bus full of workers almost runs them over, but they see the workers are all sleep deprived since they only get two hours of sleep a day. That’s because they get 22 hours of daylight and they must be working for every single one of those hours. The artificial sun rises in the east, sets in the west and immediately rises in the east again. It’s only nighttime when the sun crosses the big black hole in the sky.

The Kyurangers tell the workers that they should get some rest, but the workers say they’ll get in trouble. The Kyurangers say the Daikaan here must be a huge dirtbag. The workers shudder in horror.

Out of nowhere, each of the Kyurangers get attacked by the seemingly invisible Daikaan, Shaidos, who hears every word they say. He will not have anyone speak out against him.

Shaidos says anyone who speaks ill of him will be punished. The Kyurangers morph, but unable to see the Daikaan, cannot defend against the attacks. Each of them ends up getting hurled into the sky.

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Lucky lands on a futon cushion, but Hammy and Raptor land on him. Balance and Garu land in a pile of trash. Unfortunately for Garu, he can’t turn off his smell like Balance can.

Garu says they’ve got to do something, but Balance says if they’re being surveilled at all times, they can’t. Even more annoyed with the seemingly carefree Balance, Garu leaves to find a way on his own. But Balance has connected to the CCTV cameras and found some interesting footage.

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Lucky, Hammy and Raptor hang the laundry they landed on back up. Lucky badmouths Shaidos again and before he knows it, gets hurled back in the air. He lands by the water this time, but again calls Shaidos out.

Spada and Naga tell Commander Ronpo that they’ve lost contact with the others. But they get a call from someone else. It’s Kotaro who has sent them the Hikari Kyutama.

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He says his studies are going well. But as for Champ and Stinger… Champ is still undergoing tests to see if he can be repaired. Stinger, meanwhile, feels very guilty. Kotaro says he can’t stand to see him like that. Commander Ronpo asks Kotaro to look after both Champ and Stinger.

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Naga realizes they can’t send down Hikari Kyutama if they don’t have a connection to the others. Commander Ronpo says he’ll deliver it personally using RyuVoyager through the hole Hammy dug.

Garu arrives at the Moraimarz and sees only a few Indavers standing guard outside. But before he can just charge in, Balance stops him and says there are dozens more Indavers lurking around. Lucky lands behind them and Hammy and Raptor find them as well.

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Balance shows them what he found on the security footage. It appears Shaidos hides in and attacks from the ground. Garu has an idea to confirm their theory.

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Speaking of the ground, Commander Ronpo is struggling to fit RyuVoyager through Hammy’s underground tunnel.

Lucky, Garu, Hammy and Raptor head into an open park and morph. They draw out Shaidos with some insults. And sure enough, Shaidos attacks them, unseen. Balance watches from behind a trash can.

Hammy and Raptor start the next step of their plan. Hammy goes invisible no jutsu while Raptor flies up in the sky. But Shaidos is still able to attack both Hammy and Raptor.

However, Balance sees that Shaidos actually emerges from the shadows. He tells the others, but Shaidos is still able to easily attack them. Lucky runs off to get the Hikari Kyutama from the Orion as Balance morphs and the four of them try to hold off Shaidos.

Commander Ronpo is able to finally poke out of the ground right in front of Lucky. He gives him the Hikari Kyutama.

The others are struggling as Shaidos says the shadows are an efficient way to keep watch over his area. He tells them to give up. Lucky arrives just in time with the Hikari Kyutama.

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Lucky locks in the Kyutama and first tries out Taiyou Mode. He gets a big sun on his head, making things instantly brighter. To be even more effective, Raptor flies Lucky into the sky to light everything up and remove any shadows in which Shaidos would be able to hide.

The light energizes Balance he and charges toward Shaidos. He punches him and sends him straight at the concrete wall. Balance hops into the sky, grabs Lucky and spins him around, sending him into the Moraimarz to destroy it.

It instantly becomes night. The Hikari Kyutama flips over and activates Tsuki Mode. That allows Lucky to upmorph to ShishiRed Moon and a moodier, less excitable Lucky.

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The power of the moon energizes Garu like the sun did to Balance. And instead of the brute force Garu usually prefers, he uses precise attacks that knock Shaidos to the ground, teeing him up for Lucky.

Lucky uses an Eclipse finisher to take care of Shaidos’ first life. Shaidos embiggens.

Just in time, Commander Ronpo fully breaks out of the ground with RyuVoyager. Balance and Garu hop into their Voyagers and they form RyuTei-Oh. Garu and Balance work together to wear down Shaidos before they and Commander Ronpo deliver a Super Galaxy Meteor Break to finish off Shaidos for good.

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Back on the Orion, the Kyurangers celebrate.

Garu says he was wrong about Balance. He looks like a slacker, but he can get the job done. Balance says moody Garu is pretty cool too. They trade compliments including Garu saying Balance’s dangly earrings are very kawaii.

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Naga sees them having fun so he smiles.

Spada brings out the hor d’oeurves… and the fully charged Rashinban Kyutama much to everyone’s excitement.

Meanwhile, Madakko is on her knees in front of Scorpio who orders her to prevent the Kyurangers from using the Ryukotsu Kyutama.

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Episode Thoughts

Okay, this was a nice episode until that final scene of Madakko on the floor touching Scorpio *ehem* there. Like WTF?!

Let’s just try to erase that idea out of our (my?) dirty minds and instead focus on this breather of an episode after last week’s sucker punch of one.

Like, I don’t think I’m completely over last week. So much so that I can confidently say Kyuranger 16 might have been the best toku episode (Sentai, Kamen Rider, even Power Rangers) in years. (Since the ToQger finale?)

This episode was certainly much lighter and we barely got to see any repercussions from the shocking events. But let’s get to those first.

Garu basically getting another focus episode so soon is very interesting! Surprising, but welcome. Him being the most upset is in line with his hot-blooded personality. Especially with Stinger away at HQ, they needed at least one person left on the Orion who would express that outrage and anger. Garu is really the only choice and he was used well here. Especially paired with Balance.

I mentioned in earlier episodes how it’s been very enjoyable seeing the Kyurangers paired off with each other and seeing the different dynamics. This would be Garu and Balance’s turn and a combo I would have never thought to compare and contrast. It worked very well to further Garu’s development in trusting his teammates and their judgement. And at the same time it helped establish that Balance isn’t all just fun and games all the time yo.

The more direct response to Champ’s death was the check-in with Kotaro. I was hoping a more substantial scene between Kotaro and Stinger, but I’m fine with how they did it here. First off, it was nice and unexpected to have Kotaro check in like that. And it was a nice way to get the update on both Stinger and Champ.

I rarely go and read other people’s comments on episodes before commenting myself and even when I do, I rarely get myself influenced by others’ opinions. I’ve seen people, I guess, not a fan of the huge team and saying that the show must have realized having 11 characters on at one time is unfeasible. That’s why we see Kotaro and now Champ and Stinger sent away to lower the numbers, apparently.

I’ve commented on the contrary actually. I think they’ve done a great job balancing all 11 Kyurangers without things feeling claustrophobic. And with these episodes lately, each Kyuranger has gotten a chance to develop. Maybe not completely shine on their own, but still have their characters develop and move forward. And that’s all while moving the overall story forward too.

I think that’s a pretty big accomplishment and one of the reasons I am really enjoying and just about loving this season so far.

For this ep specifically, I thought the plot was very creative. That whole shadow aspect of Shaidos and the dome and the artificial sun was very clever. And it fit well with the debut of the Hikari Kyutama. Garu reacting to the moon side of the Kyutama is also expected, but used well here.

I also very much enjoyed the “moody” Lucky. I’ve gotten used to the Yosha Luckys, but maybe he can use the Hikari Kyutama even when unmorphed a few times to calm him down? Lol

Elsewhere, Balance was hilarious all episode. I especially liked him lounging about in the trash (while connecting to the CCTV cameras, it turns out) and telling poor Garu he can turn off his sense of smell.

Loved Raptor getting picked by the Kyulette. Commander Ronpo squeezing through the underground tunnel was absurdly fun. And I loved hearing a rock-ier version of the theme song.

Overall, a solid episode and a good breather episode after last week.

Lucky’s Luckys of the Week

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