Recap: Kaitou Sentai Lupinranger VS Keisatsu Sentai Patranger, Episode 22 – Love in Life

Before Noel hands Kogure the Collection Piece, he would like to borrow one of the already retrieved Collection Pieces. Kogure asks how he is supposed to trust someone who secretly joined the GSPO. “I could say the same about you,” Noel answers.

Kogure asks which Piece Noel wants. Voler Maintenant, Noel says. Kogure pulls it out of the book and Noel hands over the new Piece.

“Don’t worry Kogure-san. We both want the same thing,” Noel assures.

Down in the underworld, Gangler Demeran Yatomisu presents Dogranio with a bowl of something which Goche would love some of as well. Destra yanks it from her and says it’s for the big boss, but Dogranio says Demeran can get more for Goche.

The Pats, including Noel, head to Jurer for lunch. Noel introduces himself to the Lups as if it’s the first time they’ve ever met. Though Kairi points out he already did meet Noel the first time he made himself known.

The Lups play along with Noel’s cover. Umika serves them some tea. Noel notices Sakuya looking at Umika with heart eyes and Sakuya admits that he is in love desu. Noel is excited and wants to do all he can to help the Sakuya-Umika ship fly.

Keiichiro, Tsukasa and Sakuya leave the bistro first as Noel stays behind. On the way back, Sakuya notices he doesn’t have his phone. He hurries to retrace his steps. But Noel “finds” Sakuya’s phone back at Jurer and asks Umika if she can return it to him. She hurries to find Sakuya.

Kairi says it was obvious Noel pickpocketed the phone from Sakuya. Noel admits he is playing Cupid.

Umika finds Sakuya and returns his phone. Sakuya excitedly thanks her. He sees a couple walk by and decides to ask Umika if she would like to go out to eat again sometime. Or tea or a movie or to the amusement park. Actually, he’d be fine if they just walked around the park. He hopes to be able to talk with her more.

Umika is unsure how to answer, but Sakuya says she can just let him know. He turns to leave. But just then, the couple from earlier is attacked by Demeran who catches them in his flat scooper net and turns them into goldfish.

Demeran places the fish in his bowl. Umika prepares to morph, but Sakuya comes running back. She can’t morph while he might see. But her moment of hesitation allows Demeran to turn her into a goldfish as well.

Umika feels she can safely morph inside the bowl, but one of the fished people is Saito the baker from next door.

Sakuya morphs, but hesitates when Demeran warns that the fished people might get smashed to bits if he makes a wrong move. Demeran drops the bowl and Sakuya quickly rushes to grab it before it smashes on the ground. That allows Demeran to get the upper hand, kicking and stepping on Sakuya before taking his bowl and leaving.

Sakuya heads to Jurer and informs Kairi and Tooma of what happened. Sakuya bows, apologizing for not being strong enough to protect Umika. Sakuya vows the GSPO will find the Gangler and save Umika. He rushes out.

Noel apologizes and says this is all his fault. Kairi and Tooma head out to look for the Gangler themselves.

But Noel will not stand back and do nothing.

Over at the GSPO, the Pats decide to split up and stake out the three points along the waterway where Demeran will likely pop out of. Jim Carter says he will order the evacuation of the area. Keiichiro says they will enter the fishbowl and destroy it from the inside.

Inside the bowl, Umika struggles with what to do.

Noel finds Sakuya and says he wants to help. He admits to being the one that sent Umika off to return the phone and apologizes. But Sakuya says it’s not Noel’s fault.

Sakuya again says it was because he was unable to save her. He thinks Umika will probably never look at him again after this. But he will still do everything he can to rescue Umika and the others.

“You’re a nice guy, aren’t you?” Noel asks. Sakuya says he hears that a lot when he gets turned down. They laugh.

Just then Demeran pops out of the water. Sakuya and Noel morph. Jim Carter alerts Keiichiro and Tsukasa and they hurry over.

With the fishbowl rocking, Umika decides she has no choice but to morph. But Sakuya steps on the flat net and hops into the bowl before she does.

Sakuya asks everyone in the bowl to stand back as he shoots at the wall of the fishbowl to break them free. But he doesn’t seem to have enough firepower on his own. Umika believes she can help by morphing and shooting with Sakuya. But that would mean revealing herself.

Noel realizes it is taking too long for Sakuya. Kairi and Tooma arrive just in time. That allows Noel to hop into the bowl as well. Sakuya and Noel team up and shoot at the wall together. That is enough firepower to finally break through, cracking the bowl and releasing them all.

Sakuya asks Umika if she’s okay and she says yes. Noel tells Sakuya to get everyone to safety.

Kairi and Tooma are able to grab Demeran’s Collection Piece. Noel asks Good Striker to help out and he flies in to allow Kairi to clone himself. Noel switch morphs and Kairi x3, Tooma and Noel deliver finishers at Demeran.

Goche pops in and nurses Demeran back to embiggened health. Noel says he will take care of the rest, he just needs Kairi and Tooma to fire the trains. With that Noel is able to combine the trains into X Emperor Slash.

Dogranio tells Destra to help Demeran, so Destra heads up to summon a Goram. Noel decides to flip X Emperor Slash into X Emperor Gunner.

That gives Noel the ability to use a Gunner Strike to riddle the Goram with bullets.

Noel flips back to X Emperor Slash to deliver a Slash Strike to finish off Demeran for good.

Umika thanks Sakuya for saving her. Sakuya says it was his fault she was captured anyway and he wouldn’t have been able to save her without Noel. But Umika says thanks just the same. Sakuya says it’s nothing.

Umika looks up at Sakuya, “Sakuya-san… you’re a nice guy, aren’t you?” She runs off.

Sakuya asks Noel if that means what he thinks it means. Noel insists Sakuya still has a chance.

Episode Thoughts

I very much enjoyed this episode. It was a nice Sakuya-Umika episode with lots of Noel thrown in. I do think it showed us more of Noel’s character really than Sakuya and Umika’s budding relationship, if we can call it that. lol

First for Noel, we get the impression, but no clarification, of what his true intentions and agenda might be. He also cast even more doubt on Kogure and what his own agenda might be as well, separate from what he’s doing for and with the Lups. So I definitely liked that mystery for both of them here.

Then, I do believe Noel was sincere in wanting to play Cupid for Sakuya and Umika. It was a nice way to show a different side of his personality and a side that is very much in line with what we saw from him in his first two episodes.

As for Sakuya and Umika, it was nice to see Umika be a little more receptive to Sakuya. With Sakuya, we saw more of what we already know. He’s a “nice guy”. He takes that as a rejection more than a compliment. But he really is just a nice guy who is sincere in his wanting to protect people. The show has also done a better job at toning down his feelings for Umika in a way that doesn’t make him a perv or creeper. He likes her and has no problem telling or showing her his feelings. But he’s not forcing her into dates or hovering over her or basically acting like some skeevy playboy of some sort.

I think Umika telling him he is a “nice guy” at the end opens the door a little more to them eventually giving a relationship a try more than it confirming she will never like him back. So I hope they do continue to pursue the pairing because they can use it in even some Romeo and Juliet-type story for an episode or two when the Lups’ identities are eventually revealed.

Elsewhere, it was great to see more awesome use of drones with the different angles again. I assume the humans turned into fish that Demeran Yatomisu first brought Dogranio at the beginning were never turned back into humans. They weren’t saved. Now that’s grimdark. lol

And X Emperor’s debut was pretty awesome. The gattai/combining was very exciting. And the flipping over gimmick works very well.

Overall, an enjoyable episode that was great for developing some of Noel’s character as well as a little bit for Sakuya and Umika as well.