Recap: Kikai Sentai Zenkaiger, Episode 38 – Your Ancestors! Great Spirit World

Kaito and Grandma Yacchan are telling the Kikai4 all about Christmas as they prepare to put up decorations. Secchan is telling us about Kaito’s birthday on the 12th, but he gets a Tojitendo alert and the Zenkaigers hurry out.

They come across Ijirude’s Shougatsu World and Barashitara’s Bonn World who have agreed to work together. They try to combine their powers, but you can only use one Tojiru Gear at a time. Zox arrives and the Zenkaigers henshin. But Stacey and Hakaizer also appear.

Bonn World lets out a fog to resurrect everyone’s ancestors, including Zyuran’s ancestor Sanjo and Zox’s ancestor the pirate Pillart Goldtsuiker.

Stacey, meanwhile, is shocked when his mother appears in front of him. He takes mother back to the palace as the two Worlds and Hakaizer also leave.

Zox slaps Pillart before hopping on the ship, but Pillart hitches a ride with his anchor.

At the Palace, Stacey demands Barashitara end this nonsense right now. But Barashitara says that is only possible when Bonn World is defeated. And if Stacey even thinks of doing such a thing, it would be tantamount to treason against Bokkowaus.

Barashitara calls Stacey a fool, but Stacey’s mother will not have Barashitara speak ill of his son in this way. Barashitara is reminded of how feisty she was. He mentions that he made wives on every world, but never did so to a ghost. Stacey knocks his father’s hand off his mother and takes her away.

Up on the ship, Zox is telling his siblings about their ancestor, not knowing that Pillart has already made his way in. Pillart says he runs the family, no exceptions. And that means he is in charge of this ship now.

Zox and Flint refuse to give in to old time pirate rules. But Pillart says he’ll show them what a real pirate looks like.

Pillart tries to loot a bakery, but Zox stops him. Pillart is confused since Zox is supposed to be a pirate. But Zox says he made a promise.

Great-grandfather Sanjo is shocked to see the strange being that is Kaito. But also of this strange new world. The Zenkaigers take him around downtown while explaining the current situation against the Tojitendo.

Sanjo says going up against the Tojitendo is bad news. He remembers back in the day when he farted during a royal procession and they chopped his head off. So if the Zenkaigers want to live a long life, they should keep their heads down.

They head back to the shop and Great-grandpa Sanjo can’t believe how delicious their treats are. He is happy to see such a wonderful world today.

Secchan notices something’s up with Kaito and asks what’s wrong. Kaito says he’s just wondering what Stacey’s doing now.

Stacey and his mother are in the bamboo forest. She thanks him for defending her and says he was always such a nice boy. Anyway, even if this is just Barashitara’s scheming, she’s happy to be able to see her son again. Stacey says he is too.

On a rooftop, Hakaizer thinks it’s very heartwarming to see people interacting with their ancestors like this. But Bonn World decides to enact the next part of the plan. He activates a beam that causes the ancestors to attack their descendants.

The Zenkaigers hurry up to the rooftop, henshin and battle Bonn World. Hakaizer jumps in to help his Tojitendo friend, but Kaito goes Super to take him on.

As Pillart attacks Flint and the twins, Zox is enraged. He doesn’t care if Pillart is their ancestor. Zox henshins and asserts himself as the true Goldtsuiker captain.

While battling Hakaizer, Kaito can’t help but think of Stacey at this moment.

Stacey’s mother chases after him with a knife. He is furious at Barashitara for cooking up such an evil plan. He has no choice but to try and fight his mother. But his mother gets the upper hand is about to stab him to death so he can join her in the afterlife.

Kaito and Hakaizer, however, arrive just in time. Stacey asks why Kaito would help him and Kaito answers that he knows both Stacey and his mother would hate this.

Zyuran apologizes to his great-grandfather and says it’s too soon to join him in the afterlife. Gaon, Magine and Vroom deliver a Finale Buster at Bonn World and the ancestors disappear.

A distraught Stacey watches as Hakaizer holds his mother as she disappears. Hakaizer is sad that Bonn World has been defeated. Kaito tells Hakaizer to look after Stacey.

Dai Bonn World appears and Kaito and Zox form Zenkaiju-Oh. Dai Bonn World summons a giant cucumber and eggplant which Secchan explains is traditionally the transportation used by ancestors to get back.

Kaito and Zox deliver a Kaiju Max Blaster and Full Power Finish Twin Breaker to finish off Dai Bonn World for good.

Back at the shop, the Zenkaigers finish their Christmas decorations. They are sad to think the Tojitendo were already oppressing people as far back as Zyuran’s great-grandfather’s time. That’s why the Kikainoids might have assumed the Tojitendo way was how things had to be.

They agree that bringing down the Tojitendo will be a great way to honor their ancestors.

Meanwhile, Hakaizer asks Stacey what’s wrong. But he says nothing. Hakaizer says he’s here to listen to any problems since they’re friends.

Stacey wonders if he’s doing the same thing to Kaito and his father that Barashitara was doing to him just now. Stacey wonders if he’s exactly like his horrible father.

At the Palace, Bokkowaus summons Ijirude and says to get Shougatsu World ready to deploy. But first, he has a piece of the Overlord before last’s body for Ijirude. Ijirude is shocked when Bokkowaus suggests he use the piece on Hakaizer.

Episode Thoughts

So this was an interesting episode. First, it was nice and enlightening to see the Zenkaigers acknowledge that the Tojitendo have wreaked havoc on the universe for a long time. It helps to add to the Tojitendo’s evil reputation. And using Zyuran’s great-grandfather to help illustrate was great too. A little bit of backstory for him.

But I guess the biggest development of this episode was seeing Stacey’s mother for the first time. (That’s not Grandma Yacchan! Lol) And I guess Stacey showing hesitation at what he is doing by selfishly keeping Papa Goshikida to himself and away from Kaito.

I dunno. It’s interesting I guess. Though a part of me was definitely looking forward to some soapy revelation about Stacey and the Goshikidas. So if not, are we to just assume Stacey saw Grandma Yacchan, who was very nice and motherly to him, as just that. A motherly figure for a lonely little boy? That’s kind of disappointing, but oh well. We’ll go with it if that’s the case.

The gross part though was Barashitara bragging about impregnating women all over the universe in every world. WTF! Ewe! I would hope they address his disgusting behavior and past before his eventual defeat. Like, make a point to remember what he’s done and then destroy him.

Anyway, I don’t know how to feel about the Stacey stuff. But the ancestors plot was a good one.

And then there’s the tease about the Overlord before last. Who knows what that will lead to.

Overall, an interesting episode. Not sure I particularly enjoyed it as much as I should have. But it was alright.