Recap: Kikai Sentai Zenkaiger, Episode 48 – Heaven’s Vengeance, the Fall of the Dynasty

While godFlint is messing around at the console,s Zox and Stacey are just about down for the count. Barashitara mocks Zox and how he should’ve just kept on with his plundering kaizoku ways. But Zox says not all treasure is the kind you loot. Some are with you all along and others are waiting to found. And finding something you want to protect is the greatest treasure of all.

Zox stands and says anyone who threatens his treasure will pay. He henshins and charges at Barashitara to resume battle. Cutanner and Ricky help their brother.

The Zenkaigers reach Bokkowaus’ chambers again and this time avoid the trap door. But Gege begins attacking them before Bokkowaus spins the floor around. Secchan suggests they use Shinkenger Gear and that allows Secchan to embiggen and properly face off against Gege.

The two birds battle. godFlint sees the scene and decides to help out. Flint is left confused as the “god” returns to Gege’s body and tells the Zenkaigers that Bokkowaus’ weak spot is in the back. Bokkowaus is shocked that he would betray him like this.

Gegod says he thinks the Zenkaigers are more interesting. Bokkowaus slaps Gegeod against the wall, destroying his body. Bokkowaus mourns the loss of his friend by taking Gegod’s severed head and inserting it into his own body.

Bokkowaus then suddenly collapses his monolith-like body to reveal his true form, a much more manageable size.

He explains that his father and those who came before him in the royal family have absorbed the bodies of those they’ve conquered in order to maintain their power and grow stronger. That’s in addition to having the remaining Tojiru Gears inside of him as well.

Bokkowaus calls upon Iwayamatopia Gear and a huge mountain emerges beneath the Palace.

As Kikaitopia begins to rumble, Barashitara says Zox better go and help his friends. But Captain Goldtsuiker is confident they can handle whatever they’re facing. Barashitara laughs that Zox is more concerned with the weak Stacey.

Stacey gets up and charges toward his father. Barashitara mocks Stacey and says he isn’t the first one to come and try avenge their mother, all of whom he’s easily taken care of. Barashitara laughs at Stacey’s lame attempts and calls him pathetic.

Stacey says he does not care what Barashitara says. It is not about revenge, but about protecting the place he has found for himself. Stacey henshins and Zox is impressed by his resolve. Zox goes Super and joins in the battle.

Meanwhile, the Zenkaigers find themselves in front of the new mountain with Bokkowaus attacking them one by one based on the seasons their designs are based off of.

All of the Zenkaigers are forced to dehenshin and Bokkowaus laughs that they deserve to be down on their knees. Thus is the greatness of the Tojitendo.

The Zenkaigers find that their Gears are destroyed. But they remember that there have been many seasons of Sentai teams of the past who have also faced dire situations like this. Those teams never gave up and neither will they.

The Zenkaigers are resolved to keep fighting, full power and nonstop. They do an unhenshined roll call before charging toward Bokkowaus.

But suddenly, Bokkowaus’ chest begins sparking as the Gears of all legendary Sentai teams of the past appear around them. Those legendary Gears of the Sentai Worlds trapped inside Bokkowaus’ body help fashion brand new Gears for them.

The Zenkaigers henshin and can now properly battle Bokkowaus.

At the same time, Flint arrives just in time to see Zox and Stacey gaining the upper hand against Barashitara. Flint and the twins lend Zox and Stacey some extra power to deliver the final blow that kills Barashitara for good.

Stacey cannot believe it is finally over. He and Zox bump wrists. The Goldtsuikers celebrate the win and Stacey pays tribute to his mother.

When Flint tells the twins about not knowing where she’s been, Stacey says it might be the work of the “god.”

Back at the mountain, the Zenkaigers have gotten Bokkowaus right where they want him. With Kaito in the front, Zyuran and the others are at Bokkowaus’ back, right where Gegod had told them was his weak spot.

Together, the Zenkaigers deliver a front and back attack that destroys Bokkowaus for good. The explosion forces them to dehenshin, but Bokkowaus is done. All the worlds are freed from the Tojiru Gears, including Kikaitopia which becomes brighter and normal.

The Zenkaigers celebrate. But Secchan suddenly falls to the ground. Kaito runs over to pick him up and says he’s just run out of battery from the excitement.

On the other side of town, Zox says the god must be planning something. He suggests they quickly go find the others, but then changes his mind and says they should go back to Kaizokutopia as he’s got a plan.

The Goldtsuikers zoom back up to their ship and Zox tells Stacey goodbye for now.

Stacey wonders if the god has possessed Zox. He runs to find Kaito and the others.

Mr. Tako and other Kikainoids find the Zenkaigers and are grateful for saving their home.

Back at the shop, Grandma Yacchan is surprised when Papa and Mama Goshikida pop up out of nowhere, safe and sound. Papa Goshikida says he was searching all over until something nudged him toward Sushitopia where Mama Goshikida had been staying until now.

Meanwhile, Kaito and an unconscious Secchan arrive back inside the Palace and the strange contraption above them. Kaito tells Secchan they should go back to where they belong as well.

Kaito touches the console and activates the Tojiru Gear system. Suddenly, the strange mechanical orb emerges from the sky on Earth and in other worlds, slamming all of them into a black void.

Clanking Tojiru Gears fall into a bin.

Episode Thoughts

Some good things, a lot of meh things.

One of the bad things was Papa and Mama Goshikida just popping back up like that. Yes, I get that all the worlds were freed from the Gears. But really? A whole season search for them ends with them just popping up. Probably because the “god” nudged Papa Goshikida to Sushitopia? Mama Goshikida really had no intention of going home and just wanted to make sushi forever? Come on now. If Toei didn’t want to pay the two actors who played Kaito’s parents for more than a few episodes, they could’ve just said that, you know. Or at the very least, come up with a more creative story to explain what used to be one of the season’s major threads.

Quite the unceremonious and anti-climactic end to Bokkowaus as well. Even though it was evident halfway through that he wouldn’t be the Big Bad final boss, it was still underwhelming to see him be defeated by magic Gears that Toei and Bandai want to remind you that you can buy everywhere Sentai toys are sold.

It felt even more underwhelming when the episode also had the relatively solid demise of Barashitara. So that took center stage while Bokkowaus was pretty easily defeated at the Toei quarry.

We of course got the always great unhenshined finale roll call. And one of the last anniversary season tributes with Zenkaigers being attacked by their matching legendary Gears.

But I feel very unsatisfied with Bokkowaus’ death only because we’ve heard (read; been told) all about the Tojitendo’s oppression of worlds. Most especially Kikaitopia where they had set up shop as their headquarters. There was really no closure to the Kikainoids’ decades of suffering other than “Hey! It’s not gloomy out anymore! Woohoo!”

I think that’s just part of the season not really using the Kikainoids, especially our Kikai4, to their full narrative potential.

That’s in contrast to Stacey getting closure with Barashitara. As much as I hoped and wished for a bit more in terms of resolution to that part of the story, I was at least satisfied and even quite surprised that they did end up touching upon Barashitara being the baby daddy to countless people across countless worlds.

Of course, using “baby daddy” actually takes away from the fact that Barashitara assaulted and mistreated (and killed?) women across the universe, got them pregnant and left them. So gross.

So seeing the show actually acknowledge that and by way of Barashitara even bragging about how many of his children have come to avenge their mothers was a very pleasant surprise. It’s the kind of dramatic, heavy finale-worthy climax you want to see. And certainly deserved an episode on its own.

At the same time, it could also feel like the battle with Barashitara was just to show off how both Stacey and Zox have changed since we first met them. When once they were standoffish, selfish and confrontational, now they are friendly and more open to the bonds they’ve formed with each other and the Zenkaigers.

Anyway, I’m a bit confused with the Gegod situation. Like, are Gege and the “god” different beings? And the “god” has just been possessing Gege? Or is Gegod actually just one entity and the “god” can just hop in and out of his bird body whenever he wants?

The way Bokkowaus was mourning Gege was like the “god” had taken the “real” Gege from him or something. I dunno. I actually prefer Gegod as one being and that Gege has been plotting behind Bokkowaus’ back all this time. And not that Gege was just also possessed, Because then that means this “god” popped out of nowhere with zero development or explanation. And that’s just lazy. Whatever. Anyway.

I am actually looking forward to Kaito vs. godKaito. A part of me wants to see one last surprising twist. The other part of me knows to lower my expectations. So, final episode left! We’ll see how Zenkaiger wraps up.