Recap: Avataro Sentai Donbrothers, Episode 2 – Big Peach, Small Peach

Avataro Sentai Donbrothers

Haruka now works part-time at Café Donbura and tries to hide from the judgmental eyes of the public who are still talking about her plagiarism case. She asks café owner Kaito if she can wear a disguise, but he says No while he reads Haruka’s manga. Haruka denies she is a plagiarist, “zenryoku zenkai.” Kaito has no idea what she’s talking about.

Avataro Sentai Donbrothers

Anyway, Haruka believes the only way things can go back to normal is if she can find Momoi Tarou.

Avataro Sentai Donbrothers

Meanwhile, Tarou is making a delivery to Kijino Tsuyoshi. Tarou says they’ve now forged a bond and helps snap Tsuyoshi’s dislocated shoulder back into place. Tsuyoshi thinks Tarou is a bit odd, but still cool.

Tsuyoshi describes himself as an average guy, a newlywed and a salaryman. That is until he came into possession of his own glasses and DonBlaster to become Kijibrother. Though he’s suffered a bit of bad luck since then, he takes comfort in having a loving wife like Miho to come home to.

Avataro Sentai Donbrothers

Next day, Tarou is at Shirokuma Express when his boss Sanae gives him and his coworkers some home cooked bento for lunch. Tarou’s coworkers challenge him to jankenpon for some extra side dishes and Tarou is so honest, he tells them exactly what he’s going to throw down before he does it so he always loses.

Avataro Sentai Donbrothers

Sanae says Tarou is really too honest to a fault, almost to the point of him being foolish. The other coworkers try to change the subject by saying Sanae is looking like a very young 30 or 40 year old woman. When Sanae asks Tarou, he honestly says she looks 68, which she is.

Later in the restroom, Sanae laments the others just being nice with their flattery and wishes she could be younger. A strange train-like apparition lurks nearby before fusing with her.

Avataro Sentai Donbrothers

Back at Donbura, a mysterious young man (Saruhara Shinichi) recognizes Haruka even though she’s wearing her disguise. He was able to figure it out based on her trying to hide her identity and the notes she wrote on her hand about returning her entrance pass to Zyodansha now that she is no longer an artist there.

Though Haruka has already served him his coffee, Shinichi says he does not have money as he refuses to carry such a negative influence with him. Instead, he offers a haiku for to pay for the coffee instead. Kaito, still reading Hatsukoi Hero, says that’s fine.

Shinichi looks around and recites his haiku:
Billowing spring wind
Unable to blow past those
Who have left us all.

Avataro Sentai Donbrothers

A tear rolling down his face, Shinichi is impressed with his impromptu haiku and leaves after finishing his drink.

Haruka takes a break and the man she met in the virtual prison (Momoi Jin) appears to her from her phone. He tells her that Momoi Tarou will appear at Rashonomiya Intersection tomorrow at 3pm, reminding her to kneel before him and pledge his loyalty.

Avataro Sentai Donbrothers

Kaito listens in on their conversation, but Momoi Jin doesn’t answer any of Haruka’s questions.

Over at Shirokuma, the other deliverymen are shocked when a younger-looking woman says she is their boss Sanae. They all think she is Sanae’s daughter. Sanae asks Tarou how old she looks to him and he still says 68.

Sanae can’t believe it and thinks she needs to get even younger.

Avataro Sentai Donbrothers

Later, Tarou makes a delivery to a man named Inuzuka Tsubasa. But detectives appear and chase after him before Tarou could make the delivery and form a bond.

Tsubasa also has a pair of glasses and escapes through a digital door.

Meanwhile, Haruka heads to the intersection to wait for Momoi Tarou. Tarou drives by in the delivery van, but Haruka instead believes an interesting-looking man holding some kind of umbrella spear is the one she is looking for.

Avataro Sentai Donbrothers

Haruka follows him. But before she can approach him, she runs into Sanae who is agonizing over being seen as old. She again grows younger, much to the shock of Haruka and everyone around them.

Haruka puts her glasses on and sees the train monster hovering behind Sanae.

Avataro Sentai Donbrothers

Sanae approaches Tarou who immediately recognizes her. He still says she is 68 years old. She touches his face and asks again, but he still says 68. Tarou tells Sanae to head back to the office and get some rest.

After Tarou drives away, Sanae begins to uncontrollably rampage as the train monster takes over her body. monsterSanae begins sucking up young women.

Haruka wants to run away, but knows she has a responsibility here. She henshins to Oni Sister and tries to get Sanae to snap out of this.

Avataro Sentai Donbrothers

The blue suit man from last episode again appears, bemoaning Sanae’s hideous lust for youth. He transforms and is about to eliminate her. But Haruka will not let that happen again.

Haruka kneels at the feet of the man from the intersection, but this man Sonoza is actually friends with blue suit man Sonoi. Sonoza kicks Haruka aside and Sonoi battles monsterSanae.

A group of Anonis appear to face off against Haruka. But Tsuyoshi, already henshined, flies in to help. Meanwhile, Inu Brother makes his first appearance and does an Avatar Change to Ryusoul Black. Tsuyoshi also gives it a try with his Ryusoulger Gear and is initially surprised that his suit is made for a girl. But he appreciates the stealth benefits and he and Inu Brother are able to take care of the Anonis.

Avataro Sentai Donbrothers

As the battle continues, Tarou arrives and also henshins, complete with his usual fanfare.

Tarou takes on all three of Sonoi, Sonoza and monsterSanae by himself before locking in an Alter Change Gear. His body gets shot back at Haruka before he lies unconscious on the ground. But Tarou’s actually transformed into a smaller body that makes use of the game world to enhance his attacks.

Sonoi and Sonoza leave for today. monsterSanae charges toward the Donbrothers. Haruka carries Tarou on her back as monsterSanae chases after them.

Tarou returns to his body and tells the others to join in on his finisher. Haruka, Tsuyoshi and Inu Brother turn gears that raise Tarou’s platform in order for him to deliver a Momotaro Slash.

monsterSanae immediately embiggens and Tarou hops into Don Zenkai-Oh to use a Don Zenkai Crash to finish her off for good.

Avataro Sentai Donbrothers

A ToQger Sentai Gear pops out and Zenkaizer Black catches it for his belt.

Sanae and all the other women taken by the train monster are back to normal.

At Shirokuma, Sanae again makes lunch for her delivery guys. She asks Tarou how old she looks. Tarou says a very happy and energetic 68. Sanae appreciates the kind words.

Avataro Sentai Donbrothers

At Donbura, Kaito links together the Ryusoulger and ToQger Gears he has collected so far.

Haruka wonders if Momoi Tarou is the red hero that’s popped up twice now.

Tarou loses another game of jankenpon while Tsuyoshi is swamped at work. Shinichi is out looking for haiku inspiration while Tsubasa leans on his wanted poster in the city.

Avataro Sentai Donbrothers

Episode Thoughts

Very nice episode. I definitely enjoyed it. Again, I like the more traditional feel (story-wise) of how this season is starting. I like getting to meet each Donbrother one by one in this way. The amount of mystery, whether it’s the other Donbrothers or this world’s version of Kaito or the villain trio, adds a lot of excitement to the story two episodes in. And that’s in addition to overall likeable charm of the season so far.

And because it’s only episode two, I’m still not used to and am still annoyed by the CGI Donbros. Again, especially when there’s actual physical versions of the suits anyway for the close-up shots, I still don’t get it. Please let there be some Gear that turns them normal around Episode 25! Lol

Speaking of Sentai Gears, I don’t know how long this “Donbrotopia” version of Kaito will be on the season (or if Kiita Komagine is a regular cast member until the end), but I like him. During Zenkaiger, I mentioned how much I liked seeing seriousKaito and wished we got more. So I’m getting my wish granted shere on Donbrothers. I hope we get some good story with this mysterious Zenkaiger Black Kaito. And Kiita Komagine will surely do a great job with the character.

Watching this episode and thinking about this Donbrotopia version of Kaito, I remember how Zenkaiger didn’t capitalize on the opportunity to have the Zenkaigers meet alternate universe versions of themselves. That was one of the things I thought they could do with the tease of Grandma Yacchan being Stacey’s actual mother. Perhaps a different version of Yatsude was Stacey’s real mother. But of course, that wasn’t it at all. Oh well.

I didn’t realize the connection between the corrupted ToQger monster and making Sanae grow younger until the end. DUH! The ToQgers *spoileralert* were made to grow older than they actually were. This “corrupted” Gear does the opposite. It’s very clever and I guess we’ll be getting more of that as the season moves along. Lots of potential creativity there. And I know for sure, much more creative in integrating previous seasons into the story than whatever the hell Power Rangers continues to do for the rose-colored glasses-wearing old fans.

But I digress. Lol.

I liked the quick introduction to Tsuyoshi’s life. Him being married is a refreshing part of his character. And I assume we’ll be getting an episode with her turning into one of those greed monsters in the future. So that should be a good episode. Also highlighting him being a salaryman is the same with Haruka’s situation of being an otherwise normal high schooler. Both had normal lives that were changed and upended by these mysterious glasses and blasters.

That’s very much a familiar theme for toku in general. And it’s nice to see that here as I feel like recent seasons of both Sentai and Kamen Rider haven’t necessarily done this dynamic in a while. At least, not in a prolonged way like they seem to be doing here. Usually it’s the heroes adjusting very quickly in Episode 1.

Overall, I am liking and enjoying the season so far. A solid start.

2 thoughts on “Recap: Avataro Sentai Donbrothers, Episode 2 – Big Peach, Small Peach

  1. Yeah the CGI effects are pretty much I expected so I am not surprised.

    And I also enjoy this slow revelation of the DonBrothers and how their lives have changed since they inherited this new power.

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