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Tsubasa meets with Auntie Yuriko who tells him they have withdrawn the warrant against him stemming from JutoTsubasa’s rampage. She asks if he has remembered anything from his time in the forest, but he does not. That is until a mascot hands him a flyer downtown and he remembers that the one who saved him was wearing a pink rabbit costume. He believes that person can help him get to Natsumi so he can save her.
At the café, Haruka shows the boys her latest pages. But they aren’t too impressed. Even if Jirou tries to be positive for her. Tsubasa comes running in and asks Master for a pen and paper. Kaito hands him markers and a pad and Tsubasa draws a very rough drawing of the rabbit costume.
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Haruka recognizes the drawing is of Shiina Naoki and she accompanies Tsubasa to her autograph signing. Tsubasa ends up chasing after Naoki and asks how she saved him. She says she knew Tsubasa would go into the forest that day.
Suddenly, Murasame seemingly pops out of a tear in the sky and is aggressive against them. Tsubasa grabs Naoki’s hand and they try to run to safety. But this Murasame easily catches up to them.
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Haruka stumbles upon the scene and Murasame comes flying out of the sky. The real one! Mother tells Murasame to eliminate this abunaiMurasame because it is not supposed to exist.
While the Murasames fight, Tsubasa and Naoki get caught in the explosion and the rabbit head goes flying off. And in the costume is…
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Haruka?! Tsubasa tells the two Harukas to get to safety as he puts on the costume himself.
At the café, a suit-wearing Shinichi takes a seat in front of Jirou while the real Shinichi uses the restroom. Turns out this Haru-chan and Shin-chan are dating and from the future. Haru explains that she got tired of fighting and used her Kibi Points to take a vacation. Her wish was to return to the time when she was a famous manga artist. But complications ended up sending her to another dimension instead.
Haru apologizes for causing the plagiarism issue. Shin says he is here to bring Haru back home.
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When Tarou walks through the door, Haru rushes over and punches him in the face. Shin tries to calm her down. They explain that a great deal of in-fighting plagued the Donbrothers in their world. Tarou thinks this is very interesting.
On the other side of town, the Murasames continue fighting as Tsubasa finds refuge in a warehouse. The Noto3 see him and Sononi asks why Tsubasa is not hard at work trying to defeat the Juto Natsumi so the real one can return.
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As abunaiMurasame comes into the warehouse, Sononi takes the rabbit costume from Tsubasa.
At the café, Haru is hard at work on the last chapter of Shin Hatsukoi Hero. Tarou asks what the big deal about a manga is. Haru yells at Tarou and Shin explains that drawing manga is her dream. Tarou believes reality is more important than dreams.
Shin explains that not having a dream means not being able to know sorrow as well as never knowing happiness. Tarou does not understand the concept.
Haruka has a seat next to Haru to help with inking the panels.
Shin, meanwhile, pays for his special order tea. Shinichi is shocked Shin can easily handle money and Shin explains that he is actually rich. Shinichi is taken aback when Shin recites a tanka instead of a haiku.
While drawing, Haruka asks if Haru is really dating Shin-chan and she says yes. Haruka cannot believe it.
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Tsuyoshi asks Shin-chan how he and Miho are doing in the other world. But Shin-chan refuses to say. Jirou wants to know how he and Rumi are doing in that world. But Haruka remembers that Tsubasa is in trouble.
They hurry over to where the fighting is and Haruka is surprised to see it is Sononi in the rabbit costume now. Everyone else is shocked to see two Murasames. Shin-chan says it must be an assassin from the future here to look for Haru.
The Donbros henshin, including both Shinichis. Inside the warehouse, Tsubasa finds Sononi who is annoyed that he has been so soft. He won’t be able to defeat the Juto at this rate. She transforms and takes on Tsubasa.
On the rooftop, Tarou asks Sonoi if he has a dream. But Sonoi says he has no interest in that sort of thing.
After finishing up at the café, Haru-chan arrives just as Haruka is forced to dehenshin during battle. Both Harukas henshin, but the time gate begins to open.
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miraeShinichi uphenshins to Robotaro and miraeHaruka goes Gold. Together, they are able to defeat abunaiMurasame. But it embiggens. The real Murasame also transforms into his robo form and the two battle. Murasame wins and defeats abunaiMurasame who does not have a Mother.
miraeShinichi and miraeHaruka say goodbye to the others and are sucked into the time zipper. Haruka wanted to talk to miraeHaruka more, but Haru-chan just tells her to look at her manga.
Haruka finds the manuscript at the café with the final panel left blank by miraeHaruka for Haruka to finish herself.
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The final chapter of Shin Hatsukoi Hero is selling very well. But Haruka realizes she is still a plagiarist in many people’s eyes.
Episode Thoughts
How can I love and hate this episode at the same time?! Lol
First of all, I’m happy the Donbros are back after what feels like a very long time. But this episode was crazy! I feel like I love it because I honestly laughed out loud so many times throughout the episode. The episode was typical random nonsense from the Donbros. And because I have been so enamored by the Donbros this past year, I can’t help but love and enjoy that random nonsense. It was funny. Amusing. And again, yes, completely random.
And I guess that’s where I hate the episode too. They really just slashed at two of the season’s big moments and cut off their heads like it was nothing.
Am I completely underwhelmed by the resolution to Haruka’s plagiarism plotline? Absolutely! What the hell was that? lol Explaining it away by throwing in AU versions of Haruka and Shinichi? Though I guess it still works within the Zenkaiger/Donbrothers world with these multiple versions of people whatever.
But the episode didn’t really explain why. And they said as much at the end when Haruka exclaims that she’s still considered a plagiarist. Plus also still not surpassing herself? What?
What made it worse though was they had to tie the whole Shiina Naoki plot with Tsubasa’s story of how he escaped the Juto forest. And OMG, why would they crush our Tsubasononi hearts by not having her be his hero? WTF!
I was so sad when the rabbit head popped off and it was Haruka in the costume and not Sononi. At least, after Tsubasa suddenly remembered it was a rabbit furry that saved him. I don’t get it. Why throw that in there and mix these two stories together. It really makes no sense in the story and from a show perspective either.
I guess they have to wrap everything up somehow in these final episodes.
Or maybe the answer is in Haru’s manga. Which, why has Haruka not read it yet then? Isn’t it what she got published? I have no idea.
But if the manga holds answers, then let’s see it then! Hopefully next week.
Otherwise, the main thing to take away from this episode is all the random, though funny nonsense with the gang at the café. Or seeing Totaro wearing the bunny costume that was obviously too small for him. Or the novelty of seeing double Haruka and Shinichi. Everything else was kind of annoying. Especially with the effect on existing story.
And yet, I had a lot of fun. I laughed a lot. And I enjoyed it. Donbrothers really is crazy. lol
Yeah! I was really annoyed that they turned good story into another joke.
A let down, yeah?
Why did they erase the Tsubasa-Sononi angle of the rescue and throw in this random thing? Sad.
Probably will be one of my biggest complaints of the season depending on how it ends.
I hope they can finish stronger.
Same!
Initially, had the same somewhat underwhelming response to resolution of this Naoki subplot. After letting the episode “marinate’, I’ve come to actually find it interesting, especially for the show’s endgame. Like many others, I thought Naoki was Haruka from the future. But the use of time travel here is really more of a character one. Any alterations due to time travel has been squared on Haruka as a person. That wasn’t our Haruka or a Haruka from an alternate world like potentially Kaito. The Naoki Haruka never experienced the plagiarism accusations or a writer’s slump because Naoki didn’t exist. Because our Haruka has though, she’s different from that Haruka.
The episode with Haruka using the Kibi points continues to be so important for the character. Our Haruka essentially does the same thing as “Naoki Haruka”. But unlike that Haruka, our Haruka can’t continue with this because she personally knows how it feels like to be falsely accused. Even though Naoki Haruka accidentally started the plagiarism, she still continues on with the Naoki persona. She doesn’t stop because she hasn’t experienced the other end of it like our Haruka.
We now know the DonBrothers are heading to a place of constant infighting. They just can’t get it together. Being a DonBrother hasn’t even ended yet. Equally importantly, we know Taro is going to do something that is going to break Haruka’s heart and faith in him. But what if since our Haruka is now different (more resilient through her hardships & slump) along with the info that Shin Hatsukoi Hero gives, she can change the outcome and their fates. Who better to teach Taro about dreams than our Haruka, who continues on with her dreams despite the setbacks? In doing so, Taro does something different than Naoki Haruka’s Taro. Very Jetman-like with Ryu & Kaori in the final episodes. Have you watched the Donbrothers movie, yet?
Also, just guessing, but maybe in the original timeline, Tsubasa was eventually rescued by Sonoi as the story seemed like it was heading, but Future Haruka intervened in that.Someone would had to have done because Naoki didn’t exist in that timeline. Maybe Miho is a potential rescuer? Had a lot of thoughts and more about this episode. Thanks for taking a brief minute or two, Lol, for reading it.
Those are all very interesting. But it feels like almost a different show! lol I would love to have seen something that intricate on Donbrothers. I guess getting it now at Episode 43 rather than maybe in the 30s feels awkward. I think what you laid out would definitely fit with the world that’s been built by both Zenkaiger and Donbrothers. But I guess the way Donbrothers has been more loose makes me feel wary about such a relatively more intricate turn.
I have not seen the movie yet. I didn’t realize it has been released online already. Will that possibly help in understanding this episode more?
Oh no, watching the movie doesn’t help with the episode at all. It’s just there’s a cameo appearance with 2 Donbrothers in the movie, that kinda now stands out a little more now with this episode.
Honestly, I would bet you’re right and I’m putting way too much in the story, which has been loose and simple This is Inoue, too. Probably just my wishful thinking for more for this show because I want it to be great. When you put and have characters say things that should lead somewhere, but are kinda handwaved ultimately as nothing. Like you’re right, this reveal should’ve been more impactful. I definitely agree this episode should’ve happened in the 30’s. The reveal should’ve happened at the top of the episode if this wasn’t going to be a 2 parter. Too much has been pushed to these last batch of episodes.
Oh I definitely understand how you feel. I’ve been holding on to the few times where I feel like they’re actually going into deep story. But they instead wave it off and I just go “Oh you silly Donbros!” 😅
There’s definitely so much left to resolve. So it’s really going to be interesting to see how it fits in the last 7 episodes. And now introducing some newish ideas too.