Recap: Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger, Episode 37 – Iroki’s Rebellion

Kaguragi and Rita watch from a distance as the people of Toufu brand him a traitor for setting their entire rice supply on fire. The people stand helpless as the rice kura is burning to the ground.

Kaguragi assures Rita that he is innocent and points to Gurodi in the palace being the real threat. Especially when he has raised Iroki, the former queen of Toufu, from the dead. Rita knows the story of Kaguragi having incited a rebellion to oust Iroki from the throne so he could take it for himself.

After getting a report, Iroki sends Gurodi out to take care of Kaguragi and the other visitors. Queen Iroki is eager to hear Kaguragi’s answers to her questions about that day.

Queen Iroki recalls Kagarugi holding a katana while the palace burned and she was lying on the floor, apparently dead.

Meanwhile, with Toufu’s supply chain disrupted due to the burning rice, the rest of Chikyuu is going hungry. That includes Gira, Yanma, Hymeno and Sebas in Ishabana. Though Jeramie is perfectly fine after having to adjust his diet the last 2000 years.

Back in Toufu, Kaguragi leaves Gurodi to Rita while he heads inside the palace. The other Ohgers arrive, hoping to help Kaguragi regain control of Chikyuu. But they are so hungry and cannot properly move.

Before setting foot onto the bridge, he has a flashback to that day at this very spot. He then heads inside and faces Iroki, saying he is the rightful owner of the throne.

She asks how long it’s been and he says it’s been 17 years, though all the reminders of that day are essentially gone.

Kaguragi recalls how Iroki was a much different person the day he and Suzume met her. They had served a special recipe of rice which Iroki loved so much. She proposed they market this rice to other countries and asks Kaguragi to help teach the rest of Toufu how to cook rice in this way. Suzume protests, saying it is a family recipe. But Kaguragi is more than happy to say yes to the queen.

Iroki asks what ambitions Kaguragi has for himself. He replies that all he wants is to cover himself with dirt for the rest of his life. That is, continuing farming. But Iroki offers Kaguragi a job at the palace. She wants him because he is too honest for his own good and would never betray her.

But the Wrath of God™ changed everything. Iroki had hoarded all of Toufu’s food for herself during the chaos, leaving the people starved. That’s when the people looked to Kaguragi to help lead an insurrection to the castle in order to take back the rice.

Kaguragi believes he can just speak nicely with Queen Iroki into returning the rice. But Suzume points out that she has changed. Kaguragi insists he will speak to the queen on his own. He refuses to see any blood spilt in this uprising and says if he is not back in 30 minutes, then they can do as they please.

Suzume leads the others to follow Kaguragi in order to provide support. But they arrive in front of a burning palace. They see Kaguragi walking out. Suzume runs over to him, relieved that he is safe, only to find blood on his hands. She realizes what that means and raises Kaguragi’s hand, declaring him the new king of Toufu after having taken revenge on the queen for her betrayal.

And that is how Kaguragi became king. Iroki is not convinced by his account. But if today is just like back then, she tells Kaguragi to go ahead and kill her and take back the throne.

Iroki takes a seat for her final meal and she takes her turn to recount what happened that day.

Iroki had just finished her bowl of rice when Kaguragi came to speak with her about the rice hoarding. Kaguragi demands she return the rice. But she has accepted the fact that she might die today in the uprising.

Kaguragi, however, realizes what is going on when Queen Iroki stands up and then collapses, spitting out blood. She has been poisoned. He hurries over to her, but she pushes him away and stumbles over to grab her katana.

Queen Iroki tells Kaguragi her final request: to kill her. Kaguragi hesitates, refusing to do such a thing. Queen Iroki tells him to just to do as he is told. She calls him a traitor as the burning palace begins to collapse around them.

In the present day, Kaguragi says she branded him a traitor when she had chosen death herself. But he has the answer for her now.

Outside, Hymeno is able to smell something wrong with the rice Gurodi has served them and stops the boys from eating it. As Gurodi laments his plan being foiled again today like it was 17 years ago, he transforms into his monster form as Gira, Yanma, Hymeno and Jeramie take him on. Unfortunately, his scythe is able to temporarily take their senses and power away.

Inside, Kaguragi realizes it was Gurodi who also poisoned the rice 17 years ago. And that is why Queen Iroki hoarded it all in order to protect the peoples.

Iroki wants to make clear if Kaguragi’s answer is that he betrayed her after she had saved the people from poison rice and then took the throne for himself. Kaguragi says that in the years since, he has slowly come to understand what she truly did back then. She had hidden the poisoned rice in order to protect Toufu’s reputation. Otherwise, the other kingdoms would no longer import Toufu crops and food, thus decimating the country’s livelihood.

In order to protect Toufu, Iroki bore the weight of being branded a traitor in order to bring about a new leader. She pretends to laugh at the absurd suggestion that a king would give up the throne for their people. But Kaguragi reminds her that in order to become the lord of Toufu, you must turn your heart jet black and lie and deceive in order to protect its people.

Kaguragi realizes now that he should not have hesitated on that day. Especially in the face of Iroki’s great sacrifice to their country, he truly was a traitor back then.

Iroki laughs that it took him 17 years to figure all that out. But now, Kaguragi will do what he should have done on that day. He unsheathes his katana.

Back outside, Gurodi has forced the Ohgers to dehenshin and is ready to kill them in order to have more clean dead bodies to mess around with.

But Kaguragi comes speeding out to stop Gurodi and remind him that Toufu is a kingdom of life. Thus Gurodi’s desire for death does not belong here. They battle.

Hymeno tells Kaguragi that Gurodi’s scythe is what took their powers. So Kaguragi focuses his efforts on avoiding it and then forces Gurodi away. That allows Kaguragi to reclaim control of Toufu.

Iroki watches from the palace with pride. She calls Kaguragi a traitor before she blows away with the wind for good this time.

Later, Kuroda reports to Kaguragi that all the poisoned rice has been destroyed. Kaguragi asks Kuroda to walk down this dirty path with him.

Episode Thoughts

Another wonderful episode. I really have been loving these last few episodes focusing on some backstory for the Ohgers. Like I mentioned last week, I wish we got them sooner. But I’m definitely happy we’re getting them now.

I love Kaguragi’s “origin story”. And the way they were able to unfold the truth about Queen Iroki was so perfect. Especially as it led to of course unfurling Kaguragi’s story and how he came to be the way he is today.

I think so far, this is my favorite of the three. Even though I loved Yanma and Hymeno’s episodes too. But with the way Toufu is an agricultural country and perhaps a bit more humble in that way compared to the fancy pants Ishabana and technobabble of N’Kosopa (lol), it made the Wrath of God™ and its effects all the more devastating. And then of course Queen Iroki’s noble sacrifice and Kaguragi’s literal trial by fire path to the throne.

What else is there to say? An excellent, introspective episode in a way only Sentai and King-Ohger could do. Absolutely wonderful!