Recap: Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger, Episode 17 – Bun and Byun

The Boonbooms are dressed up at a bar that Taiya has just purchased. Sakito and Byundi walk in, expecting a meeting with BunBun. But Taiya says BunBun does not want to meet with them.

Suddenly, Sakito draws his Controller at the Boonbooms and they draw their weapons as well. Byundi says it is he who wants to meet with BunBun.

Watching back at the garage, BunBun tells Investigator Shirabe that he absolutely cannot meet Byundi. Shirabe thinks BunBun is so cute even when he’s so worried about something.

On the other side of town, Ittasha and Dekotorade are working out at the gym when suddenly Yaruka comes crying toward them. He says something happened to him while asleep. They realize Cannonborg has forcibly modified him.

Cannonborg says it is all for the good of their plan for Earth. It lacks behind the other planets who have produced plentiful gassholin.

Dekotorade asks Ittasha to whip something up and she keys in a treadmill to bring about Gym Guruma.

Back at the bar, everyone lowers their weapons and Sakito takes a seat at the bar next to Taiya. Genba asks for his order and Sakito says he’ll take anything chaotic.

Byundi begins to tell the story of how he and BunBun used to be teammates.

Shirabe is shocked and asks BunBun who says it’s true, but they were also rivals. That’s why he made the Controller, but could not finish it. Shirabe asks why he is pushing Byundi away. But BunBun insists he cannot show his face in front of Byundi.

Just as Genba serves Sakito a Cassis juice drink, Shirabe and BunBun alert the Boonbooms to what’s happening at the gym. The others leave Taiya to stay and continue the conversation with Sakito and Byundi.

Sakito is amused that they are all Boonboomgers since Boonboomger was BunBun and Byundi’s team name in the BBG.

On the other side of town, Gym Guruma has forced everyone to lift heavy weights, producing lots of gassholin. Shashiro, Mira, Jou and Genba arrive and henshin as the Guruma shoots fireballs at them.

They speed through removing the weights from the people and urge them to get to safety. They battle Nejirettas, but the Guruma quickly saddles them with weights as well.

Back outside the bar, Taiya continues speaking with Byundi while Sakito admires the Supercar. Byundi says he wanted the name Byunbyunger, but BunBun wanted Boonboomger. So they decided to race in order to settle on a name. BunBun won that race, but never won again after that.

Byundi says once BunBun lost his license in the BBG, he vanished without a word to him, his teammate. Byundi even heard a rumor that he died. That’s why he has wanted to know where he was and what he’s been doing since.

Taiya understands Byundi has been worried this whole time. But he says there is no need to worry nor have any reason to hold a grudge against them.

Taiya gets in the car and Sakito says they’re not done talking yet. Taiya says he has to go fight the Hashiryans. Sakito tells him to just let the Hashiryans take the planet.

Taiya points out Sakito is an earthling too. But Sakito says this planet abandoned him, so what would he get out of a fight? Taiya stops himself from saying something and instead says they fight because they want to.

Sakito says it’s stuff like this that he hates. Taiya replies that everyone says that. After Taiya leaves, Byundi asks Sakito if he wants more chaos.

Back at the battle, Taiya arrives and henshins. But Sakito and Byundi are right behind him. Sakito asks if they will hire him for a job.

Sakito henshins and says he will take on this first job for them for free. Genba suggests they accept this free trial. Taiya insists they can make do on their own, but Sakito still gives them a preview of his work.

Sakito easily takes care of the Guruma by delivering a Byunbyun Arrow Drive finisher. The Boonbooms are impressed by his strength.

Just then, Yaruka spits out what Cannonborg calls a Highway Ray which allows a defeated Kurumaju to embiggen without having to travel the highway itself. Yaruka gets whipped back at Ittasha and Dekotorade, feeling dizzy and drained. Ittasha and Dekotorade can’t believe Cannonborg has done this to him.

The Boonbooms hop into their Cars. But Sakito tells Byundi they should go too. Byundi transforms into ByunByun Mach form and Sakito hops in as well.

Taiya tells BunBun that Byundi is on their tail. But Byundi is able to speed past BunBun straight for the embiggened Kurumaju. Sakito and Byundi go Bakuage against Gym Guruma and they quickly rev up a finisher. But Cannonborg orders the Kurumaju to show his second form.

Gym Guruma transforms into a large treadmill, causing Sakito and Byundi to struggle moving forward as they face explosive nuts and bolts as well. They soon get a flat tire. But Sakito sees an opening and they are able to press a button on Gym Guruma’s dashboard, returning it to its first form.

Suddenly, BunBun comes in and tells Byundi to drive in for a pit stop so he can help change the flat tire. BunBun reminds Byundi to not neglect replacing a flat tire and he works fast to swap it out and get a slightly surprised Byundi back on track.

Byundi transforms into Byunbyun Mach Robo and he and Sakito are able to deliver a ByunByun Finish at the Kurumaju.

Byundi tells BunBun that he will repay him someday.

Later, Sakito asks Byundi if it’s okay he wasn’t able to talk more with BunBun. But Byundi says the tire change pit stop was enough to stop his worrying. Sakito is happy for him.

Sakito takes a trading card out of his pocket and Byundi says it’s his turn now. Sakito says nah, they should just go back to space. But before they can, they get a call from Cannonborg.

Back at the garage, Taiya, Mira, Jou and Genba are enjoying some curry with BunBun. They commend BunBun on the great pit stop earlier. But BunBun says it was nothing. They can depend on him in the pit at the BBG.

Suddenly, Shashiro comes in with new information on why Sakito was only on Earth until he was ten.

Episode Thoughts

Another great Boonboom episode to love! I think they did a great job introducing us to BunBun and Byundi’s story. I’m sure we’ll get more about them and their awesome bromance later.

BunBun stepping in to help Byundi with the flat tire was such a great moment. And it’s partly because of what led up to it. After Byundi’s intro last week with Sakito and setting them up as seemingly a bit antagonistic to the Boonbooms, we got the revelation that Byundi and BunBun were actually teammates. It’s great how the implication previously was BunBun and Byundi were enemies rather than just rivals on the same team. But we learn that maybe they were actually friendly rivals and something happened to separate them.

Byundi said he didn’t even know if his teammate was alive or dead. So something obviously happened at the BBG. Which of course we know something happened that led to BunBun crashing on Earth.

So I’m hoping we get lots more from them.

Even more mystery with Taiya stopping himself from saying something to Sakito. Probably related to his childhood as well.

And speaking of, I’m very excited to learn more about Sakito’s story as well. Really a great introduction to him so far. And seeing that he might have an emotional backstory too is really great and exciting.

And speaking of (again), how exciting was that moment where Shashiro, Mira, Jou and Genba henshined in the middle of the flames?

Badass Boonboomger Moment of the Week (Episode 17) #2 – Fired Up
How cool did Shashiro, Mira, Jou and Genba look in this scene! Loved it!#ブンブンジャー pic.twitter.com/xw6z5v1Nx3

— DryedMangoez (@dryedmangoez) June 23, 2024

Very badass!

Another badass moment? This standoff at the beginning of the episode.

Badass Boonboomger Moment of the Week (Episode 17) #1 – The Standoff
I never knew this cinematic trope was called a "Mexican Standoff" until today! #ブンブンジャー pic.twitter.com/fEKHAPQjnd

— DryedMangoez (@dryedmangoez) June 23, 2024

I honestly never knew that this familiar cinematic trope was called a “Mexican Standoff” until today. And I probably still wouldn’t know if it wasn’t for Boonboomger motivating me to actually look it up! Lol

It was fun seeing Jou and Mira dressed up and Genba as a bartender. Funny that Shashiro’s normal clothes are fancy bar-worthy. Hehe. Them dressed formally also helped to make their henshin cool as well.

Elsewhere, how gross and cruel was it for Cannonborg to forcibly modify Yaruka while asleep! Very creepy. I did like how Ittasha and Dekotorade were worried and concerned for Yaruka. First after Yaruka literally cried to them about something happening to him while asleep and then later after the highway beam just shot out of his mouth. Insane Cannonborg!

Overall though, another great episode. Lots of good story and development. Plenty of exciting action. Full speed ahead for the Boonbooms and ByunByuns!