Flashman Episode 2

EPISODE 2

If Episode 1 could have had an extended running time, this would have just been part of that episode. It's the dust settling from that first fight, with a new fight kicking up, and the Flashman getting an important ally and arsenal. The episode starts with Mess still stung at their defeat, angry at these so-called Flashman, whose identities La Deus and Keflen quickly realize as being the children taken from these parts by the Alien Hunters twenty years ago. I can imagine a scenario where this is dragged out, but we have some competent bad guys here, and things aren't going to be easy for our heroes.

I like the way this show tries to put a little more thought and logic into the way some of this fanciful stuff is depicted that we just go along for the ride with. Flashman killed the first Beast Soldier sent like it was nothing? La Deus and Keflen reply to that by creating the first Earth/alien hybrid, the energy beast Kragen, which will enlarge and revive their fallen soldiers. What's Flashman going to do about that? Discover from their robot ally, Magu, that their giant vehicles can combine into the Flash King, which the show tells you they learn to operate by following guidance instructions. (For all of you jokesters out there who are like "How do the Sentai heroes even know how to work their mecha right off the bat?" Hirohisa Soda liked providing answers.) Rather than pull his sword from thin air, we're shown that Flash King's sword is kept within the Star Condor and fires down to be caught by the giant mecha. Little things like that. (It also helps in times when Flashman is trying to depict some of the more out-there scenarios, but it will be rooted in something or given a logic that really helps make it more believable. A good example of this I'll get to in episode 5.)

A key scene in this episode is, after taking a beating from the giant monster, our five heroes gather to heal, with Jin getting them motivated to press on by having them recall their upbringing on the Flash planets, and being raised by the Flash people. Jin was raised on the main planet, Flash Star, being taught science and the ways of the warrior, fighting strategies and tactics. He's supposed to be highly knowledgeable about tech and machinery. He was really pushed to learn and underwent grueling battle trainings. (The other Flashman are all trained physically, but the books really like to emphasize that Jin was pushed harder and succeeded more than the others, really earning his place as their leader.)

Dai was raised and trained on Green Star, which caused his body to develop extra strength. (What fires him up is remembering that he trained with his eye on getting revenge on Mess one day.) Bun on the Blue Star, which had a hot, desert-like environment which helped teach him survival skills and where he developed a quickness and an ability to climb things with great ease. (I always looked at Bun as basically being a ninja, especially since Blue Flash ends up throwing his Star Dart shuriken. I was glad to see this confirmed in one of the books.) Sara was raised on the icy Yellow Star, which has constant blizzards, where she ends up developing a tolerance for cold. (The Flashman Perfect Manual has a great description for Sara's life on Yellow Star, that she was "like a flower waiting for spring so it could bloom," that she's as calm and cool as the planet she was raised on, yet very passionate, as well.) The Pink Star on which Ruu was raised has intense gravity issues, so she developed levitation and jumping abilities. (What gets Ruu to rise again is remembering her desire to meet her parents.)

I feel like the Flashman being raised by the Flash people is another thing that would make a cool, interesting spin-off novel or manga story. There's a lot of stories to tell there, I think. Because the show doesn't end up showing you as much as you can tell they probably wanted to, possibly due mainly to budget reasons, some of it being just a sense of moving on with what the Flashman's current story, the purpose of the show, is. For one thing, it's obvious that the Flash civilization is thriving and populated -- but the show makes it look like there were only two freakin' Flash aliens, the male and female! There's meant to be more, obviously, and different ones responsible for guiding an individual Flashman on the differing planets.

And while they were each raised on a different planet in order to develop unique abilities -- which meant they had to have spent most of their time on that one particular planet, since their abilities relate to that particular planet's conditions -- it's obvious that the five Flashman know each other. So, I always just assumed that...the Flash people weren't cruel, they probably arranged to have the five Earthlings spend time with each other. The Flashman always felt close to me, like they were siblings. (Some of the books even say the others look at Jin as their older brother.) I imagine them letting them gather to play or at least set up communication with them, maybe via hologram even. This kind of thing, along with the time they spent on the planets, what the particular Flash people who raised each of them were like, the Flash society in general -- they're all things that could be greatly filled in, in a novel tie-in. There's *a lot* of opportunities there.

I love the look of the Flash aliens. It's better that Toei spend the money on creating two costumes of quality than it would have been to cheapen out just for the sake of having more members of the Flash society depicted. A lot has been made of their resemblance to Ultraman, which you can't deny. I don't think they'll ever confirm it, but I just assume that Yutaka Izubuchi felt it was appropriate to pay homage to Ultraman since Flashman was landing on the 20th anniversary of the first series. Ultraman, other than being an important part of Japan's pop culture, kicked open the door for henshin heroes and tokusatsu works on television. With Flashman having such a space and sci-fi flavor to it, with the Flash people meant to be kind, fair and advanced, it's a fitting and appropriate touch to pay homage to the big guy from M-78. M-78, the Land of Light -- what causes a flash? Their look is a really nice subtle touch; it's cool of Toei to have let it pass, it's cool of Tsuburaya to have looked the other way. (Something I've always seen as another Ultraman homage? The gesture the Flashman make to call for the Rolling Vulcan.)

Humor comes in these premiere episodes from Magu, who's initially attacking the team because he has the wrong operating disc installed -- the programming meant for security guard robots on Flash -- which gets sorted out once the Flashman find the right disc, the one with the Flashman mark. Magu recognizes everybody, and this program was created by the Flash people in order to assist the Flashman. (The implication is that the Flash people trained the five with the knowledge they would one day hunt down the people responsible for their kidnapping; Mess's activities are meant to be known and feared throughout the universe. Forgetting what we know happens later on in the series, Jin's ignoring of the Flash people's warning in the first episode at the moment seems like it could be their concern at thinking the five still weren't ready.)

Magu informs them of the mecha being able to combine, giving us the debut of Flash King. I freaking love Flash King. It's my favorite Sentai mecha, and I think the best Sentai mecha. It's design is great, it actually seems like a futuristic, alien-made robot to me. The way Kusaka moves, coupled with the sound-effects they use really help make Flash King seem more robotic than I find most Sentai mecha to be. I look at Flash King and really can't picture Hideaki Kusaka -- or any dude -- in there. It's the most convincing mecha, IMO. I love the way Flash King lands onto the battlefield, take a look next time you're watching it -- it's moving in such a way that it does just seem mechanical to me.

I love Flash King's attacks and weapons, and the ways Flashman's FX crew and budget brings it all to life. (I think SFX director Nobuo Yajima does some of his best work in this show.) Red's ordering Yellow to call for the Cosmo Sword, "Flash King, jump," Flash King's soaring to grab the Cosmo Sword -- great, cool stuff, IMO, I've always loved it and thought it was exciting when I was a kid. Add to that Kouhei Tanaka's great music which always accompanies the scene -- music I can't listen to on the soundtrack without picturing "Yellow Flash, Cosmo Sword!" "OK!" "Flash King, jump!" "Super Cosmo Flash!" The way Flash King charges up the sword with the prism on his forehead, the crazy spinning he does -- Kusaka in that crazy-ass suit being spun on wires! -- landing and going in for the kill, it's all staged so grandly, the effects are great; it's one of my absolute favorite finisher segments in a toku. I think I love Flash King the way Akira Shinmei loves the Variblune.

Flash King is the one Sentai DX mecha I wouldn't mind owning, but...yeah, right. I didn't have the DX Flash King as a kid, I had this smaller, already-formed toy, but I think the design really lends itself well to a toy version. One of the things I hated about the DX mecha when I was a kid -- actually, I still hate it -- is how they rarely look like what's in the show. Specifically, the toys always give the mecha pinheads. The Flash King toy actually looks nice.

Everything in place, that final scene is great, where they properly meet Magu and they send thanks to the Flash people for all of their help in getting them where they are. It's going to be a long, brutal battle with Mess, and it won't be easy for our heroes.