Flashman Episode 3

EPISODE 3

I have a real fondness for these early episodes of Flashman, these ones where the Flashman act a little like fish out of water and they're getting used to Earth as they patrol it, and there's a bit of a comedic coloring to the episodes. I also just really enjoyed these earlier episodes when I was a kid, so I think that plays an additional part of my liking of them, of course.

This episode's one of my favorite Flashman episodes. It has the unique flavor of Flashman, with all of the quirks you expect and colorful characters and their one-of-a-kind abilities. It's not as humorous as the next few upcoming episodes will be, but it playfully displays the Flashman's individual powers in a really fun rescue sequence. The episode is mostly serious, its foundation being Jin's determination to stop what he thinks is an Alien Hunter kidnapping more Earth kids, but it takes the time to stage really fun, thrilling action scenes on top of it. To me it has a good mix of what makes Flashman Flashman, in an imaginative scenario, with seriousness and lightheartedness and crazy cool action.

At the top of the episode, the Flashman spot an erratic UFO while out patrolling; it crashes, and they find a wounded alien amongst the wreckage, which Magu recognizes as an Alien Hunter -- the group Mess hires to steal various lifeforms for them to experiment on. (Upon first seeing the body, there's a great bit where a scared Bun jumps into Ruu's arms, and she drops him, exasperated, causing him to land right on the dying alien.) Realizing this guy might have some answers about their past, they try to get him to talk, but Mess' Lab ship arrives and abducts the alien, where it soon dies. All is not lost, though, as Mess uses the Alien Hunter to make their latest Beast Soldier, while they also concoct a plan to have Neferu disguise herself as the Alien Hunter and lure the Flashman into a trap. (It should be noted that La Deus is extremely pleased that Keflen is able to put a dead creature to use; that Keflen's skill pleases and surprises someone like La Deus speaks to Keflen's ability, intelligence, and why he's an important and formidable opponent/member of Mess.)

Seeing that Alien Hunter, feeling close to maybe getting some answers until Mess stole him, Jin patrols later that night with thoughts of his own abduction filling his head. So he falls right for Mess' bait, witnessing the Alien Hunter -- apparently healed -- kidnapping a baby. The Beast Soldier arrives on the scene and occupies Red Flash, not before he injures the Alien Hunter, who escapes, leaving a trail of blood. Spending all night and the next day looking for the Alien Hunter, following its drops of blood, Jin's absence cause the four others to worry and go out and look for him.

They catch up with Jin just as he's tracked down where the Alien Hunter is hiding out with the Mess -- just in time to stop him acting before thinking. Caught up in the emotion of seeing history repeat itself, Jin was about to rush in without thinking, which isn't his style. (And Dai tells him that.) Being brought back down by his buddies, Jin transforms and sees the trap that awaits -- the Alien Hunter waiting to strike, with Wanda and the Beast Soldier beside him. Jin then realizes that the Mess are expecting them to bust in as the Flashman, and that it's better to take them by surprise with their abilities they each developed on the Flash planets. And that's when we get the fun and cool rescue scene, all set to the insert song "Heart wa Hibana sa Flashman." (A benefit of the show starting late? Not only 5 more awesome episodes of Changeman, but that Flashman gets a good number of insert songs much earlier than most toku shows do.)

They save the baby, handing it off to a levitating Ruu outside the building, who hands it off to Magu and...I wouldn't really be comfortable leaving a baby with Magu, who looks like he can't even move his arms, but things work out for our heroes and they save the day, reuniting the kid with his mother at the end.

Just a fun, fun episode, but also cool and a great display of the Flashman's teamwork and their uniqueness.

Neferu Disguise Watch: This episode establishes that Neferu is skilled at disguise. As mentioned, she disguises herself as the Alien Hunter here.