Changeman Episode 47

 

12/21, Episode 47 -- "Tears of the Gator Family"

How this episode works for you will depend on how much of a Gator fan you are. (Fun note: my mom used to refer to Gator as "the pickle guy.") Me, I like Gator -- the smart-ass and comedic Gator. And while I like and can appreciate what writer Hirohisa Soda is doing and saying with the character and his family -- the effects of war on a family -- Gator's side of things is my least favorite of these final stories about the Gozma characters. That's not to say I think it's bad or I don't like it, just that I'm more interested in Buuba or Ahames or Shiima or Giluke -- the face characters, the actors, the characters who AREN'T cutesy and therefore it would be a total surprise if one of them started to turn or question Bazuu or Gozma.

But for being the comedic character, what's been going on with Gator is pretty screwed up. He abandoned his family to join Gozma, Zoorii having to make up stories to their son, Warajii -- who we finally meet in this episode -- with Warajii now running away to find his dad. We saw Giluke manipulate Zoorii into aiding his plans the last time, this time it's Gator manipulating Warajii into aiding the Gozma's latest plan. That plan? An alien weapon has fallen to Earth and the Gozma want to find it, and it just happens to be responding to the sound of Warajii's flute, a present given to him by his father that he plays in hopes of his father hearing and coming to him. This weapon, the Deros Star, has caused the destruction of entire planets -- I think this thing is meant to be Death Star-like, obviously -- but the episode kind of treats it as no big deal, which is a problem. (The Deros Star's design also leaves something to be desired. The Death Star it ain't.)

There's a couple of nice moments laying the foundation for Gator's defection -- for as much as Gator's trying to get Warajii to unwittingly be a part of the plan, he does care for the kid, especially when Zoorii gives him a few words. (Zoorii's back and...not only acting differently from last time, but looking different. She has a completely new design, which I'm surprised they bothered with at this late stage of the series. She's also apologetic for the trouble she caused in her first episode, happy to help Yuuma who's trying his best to help Warajii). Gator finally admits he's been a poor father, which is a surprising moment for the character. Really, it's strange to think that a character like Gator or his family members have more character development in a few episodes than a lot of main characters do for an entire series in the modern shows. (I can tell you more about Warajii than I can Nagi/Ki-Ninger.)

And while it might seem like catering to a sponsor, I think it's cool that there are scenes and a fight at Korakuen amusement park -- imagine watching this show as a kid and going to the amusement park and seeing the Changeman show and thinking of how they were here in the actual TV show, feeling like part of the show itself, or even feeling like the Changeman are real. (Well, real until the illusion is murdered by the gigantic cardboard Bazuu they used at the Korakuen shows.)

I like the final underwater battle the Change Robo has, that's pretty cool. They quickly dispose of this week's monster, Jigura, with surprisingly newly filmed bits of Change Dragon in the cockpit "underwater" before turning their attention to the Deros Star, which Change Robo grabs onto and flies into space to toss away just as it activates. (Do you think they caused an explosion which freed General Zod?) The Change Robo -- capable of fighting underwater and withstanding space travel. Everyone who calls it a boxy conehead can shut up. Change Robo's awesome, and it can't be a coincidence it does this cool stuff in the episode before Christmas. (And be sure to ask Santa for the Deluxe Chogoukin Change Robo and Big Scale Shuttlebase, kids! Nobody wants the cheapy Popy crap. But if you DO end up with the cheapy stuff, try to look on the bright side -- your parents at least tried, when they could be just as big of a loser as Gator. Merry Christmas from Changeman!)

Speaking of Christmas, Changeman takes a hiatus with this episode and returns on the eighth of January. That's like the length of a modern-day American show's holiday hiatus!