Review by Corey

April 1, 2005

Light-years away in another galaxy, the Zonderians used their advanced technology to create Zonder Metal Crystals. Using the Crystals, Zonderians can use machine-life evolution to add any living being to their race, and give them immortality in the process. Polonaise comments on how easy it is to harvest Zonder Metal on Earth, and is then shown giving a crystal to the silhouette of a man. He tells the man that he'll be able to succeed with his power of true justice. Men at a construction site are confused as their lights die, and are shocked to see a black train wrapped in purple energy tear down the track, nearly running them over. In the Big Order Room, Taiga wonders if the train is a Zonder, and Entouji mentions a man who vanished while riding the Shinkansen. Swan notes that the Zonders are related to what they possess, and Mikoto guesses that the man secretly hated or feared the Shinkansen train. They review all the previous Zonders, and Mikoto says the most recent man is now enjoying his life in retirement. Entouji explains that the train has an electromagnetic pulse emanating from it, stopping machines from functioning when it nears them and shrouding it from tracking. EnRyu volunteers himself and HyoRyu to investigate, and Taiga notices Hyuuma sleeping in his chair while he preps them. They say that with supplies, they won't fall asleep on the job. Mamoru's father works on his laptop watching the news, and Guy brings out Mamoru on GunDober in the middle of the night without his parents knowing. When the pair stops to wait for Hyuuma, Mamoru senses Zonder activity just before the lights in the area grow dim. Guy grabs Mamoru, GunDober transforming into a hovercraft to evade the Zonder. They can't evade the electromagnetic pulse, and it causes GunDober and Guy to short. Mamoru is unharmed, but everyone arrives to see Guy unconscious from the pulse. He's brought back to the medical bay, where Leo comments on his armor not being enough to shield him. Mikoto says it'll be another 14 hours till he can recover fully. Without Mamoru, Guy wouldn't have been able to stay alive after the shock. Mikoto thinks back to when Galeon arrived when Leo mentions that they thought the G-Stones were the key to stopping the Zonders originally. She takes a moment to remember when Mamoru first healed Guy, and begins to question what Mamoru could really be. At Mamoru's school, the teacher announces that there will be no homework during vacation. Hana tells Ushi that she's going to her grandparents' house, and Sunou says he gets to go to Okinawa. Reiko interrupts, picking on his trip and announcing that she's heading to Hawaii (incorrectly, at that). Off to the side, the blue-haired student glances at them, with little care in his expression. Later that night, Mikoto oversees the search for the Zonder with Hyuuma and the two vehicle robots. Mamoru senses a Zonder, alerting 3G and packing up to sneak out. He wakes up his mother, who nearly follows to check up on him when he says he has to use the bathroom. His father says there's nothing to worry about, and that the North Pole Lion sank under the sea. She thinks that the Lion is part of the black robot with the lion-chest, and he gets up to see Mamoru to make her feel better.

Mamoru runs into the city, meeting up with Guy in the Stealth Gao. The team watches as Stealth Gao traces the Shinkansen, and Leo advises to Taiga that GaoGaiGar will have difficulty approaching it. He suggests
using the mirror coating from the catapult to temporarily protect it from the pulse. Taiga sends out the catapult, and HyoRyu and EnRyu assure Hyuuma that they've memorized the 219-plan. StealthGao and Galeon
dock with the catapult, and Mamoru takes a moment to say hello to the Lion. Mamoru's father sneaks into his room, seeing Mamoru rolled over in bed asleep. As he leaves, he fails to realize it was a stuffed lion
tossed under the covers. The Shinkansen approaches underneath the catapult, and HyoRyu and EnRyu are launched out in the mirror coating. Transforming into vehicle mode, the pair lands alongside the Shinkansen. Hyuuma can't bring the catapult any lower due to the pulses, but the two robots have two to three minutes to stop the Shinkansen, which isn't a problem for heroes. EnRyu and HyoRyu release their cranes on either side of the Shinkansen, holding it in place and stopping the electromagnetic field. The LinerGao comes up from behind, grabbing the Zonder and stopping it cold. Just when they think they've won, the field powers up again, and the Zonder transforms after knocking the three vehicles away. EI-08 fires an eye blast at the LinerGao, blowing it away. Luckily, EnRyu and HyoRyu come in and catch it on their cranes. GaiGar jumps in to attack, but is pushed away by a barrier. Final Fusion is approved, and GaoGaiGar is formed without a problem. EnRyu and HyoRyu change back, working on saving the civilians in the area. EI-08 fires another eye laser at GaoGaiGar, and using Protect Shade to deflect it only further destroys the countryside. GaoGaiGar is unable to get close due to the electromagnetic field, so Hyuuma sends out the Dividing Driver and Eraser Head to continue the plan. With maximum SympaRate once more, the two vehicle robots form ChoRyuJin, in time to catch the Eraser Head. GaoGaiGar uses the Dividing Driver directly on EI-08, creating a repression field inside its body. ChoRyuJin makes the Eraser Head nullify the repression field, causing EI-08 to pull into itself. GaoGaiGar and ChoRyuJin both do their signature attacks at once, removing the core with no damage to the surrounding area. The next morning, Mamoru's father wakes up to see Mamoru on the news purifying the core. Rushing into his room, his parents find him fast asleep. Isamu wonders if they're too suspicious. When they leave, Mamoru hops up, relieved that he wasn't caught. The man who became a Zonder hated the Shinkansen due to his money in real estate related to the high-speed train.

Another episode with no physical mecha combat in it, this one was definitely better than previous ones in the same fashion. The entirety is focused on the problem at hand, and how they deal with it step by step.
Although Polonaise had a good idea with the electromagnetic field, it seems this enemy was destructive, but not really dangerous. At least EI-03 got up and actively attacked, EI-08 stayed on the tracks and was easy to follow once they found it. The Machine Kings should start focusing on Zonders that can do more than one thing, or just focus on beating GaoGaiGar instead of ignoring its inevitable appearance. The Eraser Head shows a second power now, and the idea of using the Dividing Driver on a Zonder is definitely a good one. Speaking of ChoRyuJin, the opening has now been modified to include him. On the subject of random occurrences, the blue-haired boy shows up again, for no reason but to show that he's around and clearly point out he's important in some way. Okawara also gets to have some fun with EI-08, the Zonder definitely having a Zeonic flair to it; it reminds me of a Z'Gok or Gogg, trimmed down. Who would've thought you'd see a monoeyed mecha shoot eye lasers?

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 stars



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