Fighbird Ep. 40: Showdown: Mom vs Katori

Kenta’s mother Akiko catches him trying to leave the house to go hang out with Katori. She remarks that Kenta’s grades have plummeted since he met Katori and that he should focus on his studies. Just then Haruka drops by to bring some leftover pumpkin pie, but to Akiko’s horror she’s accompanied by Katori who came to see why Kenta hasn’t come by in a week. Katori makes an even worse impression on Akiko than she already had and Kenta tries to change the subject by turning on the television. The news announces that Mother Maria, a woman that Akiko idolizes, will arrive in Japan today. Akiko shows Katori a book explaining that Mother Maria devotes her life to peace and helping those in need. Kaori however says that the Mother Maria on the television doesn’t look like a caring person and Haruka decides to leave before Akiko loses her temper. At the Amano Peace Labs, Kenta explains the situation to everyone and Hiroshi suggests that Katori apologizes to Akiko. Katori offers to help Akiko with house chores as a way of apologizing, but he bungles up so badly she becomes even more angry at him and grounds Kenta. Katori then decides to attend Mother Maria’s speech and try again to get Akiko to accept him. Momoko arrives at the event and is told by the attendants to put on a badge. She grabs her badge but the attendants attach one to her cameraman who then falls under a trance. Katori catches up to Akiko and tries to explain to her that he needs Kenta’s help for world peace, but Akiko only cares about Kenta’s grades and angrily storms into the conference hall after putting on a badge. Katori then notices all the people around him wearing badges and behaving strangely. Mother Maria starts her speech and surprises the badge-less Momoko by telling all the attendant mothers that their children should look up to Draias, the rightful ruler of the world, while the Space Police must be treated as the enemies of mankind. Momoko loudly protests to this but is restrained by her cameraman as Shura and Zol walk in. Katori bursts into the room and demands to know where the real Mother Maria is. Zol is about to attack but Shura tells him to just watch. A hypnotized Akiko stands up and tells all the mothers to seize Katori. Kenta catches the speech broadcast and hurries to the conference hall with the rest. Hiroshi nearly runs into a crowd of hypnotized people but he manages to use his car’s mechanized axles to lift above them. A man latches onto the car but Haruka knocks him off and Kenta notices his badge is the same as the one the mothers are wearing.

Katori begs the mothers to put him down and Mother Maria taunts him before revealing herself to be Jango in disguise. Hiroshi examines the badge and discovers that it can control humans. He tells Kenta to contact the Guard team and tell them to find the controller. The Guard team arrives and Guard Wing asks about Katori. Guard Star explains that they need to destroy the controller so they can rescue Katori without hurting all the hypnotized people. Hiroshi drives into the conference building and splits everyone into two search groups. They’re fired upon by a squad of Teshitas but Kenta quickly retaliates with his Flame Shot. Jango has Katori tied to a cross and Zol remarks that the Space Police are powerless against humans. Guard Wing scans the building and finds the controller. He offers to blast it but Kenta tells him that they’ll do it from inside. While evading more Teshitas, Kenta and Yoshiko locate the controller and shut it down. All the hypnotized people collapse and Katori quickly breaks his restraints. He tells Jango the Space Police have friends they can depend on and slams him into a wall. Shura and Zol commandeer their mechanical monsters and escape with Jango outside. Katori chases after them while Kenta and Yoshiko tend to Akiko. Jango gets into his own mechanical monster and Katori demands again to know where the real Mother Maria is. Jango, Shura and Zol surround Katori but the Baron team and the Guard team arrive and combine into Thunder Baron and Super Guardion to even the odds. Jango however reveals three Mother Marias strapped to their monsters and forces the Space Police to stand helplessly while being attacked. Katori deduces that the real Mother Maria is one that tells the Space Police not to hold back and feints Jango by going after one of the explosive-rigged fakes. He then uses the distraction to rescue the real one and allow the Space Police to counterattack. Katori puts Mother Maria a safe distance away and combines with the Fire Jet into Fighbird. Jango combines his mechanical monster with Shura and Zol’s and starts spinning rapidly while firing beams everywhere. Fighbird pins him down with Full Blast allowing the rest to destroy the monster with Guard Flash and Thunder Crush. Later, Akiko wakes up and is asked by Mother Maria to allow Kenta to keep hanging out with Katori because meeting different people will allow him to learn. Akiko reluctantly consents.