ReviewsStar Driver

Star Driver Ep. 9: That Mizuno’s First Love

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Summary

Takuto soaks in a hot tub with Sugata at his home. He declines Tiger and Jaguar’s request to scrub his back. Takuto is a bit doubting on Sugata’s regrets at being born into the Shindo family. Wako arrives causing Takuto to get embarrassed when she jokes about coming in naked. Later the two head down the hall and Takuto stares at a painting on the wall with an R on the bottom. As they eat breakfast, Wako says Sugata should never use the Kings Pillar again since he may fall into a coma. At her home, Mizuno Yo is told by twin sister Marino that it is time for breakfast, but Mizuno instead jumps out of the window onto the roof of a bus that drives off, saying she needs to see someone named Kaasuke. Some boys are shocked as the bus drives by. Later, Takuto and a fellow student named Hiroshi are shocked when Mizuno heads right into the boy’s bathroom, towards the window. Takuto asks what’s the matter and notices she’s worried about a baby bird about the fall off a branch. Takuto is about to climb out when Hiroshi warns him that the crow may peck him. Mizuno, calling the crow Kaasuke, says he doesn’t need to worry. Takuto saves the baby bird just as it falls off the branch. Mizuno jumps out into his arms to thank him. Mizuno and Takuto introduce themselves to each other. Later, after class, Mizuno notices the Vice President and chases after him. Ruri tells Takuto of Mizuno, who is known as “Little Witch Girl Mizuno” and whose twin sister is a genius athlete. Ruri says she talks to birds and she tries teaching people spells. Takuto is fascinated and Ruri asks if he has fallen for her. Wako stops by and they head to the drama club where Sarino is talking about their showcase performance for the year. She says it will have some extreme scenes and they need to recruit some new members. Mizuno chases the Vice President into the room. Takuto tells everyone who she is and she’s gleeful at seeing him there. She tells everyone they were in the bathroom together that morning, causing some embarrassment. Meanwhile the Glittering Crux Order of Cross meets. Ryousuke introduces a new member of the Vanishing Age Brigade, Manticore (Marino). He says that Reiji/Head has gone on sabbatical and Marino will take charge of the Vanishing Age Brigade for the time being. Marino proclaims herself leader of Glittering Crux to the groans of everyone. She says she has a switch in her hand that will detonate a nuclear bomb on the island, but then proclaims she is just kidding. She taunts Benio and they discuss her Cybody, Ayingot, which is considered a wreck. The group realizes this means that they have discovered the ability to regenerate Cybodies and Midori says they will be able to via the orihalcon regeneration formula. She also says they’ll be able to find the western Shrine Maiden through the Ayingot’s ability and advance to phase 3. Marino continues to proclaim herself leader and Kanako says she needs to defeat the Galactic Pretty Boy in actual combat first. Marino ponders out loud purposely not looking for the Western Shrine Maiden as a result.

After the meeting, Ryousuke walks down the hall into a lounge-like room where 3 fellow members of the Vanishing Age Brigade, Tsukihiko, Takeo and Ginta sit. They comment on Manticore not knowing of this room and going into “Ayingot’s Room,” which no girl could go into. Takeo says she looks familiar and wonders if she is in his class. Ryouksuke tells them to be more serious about it and they need to find the Western Shrine Maiden. The room contains another painting with an R on it. They wonder what Head is doing and his belief that they need to make it to third phase to defeat the Tauburn. They all think they can defeat it at second phase and play darts to try and determine who will fight. Ryousuke takes a painting off the wall not wanting it to get hit. Marino asks Mizuno if she wants any ice cream and she replies the same as what she wants, pineapple, which Marino has brought her. Mizuno tells her she has joined the Drama Club. Marino asks why she joined and she shows her a drawing of the Vice President. Marino asks her about Takuto, who she also has drawn. Mizuno shows her several drawings of him and Marino recognizes him as the Galactic Pretty Boy. Marino pulls up her cell phone and tells Mizuno she is going to go out for a while. Later she greets the three members of the Vanishing Age in the Glittering Crux base. They convince her to allow them to battle Takuto in second phase so she can see how he fights first hand. She tells Tsukihiko to head into battle. Takuto and Sugata practice fencing with wooden swords as Wako, Tiger and Jaguar watch. Sugata defeats Takuto fairly swiftly. Suddenly time freezes. Wako realizes they have entered Zero-Time and she, Takuto and Sugata transport there. The Cybody Lamdth, piloted by Tsukihiko appears in front of Takuto, who enters the Tauburn and turns into the Galactic Pretty Boy. Tsukihiko calls for his star sword, Sardonyx, which appears. Takuto calls for the Star Sword Emerald and Sapphire to appear and they do. The Tauburn blocks several thrusts from the Lamdth, which works on forcing it backwards. Sugata grows worried and Wako tells him to trust in Takuto, wanting to avoid him taking any action. The Lamdth turns its star sword into a spear and continues to thrust at the Tauburn, which blocks and flings it away. Using his Galactic Cross Slash, the Tauburn slashes through the Lamdth. Time returns to normal. Tsukihiko departs the electric bier and handing her his emblem, tells Manticore it seems that they need to get to third phase after all. He tells Ryousuke he wouldn’t have lost if he was in the third phase and to find the Western Shrine Maiden soon. Mizuno is in the bathroom and notices that Marino is in the tub behind her. Marino jokes about having attended an owl’s club in the woods but tells Mizuno she’ll always protect her and that no one will ever find out that she’s the Western Shrine Maiden.

Commentary

Looks like we’re entering the second phase of the series here. In particular the episode is focused on introducing Mizuno (who appeared very briefly in the previous episode) and her twin sister Marino. Mizuno has a very comic entrance with her quest into the men’s bathroom where she meets Takuto. Mizuno develops quite the crush on him very quickly making me wonder if we’ll be getting yet another love triangle introduced, this time between Takuto, Wako and Mizuno. Despite being known as the more serious and respected among the two, Marino provides quite a bit of comedy as well as Manticore. Mizuno being revealed as the Western Shrine Maiden, and all the talk of how Glittering Crux needs to enter third phase should make for an interesting dynamic going forward. This episode’s battle is a bit of an afterthought, not helped by the fact that we lose plenty of time to stock footage yet again. The introduction of Tsukihiko, Takeo and Ginta makes me believe that they’ll probably be Takuto’s opponents for the next few episodes. I recognize that if Mizuno and Marino are going to be a big part of the plot it was critical to give them a lot of development here, although in that case I think it would have been better to simply skip the Cybody battle for this episode. In any case, this was overall a fairly strong episode and I’m looking forward to seeing where they go from here.

Overall Rating
4/5
Star Driver Info


Director:
Takuya Igarashi

Writer:
Yoji Enokido

Mechanical Designer(s):
Shigeto Koyama
Yasuyuki Kai
Takahiro Shikama

Character Designer(s):
Yoshiyuki Ito
Hiroka Mizuya
Misa Mizuya

Musical Composer(s):
Satoru Kousaki
monaca

Format:
26 episodes; 1 compilation movie

Airdates:
Japan 10.03.2010 – 04.03.2011

Theatrical Release:
Japan 02.09.2013

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