Zabitan's Magic Happy American Tokusatu Reviews

[Zabitan]

But Ryan, and Dark Heart are still being fired upon by the ground mutants so they split up while Dark Heart fires lasers at the mutants.

Then Decimator informs Grimlord that Ryan, and Dark Heart are trying to get into the dungeon, but Grimlord decides to set a trap for them.

Then we see Dark Heart sneaking into Grimlord's dungeon through an underground tunnel while Ryan finds a reality break by a cave, and enters that way but Percy spots him, and follows.

Ryan reunites with Dark Heart, and they both invade Grimlord's dungeon but no one is there but then Grimlord appears, and rigs the dungeon to fill up with toxic gas.

Then Grimlord sprouts tentacles which grab, and electrocute Ryan but Dark Heart shoots them with his laser so Grimlord fires his own lasers at both of them.

Then Grimlord disappears so Ryan, and Dark Heart try to escape but reach a dead end, and their attempts to break are futile but they survive the destruction of the dungeon anyway, and escape through one of Grimlord's portals.

While all of this has been happening Percy tries to escape from Grimlord's dungeon, and finds Jeb who helps him escape.

Ryan, and Dark Heart then appear on the surface but Grimlord's mutants are ready, and fire on them so Ryan, and Dark Heart go back to the portal, and Ryan uses the portal's guns to destroy the ground mutants while Dark Heart destroys Air Striker, and Fighterbot with his rifle.

But Decimator appears, and slashes Dark Heart, and tries to do the same to Ryan but Dark Heart blocks Decimator's sword with his rifle but Decimator stabs Dark Heart making Ryan angry enough to beat up Decimator who then leaves.

Ryan transforms back, and finds Dark Heart who's dying from the wound but thanks to kid show logic it just turns him back into Tyler Steele, and Ryan hugs his dad but he disappears, and Grimlord reveals he's still alive, and that he abducted Ryan's father again, but Ryan is just more determined to rescue his father for good.

At Tao dojo Ryan practices the last karate move his father taught him a move he explains he hasn't done since his father disappeared.

Then JB, and Kaitlin show up, they all talk about what Grimlord could be doing to his father like turning him back into Dark Heart or a different mutant or Grimlord making another fake Dark Heart.
(which I'm guessing is Doug Sloan throwing potential story ideas for later episodes at us.)

Then after all this time we finally get our "I miss you dad" moment"

[Zabitan]

Final Thoughts.

I'll start by saying that I stand by what I said about this being my favorite episode of Season One.

It's not my favorite episode of the show itself that would be Quest for Power but that's in Season Two

I love how we finally learn what happened to Ryan's father.

I liked how it started out like a regular episode until the big revelation that Dark Heart was Ryan's father.

I liked the interaction between Ryan and his father both as David Carr as Tyler Steele, and as Richard Epcar dubbing footage of Top Gunder from Metalder since it was nice to see Ryan being reunited with his father.

I also thought Dark Heart was a cool character with his design, and his laser rifle, I liked how he was almost a Fourth Trooper in a sense.

It also more or less captured everything I liked about VR Troopers, and how it adapted the Metal Hero shows.

The reason is, and I'm going to give spoilers for both Spielban, and Metalder here but long story short in Metalder Dark Heart's counterpart Top Gunder was just a regular MOTD who's life Metalder spared, and later became a good guy himself.

In fact it wasn't all just one great big multi part episode like it was here there was just the episode where Top Gunder was the MOTD then he made various brief appearances in various episodes, and then he showed up in the final story arc, and they just cobbled the parts where Top Finder showed up in.

The thing is too that was actually a very common plot in Metalder in fact Top Gunder wasn't even the first time that happened in Metalder that honor goes to Ben K who became our Hammerbot who I previously talked about in Grimlord's Challenge, and Save the Trees.

Though there was a sub plot later in the show where Metalder's human friend's father was brainwashed into becoming a bad guy but that got turned into Who's King of the Mountain so I'll until then to talk about it.

Also in Spielban Dr. Bio who became our Col Icebot who ironically was also voiced by Richard Epcar
turned out to really be Spielban's father who was brainwashed, and transformed into a bad guy.

I also liked Percy's sub plot of him trying to get pictures of the Troopers, and the mutants.

I also thought a lot of stuff like Grimlord sarcastically thanking his mutants for Ryan, and Dark Heart's bonding moment at the end of part two, and pointing out that his mutants can't seem to catch an Ice cream truck with a flat tire.


Now was it perfect?

Not really but even then a lot of it is nitpicks.

JB, and Kaitlin spend whole episodes untransformed.

The stuff with JB, Kaitlin, and Percy being trapped in Grimlord's dungeon, and the comedy bit with Percy in the tree, the Skug battle in part two and two of the parts where Percy is running through Grimlord's dungeon all feel like they could have been removed without hurting anything.

Other than that definitely a must see.
Tune in next time everyone for more Magic Happy VR Troopers Reviews.

[Zabitan]

Well hello there everybody welcome to another Magic Happy VR Troopers Review, and today we are looking at Ghost Biker written by Mark Litton and directed by Worth Keeter.

So we start off today's "my dad taught me" moment where Ryan talks about how his dad taught him that sometimes you need to trust your imagination if you want to solve a problem.

We then go to a garage where the Troopers, and Woody are listening to Woody's mechanic a biker guy named Harris is telling them the story of the ghost biker (title drop) a phantom motorcyclist who makes people disappear if they look him in the eye, and the Troopers don't believe it but Woody does, and he wants Kaitlin to do a story on it.

Meanwhile at Ziktor industries one of Ziktor's secretaries informs him that a break in the reality barrier is forming at one his construction sites.

But for once it's not Ziktor doing because he ask her to find out what's causing it but he decides to use it anyway so he transforms into Grimlord, and summons Ivar who confirms the reality break.

Icebot suggests using a new weapon he created called the virtual vaporizer to further open the break, and Renegade who now has a cool new winged serpent head volunteers to use it.

Then we go to the Underground Voice Daily where Woody is making nachos, and Kaitlin is getting ready to go to the construction site where everyone keeps seeing the ghost biker, and Woody suggests taking along Ryan and/or JB.

Percy then complains about not getting the good assignments, and Woody explains it's because Percy can't take good pictures.

So we get a comedy bit where Percy tries to take a picture of Woody but the film falls out of his camera, and he accidentally sits on Woody's nachos.

While at the virtual dungeon Grimlord wants Renegade to explain why he thinks he should have the virtual vaporizer, and he says it's because he's the most ruthless, and merciless of Grimlord's mutants.

Grimlord agrees so K from Metalder gives Renegade the virtual vaporizer, and he recruits Chrome Dome, and Minotaurbot to help him.

Kaitlin shows up at Tao dojo while Percy follows her, and Ryan, and JB are helping Tao teach a class, and Ryan still has to teach the class but JB is free so he goes with her.

At the site JB explains that people have been reporting weird events at site, and then their virtualizers start glowing.

Then we see some Metalder footage of Hakko who's supposed to be the ghost biker while Kaitlin, and Percy both take pictures, and then Hakko from Metalder disappears, and Percy faints.

At the virtual dungeon Decimator informs Grimlord that the Troopers have discovered the reality break so at the site a foreman shows up, and transforms into an army of Skugs.

First JB, and Kaitlin just punch, and kick the Skugs then they try throwing, and kicking the Skugs into tire piles.

But the Skugs multiply so JB, and Kaitlin try to get away but the ghost biker appears, and shoots JB, and Kaitlin with a rainbow colored energy beam, and they disappear.

The Skugs are confused but just teleport back to virtual reality, and Percy wakes up, and finds Kaitlin's camera.

[Zabitan]

While JB, and Kaitlin are in another dimension with the Ghost Biker, and they try to transform, and escape but they can't.

At the Underground Voice Daily Percy shows Woody Kaitlin's pictures, and tries to claim they're his but Ryan shows up wondering what happened to JB, and Kaitlin.

Woody reveals he knows Percy is lying, and tells Ryan they were at the conatruction site but disappeared, and Ryan asks Percy what happened but he doesn't know so Ryan goes to the construction site.

While at the virtual dungeon Grimlord asks Icebot what's going on but he doesn't know so Grimlord just tells Renegade to destroy Ryan.

At the site Ryan calls out for JB, and Kaitlin but can't find them so he uses his communicator but can't get anything so he contacts the Professor but the Professor doesn't know where they are either.

In the other dimension JB figures out that it's a buffer zone between the real world, and virtual reality explaining why they can't use their powers.

Then the ghost biker disappears, and Ryan's virtualizer starts acting weird while Renegade tests out the virtual vaporizer on Air Striker.

Then Chrome Dome, and Minotaurbot find the Ghost Biker, and Renegade tries to use the virtual vaporizer on them but they disappear.

The Professor tells Ryan to protect the ghost biker since they're the only way to find the others so Ryan transforms.

Renegade fires lasers at Ryan but Ryan dodges them so Renegade orders Chrome Dome, and Minotaurbot to go after Ryan.

Back in the other dimension JB, and Kaitlin finally decide to just ask the ghost biker who or what they are, and the ghost biker explains he's a virtual guardian created to protect the weakest part of the barrier.

Then he shows them some Metalder footage of Chrome Dome, and Minotaurbot chasing Ryan, and they want to help but as long as there's danger outside they can't leave.

While in the virtual dungeon Grimlord orders Ivar to launch a full scale attack on the reality barrier so inside the other dimension JB convinces the ghost biker to help them, and he teleports to help Ryan.

Ryan surprises Chrome Dome, and Minotaurbot with a double jump kick so they retaliate with their weapons but Ryan kicks Chrome Dome, and punches Minotaurbot, and they leave.

So Renegade fires lasers at Ryan but the Ghost Biker appears, and knocks the virtual vaporizer out of Renegade's hands with his own lasers, and drives Renegade off.

Renegade then fires more lasers at Ryan so Ryan hides from him, and surprises Renegade with a kick but Renegade keeps blasting at Ryan.

But the Ghost Biker appears, and rams Renegade, and Ryan kicks the winged serpent off his helmet.

Then the ghost biker appears, and takes Ryan to the other dimension, and explains what he is to Ryan, and let's everyone go now that the reality barrier is safe, and Ryan wonders if his father created the ghost biker.

While at the virtual dungeon Renegade begs Grimlord for forgiveness but Grimlord is ashamed of Renegade's failure.

Later at the Underground Voice Daily Kaitlin claims that the ghost biker story was a bust, and we get one last comedy bit with Percy, and an old camera.

Anyway "I miss you dad" the end.

[Zabitan]

Final Thoughts.

Today's episode was weird.

I liked the idea behind the ghost biker as well as the twist that he was really a good guy, and the implication that he was a creation of Ryan's father.

I'm just not sure I liked how they executed it since the Metalder footage they used was just footage of one of Metalder's human friends Hakko who happened to be a dirt biker, and not only that but it was all stuff that could have been taken out, and just left the stuff with Renegade.

Not only that but there's a later episode Message From Space where they also used footage of Hakko but had him be JB.

I do wonder if this whole thing started out as an attempt to tease a potential extra Trooper or at least ally by adapting another Metal Hero show.

Or an early idea to make the Defending Dark Heart storyline like the Top Gunder arc with parts one, and two being their own two parter in the middle of Season one, then an episode like this, and brief appearances in other episodes, and then have another two parter at the end of Season One that would have been parts three, and four.

It also bugged me that they couldn't find anything for JB, and Kaitlin to do.

I also thought they could have cut back on some of the parts in the other dimension, and just cut through it.

I did like the fight scenes, and I liked Renegade's winged serpent head.

In fact it once again reminded me of how I like how this show takes things from the Metal Hero shows, and changes them.

In this case what happened was in the Metalder episode this was based on this was actually the first appearance of Renegade's Japanese counterpart, and the parts where he just had a regular head where actually from later appearances.

But here they switched it around.

Also I can't really think of anything they took out that I would have left in.

Tune in next time everyone for more Magic Happy VR Troopers Reviews.

[Zabitan]

Well hello there everybody welcome to another Magic Happy VR Troopers Review, and today we are looking at Endangered Species written by Cheryl Saban, and directed by Worth Keeter.

So we start off with today's "my dad taught me" moment where Ryan talks about how his dad taught him that all living things are part of nature's delicate balance.

We see some Metalder footage of this small weird looking white furry gorilla like creature running through a forest.

Then we go to the Underground Voice Daily where Kaitlin meets her old friend Danielle Grayson who's parents run an animal sanctuary that houses the world's last furry wombats (which are supposed to be the weird white furry animals we saw earlier) but developers want to get rid of it.

Then we go to Ziktor industries where we find out that no surprise Ziktor is the one who wants to destroy the animal sanctuary then he transforms into Grimlord, and orders Decimator to destroy the animals at the sanctuary.

Back at the Underground Voice Daily Kaitlin tells Danielle that she, and the others will help, and they agree to meet in an hour, but Percy is hiding behind Kaitlin, and once again tries to steal the story from her.

Then we go to Tao dojo where there's a funny bit where Ryan, and JB try to teach kids about the importance of focus but Ryan gets distracted by Jeb eating the kids' lunches.

Then Kaitlin explains what's going on, and the other Troopers decide to help, and they all go out to the sanctuary.

Then Air Striker, and Fighterbot try to attack the sanctuary from the air while the other mutants try to attack from the ground.

But the wombats are too fast, and we get a funny bit where they have to report it to Grimlord, and one of the mutants actually calls the wombats cute.

The Troopers arrive at the sanctuary, and Kaitlin takes pictures of various animals while Jeb runs off, and we get a brief comedy bit with Percy trying to act like a brave jungle explorer but getting pooped on by a bird.

Then the Troopers meet Danielle's mother who informs them that the furry wombats have escaped their enclosure, and Danielle is looking for them, and the Troopers volunteer to help find Danielle, and the wombats.

Grimlord orders Decimator to deal with the Troopers, and then we see Danielle looking for the wombats while Percy falls into a mud puddle and Danielle runs into three park rangers who turn out to be Skugs, and kidnap Danielle.

Then we see the Troopers in the forest looking for Danielle when they find her scarf on the ground, and the Skugs show up.

[Zabitan]

First the Skugs kick the Troopers but they get back up, and Kaitlin, and Ryan kick Skugs while JB punches, and flips another.

Then they keep doing that until they get all the Skugs down but they don't touch each other so Ryan does that human steam roller move Kaitlin did in On Brother, and that destroys them.

Then the Troopers hear Air Striker, and run away, and run into Grimlord's mutants lead by a blue mutant covered in tubes carrying a harpoon who's going after the wombats so the Troopers decide to transform, and split up.

Grimlord's mutants trap a wombat in a net, and tranqualize another when it tries to escape, but Ryan appears, and fights off Grimlord's mutants.

Meanwhile Ivar orders Skugs, Quantum Cruisers, and Air Fighters to attack JB, and Kaitlin while he attacks in his tank so JB takes the fight to virtual reality where Ivar, and the Air Fighters, and Quantum Cruisers fire on them but they find Danielle.

So Kaitlin uses the Battle Cruiser to destroy Ivar's tank while JB uses Techno Bazooka to destroy the Quantum Cruisers, and Air Fighters.

The blue tube covered mutant goes after Ryan with his harpoon but Ryan dodges, and frees one of the wombats who helps Ryan fight off the mutants.

But the blue mutant orders Air Striker to destroy the wombat which gets the other one angry enough to help Ryan who gets attacked by the blue mutant's harpoon but Ryan jumps on it, and kicks the mutant.

Kaitlin destroys the Skugs with her ray gun, and she, and JB save Danielle while Ryan destroys the blue mutant with Internal Gyro Command.

Then we get a comedy bit where Percy runs into Jeb who leads him back to civilization while Danielle reunites with her mother, and the Troopers appear, and the wombats are safe.

At the virtual dungeon Grimlord shames Ivar for his failure, and at the Underground Voice Daily Kaitlin's story is a success, and the sanctuary is saved, and we get one last comedy bit from Percy.

Anyway "I miss you dad" the end.

[Zabitan]

Final Thoughts.

Today's episode was weird in that it was like a good version of Save the Trees.

I liked Danielle, and her mother, they were cool characters.

I also liked the blue mutant who will later be called Horrorbot.

I was genuinely surprised that they showed an innocent animal being killed in a VR Troopers episode not so much Metalder because in the Metalder episode Dogmatic Change was based on had a dog die after becoming a monster.

My only real nitpick is that they tried to pass off the weird white animals as wombats since they looked more like monkeys.

Other than I liked it.

Tune in next time everyone for more Magic Happy VR Troopers Reviews.

[Zabitan]

Well hello there everybody welcome to another Magic Happy VR Troopers Review, and today we are looking at Field Goal written by J.K. Richards, and directed by Worth Keeter.

So we start off with today's "my dad taught me" moment where Ryan talks about how his dad was his first coach, and that the best way to thank a coach is to become one yourself.

We then go to a middle school field where the football team is finished practicing, and afterwards the coach sees some strange men sneak into a closed off area.

When he follows them he sees them with a strange device, and one of the men just up, and blasts the coach with a ray gun, and turns him into a trading card, and the men turn out to be Skugs, and teleport away.

We then go to the Underground Voice Daily where Kaitlin is getting ready to take pictures of the football team who are up against Percy's old school.
So he, and Kaitlin make a bet to so who's team will win, while the team explains something happened to the coach now identified as Williams but they don't know what.

While at Ziktor industries one of the Skugs transforms back into human form, and explains what happened to Ziktor, and shows him the captured coach Williams.

Then Ziktor himself transforms into Grimlord, and summons Icebot who shows him a football themed mutant named Footbot who's head is a football he can detach, and throw.

At Tao dojo Ryan, and JB are sparing when Kaitlin comes in with the football team, and they explain what's going on, and he agrees to coach the team until they can find coach Williams.

Then the Troopers, and the football team go out to the field but it's closed for re-sodding, and the Troopers talk to the Skug custodians who at first try to talk them away.

But when that doesn't work one of them pulls out the capture beam but Ryan kicks it out of his hands so they transform into their true forms.

Ryan, and JB just kick some Skugs a bunch of times while Kaitlin punches, and kicks a Skug while another sneaks back to get the capture ray, and disappears.

Then finally JB kicks a Skug next to Kaitlin's Skug while Ryan trips them with a piece of wood knocking them into each other, and destroying them.

At Tao dojo we get a montage of the Troopers, and Tao help the team practice using martial arts inspired moves.

While at the virtual dungeon Grimlord orders one of his mutants to destroy Ryan, and Delton volunteers for the mission.

One of the players gives Ryan a yellow letter from someone who claims to know what happened to coach Williams but Ryan must go the Oceanside just outside of town by himself, and when he gets there he spies Zelton showing off to some mutant Skugs so he transforms.

Zelton sends the mutant Skugs after Ryan who just fights them off so Zelton turns his hand into a gun, and fires on Ryan

[Zabitan]

And at first it seems to work but it turns out Ryan was playing possum, and he Lighting Hands Zelton, and severs Zelton's hand leaving behind a memory cell.

At the lab Ryan gives JB the memory cell, and JB puts it into the lab's scanner to see if it can help them find coach Williams.

While some Skugs in the form of the custodians are finishing work on the device to let Grimlord's mutants through the reality barrier while the coach Williams card does his best impression of The Fly.

At the lab JB finds out that the memory cell is fried but the Professor encourages him to see what he can find, and JB figures out Zelton came in through the football field.

Ryan, and Tao get the team out on to the field while JB, and Kaitlin find the device just as Footbot is trying to get through the reality barrier so they transform.

JB, and Kaitlin go through the machine to virtual reality where Footbot throws his football head at the Troopers so JB summons the Fighter Bike.

But Footbot beats up Kaitlin, and throws her off a cliff but JB saves her while on the football field the team is playing but they aren't doing good.

Then it goes back, and forth between JB, and Kaitlin getting beat up by Footbot until JB throws Footbot's own football head back at him, and finishes him off with Laser Lance when he tries to make another.

And the football team losing until they start doing good until the end of the game when Ryan calls a time out with seconds left in the game while JB, and Kaitlin find the trapped coach Williams, and free him

Coach Williams reminds Ryan of an old game, and that inspires him to think of a winning move, and the team does it, and wins while Grimlord once again swears vengeance on the Troopers.

Then finally we go back to the Underground Voice Daily where Kaitlin takes a picture of the team, and we get one last comedy bit where Percy has to paint the Underground Voice Daily building for losing the bet.

Anyway "I miss you dad" the end.