Carter: Watashi wa shōjiki kore o shinjiru koto ga dekinai.*
Mako: Anata wa, dōiu imidesu ka?*
Carter: Watashi wa henkan sareteiru, to wareware wa mada chūkan-ten ni tasshite inai!*
Mako: Subete ga, kātā daijōbudeshou.*
(Catherine returns, using my laptop to send Kotohime a message)
Catherine: ...anyway...(she looks at Kotohime) Kotohime. Even though we're literally worlds apart, I still think of you. And my friends. And my family. Ever since we met a year and a half ago, it seemed that nothing would break us apart fully. And even though we had our rough patches, we usually fought it off...I still remember that one incident where you loved an Other of me, and then the truth was revealed...
I admit, I was so ashamed of myself, but I didn't give up as I thought about it more. And how happy you were when your curse was broken...
(Kotohime nods)
Kotohime: ...I didn't think that you would arrive, on top of that mountain...it was a surprise. And ever since then, we kept in touch when you went off on your adventures, and when we were together...(she blushes)
Catherine: Y-yeah. So, Kotohime...(she kneels down on one knee and holds up an engagement ring)...w-will you marry me?
Kotohime: ...
...................
N-no...
(Catherine looks shocked until Kotohime holds out her engagement ring for her girlfriend)
...because I was going to ask you the same thing! C-Catherine, will you marry me one day?
(Catherine is near tears, breaking out a smile)
Catherine: Y-y-yes! Yes, I will! I loved you, and I always will!
(Kotohime smiles, then...)
Kotohime: How are you going to get the ring?
Catherine: I guess...we'll exchange it once I get out of here. But...don't forget, we'll always be together. No matter what. And, Victoria, tell everyone else I said "hi" and I'm okay.
(yours truly watches as the engagement goes on)
D'awwwwww. Oh, it's time!
(everyone gathers, Catherine giving the laptop back to me once the webcam is off)
Welcome back.
Catherine: Previously on Super Sentai Vs. Power Rangers...
...we met the first part of our heroes: the Jetman team and their commander, Director Aya, Takeru and Story!Mako, the Boukengers, Ban and Marigold, Doggie Kruger, Sosuke, and more. Also, Tommy Oliver made an appearance, and Aka Red spoke of a Ranger who will be his fusee.
Place your bets!
And now we move on with...
The Author's Note has Akizuki say that this is where the Power Rangers are first introduced. Despite having Tommy to show up in the last chapter. Continuity, luckily, isn't as bad as it was in The Prayer Warriors, but it's still guilty of that.
Also, Jason Lee Scott and Trini Kwan are a NASA pilot and a photojournalist, respectively. Just so that the author could use the Shiro Gou/Mika Koizumi relationship with those two Rangers. Also, there is something else as to why Akizuki chose Mika to be like Trini. Which I will get to that when the story goes on.
Catherine: The chapter begins with the U.A.O.H forming. And it had to mention that it was behind the Mook attacks. As if we already didn't know.
Superior versions of the Vylock walk to their master, the revived Radiguet. And if you expect him to be like his vicious, backstabbing self like in his original series...well...he's not.
For starters, he's clad in princely attire, having the Time Crystal on his gauntlet. By the way, the crystal also allowed him to revive deceased foes.
And also, I'm pretty sure that the Time Crystal will never be mentioned again.
Finally, Radiguet was the guy who tried to kill Gai, being forced into the body of a crook, losing his memories. Yeah, about that...
With his character derailment yet to come, I would like to take the time to note that, in We Are Our Avatars—(makes sure that Catherine's not paying attention, which she isn't; she's making another cake, this time for her birthday)—I actually played a ditzy, amnesiac Ranger. Alyx Grayson, who would be revealed as the Other of Carter Grayson. Only in my case, I made sure that his characterization remained gradual, going from a ditzy, cheerful Adult Child to a mature young man. Yes, he hasn't fully recovered, but when you spent some of your life in one life and the rest in another, what do you do?
Here? Yes, we do get an explanation as to how Radiguet is acting like a spoiled brat, but at no fucking point does he recover and become this dark, sadistic mofo that we all know and hate-love.
It's funny how I'm using a good guy example to counteract a bad guy example.
Matoi: So Alyx is another one of those alternate counterparts of this man? (points to Carter)
Yes.
Matoi: ...you're obsessive.
At least I don't obsess over how hot he is. Whoops, spoiler alert.
Catherine: Anyway...Radiguet thinks about how he has assembled his army and wants to make Shizuka his queen...but there's just one problem. Namely, she's silly. And he thinks that she should be as cold as his former queen, Maria, was.
Also, we get this.
- "(Radiguet) was with Tranza who he made his second-in-command who had entered the room as he was summoned."
Yes. More mindfucky-inducing sentences, the hallmark of bad writing. Along with plotholes, Rouge Angles of Satin, and such.
And wouldn't you know it, Radiguet also didn't taste battle for a long time! You know, both the Jetmen and Radiguet are speaking...well, to avoid being Captain Obvious, they kinda have a one-track mind.
Catherine: Radiguet then goes on to say to Tranza that he restored his henchman back into a Vyram under the condition that he serves him. Um...okay. So far, so good, but how would you know that he won't backstab you again?
Simple! Threaten him to either turn him back into a child or break his mind again! And yet, he still chooses him as a deputy-in-command! YOUR FUNERAL, RINO!
Catherine: ...
Tranza bows to Radiguet, or as I like to call him, Radiguet In Name Only, saying that he only came for one reason: to serve his master. Um, dude, isn't that a given?
Oh, wait. Tranza is waiting for revenge, to take back the Vyram throne...just like damn near everyone else. Um...Tranza is a given, but for everyone else...backstabbing much? We even got his fate prior to his turning back: as an insane man in a mental hospital.
And Akizuki feels the need to remind us that the rest of the villains were revived by RINO. Dude, once again, we're not stupid.
Matoi: The Grinam soldiers shout, "Long live Emperor Radiguet!", and two Questers—Rei and Gai—show up. Yes, they, too, are controlled. A question: since when did Radiguet have all this extra power to control long-dead villains as if they were puppets?
Because Jetman is the writer's Favorite Sentai Ever. He doesn't need to explain it!
Rei gushes about how freaking cool Radiguet is, and Gai agrees, adding that they hate humans, and they're on the same side. Radiguet tells them to shut up, and they do.
Enter our villains.
- "Some old villains were returning. Some did not belong to the Super Sentai universe. There was Yaiba of the Darkness whom he deemed a better replacement for Gure for his coldness and cruelty, Shizuka who Radiguet had turned into a Vyram officer while retaining her code name despite her altered memories, Mikoto Nakadai/Abare Killer who he brainwashed into becoming a member of his team, Ryuon, Abrella, Buredoran and Long who was second to him in cruelty who belonged to the Super Sentai universe. From the Power Rangers' own side, he had collected Trakeena from Lost Galaxy and Mesogog from Dino Thunder who were accidentally revived in the process."
Carter: Doko ka ni, joō Bansheera ga iraira shite iru.*
More likely facepalming. Because she—and her counterpart, Grandiene—are vicious bitches. They screwed over and killed their generals for their own gain, including their family (and for Grandiene? All her minions are her kids!). Easily, I can imagine them to be even worse than Radiguet. Here, though?
They don't appear. Either the writer doesn't give a shit, Even Evil Has Standards, or both.
Then again, considering how many complete monsters are there, or those who have crossed the Moral Event Horizon...I don't know, let's move on!
Trakeena, presumably not wearing a mask of some sort this time around, wonders who the new leader is. She guesses that he must be more evil than Dark Specter. Um...question. How would Trakeena even know about the U.A.O.H? She wasn't even in the group!
And Mesogog, luckily separated from Anton Mercer, can't believe that there is a group similar to the Dino Thunder Rangers. Looking like a damn fool in the process in nothing flat, he wonders about Mikoto, who everyone knows was a bad guy, then a good guy.
Mikoto doesn't know who Trent is...and of course his head hurts as if he's not supposed to be revived! On one hand, I would note how self-aware Mikoto is, but...I don't really know, especially with the context of the story.
Oh, and how did Mikoto turn bad again? Radiguet purged away the goodness. Geeze, he really does know how to do everything.
And yet, he pretty much sits on his ass.
Shizuka tells the villains that she wants to kill. However, Radiguet warns her that she's his, but she talks back at him. Radiguet thinks that she still has some of her childishness. Which would get repeated in the next sentence. As for Mikoto? He should have stayed evil.
...I'm really, really hoping that this isn't the words of Akizuki.
As for Gekkou? He's literally trapped like a bird in a cage, musing over missing being the leader of Dark Shadow. Shizuka doesn't know who he nor Dark Shadow is. Tranza yells about how annoying she is, and he tells her who she is, along with Yaiba.
Buredoran, Gai, Ryuon, Long, Tao Zanto, Trakeena, and Mesogog all have something to aim for, now that they're somehow revived. To get revenge on their respective enemies, be they Sentai Warriors or Power Rangers. RINO shuts all of them up, introduces himself, and plots.
- RINO: "Abrella you may as well attack two science facilities in Tokyo to bait out those meddlesome heroes. They might be in connection to the Super Sentai heroes. I won't deploy everybody immediately as part of standard operating procedure considering how you all died back then or were ambushed. We still need to find more villains. As of everything, the chain of command goes down from me to Tranza then to Long, Tao Zanto, Trakeena, Ryuon, Yaiba of the Darkness, Buredoran, Abrella, and Mesogog for now as my high field commanders. The Questers will act as the special guards of this organization."
Yeah. I...got nothing.
Then Tranza and RINO argue about who's the better leader, but it's cut short as the latter makes a speech to the earth. And causing carnage. Lovely.
Cut to the U.S.S.A, where the heroes gather. The Red Warriors talk about how much worse Radiguet is in comparison to their own villains. Also, Jan doesn't speak with his quirks.
Ryu mentions that he made that scar on his head, and Satoru realizes that, specifically, there are holes in the reality. Okay...
Also, he does the dullest "Attack! (snaps fingers)" ever.
Come to think of it...pretty much everything is just "said (x)". No "yelled (y)" or "questioned (z)", just..."said (x)". Show some emotions for your Rangers/Warriors, man!
Takeru decides to go, and Ryu allows him. He finds out that there are people from another world, and Hoji decides to investigate with Takeru. But they're not alone, for in another area, Jasmine and Sakura decide to go!
After that, Tetsu, Deka Break, allows them to go. Oh, and he and Jasmine are a couple. He then goes on to say that if she needs help, her knight in bright armor will save her.
Dude, seriously? You and Jasmine are all lovey-dovey towards each other?
Carter: Ippō, pawārenjā uchū de, tomī wa, bijon o kangaeteimasu. Sore wa ittai nani o imi surudeshou ka? Kare ga kangaeru yō ni tsudzukete onajiyōni, pōtaru wa, sūpā sentai yunibāsu ni kare o totte, hirakimasu.*
Burai wa mada, kare no mae ni seishin arawareta. Kare wa sekai ni haitta koto o kare ni tsugeru to, kare wa chūi suru hitsuyō ga arimasu. Sonogo, Aka Red ga hyōji sa remasu. Dare ga sonogo, kare wa reddou~oriāzu no yume kara umareta koto o kare ni tsutaemasu. Sorera no santo. Nai san rei kara shi.*
Also, you ready for this? Are you really ready for this? Aka Red thanks Tommy for his contributions...but then he goes on to say that he's not going to be his fusee.
I am dead fucking serious. Tommy Oliver, who has a shitload of forms, took part in the Power Rangers thing far longer than any other Ranger, and is said to be the mascot of the series...is rejected to be Aka Red's fusee.
Normally, I wouldn't be bothered by this. I, not being much of a Tommy fan, would have been amused and wondered who the fusee would be, anyway. But I have read the chapters, even the infamous one where Aka Red does make his decision, and...honestly, I would have either chosen Tommy, infamous power-up whore Conner, or Carter. Or T.J.
It's not that the eventual choice isn't bad per se. It's the totally fucking stupid way of how he was chosen, and how he was treated after that.
Catherine: We come back to a science center after Tommy is left wondering who the person is. Tranza and Abrella appear with their evil Mook army, and they start to kill. Even Tranza uses psychic powers to set a building on fire! This is just...unnecessary!
Yeah. Not just about the lives lost, but...about how it makes it dark for the sake of darkness.
Carter: No ga pawārenjā uchū ni modotte miyou. Dai gyakusatsu ga tsudzuite okoru ippō de, jeison wa uchū hikō-shidesu. Shikashi, sonogo, wareware wa kare ga sūjitsumae ni yume o motte ita koto o shiru.*
The dream? He met the Zyurangers. He, like Tommy, has been chosen to fight. And the Zyurangers aren't the only ones he met; nope, he gets to meet Shiro Gou, Red One!
He tells Jason that he's an astronaut. He doesn't tell him that he's one because of how forced that development is. Also, he warns Jason to beware.
Suddenly, waves. Jason, back to reality, is enveloped in a strange light, and he vanishes. He has re-entered into the Super Sentai world...speaking Japanese.
Excuse me. There's a wall that I need to hit my head into. (slams head into wall)
First off, does Akizuki know that there are some Toku heroes who can speak English? Even if it is the work of the actors? Secondly, there are a few...non-Japanese, I guess? Gaijin?...Toku heroes. Why, why do you have to make the fucking Power Rangers speak Japanese for no real reason?!
...then again, I can't speak for myself, considering that Carter's turned Japanese, literally.
Carter: Watashi wa, Rika, koto o kiita.*
Tranza notices Jason and fights him. The two are evenly matched until Abrella grabs him. And we get this lovely little gem.
- "Jason Lee Scott tried to struggle to break free but found himself in extremely deep doo doo."
Yes. The author seriously had to write "doo doo". A grown man, mind. WHAT THE FUCK.
Despite that...setback, Jason is captured easily. Jeeze. That fucking fast? He sees the civilians crying and begging for their lives, and I'm starting to get sick off this shit.
Also, not only does he magically know Japanese, but his voice resembles Shiro.
...
Of course, Jason is surprised. And he can't do anything to help the citizens.
And someone gets shot. ...
Cut to Africa. I wonder if Trini Kwan, now a photojournalist, would visit Aisha there?
(boooooooooo!)
Oh, come on, what?!
Trini is amazed at the wildlife there. Oh, and apparentally, she has a dead brother.
WHAT?!
Are you fucking kidding me? There's slightly rewriting characters and giving them personalities, and then there's...this. Ripping off plots and characterization wholesale from other sources.
Also, she has had a strange dream of a much different—oh, who am I kidding?
Bam, magic light, she appears in the Super Sentai world after the ghost of Mika Koizumi—the first Yellow Four—speaks to her and adds that she's the first Yellow Warrior.
And Trini's speaking Japanese, too. Sounding like Mika.
...
Fucking seriously, fanfic...at least give a reason.
She sees the world, and she realizes that her camera's fine. But then, the Igaroids show up, the Batsuroid leading the pack. Cue fight scene.
Okay, I'll try to shorten this up as much as I can, so bear with me. Takeru and Hoji see Jason, and Tranza tries to attack Shinken Red, who apparentally tries to take down the Ignaroids as well. As for Hoji? After being shocked to see that Abrella's alive, he takes him down.
But Tranza is still there, along with several other Ignaroids. Jason morphs into the Red Ranger, using his morpher from "Forever Red". And of fucking course Takeru and Hoji question him, the latter theorizing that he could be a clone the Evolians made!
...
After the Ignaroids are destroyed, Tranza goes batshit, and Takeru slashes him. Blah blah blah, the three hasn't seen the last of him, Tranza leaves.
Our Culture Shock is in place now, with Hoji asking Jason if he can come with them. He tries to explain about how he doesn't know how he got there...and he called them "other Power Rangers". Dude...haven't you heard of the Super Sentai universe? What do you think they're called?
And bleeeeh, the bad writing sucks so hard...
Having said that, Jason goes with Hoji and Takeru quietly. Let's check out how Trini's doing, shall we?
...more or less the same. Lovely. Really, it's the same only with some names swapped around.
Oh, and we do get a scene where Zordon and Alpha 5 appear. We get an explanation that Zordon really wasn't dead after all, but rather materialized in the form of an old man. And he doesn't fucking know.
I know all the explanations. It's magic! Akizuki doesn't have to explain it!
...seriously...
Catherine: Zordon gives Trini back her morpher. How did he find it? We don't get an explanation whatsoever. When she morphs, she has a skirt. Despite the fact that she never had a skirt on.
Obligatory joke alert: how much do you want to bet that Trini still has b—
(is booed)
Oh, come on!
Catherine: Like Hoji and Takeru, Sakura and Jasmine are questioning Trini, but there's no time for that. They defeat the Igaroids—with Trini doing some camera effects for some reason—and then they go to Trakeena. Sakura cries out that she hates bugs, and then she wildly shoots the hell out of the villain.
...um, wow?
Mako: Then, like Jason, Trini is questioned. But instead of them going quietly, we get a catfight. However, Sakura beats Trini with her combat training. And...Jasmine tries to tranq Trini, but the effects don't concern her at all.
Then Alpha 5 and Zordon try to explain, but they get arrested, too. All three are taken in for questioning.
Also, Trini thinks that she's in deep..."doo doo" again. Fucking seriously?
The chapter ends with Trini seeing Mika in her dream, the latter telling her to stay strong, since Culture Shock. And Jason? He tries to remain calm.
With that, Chapter 3 is done! Will Trini, Jason, Alpha 5, and Zordon be cleared? Which characters will get utterly destroyed in characterization next? And will we ever get an explanation as to how they speak Japanese all of a sudden?
Emergency Signal; Now, Forward! To the next liveblogging of Super Sentai Vs. Power Rangers!
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