Heartwarming / Samurai Sentai Shinkenger

• Any time Takeru gives anyone a compliment, overt or implied. Because damn it, you know they worked for it.
• Act 06. Any scene with Chiaki and Kotoha. But especially when Chiaki is carrying Kotoha home at the end.
• In Act 07: If you watch, you'll realize the fisherman who helps Ryunosuke was a Kuroko under Takeru's father. At the end, he returns to the Shiba household to serve as an unknown Kuroko after apologising to Jii.
• Act 10. Jii's lesson to Chiaki in the grove, including their exchanged apologies. You can tell Jii feels a bit of discomfort at one of his lord's retainers bowing so low to him - merely the Samurai's tutor and the head of the household servants - but is clearly pleased that they've finally found some common ground and mutual respect.
• Act 12. During his 10-Minute Retirement, Takeru comes across a young boy who lost his father in a monster attack. He uses his ShodoPhone to summon a piece of paper and make the boy a paper airplane, just like his dad used to make for him.
  • The other Shinkengers reaffirming their loyalty to him while fending off a Nanashi mob untransformed in the same Act is awesome and heartwarming, especially Kotoha's simple plea of her Lord to not die because she'd be sad if he did.
• Act 14; Ryunosuke and Mr. Brown. It's more or less normal for Ryunosuke to be emotional, but then that's where we get to see his "caring teacher" side. Of course, there's a second definition for some people.
  • Takeru telling Ryunosuke that he's "found a good pupil".
• Act 23. Doubles as a Funny Moment. When Genta is serving Juzo, who he thinks is a restaurant critic, he must leave due to the attack at Tengen Temple. When left alone, Juzo decides to go too, not before grabbing one of the two sushi pieces Genta left for him, putting it in his mouth... only to freeze for a second and then turn around to grab the other piece. After all this time of people commenting how average Genta's sushi is, isn't it just nice to see someone finally finding it delicious... even if it is one of their strongest enemies.
• Act 26. Jii returning Mako's cook books to her, and reminding her that resolve is the Samurai way, but being too single-minded is the road to Gedou. A scene that cements the grandpa part of Jii's Old Master.
  • At the beginning of the episode Juzo is hell-bent on fighting Takeru at that exact place and moment, as they agreed to fight next time they see each other on Act 24. What happens that convinces Juzo to retreat for a day, giving Takeru extra time to prepare and recover? Genta arrives to stop the fight, and just because Juzo genuinely likes his sushi, he agrees to wait for 24 hours, even commenting what a pity it is not being able to eat Genta's sushi ever again (making it border Tear Jerker territory, as after this scene, Genta definitely lost his best customer).
• Act 34. Mako and her mother in the airport. All the more warming due to their shared past.
• How about Act 35? Ryunosuke went back in a masquerade to help his best friend in kabuki who now hates him bitterly^note Because of his duty as a Samurai, he abandoned, and thus almost ruined, a performance they both worked so hard to happen.. Afterwards, he silently turns back and leave, when his friend tells him to return to Kabuki someday.
• Act 38: For Jii to take a leave and go visit his family, the team keeps the Gedoushu activities secret for just one day. But when things go out of their hands due to the enemy's new tactics, Jii arrives with the Mogyu Bazooka, bows to them for their consideration and tells them that they're the most important persons to him.
  • And the ending reveals that Takeru arranged him a meeting with his family, to compensate for the time he spent to help them. The family looks at each other from afar before Jii, almost teary, bows again to his Lord in gratitude, turns back and leave.
• Act 40: After dealing with Akumaro and the Shinkengers, Dokoku rips off one of his scales and uses it to repair Dayu's Shamisen and returns it to her. Considering his usual attitude and the fact that he destroyed said Shamisen in the first place, it comes as a surprise that he would go through Akumaro and Shinkengers to get the Shamisen back, even if it meant drying up into a near-petrified state.
  • This becomes a whole lot less heartwarming when you realize why Dokoku did it - it was the opening step in a Evil Plan that granted Dokoku partial immunity to the sealing character, by emotionally manipulating Dayu so that she would allow him to absorb her.
• Act 41: Jii reminding Kotoha that she's not just a substitute for her sister, but a full-fledged Shinken Yellow on her own; she felt she's worthless only because she thinks like that. This, along with Jii's clarification that her sister never thought of her as a replacement^note From the letter she recently wrote to Kotoha, which he also apologizes for reading without permission., completely and finally removed the Heroic Self-Deprecation she's been in from the beginning. And once again, "that little tune" is playing in the background!
  • At the same time, Kotoha's determination fuels Takeru's determination to continue fighting alongside his vassals after spending three Acts angsting about how weak he had become because of his attachment to them.
• Act 47: Ryunosuke's fisherman friend returns the favor Ryu-san gave him forty acts ago, removing his Kuroko hood to counsel the young samurai. Making a simple moment near the start one of this year's best Chekhov's Guns.
  Fisherman Kuroko: Yes, the Princess must be protected. That is unquestioned. But a man is not a dog. You decide your own master.
  • Takeru breaking down in tears after his vassals say they will still follow him even if he isn't the real lord of the Shiba.
  • Ryuunosuke kicks things off with a very dramatic speech that's very poignant, yet also true to his character despite O.O.C. Is Serious Business. It's also surprisingly lacking in Narm, considering how much of a Large Ham he is.
  Ryuunosuke: I, Ikenami Ryuunosuke, have only one lord!
  • Then there's scene with Kaoru where she tells Tanba to stop badmouthing her kagemusha and her vassals as even she believes that their bond is just as important as their duty to protect her. She even acknowledges the fact that it is only through Takeru's dedication to his duty that she is even alive, let alone in possession of the sealing character.
  • Genta, who was having an equal-but-opposite version of Ryunoske's inner conflict, declare his willingness to fight alongside Kaoru.
  • Not to mention her genuine acceptance of his offer (after knocking Tanba unconscious again). She knows about the conflicted loyalties that the team is having, and seems to understand the enormity of what it means to have Genta -Takeru's best friend- choose to fight at her side.
• The end of the Final Live Tour stage show counts for one and crosses into Tear Jerker territory. When Takeru's actor speaks, nearly all the other actors themselves are failing at holding back tears. Goes to show how much they liked doing their work. And then, around the end of that, they turn it up to eleven (while crossing a bit into Funny Moment territory) when all the other actors turn towards him and kneel down, much to the embarrassment of Takeru's actor and amusement of the audience. (Genta's actor waits until a few seconds later to do the same in a bit sillier way.)

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