Don-Lifting Family
Summary
"We're just one big screwed up Family of Choice!"
Shinichi: We fight whether it's on Christmas or New Year's.
Thus, the greatest battle for the Donbrothers begins!
Thus, the greatest battle for the Donbrothers begins!
When Taro makes a delivery to the Saruhara Residence, he discovers Tsuyoshi and Haruka are all suddenly living under the same roof as Shinichi. As it turns out, Haruka is Shinichi's "younger sister", while Tsuyoshi is both their "mother" and "father". To top it all off, Haruka is in a Love Triangle with Tsubasa and Jiro!? Amidst Taro's utter confusion, Kaito confirms that the three of them are, indeed, a legitimate family.
With the secrets of the Saruhara "family" coming to light... just which ones are the truth, and which are the lies!?
Tropes
- Breather Episode: The episode takes a break from the overarching plot to have all six Donbrothers hang out together as a Family of Choice, even if the circumstances leading to it were less than ideal.
- Dramatic Irony: The end of the episode has Tsuyoshi telling Shinichi how bad he felt for involving Tsubasa in the Found Family operation, with Shinichi agreeing that he probably doesn't like getting involved in such hijinks. They have no idea the amount of hijinks Tsubasa had already been involved in, and when he passes by Shinichi's house and looks back at his time in the operation, he expresses that he actually enjoyed it.
- Drunk on Milk: During Tsutomu's robbery attempt, he finds Tsubasa passed out drunk with a cup of oolong tea in his hand.
- Gone Horribly Right: The Donbrothers successfully exposes Tsutomu as a swindler, but the process leading up to it made him turn into Himitsu-Ki out of trauma as he flees. Thankfully, after he's recovered he gives up his ways and surrenders to the police.
- Irony: Tsubasa, the one real actor of the team, is the one who's least convincing in his role as part of the "Saruhara family".
- Locked Out of the Loop: Shinichi chooses to keep Taro out of The Plan due to his inability to lie. Haruka ends up involving him in it, which actually works out for them.
- The Millstone: Subverted. Shinichi insists to keep Taro Locked Out of the Loop of their Found Family operation because of his inability to pretend, but Haruka pulls him in anyways seeing how he's hiccuping from feeling confused and left out. Taro ends up being the one to break Tsutomu's last straw by dying in front of him when attempting to state he is part of the Saruhara Family.
- No, You Hang Up First: Tsuyoshi is shown to be in the middle of this with Miho when summoned to battle as Kiji Brother, and is visibly disappointed when being summoned forced him to hang up first.
- Once a Season: This episode fulfils the Super Sentai tradition of a Disguised in Drag episode, with Tsuyoshi pretending to be the Saruharas' "mother" for most of the episode despite also having the role of their "father", the latter of which only showing up in the Cold Open.
- Poor Communication Kills: Whatever little drama is in this episode is based on Taro being Locked Out of the Loop regarding the plan to entrap the swindler Tsutomu Kameda due to his inability to lie.
- Pop-Culture Pun Episode Title: This episode's Japanese title is based off Shoplifters, known as Shoplifting Family in Japanese.
- Running Gag: Taro keeps hiccuping whenever he hears about the other Donbrothers' antics.
- Surprisingly Realistic Outcome:
- Taro admits that he was rather disappointed at the others locking him out of their plan to entrap Tsutomu, even if it was for his sake.
- Tsuyoshi almost blows his cover when Miho is brought up. It takes a last-minute save by Shinichi and Haruka to prevent him from being revealed.
- Trauma Conga Line: Poor Tsutomu couldn't catch a break when attempting to rob Shinichi's house, thanks to the Donbrothers' antics by chance.
- Upon finding out he couldn't find any form of cash in the house, he finds Tsuyoshi in the hallway talking to Miho on the phone, the latter of whom he was informed was the Saruhara Family's dead daughter.
- He chances upon a sleeping Tsubasa and recognises him as a highly dangerous fugitive.
- He witnesses Haruka sleep-changing into Oni Sister, believing she transformed into some sort of monster and attempts to flee.
- He then encounters Dangerous Jiro, who threatens to harm him.
- Running into Taro, he questions the latter about the family and whether he is an actual part of it. Taro's attempt to lie that he is causes him to die on the spot. Taro then sits back up seconds later, finally breaking Tsutomu as he flees the house begging for someone to save him.
