The Crown of Beginnings
- Original Airdate: July 2, 2023
Written by: Minato Takano
Directed by: Hiroyuki Kato
Summary
Jeramie: By manipulating the Bognaarok, Racules demands for N'Kosopa's surrender.
After an assault by the revived Bognaarok champion, the Deathblow Shogun Daigorg, Yanma was on the verge of death.
However, at the last moment, who would appear to save him than the presumed-dead king of Evil!
...Or so the story goes.
After an assault by the revived Bognaarok champion, the Deathblow Shogun Daigorg, Yanma was on the verge of death.
However, at the last moment, who would appear to save him than the presumed-dead king of Evil!
...Or so the story goes.
At long last, Gira's survival has been made public, and he challenges Racules to a long-awaited rematch. However, the king has a secret weapon: an artifact known as the Founder's Crown. As Gira remembers how the Founder's Crown came to be, Racules plans to execute Gira once and for all.
Meanwhile, Kaguragi decides to directly swindle Racules of the Founder's powers, recruiting Kuroda and another kuroko to assist him in his heist. Things don't go as planned as Boshimar and Douga quickly find him out, but Suzume unexpectedly turns the tides!
Tropes
- Because You Were Nice to Me: Downplayed. Gira calls Kaguragi before going off to confront Racules again, revealing that he saw Suzume crying and figured she was there for a reason; opting not to take her away. Kaguragi assumes Gira wants a favor in exchange for this info, though he doesn't. This might have inspired Kaguragi to finally assist the heroes of his own volition...if he hadn't already been inside the castle gunning for Racules' Lance when Gira called him, complete with fake Toufu backdrop to keep up appearances.
- Big Damn Heroes:
- Jeramie manages to help Gira escape from Racules' execution in the nick of time by using the Venomix Shooter's smoke.
- Suzume assists Kaguragi in his heist when he is caught in the act by claiming his intention for trespassing was to visit her, while getting him to act as a kabutomushi as "punishment for the insolence", allowing him to find the secret button that unlocks the hidden storage for the OhgerLance.
- Call-Back:
- Jeramie repeats the previous episode's line of "Instead of ruling over everything, he'd be ruing over everything."
- Kaguragi alludes back to his discovery of King-Ohger ZERO, revealing that he at one point tried (and failed) to hijack it.
- This isn't the first time the Bognaarok have tried taking over Shugoddam while Racules was gone. They just happened to succeed this time.
- Cliffhanger: The episode ends with the injured Racules returning to the palace only to discover the Bognaarok took over Shugoddam despite their alliance.
- Corner of Woe: Jeramie sits in one, still trying to process his failures from the past few episodes.
- Creator Cameo: Hachi Ohger's suit actor Shogo Teramoto appears as the kuroko accompanying Kaguragi and Kuroda.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: The opening fight is in clearly Racules' favor, easily throwing Gira around with the power of the OhgerCrownLance. Later turned on it's head as the now cohesive Extreme King-Ohger easily defeats King-Ohger ZERO.
- Didn't See That Coming:
- Racules is taken entirely off guard when Kaguragi reveals he and his sister had been playing the haughty king the entire time.
- While he was aware and was okay with being used by the Bognaarok in his pursuit of power, Racules is still blinndsided when they use his absent to invade and take over his kingdom.
- Foreshadowing: Early into the episode, Racules tells Kaguragi the legend behind the Founder's Crown, dismissing Boshimar's concern that he's saying too much afterward; the Crown is useless without the Lance to power it. Kaguragi later waltzes into the cockpit of King-Ohger ZERO and uses the Lance he and Suzume stole to forcibly scoop the crown from its containment cube in front of Racules' face; arming Gira with it and ensuring his downfall.
- Golden Super Mode: King Kuwagata Ohger and Ohkuwagata Ohger access a gold-colored armor through the OhgerCrown.
- Heroic BSoD: Played for Laughs. Jeramie has put himself in a time-out over his actions, trying to understand his place in all of this as the proclaimed "King of All" when he keeps doing stuff he regrets.
- Heroic Rematch: Unlike last episode, this version of Extreme King-Ohger is a genuine combination with help from the Founder's Crown, allowing it to wipe the floor with King-Ohger ZERO.
- The Heist:
- Kaguragi attempts to do one with Kuroda and another kuroko, only to be easily found out by Boshimar and Douga. However, Suzume manages to secretly help him get the OhgerLance by putting on her own show to lead him to the gear that holds it.
- He later reveals that this is only his latest one: he stumbled onto King-Ohger ZERO ages back and tried to hijack it, only to find it unresponsive.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: Discussed, then Subverted. Racules' insistence on broadcasting his attempted takeover of N'Kosopa (particularly the failed execution of Yanma) was the probable cause Rita needed to finally seek out his arrest. They relent when Douga shows hostility, but they make it clear that they will act on it eventually.Rita: (to Douga): His conspiracy to assassinate N'Kosopa's leader Yanma Gast was the final straw, and the entire world saw it happen. There's no talking out of this one.
Douga: (after an exchange, sword drawn) Take your leave.
Rita: Flaunt your power, but know that Gokkan's judgement remains unwavering. - Humiliation Conga: Racules attempting to kill Yanma gives Rita enough evidence to now call for his arrest. He then discovers Kaguragi and Suzume have been playing him for a fool the entire time...when Kaguragi is standing in his cockpit with the OhgerCrownLance ready to steal the Founder's Crown right in front of him while he's unable to do anything due to still being in God Kuwagata ZERO's harness. This is followed by Extreme King-Ohger demolishing King-Ohger ZERO. Finally, as he comes crawling back, wounded to his palace, he learns that Bognaarok was also playing him for a fool and took over his country behind his back.
- Ironic Echo: Early into the episode, Racules stares Kaguragi down and asks him if he's after the Founder's Crown. Kaguragi says he wouldn't dream of going after it, as it suits Racules better than him. Near episode's end, Kaguragi uses the stolen OhgerCrownLance to pluck the crown from its container, calling the crown a "poor fit" for Racules and that he knows someone better suited to it (Gira).
- Karma Houdini Warranty: After having spent the entire show up to this point turning victories for the heroes into victories for himself, Kaguragi's scheming allows the true formation of Extreme King-Ohger - handing Racules his first proper loss, a loss that he can't spin into his favor.
- Long Game: Kaguragi and Suzume have been playing a very long con that (despite some hiccups) allows them to steal Racules' OhgerCrownLance.
- Mood Whiplash: Gira calls Kaguragi prior to the fight to apologize for not saving Suzume, revealing that he saw her crying and (figuring she was there for a reason) chose not to interfere; refuting Kaguragi's attempts to invoke a debt. The emotionally-charged call ends with the Kuroko sheepishly folding away a backdrop of Toufu's throne, showing that Kaguragi was already sneaking around in Shugoddam to pull off The Heist when Gira called.
- Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: Racules humors Kaguragi's intrigue towards the Founder's Crown and tells him all about it, confirming Kaguragi's suspicions that it's important.
- No Sympathy: After Jeramie saves Gira, he spends the remainder of the episode huddled in a Corner of Woe, wracked with guilt. Hymeno thinks he deserves it given that his actions tend to worsen the situation.Hymeno: Since everything he's tried has just made the situation worse, the guilt's getting to him. And given he deserves it, there's no prescription for what ails him.
- Once More, with Clarity: The entire Suzume situation from #15 gets put into new context here.
- We get a better look at what Gira saw when he went to rescue Suzume after Racules and co. left to take care of the Bognaarok situation. He didn't go through with his plan because he saw Suzume crying over Kaguragi after he left with Racules, deducing that her lovey-dovey behavior towards Racules was actually an act after all to Kaguragi.
- It's revealed Kaguragi slipped a note to Suzume when he checked up on her. In the note, he tells her about his plan to steal King-Ohger ZERO and asks for help stealing the key to it, implying that he knew to some extent about her act.
- Out of Focus: Both Yanma and Jeramie are reduced to a couple of appearances here, as the former is still recovering from his injuries while the latter is depressed at how his actions just keep making things worse.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Gira calls out Racules on how he has become a shell of what he once dreamed of: a king and his citizens being one nation - the same dream Racules now calls a "child's fantasy." In response Gira calls him an empty king because a real king would try to make the impossible possible.
- Reports of My Death Were Greatly Exaggerated: Gira's reply to Racules' shocked reaction at seeing him alive."I am the King of Evil! My immortality should come as no surprise!"
- The Reveal:
- Kaguragi and Suzume have been playing a long gambit against Racules so Kaguragi could figure out how to use King-Ohger ZERO for himself.
- Racules originally wanted to make Shugoddam into a country wherein everyone looked out for one another, only to have discarded the dream as a "childish fantasy."
- Rule of Symbolism: Racules calls out to an empty throne room after getting trounced by Gira using Extreme King-Ohger to defeat him and King-Ohger ZERO. This signifies just how much his lust for power and isolation from others has resulted in him having no real allies to count upon, which is simply reinforced when Kamejim appears and declares the Bognaarok are taking over Shugoddam right afterwards.
- Silly Rabbit, Idealism Is for Kids!: Gira reveals that Racules once had positive aspirations for Shugoddam's future, but abandoned what he called a fantasy in favor of tyranthood.
- Status Quo Is God: Defied. Racules has been properly defeated for the first time, his attempt on Yanma's life serves as the probable cause Rita needs to attempt an arrest and Gira ends the episode with the tools he needs to takes Shugoddam's throne.
- Tempting Fate: When Boshimar brings up how overly open Racules has been with Kaguragi, the latter acknowledges the fact...then promptly dismisses it; safe in the knowledge that the OhgerCrownLance is needed to power the crown. Kaguragi eventually steals the Lance and uses it to violently wrench the Crown from ZERO's containment cube.
- Used to Be a Sweet Kid: A Flash Back reveals that Racules originally wanted to make Shugoddam a country wherein King and citizen looked out for one another in solidarity. He's long-since dismissed that notion as a "childish fantasy," becoming the tyrant of the present.
- Wham Shot: Kamejim appears in the Caucasus Kabuto Castle out of nowhere when Racules yells out for someone, revealing that the Bognaarok have taken over Shugoddam during his fight with Gira.
