Ep. 39: Why? We're High School Students

'''Why? We're High School Students' is the thirty-ninth episode of Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger''. It is the tribute episode to Denji Sentai Megaranger.

Synopsis
With Navi's next clue being "Moroboshi High School", Gai Ikari realizes that their next clue to the Greatest Treasure in the Universe has to do with the Megarangers. The Gokaigers visit the high school, and discover that Kenta Date, the former Mega Red, has become a teacher, and he tells them that they must become his students in order to obtain his team's greater power.

Plot
Following the death of Warz Gill at the hands of the Gokaigers, the Space Empire Zangyack increases the bounties of the space pirates — with Captain Marvelous' head set to an "UNLIMITED REWARD." Aboard the Gokai Galleon, Navi's latest navigation clue is Moroboshi High School, which Gai immediately identifies as a clue leading to the Megarangers. Upon arriving at the high school, they meet Kenta Date, the former MegaRed who is now a professor. Kenta tells the Gokai Galleon crew that in order to obtain the greater power of the Megarangers, they must become his students for a day. Wearing school uniforms, the crew experience high school life while Kenta keeps watch on them.

Then, Sally appears and lures Kenta into a forest, where he and Gai encounter Basco. The privateer reveals that he has planted multiple bombs in the high school that will blow up in 10 minutes unless Kenta surrenders the Megarangers' greater power to him. While Gokai Silver protects Kenta from Basco and Sally, the main Gokaigers are aided by two computer club members in locating the bombs all over the school. Basco defeats Gokai Silver before proceeding to take the greater power from Kenta, but Gokai Silver changes into Gosei Knight to use a Defense Gosei Card against the attack before the other Gokaigers arrive at the scene. The Gokaigers reveal to Basco that they changed into the Timerangers and used the Voltech Bazooka to freeze-compress the bombs into a Holding Capsule-sized ball of explosives.

After having Kenta return to the school, the Gokaigers change into the Megarangers to battle Basco and Sally. As the Gokaigers are close to defeating Sally, Basco blocks the Gokai Supernova and Slash attack before unleashing Woodroid Moririn and Soilroid Dororin from the space monkey's body and retreating. GokaiOh, GoZyuJin and Machalcon merge into Kanzen GokaiOh to destroy the two Pseudo-Lifeforms (made easier when the Lifeforms grabbed each other out of fear) with the Gokai Kanzen Burst. At the end of the day, Kenta fulfills his end of the deal by giving the Greater Power of the Megarangers to the Gokai Galleon crew before they leave the school, though he did ask the crew if they are willing to get some Korean barbeque.

Cast

 * Ryota Ozawa as Captain Marvelous (Gokai Red)
 * Yuuki Yamada as Joe Gibken (Gokai Blue)
 * Mao Ichimichi as Luka Millfy (Gokai Yellow)
 * Kazuki Shimizu as Don Dogoier (Gokai Green)
 * Yui Koike as Ahim de Famille (Gokai Pink)
 * Jun Ikeda as Gai Ikari (Gokai Silver)
 * Yukari Tamura as Navi (voice)
 * Hayato Oshiba as Kenta Date (MegaRed†)

Gokai Changes

 * Gokai Changes in Why? We're High School Students:
 * Gokai Red - TimeRed, MegaRed
 * Gokai Blue - TimeBlue, MegaBlue
 * Gokai Yellow - TimeYellow, MegaYellow
 * Gokai Green - TimeGreen, MegaBlack
 * Gokai Pink - TimePink, MegaPink
 * Gokai Silver - MagiShine, Gosei Knight, MegaSilver
 * All of the Gokai Changes prior to the Megaranger change in this episode are pre-anniversary Sentai teams:
 * Timeranger: The 24th Sentai team.
 * Magiranger: The 29th Sentai team.
 * Goseiger: The 34th Sentai team.

Elements/Homages to Megaranger

 * The title to this episode is similar to a Megaranger title with it being two statements: the first being either an exclamation, whether it be a "pure exclamation" or a question that is being shouted out; the second statement is an explanation for the first one and generally is the subject of the episode.
 * After the Mecha won the fight, Gokai Silver says "Gokaiger, win!" which is a reference to Megaranger where MegaRed always says "Game over!"
 * The episode's Megaranger Gokai Change is the same morphing sequence in group form as the one in Megaranger, down to the Megaranger ready and the helmet symbol lighting up.
 * Basco's plot of attacking Moroboshi High is similar to the final arc of Megaranger, where an attack on the school by the forces of Dr. Hinelar ends up exposing and ultimately expelling the five student heroes, while the Megaranger themselves must fight near Moroboshi High during their final battle in order to regain admittance for graduation.

Trivia

 * As part of Super Hero Time, this episode aired alongside Kamen Rider Fourze episode 11, Disappearing Moon Door.
 * This episode confirms the official romanization of Warz Gill, when his name appears on a newspaper in English.
 * With this episode, all 14 of the Super Sentai teams with a Sixth Ranger have had their Greater Power unlocked.
 * This is the first episode that the Gokaigers do not use the GokaiGalleon Buster since its debut in One Power.
 * The Megaranger Greater Power is the second Greater Power where it isn't shown what the Power looks like, the first being the Gingaman Greater Power.
 * Ironically, the Gingaman episode also featured Basco.
 * This is the only time the Gokaigers use vehicles from a past Sentai during a Gokai Change.
 * This episode foreshadows Basco's true feelings towards Sally. During the battle, a red herring occurs when what appears to be Basco turns on Sally and shoots her, but it is revealed to be a virtual reality situation by Joe thanks to the abilities of Megaranger. When the Gokaigers prepare to take Sally down, Basco, showing genuine concern for Sally, steps in and takes the assault.
 * This would prove to be subverted in episode 47, where Basco deliberately injures Sally and then kills her.
 * This is the first episode to feature Basco, but no Ranger Key Clones (obviously because all of his Ranger Keys were taken by the Gokaigers in his last appearance).
 * This episode features an appearance by Naoto Takahashi, who would later play Toru Morishita in Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters. His character is one of two Moroboshi High students who aid the Gokaigers in finding the bombs planted by Basco with his computer, a lot like how Toru would help the Go-Busters.