Act 40: The Honorable Leader Heads to the Front Lines

This article is about an episode in Samurai Sentai Shinkenger.

Act 40: The Honorable Leader Heads to the Front Lines
Samurai Sentai Shinkenger, Episode 40
Air Date(s)	November 29, 2009
Production Information
Written by	Yasuko Kobayashi
Directed by	Katsuya Watanabe
Episode Guide
Previous	Act 39: The Very Urgent First Aid Emergency
Next	Act 41: The Sent Words

The Honorable Leader Heads to the Front Lines (御大将出陣(おんたいしょう しゅつじん), Ontaishō Shutsujin) is the fortieth episode of Samurai Sentai Shinkenger, featuring further revelations of Doukoku and Dayu and the Shinkengers first encounter with Doukoku.

Synopsis

Doukoku's connection to Dayu is revealed as Akumaro prepares to use the suffering of her shamisen for his own purpose.

Plot

While training, Takeru almost hurts Chiaki while remembering Juzo's words from their last encounter. While this occurs, Doukoku has Shitari demand Dayu's shamisen from Akumaro. Akumaro takes Shitari to where he placed the instrument and then attacks him, revealing that he had allied himself with Doukoku as part of his plans. This causes Shitari to fall back and cause the Gap Sensor to detect his movement. Sensing her shamisen's cries, Dayu makes her way to Akumaro's location just as the Shinkengers arrive to fight him and are outmatched. Using the shamisen as a shield, Akumaro overpowers Dayu until an enraged Doukoku arrives in the mortal world to kill him and the Shinkengers even if he dies in the process from rapid dehydration. Akumaro loses the shamisen and escapes, leaving the Shinkengers to fight Doukoku. Super Shinken Red summons the Mougyu Bazooka to attack Doukoku, but Shinken Blue advise the former to run as he tries to beat Dokoku, but the Gedoushu resists the attack long enough to defeat Super Shinken Red. After repairing Dayu's shamisen, the nearly dead Doukoku is dragged back into the realm of the dead by Shitari, who leaves an Ōnanashi Ōzutsu Squad to finish off the Shinkengers. Shinken Yellow tends to Takeru's wounds, leaving Super Shinken Blue in Daikai-Shinkenoh and Shinken Gold in Mougyudaioh to defeat the Ōnanashi. As a near-death Takeru is taken to the Shiba House, Doukoku is dropped into the depths the Sanzu River to regain his strength, leaving Akumaro to take over the Rokumon Junk with no opposition.

Cast

• Takeru Shiba (志葉 丈瑠, Shiba Takeru): Tori Matsuzaka (松坂 桃李, Matsuzaka Tōri)
• Ryunosuke Ikenami (池波 流ノ介, Ikenami Ryūnosuke): Hiroki Aiba (相葉 裕樹, Aiba Hiroki)
• Mako Shiraishi (白石 茉子, Shiraishi Mako): Rin Takanashi (高梨 臨, Takanashi Rin)
• Chiaki Tani (谷 千明, Tani Chiaki): Shogo Suzuki (鈴木 勝吾, Suzuki Shōgo)
• Kotoha Hanaori (花織 ことは, Hanaori Kotoha): Suzuka Morita (森田 涼花, Morita Suzuka)
• Genta Umemori (梅盛 源太, Umemori Genta): Keisuke Sohma (相馬 圭祐, Sōma Keisuke)
• Hikoma Kusakabe (日下部 彦馬, Kusakabe Hikoma): Gorou Ibuki (伊吹 吾郎, Ibuki Gorō)
• Secret Lantern DaiGoyou (秘伝提灯ダイゴヨウ, Hiden Chōchin Daigoyō, Voice): Kōichi Tōchika (遠近 孝一, Tōchika Kōichi)
• Doukoku Chimatsuri (血祭 ドウコク, Chimatsuri Dōkoku, Voice): Rintarō Nishi (西 凛太朗, Nishi Rintarō)
• Dayu Usukawa (薄皮 太夫, Usukawa Dayū): Romi Park (朴 璐美, Paku Romi)
• Shitari of the Bones (骨のシタリ, Hone no Shitari, Voice): Cho (チョー, Cho)
• Juzo Fuwa (腑破 十臓, Fuwa Jūzō): Mitsuru Karahashi (唐橋 充, Karahashi Mitsuru)
• Akumaro Sujigarano (筋殻 アクマロ, Sujigarano Akumaro, Voice): Ryō Horikawa (堀川 りょう, Horikawa Ryō)

Secret Disks

• Shinken Red - Shishi (Shinkenmaru - Kaen no Mai), Super, Saishuu Ougi,
• Shinken Blue - Kyoutsuu (Water Arrow), Ryuu (Water Arrow), Super, Shin Samurai Gattai
• Shinken Pink - Kyoutsuu (Heaven Fan), Kame (Heaven Fan), Hidden Shield
• Shinken Green - Kyoutsuu (Wood Spear), Kuma (Wood Spear), Hidden Shield
• Shinken Yellow - Kyoutsuu (Land Slicer), Saru (Land Slicer)
• Shinken Gold - Sushi (Sushi Changer), Sushi (Sakanamaru), Origami Beast (Ushi Origami)

Notes

• As part of Super Hero Time, this episode aired alongside Kamen Rider W episode 12, The Revenge V/Grudge Beast.
• Viewership: 6.2%
• Key Title Kanji: 出 (Like act 29, it stands for "leave"; but in this case it is used in the combination for the word "shutsujin", the Japanese term for "departing for the front line" as Doukoku does in his brief invasion of Earth)

Home video releases

• The third volume of the Samurai Sentai Shinkenger Blu-Ray Box Set comes with episodes 34-49, and was released on June 13th 2014 at a cost of 20,790 yen.

Shinkenger on Blu-ray.

Shinkenger Volume 3, Blu-ray cover

Shinkenger Volume 10, DVD cover

Samurai Sentai Shinkenger DVD Volume 10 features episodes 37-40: Act 37: The Epic Glue Battle, Act 38: The Gunnery Showdown, Act 39: The Very Urgent First Aid Emergency and Act 40: The Honorable Leader Heads to the Front Lines.

See Also

• The Master Returns - Power Rangers counterpart in Super Samurai. See comparison page.