 This article is about an episode in Avataro Sentai Donbrothers.
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Don 15: Welcome Back Taro (おかえりタロウ Okaeri Tarō) is the fifteenth episode of Avataro Sentai Donbrothers. It features Jiro's first transformation into Don Doragoku.
Synopsis[]
Tsuyoshi Kijino cannot forgive the person who injured his beloved wife, Miho. Because of this, a new Hitotsuki emerges, shouting "Traffic safety!" as he obliterate cars and motorcycles, as well as people. Haruka Kito and the rest of the team fight without Taro Momoi, and Jiro Momotani appears again. Jiro says that he will lead the four of them to fight as leader in place of Taro.
Plot[]
After the episode recap, Haruka and Shinichi are back at Cafe Donbura to inform Kaito that their efforts to revive Taro had only worked temporarily. Shinichi thinks maybe the points that the two of them had were insufficient for the wish to truly work. Haruka tries to wish for Taro back again but Kaito stops her and reveals that both of them spent so many Kibi-Points that their totals are in the negative numbers. While he does understand how both of them feel, Kaito warns against doing anything reckless as the misfortunes of the wish they had already made will begin soon..
Jiro is training in a park, doing push-ups in order to fulfill his desire to be a great hero, not wanting to disappoint the people in his village or his friends. Somehow, Jiro knows he will be a hero and protect world peace.
Back in Ideon, the Noto ponder how Don Momotaro was able to return from his defeat, albeit temporarily. Sononi suspects that the Don Clan or Taro’s Donbrother allies have some great power that they are unaware of. She thinks that they should be cautious until they know more about what their enemies are capable of.
Sonoi reflects and can’t understand why Taro’s sudden reappearance back during the fight with Saru Brother and Oni Sister made him feel the faintest emotion of joy. He tries to deny he felt happy about his enemy’s return, dismissing it as absurd.
Tsuyoshi walks to his apartment upon exiting the elevator, only to see Tsubasa waiting for him. They both go inside to talk over tea, with Tsubasa telling Tsuyoshi that he found Natsumi. Tsubasa then notices Tsuyoshi seems troubled and asks what is wrong, with the latter talking about how Miho was hurt, but reassured Tsubasa everything is fine because she is coming home today from the hospital.
He is glad Tsubasa found Natsumi, but Tsubasa says she acted strangely, as she didn’t recognize him. Tsuyoshi wonders if something is going on with her and Tsubasa says he is going to search for her again. Tsuyoshi offers to help, asking if he has any pictures of Natsumi, but the only photo Tsubasa took of her on his phone was a digitally edited one with her face altered to resemble a cute anime dog girl. Tsuyoshi says that isn’t much help since he can’t see Natsumi’s real face.
After Tsubasa leaves, Tsuyoshi is all alone and looking at his wedding picture, thinking about Miho in the hospital. His anger rises at the thought of people harming his wife and his negative emotions are warped into vengeance as he becomes Gekisouki.
He sprints at super speed and becomes obsessed with traffic safety, using his Hitotsuki powers to make vehicles and the people operating them disappear to clear the roads. Shinichi and Haruka arrive transformed to fight but are unaware Gekisouki is Tsuyoshi, who beats them down with his speedy attacks. Jiro arrives to aid the two Donbrothers with his “Super Dragon Bomber”, lifting a heavy boulder and throwing it, only for Gekisouki to run away and Shinichi gets hit on the head with the falling boulder and passes out unconscious. Haruka frantically tries to resuscitate him.
A while later, both of them drag Jiro to Cafe Donbura to rebuke his actions. Shinichi is fed up with Jiro’s “pretend hero” antics and so is Haruka. Jiro tries to say he isn’t pretending, he is a hero. Haruka asks if he is what he claims to be, why can’t he transform? Jiro tries to reassure her that while he cannot transform now, the voice in his mind says that day will come soon. Shinichi is even more irritated, believing Jiro to be some kind of fraud. Jiro says wether they accept it or not, he is their new leader and will fight in Taro’s stead.
Haruka asks Jiro if he knew Taro, with the young man recalling his first and only meeting with him. Jiro was in high school at the time and on a field trip to Tokyo, he saw some delinquents challenge Taro to a fight. Taro agrees to their challenge as it means that they will form a bond, but says he will win by not hitting them as he is against hitting people. The delinquents think Taro is mocking them and go all out, continuously punching and kicking him, but Taro still stood with his hands in his pockets and seemed almost unfazed by the assault. Half an hour later, the entire gang laid at his feet, completely exhausted from trying to beat Taro up. Taro had a few bruises but stood tall as he took his hands out of his pockets and young Jiro approached him.
Jiro says from that day on, he knew Taro was a true hero and hopes to follow in his footsteps. Haruka tries to lecture Jiro more, but suddenly collapses and is unable to move her legs. Kaito enters pushing a wheelchair and says this was bound to happen as both of them used more points then they had and this is the penalty. As Jiro and Shinichi help lift Haruka to the wheelchair, Shinichi says nothing bad has happened to him. Kaito says something possibly already has happened and he doesn’t know yet. Shinichi gets a bit nervous upon hearing this.
As the sun sets, Shinichi takes Haruka to the spot where Taro fought the delinquents. She asks him what Taro would say at a time like this, but Shinichi isn’t sure. She thinks that he would encourage her to never give up and tell her that she will walk again. Haruka says she isn’t giving up just because her legs are no longer working and that when they see Taro again she will recover and walk on her own.
Shinichi agrees and tries to recite a haiku…but is devastated to find out part of his creativity has been erased as a penalty and he can’t think of any poetry in the form of writer’s block. When he goes home, he spends all night trying to write a haiku on papers but he can’t finish them after each first verse and leaves a pile of unfinished ones on the floor. Heartbroken, Shinichi feels a part of his very soul is gone and stares at his reflection in his koi pond, depressed.
The next morning, Tsuyoshi is talking with Tsubasa on the phone as he sits down for a home cooked breakfast from Miho, who was discharged from the hospital yesterday. Tsubasa tells Tsuyoshi he cannot find Natsumi, he has searched the whole city for her, but he will not give up. Tsuyoshi sincerely wishes him luck and hangs up.
Miho suddenly says “ouch!”, feeling a bit of pain from her head bump, which triggers a panicked reaction from Tsuyoshi who asks if she is alright and suggests that she should have stayed in bed. Miho tries to calm him down by saying her head just hurts a little and it is nothing to fuss over as she cooks some sausages on the stove. Thinking she is lying to prevent him from worrying and is actually suffering in pain, Tsuyoshi gets angry and declares vengeance again, becoming Gekisouki out of her sight and leaving Miho confused as to where he went as she finished cooking their breakfast.
During Tsuyoshi’s rampage as Gekisouki, he crosses paths with Tsubasa, who originally was still searching for Natsumi until he showed up. Tsubasa becomes Inu Brother but leaves when Saru Brother and Oni Sister arrive to the battlefield to continue his search. Shinichi is in a melancholic daze and unable to focus on the fight as he still tries to think of a haiku, which Haruka snaps him out of as she points to Gekisouki entering a parking garage.
When both of them arrive inside, they find Tsuyoshi in a cold sweat and ask him if he saw the Hitotsuki. He says he did see him and changes into Gekisouki, much to their shock, with Haruka wondering what turned Tsuyoshi into a Hitotsuki. In a frenzied state, Gekisouki doesn’t recognize his friends and attacks them, with both Donbrothers reluctant to harm Tsuyoshi and Haruka gets knocked out of her wheelchair and is unable to move.
Don Doragoku's debut
Jiro arrives and says that the time has finally arrived according to the voice in his head, his true power will finally awaken. The slot machine appears from an invisible door and the four eyes flash, becoming sunglasses, an Avataro Gear and a spear called the Ryukonogeki. The sunglasses attach themselves to Jiro’s face and he Avatar Changes…into Don Doragoku! The new Ranger fends off Gekisouki until he retreats, with Haruka and Shinichi pleading for Tsuyoshi to come back.
At Cafe Donbura, Jiro sees his newfound Ranger powers as proof he is the new leader of the Donbrothers. Shinichi admits this turn of events is shocking but he and Haruka agree that Taro is someone who cannot be replaced. Jiro says ideally he would have fought alongside Taro, but has made up his mind after thinking it over….he plans on sentencing executions for the whole team except himself.
Shinichi asks what he means by that and Jiro explains that they are a team of failures as they let Taro die by not supporting him in his time of need and one of their own ranks is now a Hitotsuki. They can atone for their failures and incompetence in Heaven and he will find suitable replacements for all four of them, making a team all of his own. Shinichi, still suffering from the depression of being unable to create poetry, shockingly goes along with Jiro’s plan as he finds death preferable to a life of misery without his creativity and the “splendor of his life”. Jiro admires Shinichi’s resolve and prepares to chop off his head, but Haruka stops Jiro and says he is correct about them. She cries and says he can do what he wants to them, but he must promise to use his points to revive Taro.
Kaito has overheard the conversation and says Jiro has no points since Taro has not even acknowledged him as a companion. Haruka pleads that Kaito use more of her points then, but Kaito refuses as her negative tally of points would increase and the resulting misfortune could lead to her death. Haruka says it is fine if she dies, as long as it brings Taro back to life, it is an acceptable trade. Jiro is moved by her caring nature and apologizes for not considering their feelings and attempting an execution.
The world shifts to the virtual world as Sonoi contacts the Donbrothers, offering them only one “chance”. Sonoi reveals Taro is in fact alive and sleeping inside a prison in another dimension and if they wish to retrieve him, he must cut down a Hitotsuki so they can rescue him. Kaito seems to understand what Sonoi is planning, but Shinichi thinks that this might be a trap. Jiro says regardless if it is or not, they have to try and heads out, asking them all to trust him.
Gekisouki races along, erasing more cars until Sonoi in armored form cuts him down. Tsuyoshi is weakened and begins to dissolve, with Jiro as Don Doragoku grabbing onto him before he fades completely and both teleport to the prison dimension.
Upon arrival, Jiro sees hundreds of Hitotsuki victims imprisoned in cubes while searching for Taro. He finds him and tries using the dragon fire of the Ryukonogeki to propel their cage towards him, but can’t steer in this dimension. Tsuyoshi wakes up and freaks out, with no memory of how he ended up here or who the strange Ranger he is with is. Jiro says there isn’t time for explanations and pleads for him to become Kiji Brother, he needs his wings to rescue Taro. Tsuyoshi quickly changes and spreads his wings, turning them into sails to steer the “cube ship” towards their destination, the prison cubes collide and all three of them are ejected back into the human world.
Taro and Jiro defeated Gekisouki
Taro wakes up and sees Jiro, recognizing him from years ago. Jiro says it is an honor, with Taro saying he knew they would meet again someday. Tsuyoshi screams in pain as he reverts back into Gekisouki, with Taro promising to save him. Both he and Jiro Avatar Change and the two Rangers tag team battle Gekisouki, with Don Momotaro giving his approval to his new companion. The two purify Tsuyoshi with a combination weapon attack, who realizes all the horrible things he did as a Hitotsuki and cries, begging forgiveness from Taro as Jiro checks on him.
Taro collects the purified Carranger Sentai Gear, which becomes the Carranger Avataro Gear upon him picking it up. Sonoi watches from afar, satisfied that his rival is back and vows to fight him again, but this time as an honorable duel between warriors.
Shinichi and Haruka arrive and are overcome with emotion seeing Taro alive. Shinichi’s penalty ends as he says a heartfelt haiku about how the return of an ally compares to a gift of flowers, feeling joy that he can express himself again. Taro apologizes to everyone for keeping them waiting, calling them his companions again instead of fools. Haruka tearfully asks him to say it a few times more and he does. Taro wonders what Haruka is doing, to which she says it was because of him she can’t walk anymore. Taro encourages her to never give up and he believes in her that she will walk again. Haruka still can’t feel her legs and isn’t sure she can.
Taro takes a few paces back and tells her to look at him and just try to walk, to just have faith in him and herself and just get up, emotion stirring from him as he speaks. Haruka asks where does he get off talking like he knows everything as the penalty lifts and Haruka stands up, running towards Taro but eventually tripping over and knocking him to the ground. She embraces him in a hug and properly welcomes him back. Taro says it is good to be back and apologizes for making everyone worry. He slowly smiles, happy to be with his comrades again.
Cast[]
- Taro Momoi (桃井 タロウ Momoi Tarō): Kouhei Higuchi (樋口 幸平 Higuchi Kōhei)
- Shinichi Saruhara (猿原 真一 Saruhara Shin'ichi): Yuuki Beppu (別府 由来 Beppu Yūki)
- Haruka Kito (鬼頭 はるか Kitō Haruka): Kohaku Shida (志田 こはく Shida Kohaku)
- Tsubasa Inuzuka (犬塚 翼 Inudzuka Tsubasa): Totaro (柊太朗 Tōtarou)
- Tsuyoshi Kijino (雉野 つよし Kijino Tsuyoshi)/Gekisouki (激走鬼 Gekisōki): Hirofumi Suzuki (鈴木 浩文 Suzuki Hirofumi)
- Jiro Momotani (桃谷 ジロウ Momotani Jirō): Raizou Ishikawa (石川 雷蔵 Ishikawa Raizō)
- Kaito Goshikida (五色田 介人 Goshikida Kaito): Kiita Komagine (駒木根 葵汰 Komagine Kiita)
- Miho Kijino (雉野 みほ Kijino Miho), Natsumi (ナツミ): Momoko Arata (新田 桃子 Arata Momoko)
- Sonoi (ソノイ): Yuya Tominaga (富永 勇也 Tominaga Yūya)
- Sononi (ソノニ): Amisa Miyazaki (宮崎 あみさ Miyazaki Amisa)
- Sonoza (ソノザ): Shinnosuke Takahashi (タカハシ シンノスケ Takahashi Shin'nosuke)
Guest Cast[]
- Student: Tsubasa Mizoshita (溝下 翼 Mizoshita Tsubasa), Kiyoharu Nishio (西尾 聖玄 Nishio Kiyoharu), Tomoya Akemura (明村 智也 Akemura Tomoya)
Suit Actors[]
- Don Momotaro: Kosuke Asai (浅井 宏輔 Asai Kōsuke)
- Saru Brother: Yasuhiro Takeuchi (竹内 康博 Takeuchi Yasuhiro)
- Oni Sister: Ayumi Shimozono (下園 愛弓 Shimozono Ayumi)
- Inu Brother: Kazuya Okada (岡田 和也 Okada Kazuya)
- Kiji Brother, Gekisouki: Masashi Takada (高田 将司 Takada Masashi)
- Don Doragoku: Shigeki Ito (伊藤 茂騎 Itō Shigeki)
- Transformed Sonoi: Hirotsugu Mori (森 博嗣 Mori Hirotsugu)
Form Changes and Collectibles Used[]
Avataro Gears[]
- Don Momotaro - N/A
- Saru Brother - N/A
- Oni Sister - N/A
- Inu Brother - N/A
- Kiji Brother - N/A
- Don Doragoku - N/A
Errors[]
- to be added
Notes[]
- Viewership: 3.5%
- As part of Super Hero Time, this episode aired alongside Kamen Rider Revice
episode 39, Hope and Despair, The Conflict Between Three Siblings. - Donbrothers sunglasses featured in title card: Red
- Count at episode end
- Gears in the Donbrothers' possession: Zenkaiger, Ryusoulger, ToQger, Lupinranger, Ohranger, Patranger, Zyuohger, Fiveman, Kiramager, Go-Busters, Gokaiger, Ninninger, Kyuranger, Kyoryuger, Turboranger, Carranger
- This is the first episode of Super Sentai to feature a wheelchair-bound Ranger, albeit temporarily.
- Benitsuki's and Shisotsuki's defeat in episode 1, along with Kaitouki's defeat in episode 3 and Mashinki's defeat in episode 8, initially seemed to imply that any individual slain by a Noto would be permanently killed. However, this episode later reveals that these individuals were simply transported into another dimension.
- The date shown on the calendar in Cafe Donbura after Jiro's first transformation is Monday, June 5th, six days before the episode's airdate.
episode 39, 
External links[]
- TV Asahi's official preview for おかえりタロウ
- Toei TV's official episode guide for おかえりタロウ
- JAE's official episode guide for おかえりタロウ
References[]
Footnotes[]