 This article is about an episode in Avataro Sentai Donbrothers.
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Don 40: Dangerous Love Ride (キケンなあいのり Kiken'na Ainori) is the fortieth episode of Avataro Sentai Donbrothers. It features the final appearance of the Fake Kenji Sayama.
Synopsis[]
Tsubasa is challenged to a fight by the powerful Don Murasame. If Murasame targets him, it's all over… Sononi tries to finish off Tsubasa, who is violently blown away and loses consciousness… Meanwhile, Haruka goes to a driving school to get her driver's license. Haruka, who is nicknamed the "Instructor Killer", meets a hot-blooded instructor…
Plot[]
During the episode recap, Sononi narrates that she finds Tsubasa’s bond with Natsumi illogical and still is trying to understand love, only now she has taken interest in Tsubasa’s love specifically.
Sonoza is training with Murasame, until the sword suddenly unseals himself and states he has nothing more to learn from Sonoza. Now overflowing with power, he asks Mother what he should do and she suggests he find an opponent to fight against. Murasame flies off and leaves Sonoza, who is annoyed by this development.
Haruka is at a driver’s education course and narrates that she is heading out into town after completing the course, a process that has taken her a month…
She flashes back to last month, when her aunt Yuriko shows her a brochure for the Oniga Mirai Driving School, wanting her niece to learn to drive since she is 18 and should have obtained a license by now like her peers. Haruka has fit, saying that sounds way too hard and she is fine being a “forever passenger”. Unfortunately, Yuriko doesn’t give her a choice, having already registered her for classes.
Haruka then narrates that she endlessly struggled as the days went on. Her first lesson was a failure due to stepping on the gas while the parking brake was on, then launching the car at full speed and suddenly stopping, which broke her instructor’s neck. Her second failed lesson had her struggling with stopping and the intense forward motion caused her next instructor to hit his head on the dashboard with such force that he also broke his neck.
Tsubasa is on a rooftop wondering how he got into the Forest of Silence and after reflecting on the event, comes to the conclusion that he must face Sayama again to try to enter the forest and rescue Natsumi. Murasame is flying overhead and Mother orders him to destroy Tsubasa to defend the Noto from their enemies. Tsubasa is injured after failing to defend himself from Don Murasame, falling off the building, hitting a telephone pole and landing hard onto the ground.
Sononi comes across the unconscious Tsubasa and as an act of “mercy”, tries to end his life before Don Murasame can find him by stabbing him with her bladed bow. However, she cannot bring herself to do the deed, vexed by his words of love for Natsumi and feeling something that she has never felt before.
Tsubasa calls out for Natsumi in his dreams and aloud, then wakes up in horror to discover he has gone blind and his hearing is distorted because of his injuries. He thinks that the person next to him is Natsumi, with Sononi playing along to get him away from Don Murasame, who is getting near to their location. Tsubasa doesn’t understand how his love got free from the Forest of Silence, but she urges him to run, helping him escape.
Haruka is driving around town and has better control of her vehicle than she did a month ago, with her instructor, Mutoh, expressing pride in her accomplishments. He even has taken off his protective neck brace to show her how confident he is in her driving abilities. Flashing back to when they first met, Mutoh had heard all about the infamous “instructor killer” and wears a protective brace to show how determined he is to teach her to drive.
Their first outing does not go well, with Haruka speeding so fast that she gets dizzy and almost crashes into the school until Mutoh screams at her to put on the brakes. Mutoh thinks that Haruka is an exceptionally bad driver, but he has over 30 years of experience in Drivers Education and his current student has given him a challenge that fires up his determination. Haruka cries and apologizes for being terrible at driving, but Mutoh shrugs it off and gives her positive encouragement and support, saying that he will make her a proper driver yet. This cheers Haruka up, who promises to do her best for her teacher.
At a warehouse, Sononi hides Tsubasa from Don Murasame, with the latter wondering if this “Natsumi” is the Crane Juto or the real one. He rules out the Crane Juto, as she would not seek him out after her true identity was uncovered. He asks “Natsumi” how she is even here, with Sononi lying and responding she just came back and doesn’t know the details of how it happened. Tsubasa believes her, given that he escaped from the Forest of Silence without knowing how it happened. He excitedly tries to embrace her, but trips over some metal containers, which draws Don Murasame to their location and he swiftly attacks. Sononi guides him to dodge Murasame’s sword slashes and then tries to defend him with her armored battle form, which catches the ninja assassin off guard and gives her time to escape with Tsubasa. Don Murasame asks Mother why a Noto tried to attack him, with her responding that she is a traitor and orders him to destroy Sononi.
Back at Oniga Mirai, Mutoh is instructing Haruka on how to parallel park, but she doesn’t understand how the steering wheel operates in reverse and drives off the course. She gets upset, struggling with how the steering wheel works until Mutoh stops her and says she is overthinking it, one must feel the direction of the car and tell it where it should go. Haruka later masters the art of driving in reverse on an obstacle course since she had done it so much, but Mutoh yells at her that the course she is on is meant to be driven forwards and insists she put the car in drive.
As Sononi tries to carry Tsubasa to safety in the woods, he asks “Natsumi” about the day they met, telling her that she was moody, but brilliant on the stage. He was shy, but little by little, he gained the courage to get closer and then finally speak to her. Sononi takes an interest and laughs with him, but Don Murasame closes in and they are forced to run away again.
Sononi takes Tsubasa to a crowded restaurant, thinking that since Murasame was designed by the Don Clan, he would not attack humans and would avoid areas where he could injure them. She then asks as “Natsumi” what made Tsubasa fall in love with her, with him responding that there was no reason, he just loves her. He could have responded that he loved her kindness or beauty, but even if those traits disappeared, he would love her all the same.
The two are unaware that Murasame is slowly creeping towards them by swimming underneath the floor. Sononi thinks for the first time she may understand Tsubasa’s love, only to be stabbed by Murasame, who then leaves just as Sayama bursts in. Sayama smells Tsubasa’s scent and then attacks, with Sononi pushing him out of the way and getting scratched on the arm. Murasame emerges out of the wall and fights Sayama, giving an opportunity for Sononi to get Tsubasa away from them.
Tsuyoshi is at home and refuses to let Miho leave, worried about being abandoned again and asking her just for today to stay with him and call off work. She mulls it over and then agrees, much to his joy as he hugs her.
Tsubasa collapses in an alley as rain begins to pour down and he begs “Natsumi” to leave him and get to safety, but Sononi won’t abandon him because he needs protection. Tsubasa hugs her and based on his touch, realizes that the person he is with is not Natsumi, with the rainwater fixing his sight to reveal he has been with Sononi. He gets angry at her for tricking him and tries to abandon her, but stops when he sees she is hurt with a deep scratch in her arm and a gaping, bleeding wound in her back. He sees Don Murasame relentlessly approaching them and realizes Sononi has been protecting him this whole time, he decides to return the favor and helps her to try and escape.
Elsewhere, Haruka has gone insane behind the wheel and is driving manically through town in the rain at high speed, scaring Mutoh half to death as he is not wearing his brace to protect himself.
As Tsubasa and Sononi run, he asks her why she lied, with her saying she had to know what made his love for Natsumi so special. They are cornered by Don Murasame, who is then suddenly run over by Haruka’s car after a brief moment of tension. Mutoh berates her for hitting someone but she transforms herself into Oni Sister upon recognizing who she just hit. Mutoh is shocked by this and then goes on the ride of his life as she uses the car to try and mow down Don Murasame. Mother orders him to kill Haruka, but this proves difficult as the teen wildly uses her own style of defensive driving, her DonBlaster and even the car door while he chases her to wear him down and humiliate him. Don Murasame retreats back into his sword and flies away, having exhausted his energy from chasing Tsubasa and then Haruka all day.
As the sky clears, Sayama captures Murasame and Tsubasa Avatar Changes to Inu Brother to try and get the sword back.
Mutoh staggers out of the car, upset about his failure after 30 years of teaching and desperately desires to be taught how to deal with Haruka. His desire turns him into the Timeranger Hitotsuki, Miraiki. The other Donbrothers teleport to Haruka’s location, though briefly disoriented, with Tsuyoshi confused about where Miho went, Jiro in the middle of doing pushups, Taro excited for what kind of “festival” they are having and Shinichi abruptly waking up from an afternoon nap.
Elsewhere, Tsubasa tries to find a way to open Sayama’s portal to the Forest of Silence, but nothing works. Sononi fires an arrow when Sayama tries to kill Tsubasa with Murasame, knocking the sword out of his hand and Tsubasa catches it and slices the Cat Juto in half on reflex. This destroys the fake Sayama with Tsubasa realizing in shock what he has done.
The other Rangers manage to hold down Miraiki while Taro equipped his GolDon armor offscreen. He does a combination finisher with Jiro and Miraiki becomes Miraiking. Tsubasa tries to meet up with Sononi, but is forced into his Robotaro form and pulled to the battlefield so that the team can form GolDon Onitaijin while Jiro becomes Toradoragonjin. Miraiking uses the Timeranger’s time travel ability to rewind time and reverse their combinations but Taro in his Robotaro form breaks the time reversal trap and powers up everyone into Toradora Onitaijin Kiwami and purifies Miraiking with the DonBros Fantasia Supreme. Mutoh rests by the broken down car as he reverts to normal.
After picking up Murasame, Tsubasa is surprised to hear the sword say he will serve him now as repayment for rescuing him from the Juto. Mother objects to this as the Donbrothers are enemies of the Noto. Sononi informs Tsubasa that now that he has Murasame, he can kill the Crane Juto impersonating his beloved Natsumi. If he does, then the real Natsumi will return home to him, her eyes sinisterly glow as she walks off.
Shinichi, Taro and Tsuyoshi are called by Haruka to reveal that she has received her driver’s license. She offers to drive them somewhere in her banged up red Prius, but upon seeing the extensive damage to the vehicle, they all are horrified and Taro tells them that they should run. Angry and insistent that they ride with her, Haruka chases the three down by driving in reverse at full speed while they continue to run in terror.
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 Kitou (鬼頭 はるか Kitō Haruka): Kohaku Shida (志田 こはく Shida Kohaku)
- Tsubasa Inuzuka (犬塚 翼 Inuzuka Tsubasa): Totaro (柊太朗 Tōtarou)
- Tsuyoshi Kijino (雉野 つよし Kijino Tsuyoshi): Hirofumi Suzuki (鈴木 浩文 Suzuki Hirofumi)
- Jiro Momotani (桃谷 ジロウ Momotani Jirō, Voice): Raizou Ishikawa (石川 雷蔵 Ishikawa Raizō)
- Miho Kijino (雉野 みほ Kijino Miho), Natsumi Kuramochi (倉持 ナツミ Kuramochi Natsumi): Momoko Arata (新田 桃子 Arata Momoko)
- Yuriko Kitou (鬼頭 ゆり子 Kitō Yuriko): Hitomi Miwa (三輪ひとみ Miwa Hitomi)
- Sononi (ソノニ): Amisa Miyazaki (宮崎 あみさ Miyazaki Amisa)
- Don Murasame (ドンムラサメ DonMurasame, Voice): Ayumu Murase (村瀬 歩 Murase Ayumu)
- Mother (マザー Mazā, Voice): Mamiko Noto (能登 麻美子 Noto Mamiko)
Guest Cast[]
- Instructor Mutoh (武藤教官 Mutō Kyōkan)/Miraiki (未来鬼 Miraiki): Hiroyuki Matsumoto (松本 博之 Matsumoto Hiroyuki)
- Driving Instructors: Masato Tsutamune (蔦宗 正人 Tsutamune Masato), Ryoko Gomi (五味 涼子 Gomi Ryōko)
- Kenji Sayama (狭山 健児 Sayama Kenji): Ryoji Sugimoto (杉本 凌士 Sugimoto Ryōji)
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: Masashi Takada (高田 将司 Takada Masashi)
- Don Doragoku: Shigeki Ito (伊藤 茂騎 Itō Shigeki)
- Don Murasame: Takahiro Yoneoka (米岡 孝弘 Yoneoka Takahiro)
- Omikoshi Dai Gattai GolDon Onitaijin, Kyukyoku Dai Gattai Toradora Onitaijin Kiwami (motion capture): Yohei Fujita (藤田 洋平 Fujita Yōhei)
- Dai Gattai Toradoragonjin: Shinsuke Kusano (草野 伸介 Kusano Shinsuke)
- Transformed Sononi: Yuichi Hachisuka (蜂須賀 祐一 Hachisuka Yūichi)
- Miraiki, Miraiking: Kenya Saitou (齊藤 謙也 Saitō Kenya)
Form Changes and Collectibles Used[]
Avataro Gears[]
- Don Momotaro - Omikoshi Phoenix, Avataro Kiwami, Don Robotaro
- Saru Brother - Saru Brother Robotaro
- Oni Sister - Oni Sister Robotaro
- Inu Brother - Inu Brother Robotaro
- Kiji Brother - Kiji Brother Robotaro
- Don Doragoku - Toradoragonjin
- Don Torabolt - Toradoragonjin (off-screen)
Avatar Changes[]
- Don Momotaro - GolDon Momotaro, Don Robotaro
- Saru Brother - Saru Brother Robotaro
- Oni Sister - Oni Sister Robotaro
- Inu Brother - Inu Brother Robotaro
- Kiji Brother - Kiji Brother Robotaro
- Don Doragoku - Don Robogoku
- Don Torabolt - Don Robobolt
- Don Murasame - N/A
Errors[]
- to be added
Notes[]
- Viewership: 4.3%
- As part of Super Hero Time, this episode aired alongside Kamen Rider Geats
episode 14, Conspiracy V: Glare of Anger. - Donbrothers sunglasses featured in title card: Yellow
- 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, Zyuranger, Jetman, Go-Onger, Dairanger, Hurricaneger, Shinkenger, Megaranger, Gekiranger, Kakuranger, Goggle V, Magiranger, Dynaman, Abaranger, Flashman, Goseiger, Boukenger, Sun Vulcan, Dekaranger, Liveman, GoGoFive, Gingaman, Denziman, J.A.K.Q., Timeranger
- Two driving instructors are played by suit actors Masato Tsutamune and Ryoko Gomi. The former is currently the suit actor for Kamen Rider PunkJack in the concurrent Kamen Rider Geats, while the most recent role for the latter is Flint Goldtsuiker as Twokaizer from the previous series Kikai Sentai Zenkaiger.
- Jiro does not appear untransformed in this episode.
- This is the 2300th episode of Super Sentai.
- Since this week's Hitotsuki is based on Timeranger, there have been references made in homage to the latter. Such as:
Oniga Mirai Driving Manual
- The driver's manual logo bearing similarities to the original Sentai's title design. Even has "Mirai," written on the manual title.
- The driving instructor's wearing the blue jackets synonymous to the uniforms Timerangers wore for "Tomorrow Research," when they're working as civilians.
- Haruka became a licensed, yet reckless driver/"racer", synonymous to Ayase/Baron, since they were both former racers.
episode 14, 
DVD/Blu-ray Releases[]
Avataro Sentai Donbrothers Volume 10 features episodes 37-40: Don 37: I and Ni and Za and Shi, Don 38: Nonsensical Cooking, Don 39: Unexpected Button Pressing, and Don 40: Dangerous Love Ride.
External Links[]
- TV Asahi's official preview for キケンなあいのり
- Toei TV's official episode guide for キケンなあいのり
- JAE's official episode guide for キケンなあいのり
References[]
Footnotes[]