 This article is about an episode in Ninja Sentai Kakuranger.
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Hero Elimination (
Synopsis[]
Daimaou releases the soulless Hakumenrou in the ultimate plan of destroying the Kakuranger and humanity, forcing Tsuruhime to make a hard choice that may affect her own destiny.
Plot[]
Within the Skeleton Castle, Daimaou informs Yamauba that the time for the final battle with the Kakuranger has arrived and it is time to show humanity what despair and sorrow are like, which will become their energy. He then tells Hakumenrou to show humanity anger and hatred as he fires his Yoki at the statue, reviving him.
At the same time, Tsuruhime is riding bikes with several children as the other Kakuranger watch over her having fun; but Sasuke states she's merely distracting herself whenever remembering her father. As she hangs out with the children, she finds out Shigeru's father was a drunk and ran off, making them debate whether or not he was a jerk for running away from responsibility as Shigeru attacks Masako, making Tsuruhime yell at them. She tells the boy that adults have a lot to deal with he doesn't understand and that includes his father; but he runs away making her melancholic for her father once again.
Without warning, an attack begins as the city is attacked as Hakumenrou, as a living statue, approaches them with Shigeru watching. The statue shoots the team with Yoki before blasting the city wrecking everything in the process; hearing the pleas of a mother caring for her child, Tsuruhime yells at him to stop while Sasuke and the others decide to transform to face it down only to be blasted by Yamauba supported by the Flowery Kunoichi. Yamauba tells the people that "the one causing the ruckus is Tsuruhime's father", the Flowery Kunoichi adding on that they need to blame her and that as long as Tsuruhime is alive, Hakumenrou will continue to attack and create more victims. The statue continues to destroy the city as the people become riled to attack Tsuruhime, while all the anger and tragedy become absorbed by the Yoki Cloud. Sasuke tells Tsuruhime to run for it with Shigeru following; while Daimaou states hate, anger, despair and sorrow will all become part of the Yokai's energy.
Tsuruhime runs into the woods to cry wondering why her father would do this as Yamauba approaches, telling her it's painful while then stating that her brother Daimaou took away Hakumenrou's soul and he is now merely a puppet who will never return to normal and merely hurt people. She states though there is one way to save Hakumenrou: to strike his heart with a sword she provides to break the sword and put him into an eternal sleep saving Hakumenrou and humanity. Tsuruhime doesn't believe her but Yamauba states whether or not she does is up to NinjaWhite to decide before stating he will soon be in Hell Valley Cave to take a rest and that is the only way to stab him or else he will continue to torment and kill mankind. Tsuruhime despair thinking that she can do such a thing.
The other Kakuranger wonder Tsuruhime went off to and decide to look for her, but the Three God Generals soon appear stating Daimaou has started his final battle while they look at the Yoki Cloud, learning about how they're made of hatred, anger and sorrow and use the energy to move about and grow giant. Saizou notices the clouds are growing as the gods state that Daimaou is building up the clouds for his final battle. The gods state a parent gives birth, loves and raises a child, becomes a parent and the cycle continues, creating humanity's greatest happiness. Thus a parent killing a child or a child killing a parent is the greatest of tragedies, making the team realize that the confrontation regarding Tsuruhime and Hakumenrou is building up to this ultimate confrontation. The Gods claim she'll do it to save mankind but it is wrong due to the manipulations of Hakumenrou and the removed soul from within him, thus the one needed to be defeated isn't Hakumenrou but Daimaou, making the team realize they need to find Tsuruhime first.
Hakumenrou continues to destroy the city as Tsuruhime watches the despair unfold. In a hospital she sees people hurt while people continue to chase her down to eliminate her. Even Shigeru appears asking if Hakumenrou is her father and can't believe it as he starts crying on her, Tsuruhime wondering what she can do. In Skeleton Castle, Daimaou tells Yamauba to use Hakumenrou to force Tsuruhime to a decision regarding killing her father so she won't forgive herself even if for justice, believing it will drive her to despair and destroy the Kakuranger. Tsuruhime and Shigeru soon confront Hakumenrou who fires on them as he picks up Shigeru to strangle him; NinjaWhite tries to stop it but fails as he tosses him away and then attacks him with Yoki from his sword. Angered, Tsuruhime is brought to transform and blocks the attack but has a hard time fighting against her father while remembering Yamauba's words about stopping the attacks. She pleads at Hakumenrou to stop but he keeps attacking her and Shigeru, making her despair at him getting hurt in the process, making her cry about how he could do this; even with Daimaou manipulating him without his soul, she states what he did was wrong; but the statue merely leaves making Tsuruhime cry once again.
The male Kakuranger run through the city in search of their female teammate; Seikai catches up with a note on Nekomaru, with her stating she will go to Hell Valley Cave to save humanity and put her father in eternal sleep, stating if she has the power to save humanity and must do this as a Kakuranger before apologizing. The males wonder if this is what the God Generals stated as Sasuke states they have to stop this from happening as Kakuranger and prove to Daimaou they're a tight-knit team. Tsuruhime returns to Yamauba's sword and grabs it from the tree while the team charges to her within Nekomaru worrying about what she could do. Soon, NinjaWhite arrives in Hell Valley Cave, going inside, she discovers the sleeping Hakumenrou as the other Kakuranger finally reach her location. Staring at her father, Tsuruhime hesitates and approaches even as the other Kakuranger worry about what she could do. The female ninja cries seeing her sleeping father and the sword and lifts it up, preparing to strike him down...but in the end can't, crying in his lap as she fails Yamauba's challenge.
The male Kakuranger find Hell Valley Cave, but Yamauba and the Flowery Kunoichi appear before them, the Yokai taunting them stating Tsuruhime's about to kill Hakumenrou and they can't get in the way; but Sasuke states they will get through as they and the Flowery Kunoichi charge at one another in combat; but the male Kakuranger are defeated by the female Kunoichi in combat one after another. and far fallen. Yamauba states that now that Earth is filled with hatred and sorrow, the Yokai are stronger than ever and they can't be defeated!
Meanwhile in the cave, Tsuruhime continues to cry remembering her father's rampage and destruction, while the male Kakuranger become tossed aside by Yamauba, who keeps taunting Tsuruhime to kill her father. As the male Kakuranger scream, Tsuruhime grabs the sword one more time and wonders what she should do.
Cast[]
- Sasuke (サスケ Sasuke): Teruaki Ogawa (小川 輝晃 Ogawa Teruaki)
- Tsuruhime (鶴姫 Tsuruhime): Satomi Hirose (広瀬 仁美 Hirose Satomi)
- Seikai (セイカイ Seikai): Shu Kawai (河合 秀 Kawai Shū)
- Saizou (サイゾウ Saizō): Hiroshi Tsuchida (土田 大 Tsuchida Hiroshi)
- Jiraiya (ジライヤ Jiraiya): Kane Kosugi (ケイン・コスギ Kein Kosugi)
- Daimaou (大魔王 Daimaō, Voice): Hidekatsu Shibata (柴田秀勝 Shibata Hidekatsu)
- Hakumenrou (白面郎 Hakumenrō): Takayuki Godai (五代 高之 Godai Takayuki)
- Flower Ninja Sakura (花忍者サクラ Hana Ninja Sakura): Ryo Narushima (成嶋 涼 Narushima Ryō)
- Flower Ninja Ayame (花忍者アヤメ Hana Ninja Ayame): Miki Ikuma (生間美紀 Ikuma Miki)
- Flower Ninja Suiren (花忍者スイレン Hana Ninja Suiren): Junko Honda (本田順子 Honda Junko)
- Flower Ninja Yuri (花忍者ユリ Hana Ninja Yuri): Ritsuko Noguchi (野口律子 Noguchi Ritsuko)
- Flower Ninja Ran (花忍者ラン Hana Ninja Ran): Chie Tanabe (田邊智恵 Tanabe Chie)
Guest Cast[]
- Shigeru: Joji Sugiyama (杉山丈二 Sugiyama Jōji)
- Boy: Hayase Tsutsumi (堤 隼瀬 Tsutsumi Hayase)
- Yama-uba (ヤマンバ Yamanba, Voice): Haruko Kitahama (北浜晴子 Kitahama Haruko)
Errors[]
- to be added
Notes[]
- Viewership: 6.0%
- Eyecatch
- Featured Kakuranger (Pre-Break): NinjaWhite
- Featured Kakuranger (Post-Break): NinjaWhite
- This is the only episode not to feature Ninjaman since his debut in episode 36.
DVD Releases[]
Kakuranger Volume 5, DVD cover
- Ninja Sentai Kakuranger Volume 5 features episodes 44-53.[1]
Kakuranger: The Complete Series (Shout! Factory)
- The complete Kakuranger series was released in North America by Shout! Factory in 2016.
References[]
Footnotes[]