Recap / Ohsama Sentai King Ohger Ep 22 Great Gatheringof Shugods

Great Gathering of Shugods

Original Airdate: July 30, 2023
Written by: Minato Takano
Directed by: Kazuyuki Chatani

Summary

"In a time unknown,
only a prophecy keeps hope alive in people's hearts.
When darkness veils the world,
the King of Light shall come."

Jeramie: Having triumphed over Racules in trial by combat, Gira is now the king of Shugoddam.
However, as he ascends the throne, the Deathblow Shogun Daigorg appears, and Gira engages in his first battle as king.
...Or so the story goes.

Daigorg invades Shugoddam to acquire the power hidden within Caucasus Kabuto Castle. Gira, trying to figure out what kind of king he'll be, takes up the challenge to defend the palace. However, his plans get thwarted by the infamous Shugod Hunter Iragajim, who manages to immobilize all of the Shugods in no time. While Gira tries to find his resolve, Yanma decides to take matters into his own hands...

Tropes

• Ambiguous Situation: Suzume is shown crying over a coffin, which according to Douga apparently contains Racules' corpse. However the contents are never shown to the audience, leaving it questionable if Racules really did pass away or a fake was used to deceive the royal guards.
• Bad "Bad Acting": Suzume continues to keep up her exaggerated "lovestruck" persona when referring to Racules. Kaguragi outright tells her to stop, as her behavior clearly reminds him of something else.
• Badass Boast: Faced with the uncertainty of the Shugods' help, Gira boosts up his confidence by delivering one to his people, ensuring that he'll fight no matter the situation. This, along with the Shugods coming to his aid, manages to restore the people's faith in him.
  Gira: (looks to his right hand clenched in a fist) With my right hand, I will crush my foes. (turns to his people) With my left hand, the people will be dancing in joy. I am no less than the tyrant king of Shugoddam, Gira! I will... (flips over his mantle) take over the world!
• Broken Aesop: Downplayed. Gira's argument with Yanma immediately after the first battle as well as the new King's solemn interaction with the people of Shugoddam sets up the concept of making tough choices. However, the narrative instead flips and becomes an example of The Shugods needing to be motivated to take a risk and face an enemy they're terrified of. Both ideas are important concepts, but the episode overwhelmingly favors the latter and has Yanma address the message instead of Gira; making the entire notion of choice (and the lack of confidence shown by Gira during the majority of the episode) rather out-of-place.
• Call-Back: Gira's ability to talk to the other Shugods is plot-relevant again after a twelve-episode absence.
• Does This Remind You of Anything?: Suzume's reminiscing of Racules' conversation with her is framed in a rather suggestive manner, even though the reality is far more hilariously innocent than that.
• Fear Is Normal: The Shugods spend the entire episode in fear of their lives once it is revealed that the Bognaarok enlarge themselves by eating Shugod Souls. It's made worse as Daigorg ate the Shugod Souls of God Tarantula and the three Guardian Deities thanks to Iragajim, whose presence made them give into said fear with the monarchs forced to fend for themselves. Yanma gets tired of it and rallies the Shugods with an appeal best summarized as "Follow Gira's example, be good friends and help us out already." While brash and unrefined, Yanma acknowledging both the mechs and their fears (in his own terse way) motivates them to stop playing dead and respond to the crisis.
• Heroic BSoD: The primary Shugods are in one throughout the episode, losing their composure upon seeing Daigorg using the power of the Three Greater Shugods' and God Tarantula's Souls. This in turn seems to dampen Gira's confidence, making him unable to motivate his people without the other monarchs' help.
• Here We Go Again!: The Shugod Souls are once more targeted by the Bognaarok per their latest ploy and yet again, a timed kingdom-smashing threat looms over the nations that King-Ohger can't stop on its own.
• Hope Spot: Gira, with his Heroic Second Wind, seems to be able to finally awaken the Shugoddam castle into its true form, only for the process to halt halfway through for yet another unknown reason, leaving the episode at a cliffhanger as time is running out before Daigorg's reawakening.
• Internal Reveal:
  • Played for Laughs. Rita was unaware that Kaguragi snuck into the castle during the second Trial by Combat, expressing interest in putting Toufu's king on trial for it. He claims it was necsssary to counter Racules, but the other monarchs assume he just wanted to monopolize the secret for himself. He doesn't deny that.
  • A more serious one with Dethnaarok learning that Kamejim had been infiltrating Shugoddam by impersonating Boshimar, with the king of the Bognaarok none too happy about his lieutenant keeping secrets.
• Make My Monster Grow: Exaggerated when Daigorg eats the Tarantula and Guardian Shugod Souls; he keeps on growing and growing until he dwarfs even King-Ohger itself.
• Mood Whiplash:
  • Kaguragi's serious exposition regarding the secret of the castle is immediately interrupted by Suzume lamenting over Racules' casket in an over-the-top manner.
  • The team's serious fight scene against Iragajim is temporarily interrupted by a dazed Gira stumbling around and attempting to transform using the OhgerCrownLance. This leads Yanma to push Gira to get him to his senses.
• Once More, with Clarity: It's revealed that back during the duel, "Boshimar" headed to the palace first with the lance instead of to the duel. With the reveal that he was actually Kamejim, Kaguragi realized there must be a secret in the palace involving the lance.
• Out-of-Character Alert: Gira is sullen and soft-spoken for at least half the episode (in contrast to his usual hammy attitude), which doesn't bode well for the morale of his people. Jeramie and Kaguragi decide to motivate the people of Shugoddam in Gira's stead when it's clear that he can't. He regains his composure after talking with God Kuwagata.
• Pet the Dog: Yanma has spent the entire show up to this point downplaying the Shugods and their roles, yet when they need motivating, it's him that gets through to them by acknowledging them as evolving AIs and comrades. Gira tells Yanma of the Shugods' newfound respect for him after he called them "comrades," getting a warm smirk in response.
• The Reveal:
  • Daigorg openly consumes the Shugod Souls of God Tarantula and the Three Guardians, provided by Iragajim, to enlarge himself. This reveals that consuming Shugod Souls had been the Bognaarok's source for Make My Monster Grow all along.
  • The Caucasus Kabuto Castle is a giant mech that the OhgerCrownLance is the key to.
  • God Kuwagata is unique among the Shugods as it lacks a Shugod Soul.
• Rousing Speech: The Shugods essentially "play dead" after Iragajim attacks them, fearing for their lives. It's Yanma "machines aren't alive" Gast of all people that manages to motivate them into responding with a brash, but effective one. Lampshaded by a surprised Hymeno.
  Hymeno: Is the technology-nation's king really giving a pep-talk?
  Yanma: I don't buy no mind-over-matter crap... technology, including AI, is always evolving. That's the one thing I have faith in.
• The Un-Reveal:
  • God Kuwagata points out that it doesn't have a Shugod Soul. Gira asks why, only for Shugoddam to come under attack from an enlarged Iragajim before it can answer.
  • Also how Iragajim found God Tarantula and the Three Guardians.
• Unusually Uninteresting Sight: Jeramie states that he used his webs to evacuate the citizens of Shugoddam. A group of said citizens promptly walk into the scene for answers from their king. Nobody comments on it.
• What Measure Is a Non-Human?: The set-up for the events of the episode centers around the Shugods' fear of Daigorg's Guardian Soul-powered form and having their own Souls eaten as well during the fight. Yanma refuses to acknowledge the Shugods as anything more than machines, calling Gira out for retreating. Later on, he clarifies his belief - he still believes the Shugods are just AIs, but that AIs can evolve. He even calls them "friends" right at the end, which is what finally gets them on their feet to combat Iragajim.