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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Jan 14, 2010 8:06:51 GMT
A rather chilling episode to watch in the context of the current real-life events in Haiti (give whatever you can spare here, folks). A definite shift to the final phase of the story, in which the Autobots chase the Decepticons from one part of the Earth to another, sometimes managing a 'victory' but never before there has been death and destruction on a wide scale. It illustrates the massive advantage of one whose goal is to attack and destroy over one whose goal is to protect and defend - the Autobots can't be everywhere, and are always chasing their enemies, and so their efforts are doomed to heroic failure. (Rather suspect, in fact, how quickly the non-flying Autobots do seem to get from one continent to another in this and other episodes.) Ah, there's Prime's trailer in base mode. You guys were right on the money. Martin |
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Post by legios on Jan 19, 2010 21:00:10 GMT
the Autobots can't be everywhere, and are always chasing their enemies, and so their efforts are doomed to heroic failure. I think that is one of the things that makes them seem that little but heroic - that they persevere in the face of such disaster and do whatever they can to mitigate it. It is easy to be heroic when you can bloodlessly defeat your opponents, but that much harder to deal with a situation where the best you can do is make sure that it isn't as terrible as it could be. That the Cybertrons keep struggling even as things around them get steadily darker is one of the things that really makes me so attached to them as a set of characters. Ah well, you see.... I rather think we have to just put this down to them having an aeroplane that is powered by pure narrative.... Karl |
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Post by duffism1981 on Jan 19, 2010 22:38:57 GMT
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Post by legios on Jan 20, 2010 22:27:17 GMT
Always sad when that happens to anyone, but with him being someone whose work, both as Dauros and in Patlabor, I knew it is a little sadder. Karl |
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Post by legios on Jan 20, 2010 22:32:40 GMT
Episode 34: “Crisis! The Day of the Downfall of Humanity”
<Devil Z unveils the Death-Para Machine, a weapon with which the Destrons are to destroy all human life. The Cybertrons must journey into space to confront this new threat before all of Humanity are destroyed>
Devil Z certainly commits wholeheartedly when he changes plans doesn't he? Whilst the rest of the series so far has charted the attempts of the Destrons – headed up first by the Pretenders and then by Giga and Mega – to subjugate and rule the human race, this episode sees Devil Z decide to switch to what is clearly a well prepared backup plan. The idea that he has evaluated humanity as too much of a risk to be allowed to survive is chilling. There is a sense that he has been prepared to be patient whilst Giga and Mega plotted and planned, but now that humanity has stood up to the Destrons' best shot at bringing them to their knees through terror they are simply too dangerous to him to be allowed to survive. (Given the scale of the Death Para-Machine I would suggest that Devil Z has always been prepared for this move if conquest of humanity failed. To build something that large must have taken quite a while. This doesn't feel like something he has just pulled out of the air after being defeated last episode – it feels much more like this is a fallback position that he has prepared for a while). It is made that little bit more effective by the fact that it is not the result of a villianous rant. Far from being a decision taken in anger it feels as if it has been arrived at after careful and dispassionate calculation of risks and rewards. It doesn't even feel as if Devil Z has any particular hatred for humanity – if they will not bow down to him then they represent a threat to him and he will not tolerate a threat to exist.
I think the other thing that really sells the seriousness of the threat in this episode are Giga and Mega's reactions when they are told Devil Z's plan. Up until now we have seen them depicted as fairly ruthless and unconcerned with the lives of others. But the fact that even they quail initially at the thought of wiping out every man, woman and child on the Earth really puts things in perspective. Whilst they may steel themselves and stand loyaly by their leader/diety's plan the fact that even they are taken aback at first brings home the shift in scale of what is being attempted here.
Admittedly the episode doesn't devote any real time to the reactions of the rest of the Destrons to the plan, but I actually think that works quite well – I'm not sure that the Headmaster Juniors would really understand the implications even assuming that anyone ever did explain the plan to them, and given all we have seen of the Darkwings I doubt that they retain enough empathy to really care.
Doctor Science would have raised objections to the actual methodology of the plan to destroy humanity, as its grounding in science is a big dodgy in places except for the fact that he is preoccupied with shuddering in terror at the actual intent of the plan. There is something rather disturbing about the idea of the Destrons burning off the top layer of the atmosphere, and as a result tearing apart the Earth's ecosystem and triggering natural disaster on a planetary scale. On the one hand it is a supremely over-the-top villianous plot, but when you sit down and analyse what it actually entails it strikes me that for those who survived the first day or so it would have been an unpleasant and lingering route to extinction.
Actually, the plan makes a certain amount of sense on a thematic level. Amplifying the energy of Blackzarak, a Destron from space, and using it do harm to the Earth feels like it fits with the metaphysics if the three forms of Chokon power that threads through the series. In that regard it feels like it makes a lot of sense that it is Ginrai's supercharged aura of Chokon power that eventually destroys the Death Machine.
It is fortunate that the Cybertrons were around to destroy the Death Para Machine and stop the plan in its tracks. But once again it is more of a damage limitation exercise than an outright victory, They may have stopped the Destrons from destroying all life on Earth, but the initial test firing is still implied to cause widespread devastation – on top of the horrors visited on it in the last episode. The strongly serial nature of Masterforce makes these things tend to linger in the mind I find – it isn't just that any single Destron strike is calamitous, it is that they are piled on top of each other in an ongoing assault on humanity.
We get a little bit of a glimpse of the space-based Destron forces here, in the shape of the Guardminders. It is difficult to know what to make of them though. On the one hand they seem in battle to be very like the Seacon's – a featureless army of identical cannon-fodder. On the other hand in early sequences several of them appear to have a conversation, implying some degree of individual identity and intelligence. We don't really see enough about them to really tell much more than that they are individually not much cop in a fight, but can be a threat in sufficient numbers. In practice rather like space-based stand-ins for the Seacons.
In amongst the dire threat we do get time for some good old-fashioned heroics. Shuta recklessly jumping into danger to carry out repairs and save the Maximus and his friends is a nice bit of character continuity. He has always been the one to act without thinking and it is nice that it prompts a bit of self-sacrifice here. This also sets up his last minute rescue by Ginrai – who really is aspiring to the noble, heroic stature of Ultraman or someone here. I rather like the slapstick gag with Wilder not really understanding the meaning of being “in space” and trying to charge the Cybertrons. It acts as a bit of a counter-balance to the cast-iron seriousness of the rest of the episode.
Things continue to darken as the series moves further into its final act, with the prospects for humanity looking more and more gloomy as the Destrons switch to a new plan of total extermination of the species. But still the Cybertrons fight on, doing all they can to protect and defend the world. Sterling stuff.
Karl
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Jan 24, 2010 13:51:08 GMT
Episode 34: “Crisis! The Day of the Downfall of Humanity” Sorry Karl, but we're on episode 35 now! You seem determined to keep us back from approaching the finale!  A fine review of a fine episode otherwise though. Martin |
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Post by blueshift on Jan 24, 2010 14:24:22 GMT
I know it was last week, but the part at the end of “Blackzarak, destroyer from space!†where God Ginrai surfs out of the black hole atop Grand Maximus, and proceeds to kick the ass of Overlord to his very own theme tune is one of the most bad-ass moments of the show!
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Post by legios on Jan 24, 2010 19:49:21 GMT
Episode 34: “Crisis! The Day of the Downfall of Humanity” Sorry Karl, but we're on episode 35 now! Argh! I've come unstuck in time again! Must be Blackzarak's Black Hole weapons, they are pulling me around a closed time-like curve... Heh. I always was one to fight the inevitable. :-) Karl |
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Post by legios on Jan 28, 2010 21:52:08 GMT
So, episode #36 (I hope...):-
“Will God Ginrai save Cancer?â€
This episode continues the dark turn that Masterforce has taken in its final section. The Cybertrons may have saved the Earth from the Destrons' Death Para Machine but that hasn't spared the human race from Devil Z's wrath. The episode opens with the Destrons launching all-out assaults on major human cities, and the Cybertrons being spread thin trying to defend against them. I'm not sure which vision of an Earth destroyed by the Destrons is the worst. Last episodes extinction by planetary ecopoclypse is an disturbing way to go, but it is very impersonal. The Destrons backup plan is much more personal, with them effectively going door-to-door to deliver death to humanity. They may be starting with the large urban centres, but there is the unspoken threat that in due time they are going to get around to your town and systematically start destroying everyone and everything you know. For a kids show, Masterforce is fairly uncompromising in what allows the audience to infer. It is never gratuitious in what it shows, but what it suggests is pretty grim stuff.
But for all that the Destrons are at work destroying the human race, and the Cybertrons fighting a desparate rearguard action to prevent it, that is not what this episode is really about. The real centre of this episode is Cancer, and his ongoing evolution as a character. Cancer's journey in this episode is one of realisation. His horror when it sinks in that “destroy all the humans†means people he knows is a credible step for the character. We have seen Cancer is, like many real human beings, be capable of great cruelty when it is directed at “them†but when it is directed at “us†it suddenely takes on very different implications. This is, sadly, very true to the real world and certainly adds a level of credibility to Cancer's behaviour here. Indeed Cancer comes across in this episode, even more strongly than he did so before, as far more misguided than evil. We had already had hints that he joined up with the Destrons because he wanted to show his Kung-Fu and to win respect. Hear we realise that he is doing so as much for his Sensei as he is for himself. His desire to win respect and prestige for his school is kind of touching really.
We certainly see Cancer left with a lot to ponder by the end of the episode, as he learns forcefully that the Destrons won't necessarily even stand by their own (certainly Mega and Giga express what seems like concern at learning of his plight, but in the end they at like the loyal followers of Devil Z that they are and abandon him when called away) whilst the Cybertrons will rescue even their enemies just because it is the right thing to do. On that note – I do like the characterisation of the Cybertron Juniors here. We have come to expect that Minerva would show compassion to Cancer – she carries that to a fault and would always give anyone a fifth, sixth or seventh chance. But it is very credible that Shuta and Cab would be happy to leave a Destron warrior buried – especially Shuta who has lost so much to them. In a cold-blooded way it makes a certain amount of sense – take Cancer out of the equation and you reduce the Destron forces by one warrior. But as Ginrai reminds us, just because it is the efficient thing doesn't mean that it is the morally right thing to do. In the end what makes the Cybertrons heroes is that they do the right thing, even when it isn't the safest or most adviseable thing. That is what Cancer gets a taste of here both in terms of doing the right thing by trying to warn his home town, and in seeing the Cybertrons take risks – Ginrai even putting his own life between danger and Cancer as much as for the Cybertron Juniors. A lot of the little character threads that have been layed regarding Cancer in previous episodes are gathered together here, and used to move the character into a very different place at the end of the story. There is some very satisfying character development here, against the backdrop of and firmly motivated by the wider story.
It is not merely Cancer who is well served for characterisation in this episode either. His fellow Destron Headmaster Juniors may not get as much screen time, but they do get a brief scene in which to shine. The stand out of that scene, perhaps surprisingly, is Bullhorn. Through the series so far he hasn't really had much motivation other than that it is awesome to be a Destron and use his power to push people around. The moment where he suddenely realises what “destroying humanity†actually means is strangely satisfying. It is as if the penny has finally dropped and he is beginning to realise what coin his power has been bought with and he's not entirely sure it was such a good deal. Wilder gets a moment in the sun here as well, and once again his reaction to what is occuring is very true to the character. Just like Cancer, Wilder is capable of unpleasant acts to “themâ€, but the difference is that Wilder seems to have a much more circumscribed view of “usâ€. We have seen in previous episodes that Wilder doesn't have much of an interest or regard for many people – to those people he sees as his “gang†- first his motorcycle gang, and then the other Headmaster Juniors he is in his own way very loyal, everyone else can go hang for all he cares. So it is not surprising that Wilder, who seems to have fully assimilated before his comrades what the current Destron plans mean, simply shrugs it off as “we signed on as Destrons, this is just one of those things we have to do.†It is a mix of fatalism and loyalty that rings true to how he has been established earlier.
In amongst all this talk of character development I guess I should make mention of the fact that this episode sees the arrival of some more Destron mooks (as if they didn't have enough forces already) in the shape of the Sparkdash. They don't exactly make much of an impression, they debut in the midst of one of the fight scenes that really play second fiddle to the real story of the episode, and they are swiftly and fairly unceremoniously despatched. They are very nicely animated though – I've never seen anyone manage to make the Firecons look quite this good before or since, so some kudos must be given to the studio for that.
At its heart though, this episode is about the evolution of Cancer as a character, something that it delivers on very well. A far better filled-out character than many that are to be found in Transformers media, Cancer gets a good outing in this episode. He is a protagionist that you feel you can root for, even though he maybe nominally on the wrong side there is a sense that somewhere inside him is a good heart that is beginning to stir. A solid character story against the background of the series' ever deepening sense of unfolding doom. That is what I call a satsifying twenty-five minutes of television.
Karl
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Jan 29, 2010 7:50:53 GMT
Actually, it's episode #37... Just kidding! Agree with every word, Karl. Golly, but this is a monotonous series, what with such consistent, predictable, repetitive high quality... Aren't you getting bored of writing endless positive reviews? Not sure why Cancer didn't transform his head to human mode when he was buried in the rubble with just his head sticking out. Maybe he was afraid someone would squish him, and he felt safer as a robot, albeit an immobile one. Martin |
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Post by legios on Jan 30, 2010 9:23:37 GMT
Actually, it's episode #37... Just kidding! Agree with every word, Karl. Golly, but this is a monotonous series, what with such consistent, predictable, repetitive high quality... True, but as Sturgeon's Law applies to animation just as it does t everything else I figure we should cherish and celebrate the good stuff when we find it. :-) It is working wonders in redressing my lifetime balance in terms of positive/negative reviews. :-) It may just have been panic. It has been hinted in previous episodes that the relationship between a Transtector and its human partner in humanoid form is much closer than simply sitting attached to it and driving it. The Transtector seems to become a part of the partners body, and vice-versa. So from Cancer's point of view is gut reaction to what happened may well have been "Oh God, I'm buried under a building" and it could be that he just panicked when that happened. (It may also have hurt as it has been suggested that damage to the Transtector has a direct physiological impact on the user, which wouldn't have helped him think clearly either). Karl |
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Jan 30, 2010 18:22:44 GMT
I got to thinking about the way Black Zarak called for the Firecons and they just burst out of the ground in the middle of the city. I'm sure we've seen Seacons do similar. Makes you wonder how much destructive Decepticon activity goes on below ground during the Masterforce war. Really, they don't need to attack cities visibly from above ground when they can just undermine their foundations.
Martin
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Feb 4, 2010 19:24:31 GMT
Episode 37: "God Ginrai: Showdown at the Destron Base" The first half of this episode is standard stuff - the Decepticons lure Shuta to their base in order that Ginrai comes to rescue him and falls into their trap. The usual way to end this sort of story is for the bad guys' plan to have a flaw in it, enabling the good guys to beat the odds and escape alive. But the Decepticons' plan doesn't have a flaw in it. It works brilliantly, leaving Ginrai at the mercy of Overlord with no way out. The Decepticons actually have the opportunity to kill Ginrai in this episode, and Overlord intends to do just that. So how is it that the Autobots are free and alive at the episode's end? Because this is Masterforce, that's why. Because this series goes where Transformers hasn't gone before, and tells the story of Decepticons allied to humans. And this episode is the turning point for perhaps the most interesting three human characters in the series, the Decepticon Headmaster Juniors - Wilder/Fangry, Bullhorn/Horri-bull and Cancer/Squeezeplay. In the space of two minutes, with minimal dialogue, these three characters reaching a critical point in the way they have been developing for the last 30+ or so episodes, and show the differences between them as well. Cancer snaps and turns on the Decepticon leaders with all his firepower. In the sudden battle between him and Pirranacon, neither Wilder nor Bullhorn takes sides. Neither behaves as a loyal Decepticon should, but nor do they follow Cancer's lead. But then, when Pirranacon is dead and a few lone Seacons leap out at Cancer, Bullhorn acts and blows them away, then tells Cancer to get out before more Decepticons arrive. Neither Wilder nor Bullhorn defect to the Autobots with Cancer at this stage, but neither stop him from doing so, and Bullhorn actively helps him. These points speak volumes about the three as individuals. Clouder is the epitome of shallowness by comparison. Not that all shallowness is bad - I loved Godbomber's kick-ass moment when he blows Pirranacon to bits with his rocket of doom. Martin |
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Post by legios on Feb 6, 2010 15:41:39 GMT
I would agree with pretty much everything that you have said there Martin. What really makes this work is that so much of it plays up things that have been built-up from the early part of the series. Cancer's decision to change sides is not a sudden unexpected reversal. Instead it is the culminating moment of a process of character development that we have seen play out since he was first captured by the Cybertrons back in episode 12. It is rooted in everything that we have learned about his motivations and his reasons for becoming a Destron in the first place. That is what makes it so satisfying.
In a similar way, Shuta's actions in going to the Destron base alone without calling for backup are also rooted in the events that have befallen him across the series. Whilst he tries to justify it in an appeal to caution and protecting his leader, Shuta has struggled against a headstrong side to his nature since he was first introduced - and his sense of personal loss to the Destrons has made him increasingly determined to get to grips with them.
Cancer's story also factors into one of the main themes that is playing itself out in this episode, that of loyalty. Loyalty seems to be one of the major motivating factors to a lot of what happens in this episode. We have seen Cancer learn first hand that the Destrons lack loyalty to their own, and that their values aren't really as similar to his own as he had convinced himself, and so he is faced with a choice of loyalties - to what he believes, or to a Destron cult that don't return that loyalty. The other Destron Headmaster Juniors demonstrate the loyalty to each other that we have seen developing in previous episodes. (It is nice that it is Bullhorn who steps in to defend Cancer. We've seen him be pretty dismissive of Cancer in the past, so somehow it means more that his instinctive reaction is to defend him). Ginrai's loyalty to those under his command is no less than we would have expected of him - walking alone into an obvious trap, and taking another beating from Overlord in the effort to save Shuta's life. Even Clouder is part of this tapestry of loyalty - leading Shuta to the Destron base in revenge for his feelings of betrayal. This latter thread doesn't perhaps come through that strongly though, because Clouder just hasn't had the screen time to develop strongly enough as a character for the audience to really care. (But then again, any development that he had got would have been at the expense of existing characters so I suspect I would have in some ways begrudged it).
And in a little side-note, I do love the way that Overlord seems entirely sincere in his expression of admiration for Ginrai's courage. He/they seem to have gone from an all-consuming obsession with Ginrai's destruction to a certain respect for him as a worthy enemy.
I do like that this episode doesn't play anyone as suffering from attacks of sudden stupidity. It is always so much better to see characters achieve thing based on their intelligence rather than their opponents lack of it.
The Cybertrons, even at the start of the episode, are clearly fighting this war intelligently. They know that to remain permanently on the defensive is the best way to lose a war, and so they are looking to regain the initiative and to locate and knock-out the Destron support structure so as to hamper their war-effort. This is the kind of smart and proactive fighting that we don't see enough of in Transformers cartoons.
Too, our heroes don't foolishly walk into a trap that should have been obvious to them. Whilst Clouder and Shuta might walk into the Destrons' trap it is because of a recklessness that we have always known was present in Shuta's character. Ginrai sees the trap but knows that he has to spring it anyway, for the sake of his friend.
Neither is Overlord struck by a traditional attack of the villain-stupids. He exploits the advantage of his hostage to the hilt, and indeed would have exploited it to the point of Ginrai' death. His plan is only brought down by events that Overlord simply couldn't have forseen, rather than by his own bumbling.
An episode that is satisfying on the level of the ongoing narrative, as a culmination of some long-running character development, as well as in the stand-alone sense of seeing intelligent heroes and villians duking it out.
That is a wonderful moment. There is something wonderful about the fact that he doesn't get any heroic rising from his knees moment either. He just sees a shot and takes it. He isn't showy, flamboyant or talkative, but I do have a soft spot for Godbomber anyway.
Karl
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Post by legios on Feb 10, 2010 21:35:03 GMT
"The Ultimate Combination!! Blackzarak, the new lifeform!"
<The Cybertrons mount an assault on the Destron base now that its location is exposed, but Devil Z is expecting them and has prepared a trap for them.......>
The Cybertrons continue the proactive approach that they began in the previous episode, moving to attack the Destron base with almost all the forces at their disposal. This is rather nice to see. Too often animated series fall into a sort of status quo where both sides know where the other lives, but the forces of good somehow never get around to taking the fight to the evil villians front doorstep. That is not Masterforce's way however, here the Cybertrons go in mob-handed, with only the Pretenders as backup in case the assault fails. (Somehow apt - they were the first line of defense at the beginning of the series, and here if all had gone wrong they would have been the last line of defense).
The Cybertron's plan means that the first half of the episode wastes little time in getting straight to the action scene. While there are a certain number of budget saving dodges on show here - a few static paning shots, and action moments with abstract backplates - it certainly brings across the idea that this is an epic confrontation. We get the sense of Ginrai almost singlehandedly facing down against the Destron's heavy hitters, whilst the other Godmasters and the Headmaster Juniors fight their way through an enormous shoal of Seacons. It is instructive to consider how far the Cybertrons have come in terms of growing into their roles of Earth's warrior protectors. Ginrai demolishes the once fearsome Destron pretenders, and manages to hold his own against both Overlord and the Darkwings. Meanwhile Cab and Shuta seem confident and capable in the thick of battle in a way that they were anything but when they were first introduced. They certainly manage to get their licks in against the Destron Juniors as well. The Cybertrons may be hardpressed at this end of the story, but they are rising to the challenge in fine style.
(That said, I'm not entirely sure what Ginrai's thinking is in separating from Godbomber as he goes into battle. It isn't as if Godbomber appears to have any separate mission. Instead Ginrai simply separates from him, and the extra power he represents, only to recombine when the first battle is over. Puzzling).
The battle is, itself merely the overture to the moment when Devil Z takes an active hand in the conflict for the first time, revealing his true form as that of a creepy cthuloid space.....thing.... that even his loyal followers don't appear to be quite prepared for. At least, to judge by the reaction of Overlord and the Darkwings. Up until now Devil Z has been a remote presence, his direct influence on events beng restricted to giving orders and advice. If we hadn't already realised that we were well and truly into the climactic part of the story then the fact that he enters the story as a directly active presence would have been a signal that we couldn't have missed.
He makes quite an impression as well. Possessing the body of Blackzarak gives him a physical screen presence to match the impression of power his voice actor suggests. His ruthlessness is unabated as well - being prepared to sacrifice the Destron base to destroy the Cybertrons without the slightest concern. His dismissive response to the news that the Headmaster Juniors are still inside the base is worthy of note as well. He doesn't care - they were just cannon-fodder anyway, beneath his notice.
Interesting that this provokes a moment of humanity from Overlord. It seems that abandoning comrades who have fallen in battle is one thing, deliberately writing them off to be blown up in a trap is another. It isn't entirely consistent, but then people's ethical codes aren't always consistent in real-life either.
It strikes me in rewatching this episode that it is very much a tale of two halves. The first half of the episode gives us our pitched battle, whilst the second half is a battle of a different nature. Instead of an open-conflict with the Destrons we get Ginrai's battle to save the lives of the Destron Juniors, despite their best efforts to thwart him. Once again his nobility is underlined as he stands ready to sacrifice his own life in order to save his enemies from death. He really is living up to his own words that all life is worthy of preserving, and he's prepared to lay down his own life in defense of that ideal. Definitely stirring heroic leader stuff there.
I do like the fact that convincing the Destron Juniors that there is a real threat is an uphill battle. After all, they have good reason to suspect a trick - it would be a good way to get them out of their defensive position after all. And we have seen previously that Wilder is stubborn enough not to listen to people on his own side - let alone those on the other side. It is testament to the fact that Wilder and Bullhorn have been defined as characters, rather than generic evil henchmen, that I actually find myself caring as much about whether Ginrai can save them as I do as to whether he himself survives.
Ginrai's final solution to the problem - sneaking up on the Juniors and knocking their stubborn heads together always gives me a wry smile. I can always imagine him thinking "That's it, I've had enough. I'm going to save you whether you want me to or not".
Actually, the Juniors get some good moments of characterisation here. I like the fact that the Cybertron Juniors try to persuade Cancer that he shouldn't come on the assault because it is too dangerous. There is a sense that they have accepted him and genuinely want to convince him not to put himself in harms way.
Likewise, it is nice to see that Bullhorn cares enough about Cancer to pause in the middle of a fight to enquire after his health, even at the cost of letting his guard down. We wouldn't perhaps have expected it of Bullhorn when he was first introduced, but because we have seen the interaction between the Juniors develop it feels like a natural and understandable thing for him to do.
For those keeping score, I tend to count Ginrai's rescue of Bullhorn and Wilder as a victory - human lives have been saved, whether they are misguided Destron lives or innocent bystanders is of no import. Really, this is the victory that the Cybertrons can hold onto from this episode. After all, the Destron base may have been destroyed but that was through Devil Z's own plan rather than that of the Cybertrons - and now the God of Destrons walks the Earth in Blackzarak's form, having brought his own power to bear on the final stages of the war. The Cybertrons and Destrons may be equally homeless, but it feels very much as if the advantage in terms of power and initiative still lies with very much with the latter.
The plot advances, pieces are added to and removed from the board and we move apace deeper into the final act of the series. .....
Karl
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Post by legios on Feb 17, 2010 21:32:32 GMT
Episode 38(ish) Battle to the Death! God Ginrai vs Darkwings Reborn <As Devil Z unleashes his destructive power upon the Earth the Darkwings forsake their human forms to gain the power that they hope will allow them to destroy God Ginrai once and for all> Well, if we harboured any thoughts that the series was overselling Devil Z's merger with Blackzarak as a harbinger of doom then this episode should go some way to dispelling them. From his position in the Grand Canyon Devil Z proceeds to begin to quite literally tear the world apart . We see his power literally obliterate small towns, and apparently tear rents in the crust of the North American continent. The impression that we are given is that the carnage that he is unleashing on America is fundamental and far-reaching. Whilst we have seen the Destrons visit enormous devastation on individual cities before this episode ups the ante by making it clear that Devil Z is fully capable of doing what he threatens to do. As a result his stated aim of destroying humanity and scouring them from the face of the Earth comes across not as overblown or the typical villainous posturing, but simply a clear statement of intent. This episode sees the series very clearly remove any remaining shadow of a doubt about what is at stake here – the Cybertrons are fighting a last ditch battle to defend the whole of humanity from eradication. It certainly establishes a sense of genuine threat for the closing episodes of the series, and a real sense that this story is having real consequences – whether this be for the way that the Headmaster Juniors have been forced to grow up, or in the scarred or eradicated lives of the human victims of the war. Speaking of eradicating humanity, even against the background of continent-wide devastation Masterforce finds time to revisit and re-examine one of its central themes. The Darkwings have, all through the series belittled humanity and normal human concerns and suppressed their own humanity in a search for power. Here that theme is made literal, as they trade their human bodies for an “upgrade†to a purely mechanical existence. Ginrai's response to discovering this is telling, and illustrative of how the series feels about this. He is horrified that they have traded away their life, their humanity – which he views as the most important thing there is – for mere power. It is clearly the worst trade that he can imagine. It doesn't seem that he actually hates mechanical life-forms – after all his close allies and friends are the Cybertron Pretenders – but that it is the idea that someone would give up the humanity that they were born to that horrifies him. There is a real sense given that by the decision that they have made the Darkwings have put themselves beyond the pale and proven themselves irredeemable. It seems that they may have been on a fools errand as well. The Darkwings choose to give up their humanity because they feel that their human bodies are too weak to give them the power that they need. The series has hinted previously that being human has a special power of its own, and that this is where the strength of the Headmaster Juniors and the Godmasters comes from. This seem to be borne out here – whilst Ginrai observes that the Darkwings, filled with Devil Z's power, are stronger than they have ever been he is able to reach inside himself and find the strength to equal them. His willpower, which we were told right at the beginning of the series was of utmost importance, gives him the power that he needs to achieve his goal. The Darkwings Devil Power may be impressive, but we see that Ginrai's human ability to channel Chokon power can match it in a pinch. In a sense the Darkwings were half-right, but looking in the wrong direction. The problem was their humanity, but the solution wasn't to rid themselves of it. Their weakness stemmed from the fact that they had too little humanity, not too much. This episode also continues the character arcs of the Destron Headmaster Juniors quite nicely. With Cancer having found a true cause to fight for alongside the Cybertrons he is desperate for Wilder and Bullhorn to join him. Their initial refusal to hang around and accept Cybertron charity though rings quite true. There is a sense that Wilder is acting, a little bit, out of wounded pride here. The Destrons may have rejected him but he isn't going to go running straight to the Cybertrons. It is nice that Bullhorn seems a little torn as well. There is a moment where I got the senses he wasn't sure which way to turn between Cancer and Wilder. Their eventual, and almost requisite, arrival to aid the Cybertrons in their moment of need feels like a very satisfying development – the more so because it feels as if they are doing this not from a sudden conversion to the Cybertron cause but because Cancer is their friend and they are damned if they are going to let a pathetic band of Sparkdash roast him. This episode also sees Giga's concerns regarding Devil Z's plans continue to show through. Although he has been prepared to unleash havoc and destruction in the name of conquering humanity and reshaping it as he saw fit (somehow I expect this was in the form of a feudal autocracy somehow) he is clearly not committed to the idea of extinguishing his own species. We see a clear fissure developing between Giga and his leader/god here which gives us cause to begin to doubt exactly what he will do when push comes to shove. (I do like the fact that Mega is hip enough that she lets Giga makes the big dramatic speeches and then flips him a thumbs up when he is walking away. That amuses me for some reason). This episode also ends on a cracking cliffhanger. The Headmaster Juniors have barely survived a siege battle against the Seacons and Sparkdash, Ginrai has managed to fight the Darkwings to a draw but he is tired and drained. Nevertheless he knows that Devil Z has to be stopped before he lays waste to the Earth, so even in his depleted state he launches himself back into the fray only to be confronted by a rested and full-strength Overlord with orders to kill him. And all the while the continued existence of humanity rests on the outcome of the battle. Really, if that doesn't make you want to come back for the next episode then.... we'll you've probably stopped watching a long time ago anyway.......... On a technical level there are some blisteringly good sequences here too. To single out a single one I would point to the aerial dogfight between Ginrai and the Darkwings. There is a real sense of speed and headlong pace to it. It isn't a very long sequence, but the direction on it is wonderful and it really makes the most of the opportunity to cut loose with the visuals. And in terms of a quieter sequence that works on a more narrative level, Ginrai's pep-talk to the assembled Cybertrons is quite satisfying – you get to see how far he has come in growing into his role as a leader, compared to the hot-headed youth that he was at the beginning of the series, and you also get a real sense of commitment from the assembled heroes. They know that the situation is desperate, and that the Destrons are growing ever stronger but they are determined to do everything they can to stand against them, no matter the risks and perhaps that as much as anything more tangible is what Hawk's “Will is important in the Masterforce†was saying to us. Karl |
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Feb 17, 2010 21:54:10 GMT
This is the first episode of Masterforce I ever saw. I saw it in English. I hated it. What was Optimus Prime doing with such a silly voice and having all these Headmasters with baby voices shouting "Captain!" at him all the time.
I put it to one side. I watched more 'proper' Transformers cartoons that I'd never seen before, like 'Five Faces of Darkness'.
Then I thought about this cartoon again.
Nah, that's not how Transformers should be. It's too _different_.
More Sunbow.
Over the weeks, it gradually filtered through to my brain that actually the animation in this strange episode was better than in any Sunbow episode... and that I was just getting a glimpse of a bit of a really big ongoing storyline... and that yes, it was different, but being different made it good, not bad. It could be _interesting_.
Yes, I remembered when I last found Transformers cartoons interesting. I'd like to again.
A humble you-were-right letter to my source of nth-generation video tapes. "Please send me all the Masterforce episodes you've got!"
He also sent me a load of Victory episodes, but that was too much like the older, now abandoned TF cartoons.
Years later, I saw Masterforce subtitled in Japanese, and all in the right order, and I realised the series was something special.
And I still think this is one of the very best episodes in this best of series. The detail in the visuals is amazing - just look at those jungle scenes with Overlord in base mode.
I agree entirely with Karl about the superb aerial dogfight.
And the story! Two humans actually willingly giving up their flesh (and souls?) and becoming pure machine. And a real feeling of threat to the human race.
Dramatic stuff.
Martin
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Post by blueshift on Feb 17, 2010 23:35:12 GMT
I love this episode. The Darkwings fight is fantastic, and the redemption of the Decepticon Headmasters is brilliant, especially with the funky music in the background!
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Post by legios on Feb 24, 2010 20:58:28 GMT
Episode 40: The Cybertron's Desperate Attack!
<Overlord and Ginrai engage in combat as the rest of the Cybertrons attempt to fight their way through the Destrons to confront Devil Z>
Picking up mere seconds after the last episode has ended, this episode begins firmly as it means to go on. The duel of strength between Ginrai and Overlord sets the scene for an episode that is primarily a running battle between the Cybertrons and Destrons. What a battle it is too. We have Ginrai and Overlord facing off in a non-stop slugfest, the Cybertron Godmasters and Headmaster Juniors trying to fight their way through the rest of the Destrons to stop Black Zarak from wreaking destruction across America with his Devil Thunder.
And then the real gut-punch - they fail. Despite all their efforts they are too late to stop Devil Z from doing what he set out to do, and then moving on to the next target on his list. It certainly ratchets up the tension for the next, and penultimate episode. Masterforce certainly has not lost its nerve in any way, it is still a show that very much plays for keeps, and has no fear of allowing its heroes to be seen to fail - and with dire consequences.
The only real glimmer of hope in this episode is that we learn that Devil Z is not all-powerful - channelling his Devil Thunder to ravage a continent takes all his concentration, so if the Cybertrons could only get close enough to distract him then they can at least postpone the carnage a little. Still, the odds of actually stopping the Destrons and their god-emperor seem slim to say the least.
As episode long-running battles go it is pretty good as well. It does a fairly good job of juggling a large cast without really losing sight of any of them. Even the rather cliched "lets split up so we can be taken out seperately" manuever feels like a reasonable spur of the moment decision, forcing the Destrons to divide their forces to defend againt multiple attacks rather than pure narrative fiat.
The highlight of the episode for me is probably the battle between Ginrai and Overlord. Not only because it is nicely animated, and very pacy fight scene, but because of what it is about. What looks, at first, like Overlord just wanting to have a "square go" at Ginrai it becomes clear is a little more complicated. Having Overlord try so hard to demonstrate the superiority of his human power, to the extent of being prepared to face down all of Ginrai's weapons if necessary to fight him effectively unarmed puts centre stage the series emphasis on the power of the human spirit.
I do like the nobility that Ginrai shows here. The efficient part of my brain does tend to observe that if Overlord wants to bring his fists to a gunfight then it would be most effective to just shoot him and move on to Devil Z. But I am pleased that in the end Ginrai is too honorable to do something like that, instead chosing not only to meet Overlord on even terms (not bad considering how shaken Ginrai was by his first encounter with Overlord many episodes ago) but also to try and persuade Overlord to turn on Devil Z! Ginrai has a point here - everything Devil Z has done in the back half of the show confirms that he has a deep-rooted fear of humanity and its potential - and I get the impression that Overlord realises it, but buries it under his long-nursed anger towards Ginrai. It is satisfying to see one of the best fight scenes in the series rest so distinctly on one of the shows main themes. That is probably why I find it one of the better fights in the show.
Also satisfying is the portrayal of the Headmaster Juniors here. We see the Juniors, both Cybertrons and former-Destrons joking and teasing each other in the face of adversity in a very human way. The resolution to the Darkwings holding hostage of Shuta is also a rousingly satisfying moment. Clearly he's grown tired of all the times that the Juniors have been used to force Ginrai not to fight, and the moment where he punches out both Hydra and Buster and rescues his own self for once is a genuinely satisfying moment for the character.
This episode also marks an important step along the character arc for the turncoat Destrons. Devil Z's stripping them of their power, and his animation of their Transtectors as fully robotic Destron warriors makes sense in terms of his fear of human potential - he is increasingly surrounding himself with mechanical soldiers in preference to his human minions. It makes sense too that what Devil Z gives he can also take away. It is also thematically appropriate in terms of the redemption arc of Wilder, Cancer et al - they were granted their power to be footsoldiers of evil and in turning away from that life they lose that power. Fitting. (I also like the fact that Wilder has still not done an about-face and become a good person. He still isn't fighting for the Cybertrons, he is fighting against the Destrons and only because they didn't, in the end, show him respect. It makes the character ring truer than if he had suddenely become heroic).
On a lighter note, this episode also sees the Destron Pretenders complete their devolution to being strictly comedy relief. Not only have they, and the Cybertron Pretenders, become progressively more irrelevant to the central narrative as the story homes in on the idea of humans fighting for the destiny of their world but the Destron Pretenders have become steadily less competent as well. On the one hand, this is not my favourite portrayal of Blood Gilmer and Dauros - I much prefer the dangerous and unpleasant folk they were at the beginning of the series. But on the other hand they do genuinely make me laugh. It is appropriate that they no longer have a real impact on the unfolding of the story too - they only tenously have a place in it now.
On a minor side-note, and I meant to mention this last week, I like the change to the Darkwings' voices. As well as having added a flanging effect to the recorded vocals it sounds as if the voice actors have flattened out their delivery of a lot of the dialogue a little. It works pretty well to remind us of the brothers lost humanity.
Overall this is a good example of how to do a really good, multi-handed running fight episode. It moves with a great pace and intensity. And the battle isn't over. After two episodes this may be the end of Round One of the final confrontation, but Round Two fast approaches - with Europe now the battleground as the Cybertrons try to save the rest of the Earth from being Devil Z's wrath.
There are very few Transformers series I have seen (and I freely admit that there are quite a few I haven't ) that I feel have done such a good job of building a sustained sense of tension as Masterforce does in its last quarter. From the moment that the Cybertron base is destroyed the series seems to be ratcheting up the scale of the jeopardy until here we are going into the last few episodes with the survival of the whole human race in the balance, and the Destrons seeming to hold the upper hand.
Karl
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Feb 25, 2010 7:27:17 GMT
Episode 39: The Cybertron's Desperate Attack! I fear that because you didn't give "The Ultimate Combination!! Blackzarak, the new lifeform!" a number we have now slipped again. This is episode 40, and last week's was 39. Only two to go! Now that Wilder and co. are fully human again, I wonder if they will have to face justice after the series end. I mean, they've committed a heck of a lot of crimes... Then again, is there a justice system left to try them? Martin |
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Post by legios on Feb 25, 2010 7:48:26 GMT
Episode 39: The Cybertron's Desperate Attack! I fear that because you didn't give "The Ultimate Combination!! Blackzarak, the new lifeform!" a number we have now slipped again. This is episode 40, and last week's was 39. I shall correct my posts accordingly. And try one more to adjust for temporal slippage. The end (one way or another) fast approaches. I would imagine that the wrangling over where they should be tried, and under what legal system would go on for years. Considering how many different countries might want to argue that they had jurisdiction. I'd be inclined to argue that the answer from the point of view of genre convention would be that they probably don't - having been redeemed is itself enough in terms of the conventions of the genre. In the real world I would say that they probably would, several years later after the various nations were done arguing. Karl |
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Feb 25, 2010 8:20:35 GMT
It would make a hell of an episode of 'Law and Order'.
Or more like an entire series of 'Murder One'.
Martin
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chrisl
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I still think its the 1990s - when I joined TMUK
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Post by chrisl on Feb 25, 2010 10:55:55 GMT
Great reviews Two thoughts: a) Which is the next series to receive this treatment? *Hint* VICTORY *hint*. b) Would it be worth compiling / editing all of Karl & Martin's reviews into a short 'guidebook' to the series complete with some fan-created art? |
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Post by blueshift on Feb 25, 2010 12:40:23 GMT
Great reviews Two thoughts: a) Which is the next series to receive this treatment? *Hint* VICTORY *hint*. I've not opened my Victory set yet, I'd be up for that b) Would it be worth compiling / editing all of Karl & Martin's reviews into a short 'guidebook' to the series complete with some fan-created art? Definately, I've loved seeing these reviews. |
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Post by chrisl on Feb 25, 2010 14:42:14 GMT
If Karl & Martin (as the main reviewers) are happy with it - perhaps someone could draw a cover and then maybe a representation of a scene from each episode (42 episodes might be pushing it a bit too far though).
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Feb 25, 2010 16:38:38 GMT
I don't know about mine, but Karl's reviews are certainly worth preserving. (Mine are more like footnotes to his.) I have no objections though.
The easy/lazy/realistic way to do it would just be to accompany each review with a screen grab from the episode in question, and then release the whole thing as a PDF. Could even use your Black Zarak / God Ginrai pic as a cover, Chris.
Re: the next series to receive this treatment, I'd be up for anything (one episode a week isn't a lot to ask), though any series coming after Masterforce is going to get negative reviews by comparison. I'd kind of like to do a series I haven't seen before, but I'll go with the consensus.
Be good to have someone else with us for the ride next time, rather than just the two of us.
Martin
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chrisl
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I still think its the 1990s - when I joined TMUK
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Post by chrisl on Feb 26, 2010 13:32:22 GMT
The easy/lazy/realistic way to do it would just be to accompany each review with a screen grab from the episode in question, and then release the whole thing as a PDF. Could even use your Black Zarak / God Ginrai pic as a cover, Chris. Perhaps with a version of your Masterforce article from AA as a forward to? If Karl also consents to having his reviews condensed, compiled and edited together (perhaps with other factual information on the episodes too), I'd be happy to put together a TMUK guide to Masterforce type fanzine complete with screen-caps, etc once time permits Half of me would love a series review of Victory (most of the good episodes weren't available on the old dub videos doing the rounds in the mid 1990s) but I'd also be happy to see RID. |
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Post by legios on Feb 28, 2010 21:20:25 GMT
I don't know about mine, but Karl's reviews are certainly worth preserving. (Mine are more like footnotes to his.) I have no objections though. Well, as people seem to think my ramblings on the topic of Masterforce are something that they wish to see preserved it would be far from me to gainsay them. Definitely think that your reviews are worth hanging onto - you often pick up on things that I don't notice. I tend to agree with the PDF idea. It is a fairly straight-forward way to do things, without having to worry about the logistics of printing and distribution, but gives folk something that they can print if they wish to. Seems to me to be the best method. As to doing this for another series, whether I would be able to participate would be down to whether folk selected a series that I actually own, and which series it is would also determine how much I would be able to find to say about it I suspect. Like Martin I would definitely welcome some additional voices being added to the choir - I'm all for a good diversity of viewpoints. (and it saves folk from having to listen to me pontificate all the time :-) ). Karl |
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Post by Grand Moff Muffin on Mar 1, 2010 7:17:06 GMT
As to doing this for another series, whether I would be able to participate would be down to whether folk selected a series that I actually own If I applied that condition I'd have to stop now, since we're just about to finish the only TF series I own on DVD. Fortunately, all the TF series appear to be watchable on YouTube. Martin |
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Post by legios on Mar 3, 2010 22:36:27 GMT
Episode 41: “Malevolent and Inhuman: The true form of Devil Zâ€
<Devil Z leads the Destrons to Europe where he unleashes on that continent the same awful destructive power that he wielded against North America. The Cybertrons race to reach him and bring an end to his reign of terror.>
This episode doesn't feel the need to waste any time in set-up. By this point the series is firmly making the assumption that if you are watching then you have been with the series for the long-haul. We get a brief recap from the narrator to remind us how things stand and then we are straight into the action. And a very effective opening it is. We see Devil Z unleash his Devil Thunder on Europe, causing waterspouts, earthquakes and great rents in the crust that unleash rivers of lava. This time though, instead of seeing the destruction from an elevated and detached perspective the episode puts us right at ground level in a city that is being torn about by Devil Z's power. Seeing things from the perspective of the newly powerless Destron Headmaster Juniors makes the threat that bit more immediate.
This brief segment with the Destron Juniors is quite effective, and is one of my favourite parts of this episode. Seeing them throw themselves into rescuing a mother and child confirms how far they have come – from being bullying foot-soldiers of the Destrons to risking their own lives to save people that the Destron have endangered. It forms a rather nice capstone to their character arc of slow redemption. Even Wilder who protested, perhaps a little too much, that he had not become a “good guy†has found himself inspired by his experience to want to do something about the horrors that are being inflicted. It is very true to form that his first instinct is to wish he still had the power of the Masterforce so that he could strike back against the Destrons. Likewise there is something rather charming about Cancer's certainty that God Ginrai cannot possibly lose. He clearly considers it absolutely impossible, and there is something rather heartening about that certainly.
It is clear though that the series has given up attempting to give Clouder a character arc. He is still in the show, although you'd be forgiven for not noticing him. He seems to simply be drawn along in the wake of the Juniors character arc, in a kind of ironic confirmation that in the end he really is a kind of cut-down version of those characters.
(The imagery of the survivors of Devil Z's attack sheltering in the underground railway system is a nice touch as well. It strongly evokes World War II imagery, and works as a nice shorthand way of reinforcing the idea that this is effectively a war of Devil Z against the planet).
The Cybertrons, in this episode, seem to fall back on the same plan that didn't work last time – splitting up to attack from two directions to divide the Destrons forces. Once again it doesn't really work out to well for them. The Autobot Godmasters perhaps come off worst here. Last episode they were forced to take cover in a cave, that then got dropped on them. This time they scale the lower slopes of the Matterhorn, which then get dropped on them..... They really aren't having a good time of things. It is interesting to note that off the two groups it is the smaller, comprising the four Godmasters that Devil Z stirs himself to deal with personally – as if they are the more serious threat compared to Maximus, Hawk and the Cybertron Juniors.
But then, if he had decided the other way we would have been denied the epic dust-up that sees Hawk and the Juniors go toe-to-toe with King Poseiden. It is nice to see the combined Seacon form rehabilitated a little here. In general in the latter half of this episode when we have seen King Poseiden he has been getting slapped about by Ginrai or the other Godmasters. His battle with Hawk and the Juniors does a good job of reminding him that he is powerful in his own right, and is a credible threat. The sequence also allows us to revisit the stalwart, all-action, heroic persona of Hawk – his rescue of Minerva and his “will not fall, will not yield†stand against King Poseiden hark back rather nicely to his original introduction to the series.
Ginrai's eventual defeat of King Poseiden, along with his ability to channel his Chokon power to beat the Darkwings at their own game, really do raise him further notch on the Super-robot scale. They serve to remind us of just how powerful Ginrai has been shown to be in the past and to position him for the inevitable final confrontation.
On one score though the episode does not take one of the turns that it easily could. We do not see a final showdown between Overlord and Ginrai. Instead of a fight to the finish we instead have Ginrai saving Overlord from the wrath of the latter's master. In the context of the story as it has developed I find this much more narratively effective than if Ginrai had delivered a thumping to Overlord. Since almost his introduction we have seen Ginrai's commitment to saving humans, whether collectively or individually. It is a very satisfying moment to see him extend that commitment even to his enemy.
Indeed, this moment and the development of Overlord's character arc that has led up to it is the other part of the episode I find most satisfying. We have seen Overlord's growing disquiet with Devil Z's methods over recent episodes and here it reaches a crisis point. It is interesting that Overlord steps in to try to restrain Devil Z from further punishing the Darkwings for their failure against Ginrai. The brothers had in many ways turned their back on Giga and Mega, but still they seemed to feel that it was their responsibility to shield them from Devil Z's wrath. There is no denying that they are evil, but perhaps not sociopathially so – they seem to have a code of values that they believe should govern behaviour. In many ways Overlord is hewing to an idealised version of feudal obligations. Overlord seems to see the other Destrons as his retainers, who should be loyal to him – and thus in return able to expect that loyalty in return. It seems to be the violation of this expectation, as much as Devil Z's brutality itself seems to be what finally opens his eyes. It would be difficult to get a cleared statement than here that Devil Z, far from seeing the Destrons as subordinates to be valued, views them as little more than pawns to be cast aside or destroyed when their usefulness is exhausted. (Indeed, Devil Z as good as calls Overlord a peasant – a thing beneath consideration). Faced with this realisation Overlord's attack on Devil Z looks less like a plot-twist than the only logical and in-character action for him to take.
It is in essence his final, belated realisation that there is nothing human in Devil Z, and certainly nothing that is able to value the rules by which Overlord conducts his life. Not in any sense an unequivocal moment of Overlord becoming “goodâ€, it is nevertheless a moment where he reconnects with the fact of his own humanity and rebels against Devil Z's lack of the same.
I think it is that which makes the moment where Ginrai calls Overlord “comrade†work for me. It is a statement that whilst there are sides this is no longer a matter of Cybertrons against Destrons – that is all made irrelevant in the face of the conflict between humanity and the utter lack of it that Devil Z signifies.
(Although it is played strictly for laughs, I am rather fond of the Destron Pretenders reaction to this whole sequence. Contrasting with Overlord's role as the retainer who realises that his Lord is without honour and turns on him, the Pretenders have a much more down to earth response. Realising that a) the god of Destrons is bonkers, b) he'll kill everyone eventually no matter which side their on they decide that c) we should be leaving now. I do like the pragmatism of it, and the self-serving self-preservation on display. It is, in many ways the smartest single decision they have made for the last quarter of the story).
It is nice to see Sixknight return as well, even if it his only to face his own demise. With much of Overlord's rationale in this episode bringing his roots in Samurai drama to the fore it is rather appropriate that the series' own wandering Ronin makes a return to the fray. Given that Sixknight's initial rationale was in travelling around to find the best fights he could in order to test himself as a warrior it is somehow fitting that he goes to his end fighting against Devil Z. He would certainly have been hard-pressed to find a stronger opponent. The fact that he does it in the name of aiding Ginrai, the one human who stood up to him in battle and forced him to reevaluate his world-view makes the whole thing that little bit more apt. Indeed, his death seem almost inevitable – Sixknight is somehow not a character for whom a peaceful end seems apt.
The closing moments of the episode finally bring Ginrai and Devil Z together properly for the first time. They've shared screen time, but they haven't really had a proper face-off. Events have been carefully constructed so as to keep them apart until this moment. The two generals facing off in person – a signal, as if we needed one, that the final stage of the final battle is about to begin.
This episode does a solid job of bringing along the various character arcs that are still to be tied up in the finale, whilst at the same time having some solid and satisfying battles that keep the tension and the pacing up as we move towards the very final chapter in the story. This isn't an episode I would want to show someone in isolation I have to say – but that goes for much of the closing section of the series. If you viewed it in isolation a lot of this episode would just look like robots fighting each other for reasons that aren't entirely clear. Masterforce's strength is not in its individual episodes though, but in the continuing narrative threads. Overlord's revolt against Devil Z works the better because we have seen him develop from dedicated cult leader through the early stirrings of unease with his masters plans. Ginrai's heroism is more impressive because we have seen him develop from a truck driver who falls well over his head into a secret world. None of the characters that we met at the beginning of the series are quite who they were when they began this journey. The narrative has changed them as it has carried us along to this point. We've seen a rather unlikely and motley band of heroes come together and grow into their roles. First in battling against other humans who would use the power they have been given to dominate the world, and now squaring off against a literally and figuratively inhuman evil to defend the entire world. We've come a long way from where this series started and now the players are assembled and the stage set for the final chapter......
Karl
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