Ultraman Blazar ep 21: Feel The Need…For Speed

This episode is another episode that focuses on Yasunobu AND Anri. I really like that Blazar is focusing on the relationship dynamic in the team, not just one personnel only. We’ve already had the single focus episodes, so now it’s more team-focused as well as progressing the story a tiny bit. Yasunobu and Anri has to overcome a pretty high-speed obstacle this ep as we re-encounter a previous foe: the Deltandal. But this time, he’s bringing the big B!

I didn’t expect to see some Top Gun: Maverick flashback in Ultraman. The G-Force blackout is a very real thing and Yasunobu – despite having a Greek God-bod, couldn’t endure the massive force and was disqualified from the test, and Anri had to take over. Despite Anri somewhat clumsy and awkward demeanor, she’s built different. Though many instances before this episode, we’ve seen the physical prowess of SKaRD: Emi being a bad-ass hand-to-hand spywoman, Gento being a tenacious fighter even when lugging a bunch of gear, Yasunobu showing that he’s not just a simple mechanic, and this time it’s Anri’s turn to display her incredible toughness.

It’s not weird to see that the top-brass saw the test and decided Yasunobu wasn’t Maverick. The whole going Mach 8…Mach 9…Mach 10… thingy really reminded me of the Darkstar test in Maverick. And the blacking out looks pretty realistic as well.

The Deltandal in this episode is much larger than the previous one…yet it’s still fast as hell. This episode really messes with one’s sense of speed since the Kaiju is absolutely massive, yet its speed exceed Mach 9, but on-screen, it doesn’t look like that at all. In jet fighter movie or in real life, when you’re in the vehicle/jet yourself, you lose the actual sense of speed at which you’re traveling, but to a bystander watching from outside, you’re going faster than the eye can see. I think it would be neat if they went the sky Ultra combat style and show some more blurring blitzing around. But overall, the combat was done well. I never expected Earth Garon to get upgraded this much. I guess with Blazar not emphasizing on selling toys of the main Ultra, the mecha companion is the next best option. And the Uranus Drive (hehehe) is pretty awesome. It reminds me of the Stealth Gao on Gaogaigar or the G Thundergate on Compatible Kaiser.

Despite all the dramatic and depressing serious bit, the episode also has several comic relief moment which is very natural and doesn’t feel forced at all. It is another aspect that Blazar has been consistent about ever since episode 1. The humor feels very natural and appropriate. Nothing too awkward or too cringe.

The combat this episode is pretty out of this world…literally. It amazes me that Earth Garon can escape the Earth’s atmosphere and also has re-entry capabilities. You’d think Yasunobu would faint a few times on his way to reach escape velocity lol. But overall, it’s a decent episode that further develop the SKaRD team as a supportive and caring family. They are probably setting up for an all-out team operation at the end.
AARON

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