Arano No Saikai Wilderness Reunion
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Episode Description:
Noal and D-Boy, as Tekkaman Sol and Tekkaman Blade, are working together to rescue some people
from Radamu "Bug" warriors. They demonstrate that their teamwork has become very well refined
by their experience. Mari, the woman they have rescued thanks them, and they use the carry-all
to return her, to her ranch home. The Radamu have destroyed her jeep. Noal takes the vehicle
over a particularly nasty bump, and Rebin comes forward to complain that Noal's bad driving has
ruined the dinner the bishonen was working on. Mari invites them to eat dinner at her house
instead. At the ranch, Mari's young brother Vic is helping her ranch hand pick tomatoes for
their next meal. (They are growing on a vine like tomatoes, but the two treat them like they
were apples. Wonder if the artists for this episode thought apples grow on vines rather than
in trees?) They see the carry-all arrive and Mari get out; the ranch hand reacts in shock when
he sees D-Boy and Aki get out after her. We get a look at his face and realize that this
rather ratty-looking, scruffy ranch hand is actually Balzac Asimov. All signs of the dapper,
every-hair-in-place EDF officer has disappeared. As Mari introduces the Space Knights to Vic,
Balzac slowly approaches. They recognize him, and he says he never thought he'd ever see any
of them again, especially D-Boy. Noal almost hits him, but D-Boy holds him back. Balzac
laughs a little and then tells Vic they have to finish picking the crops; the two head off back
into the fields.
They are busy eating dinner that night, Rebin and Miri egging each other on. Balzac is very
quiet, and leaves the table early to wash dishes after Vic says something about Balzac having
told them about some of Tekkaman Blade's battles against the aliens. Mari joins him, and Balzac
tells her the Space Knights have no cause to like him very much. He remembers how he arrived
at the ranch, still clad in the damaged Tekkaman Sol armor. He thought he was going to die,
and was cursing himself for his overconfidence when the two had found him and brought him back
to their ranch. "I thought I'd found Heaven - but it looks like the Radamu devils are
infecting us here as well as the rest of the world," he says sadly. While the others are
sleeping, Balzac walks out to the field where his Tekkaman Sol armor still sits, remembering
his friend Maro and the efforts they had made to perfect the high-technology battle suit. "I
thought I had finally found peace, but it looks like the job isn't done yet," he says to the
ghost of his friend. "They've found me - and I owe them for what I did to them in the past.
Damned Radamu!" He turns, suddenly aware of company, and sees that D-Boy has been watching
him. Balzac says something about acting like a fool, and D-Boy tells him that the Radamu are
enemies to all humans. He and Noal could certainly use the help of a second Tekkaman Sol. "We
can't face down the Radamu all by ourselves, and we still have no idea how many others survived
the last big battle," the younger man tells the former EDF officer. "How can I believe you,
after what I did?" Balzac demands, then leaves. Neither is aware that Mari is watching both of
them. She begins to cry, because she knows Balzac will be leaving. The next day Balzac is going
out to do some hoeing when D-Boy senses the arrival of Tekkaman Axe and Radamu forces. He tells
Noal that the Radamu are approaching. Both get into their armor and prepare for battle. Balzac
overhears and pauses, unsure of what he should do. Pegas launches, Blade emerging to ride him
like an airborne sled as he rises to destroy Radamu fliers and confront Axe. Noal takes care
of the Radamu while Blade continues the battle with the Radamu-controlled Tekkaman. Noal shortly
his hands full as both land and airborne Radamu attack him. Balzac stands frozen in the field
as one of the Bugs attacks; Mari breaks away from Aki and tackles him. The Bug walks right
over them, ignoring the unarmed humans. Mari talks to him as they stumble back to the
carry-all, reminding him that all humanity rides on what the Space Knights are doing. If it is
within his ability and power to help, then he must. Balzac gives the injured woman to Aki,
then runs to the battered, headless "Tekkaman Green" armored suit. D-Boy is losing his battle
with Axe. As the older man prepares to use his weapon against Blade, Noal realizes to his
horror that he's out of ammo and can't distract Axe. A Radamu takes advantage of Noal's own
distraction to attack, and it's only a bolt from Balzac's weapon that saves the Tekkaman Blue.
Balzac can't shoot as well as he'd like without the special targeting screens that were lost
with the armor's head, but he shows he's no slouch at eye-ball reckoning. He then attacks Axe,
giving Blade a second's reprieve which D-Boy uses to good effect. Blade nearly slices Axe in
two with his two-bladed lance, and the damaged Axe takes off in retreat. D-Boy goes to his
knees as the two Tekkamen Sol come to give him a hand. When the Space Knights get ready to go,
Balzac arrives with his kit bag; Noal is pissed and threatens to refuse to let him join. D-Boy
pushes Noal aside and, to everyone's shock, shakes Balzac's hand. "All right, but you're on
probation! One wrong word and I toss you overboard!" Noal tells Balzac. "Fair enough," Balzac
agrees. He says his farewells to Vic and Mari, giving Vic his battered old sun hat. As they
drive off, Noal questions D-Boy about having Balzac along. D-Boy replies that the man deserves
a second chance - after all, Noal did the same thing for D-Boy when he first joined the Space
Knights. Vic and Mari watch them leave, Vic softly crying. Mari, however, knows that Balzac
could never be happy remaining on the ranch when he knows someone is fighting the Radamu. Better
that he be going with the Knights than trying to stay behind and falling to the burden of guilt
he's been carrying all these months.
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