Kiramager Episode 9 - Karuta Card Game Challenge

Super Sentai (or any Japanese show) tends to be my window to Japanese culture. Fiveman did have the Menko Card in a rather topsy-turvy episode. Granted, Naruhisa Arakawa has been a long-term writer so is he really burning out? IMHO he's already starting to show signs of it in this episode. It seems to copy the Menko Card episode written by Hirohisa Soda. Now, I'm learning about the Japanese card game called Karuta which was said to be introduced by Portuguese traders. 

The beginning has a childhood friend/rival of Sena named Makino. It's all in the past with a game dealing with karuta card game. The whole scene got me curious enough to research on karuta itself.

A Karuta-based monster known as Hyakunin Isshu Jamen shows up. That kind of monster is just going to beat me in less than a second in a battle of wits. This also has Sena exposed too.

As it turns out, playing Karuta is easier said than done. Makino mentions about the strict rules of the game. Personally, I'm really clueless here.

There's something about the past and why Sena's friendship with Makino had gone sour. The others decide to learn the moves from Makino. However, Sena disapproves and leaves the base angrily.

Fortunately, Makino is more than accomodating to help the other Kiramagers learn the moves. I'm wondering can a non-Japanese speaker have a chance in learning karuta? I'm totally at a loss if I challenged Japanese players at this point!

Meanwhile, flashbacks of Sena with Makino are played. She talks about her speed and how its' a weakness in competitive karuta. Juuri accompanies her and tries to talk to her about it.

Meanwhile, the karuta dojo is attacked. Garza does the narration defeating the Kiramagers. They are all trapped except Juuru. Even Makino gets trapped. Sena does put on her best "combat outfit" and defeats the monster. For me, I'm also getting the vibes from another Jetman episode that Arakawa wrote. Remember when Gai Yuuki played roulette against Gure in a casino?

More giant battle madness. It turns out that the latest combination the Machine Express can be driven by just any of the rangers. Kiramei Green drives it and gets the advantage of her speed. The Heiankyo Basura gets defeated by it. For me, the Jamen Beast didn't get developed enough and was just dispatched as an act of desperation - similar to the fate that Mecha Giants in Bioman suffer.

The reconciliation happens at the end of the episode. It's nice to see them willing to challenge each other in a friendly match once more.

Meanwhile, I do feel next week will probably get some inspiration from the idol episode of Maskman. It looks like a female Jamen monster (or a male monster pretending to be one) is up to a no-good plan to seduce Shiguru. I wonder if Arakawa took inspiration from Maskman and Dekaranger to write this episode?