Special Episode Review: Bioman Episode 10 "Goodbye Yellow"

 

Back then, Chodenshi Bioman was my first exposure to the Super Sentai franchise. I want to do a review of the episode that may have brought tears to the eyes of the viewers. It was the death of Mika Koizumi. She was known as Cassie in the Filipino-English dub. The reason behind the episode was Yuki Yajima's sudden departure. Some say that she was pregnant (questionable), she had contractual disputes (most likely), or that she just quit realizing show business wasn't for her. 

The episode begins with New Empire Gear plotting its latest revenge. A previous episode had Doctor Man slowly planning to get the biometrics of the Biomen. Blue Three served as a sample. That also included regeneration data. However, Doctor Man slowly discovered some of the Universe's biggest secrets. The Kryptonite to the Bio Particles was none other than the Anti-Bio Particles! Doctor Man devices some form of gangster-type gun called the Bio Killer Gun. Doctor Man entrusts the weapon to Mason after Farah's previous failure.

Some say that Daizyujin from Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger was the first sentient Megazord. However, Bioman showed that the Bio Robo, though unable to talk, was actually sentient in some way. Later episodes even had Bio Robo moving on its own and cowering in fear when Silver first arrived. The Bio Robo was shown training with the Biomen as one to prepare themselves for any new Mecha Gigan attacks. 

The English dub did have an overly confident team. I remembered the language, "We'll beat them as usual." The original Japanese said, "We'll show them the results of our training!" What the Biomen never knew was that they'd have a big blow. I was really almost left speechless. I did cry a lot in A Land Before Time. Crying for Mika Koizumi's death (known as Cassie in the original dub) was probably a memory that some children had. Some 1990s Filipino children may have had Hikaru Katsuragi as their first pink ranger crush (who was named KIMBERLY in the dub before Toei and Saban succeeded in getting Power Rangers on-air). 

The idea of Bio Robo as a sentient Megazord is shown in some way. Mason tested the Bio Killer Gun in the Bio Robo. Bio Robo went haywire so it ejected the Biomen.  The Biomen face off against Chameleon Kans (Crustakans in the BAD English dub). An electrified giant crab? The dialogue got really cheesy. Watching the original Japanese with subtitles showed why Telesuccess really missed the mark. The real dialogue shows that the Bio Robo EJECTED the Biomen out of it. Talk about a Megazord that actually ejected the rangers inside it to save them! I wonder if the same may have happened when Burai entered Daizyujin's cockpit in his debut episode. 

The Biomen end up facing Mason (and his first time teaming up with Psygorn) after they're ejected. Mason aims the Bio Killer Gun at Red One only for Yellow Four I to take the shots. Yellow Four I's Bio energy is decreasing. The Biomen try to dodge the Bio Killer Gun's laser blasts. Peebo provides a temporary escape. For some reason, Mika goes missing. Mika is later trying to figure out how to defeat the Bio Killer Gun. Yellow Four I is dying. The others try to save her but to no avail. Heck, Yellow Four I shields Hikaru when Mason tries to shoot the latter next. 

There was a part of me hoping that Mika could be saved on time. The Biomen try to save her but she tells them to stop the car. Like WUT? Yellow Four I uses her Super Electron Hologram to show them that the Bio Killer Gun is RUNNING OUT OF POWER. I guess Mika knows that her time is up. I think the Anti-Bio Particles are poisonous. I feel that Mika's damage was internal. I don't know why Mika never gets out-of-suit and it's not explained. All that's known was that Yajima abruptly left for whatever reason. Some way she left because she just quit. Some say it was a contractual dispute with Japan Action Club. There's even the rumor she got pregnant. Some say that she was working in a bar part-time and got into a fight with the director. Somehow, the actress just left and was never found again. 

Mika knows her time as at an end. She chooses to take the remaining Bio Killer Gun shots rather than let the others be hit. She ends up taking the last of the shots until she is too weak to stand up. I feel it was dumb for Mason to consume the shots rather than conserve the ammunition. Psygorn then moves forward to blow Mika up. that makes it Harsher in Hindsight because Mika could've just been left alone and Jun Yabuki could've come forward. It's a Real Life Writes Plot and it's rather pretty forced. 

This is the most traumatic scene. Peebo is pretty much like a child in his mental programming. Peebo already was traumatized by seeing Planet Bio blow up. Peebo experiences loss again with Mika's death. Mika was still in-suit when she died. As a trivia, VA Mayumi Tanaka did the voice of Mika explaining the very different voice. Did Tanaka resume the same role in Hikonin Sentai Akibanger Season Tsuu's finale? Maybe, maybe not. That finale still makes me wonder though if Toei had the late Thuy Trang in mind in that scene? 

The Bio Robo showed its sentience again. Bio Robo triggers Mika's Bio Computer Brain to use the Super Electron Hologram. A clip of Mika in the credits is shown. At first, I hoped that Mika didn't die. Instead, it was slipping off that it was Mika bidding her teammates goodbye. The Biomen are severely weakened. It does lead to the next episode where Jun shows up. 

However, Mika is fallen but not forgotten 

Bioman episode 12 introduces Jun as the Yellow Four II. Sadly, the bad scheduling of IBC-13 always made me wonder why there were two yellow rangers. Fortunately, I was able to see more of Bioman with Grown Ups In Spandex subtitles. The Biomen were chosen due to their lineage. It's not known if Jun was actually related to Mika in some way. I assume Jun has the same ancestor as Mika and they're probably that distant. Jun never knew Mika either. It would've been interesting if Jun was a relative of Mika. Sadly, Bioman never bothered to explore that.  

Unlike Mika, Jun wanted to join the Biomen. Shiro Gou is still hurt over Mika's death. The English dub had Shiro (Kenny G) mention Cassie. Hikaru does mention Mika's name later on. Shiro mentions that the Techno Brace isn't a toy. That's pretty much codifying Zordon's first rule in Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers. Just happens that Peebo has a similar personality to Alpha 5. Jun is later confirmed to be a descendant of the original five warriors. After that, Mika was never mentioned again until a couple of episodes later.

Bioman episode 37 featured the arrival of Silver. I'm glad that the Anti-Bio Particles weren't forgotten after some time. Silver shows up as the last remnant of the Anti-Bio Union. If Peebo and Bio Robo were preserving life then Silver and Balzion were the opposite. The Anti-Bio Union ended up raging a war that caused the destruction of Planet Bio to begin with. I can understand Peebo's fears. Silver would cause me to be afraid since he has the Anti-Bio Particles. Peebo describes the Bi-Buster gun as containing more destructive power than the Bio Killer Gun. However, Peebo merely mentions Yellow Four instead of Mika. I wonder what was the reason behind it The BAD English dub did mention Cassie instead of just saying Yellow Four. After that, Mika wasn't mentioned again.

The finale arc did manage to wrap things up. Sure, Mika wasn't mentioned but she was finally avenged at long last. Mason and Psygorn were the ones in charge of making sure Silver wasn't reunited with Balzion. I guess Doctor Man wasn't thinking straight since Silver became responsible for the loss of his generals and two Beastnoids. Juuoh and Mettlzer were both severely damaged by Silver hence the Super Electron finally KILLED THEM. In the case of Psygorn, I think it was merely an oversight since he wasn't damaged by Anti-Bio Particles. I think Psygorn probably got severely damaged when his own death rays backfired at him, when he was hit by the Bio Electron Beam, and when the Super Electron wore him off. The Biomen probably overdid the Super Electron knowing that they had to geat to Balzion.

The creepy situation is Mason's death. Mason killed Mika using the Bio Killer Gun. Mason ended up fighting Silver to the death. Silver fired his two arrows killing Mason. Mason used an Anti-Bio Particle weapon much earlier on. Mason later tries to secure Balzion - the ultimate source of Anti-Bio Particles. That's where Doctor Man got more than enough Anti-Bio Particles for the finale arc. Doctor Man used them to power up King Megas and the Anti-Bio Bomb to destroy the Earth. Mason used the Bio Killer Gun against the Biomen. Now, Mason is killed by Silver who was wielding the same power. I find that death fitting for Mason. Later, Silver engages in the final battle between the two factions after the epic death of Mason. 

Mika's name wasn't recalled by Peebo in the final episode. It can be understood because Peebo was bidding farewell to the current roster. However, it doesn't mean Mika was forgotten. Mika's concept was practically worth exploring. Sure, there was some Real Life Writes Plot. I'm even led to believe that a bad combination of contractual disputes and maybe the rumors of Yajima being hard to work with might be very real. Again, I don't know why Yajima left. It was fortunate her concept managed to be completed in Gekisou Sentai Carranger with the character of Natsumi Shinohara. Thankfully, Yuta Motohashi (who was diagnosed with cancer last 2021) finished her contract with Toei Ltd.