Episode 01

"Target: Metropolitan Tokyo"

## Staff

* Script: Toriumi Jinzo, Onishi Yuki
* Director: Sekida Osamu
* Storyboard: Ikeda Masashi
* Animation director: Shioyama Norio

## Summary

The Youja Emperor Arago has revived and his only goal is to conquer the Earth. However, the five legendary warriors were able to sense this impending arrival. They gather together in Shinjuku, Tokyo in order to stop it. They managed to defeat the first wave of Arago's Youja army, but are then faced with a new and more powerful threat. The four Masho.

## Highlights

After the appearance of Ryo of the Rekka armor, the other Samurai Troopers appear.

Their separate introductions gives us a glimpse into their personalities and individuality. Seiji the most solely because the first time we see him, he's falling head-first and is completely calm about it.

In addition to this, there were some awesome things to see, such as the transformation into the Rekka armor that shows off those Japanese patterned rolls and the falling sakura petals. It all had a really 'Japanese' feel to it. Then there's Rekka's special technique, the Sou En Zan (Twin Flame Cut), which makes for a scene that's really great to see.

When the Youja empire began its invasion of the Human World, the peaceful everyday sort of lifestyle the people knew had been completely destroyed.

In Shinjuku, Nasuti and Jun were captured by Youja soldiers. Ryo, one of the Samurai Troopers, stepped in to rescue them. Not to mention that Touma, Seiji, Shin, and Shuu had all rushed to the city that day, just like Ryo had. This allowed the five teens to come together and become the Yoroiden Samurai Troopers.

Because the strength of the armor is much stronger than the subarmor, the Youja soldiers don't offer much of a threat. Not to mention the fact that this was Ryo's first battle ever.

With the appearance of the four Tennou (Heavenly Kings) from the Youja World on the top of the buildings, this is the introduction of the four Masho!

This is also when Rekka's special technique is unleashed for the very fist time!!

The history professor, Yagyu Konosuke, predicted the revival of Youja Emperor Arago. His granddaughter, Nasuti, heads to Shinjuku when reports on the news of a boy and his white tiger catches her attention. He is the first Samurai Trooper to appear and she feels that he has to come back and talk with her grandfather. The boy is, in fact, Ryo, Samurai Trooper of the Rekka armor, one of the five warriors who will fight against the evil empire's invasion.

Just how, exactly, was Ryo able to travel with Byakuen all the way into the middle of Shinjuku is going to remain a mystery forever. Maybe they only moved around at night under the cover of darkness?

The city is depicted quite accurately, especially since this was done for an anime. For example, the names of Isetan and Marui (these two are popular buildings for clothes, food, and small temporary 'pop up' stores) on Meiji-dori Avenue are still around to this day. Though famous stores like those for Kodac cameras are no longer around. That aside, even when compared with today's city layout, where they use to exist at should still be locatable due to the surroundings. Walking through the actual location, it makes you think back to the scene in the show and imagine that Youja soldiers will appear at any given moment. Other places like Shinjuku Station, N Mall, MyCity, etc., well, they'll be sure to bring up really nostalgic feelings when you're in Shinjuku. Furthermore, in the aerial scene of Shinjuku, although the Keio Plaza Hotel exists, it's important to note that there was no Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building\* at that time. It was under construction. It's fun to think about all of this stuff.

(\*The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building : construction started April 1988, was completed December 1990, and was finally open to the public April 1991.)

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1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Yoroiden Samurai Troopers, 30th Anniversary Book, Tatsumi Publication. Fan translation by The URWWS.