English Dub Review: Chained Soldier “United Front, Tenka, Soar”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

Tenka confronts Rairen, then uses her ability to manipulate space.  Later, Yuuki tidies up and gets a face full of more than dirty laundry!

Our Take:

The Mato exhibition match was rudely interrupted by an army of Shuuki led by another powerful humanoid, Rairen.  Thankfully, the two squadrons quickly put aside their differences to defend their turf.  We’ve seen what the 6th Squadron members, Yachiho and Sahara, could do with their unique abilities during the matches.  However, we don’t know how formidable its general, Tenka Izumo, is with her power. That is until this episode, where she battles Rairen, who can shoot lightning down from the sky.  Tenka’s ability allows her to manipulate space by creating portals around her.  That may sound harmless at first glance, but as it turns out, they actually pack quite a punch.  As a result, the fight between the squadrons and the Shuuki concluded with Tenka sending Rairen into her portal…or so she thought.

However, with one battle out of the picture, another one would soon follow.  I’m not just talking about the Shuuki humanoids planning another ambush for the squadrons.  Instead, the struggle happens during the visit to the 6th Squadron’s dorm, mainly from Yuuki.  I may sound like a pervert for saying this, but the sequence involving Yuuki reacting to Yachiho and Sahara was another amusing highlight of Chained Soldier.  His comedic reaction to Yachiho’s room full of pictures of Himari was quite unexpected, and his trying and failing to escape Sahara’s clutches was….  Well, let’s say it’s another scene you shouldn’t watch when your parents are around.

Since the Mato exhibition match, I started to grow fond of the show’s bizarre concept, notably for its balance of action, humor, and sexual content.  It’s one of the examples of a series finding its footing in enjoyability after a few episodes despite its “immature” topic, and by that, I mean sex.  From the looks of the episode’s conclusion, it may have a chance to keep my interest going, especially with Tenka seeking to claim Yuuki for herself.