English Dub Review: Thunder 3 “We Are ‘Thunder 3”
Overview
After multiple episodes of preparation and tactical retreats by the human resistance, the cartoon-like main trio Pyontaro, Hiroshi, and Tsubame finally arrive at the core Shibuya battle zone to confront the alien threat head-on. Thanks to their chibi, rule-defying cartoon physiology, they remain entirely unfazed by the advanced, high-temperature alien weaponry. As their effortless counterattack is livestreamed globally in-universe, they officially christen themselves the Thunder 3!
Our Take
Picking up from the previous episode, Pyontaro, Hiroshi, and Tsubame finally arrive at the Shibuya battle zone to confront the alien threat head-on. Thanks to their ridiculous cartoon-like physiology, the trio can shrug off the aliens’ advanced weaponry, leading to some of the episode’s most entertaining moments. Meanwhile, Mio Kisaragi’s return provides some much-needed hope for Rebellion, while Futaba continues to worry about her brother from afar. The reveal of their new hero name, Thunder 3, is also a fun payoff to the episode.
Unfortunately, the pacing remains the biggest problem with this adaptation. After so much time spent following Futaba aboard the alien ship with very little progression, this episode continues to drag things out with long pauses, reaction shots, slow movements, and extended moments of characters simply standing around. Even the action can feel unnecessarily stretched, making the actual story progression seem much smaller than it should be. At this point, the slow pacing has become more distracting than the story itself.
Overall, I mostly enjoyed this installment whenever Thunder 3 were actually fighting, as their exaggerated powers and wacky approach to combat remain incredibly fun to watch. Seeing them finally get the spotlight also makes the Thunder 3 name feel well deserved. However, with only one episode remaining, I’m increasingly concerned about how much the finale can accomplish at this pace. There’s still plenty of story left to cover, and hopefully the final episode can finally pick up the momentum this series has been missing.
