Ken's Rescue Spirit!

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Machine Robo Rescue
Episode 16
MRRE16-057KenKBoy.jpg
"Ken's Rescue Spirit!"
"ケンのレスキュー魂!"
("Ken no resukyū tamashī!")
Production company Sunrise
Yomiko Advertising
TV Tokyo
Airdate April 23, 2003
Written by Shin Yoshida
Directed by Kiyoshi Fukumoto
Animation studio Sunrise

A kid has leukaemia and Ken settles for burning to death - just another cheery escapade!

Synopsis[edit | edit source]

MRRE16-028Hisashu.jpg

The cadets are receiving injections for Disease Prevention Day from the Doctor, displaying unusual unity by all being equally terrified of needles. However, Ken is unwell with a fever and is still in the dorm, being checked on by Marie Bitou. However, he is faking it to get out of the shots, having used Bone to trick the thermometer. Taiyoh and the rest of Yellow Gears visit him, whereupon Bone sells Ken out immediately. Sayuri is more interested in telling Ken his bone marrow is urgently needed for a patient, tactfully telling him the procedure will involve syringes. To get out of it Ken plans to run away and instead become a celebrity model. However, he is interrupted by the alarm and walks into Marie before he can slip out - MRR have been assigned to transport an emergency medical patient from the remote village of Nanagahake, which had been cut off thanks to storms and flooding. As the others are recovering from their shots still Ken has to go along with only Arias in Wing Liner, Chief Bitou having known he was faking his illness. Arias only missed out on the injections due to the doctor being unable to find his small veins, and he quickly becomes annoyed with Ken's indifferent attitude to their mission. When they reach the village Fire Robo and the Aider Robo deploy, but Arias and Ken find the patient - an 8-year old boy called Hisashi - has locked himself in his room, fearful of the operation. As Arias and Ken try to persuade him to come out Hisashi reveals he has incurable myeloid leukaemia. The pair kick the door open - just as Hisashi jumps out of the window. They are stunned by his sprightly behaviour, and Ken gives chase as the storm begins to worsen. Before Fire Robo and Ace can follow they realise the lightning is in fact being caused by Stealth Robo who blocks their path. Ace orders the Fire Team to combine but Jay does the same, and the pair begin to fight.

MRRE16-043StealthFire.jpg

Hyper Stealth Robo is too powerful for Hyper Fire Robo and soon gains the upper hand in the battle, kicking his opponent repeatedly in the groin before absorbing energy from the lightning, further increasing his power. Arias orders Hyper Fire Robo to activate a ZONE to contain the attacker. Meanwhile Ken is yet to find Hisashi, and the lightning starts a forest fire, and the weather prevents MRR sending any reinforcements in. Ken finds the boy, who sees no point in saving himself if he's just going to die from his illness anyway. However, Ken refuses to leave him - telling Hisashi that he only cares so a failure won't haunt him. He is able to send the boy to safety using his belt and a rope to get them to hospital staff but makes no attempt to leave the burning building himself. Ken lies down and prepares to die when his K-BOY receives a call from Hisashi, who tells him his illness isn't actually incurable if he receives the right bone marrow transplant, and says Ken has inspired him to be brave enough to co-operate with the procedure. Realising that he is the transplant match and will be no use if he dies, Ken snaps out of it - and is saved by Drill Robo. Inside the ZONE, Hyper Stealth Robo continues to bat Hyper Fire Robo around, and Ken activates Hyper Drill Robo to help. The pair combine their powers for a Double Finger Flash. Jay tries to urge Stealth Robo on but has been spotted by Ken, who punches him in the face. A chasm opens up and Jay almost falls to his death, only to be caught by the escaping Stealth Robo, who notes that there will be plenty more chances to destroy MRR. Below, the storm lifts and Hyper Fire Robo has brought the fire under control, while Hiyashi apologises to Ken for his behaviour. Realising he was the one at fault, Ken agrees to the operation - but still screams loudly when he gets the needle.

Featured characters[edit | edit source]

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Machine Robo Rescue Disasters Others
  • 'Doctor' (5)
  • 'Village Doctor' (21)
  • 'Old Nurse' (22)
  • 'Young Nurse' (23)
  • Hisashi (24)

Quotes[edit | edit source]

"Don't tell me..."
"Yes! You will be injected with a VERY BIG needle in your back."

Ken and a happily oblivious Sayuri.

Notes[edit | edit source]

MRRE16-015KenDreamJob.jpg
MRRE16-065KenJay.jpg

Continuity notes[edit | edit source]

  • Ken Minami likes penguins and seems to own no less than four copies of a book called How to rescue, as well as more prosaic volumes named Boxing and Fighting. He also has pink and lilac pyjamas with heart-shaped buttons. Clearly a man of contrasts.
  • Machine Robo Rescue members are all signed up to organ transplant programmes; while it's optional it's a bit shady, though probably not the worst thing Brad Bitou's done.

Real-world references[edit | edit source]

  • People really can have small veins, and they can cause problems when receiving injections.

Continuity and plotting errors[edit | edit source]

  • While MRR is a juvenile series that goes gentle on the arc stuff it's a bit much that literally no-one mentions the bombshell of Hyper Stealth Robo and/or Chief Bitou's complete failure to mention anything about it to anyone all episode; Ace even seems shocked about Hyper Stealth Robo, despite seeing him in action the previous episode.
  • Where exactly did Drill Robo come from? Chief Bitou said they couldn't get reinforcements to the village and thanks to the magic of stock footage he was clearly seen watching the Wing Liner leave, so wasn't just onboard and keeping a low profile.
  • Talking of Wing Liner, everyone seems to have forgotten once again it has a robot mode. Though to be fair with Ace and Ken separated for most of the episode there's no real opportunity to transform it.

Trivia[edit | edit source]

  • It is not explained exactly how Ken uses Bone to fake his fever. This is almost certainly for the best.

Foreign localization[edit | edit source]

Singapore

  • Title: "Ken's Soul of Rescue!"
  • Original airdate: ?

Home video releases[edit | edit source]

DVD

2003Machine Robo Rescue Vol 04 (Sunrise)