At a bowling alley, a young girl gets a strike. But as she reaches to pick up her next ball, a massive bowling ball bursts through the floor from under the ground. It destroys the bowling alley and breaks out into the surrounding city.
"It's a monster ball!" one hapless young female victim screams.
But it is now more than a ball. Sprouting red metal legs, it is more like a mechanical spider. Yet based on the title of the episode, I guess we're supposed to think of it as a ball, still.
As if to demonstrate this point, the ball's legs retract and it begins to literally roll through the city, destroying buildings as it goes. It even smashes a train!
Its red metal legs have returned, and the ball is now walking in the mountains. The citizens have dubbed this thing the 'Mecha Ball', and 'Earth's Defense Forces' are sent out to meet it. We have... trucks with rocket launchers on top.
Yep! Hope those are some mighty powerful rocket launchers!
Ooh, there are planes too!
Not that it matters, because of course, it's too early in the episode for anything to be effective against the mecha-of-the-week. The rocket-launching trucks and the planes prove to be useless against the rampaging Mecha Ball.
In its own defense, the Mecha Ball's legs retract, and wings and a tail sprout. the Ball simply flies away. Strangely, it doesn't seem to bother smashing the rocket-launcher trucks on its way out. Guess this scene is safe to use in BOTP then.
The planes aren't so lucky. The Mecha Ball shoots rockets at them.
I love how the fire blasts coming from the bottom look like the placement of finger holes on a bowling ball! I'm wondering which Tatsunoko script-writer was into bowling...
Of course, none of the planes make it. Guess they're 'robot planes'.
But the Mecha Ball is really mad now. It comes back to land, sprouts some claws, and starts smashing the rocket-launching trucks.
The camera pans back, and we see that it is footage being watched by Dr. Nambu and our favorite ninja team. Joe appears unimpressed, while Ken appears to be heartbroken at the devastation.
We learn that the Mecha Ball attacks are taking place in Amerisama. I’mnot sure if/how this relates to Ameris, or perhaps it is Ameris-sama, as in ‘Lord Ameris’?
"Where the hell did that damn thing come from, anyway?" Ryu snarls. I think he's channeling his inner Condor today.
Joe points out that the civilian casualties from this menace are greater than any other threat they've encountered so far. Nambu thinks that this is because the Mecha Ball's purpose is to terrorize the world's citizens.
"But that's terrible, we have to do something!" Jun cries.
"You have to calm down, Jun." Nambu says in an almost perfect monotone. "We have to expect this from Galactor.' Ah, so the casualties don't bother him. No wonder he's in charge. We can see from these previous shots that Ken doesn't have that degree of emotional distance.
"It may be a tough fight this time." Nambu warns them.
"Just looking at that stupid Mecha Ball makes me never want to go bowling again!" Jinpei cries angrily.
Jun asks what their mission is.
"Well, about that..." Nambu hedges. The camera pans over again to show a despondent (and thus far, silent) Eagle.
Ryu asks if there's something wrong, and Joe wants reassurance that they're going to attack.
"Please, give us our orders, Doctor!" Jun asks.
Nambu hangs his head and doesn't offer a proper response. Ken finally turns around and joins the conversation.
"So there isn't a plan, is there?" he says.
Nambu admits that Ken is right. Joe is outraged. Doesn't Nambu have any faith in the Science Ninja Team! It's been 23 episodes already! Come on, Nambu!
Ken tells Joe that they can tell from the videos that the Mecha Ball is indestructible.
"We've fought indestructible enemies from Galactor a hundred times and always won." Joe shoots back. Hey, a hundred times? Clearly there's a lot of fighting going on here that's not part of canon episodes! Regardless, they definitely did this last episode, with the Fire-Breathing Dragon.
"Stop acting like a frightened child!" Joe threatens Ken with his... finger. This gesture just seems off. Shouldn't it be a fist?
Maybe Joe is bragging, saying that he can beat up Ken with one finger? One finger tied behind his back?
Ken ignores Joe’s finger, and points out that the fact that the mecha is a ball makes this different. But he doesn't really explain why this is.
Nambu admits that right now, there's nothing the Science Ninja Team can do. It may be a 'simple steel ball', but Nambu hasn't figured out a way to deal with it yet.
"If there's no plan, then just give us the order, and let us charge in and destroy it!" Joe suggests. Why am I not surprised hearing this attitude coming from him?
Ken tells Joe that Nambu doesn't want them to become victims. Jun, Jinpei and Ryu all announce that they're willing to put their lives on the line, but Ken won't hear it.
"I refuse to die in vain!" he shouts.
I'm finding this really interesting, because last episode Ken was the one all for going out, even without a strong plan of attack. Maybe he learned his lesson?
But then, 21 episodes later they're going to have this exact same argument with Nambu, and Ken is going to side with the Team, wanting to go off and fight a mecha that will likely kill them.
But of course, I'm getting ahead of myself. I'll just point this out for LB so she can remember all of these wonderful inconsistencies when she writes up episode 44.
"What?" Joe can't believe what he's hearing.
Now the fist comes out!
Nambu says that it's his 'duty' to come up with some kind of plan, and asks the Team to standby until he gives them orders.
So what happens? Joe and Jun decided to go out and get cozy at a bar.
Okay, not just them. (Darn it!) The entire Team. What is up with Jinpei's hair? And I know Ryu is supposed to be fat, but I swear, in this shot his backside looks twice as big as normal!
One other point: this doesn't seem to be the Snack. I didn't realize that the Team hung out other places!
Jun seems happy to be cozying up to Joe as she drinks her orange juice.
Yet, she is wondering where Ken went. Joe tells her to leave Ken alone. Ooh, he’s jealous…
It bugs the hell out of the Condor that Ken and Nambu are being such cowards about the mecha ball.
Jinpei demonstrates his strength, and wants to fight the Mecha Ball too.
Ryu decides that since Jinpei has the muscles, he will impersonate Popeye in his own way... all he needs is the corncob pipe!
The Owl declares that 'he's going to lose his edge if all he does is sleep and eat'.
So Jun, to take their minds off of all of this, suggests that they all... go bowling.
Yep, bowling. Not five minutes after Jinpei made that stupid joke about never going bowling again. As a Swan, I have to hang my head in shame. And Jun is usually so bright...
The guys can't think up a polite response to this suggestion, so they all drink their coffee in unison to avoid having to say anything.
But they are startled when a nearby television set has a newsflash. The Mecha Ball has now been spotted off the coast of the Banana Islands in the Pacific.
Jun and Ryu listen to the newsflash.
"We're going!" Joe announces. Jinpei agrees, but Ryu meekly points out that they're supposed to wait for Nambu's orders.
"We can't wait for him!" Joe shouts. "Let's go!"
Jun readily agrees, and contacts Ken.
Unfortunately, it seems that Ken has been in a shipwreck, and is washed up on an island himself.
Oh, wait! I guess he was just thinking. He sits up when he gets Jun's call. He's not too pleased to hear from her.
Ken says that he's not going to change his mind, and Jun replies that they're going with, or without him.
Ken tells Jun not to be stupid, but to wait for Nambu's orders. Wow, the Fire-Breathing Dragon really made an impression on him!
Joe's voice comes through and tells Ken that they're going anyway. Ken finally agrees to meet them on the God Phoenix.
Ken them transforms. Good thing too, because he was starting to look like Joe...
Insert stock transformation footage, and everyone hooks up on the God Phoenix.
"Don't be reckless, all right?" Ken asks Joe.
But it seems to be a little late for this request, as Joe is already sitting in Ken's chair, leaving Ken standing around looking like a third wheel/. Uh… fifth wheel.
