Dangaioh Volume II

 Haja Taisei Dangaioh 破邪大星ダンガイオー (1988) Artmic

Dangaioh: Spiral Knuckle of Tears

Volume II starts with the Bunker Pirates lauding over their latest plunder from the Planet Hekatom. Along with a collection of Azal crystals that are capable of fuelling the fleet for years, they also have acquired three assassins that may be the perfect foil for the Dangaioh team.

In another part of the galaxy Professor Tarsan's ship, the Daldal and the Dangaioh team have taken refuge on an icy forest planet where the four are engaged in combat training to enhance their skills.

Although the majority of the the group seem to be developing smoothly the Professor notices that Mia has trouble manifesting her powers. During a training exercise she releases far too much energy and causes damage to the bulkhead of the ship.

Later the Professor accompanied by Lamba and Mia criticizes her performance and lack of control. 

Mia shoots back that the only reason they agreed to train is to combat the Bunker Pirates and that he better not have any ideas of selling them off to anyone.

The professor is taken aback.

Lamba chimes in that the Professor has not made good on his word to take her and Roll to their home worlds.

The conversation is cut short when Pai and Roll show up to inform Tarsan that they have detected three unknown objects entering the atmosphere. Roll adds that they believe it is the Bunkers.

The four members go out to investigate where they find a derelict spacecraft. Pai remarks that it looks like an accident and adds the crew might already be dead.

Mia suddenly senses a presence and a large brute with a sword springs out of the forest attacking Pai, while two more, a man and woman await above in the trees.

Mia ask the two if they are Bunkers and the woman replies they are there to kill them.

Mia tells them that they have no wish to fight and finds herself being levitated and thrown against a tree.

Roll begins his run to build up energy but the two attackers drift into the air causing him to miss and only take out a large section of the real estate.

With only Lamba left in the fight the female assailant levels her gun at her and they face off.

Pai finds herself dodging the thrust sword of her opponent and tries to take him out with a series of kicks and punches. However the big man (Oscar) is stronger than she expects and manages to get her in a choke hold.

Lamba dodges the gunfire from the female assassin and returns fire with her own energy blast. The discharge manages to graze the concealing glasses that she is wearing and as her eyes are revealed Lamba is shocked.

It is a face she recognizes, she yells out "Shazara"! The woman fires and the blast grazes Lamba in the shoulder.

 Mia recovers from her assault and hears the voice of the woman in her mind, saying "Princess Lamba, I'm here to kill you.

Pai also hears the woman's voice and manages to ward off her attacker by smashing his sword and giving Oscar a good right cross.

Before Shazara can fire again Roll appears and manages to attack with a large energy dispersal causing the attackers to flee.

Roll tells Mia that they should pursue their attackers, but Lamba begs to let them go. 

Back at the Daldal, Tarsan recounts to the four espers that Lamba was formerly the Princess of the Planet Lilis, a once prosperous world comparable to Earth.

Lamba recalls how she remembers having a faithful servant Shazara, who was with her until she fled to the Planet. Tarsan says that he found Lamba floating in space and discovered her esper potential worthy of adding to the Dangaioh team.

Lamba is convinced that her servant has been brainwashed as well to fight for the Bunker, but Pai isi not so assured. Mia notes silently that the woman referred to her as Princess Lamba in her mind, and feels that she wouldn't call her that if she had her memory purged.

Lamba is unwavering in her opinion and and goes off to search for Shazara in hopes of rescuing her.

The rest of the team decide to let her go feeling that there is no way to change her mind.

While wandering in the snow Lamba is captured by Domdon, and brought to Shazara who refers to her as her most hated enemy.

Domdon

As she is being held captive Oscar tells Lamba the story of her Planet while she was away. The Bunker had conquered her world and after taking all the resources destroyed the Planet.

As a survivor Shazara was bitter that after Lamba's father had given such valiant speeches of fighting the Bunker, he surrendered and caused the destruction of Lilis. She blames the surrender by the royal family as cause for her vengeance.

Later a trio of jets are found speeding their way towards the Daldal. Apparently the lead ship is being pursued and fired upon. Shazara opens communications with the Professor saying she is rescuing Princess Lamba and urges the Dangaioh team to drop their shields so that she can return her safely back to them.

Pai Lamba and Roll urge the Professor to drop the barrier assuring him that if this is a trap the team will be ready for it.

Tarsan reluctantly lowers the barrier and Shazara orders her group to attack.

As a result Pai waits outside the ship and attacks with an awesome quad loaded rocket bazooka startegically aimed at the cockpit of the lead jet which frees Lamba from her captivity. 

Lamba falls out of the cockpit but Mia manages to capture her in freefall and the four espers unite and launch in the Dan-Mechanics.

The three mercenaries combine their fighters to form the Giant Gestalt Izam the Third. (Makes one wonder what happened to Izam the First and Second).

 

Bad joke...

The four members respond by forming Dangaioh.

The two mechs find that they are evenly matched as they exchange blows and energy weapon discharges.

While the two robots engage in combat Roll notices Lamba energy output is down due to her reluctance to fight.

Shazara takes advantage of this vulnerability and launches the Plasma Typhoon that manages to land a crippling blow to Dangaioh. Lamba realizes the harm she is causing to her team mates and starts to engage her psychic abilities raising the power levels for the team.

Lamba then tells Shazara that she must continue to fight in order to represent the people of Lilis and defy the Bunker.

The four combine their psychic output and use the Psychic Wave maneuver.

While held in the grip, of the psionic attack, Shazara notices the pattern generated by the energy signature in the giant robot's palm.

She notices how the pattern is similar to the one used to represent her home-world. This gives her pause and leaves the her comrades vulnerable, and unable to separate from their robot form.

 Lamba asks Roll to let her be the one to conclude the conflict, he complies and delivers a finishing move the Spiral Knuckle. Lamba is left crushed afterwards at the death of her loyal retainer.

 

In the end The Bunker Pirate Dartila reveals his newest weapon to defeat the Dangaioh team. Hiding in the shadows lurks a resurrected silhouette of Gil Berg.

This chapter is my personal favourite of the three, Lots of energy, intensity and sense of loss. If there is anything that I find fault with is that this episode spends 11 minutes for a recap of the first Act that serves as padding sacrificing the run time of the story.

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