Episode 78

EPISODE 78

出撃！ダークエンジェル (Shutsugeki! Daaku Enjeru)

Charge! Dark Angel

First Broadcast: April 30, 1994

Equivalent Manga Chapter(s): second half of chapter 128 (WSJ #32, 1993, July 26), chapter 129 (WSJ #33, 1993, August 2)

Summary: It turns out Sensui has not only mastered Resshu-ken, supposedly the strongest form of martial arts, but he’s even improved it by combining it with his spiritual powers to create a unique fighting style, “Reiko Resshu-ken”.  Yusuke is soon overwhelmed, and even Kuwabara and Kurama joining the fight doesn’t help much.  Sensui and his comrades cleverly split the three up, with “Gourmet” and “Game Master” kidnapping Kuwabara.  The gang flees via truck with Kuwabara in tow, and Sensui easily counters Yusuke’s Spirit Gun, forcing him to pursue on bike.

Anime/manga differences after the jump.

Differences from the Manga

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• The last episode recap contains images from the bloody orgy Sensui saw which weren’t actually included in the last episode, some of which are taken straight from the manga.  This makes the recap version of the scene much closer to the manga than what was included in the actual episode.  Odd.

• The episode begins with a re-do of last episode’s closing scene, as Yusuke and Sensui charge up and start to fight.  Mitarai also has another flash-back to Kuwabara saving his life.  

•  In the manga the narrator explains all about Sensui’s Resshu-ken fighting style, while in the anime Genkai gives the second half of the explanation (even in the manga Genkai knows about Resshu-ken, she just doesn’t do anything besides mention the name). 

• After the explanation of Resshu-ken and Sensui saying that he’s combined it with spiritual energy to create “Reiko Resshu-ken”, the anime inserts a scene where Mitarai explains to Shizuru and Botan that Sensui needs Kuwabara’s dimension-cutting ability and will try to capture him.  Botan goes to warn Kuwabara, but Sniper stops her by shooting the room full of his dice projectiles.  After Sensui kicks his energy ball, there’s another scene where Shizuru leaves Botan with Mitarai and makes a run for it to try and warn her brother.  She’s hit by some falling rubble after Sensui’s attack hits the apartment building.

• Chapter 128 ends with Gourmet and Game Master seeing smoke in the distance (caused by Sensui’s attack hitting Yusuke’s apartment, as we later learn) and saying that’s the signal for all-out war.  The anime moves this to after the mid-episode eye catch, following the revelation that the attack was aimed at the apartment rather than Yusuke, and Sensui beating up Yusuke some more.

• Once Sensui beats up Yusuke some more and says he should start studying again from the basics, in the manga Kuwabara immediately starts to attack Sensui, out in the street.  In the anime though Sensui runs off and Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Kurama give chase.  Then there’s scene where Shizuru, hurt by some falling rubble during Sensui’s attack, tells Keiko to go and warn Kuwabara that Sensui is after him.  Yusuke and co. then track Sensui to inside some empty building, where Yusuke starts fighting him for yet another round.  Yusuke manages to grab Sensui’s leg and is about to nail him with a Reikodan, but Sensui kicks him in the head with his other leg.  At this point Kuwabara attacks Sensui like in the manga.

• After Kuwabara discovers that he can only produce his usual Spirit Sword and not the Dimensional Sword, there’s another flashback to him defeating Mitarai with the Dimensional Sword.

• In the manga, Kurama attacks Sensui with his Rose Whip, only for Gourmet and Game Master to immediately show up in their truck (which Game Master is driving!) and nap Kuwabara with the finger tendril powers he gained from Elder Toguro.  In the anime, Sensui evades Kurama’s attack and jumps down from the empty building they were in to a crowded street.  The gang catches up with him, but Kurama can’t use his Rose Whip in a place crowded with innocent people, and he realizes that this was why Sensui wanted to fight them in the city.  Sniper then shows up on his motorcycle.  Sensui runs off and Yusuke and Kuwabara follow him, but Sniper keeps Kurama behind by threatening to shoot people if he tries to leave.  Keiko again shows up at an incredibly inopportune moment, running up to Kurama so she can deliver Shizuru’s message.  Sniper fires one of his projectiles at her, but Puu blocks it with his body.  Sniper then drives off, while Keiko tells Kurama that Kuwabara is in danger.  Elsewhere, Yusuke and Kuwabara chase Sensui up some stairs.  A little kid (Game Master) suddenly walks out in front of Kuwabara and he falls down trying to avoid running into him.  Kuwabara starts telling this kid to be more careful, but suddenly he can sense a Territory, and he realizes this kid must be part of Sensui’s group.  Gourmet then steps out from behind a car (they’re in some multi-level parking garage) and naps Kuwabara with his finger tendrils.  Meanwhile Yusuke has chased Sensui up to the roof of the building, when he hears Kuwabara scream.  Game Master (driving in this version too) and Gourmet take off in their truck with Kuwabara in tow, and Sensui jumps off the building and joins them.