Dragon Drive Volume 10: Showdown in D-Zone (DVD) - Anime Reviews


	Number of Episodes 4 Language Options English/Japanese/English Subtitles Released by Bandai Entertainment Extras - Illustration Gallery - Lenticular Pencil Board
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Dragon Drive Volume 10: Showdown in D-Zone (DVD)

They felt helpless as Kouhei and Hideaki disappeared into space, taking Shinryu with them. Now, they are desperate to find a way to return to the Earth. Luckily, Jigen-Joker wakes up just in time to take them back to the D-Zone! However, Kouhei seems to have gone berserk, and having a “father-and-son” fight with Saizou. Will Reiji and Sennkoh-Coola succeed in containing Shinryu and save the world?

The last disc of Dragon Drive was rather hectic and now that the end of the series is in sight, I wouldn’t expect the action to ramp down quite yet. I’m guessing that we’re going to get even more intense, and it looks as though the final battles are imminent. No sense in not watching the finale, let’s go!

Episode 35: D-Zone

We return to the standoff where Kouhei and Hideaki are now staring across at everyone else who are now officially enemies. But direct assaults against Kouhei are pointless as his dragonite is more than a sufficient equalizer. RI-ON headquarters now opens the portal back to Earth, both enemies then enter but Rockaku and Mahiru slip behind. Kouhei meets Saizou and hands over the dragonite, and is dismissed but the youngster will not be removed from the equation. Saizou hands over the dragonite to the technician and tells him to enter it into the D-Zone where Hideaki is waiting and takes possession. Kouhei will not be removed and he enters the D-Zone and tells Hideaki to hand it over; he refuses so Kouhei defeats him. Except he immediately reappears at full strength… and Kouhei continually defeats that opponent.

Saizou refuses to let his plan degrade, so he enters the D-Zone with a dragon that he’s been holding in reserve. Hideaki joins him, but Saizou dismisses him saying that he has no use for him. Hideaki is crushed at the treatment and can’t understand why his father would do that, so Kouhei explains it to him – Saizou has no children, he’s merely a computer program that was created to watch him. Hideaki refuses to believe it and although he tries to cry out, Saizou removes his program. Saizou’s more powerful dragon attacks Kouhei, but with the dragonite, he is a much more powerful being.

Elsewhere, the commotion has acted as a signpost for Mahiru and Rockaku, and the two are making their way towards the battle – the two have come to a temporary

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truce and will fight together until they can revenge their friend/missing brother. Back in the other world, the team tries to figure out how they are going to get back to Earth but they don’t know how… until Reiji comes to a conclusion – Jigen-Joker! In the background, the technician has managed to get around the security systems and has managed to free L, Meguru’s sister – so they are doing their best to sabotage Saizou’s plans, but it may be an uphill battle.

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Episode 36: The Return

With the re-awakening of Jigen-Joker, the rest of the team finally have a way to reach the D-Zone and try and stop Shinryu from awakening. Unfortunately, because

Jigen-Joker has awakened, it means that the process has already started so Meguru says her goodbyes to the Elder and the team heads for the D-Zone. Shinryu’s body has been recreated, but he is immobile and Kouhei is unable to command him – Saizou continues to chastise him and renews the attack on the youngster. Kouhei uses his guile to remain in the fight until he’s unseated and Saizou pins him underneath his dragon’s talons. Kouhei appears to surrender after finally being able to communicate with Shinryu, but once Saizou lets him up, he suddenly disappears into a black hole and is merging with Shinryu.

Mahiru and Rockaku finally arrive at the battle scene and begin to fight with Saizou, but the creator of the D-Zone is dominating the fight and hasn’t been hit once. Reinforcements finally arrive with the rest of the team, and Reiji quickly summons SinnSaber to try and end the fight quickly but Saizou pulls a controller from his pocket. The controller allows him to change D-Zone but the technician and L have blocked his control of the system for the time being. However, Kouhei has started to manifest powers and he tells Reiji to disappear. Reiji blacks out and when he awakens, he’s back in his bedroom.

Episode 37: Shinryu

Reiji awakens in his room and he questions whether the experiences that he’s had are only a dream. The images of the battle are still fresh in his mind but he cannot explain why he’s back home. Going to school the next day, he runs into both Daisuke and Maiko both of whom are acting as normal; at the end of the day, he asks them about the battle with Shinryu but they both claim to not know what he’s talking about. He starts to walk away until his card of Chibi falls out of his pocket, and at this point both Daisuke and Maiko try to stop him from returning to fight. They say that they were scared for their lives and that they don’t think that they could beat Shinryu. Reiji is insistent and he heads towards the gaming center – he meets Meguru outside who also has realized what has happened. L brings the pair inside and they meet up with Ichirou and Hikaru. While they prepare to enter the D-Zone, Daisuke and Maiko appear and the group is ready to re-enter the game.

Inside the world, Taiyou, Rockaku, and Mahiru have been fighting both Saizou and the growing power of Shinryu. The threesome is having little luck against the powerful duo, but thankfully Saizou and Kouhei start arguing so Kouhei decides that he’s had enough and kills Saizou. Despite the slightly better odds, things don’t improve until the rest of the team arrives and each person begins fighting. Meguru releases one of her more potent attacks which stuns Shinryu and Kouhei, and Rockaku takes the initiative – he dives onto Shinryu and restrains Kouhei. He yells at Reiji to kill them both, he’ll hold Kouhei in the trap.

Episode 38: D-Break!

It’s the last episode. Now I won’t ruin a good ending, so you’ll have to watch it on your own.

The pacing of Dragon Drive has been rather sporadic throughout the entire series, and that occurred all the way up to the end. One moment intense action, next moment, slow down. It took a little while to get used to it, but once I did – smooth sailing. Certainly not the most amazingly written series that I’ve ever seen, but definitely not the worst either. Great for kids or the childlike.

- Tazman

(October 22, 2005)

"Bart, want to go to the video arcade?"

"Hell, I'll even go shoe shopping."

- Marge and Bart (The Simpsons)

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