Ep. 3: Changing Courage into Magic

Changing Courage into Magic ~Maagi Magi Go Gokai~ is the third episode of Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger. It is the conclusion of a two-part story which began in The Worth of This Planet. It is also the first tribute episode of the series, to Mahou Sentai Magiranger.

Synopsis
After the Gokai Galleon makes a crash landing in a volcano, the Gokaigers are attacked by Action Commander Salamandam. Elsewhere, Captain Marvelous and Don Dogoier meet the prophesized man dressed in black.

Plot
Sailing into the fog-ridden forest, with their radar failing on them suddenly and Navi blamed for this course, the GokaiGalleon engages a Zangyack battleship in combat before crashing. Don panics as he suggests they should leave quickly before they are attacked by the battleship's captain, Action Commander Salamandam, who has been sent to Earth to cause mass volcanic eruptions. The Gokaigers battle Salamandam and the Gormin before the Action Commander uses his tail's eruption-invoking powers to separate Captain Marvelous and Don from the others.

The two then meet the mysterious figure in black, the Red Magician Kai Ozu who points out the Gokai Crew has yet to use the Ranger Keys' true power. Kai tells them that if they follow him without transforming, he will give them information about the Greatest Treasure in the Universe, using his magic and Heavenly Saint Flagel to hinder them along the way. Though Don is fearful of the obstacles set up against them, Captain Marvelous manages to bravely overcome Kai's magic. Meanwhile, the other Gokaigers assume the forms of NinjaBlack, AbareBlack, and Go-on Black to take out the Gormin. But when Salamandam arrives, the three take on the forms of Big One, White Swan, and GaoWhite to drive the Action Commander back, causing him to interfere in Captain Marvelous's literal leap of faith to pass Kai's final test.

Though frightened to jump to reach Kai, Don overcomes his fears in order to save his captain's life from a loose boulder while barely making it to the other side. After explaining to Don how it was courage that gave him and his family the power to fight Infershia many years ago, Kai reveals that Don has passed his test to see if his courage can release that same power in the Magiranger Keys. After revealing the GokaiGalleon crew will obtain the Greatest Treasure by mastering the power of all thirty-four Super Sentai, Kai takes his leave as the other Gokaigers arrive when Salamandam emerges again. The Gokaigers proceed, assuming the forms of the Magirangers to fight him. Don's courage in the face of danger enables them to perform the binding "Magi Magi Go Gokai" spell to hold the Action Commander at bay while they use the Ozu siblings' signature final attacks to defeat Salamandam along with their own Gokai Blast Final Wave attack.

When Salamandam and the Sugormin enlarge, Gokaioh is overpowered by the four opponents before the Magiranger Keys react to the situation. Using them, the Gokaigers summon Magi Dragon from within Gokaioh, turning the giant robot into Magi Gokaioh which takes out the Sugormin with its new powers before performing the Gokai Magi Bind finishing attack to destroy Salamandam. With Kai seeing Flagel off to Magitopia, he sees his power is in the right hands as he takes his leave. On the Gokai Galleon, the crew apologizes to Navi for doubting his fortune, before accidentally upsetting the robot parrot once more.

Cast

 * Ryota Ozawa as Captain Marvelous (Gokai Red)
 * Yuki Yamada as Joe Gibken (Gokai Blue)
 * Mao Ichimichi as Luka Millfy (Gokai Yellow)
 * Kazuki Shimizu as Don Dogoier (Gokai Green)
 * Yui Koike as Ahim de Famille (Gokai Pink)
 * Yukari Tamura as Navi (voice)
 * Hirofumi Nojima as Warz Gill (voice)
 * Gaku Shindo as Barizorg (voice)
 * Koji Ishii as Damaras (voice)
 * Kikuko Inoue as Insarn (voice)
 * Narration, Mobirates Voice, Gokai Sabre Voice, Gokai Gun Voice - Tomokazu Seki
 * Atsushi Hashimoto as Kai Ozu (MagiRed†)

Gokai Changes

 * Gokai Changes in Changing Courage into Magic:
 * Gokai Red - MagiRed
 * Gokai Blue - AbareBlack, Big One, MagiBlue
 * Gokai Yellow - NinjaBlack, GaoWhite, MagiYellow
 * Gokai Green - MagiGreen
 * Gokai Pink - Go-On Black, White Swan, MagiPink
 * This is the first time female Gokaigers change into Black Rangers. As a result, this is the first glimpse of a female Black Ranger in all of Super Sentai.
 * During the all-Black and all-White Gokai Changes, Ahim is the only one to transform into her own counterparts (though in Joe and Luka's case, neither of them have any Black Ranger counterparts, while only Joe doesn't have any White Ranger counterparts).
 * This is the first episode where the whole team doesn't transform together for a Gokai Change.
 * While Big One is Luka's counterpart, Joe, the blue warrior, is the first one to use the key in this episode. Sokichi Banba, the original Big One, was played by Hiroshi Miyauchi who also played the first Blue Ranger in Gorenger, Aorenger.
 * As the first tribute episode, this is the first time that a Gokai Change homages another team: in this case, with this the Magiranger tribute, the Gokaiger go through the full Magiranger transformation.
 * Coincidentally, Magiranger is the first Soul Advent done by AkaRed in GoGo Sentai Boukenger vs. Super Sentai, who likewise goes through the full transformation into MagiRed.
 * All of the Gokai Changes in this episode involve main members of a team who joined after the initial power is obtained or utilized by someone else:
 * J.A.K.Q.: Though treated as a leader, Sokichi Banba (Big One) only joined the battle near the end.
 * Jetman: Four civilians gained the power of the Birdonic Waves after the first powers are obtained and used by Ryu Tendoh (Red Hawk).
 * Kakuranger: The ninjas slowly joined the team as it forms, with Jiraiya (NinjaBlack) the last to join.
 * Gaoranger: Each member of the team got their powers and first used it after periods of time, starting from Gaku Washio (GaoYellow) and continuing until finally the team is completed by Kakeru Shishi (GaoRed) and later Tsukumaro Oogami (GaoSilver).
 * Abaranger: Though leader of the team, Asuka (AbareBlack) can't use his powers initially and the initial trio utilize them.
 * Magiranger: The five Ozu siblings all join the team after discovering their mother (MagiMother) was one (unknowing that their father (Wolzard Fire) was one as well).
 * Go-Onger: The powers for this team is staggered, with Hant Jou (Go-On Green) and Gunpei Ishihara (Go-On Black) obtained later.

Elements/Homages to Magiranger

 * The title for this episode alludes to Magiranger: the name of the episode speaks of their slogan and the end of the title possesses a magical spell similar to their first episode.
 * The Action Commander being a fire-based villain hints at the concept of one of the major villains of Magiranger being Dark Magic Knight Wolzard, who in actuality was the fire-manipulating Heavenly Saint Blagel. Further, his plan of turning Earth into a barren wasteland is similar to the ultimate plot of Absolute God N Ma, whose ultimate desire was the annihilation of the Earth's surface and all life until it is nothing but a dead world with black skies, dried seas and erupting volcanoes.
 * Although most of the tribute episode Gokai Changes would have the theme song for the series, Magiranger is slightly different: while the theme is used, it is actually an alternate version used as a BG during the series and not an instrumental of the main theme. Kousuke Yamashita, the main composer of Gokaiger, was also the main composer of Magiranger.