Ep. 10: Abare Leaguer Bind

Abare Leaguer Bind (アバレリーガー金縛り -- Abare Rīgā Kanashibari) is the tenth episode of Bakuryuu Sentai Abaranger.

Synopsis
While the Evolien's newest Trinoid causes people to go on a money frenzy, Yukito must decide between his duty as an Abaranger or fame and wealth beyond his wildest dreams.

Plot
At the Dino House, while Ranru is making curry, Yukito reads in a newspaper that Bucky Bonds, a famous American baseball player, will not be participating of the baseball season's opening game. However, he soon butts into Ranru and Emiri's curry making when Ryouga complains it's too spicy.

At the Invasion's Garden Palace, Jannu is upset that Bachyceloknuckles took Asuka's side of the battle, but Lije comforts her saying that they will have other opportunities, before she channels Dezumozorlya, who warns her not to let Asuka find the other Bakuryuu. In order to escape Dezumozorlya's dissatisfaction, Mikela quickly works on making a monster based on old-fashioned mushroom head hairstyles.

Back at Dino House, Yukito has made his own extravagant brand of curry, dubbed "Curry Fruit Punch". Ryouga, Ranru and Emiri, turned off by the dish, cautiously try to work their way out of this without disappointing Yukito, deciding to force Ryunosuke to try it as he comes in. Ryunnosuke, in turn, forces Yukito's curry onto Asuka, who had fully recovered from the coma he had suffered after having expended too much DinoGuts, and just so happened to be hungry. As pleasantly as Asuka eats (much to the other three's horror), he soon gets sick, just as the emergency alarm flashes and they have to force Ryunnosuke out - along with Yukito's curry. With Asuka too ill to fight, Ryouga, Yukito and Ranru will have to tackle it themselves.

The monster attacking the city is Trinoid #9, Bankumashroom, who throws mushrooms at people, making mushroom heads of hair grow on them, and Bucky Bonds, the baseball player, happens to witness the attack. Before Bankumashroom can attack him, however, the Abarangers arrive. Using the Barmia troopers to distract them, Bankumashroom throws one of his mushrooms at Bonds, who instinctively takes out his bat and rebounds it at the monster, making the mushroomhead grow on Bankumashroom instead, much to his ridicule. After the Evolien retreat, the heroes take the opportunity to address Bonds, and Yukito deduces, from his way of walking, that his hip hurts. Bonds states that, even though he could seek medical help in a hospital, he is seeking one expert chiropractor in special... Yukito Sanjyou.

Next, Ryouga and Ranru are casually discussing the Evolien's plan and eating shiitake, as they watch Yukito treat Bonds - rather painfully. When all is said and done, Bonds is so happy to be cured that he offers Yukito a position as chiropractor for the Baseball League, stating he would get worldwide recognition. Despite the tempting offer, Yukito refuses, making the point that, as AbareBlue, he cannot forsake his duty (something everyone later comments is quite against his nature). As he leaves, a disappointed Bonds is caught off guard by Bankumashroom, who explains his plan: the people with mushroom heads will become money-hungry.

When Yukito rides off to clear his head, he is sought by Bonds again, who offers him a hefty sum of money to try and convince him to be the chiropractor for the League. When his hoodie comes off, Yukito notices he, too, has a mushroom head. When Bonds, under the mushroom head's effect, offhandedly comments one could even buy home-runs with so much money, Yukito becomes disgusted and throws the money away, upon which he notices all other affected citizens are acting much in the same way as Bonds and figures out the Evolian's plan. Just then, Bankumashroom attacks Yukito, trapping him in a pile of coins. When AbaRed and AbareYellow laugh at his predicament, he transforms into AbareBlue and breaks free.

With the three assembled, Bankumashroom attacks them with spare change coins, and AbaRed defiantly proclaims they will counter by saving money. Although he himself has no idea what he is talking about, AbareBlack, having gotten over his sickness, comes around with a variety of money boxes, which the Abarangers use to hold the coins Bankumashroom launches at them; however, they soon run out of space in the boxes for so many coins and get struck down. Just then, Bonds comes around, insisting on offering Yukito as much money as he wants. AbareBlue then remembers what he did in the first fight and decides to appeal to the player's instincts, throwing his money box at him. Sure enough, Bonds overcomes his greed and instinctively bats the money box back at Bankumashroom, knocking him out and allowing the Abarangers to finish him off with the Dino Bomber, undoing the mushroom head curse. Even after his Life Berry ressurrects him, the Abaren'oh Knuckles makes short work of Bankumashroom.

Later at the Dino House, Bonds gives Yukito his blessing in fighting for Earth, and they part in good terms. However, Yukito doesn't want him to leave before trying his Curry Fruit Punch...

After the end credits, the scene cuts back to the Dino House. Much to everyone's fright, Bonds likes Yukito's curry! He even goes around to give Yukito as much money as he wants to open his own curry restaurant in America. While Ryouga and the others won't have any of this (especially after the debacle with Bankumashroom), shockingly, Yukito ends up... accepting it!

Cast

 * Koichiro Nishi as Ryouga Hakua/AbaRed
 * Sho Tomita as Yukito Sanjyou/AbareBlue
 * Aiko Ito as Ranru Itsuki/AbareYellow
 * Kaoru Abe as Asuka/AbareBlack
 * Michi Nishijima as Emiri Imanaka
 * Kouki Miyata as Bakuryuu Triceratops (voice)
 * Banjo Ginga as Bakuryuu Brachiosaurus (voice)
 * Koen Okumura as Ryunnosuke Sugishita
 * Samuel Pop Aning as Bucky Bonds
 * Eri Sakurai as Jannu
 * Kasumi Suzuki as Lije
 * Bunkou Ogata as Mikela (voice)
 * Hidenari Ugaki as Voffa (voice)

Trivia

 * This episode holds the distinction of being, so far, the only episode who is not used in Power Rangers only for its morphed action footage; in the Dino Thunder episode "Lost & Found in Translation", Conner and Kira join Ethan as he catches a Japanese series inspired on the Rangers' exploits in Hayley's new satellite antenna. While the images are kept intact (except for the occasional cuts to show the American Rangers' reactions), the characters' lines are dubbed over for comedic effect (even though this episode already has a very comic tone in itself); Yukito, particularly, is voiced by Jorgito Vargas Jr., who had previously played Blake Bradley/Navy Thunder Ranger in Ninja Storm.
 * The term "kanashibari", which comprises the title of his episode, means "bind by the hands and feet", but it may also mean a financial bind, which is exactly what Bankumashroom's mushroom heads do: bind people to money. One of his attacks is even called "Okane Shibari" (Money Bind).
 * Bucky Bonds' name seems to be inspired on Barry Bonds, who was active at the time for the San Francisco Giants.
 * In the imagine spot of Bonds "buying" a home-run, the pitcher is wearing a Cincinnati Reds uniform, while Bonds' is not associated to any Major League Baseball team in particular (the only team with an "E" initial would be Montreal Expos, but neither the uniform nor the logo correspond).
 * The only Bakuryuu to speak in this episode are Kera and Brachio.