Save the Little Girl! The Chojin Warriors, the Godmasters



Cab's return home is an unhappy one thanks to the latest scheme by the Decepticons, which puts the life of his childhood friend Copo in danger.


 * English/Malay dub name:  "Save the Young Girl"
 * Also known as: "Rescue the Girl"

Detailed synopsis
The Autobot Headmaster Juniors have some downtime, and Cab is overjoyed to return to the Karin Islands. He, Minerva and Shūta are already on their way as Cab's guardian Donq tells Cab's friend Copo of the prince's impending return to the island. However, Copo is suffering from a circulatory disease, and the visiting physician, Doctor Dado, recommends to Donq that she be moved to the hospital on Viscas Island right away. Dado returns to his office, but then disaster strikes when he becomes a victim of the Decepticons' latest plan – to kidnap doctors from all around the world. Gilmer bursts through the floor and seizes the doctor, departing before Donq's shocked eyes.

Cab and the other Juniors soon arrive and are greeted by Donq, who, unwilling to trouble his prince any more than is necessary, does not tell them about Gilmer, but gives them the bad news about Copo's illness. They go to visit her in the medical hut, but as Cab presents her with a gift, she collapses, and Donq is forced to reveal that Doctor Dado has been kidnapped. Recognizing Gilmer from Donq's description, Shuta contacts Metalhawk at the Autobot base, and the four Godmasters are deployed to take care of the situation.

Meanwhile, the captured doctors are being held on Atlan Island in the South Pacific by the Decepticon Pretenders under specific orders from Mega, desperate to regain their lost standing among the Decepticon ranks. Amongst their number, Dado spots the circulatory expert who needs to treat Copo, Doctor Rhodan, but Dauros silences them when he attempts to communicate with him. The rest of the Decepticons observe the scene from afar, gathered around a viewing monitor in their base, and Mega muses on the nature of her plan – to rob humans of their will to live by making them realize the fleetingness of life. This is, er, accomplished by removing doctors from the equation, apparently. Mmn.

As Copo's condition worsens, Cab and Minerva attempt to take her to Viscas Island themselves, only for their boat to be attacked by a Gulf Seacon. Thankfully, they are rescued by the timely arrival of the Godmasters aboard a hovercraft, which speedily carries everyone to Viscas Island. As the Godmasters return to Karin Island to pick up Shūta, they discover Doctor Dado floating in the water - he has managed to escape the Decepticons, outracing Dauros and diving off a cliff into the ocean in the process, and tells the Autobots about the doctors held on Atlan Island. Shūta then escorts Dado to Viscas Island where he can tend to Copo while the Godmasters go to the rescue of Rhodan and the other doctors.

As night settles in, the Godmasters begin their attack on the island. Road King creates a distraction that draws the Decepticons out of their cave, and while Blood is occupied with him, Ranger attacks from behind, only to be met with resistance from Dauros. Lightfoot proceeds to tackle Gilmer directly, drawing him away from the cave and allowing Ginrai to slip inside. As the battle rages outside (with the Pretenders getting thoroughly thrashed), Ginrai explains to Rhodan and the other doctors that Copo's time is running out, and that he must take Rhodan to her right away, with no time to get the other doctors to safety. Putting the health of a patient before themselves, the doctors all encourage Rhodan to go to Copo's aid right away, but as they exit the cave, they are confronted with a number of Seacons that the Pretenders have summoned. As the beasts charge, the Godmasters leap to protect Rhodan, and unleash their most powerful super-moves. Lightfoot blasts a Tentakil to smithereens with his Land Waterfall attack; Road King unleashes the Rotary Burst Typhoon, spinning himself and colliding with a Gulf with explosive results; Ranger reduces an Overbite to particles with a wave of his Heat Sand Attack; and Ginrai connects with his Transtector in time to let loose the almighty Atomic Fire Guts, destroying a Lobclaw.

The Pretenders flee, returning to their base in disgrace, where Hydra and Buster reveal that they were the ones who came up with the plan. As the brothers argue with the Pretenders, Mega silences them, disgusted at the sight of comrades fighting, and tells them that it was not a failure, merely a first step.

The Autobots, meanwhile, rush to Viscas Island with Doctor Rhodan, who successfully treats Copo, leading to a full recovery. The Godmasters head back to Japan, but the Juniors are able to stay on the island and finally enjoy their vacation.

Stats
Written by:  Toyohiro Ando

Original airdate: 20th September 1988

Featured Characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Transformers references

 * Donq previously appeared in "Terror! The Decepticons' Manhunt".
 * Viscas Island was last seen in "A Fierce Battle!! The Autobots are in Trouble".
 * This episode features the first and, all but one case, only use of the Godmasters' unique super-attacks, most notably Ginrai's soon-to-be famous "Fire Guts" attack. This is the only time he uses it in his basic robot form, and it is simply a powerful blast from his cannon that he names the "Atomic Fire Guts" – a far cry from the even-more-dramatic super-finisher that it will become.

Miscellaneous trivia

 * It's pretty obvious why Hydra and Buster don't make plans for the team that often – because this is the single most ridiculous Saturday-morning-cartoon scheme the Decepticons try to pull off in the entire series (and, indeed, is even more short-sighted and takes more liberties and assumptions that even some of Megatron's plans). Kidnapping doctors to make people fear for their health, thereby making them recognize the brevity of life, thereby making them lose the will to live? WHAT?
 * There would very much appear to be some of sort of thematic basis in the classic elements for the Godmasters' individual powers. Ginrai's is clearly Fire, Lightfoot's is Water, Ranger's would probably be Earth, and then we hit the wall. Although they do not use their powers in the series, their tech specs make it explicit that Buster and Hydra specifically possess control over Wind and Thunder respectively (the later being control of electricity, a typical "extra" element you'll find tossed into anime), which leaves Road King's ability to, uh... spin around... without obvious classification.