Recap: Ryuko faces off against Ira Gamagoori, the first of the Elite Four.

Gee’s Thoughts: Things are switching into high gear folks, as our heroine takes on the first of her four round battle against Satsuki’s best vassals, the Elite Four. We already saw hints and pieces of Gamagoori’s uniform last episode and I suppose most of us expected Ryuko to win through some contrived pacifist route due to Gamagoori’s rather…unique method of transforming and powering up. As everyone suspected, Gamagoori’s first form is indeed a creepy bondage outfit, ball gag and all. His second transformation is a bit of a surprise, eschewing my theory of a uniform inspired by Buddhist imagery, more resembling a kinky bondage version of Getter Robo. It does keep the Buddhist halo motif though. And the thorny whips, oh the thorny whips…

Thankfully Gamagoori had also accounted for such an easy way to lose, and thus it turns out self-flagellation is an equally great way to get yourself off to transform into your next form. Overall the fight is pretty straightforward, and Ryuko manages to overcome the big man on campus through some tricky planning on Senketsu’s part. In addition, we finally get to see what we had all suspected: that Kamuis would be capable of transforming into new forms as well. With a shiny newfangled Blade form under her belt, I wonder how many more forms Senketsu will pull out of his ass before it gets too contrived. I’m worried it’ll just turn into “Oh thank goodness for this week’s new form!” sort of situation, but if Senketsu is anything like Gurren Lagann, the new transformations will show up gradually and exactly when they need to.

With Inumata up to bat next, it’ll be interesting to see if Ryuko can adjust accordingly. Most fans speculated he would be the last of the Elite Four to fight her, allowing him to collect analysis data and devise the perfect countermeasures against her, but having him be the third Elite Four member to fight her has me wondering if he’s really as devious and cunning as he presents himself to be.

Honestly this episode was less a fight with Gamagoori and more a chance for the viewers to get some insight into the man’s ethos and motivation. Another flashback reveals the man’s indomitable willpower and resolve in the name of law and order, and also how those ideals warped him into the man he is now. Still, Satsuki stopping Gamagoori’s preemptive ritual suicide reveals yet an other facet to the lady. She has no use for arrogant lieutenants who underestimate their opponents like Sanageyama before his transformation, but she has rightfully earned the loyalty of those who devote themselves to her, and they in turn have earned her respect. While Gamagoori might be the first of the four to be truly permanently defeated (for now), I hope he sticks around for a while. A character as great as him deserves to stay in the limelight.