This episode is the reason I started this blog. It's an encapsulation of what makes the Monster Rancher anime so special, at least to me. There are better episodes than this one, but this is the earliest sign of how good the show can be at its best. Eternal Worm was the first episode to emotionally resonate with me, which is part of why I hold it in such high regard.
We start off in a forest not too different from the one where the heroes met Golem, and right now they're digging for a Mystery Disk! Holly's stone says it's around there somewhere...
Genki and Suezo promptly crash into each other and are no closer to finding the disk than when they started.
When they yell at each other to watch where they're going, Mocchi says he's hungry.
But the problem is solved very quickly thanks to Golem! He uproots some tasty-looking fruit from the ground. "Here, eat this... Mocchi."
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| Such a cute face! |
Meanwhile, Holly wonders if maybe all the Mystery Disks are gone, as they didn't find any at Golem's castle. Why did my Magic Stone react like that? Could Golem have--no, he wouldn't do that!
That's a mystery that will be solved later, cause for now, it's snack time!
As they eat, Suezo asks Golem why he decided to join the group. "When I invited you, you said you couldn't!"
Golem responds with "Eyes," which confuses the group until he stares at Genki. "You have... clear eyes, Genki."
Suezo takes offense to that. "Oh, I get it. He's a kid and I'M JUST AN EYEBALL!" Suddenly, Mocchi starts crying! Genki and Suezo ask what's wrong, with Suezo wondering if it was him.
Turns out Mocchi bit into something hard... and the fruit peels away to reveal a Mystery Disk!
Everyone starts to celebrate--until a strange, pink mist fills the clearing.
In seconds, Mocchi falls asleep--and so does everyone else.
The culprits reveal themselves: three Weeds called the Seed Sisters. The one in the middle is the eldest and their leader. The one on the left is the middle sister, and the one on the right is the youngest.
"No resistance at all," the middle sister gloats. "We're not only purple--we're clever!"
The eldest sister agrees. "Can you believe the Black Dinos and Jells actually had trouble with these clowns?"
"Ahh, a Mystery Disk--something for Moo!"
The youngest sister snakes a tendril towards Mocchi and the Mystery Disk--but even in sleep, the little Monster won't let go. He falls off of Golem and lands behind Suezo, causing the Weed to tug even harder for the Disk.
She fails to get the Disk, but does launch Mocchi into the air--and he lands on Genki's head and then groin, waking him up. (I was surprised they kept that in.)
Genki runs around clutching his head (he catapulted himself into Golem's chin), and soon his flailing wakes everyone up except Mocchi!
The two older Seed Sisters berate the youngest sister for letting them wake up, but she says it wasn't her fault.
Now fully awake, Holly realizes the Weeds work for Moo, which enrages Genki. "WHAT?"
"Sort of," the sisters say as one. "We find Mystery Disks for Moo and he really appreciates it!"
"Not this time you won't," Genki yells. But then they decide to show the group why they're called the Seed Sisters.
The flowers on their heads turn into machine guns, and they fire seeds like bullets. Genki and the others dodge as best they can.
Then Golem steps up to give the group a shield. "You can escape!"
Genki tells Suezo to follow him, while Holly does her best to wake the still-sleeping Mocchi. Mocchi stirs, and they immediately take cover behind Golem.
As Genki and Suezo work on something, Holly winces as the seeds barely miss their hiding place.
The Seed Sisters are still pelting them with seeds when Genki and Suezo launch their device--it's a catapult, which hurls a heavy rock directly onto the youngest Seed Sister.
Golem grabs Holly and Mocchi, and the heroes make a run for it to a Shrine.
This leaves the two remaining sisters confused. "Fine! Just--walk away," rasps the oldest one. They start to give chase, but are stopped when the youngest crawls out from under the rock.
"Sisters! I think I'm coming down with--" She's cut off and becomes a Lost Disk.
Her siblings are upset--and eager for revenge. "That scrawny little kid did this to you! We'll get him," moans the middle sister. "Revenge will be ours," they say at once.
Meanwhile, Genki and company have reached a shrine in the forest. Genki places the Mystery Disk in, and everyone is excited. "Okay! C'mon, Phoenix, we're ready," says Suezo.
Holly prepares the pedestal, and the pillar of light begins to form...
Everyone waits with bated breath....
"Unlock!"
But just as the Disk is about to be unlocked, a whip snakes forward and steals it--canceling the process.
Everyone is shocked, and they turn to see the thief. "Give that back," Suezo cries. "That Mystery Disk is ours!"
Without a word, the thief runs off.
Genki yells that his name is Genki, but Suezo yells that the thief doesn't care. Genki then switches to his rollerblades and gives chase, catching up to the thief outside.
"You're busted!"
In response, the thief cracks his whip. Genki doesn't feel threatened--until the ground rumbles beneath them.
The thief cracks his whip again--and this time the ground erupts, revealing a giant Worm. Worms are closer to caterpillars, but the game calls them Worms.
At this point, everyone panics except Genki, who quickly gets over his initial shock. "You may be big, but you're not quick!"
His Worm's failure to hit Genki infuriates the thief--and he shows it by hitting the Monster with his whip. "What are you doing," he yells.
His Worm switches tactics and tries to impale Genki with stingers, but he dodges those, too.
This really angers Worm's master. "Useless Monster!" he yells, swinging up to a tree branch.
And that comment angers Genki. "Hey, kid! I'm your problem, not him," he yells, defending the Worm that's trying to kill him.
"Use the poison," the thief finally spits, and Worm does--this time succeeding in hitting Genki, burning his arm. Genki screams and goes flying, and the thief presses his advantage. "Get him!"
The Worm sends Genki flying again by erupting the ground beneath him, but Golem plucks him out of the air. The group runs for it again, even as Genki yells at Golem to put him down.
The thief summons his Worm with the whip and unkind words. "Come here, you worthless Worm!" He jumps onto its head, and they ride off in pursuit.
In the forest, Holly patches up Genki's arm, and the group wonders how they're going to get the Disk back from the thief.
"That kid didn't look like one of Moo's thugs to me," says Suezo. "It doesn't matter! Who cares who he is," yells Genki, who's clearly troubled.
Suezo asks him what he means.
"Didn't you see? That kid! What kind of person would beat on a Monster? It's not right," he declares, and starts off by himself before the others can protest.
"What are you going to do," Holly asks.
"I'm gonna find that kid, and get the Mystery Disk back!"
Suezo reminds him that the thief was pretty tough, but Genki doesn't care. "A maniac like that shouldn't be allowed around Monsters!"
Meanwhile, the Worm has gone to his master's treehouse and brought him a huge pile of fruit.
He seems pleased with the pickings--until he bites into a rotten fruit, and throws it at the Worm. "I thought I told you to pick only the ripe ones!" Worm lets out a tiny roar of dismay at this, and that's when Genki and Mocchi arrive.
"Hey, you! Stop it! Who do you think you are, treating Monsters like that!"
The thief laughs. "Don't push me, kid--I could crush you just like a Worm! They're just Monsters. You use 'em, and then throw them out when they're done."
And then their argument is interrupted by the two remaining Seed Sisters. "Well well, look who's back," says the elder sister.
The thief asks who they are, then recognizes them as the Seed Sisters who work for Moo. They nod. "There were three of us, but our other sister is temporarily indisposed," croons the middle one.
"Awesome," the thief declares, hopping onto the back of his Worm. "Allan's the name, and I'm gonna join Moo!"
And to prove he won't come empty-handed, he'll give the sisters the Mystery Disk he stole. They're impressed.
Genki's response is childish, but true. "Moo's a big cheeser! You don't wanna join him!" (Mocchi says "Cheesy, chi!")
Allan's response is to pull a lever with his whip and trap Genki and Mocchi in a net.
Meanwhile, Suezo is searching for Genki and Mocchi, without much success. "Believe me, Holly, if I can't see them, no one can."
Suddenly, Allan tumbles out of the bushes. "It's the Worm boy," cries Holly, and Allan pleads with them for help. He claims his Worm is after him. "I guess I was just too rough with him, and I made him angry!"
Suezo says not to believe him, but Allan presents the Mystery Disk back to them as a show of trust. Suezo gives it a lick and identifies it as the genuine article.
And that's when Worm explodes out of the ground, pinning Golem down as the Seed Sisters spread their sleep pollen.
Allan captures Holly and Suezo with his whip, and in a short time, Golem is unconscious and everyone else is trussed up at the treehouse. The Seed Sisters gloat over their revenge, but Genki's only response is to look Allan straight in the eyes.
"You know, Allan, you're making a big-time mistake."
The older Seed Sister grins. "Ya think? Thanks, kid," she sneers, and shoves Allan forward.
They disarm him of both the disk and the whip before he can react.
Genki and his friends gasp as Allan asks the Weeds what's going on.
"Allan, darling, can you spell o-v-e-r? As in we're taking this stone to Moo and your role in this is over!"
He's shaken by this. "You two tricked me!" He turns to his Worm. "Get them!"
And here's where the entire tone of the episode changes.
Are you ready?
"Now, Worm, you have to decide," says the elder sister. "Allegiance to the friends of Moo... or to the cruel person who beats you?"
Worm stares.
"Moo is definitely a nasty person, but he won't mistreat you like this one seems to do," says the older sister, pointing at Allan for emphasis. "No doubt Moo would value a fine upstanding Monster like yourself who obviously has so much potential," adds the middle sister.
"Come on," Allan cries. "Don't just lie there! Do something! You belong to me! ...Help me!"
Worm makes his choice... and it seems he's with the Seed Sisters. "I'd like to welcome you to Moo's happy little family," says the older sister, petting Worm with her stalks.
"See what I mean, Allan," Genki spits. "This is how Moo operates!"
"All right, Worm!" says the eldest Seed Sister. "Showtime!"
Worm rears up and dislodges the earth underneath the heroes, knocking Allan onto the same space--and then he readies his stinger tail. "Just a little payback for our dear sister," the eldest Weed snickers.
"Come on," Allan pleads. Here he sounds truly desperate, not arrogant. "You're my Monster, remember?"
Worm fires, and Allan screams as the stingers fly past him...
And then Genki realizes the stingers cut them loose.
He frees himself and notices Allan is still sitting where he was. He tells him to get up, and he does--there isn't a scratch on any of them.
"My... my Worm..."
Immediately, the Seed Sisters turn on the Worm and start pushing him on his side to the point where he can't move. "You missed them on purpose!" "Bad boy!"
Genki kicks them both to stop them from attacking Worm, knocking the whip and the Mystery Disk free.
He orders Holly to grab the disk, while Suezo and Mocchi try to awaken Golem, who's still knocked out from before.
Allan clings to his Worm, tears forming in his eyes. "Oh, Worm..."
Genki offers him the whip--but this time, it's to fight. "Allan, help us! This is your chance to make it right!"
And here the entire tone of the episode changes.
Again.
Are you ready?
The Seed Sisters knock Allan and Genki down...
And they latch onto Worm.
Allan cries out, but they won't stop. "Begin the transformation!"
Slowly, Worm's life force is drained away.
"Worm.....I'm so sorry...."
Genki pulls and pulls on the Seed Sisters' flowers...
But...
There's nothing he can do.
Worm dies.
Allan can't even speak.
And the Seed Sisters... they laugh.
Genki charges them.
"STOP LAUGHING! NOW!"
Golem awakens, and Genki's friends charge into battle...
And so does Allan.
It's obvious that they win the fight, so it isn't even shown--instead, it fades to a successful unlock. We don't see what the Monster is yet.
Then it cuts to Allan at his Worm's grave.
He's brought flowers.
And he remembers.
There is no dialogue for this portion of the scene, and no commentary could do it justice.
"It's unlocked," says Genki.
"He's yours--if you promise to be real good to him! He's pretty small now, but don't worry; he'll grow!"
"Cute, huh?"
Holly nods.
Allan cries.
As the heroes leave, Suezo asks the group if Worm boy will do better this time, and Genki and Holly are sure of it. "He's definitely gonna be all right."
On a tree branch, Allan thinks to himself. It'll be different this time. We'll battle against Moo... Using the strength that comes from within.
He lets go of his whip.
And Genki and his friends continue their search for the Phoenix, who will release all lost Monsters from their disks.
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