The third volume of Samurai Troopers is a mixed bag. While one episode was quite enjoyable, there existed only five or six minutes of worthwhile footage and storyline. While the overall plot seems to be going in the right direction, the individual episodes are not improving greatly.

The first two episodes are part of a single story arc where the newly awakened Troopers are attempting to recover the last missing member, Toma of the heavens. Toma, as it turns out, is in space. This rescue is one of the worst I've had the misfortune of viewing.

Arago, emperor of doom, recognizing the threat of the five warriors being reunited, erects a "cannon of doom." The cannon of doom shoots a solid fireball into space to kill Toma. However, Ryo rides this tangible flame puff to save Toma. Of course, Toma simply guides them in through reentry. The only redeeming feature of these two episodes is an important revelation about their enemy that comes in the last minutes.

Zounds! Ryo has been entangled in Rajura's evil web! What will the Troopers do?	United at last, the five Troopers form up to strike against the evil emperor of doom...only to be split up several episodes later. Must-see-TV at its finest here, folks.

The third episode is by far the best of the lot. Leaving the young boy, Jun, and Naste behind for the civilians' own safety, the Samurai Troopers pass through the gates into Arago's domain. However, these gates are also the passageways for spirits traveling through the netherworld. If all the gates are open, spirits rush through the ghostly throughfares. The passage of these spirits somehow prevents the summoning of the Troopers armor. Defenseless and defeated, the warriors are ultimately rescued by the allies they left behind.

The fourth episode is pointless. After being together for one episode (and basically getting their butt kicked), the Samurai Troopers are separated again. One would think they learned their lesson the first time.

The technical specifications of this volume are nearly identical to the last. The sound is good enough, but it is slightly muffled and has no real directionality. This is to be expected from a late 80's show. The dialogue and sound effects are above adequate since there is no actual distortion.

The video on the Japanese side of the disc lacks real definition, but definitely looks better than broadcast. Oddly enough, the English-dubbed and cut version, known as Ronin Warriors, still retains better color than the original masters. The animation is average for a TV show from this period; do not expect intricate details on the armor.

If you have been enjoying Samurai Troopers so far, there is nothing here to dissuade you from continuing to purchase the series. On the other hand, if you haven't made up your mind, this disc could convince you to blow off the series. Considering there are nearly 40 episodes in the Samurai Troopers story, there is still a lot of territory to cover. This disc was a step backwards, however.

Video Quality: B-
Audio Quality: B
Presentation: B+
Content: C+
Overall: B-