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DD II Shrine

The Mistress of Chi
Episode written by Richard Mueller

     In a Metro City park a number of martial artists are practicing katas, with Billy among them.  Billy meets Tsunami, a grand champion sumo wrestler.  Tsunami attributes all his success to his Chi Master, Su Lien.  He tells Billy that Chi is the greatest of all fighting arts, and Su Lien is the greatest of all Chi Masters.  Tsunami describes Su Lien as being capable of amazing feats such as repelling advanced martial artists, including him, with a wave of her hand.  He invites Billy to the Midtown Dojo to meet her.  Unbeknownst to Billy and Tsunami, Sickle has been secretly listening.
     The next night, at the Midtown Dojo, Su Lien tells Tsunami's class that she will teach Chi to all who wish to learn.  Billy and Jimmy then arrive and join the class.  Sickle, Trigger Happy, Ice Pick and Countdown burst in after them.  The Dragons and Shadows immediately start fighting, causing a lot of property damage.  Su Lien claps her hands, sending them all flying with mystic energy.  She admonishes them all for their behavior.  She tells the Lee brothers that the Dragon is shamed by their actions.  As the Shadow Warriors back away, Tsunami hisses that Billy and Jimmy had both best leave.
     Later, at the Shadow Dojo, Sickle and Trigger Happy have just recounted what happened to the Shadow Master.  He is intrigued at how powerful Su Lien is, and decides to find out how she has attained such mastery.  He writes her a letter (using voice-recognition technology), stating that his soul is in torment, and he wishes to reform.  He begs her to teach him to achieve balance.
     Back at the Midtown Dojo, Sickle has delivered the letter.  Su Lien remarks that the Shadow Master sounds sincere, and decides to go see him.  Tsunami announces that he will accompany her.  As the three leave the dojo, the letter incinerates in Black Flame.
     Outside, Billy and Jimmy have been secretly observing.  They assume that Su Lien and Tsunami are being kidnapped, and transform into the Double Dragons.  As Jimmy combats Sickle and the Shadow Warriors, Billy whisks Su Lien away.  She recognizes him despite the mask, and tells him that once again, his interference is misplaced - the Shadow Master has asked for her help.  Billy protests that the Shadow Master is lying in order to learn the secret of her power.  She concedes that this may be so, but she is sure she will be able to change the Shadow Master.  Tsunami is aware of the Shadow Master's true nature, but dutifully follows his teacher and her decision to go to the Shadow Dojo.
     In the Shadow Dojo, the Shadow Master reveals his intentions to Su Lien: with his virtual reality scanner, he will take her knowledge and leave her mind an empty husk.  He blasts her with his scythe, telling Ice Pick and Countdown to hook her up to the scanner.  Tsunami is vastly outnumbered but manages to fight off scores of Shadow Warriors and escape.
     Su Lien does not resist as she is hooked up to the scanner.  The Shadow Master then hooks himself up to enter her consciousness and discover the center of Chi.
     At the Dragon Dojo, Tsunami tells Billy and Jimmy that he could not save Su Lien and she would not save herself.  As Billy and Jimmy plan a course of action, Tsunami asks them to make him a Dragon Warrior.  They transform into the Double Dragons and dub him “Kona,” the newest Dragon Warrior.
     The three Dragon Warriors enter the Shadow Dojo and engage the Shadow Warriors.  After forcing them to retreat, Jimmy wants to destroy the virtual reality scanner.  Billy stops him as doing so could be fatal to Su Lien.  To free her, they must also enter the virtual reality world.  All three willingly hook themselves up.
     In the virtual reality world, Su Lien, in the form of a white dove, is being pursued by the Shadow Master, in the form of a large, black hawk.  We learn through his soliloquy that when he consumes her in the VR world her power will be his in the real world.  The Dragon Warriors arrive and Billy recognizes the dove as Su Lien.  They take the form of birds and begin attacking the Shadow Master-Hawk.  Due to a huge size difference though, they cannot harm him.  But the brothers manage to distract the Shadow Master from Su Lien, so he changes the reality format to a mythical setting.
     In the new setting, Su Lien is now a white unicorn, the Dragons are … well … dragons, and the Shadow Master is a giant, black dragon.  The Dragons attack the Shadow Master, but all fail.  He grips the blue dragon (Billy) in his claw, berating him for challenging him in the virtual reality he created.  As the Shadow Master tells Billy that nothing can save him, a shadow looms over the giant dragon.  He then finds himself gripped in the claw of an even larger white dragon.  Su Lien declares that the game is over.
     In the real world, the Dragon Warriors remove their VR headsets and Kona unhooks Su Lien from the scanner (she mysteriously calls him “Kona-san,” even though she is then surprised that he has become a Dragon Warrior).  The Shadow Master is nowhere to be seen, and his headset is broken and smoldering.  Su Lien assures Jimmy that she did not kill him as just like the Dragons, Chi Masters are forbidden from taking life.  Instead, she used her Chi power to transport the Shadow Master to “a place where he could cool off.”
     We then see the Shadow Master stranded in a frozen wasteland in the arctic.  Or maybe the Antarctic.  The point is, he's alone, he's furious, and he's freezing.

     Eddie MountainGoat's review:  This episode is more about the plot than some positive message.  Unfortunately, it's not exactly the greatest plot.  Su Lien is quite infuriating as someone who is supposed to be guru-wise.  She cannot see the Shadows for the evil they are. She is supposed to be a great warrior, yet she refuses to defend herself or her pupil.  She also goes from mentor to damsel-in-distress in the blink of an eye.
     What I really liked were the virtual reality scenes.  I think the artists had a lot of fun and I found it a treat to see these characters interpreted as different creatures.  The tournament announcer (from Episode 1: The Shadow Falls) also makes a couple of brief cameos in the park and in Tsunami's Dojo.  And, if you look at the Shadow Mural (far right), you can see Wild Willy and Abobo (this is common to quite a few episodes).
     Not the best episode ever, but it's a bit of light fun, and really, isn't that what morning cartoons are about?

Rating: B+