Zyuohger 31: Cube Whale Joins The Crew!

Last episode featured Cube Whale as an out of control Cube Animal. The preview already showed that it could become Dodekai-Oh. This week's episode becomes a good toy commercial.

A second GIFT robot called GIFT Custom Appears. Naria is piloting it with the intent of destroying the Zyouohgers. This was different than the first GIFT. The heroes couldn't defeat due to its immense might.

Bangray wasn't going to give up without a fight either. I suspect that he was actually planning to use Cube Whale to overthrow Genis. Yamato tried to reach out to Cube Whale but it doesn't respond. But what happened next is pretty interesting.

Aside from Yamato using two swords in battle, I thought about how his selfless desire gave him the full power of Cube Whale. He was putting all his strength to good use against Bangray.

So he gets a new weapon but I felt like what in the world is this weapon then? It creates some splashes that send Bangray away for the moment.

A clearer view of the new robot Dodekai-Oh made me think of the time I used to play Lego.

The finisher move is pretty impressive with releasing such powerful waves. While I do thin the cube-like mecha in Zyuohger do look "ugly" (and well, a lot of 80s mecha didn't look so good either), the new school special effects made up for it.

Even in its tiniest form, the Cube Whale is bigger than the rest. I guess the power was sealed off long ago because it would be too great to control. The plot of the week reminded me of  the Ushi Origami which became Mougyudaioh in Shinkenger and Red Puncher in Ohranger.

Meanwhile, Genis is really up to something. Does he have some special plan with the data? Will we see some kind of Ultrazord soon enough? I can't wait to see what Genis will do with the data they got from the last battle!

Remembering Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger's Successful Ambitious Voyage Across The Universe After Five Years

It's been some episodes now since the 2,000th Super Sentai episode but I still want to talk about Gokaiger's successful ambitious voyage across the Universe. I would assume that back then a lot Super Sentai fans would have already dreamed of a massive Super Sentai crossover. Years later, Gokaiger accomplished that and a lot of fans got what they were asking for: a huge anniversary Super Sentai crossover.

Gokaiger can be viewed that it's probably almost every Super Sentai fan's dream come true. You've got a season long crossover. You've got a big bang opening where the 34 other Super Sentai teams of the past way back from 1975 up to 2010 battle the invading Zangyack Armada. They sacrifice their powers and the Gokaigers are now caught in this battle against the Zangyacks. They seek to get the "Greatest Treasure in the Universe" by unlocking the Greater Power from each and every Super Sentai teams.


Officially, Gokaiger's the first team where all the members didn't come from Earth. It's a huge fix from that awful mini-series Mighty Morphin' Alien Rangers. They're a bunch of pirates and it felt like Captain Marvelous is an anti-hero of sorts. They're more after treasure than the safety of the Earth which they ended up protecting. They were only after the Greatest Treasure in the Universe but they ended up as heroes without intending to be heroes. When they show their heroic behavior even if they're supposed to be pirates, it was a nice unique touch than the typical anniversary. Along the way, they find that they share in the huge legacy of the 34th Super Sentai teams before them. In the later episodes, they put aside the Greatest Treasure in the Universe because it would affect the Super Sentai timeline in their show.

So what's with the core members of the Gokaiger team? Captain Marvelous used to be best friends with the rogue villain Basco but they ended up in a death duel. Ahim was born a princess but lost her kingdom during a Zangyack attack. Joe used to be a Zangyack officer and was best friends with Barizorg (when he was still Sid) and must choose between persona life or duty. Luka was also an orphan who fended for herself explaining why she's got that headstrong personality. Doc's the team mechanic and doesn't like taking risks but learns to accept them.


What I like about Gokaiger over Kamer Rider Decade would be that they didn't go with Alternate Reality words for Super Sentai. Instead, they decided to create a Super Sentai timeline as part of the whole story. Instead of alternate versions of Super Sentai characters played by different actors, you have Super Sentai old school actors and new school actors resuming their roles or at least a different version of their roles without doing what Kamen Rider Decade did. You had a lot of them resuming their old roles where they help the Gokaigers unlock the Greater Power of each team. My favorite episode was where Gai Ikari and Ryou teamed up... though I still wish it were a team-up between him and Gai Yuki. Even if most of the Super Sentai shows have events that may not agree with each other like how dinosaur extinction varied from season to season but Gokaiger's done a good job in making a massive crossover a lot of fans dreamed of.

Gokaiger also presented other pretty good what if events for the audiences. If you remembered the Timeranger arc of Gokaiger, Domon's son with Honami is shown to have grown up. I felt like what in the world was Yasuko Kobayashi thinking with that side plot? But it did show this one... what if Domon knew he had a son and how would have he felt about it? Another one was that what if Satoru met the Boukengers and it was a cool episode. While I don't think it's possible that Ryuon would have been in the state he was given given that his body could have been burned at the end of Boukenger, it was still nice to make a what if he's still out there. After all, wasn't Gokaiger a huge what if all the 34 Super Sentai seasons were crammed into one show?

In short, Gokaiger succeeded where Kamen Rider Decade failed. Decade had a lot of good ideas but the whole Alternate Reality Riders felt silly IMO. The series didn't even last long and instead of a one whole year Kamen Rider season, it ended up getting canceled after 31 episodes. Not even its two parter crossover with Shinkenger helped. They had a movie finale which wasn't even good for me. Decade was a good concept but it was a failed anniversary. I still want to call it as "Saban's Masked Rider repackaged with better acting and special effects but majority of its writing failed." Gokaiger is a good concept and a successful anniversary. I guess the producers learned from their mistakes during Kamen Rider Decade's time making Gokaiger the season long crossover it's known to be.


Gai Ikari (the only Earthling member of the group) is somebody you could relate to in more than one level. I'm glad that Gokaiger created him as a sixth member. Back in Shinkenger, Genta was a samurai wannabee who became a Shinkenger even if he wasn't born from a samurai lineage. Gai Ikari gets his wish to come true when he becomes a Gokaiger. Both Genta and Gai Ikari were initially refused by the red rangers but they proved their worth. Gai Ikari improved what Genta left behind. He's a Super Sentai fan and he got his dream to come true. He knows everything about Super Sentai. How nostalgic and appealing can that feeling get with this character? A lot. I guess some people wished they became Super Sentai warriors when they were a lot younger until they realized it was just fiction. He may be that character that many Super Sentai fans can relate to.


Not only did Gokaiger give fans what they may call as one of the best anniversaries ever but you also have a creative implementation of mecha. It's really cool to think how seniors not only resumed their roles but also created a lot of cool stuff for toy sales. The mecha and various combinations are cool. The possibilities seemed endless for cool toys. I wouldn't deny that these are probably the coolest toys ever made for the Super Sentai franchise. I felt like the designers were truly dedicated in implementing innovative ideas in all the badass Bandai merchandise the show sold to its viewers and toy collectors. While not all the Super Sentai shows before it had a mecha to add but you can't deny that it was still pretty cool nonetheless.


With all that in mind, I might as well call Gokaiger as an ambitious voyage that succeeded in doing what it did best. While getting all the Super Sentai seniors is really impossible given a lot of time that passed out but they succeeded in doing so. I could raise how the final episode was rushed but it could be understand due to time constraints. Not all the old school actors may have agreed to resume their roles in a tribute episode due to real life issues. But you can't deny how it may not be a perfect series (no series ever is regardless of genre) that it accomplished its ambitious voyage across the Super Sentai franchise. While I don't think it's the best series ever but it's definitely one of the best series ever out there.

I could still name a few weaknesses Gokaiger had even if it's a huge hit. I can't deny that the nostalgic feeling is there but the tsunami last 2011 may have been a reason why Toei needed to dumb down the villains. I don't know or can't confirm whether or not the Zangyacks were really meant to be stupid like the Bowzock in Carranger or Gaiarc in Go-onger. I didn't feel anything special about the Zangyacks compared to a lot of previous villains. The only villain I truly cared about was Basco himself since he was truly cruel and competent making him a real threat. Another weakness Gokaiger had was since it's meant to be a season long crossover then the team must rely on the Ranger Keys and give them up at the end of the series. But again, every series has its flaws that must be accepted and even major hits like Gokaiger aren't spared from flaws.

The Gokaigers made it back after five years just in time for Super Sentai's 2,000th episode. As of right now, I think that Zyuohger's a fun show while I may want to rewatch Gokaiger again after some time. After Gokaiger, things may have looked pretty dark (no pun intended) when Go-Busters had really low toy sales. Kyoryuger, ToQGer and Ninninger had a lot of toys to sell but were marred by production and writing issues. Takahito Oomori's sexist views aren't good for Tokusatsu since we've had a lot of Toku females who were tough as nails with or without henshin. Naomi Takebe is pretty much hit or miss... I enjoyed a lot of her works but Ninninger's isn't one of them. Well, Ninninger does teach a lot of good lessons but it's just not my cup of tea but it's crossover with Kamen Rider Drive is still worth a watch. ToQGer had its potential to be great as it got its wreath of recognition for its maiden voyage but Yasuko Kobayashi was overworked at that time or two a different writer like Naruhisa Arakawa or Junko Komura should have been assigned in her stead. I also felt that ToQGer's concept could have been kept until the 40th anniversary since trains may make a good anniversary theme.

Toei may have exhausted itself after making Gokaiger such a huge hit. After big events, it's highly possible that organizers can so exhausted that they can't think of better ideas for some time. That didn't happen during Gaoranger (which was basically the opening of a new era for Super Sentai and Timeranger may have been a "finale" for the 20th century Super Sentai) or Boukenger. Gokaiger felt like a huge grand finale and Super Sentai is now in another era. Zyuohger doesn't look like an era opener or an era ender even if it's the 40th anniversary of Super Sentai. Hopefully, Toei will get back on its feet with their planned 41st Super Sentai series Uchuu Sentai Kyuranger after Zyuohger shows signs of recovery.

Zyuohger 30: The Arrival Of Cube Whale!

Episodes 28-29 were celebration of Super Sentai's 1,999th to 2,000th episode. We have Zyouh Whale introduced as Yamato Kazakiri's third form. It's time to tackle on what could be a more exciting part of Zyuohger.

I'm glad that Genis isn't taking things lightly as this episode will show. I guess this means we may not see Genis getting temporarily overthrown by Bangray (I hope this is the official translation as opposed to Bulgay by Over-Time). Then again, I could be wrong considering that Bangray himself is not an easy opponent. We'll just wait and see.

Bangray wants to find the Cube Whale which started another challenge for everyone. Is it me or is Bangray meant to be what you call the game changer? If he is, he's doing a pretty good job at it and he's a real menace. For post-Gokaiger game changers, I like Bangray did something better. Escape wasn't all that good for Go-Busters. Bangray's got the vibes of Basco. Both Basco and Bangray know how to get the job done one way or another.

The plan was to poison the ocean so Cube Whale will show up. Cube Whale cleared out the poison that Kubar spilled. Speaking of Kubar, I'm getting thrilled to what this secret between him and Bangray is. Did Genis destroy Kubars planet? Did Bangray destroy Kubar's planet? I can't wait to find out what it is. The suspense is thrilling me.

Cube Whale shows up as an out of control Cube Animal. It's a red whale with the ancient civilization look. Neither side could control it. It's an out of control mecha. I'm reminded of several out of control robots like Maskman's Galaxy Robo, Ohranger's Red Puncher and Shinkenger's Mougyudaioh. What's with the love for out of control robots anyway?

Next week, I can't wait to see Cube Whale in its robot form as Dodekai-Oh. Hmmm did Toei get a champion Lego artist to design their mecha? 

Sixth Ranger Galore From 1992-2016

I remembered a couple of years ago, Shogo wrote on his opinion on the sixth rangers. Now it's my turn to write about them. I could start by saying that the sixth hero innovation has me mixed. Some of my favorites in the shows were the sixth heroes. Others weren't my favorites. Please don't look for the Magne Warrior and X-1 Mask here as they weren't official members of Bioman and Maskman. So without much ado, here are they. Also, this won't include extra rangers but only those who are officially SIXTH in the show.

Without further ado, let's get into the sixth ranger list. Remember, spoilers ahead so read at your own risk!


Burai/Dragon Ranger

Move over Tommy is what I love to say whenever there's this guy to think about. After Maskman had it's prototype sixth ranger with Ryo Asuka/X-1 Mask (who also was a prototype for Gai Yuki who was a regular ranger) it's easy to see that Burai is a season-long X-1 Mask anti-hero. Though he started in as a villain, it can't be denied he's the senior of the Zyurangers. He's gotten the whole "Green With Evil" plot in Zyuranger where he shows how awesome he is in sixth episodes. Okay, Geki got more focus since Zyuranger is red-centric but nobody can deny that the guy started out evil and became good at his own decision. He made Tommy look like a freaking joke!

So why did Burai stay and X-1 Mask go? Well X-1 Mask was experimental while Burai (who may have been intended to just stay for six episodes) had a strong support going. Even if they killed him off for good in later episodes, you can't deny he's got a strong screen presence. Also, he's got borrowed time but quality outweighs quantity. Oh sure Tommy had more appearances, so what? He's just an overrated member. Burai? He's really badass and Shiro Izumi (who previously played Yuuma Oozora in Changeman) added a real presence. So as said, I just love to flaunt how great Burai is over Tommy. I guess I'm just fed up with Tommy getting overrated and how Burai's a real legend you can look up to.

Sidenote, Jason David Frank isn't any legendary actor. You want one? Why don't you look up to also to Hiroshi Miyauchi? He's played several characters and not an overused character of sorts!


Kou/Kibaranger

I still can't forget how I had mixed feelings when I saw Power Rangers Turbo before hearing about Gosei Sentai Dairanger. Fans had this reaction towards well... Justin Stewart! I remembered reactions like how they could add a child. When I told them about Dairanger having a child member they had mixed feelings. Pretty much, after seeing Dairanger a couple of years ago had me think that there was a difference between Kou and Justin as child rangers.

Okay, one can say that Kou is a brat. Yes, I even wanted to strangle him when he groped Rin. I wish Rin hit him hard. But we find out that he's got a lot of trouble within. He's got an interesting plot going on especially that he's actually Shadam's son (but he never finds out), his parents are divorced and Akomaru is his evil twin brother. All the interesting plots didn't make him look like the lame gimmick Justin was. I didn't want to go against Justin for being a child. Justin's gimmick was that he was just there for the sake of being there. Kou had a real story to keep him going which makes him the superior kid ranger.

Other than that, I still think I'd pick him over Tommy. Tommy as the white ranger was for me well disgracing Big One and Kibaranger at the same time. As I mentioned earlier, Miyauchi beats JDF off the platform anytime. He's no overrated character. He's got a lot of plot contribution and character development. As said, it's time to kick Tommy to another level of low. Justin's okay though but the gimmick wasn't so well done.


Riki/King Ranger

So we've had another kid ranger. I didn't really mind too much about that. I'm just wondering did the producers want to "expand" on Joy from Bioman. Joy from Bioman supposedly came to Earth under suspended animation but it was a Mecha Human in disguise. In the case of Riki, he's came to our time under suspended animation. With Ohranger's war against Baranoia, I feel like they wanted more Bioman references than just a season long Bio vs. Anti-Bio war. I don't really have much to say about him either even after finishing Ohranger. He's okay but could have been fleshed out some more. But still, Justin got kicked down for being just there.


Yuusaku Hayakawa/Mega Silver

Here comes Mega Silver! So I thought it's bizarre why a group of teenagers with attitude would get a senior for a sixth ranger. Yuusaku was a scientist working in I-NET and somehow, he got drawn to use the prototype suit which lasted for only 2.5 minutes. Great, he's got that power but it only lasts that long. He fixed the suit's problem by lowering is power. While he does show some badass moments but I thought he was my least favorite in the show. As much as I like Megaranger but I wish they just had a teenager with superior intellect act out instead. That's a downsider of the show but other than that, he's pretty helpful to the others.


Hyuga/Bull Black

Burai syndrome anyone? He's the second sixth ranger to be the red ranger's older brother. He was supposed to become the next Ginga Red if it wasn't for that earthquake. He's supposedly dead but he was possessed by the first Bullblack. It was interesting to have him return which created some plot twists. For instance, it turns out that maybe just maybe Ryoma was destined by fate to become the 133rd Ginga Red. Although he originally overshadowed Ryoma but in the end, Ryoma overshadows him.

The plot where he becomes the second Bullblack was a fun watch. I mean, if he can't be the new Ginga Red why not give him another badass power? In the later episodes, he ends up teaming up with Pucrates so he could find out what could destroy Zahab. He temporarily got rid of his Earth Power. While we thought he lost it forever but he never lost it completely. While he did lose his position to become the 133rd Ginga Red but he filled up the spot left by the first Bullblack. The first Bullblack is an extra hero but after that, Hyuga became the sixth ranger of Gingaman. I don't want to compare him with Mike of Lost Galaxy though since there's not much to talk about.


Naoto "Hojo Toru" Takizawa/Time Fire

I can't deny how this guy feels like the "necessary conflict" of the show. If you don't get what I mean either you watch this show from start to end or you try watching Kamen Rider Agito (which came after Timeranger) from start to end to analyze Hojo Toru's antics. He's introduced as the rival of Tatsuya Asami. He's grown from a pretty poor family and wants to show the world he's actually capable of doing something. He's the anti-hero of sorts and the actor Shinji Kasahara does it right to play the "necessary conflict" which made me lament his actor should have played Hojo in Kamen Rider Agito. My only problem was that he didn't show up a little earlier like Burai did. I guess Toei wanted to try something new and I guess fans complained about it.

As the sixth ranger, he gets the equipment as Time Fire. He wants to show the world he can do something plus he tried to take command of the City Guardians. I wonder what was Yasuko Kobayashi thinking in adding this level of conflict? In spite of all his actions, I could still pity him in some way because people kept putting him down. Yet it doesn't justify his actions. Still, I wonder what in the world was Kobayashi thinking in gunning him down with a Zenitto at far range rather than give him a heroic death? Trying to do a Gai Yuki death for him? That scene made me think that Toshiki Inoue wrote it but no, it was Kobayashi. It turned out that Captain Ryuya (perhaps a prototype to Masato Kusaka in Kamen Rider Faiz) could have prevented what happened but chose not to.

For a bit of Naoto vs. Eric Myers. I just felt that both had their moments. I'd only want to talk more about the writing. Eric didn't try to take over the City Guardians nor exploit the Time Force Rangers' identities. On the other hand, Naoto did the opposite. As much as I don't like Power Rangers and I choose not to watch it... but I thought Eric was a better character. I guess Super Sentai wanted to try something new with their anti-hero characters. On the other hand, I still felt that Naoto's concept was still trying something new for a change. So will this concept still work in future seasons? Maybe, maybe not as lighter and softer has become the new trend.


Tsukumaru "Shirogane" Oogami/Gao Silver

Gaoranger was introduced to be in a much different light than Kobayashi's Magnum Opus Timeranger. It was the beginning of Super Sentai where most series would develop the new change of lighter and softer series now work better. One can admit that Gaoranger may still have had not much of any idea of what to do. After several episodes of mostly lighter and softer, we're brought to a more serious part of the series when Rouki is introduced. Then we realize Rouki was been inhabiting the body of the sixth Gaoranger... Shirogane!

Shirogane had some interesting build-up with how he got possessed by Rouki. So it was 1,000 years ago or something where the Org battle got that bad. The final Org highness Hyakkimaru was defeating everyone and he allowed himself to be possessed by the mask. These actions made him feel a huge amount of guilt explaining his lone wolf behavior. He even felt like he should be the one to destroy Rouki after the demon possessing him took bodily form. For the rest of the season, he started to blend in with everyone. Overall, my favorite Gaoranger team member.


Asuka Kagura/Shurikenger

So he was once known as Asuka Kagura but he lost his identity completely. He ended up appearing in different human forms but never having restored his true identity. I don't know which is really worse... this one or Sam as a ball of light in Power Rangers SPD? With my biases on, I still think Sam as a ball of light was really the dumbest thing producers could come up with for SPD. He may have brought back some Super Sentai seniors but that doesn't make up for this really unusual plot. I guess Toei wanted to experiment around but I don't think this idea was so well-taken by the audience. Again, I could be wrong and maybe there are some who actually like his concept. Super Sentai seniors showing up is nice but this concept feels dumb IMO. I prefer Cameron Watanabe having his human identity intact than what happened to this guy.


Tetsu "Tekkan" Aira/Deka Break

He's got that badass introduction and I thought he would be my favorite after Hoji Tomasu was my favorite. While I thought of jumping from liking Hoji to liking him, it just didn't happen. While I do still like him after the Hell Siblings' arc but I felt like that he wasn't so special after that. It was nice to get him to do more and blend in more. I just wish the show fleshed him out a little more. Instead, the other five Dekarangers felt like they had more development than he did. For that, I'm still officially liking Hoji over him. Maybe he's my third favorite Dekaranger now since Ban is my second favorite Dekaranger.


Hikaru/Magishine

Magiranger is a sibling show and why did the producers even add him?! Unlike GoGoFive that kept itself more true to the sibling theme, I felt like Magiranger was more of a wreck in almost every way. Hikaru doesn't even do anything useful and I felt like he's been teased too much with first Houka then Urara then Houka then he marries Urara. Again, I could care less about him. I'm watching Fiveman and GoGoFive over this show for family bonding!


Eiji Takaoka/Bouken Silver

He's still my favorite Boukenger. I felt like the idea was like imagining what if Yamimaru in Turboranger became a sixth ranger instead of a new villain. Like Yamimaru, he's half-human and half-demon but unlike him, he didn't wander the Earth for thousands of years. He's not even aware of his half-Ashu heritage until he grew up. He's got his constant conflict with the Ashu warriors Gai and Rei. The Ashu were more or less improved versions of Jetman's Ramu and Gogu as they didn't spend too much time feeding on people turned into pineapples.

So what do I like about him? I can't really say too much but he's got some cool focus episodes. He's hesitant to join the team due to the curse within but he manages to overcome it. I like how his mecha was introduced and how often he's blended with the others. I can't also help but feel he's had references to the non-canon Jeff Kensaki. One, if Masumi Inou's their version of Gai Yuki (minus the womanizing) then he's Jeff. Like Jeff, he did fill in the black ranger's spot for awhile. Reference or coincidence?


Hiruto and Miu Suto/Go-on Gold and Go-on Silver

I enjoy Go-onger's wacky comedy (and no offense to those who insist it sucks). I felt these two were probably meant to balance. They appear to be badass and cool. Instead of just a sixth ranger, we also get a seventh when they both appear. They pretended to be calm and cool but they had their insecurities. I had a habit of comparing Hiruto to Squidward Tentacles except he's got better taste and talent. Miu's the first regular extra female and she's got really badass skills. In the long run, I didn't think these two were all that special.


Genta Umemori/Shinken Gold

Shinkenger was already a fun show at the beginning. Even before Genta appeared, we've already had some comic scenes like Takeru panicking over Mako's cooking, Mako's really bad cooking which is given in cartoony levels, Chiaki slacking and Ryunosuke being hammy. So why did they have to add Genta? I guess they just wanted toy sales or wanted a bit of a diversion. Unlike the others, he's no samurai warrior but just a fan of the whole samurai thing. But again, isn't samurai supposed to be a birthright or what? While he's definitely more useful for plot than that useless Spike Skullovitch because he actually did contribute something to the show like his hidden genius... but I wish the writers gave him more development than he got. Times happen that he feels like what if Skull had a son with a Japanese woman though it's just impossible.


Gai Ikari/Gokai Silver

Gai Ikari... perhaps the reflection of the Super Sentai spirit before Nobuo Akagi came into existence. He's the Sentai fan who becomes a Sentai ranger after some accident. So he got into a near-death situation (or probably really died) and was chosen by Burai, Naoto and Mikoto to become the latest Gokaiger. He's got that extensive knowledge of Super Sentai that no average Super Sentai fan can have. He could pinpoint almost everything and he's the "chosen one" of Super Sentai. Maybe he's the greatest Super Sentai sixth ranger that ever walked the franchise.

I felt like there's this one: he's probably Genta done right. While Genta had done some stuff like create super cool gadgets, he's managed to give clues to the Gokaigers about the past Super Sentai teams. He's made important roles in the Super Hero Taisen movies. While he didn't get to fight with Gai Yuki (Onore Toshiki Inoue... why do you hate Gai Ikari?) but he had that chance to fight by Ryou/Ryuuranger. Overall, he's probably that important character that all Super Sentai warriors could rely on. I don't think it'd be easy to make another Gai like him... pun intended.


Utsusemimaru/Kyoryu Gold

I still can't over how much I didn't like Kyoryuger's writing or maybe I could blame producer Takahito Oomori. Oh yeah, that guy who says girls are weak so there's only one in this show. While it was a good idea to actually let Riku Sanjo give his shot but I felt like come on, dinosaurs are overused. While the toy sales were high overall but letting the sixth ranger appear earlier than usual may not be such a good idea. If Naoto may have appeared too late then he appeared too early. Trying to redo Shirogane and modify it can be a good idea but I don't think this character was that good of an outcome. Another mistake for Toei to learn from huh?


Akira/ToQ-6

I still can't get over how much I thought ToQGer could have been such a great series if it wasn't for some management mistakes. The idea of a former Shadow Line joining ToQGer is a great idea but the whole show ran low on ratings. It could have been because of Yasuko Kobayashi burning out after some time. So all he did was make it rain. Come on, we all need rain at times as much as we need sunshine. Rain is part of the whole natural weather cycle. So is that all he had to be "sorry" about? I guess Naruhisa Arakawa could have probably given him a better excuse like he was causing nightmares or something. Blah. But again, I still think his concept could be worked out in future seasons of Super Sentai.


Kinji Takigawa/Starninger

Like Kyoryu Gold, why in the world did he appear too early? I did feel sorry for the guy when he was supposedly "sent out" by that idiot senile old man. While he was a fun character but I felt like Ninninger no longer had any idea on what to do with ninjas. Whether it's Naomi Takebe or Kento Shimoyama, I don't think any of them did a good job here. Takebe was responsible for some of my favorite shows like Kamen Rider Kiva, Kamen Rider OOO, Kamen Rider Gaim and Go-Busters but she really doesn't stand out with Super Sentai for most of her run. He's a cool concept but I felt like it wasn't worked out as it should have been. I hope it can be improved upon in later seasons for possible future sixth rangers with a cowboy concept.


Mondo Misao/Zyuoh The World

While Zyuohger usually had some cool characters to think about but this guy well... he tends to suck for me. I don't know why the writers somehow have the obsession of making him too guilt-ridden and a pessimist. I guess they're just simply trying something new for lighter and softer Super Sentai seasons but I think it's time to really, I mean really give him some quick character development. He's got a couple of cool stuff going on but I'm afraid his personality drags him down. Hopefully, we'll see him improved for the next couple of episodes to become much more confident than when he started. But again, he did accept the deal with Genis so I guess it's understandable why he acts like the way he does. But what I do like about the pacing is that at least Misao doesn't appear too early or too late.

Happy Moon Festival 2016: Remembering The Story Of Princess Kaguya In Boukenger!

This year, the Moon Festival fell on this day of September 15, 2016. It's been ten years since Boukenger but I see no harm in actually bringing back Boukenger episode 13, "Phantom Thief Selene". The actress was played by Nana Yanagisawa who later on played Megumi Aso in Kamen Rider Kiva. Note that the episode didn't air during the Mid-Autumn of 2006. What's a bigger coincidence is that Super Sentai hit its 2,000th episode on the week of the Midautumn Festival.

Phantom Thief Selene was presented to be looking for the potion of immortality. It's also something that the Jaryuu wanted to get. After the episode's end, we see that Selene (who's named after the Greek goddess of the moon, Selene) may actually be Princess Kaguya herself. The immortality potion may have been derived from the Chinese version of the story. It's still better to treat Princess Kaguya and Chang Er as two different characters though.

The story of Princess Kaguya does have her as someone who's returned to the moon. She was found in a bamboo forest where she was adopted by earthly parents. Later in her life, she was reunited with the gods and goddesses of the Japanese pantheon. A similar character is the Chinese immortal Chang-Er. Chang Er's story was that during some time ago, Earth used to have ten suns. Just imagine what it was back then and everyone suffered. Chang Er gave up her humanity (by drinking the immortality potion to do so) so she could alleviate everyone's suffering from the ten suns problem. Nine suns were removed and only one remained thus maintaining the balance.

The Japanese would have tsukimi dumplings instead of the Chinese moon cake. These are rice dumplings. I believe they'd taste similar to Chinese rice dumplings which may come in several varieties depending on which province of China you're talking about. In South Korea, the festival is called Chuseok where Boukenger was called as Power Rangers Treasure Force. 

Well have fun!

Zyuohger 29: Finally! Celebrating Super Sentai's 2,000th Episode! The Conclusion Of The Clash Of Two Anniversaries!

Last week celebrated the 1,999th episode of Super Sentai. As said, Carranger failed to celebrate the 999th to 1,000th episode with a bang for some reason. So what's in store for this two part crossover which I'll dub as "Zyuohger VS. Gokaiger"? It's one huge anniversary that wasn't given to Super Sentai. Plus, I'm glad that we didn't have it like what we had with Kamen Rider OOO's celebration of Kamen Rider's 1,000th episode.

I thought it was a clash of two red rangers done in a more epic way. It's not the first time though we saw red rangers clash. If you've seen Carranger vs. Ohranger, Timeranger vs. GoGoFive, Dekaranger vs. Abaranger and Shinkenger vs. Go-onger you can see the red rangers clash. In this case, they're redoing it with Captain Marvelous and Yamato. It's always been because one team is different than the other and I enjoyed all their clashing scenes. Yamato shows he can really fight even if he didn't have much combat training prior to becoming an Zyuohger.

What sort of "bothers" me or at least, makes me want to question this is that: why are Super Sentai teams usually not aware of each other's existence even in the crossover movies? Plus, Gai Ikari knew about the later Super Sentai... how did he get all that information anyway? Did Aka Red feed him all that information or is this another "break the fourth wall" moment? It's not really explained to why Gai Ikari knew of the Zyuohgers' existence or if he was really on Earth or did he go to space for some time. But it was entertaining nonetheless and I sometimes like moments where audiences are left to decide on the plot. I don't think Toei will offer an official explanation and wants all their viewers to imagine why.

Here's some cameo villains. So Bulgay's tapped into the head of Marvelous but come on, why are the post-Gokaiger villains appearing? I guess it's because they were using the Ranger Keys of the post-Gokaiger seasons (before returning it) so I guess they had a bit of idea of what's going on. I could understand why we have Doukoku and Brajira but Zed, Enter and Deboth?! But these aren't the real people but just doppelgangers meant by Bulgay to attack the Zyuohgers and Gokaigers. It was a fun battle in some way. 

The heroes spread out and do the usual, "Let's take care of all of them in pairs." which can be seen in some crossovers. The last crossover I remembered I did that was Boukenger VS. Super Sentai and the Gokaiger Hero 199 Movie. Granted, both Boukenger and Gokaiger are huge anniversary seasons. Gaoranger didn't have that one. I don't think it's possible to have a Gaoranger crossover either unless all the actors were willing. But I'd still want to see a Gaoranger cast member guest star either as a guest character or reprise their role even in just one episode. 

What was even more interesting (or not) is that Yamato gains a third form. He inherits Cetas' power which for me is... WHY AREN'T THE OTHER ZYUOHGERS GETTING COOL UPGRADES? As much as the show is enjoyable but I'm nitpicking on how the show tends to center on Yamato when it comes to giving out the new merchandise. It was a cool upgrade nonetheless with how Cetas' ancient power can still be put to use in this day and age.


I do find this Zyuoh Final to be one cheesy move. It's also very dangerous. I hope that the producers and writers will find a way to "tame this power" because of the whole "chipped a portion of the moon" thing. Also, I hope that the other Zyuohgers can help out in taming this extremely dangerous power. As much as it's a Super Sentai Moment of Badass but I think writers still need to find a way to tame this power. Keep it the way it is and the whole Universe is in peril.


What's interesting is that Bulgay taps Golgos Gill (who didn't exist in Gokaiger nor the Super Hero Taisen movies) out of the memories of the Gokaigers. This results to a crazy giant robot battle or not. I thought that we could have had doppelgangers of Ackdos Gill and his son Warz Gill for this episode.

When the Gokaigers form Tousai Wild King, the Gokaigers land in the cockpit. It created a flashy finishing move that we may never see again but I do have some criticism. I wanted to see both robots together instead of the combined cockpit idea from GoGoFive vs. Gingaman and Shinkenger vs. Go-onger. I guess the writers wanted to but time was the constraint. I can't say what was really going on but at least, we got a crossover exclusive cool attack with amazing CGI effects attached to it. So it's 40 seasons of Super Sentai.

So we see the Gokaigers prepare to leave the Earth because well there's no treasure they could find. They gave up the Greatest Treasure in the Universe because it would harm the timeline they're in. The Zyuohgers have what they're looking for and I can't wait to see Zyuoh Whale by next week. What kind of cruel mischief will Bulgay unleash on our heroes next?

It's really funny that they forgot about Navi. I wonder will Navi be rescued off-screen? Hopefully. As for "waiting for the 3000th episode" well, that's going to be a long, long time. I guess they wanted an inside-joke or something. I guess I could ask them the challenge of, "Are you willing to sit through from Goranger up to Zyuohger episode 28 non-stop?" My answer is no. I may like Super Sentai but I can't really compromise the more important stuff for it. But it can still fun to watch Super Sentai regardless of era it belongs during one's spare time regardless of age. It's not about old school or new school but it's about the quality of writing and production that makes it good. 

So how many super old school, old school and new school Super Sentai have I seen? Based on this list of Super Sentai series I've watched from start to end, I think I've seen around 1,507 episodes (based on estimate) out of the 2,000 episodes. I haven't seen of Goranger, JAKQ, Denziman, Goggle V, Dynaman, Changeman, Flashman, Kakuranger (which I think I've seen more than half of it) and Goseiger (but I may resume viewing it soon after I gave up on it halfway) from start to end. I've seen how quality goes up and down depending on circumstances. If we have good writers and producers then we can expect something better. If not, one should prepare for the worst to happen. 

Overall, it was a nice crossover episode. You can't mess with the heroes of justice and get away with it. Next week, I'm expecting another epic clash. Oh... it's almost time for Kamen Rider EX-AID to make his debut next month on October 2, 2016! Will I end up saying "EX-AID is way better than Zyuohger?" I can't decide yet but I'm having my preconceived biases at work at this point of time.