A Doctor Runs Into An Alien, An Alien Runs Into A Doctor?

Rather than update my last Kyuranger episode update, I decided to make a "part two" which features the minor guest role of Hojo Emu in Kyuranger and Lucky in Kamen Rider-EX-AID. So what really happened? 

The Kyuranger portion features Hojo's appearance as Kamen Rider EX-AID. Raptor plays billiard and a new ball summons EX-AID. Ikadevil gets defeated by EX-AID. EX-AID unmorphs into his human form and introduces himself as Hojo Emu. Lucky introduces himself to Hojo as well.  

The guest role of Lucky in EX-AID contradicts what happened to how they met in Kyuranger. Lucky appears and Hojo asks for Lucky's identity. Both of them like as if the events in Kyuranger never happened. So really? Did they develop amnesia or what? Or are we exploring a multiverse in here?

Speaking of which I am planning to write a new post which I tentatively want to call the Toei Multiverse Theory after I wrote something about the Super Sentai timeline. I don't know if I can push through the post as intended. Hopefully I will be able to write on it. It wouldn't be easy so don't expect it to pop out anytime soon.

Kyuranger Space 7: Happy Birthday To You And Bigger Surprises Await

Sorry for the delay of the badly needed weekly post! This week's episode is pretty much summed as "Happy Birthday!" One of the Kyurangers is celebrating his birthday namely Balance. Let's get started shall we? So instead of writing a part two I decided to update this post just today!

The Malistrate of the week is Toomey. Is it a pun for the word gloomy? I can't be certain but he's pretty mean. He steals the birthday of everyone and they can't celebrate it. Presents disappear and the same thing happens to Balance. Naga starts to go from being almost emotionless to show a caring side when he discovers how important Balance is as a team member. Sidenote, I wished that Takashi Ukaji made a guest appearance either as a civilian or as Kosei Kougami from Kamen Rider OOO. 

It's revealed that last week's assassin duo Ikagen and Madoko have been used to invade and destroy thousands of planets. What's really Don Armage's problem with other people's lives anyway? We're seeing him a bit more outside the holographic image and my slight nitpick is that he's not dressed in black but white robes. He looks like some weird cult leader than a shogun. The two fighters show up and start causing trouble for the heroes. I hope both Ikagen and Madoko will be menacing villains since we all need them to keep the show going. I wish that the two villains will prove to be more than a match for the heroes before they're inevitably written off. 

Kamen Rider EX-AID appears as a guest and disappears into thin air after an impressive fight. So he appears into the world of Kyuranger. I feel Toei owes its viewers an explanation to why these crossovers are now happening within the series unless they want to tell us that they want us to decide for ourselves. Ikadevil from Shocker appears and causes confusion. EX-AID does some impressive attacks for a short scene. I just want to imagine the Toei Multiverse theory since most Super Sentai tend to operate within their own continuity that it's a collision of worlds. Both Kamen Rider Decade and Kamen Rider Drive experienced it. Kamen Rider Decade's crossover with Shinkenger already showed that the World of Shinkenger is a World Without Kamen Riders.

My problem right now though is that has Shocker become the punching bad of new school Kamen Riders? Granted, I prefer new school Kamen Rider so I really wish that they would use Foundation X (which first appears in Kamen Rider W and made some appearances in Kamen Rider Fourze) or E.V.I.L. (insert Mermaid Man) as the new punching bag. Shocker's already getting overused and that organization would be freaking 46 years old today assuming it was founded last 1971. As far as we're concerned Shocker was later re-organized as Gel-Shocker, Destron and the mysterious Great Leader kept leading it in most its incarnations. Today, the Great Leader has become the Great Loser considering how often he's the favorite punching bag of the new school era. I wish that the Kamen Rider crossover films will find a new punching bag than use someone who's already overused. Other punching bags that I think are already overused are General Jark, Shadow Moon, Apollo Geist, General Shadow and Ambassador Darkness. Missed any?

We also have the upcoming Chou Super Hero Taisen (makes me want to sing Hagane No Messiah from the Super Robot Wars series whenever a massive crossover happens) which may focus mainly on Kyuranger and EX-AID. Speaking of the Super Hero Taisen series, I can't forget how much I didn't like the first movie. The second movie was a bit better but not anything. I did enjoy the Kamen Rider Grand Prix but it conveniently ignored the events of Kamen Rider Drive's crossover with Ninninger. A giant fortress is attacking the Planet Earth but it may actually be an alternate universe different from both Kyuranger and EX-AID. Also, I'm excited for the movie considering that I'm enjoying both Kyuranger and EX-AID at the same time. But again, why does Patrick Star keep getting the honor of writing these films? There's still other writers and maybe Gen  Urobuchi would be the better pick for now. 

Hopefully the Battle Royale plot will work well but as I said, it's better to use the Super Hero Taisen concept as a video game series since a movie is never enough to develop a huge cast. I think it would be fun to have a Battle Royale video game involving as many Tokusatsu shows by Toei as possible instead of having a movie. I would suggest they have console games and mobile games. But please, I hope they'll have English versions soon so they can also be enjoyed by non-Japanese audiences. 

Next week is going to show Xiao Long Bao's secret and I can't wait to see him fight. We have Torin in Kyoryuger and Doggie Kruger in Dekaranger. So what amazing power does this commander have? For the sideline event, we're having some cooking mayhem with Kaijiki who may be trying to help some refugees. I wish that Hiro Mishuzima from Kamen Rider Kabuto will guest star next week but it's unlikely.

Five Reasons Why I Prefer Gekisou Sentai Carranger Over Power Rangers Turbo

As said, this is just my opinion defended by some facts so feel free to disagree with me. I would like to share why I end up preferring Carranger over Power Rangers Turbo. I felt like writing this article knowing that Carranger is coming out from Shout! Factory this April 25, 2017 and today is the anniversary of that super duper awful Power Rangers Turbo movie. Without much ado here are my five reasons to pick the super ridiculous Carranger over Turbo:


It's pretty much its own continuity

One of the many stuff that I like about Super Sentai in general (though I'll always have some seasons that I don't like regardless of era) is that you didn't need to watch all previous shows to understand newer seasons. You saw Zyuohger last year but did you need to watch Gokaiger to understand a huge slice of the show? You may have seen Gokaiger but did you need to watch all 34 series? Carranger is pretty much its own continuity and I still respect it for that. Good thing that Toei hardly makes direct sequels or if they do it's done better than how the Zordon Arc was in Power Rangers.

No failure of a movie before the series starts

The whole change of powers was pointless. Why would they replace the Zeo powers with Turbo powers? While it's understandable that Zeo ended up using the Zeo powers because they lost their powers but Turbo was a different issue. Super Sentai and Power Rnagers would usually have something destroyed in battle before they replaced it with a new item. The whole movie was pointless. Plus, the way Kimberly was treated there made me say, "Screw it!" and that's why I usually choose not to watch Power Rangers.


Kyousuke Jinnai may be an idiot but he's a way better better character than Tommy "Hercule" Oliver

Yes I consider Kyousuke to be an idiot but he's not like Tommy who I always liken to Hercule from the Dragon Ball franchise. Why I could like him as a character no matter how dumb he gets is because he matures and he's a real fighter. Sure, he's made a lot of mistakes but he's also matures as a character. He may not be intelligent but he's definitely a better leader than Tommy any day. Oh, I guess readers should know by now he's my favorite Carranger character.


Better humor than what Turbo offers

Bulk and Skull IMO aren't helping any plot. Same goes with every comic relief character like Cassidy and Devin (Dino Thunder), Spike (though I love imagining him being beaten up by Mako). While Carranger didn't save Super Sentai's ratings (and ratings only returned back to normal with Megaranger) but the humor is still better. Bulk and Skull should have just been written off seasons ago but no the two just end up doing almost nothing relevant. Also, Carranger is way more consistent in what it intends to be as a comedy series.


A well-defined finale

Power Rangers Turbo just gave us a stupid hanging finale sending everyone into space for the next season. Carranger also wrapped things up with how it had its finale. Carranger gave the conclusion everyone deserved. While the finale seems rushed (especially how the Bowzock could easily defect to the Carrangers is beyond me) but it's still better than having a dangling finale during the Zordon arc seasons.

Closing notes

Pretty much, I don't really care if certain shows I like weren't popular Super Sentai seasons. Carranger may have not normalized ratings but I feel it did improve Turboranger's cars x magical powers motif by a huge mile. It may have not done so well during its time but it doesn't mean you can't enjoy it. I still enjoy some shows that didn't do well during their airing. I hope I don't sound harsh or anything in sharing my views.

Amazing Coincidences Between Yasuko Kobayashi And Judd Lynn?

I thought of a few things that I may have noticed about Judd Lynn and Yasuko Kobayashi all this time and decided to gather possible coincidences between the two writers. It took me some time to think about this one. These two beloved writers from their respective franchises are on burnout had some things in common aside from their writing styles:

1997 was the year that they both got hugely involved in their respective franchises

Kobayashi entered into the arena last 1997 with Megaranger where she wrote 13 episodes as a secondary writer. The Megaranger episodes she was wrote usually involved major plots which would train her for next year's task as the head writer of Gingaman. I felt her Megaranger episodes were among the best she contributed for Super Sentai.

Lynn himself was given a task similar to Toshiki Inoue replacing Tyuyoshi Kida as a head writer. He replaced Douglas Sloan midway in Power Rangers Turbo. This would be where Lynn himself would be tasked to become the head writer of Power Rangers in Space. But I felt like the mess Power Rangers Turbo left behind was already so huge it was hard to fix.

1998 was their champion year when they both had their first official headwriting jobs

1998 was the year when Power Rangers was saved from cancellation and Kobayashi entered into her first job as headwriter. Megaranger brought Super Sentai ratings back as both Ohranger and Carranger were more reliant on toy sales than TV ratings. While I still think Carranger's better than Power Rangers Turbo and Ohranger's better than Zeo (I may write on them soon why I think so but I want to focus on Kyuranger, EX-AID and well future releases of classic Super Sentai and painfully trying to watch more old school Kamen Rider) but I can't deny they weren't all that good. So what series did Lynn and Kobayashi write that brought them to their names?

Lynn was responsible for Power Rangers in Space. Power Rangers was already close to cancellation (and half of me wished it did but Toei and Saban both know that doing so is financially disastrous if they would cancel such a huge hit) but PR in Space saved the series. Megaranger brought ratings up after two consecutive lower ratings from Ohranger and Carranger. Kobayashi was responsible for a huge portion of Megaranger which gave way for her in Gingaman. While I don't want to debate too much on Gingaman vs. Lost Galaxy (it's like arguing whether an apple tastes better than a banana and IMO, Flashman beats both series) but Gingaman is another fan favorite. Both of them made a name for themselves with Power Rangers in Space and Gingaman. Next year, Lynn would be the headwriter of Lost Galaxy which was based on Gingaman.

I guess having Gingaman and Power Rangers in Space made writers beloved in both their franchises. Difference is Kobayashi herself had been involved also with Kamen Rider and Anime series. Lynn also served as a producer and not just a writer.

Gingaman and Lost Galaxy are considered fan favorites

After Kobayashi's champion year in 1998, Lynn would have his second time to prove himself on 1999 with Lost Galaxy. I think comparing Gingaman and Lost Galaxy to be choosing in between apples and oranges. Gingaman was last year's hit with Super Sentai and Lost Galaxy was in 1999, the same year as GoGoFive. Gingaman is pretty much a fan favorite during the late 90s. While it's pretty much too "tree hugger" for some but it's still a fan favorite.

So what's with Lost Galaxy which was based on Gingaman? Lost Galaxy is pretty much another praised series. I personally think Lost Galaxy has its own merits. While I may no like Power Rangers but trying a space theme for the series twice in a row was something. If Super Sentai did it during the 80s why not give Power Rangers a chance? While I thought sticking the series on Terra Venture for most of the run wasn't exactly the best way to go but Lost Galaxy is still another fan favorite. I think its' best to enjoy Lost Galaxy on its own merits than to compare it to Gingaman.

Both got involved in writing series that promoted safety rules

Kobayashi was a major contributor to GoGoFive for 12 episodes as a secondary writer while Lynn was the head writer of Lightspeed Rescue. Lightspeed Rescue had its what I call "super necessary" PSAs for safety rules. Regardless, Kobayashi can't be ignored as a major contributor as much as Lynn is a head writer for their respective rescue themed seasons. While Kobayashi was just a secondary writer but she was still a major contributor to GoGoFive nonetheless.

Years later, Kobayashi was assigned to be with ToQGer where she sadly burned out. Toei had an award for endorsing safety rules that year but I felt GoGoFive deserved the award better. But again, maybe I missed something and maybe GoGoFive did get an award during its time. ToQGer may not be my cup of tea but I think it still deserved it award for teaching Japanese children the importance of railway seasons. Too bad though Kobayashi didn't get much of a helping hand there. As I love to say it Naruhisa Arakawa should have been its writer instead because of his experience with Akibaranger. Brilliant ideas can go down the drain if you don't have the right people to carry it out.

On the other hand, I'd go for a Winspector and Solbrain marathon over the shows that I just mentioned. Not because they're old school but because they manage to be more "mature" and rescue-focused in some way. Hopefully, another rescue oriented Super Sentai series or better yet a rescue oriented Kamen Rider will be carried out. Oh, did you know that Kobayashi also made her first writing contribution for Tokusatsu with Winspector's 24th episode?

Timeranger and Time Force are their magnum opus seasons for their respective franchises

Timeranger and Time Force are shows I think get a lot of praise from the fandom. Some may call ihem the Magnum Opus for both writers. Timeranger and Time Force were moments when a writer wanted to step out of the mold and innovate. Timeranger didn't want to be too much of your typical Super Sentai and Time Force didn't want to be so much of your typical Power Rangers. What's funny is that 2001 (the year Gaoranger aired) was the year Super Sentai started to become less violent and more kid friendly.

Both Lynn and Kobayashi wanted to be even more serious. Kobayashi was lucky that Super Sentai that time was a little more lenient with censorship but next year would force writers to be lighter and softer for most of the time. Kobayashi wrote the whole Timeranger series in such a way that it's unique like adding a more depressing atmosphere. Lynn added the serious theme of what goes around comes around with Ransik's unjustifiable bitter hatred towards humanity for shunning him. Both writers didn't want to be too cliche with their respective franchises. They did break some boundaries without otherwise alienating the said audiences. Think what happened with how Inoue's Jetman became a hit classic.

While I don't like Power Rangers but I can give Time Force a few points where it's better. The show doesn't intentionally make douches out of almost everyone. Wesley Collins isn't a jerk compared to Tatsuya Asami, Jen isn't as cold as Yuuri, and Eric Myers isn't much of a jerk as Naoto Takizawa. Other stuff I felt were better are like how Alex didn't allow Ransik to escape for his own selfish reasons as Captain Ryuya who was in fact one step closer to Masato Kusaka from Faiz... both having noble intentions but do it the wrong way. I still feel though Timeranger had a better impact and consistency to what it wanted the show to convey. I feel like while Time Force's mutant vs. human hatred was a good idea but I'd actually rewatch Saban's X-Men cartoon instead.

Go-Busters and Dino Charge were shows with potential but lost a lot and I mean a lot of charge and energy later on as the seasons ran their course

I can't deny I'm a Go-Busters fan but I was hiding about it because of the ratings. But now, I'm not afraid to say it out loud I like Go-Busters. Lynn himself is also a fan of Go-Busters and I don't think it's all that surprising. What can't be denied is how Kobayashi started to lose her edge in that show. The show had potential but she started running out of good ideas. The same happened to Inoue with Kamen Rider Faiz. Go-Busters could have done things better than Power Rangers RPM. I don't deny that the way Go-Busters was wrapped up was better than dropping a building on Venjix but Kobayashi doesn't make spectacular finales either. She and Inoue have the habit of having "That's it, I'm out." in most of the shows that they're involved in.

Lynn's return to Power Rangers didn't do so well during the even dumber Neo-Saban era. Power Rangers Dino Charge managed to be a little more evened out with character development but Lynn was hitting the same road with Inoue and Kobayashi. I admit Dino Charge had some stuff I thought were good like I personally didn't like the chimes or I'm no fan of samba. While I thought Kyoryuger managed to take a dancing Super Sentai to a whole new level but I'm no fan of dancing in general. Neither Battle Fever J nor Kyoryuger actually clicked with me but both had some fun songs to dance to like Battle Fever J's opening theme and Kyoryuger's ending theme. I'd blame Nickelodeon's splitting seasons into two as another really bad idea that slows revenues down for Toei, Bandai and Saban. Power Rangers already skipped Go-Busters and ToQGer which both have Kobayashi as a writer.

Just expect even the best of writers to eventually burn out and write a lot of stupid stuff undoing what they did for any franchise. You may find someone to write a lot of good stuff may end up writing a lot of bad stuff. It's the process of wear and tear. Not everyone is destined to do good all the time. Sometimes you just need to take a break from what you love to do and do something else. I guess that's what happened with both writers in the middle of Go-Busters and Dino Charge. They ran out of energy and charge - no pun intended.

Would the next amazing coincidence be with how ToQGer and Ninja Steel had the writers burning out?

As mentioned earlier, ToQGer had its award but it wasn't enough to raise ratings. But as said, TV ratings today may no longer be the best measure of popularity for Super Sentai and maybe ToQGer fans were viewing it online. I can't be too sure but ratings have been at a huge drop since post-Gokaiger and Zyuohger suffered from that effect. I wasn't getting positive on ToQGer because Kobayashi showed signs she was already running out of Enetron in her brain during Go-Busters. Go-Busters might well be called getting Go-Busted by some fans. While I still like the series but I don't deny how it was becoming Go-Busted in the later part of the show. It was fortunate enough though was that Kobayashi herself was able to do well with the more mature Kamen Rider spinoff called Kamen Rider Amazons.

So what's with Ninja Steel that I'm not even interested? It's got nothing to do with Ninninger (which I also dislike in terms of plot) which I just watched for eye candy. Lynn himself already lost a lot of charge midway with Dino Charge which made it into Dino Losing Charge along the way. The situation is no better than Go-Busters becoming Go-Busted due to the writer burning out. Chances are Ninja Steel is where Lynn's really going to collapse as he's already burnt out. Good start but both writers really lost juice in what they did.

What do you think?

The Amazing Coincidence With Golion, Zyuranger, Lion Voltron And Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers?

Image taken from Henshin Grid...

I felt like writing this editorial due to the launching of the Power Rangers movie and because it's also Zyuranger's 25th anniversary. With that in mind, I also remembered another series called Lion Voltron which was based on Beast King Golion. It's pretty much of a nostalgic trip since I watched both in the 90s but have no intention of rewatching them after seeing both Zyuranger and Golion in my older years.

Golion was a part of a long list of Super Robot while Lion Voltron was a first of its kind in the U.S. to start a new trend

Golion was already in the long list of Super Robot Anime with all the cliches from Combattler V and Voltes V. Although the concept was pretty innovative with its status as a legendary god of destruction but it didn't so so well in Japan. I don't think it was a failure but it just wasn't memorable. Was it because of the excess violence that its predecessors never had or was it too dark and edgy a show? Maybe you can all it suffers from a similar scenario with Go-Busters and Kamen Rider Faiz. Voltes V and Combattler V had violent scenes but Golion was overdoing it.

Lion Voltron became a huge hit on 1984 while Bioman and Shaider were airing in Japan. Since it was pretty new and somehow the concept clicked everyone just got into the Voltron craze. Lion Voltron was originally meant to end but the popularity caused it to overextend and made more spin-offs while Golion had its finale. The result was that Toei Ltd. made additional footage for World Events Productions to use. While Vehicle Voltron ended and was never continued but more seasons of Lion Voltron came. Voltron became a huge icon in the America while Golion wasn't really a huge icon in Japan. One may want to take note how the Super Robot Anime series was already in decline during the 80s while Super Sentai got better almost every time.

Zyuranger is the 16th Super Sentai series while Mighty Morphin' was the start of a new craze for the U.S. 

Jetman was a huge hit and Zyuranger may have not matched up to its predecessor. Sure it tried something new but not everything works immediately. Super Sentai already had a 16 year run so a lot of ups and downs would have happened along the way. I don't find Zyuranger to be as good at Jetman in terms of writing but it still has its charm. Maybe fans still had the hangover over how good Jetman was last year that this show was momentarily overshadowed. What may have also happened is that shows after Zyuranger may have been much better.

Mighty Morphin' was definitely something new for the United States. It was a low budget production with a lot of spliced footage from Zyuranger. It was also that year of Jurassic Park's first movie. I guess Toei and Saban could have not chosen a better time to have the first Power Rangers series due to the Jurassic Park craze. Zyuranger was localized and something much different than Zyuranger came to be. The show became extremely popular that any plans to end it were halted. Toei decided to produce the Zyu2 footage and overextend Mighty Morphin'. Like Voltron, the popularity of Mighty Morphin' caused Toei to allow the series to overextend to the point of derailing its plot.

Similarities between Golion and Zyuranger

What I could remember doing was comparing the designs of both Voltron and Dino Megazord or should I say now it's Golion and Daizyujin. The blue and yellow mecha formed the legs of both Daizyujin and Golion. What you may not want to miss is that Golion was once a sentient mecha made up of five legendary guardian beasts. Daizyujin is the first sentient mecha made up of different guardian beasts.

My final thoughts on all four shows and how my views change quite too often 

I remembered how much I cried over stupid finales because there won't be any more episodes of that certain show when I was in elementary. But I came to appreciate the beauty of finales in my teenage years and as an adult. So what did I think of the overextended arcs? I could talk about how the overextension ended up ruining both Lion Voltron and Mighty Morphin'. I liked the idea as a child but hated it as I was growing up.

Lion Voltron's overextension just made no sense to keep the battle with Doom going on. It made no sense for King Zarkon to "magically escape" while it made more sense that Emperor Daibazaal was torn apart since he served as the life link for the Mecha Beastman Galra. Season 2 of Voltron already reeked and nothing improved. The spin-offs such as Voltron: The Third Dimension just derailed the plot even further. I thought Golion having its proper start to end made it the "superior show". I don't care how popular Lion Voltron became because Golion has the better plot. Golion may not be a perfect show but it still makes more sense in areas where Lion Voltron didn't make sense.

I felt the same towards Mighty Morphin' when it overextended. What shocked me to know was that the show should have ended with 40 episodes in mind but Toei ended up making the Zyu2 Footage so they could continue the show. Instead, it went on and on and I felt it just got boring. Worse, Tommy Oliver was taking all that attention. Season 3 was even more stale (and nothing was getting better for me) and I don't blame Amy Jo Johnson for leaving the show. I'd do the same thing if I were her because the show wasn't taking her anywhere. Zyuranger may not be the best Super Sentai ever but having it come to its conclusion and starting another show next year was the best thing to do.

Oh, should I mention that I'm still hesitant to try and watch all 84 episodes of Goranger and 98 episodes of the first Kamen Rider or just anything that has a super high episode count? I feel like super high episode counts for just one season tend to make me dizzy these days.

Five Reasons Why I Prefer GoGoFive Over Fiveman

One Two Three Four Five... GOGO FIVE! Since Fire Prevention Month is almost over, I decided I would write why I prefer GoGoFive over Fiveman. Theme repetition isn't necessarily bad if it wasn't overused or if the concept that explored. It's like how I think Abaranger improved the dinosaur concept, Kyoryuger may not be my favorite dinosaur Super Sentai but it did improve Battle Fever J's dancing by miles and how I feel Hurricanger is better than Kakuranger with the ninja plot. It's time to talk about the Tatsumi Family.


An improvement from what Fiveman started with the family

I do like Fiveman's sibling concept and I'd watch it any day over Magiranger. Fiveman wanted to try something new but it didn't work the first time. Not every new concept works all the time but it can be improved overtime. Fiveman started the sibling bond and GoGoFive continued it. While I do prefer Gaku Hoshikawa as an older brother over Matoi Tatsumi but the latter still has the same heart as the former when it comes to sibling bonding. While Fiveman tends to be more kid-focused but GoGoFive managed to be more family-focused.


Continuing Fiveman's public service announcement type of season in a better way

I like Fiveman for its being so much of a public service announcement Super Sentai series. While there are moral lessons to learn from Super Sentai but not every one of them teaches one almost every week. Fiveman did it in so many ways for most of its run. Carranger gave a PSA at the end of almost every episode. GoGoFive also did it through the show but I wonder did they make a PSA video? What's strange though is that I'd still watch Winspector and Solbrain over GoGoFive any day. Take note that Winspector also aired in the same year as Fiveman.


It has better plot related to equipment used than Fiveman

I don't know if the equipment used should be a valid reason considering that better equipment for the heroes may not necessarily make a good story while they make good toy sales. A good example is that while Black RX had better powers but its prequel Black gets a lot more praise. I could talk how the mecha plot in GoGoFive is so beautifully written into the story. Fiveman was pretty much too scarce with mecha for a 90s show. Good thing Toei learned from that mistake as Fiveman's low toy sales nearly ended Super Sentai. Also, mecha aren't thrown in like they were in Ohranger but they were better written into the show's need for them.


The Saima clan was a contrast to the Tatsumi siblings

A villain family was started in Ohranger and was improved in GoGoFive. Fiveman didn't act that much of a foil to the Silver Imperial Army Zone except that they fight it. The Saima Clan is a family having its selfish ambitions. The siblings only want to please their mother Grandienne but what does she do? She divides them and even forcibly grows Drop into Salamandes all because they keep failing her. The bond of the family of the Tatsumi siblings prove superior to this dysfunctional family.


Grandienne was more properly written than Meadow

What was so much of a WTF moment was when Empress Meadow was written off as merely an illusion in Fiveman. I was excited to think how the Fivemen could defeat her but she got written off as an illusion projected by the very last minute Vulgyre. No clues whatsoever and she was just written off. Good thing GoGoFive managed to use Meadow's concept into Grandienne when she reveals herself to be Negative Energy personified.

Closing notes

It's no secret that introducing new methods and ideas won't always succeed at first but there's a lesson to learn from failures. It won't always succeed at first but there's always try, try again. Fiveman nearly ended Super Sentai because of ratings and toy sales but the sibling concept wasn't a bad idea. GoGoFive took what Fiveman left behind and improved it by miles.

What are your thoughts between Fiveman and GoGoFive?

Kyuranger Space 6: Dance Party Kyuranger Anyone?

This week's Kyuranger seems to be a PSA of the power of the human will and the importance of putting one's heart. A new power called Pegasus gets introduced in this episode. Lucky learns to work with Pegasus in order to conquer the latest problem.

A new Malistrate named Toome is turning everyone in a certain district into zombie dances. He uses human shields. The lack of cooperation of the currently chosen team nearly causes everyone their victory. Hammy gets too pissed off at Lucky's being a happy go lucky idiot. But she learns that Lucky's positive mindset is what keeps him going in the fight against Jark Matter.

We see a little more of Stinger who's still a loner. Two new generals namely Ikargen and Mardakko show up looking for the Kyurangers. Madako does look like a recycled Jera from B-Fighter. Stinger tackles on them but realizes that he's not all that ready to deal with them. I want to really see these two cause some major trouble. What's a good show without villains you hate because they make the lives of heroes miserable?

I know Lucky's an idiot but I don't think he's all that annoying. Still, I couldn't help but feel sorry for Hammy in this episode. But we also learn that depriving yourself of your heart and having only your mind can be bad for you. Hammy learns she needs both her heart and mind to operate as a Kyuranger.

Sidenote: Maybe you should watch Solbrain if you haven't but try watching Winspector first. 

Next week. Is Kamen Rider EX-AID showing up for next week's episode? This may be the start of a new crossover. But how will EX-AID fit in considering that EX-AID's continuity is not a post-invasion Earth? Maybe, it's time to screw logic again. Since when did watching anything that's obviously fiction not require anyone to screw logic?

Kyuranger Space 5: The Nine Kyurangers Are Gathered

Whether or not majority of the events of Kyuranger will happen on Earth still remains to be seen. But it's certain next week's episode will be on a post-invasion Earth. People regain their fighting spirit when they realize that the Space Shogunate Jark Matter isn't invincible. This week features Stinger joining the Kyurangers and a not so typical plot twist. But I think Stinger will be my favorite Kyuranger and this episode tells you why.

Stinger's pretty much an anti-hero than a typical ranger. We've had those kinds of heroes with Gai Yuki, Burai, the first Bullblack (before passing his powers to Hyuga shortly after he died) and Naoto Takizawa (who may be viewed as Timeranger's "necessary conflict"). I find this strange considering that my favorites are Ryu for Jetman, Ryoma for Gingaman and Tatsuya for Timeranger with the anti-heroes as merely only secondary favorites for those shows. I love how his plot involves him actually fooling Jark Matter. He does have his motives of joining the Kyurangers and why he prefers to be a loner. But if the Kyurangers will go to another planet he'll have to join them sooner or later. I'm wondering just who killed Professor Anton? 

There's a bit of Stinger's past with his older brother Scorpio. The show reveals that Scorpio later joins Jark Matter. I wonder will this guy Scorpio be a Darth Vader type villain? Yuji Kubota who plays as Takatora Kureshima in Kamen Rider Gaim makes his return here. There's a role reversal as he's the traitor and the younger brother is the hero. I wonder how Scorpio himself will appear. Will he be an enemy general? I suspect that Scorpio may be Professor Anton's killer which Stinger saw prior to the events of the show. It's just a hunch.

I find this scene to be a tribute to the Death Star. The Kyurangers defeat the Malistrates and now they fight the Big Moraimarz. The Kyurangers defeat it causing it to blow up. I guess we won't see Eridron and he's probably as dead as Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin. I just want to see Don Armage react to how this failure could make him tighten his fist.

Next week, the Kyurangers are still staying on Earth. What is this secret that Don Armage wants to hide? I suspect Don Armage may be from Earth for all we know. 

Five Reasons Why I Think Ohranger Is Better Than Power Rangers Zeo

It's no secret that Ohranger had low ratings after Kakuranger. Ohranger wanted to be the most serious Super Sentai under Noboru Sugimura's watch. But events like the Sarin Gas cult attack on Tokyo Subway and the earthquake that year caused a forced retool. That resulted to Ohranger to switch between lighter and softer and darker and edgier more often than not. Then the show ended up as a super duper huge toy commercial to make up for low ratings. Carranger wasn't so fortunate either with ratings but still made it up for toy sales.

Let's take a look at the reason why I prefer Ohranger over the more popular (?) Power Rangers Zeo. Remember this is just my personal opinion so don't get too outraged by this one.


It's pretty much its own so it could start afresh

What I don't like about Zeo is how it's just cast recycling with Tanya as the only new ranger. That alone already derails the plot and doesn't offer anything fresh. I don't care if you want to connect Super Sentai series but what Power Rangers did in its earlier days was a bad move IMO. The cast is pretty fresh and I find the actors miles better than what Zeo could offer. Goro Hoshino is a better leader than Tommy. Yes, Tommy. And I could talk about the one true legend in the next point.


Hiroshi Miyauchi is always more welcome than Jason David Frank for me

I still can't forget how I gave a really bad birthday present to that self-glorified idiot JDF who's just a joke. So what does Miyauchi have that JDF doesn't have? He refused to become the face of Tokusatsu. He was in Goranger and JAKQ. He became the "Tommy" of JAKQ but he's no attention grabber. He's got real badass skills and JDF's just like Hercule in Dragon Ball Z. He was Kamen Rider V3 and Zubat. They're not the same character. Him acting as different characters is a much more refreshing sight than Tommy wearing different spandex. Miyauchi came back to act in other Tokusatsu seasons but he came in as the badass mentor that Tommy will NEVER become. He was the mentor for both Winspector and it sequel Solbrain. He was Ohranger's mentor. None of them are the same character. Should I mention Captain Miura made the Carrangers from wimpy idiots to manly soldiers in just one movie? I'd really sign up for Captain Miura's classes any day over Tommy's.


Better action scenes than Zeo

I admit Super Sentai's action scenes haven't been as good as the 70s to 90s (but some plots got better like how I think Abaranger is miles better than Zyuranger in terms of writing) but back then, it was pretty good. Ohranger was full of super intense action that Zeo couldn't have due to TV-Y7-FV ratings. Sure Zeo had the cast doing its stunts but it was limited by American standards. But this isn't much of a concern considering that Gaoranger up to present has toned down the violence considerably.


Better plotlines than Zeo's extra plots like Bulk and Skull's defective detective routine

Rewatching Zeo can be a pain for me and I don't intend to rewatch it. It just had a stupid beginning with Machine Empire throwing out Zedd and Rita. It just had Rito and Goldar going after amnesia. Bulk and Skull are so useless. Them as defective detectives is no welcome treat. The "useless family" is a better treat than Bulk and Skull's useless shenanigans. The sequencing at the beginning is properly done compared to Zeo. Zedd and Rita were almost useless. Bomber the Great may not be so great but at least he's better done than Louie Kaboom. Should I mention Zeo had an ambiguous finale while Ohranger concluded it? Ohranger also offered more development for the Machine Empire Baranoia especially how Hysteria contradicted herself. She hates the human emotion of love but she ended up showing a lot of it for her family. Should I mention that the Dear John letter may have been the big berserk button that made me a Super Sentai snob?


Kingranger's introduction is better than the Gold Ranger plot

I always found the Gold Ranger plot of Ohranger to be really annoying. First, we have to keep guessing then the power goes to Jason then back to Trey of Triforia. That whole plot was better off seen as we have no idea on what to do with the Gold Ranger. Ohranger had a better idea on what to do. Hurricanger did better with how it handled the mysterious Shurikenger and it remained a little more consistent. While I thought Shurikenger was probably a weakness for Hurricanger but it wasn't as dumb as how Gold Ranger's mystery got handled or how Sam is a ball of light in Power Rangers SPD. Was it really a perfect introduction for this warrior? Nothing's perfect but it certainly did better than the Gold Ranger plot in Zeo.

Closing notes

Do I find Ohranger to be miles better in terms of plot and execution? I gave my five reasons above to justify why my answer is yes. But do I want to ignore its flaws like the whole show ended up shifting moods too much and ended up having to adjust with real life events? No. The show still suffered issues during its run and that shouldn't be ignored. I find Ohranger better than Zeo but there's still better series before and after it. Every Super Sentai has its own flaws but learning from these mistakes is crucial to producing better Super Sentai series and that the path to progress will have its ups and downs. I still think Ohranger is messy in terms of plot with the ever constant change of tones. While I think it's better than Zeo but there's series better than it before it and after it.

So what series do I want to point out why I like them better than their Power Rangers counterparts? I already did that on Dekaranger vs. their SPD counterparts, Shinkenger vs. Power Rangers Samurai and Gokaiger vs. Mega-FAILED. I still find it unnecessary for me to do some between Megaranger and Power Rangers in Space, Gingaman vs. Lost Galaxy, GoGoFive vs. Lightspeed Rescue and Timeranger vs. Time Force because I'm just having my biases there while I acknowledge that the American counterpart did some things I like better while I still prefer Super Sentai overall. I prefer Ransik as a leading villain over Dolnero and I think Carter Grayson has a better personality than Matoi Tatsumi to name a few. Oh, I won't compare Nagare Tatsumi to Chad Lee as both are too different. One's a scientist and the other is a water sportsman. So I don't find too much need to compare and if I don't watch a show I just don't watch it.

So which series do you like better? Zeo or Ohranger?

Can Super Sentai's Declining TV Ratings Be Attributed To TV's Dying State Due To Increasing Internet Viewership?

Super Sentai's ratings are declining yet it's still going on and it's still airing. Super Sentai's reached up to 40 years last year and we're having the 41st season with Ucchu Sentai Kyuranger. What I just ignored is that maybe, just maybe the low ratings of Super Sentai in terms of TV viewership may also be contributed to the fact that TV is dying. Yes, it's possible that Super Sentai may be getting a lot of viewers but aren't watching it on TV. They may be watching it over the Internet instead. With that in mind it's highly possible Super Sentai still sells but the TV ratings are low thanks to increasing Internet viewership.

Read on and don't forget to watch the videos in-between as you read my speculation!



Here's a video I found that helped me put my ideas here so watch it before you continue reading. Take note that just because your favorite show is there doesn't mean you should stop watching it. Love your favorite shows and cherish them but don't force others to like them. Just take note that this video covers all the way from 2016 and backwards so there are different factors. Fiveman was when Hirohisa Soda burned out. Ohranger was when the late Noboru Sugimura burned out. Carranger was a knee jerk effect so they wrote a comedic series that didn't even bring ratings up at a significant level. Difference was Fiveman had no toy sales to back it up while Ohranger and Carranger made up for low ratings with the sales of Bandai merchandise. But lately, we've entered the digital age which may have affected TV ratings.

Internet TV has been replacing TV which may be a result of the digital age. You might be watching live broadcasts from your tablet or PC or if you're at work, you're probably streaming them on Youtube or any Internet TV site after your working hours. I think this is what could be going on with Super Sentai. Let's start with Gokaiger's successful voyage. It's a huge anniversary season that featured a lot of old school actors resuming their roles. According to the same video, the viewership in terms of TV ratings dropped. My speculation is that a lot of people got into the hype on television. But maybe, just maybe some fans hate to wake up at 7:30 A.M. on Sundays just to watch Super Sentai and Internet TV is now the thing. So what if these people ended up watching Gokaiger through the Internet instead of through their television sets? It's probably time to measure popularity through Internet and TV huh?

You may want to watch this video on Saturday morning cartoons. I hope that it may help support my speculation on declining ratings as far as TV ratings are concerned. As a child in the 90s, I can remember the Saturday morning cartoons phenomenon. I remembered watching some Saturday morning cartoons from ABiaS-CBN and GMA-7. I remembered watching Conan the Adventurer on ABiaS-CBN and Disney cartoons on GMA-7. Those were the times when I dreaded having to study on Saturday mornings because I was so going to miss what my peers watched. I remembered crying a lot every time I missed one episode of Conan the Adventurer. Cable TV started killing it because we've got channels like Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon. I guess this time there's more good reasons for parents to actually make Saturday morning study time because the children can watch their kiddie shows later on the Internet. Sure they may have missed some episodes of this and that but parents and children could now watch it on their own pace.

Come to think about it Megaranger turned 20 years old last February 14, 2017. It's like as if Megaranger predicted that Super Sentai TV ratings would one day go down because more of its viewers will watch it online. Did Megaranger give us a prediction of the future of the digital age when live TV will be replaced by the Internet? Granted, a lot of stuff started getting upgraded at a fast pace it's hard to keep track. Many went from Windows 95 to 98 to XP to Premium in such a short amount of time. Then Internet technology just got upgraded and people went from VHS to VCD to DVD in such a short amount of time. Internet technology got more and more advanced that not only has stuff like Direct Service Line and fiber optic cables been introduced but it also helped Internet TV progressed to a whole new level. While television sets are still sold but TV in general may not be as powerful as it used to be. 

The impact of the digital age puts a lot of old technology behind making them obsolete. While old school entertainment still remains available but nobody watches old school shows on Betamax, VHS or laser discs because all those stuff are good as dead. Old school shows are now on DVD, BluRay or downloadable digital media. Nobody listens to old school music on phonograph or cassette tapes. Instead, we have CDs and digital media such as i-Tunes, VLC Player and Winamp to do the job. You may be listening to a lot of old school music but it's been redefined and made to sound better. You may be enjoying some classic films but it's now on HD or in 3D. Last time you were renting betamax tapes every week. Now you're renting or buying DVDs. One can always relive childhood nostalgia but with better definition. I'm pretty glad I'm watching some old school stuff remastered in HD.

With the digital age it's really no surprise why TV is now a dying trend. Why want a re-air of old school shows if you could buy them on DVD or in the form of digital media? Why be too particular about the timeslots of new school shows if you can watch them later? Besides, I wonder how many percent of Japanese audiences are watching Kyuranger and Kamen Rider EX-AID on TV compared to those who watch those shows online? I'd take a wild guess that most of them are watching Super Hero Time online. For all you know a show that's well-loved only had lower TV ratings because most of its fans were watching it online. I was really very wrong to think a show's quality can be judged by TV ratings these days. In the past, it could be a strong determinant but today the Internet is defeating TV in general. Only if I had some available data on how many viewers a certain Super Sentai season has based on Internet viewership. Maybe, I could start looking things at a different light considering I hardly watch TV these days. I'm watching Kyuranger and EX-AID but I'm not watching it on TV. Instead, I'm watching them via free fansubs. 

What are your thoughts on this matter? Please let me know what you think and correct any mistakes made here.

Updated March 8, 2017

Kyuranger Space 4: It's Time To Go To Post-Invasion Earth

The latest episode of Kyuranger goes back to Earth... literally. There's the quest to liberate Earth after it was occupied by the Galactic Empire Space Shogunate Jark Matter. They want to liberate the Earth for this reason: there's a lot and I mean a lot of Malistrates on Earth to defeat. It looks like that Jark Matter might be using Earth for the same reason as the Megabeast Empire.

Why do all those alien forces LOVE invading Earth? Bioman mentioned that the Earth is the most beautiful of all planets in the Universe. Flashman has the Mess getting amazed by it because it's full of different species they could use for their unethical experiments. A lot of aliens just love to target Earth in almost every sci-fi series or movies and not just Tokusatsu. Now let's go back to the show.

Somehow, I guessed it right (and maybe a lot of fans did) that because there will be nine starting rangers that they'll pick only five per mission and the other four are backup. Doesn't that remind you of Eto Ranger? I remembered how Eto Ranger had 12 members based on the Chinese Zodiac. The leader Bakamaru ws always chosen while four random members joined him. It seems Lucky will be in that scenario where four random Kyurangers will go with him for the remaining missions.

This is how Earth looks like according to Kyuranger. So how will the upcoming Kyuranger vs. EX-AID movie (which will bring in a lot of characters this time) try to fit in? Time machine? Worlds colliding like it happened during Shinkenger/Decade and Ninninger/Drive? It's not stated as of right now whether or not Kyuranger happens in some super distant future or it takes place in 2017. But this is one sad site with how Jark Matter has occupied Earth with a lot of Malistrates. Hmmm... doesn't this remind some of Juspion where after a few world travels that the hero goes to Earth to fight the Megabeast Empire?


It's also this episode where we see Raptor their assistant android become the pink ranger. This is sort of a break from some traditional methods. In the past, we've always had human pink rangers but now we're having a pink ranger for an android. It's another boundary breaker. In the past, we've also had other good firsts like first female yellow ranger, first female blue ranger and this show has the first female green ranger in a regular series.

The latest plot involves the Malistrate Yumepakkun eating up children's dreams. I don't think he died during the giant robot battle. He was only piloting a mecha and may have escaped. He may meet his demise in the next episode. We're seeing how Earth has become the Shogunate's latest playground. How the Kyurangers will liberate Earth and whether or not most of the series will take place on Earth still remains to be seen. Regardless whether or not the series will take place in different planets or the rest will be on Earth isn't much of an issue. What matters is how it's being implemented.

The mysterious Darth Sidious/Emperor Palpatine Space Shogun Armage now sends his message and makes another short appearance after two absences. He's angry that the Kyurangers are now on Earth. I suspect what if Armage himself might be secretly from Earth? Is he similar to Satan Goth in Juspion? There's something about Earth and why doesn't he want the Kyurangers to find out that secret? I hope it will build up in a satisfying way. I find this guy to be terrifying in his own way. 

Next week, Hanzo Hasashi/Scorpion Stinger will be joining the crew. We'll get to meet something about his past from the Planet Needle. Once again, GET OVER HERE!!!!!!

My Current Top Ten Maskman Episodes (In Response To SentaiBandicoot Rambles)

Here's my response to SentaiBandicoot Rambles. Last time Sentai Bandicoot wrote about his favorite Maskman episodes. So here's a bit where I'm copying him. I'll consider story arcs as one episode as "one episode". I originally wanted to write a comment on my favorite episodes but it would be too long. So here's my list of favorite Maskman standalone episodes and story arcs. 

10. Episode 25 - Akira joins a martial arts contest

While I didn't like Akira that much as a child but I did love this episode. The plot had everyone thinking Akira has a girlfriend but the reality is that it's an invitation to a martial arts tournament. Not everyone is aware that Tube is running this tournament for a reason. The whole tournament was filled with lots and I mean lots of intense martial arts scenes. He wanted to win a free trip for his mother but it was a ruse by Tube. Akira fights mostly out of suit only morphing into Blue Mask to finish the job against Transformation Doggra.

9. Episode 12 - Haruka's pride as a ninja

While Sentai Bandicoot likes episode 18 but I like this episode. This is pretty much the pride of a Shinobi. Both Oyobur and Fumin are fighting for the Shinobi that would grant that much power. It was nice to see how Haruka fought against the two contestants creating a three-way battle. It's said that whoever gets the Shinobi Ball will get granted that much power. Unable to see the art of shinobi descrated, Haruka rebels against everyone. I felt like Haruka may have been intended to be a Mika Koizumi 2.0 in this episode especially with how she also rivaled the catwoman Fumin in several episodes. The episode also taught the important lesson there's no shortcut to powers.

8. Episode 39 - X-1 Mask's guest appearance

Burai? Gai Yuki? No it's X-1 Mask. This is pretty much another testing ground for sixth rangers. Granted, this episode was written by Toshiki Inoue. I think this episode was meant to be a testing ground for both Gai Yuki and Burai. Ryo Asuka goes to the bar like Gai Yuki and clashes with the red ranger. Ryo is also a pretty moody guy like Burai. The story of Ryo is that he's the prototype Maskman before the actual team was formed. He left the team because he felt he couldn't save anyone after his girlfriend died. It took Takeru to actually snap him out of his pessimism to "live in the present". What's amazing is that Inoue who's infamous for killing off characters didn't kill Ryo off. Instead, he's seen leaving the team alive and devoting himself to teach others martial arts. 

7. Episode 20 - Momoko saves children

Maybe one of the most badass episodes written for a pink. While Super Sentai has everyone doing their job but this is one moment that we don't see these days. Sure Mako's rescued a group of children but I didn't think the choreography was that good. Momoko trained a group of children in her kenpo but is met by Kotsuhi. This is one episode that I always couldn't forget how I cried over the Great Five's sinking or how it gave me encouragement when things got rough. She fought Kotsuhi out of suit to teach the children the value of never giving up. Anagubas specifically targeted her for a reason. Maybe it's because they know that she's pretty much got a soft spot for children and they used it against her. Maybe it's because she's the heart of the team. It's probably all a part of the plan to weaken the Maskman. It's really disheartening when the team heart becomes the target causing the whole team to have a major loss. She can't stop blaming herself to the point I felt sorry for her. 

6. Episode 41 - The female thieves plot

Perhaps a bigger, badder episode than girls with guns with Boukenger. Both Momoko and Haruka made it look like they were under Kiros' control. Kiros was trying to get some jewels hoping to bribe Princess Ial into becoming his. While it looked like that Hariga Doggler controlled them (and it had the audience fooled) but it turned out to be a well-dramatized script. I don't blame Takeru, Kenta and Akira for getting fooled. Both Momoko and Haruka really did a good job with how they made it look like it was a real robbery but everything was staged from the start. After the goods were delivered they turned out to be fake jewels which infuriated the master thief Kiros. It's funny how Kiros was deceived by both women that he wanted to murder them but they were rescued just in time like any ranger getting cornered.

5. Episodes 21-22 - The Galaxy Robo arc

So what's the team going to do with Great Five's captivity? They must take the risk of reviving a malfunctioning robot that ended up killing its pilot Professor Yamagata. The robot was supposed to have "feelings" though it's not explored for most of the episodes. It's revealed that Director Sugata and Professor Yamagata both competed and the Great Five won. Galaxy Robo was built anyway because Yamagata felt it should be built. The Maskmen are tasked to awaken the Aura Power inside the Galaxy Robo. The two-parter presents some buildup as Yumi at first blamed the robot and doesn't want it revived. I don't blame her especially with what happened though the robot's malfunction was because it was struck by lighting. The Maskmen revive the robot in a rather difficult task of awakening the Aura Power within it. Overall, a very interesting two parter. 

4. Episodes 27-29 - Kiros' introductory episodes

Kiros' arrival in Maskman proved that he's no pushover and he's not added there for the sake of being there. He changed the game by actually destroying the Shot Bomber by himself but he has other motives for doing what he did. He revealed that he's got his lust for Princess Ial (which is the origin of my Kiros lusting after Miu Suto or Go-on Silver jokes). I find that funny considering that he's been more after jewels but Ial's beauty captivated him. Aren't there any other girls around? Momoko's pretty hot if you ask me. This is also a turning point because Takeru discovered that his girlfriend Mio is Princess Ial no thanks to Baraba. Kiros felt like that he must destroy Takeru to get Ial. This also began the rivalry between the two characters. The second half also featured the Maskmen defeating a monster of the week without a new weapon. Yet they also realized that while they must rely on their own strength that they're not invincible. They also needed the Jet Cannon to replace the Shot Bomber to continue their fight against Tube.

3. Episodes 43-46 - Fencer Unas and Igam arc

This was an interesting three parter that developed Akira. Originally, I assumed that Akira could be a resident of Tube and that his mother may be a surface human while his father was from Tube. Maybe he had a dual heritage for all we know. The underground had the legend of Fencer Unas who they said would liberate them from Zeba's tyrannical rule. It turned out to be that Fencer Unas a guardian for the Igam family and Akira became Unas. I wish the show decided to make Akira have a dual heritage to further intensify the conflict. What was later revealed to the Maskmen is that Prince Igam is actually a woman. Knowing that he's fought against a woman all along is a hard thing for Takeru. Speaking of male vs. female rivalry it was somewhat developed later with Hayate and Shelinda and Nagare vs. Denus . We might also include Yohei vs. Jarmin but it wasn't all that intense. We also get a glimpse of who the legendary Lethal Doggra was in Maskman. He was supposedly born from the Pond of Evil and later his spirit possessed Gorin Dobler. A pretty dark arc if you ask me. 

2. Episodes 48-49 - Rescuing Ial arc

This two parter pretty much leads the finale. What the show doesn't explain in full was why Zeba decided to punish Baraba with death while he did't do the same to the others? Granted, Baraba was very close to discovering Zeba's bizarre secret origin which got explained in Episode 50. The two parter featured Baraba's dilemma he could die and Kiros took advantage of the situation. Kiros wanted to get Ial for himself which further intensified the conflict between the three parties. Oyobur refused to assist Baraba in the final battle. Red Mask managed to defeat Baraba but he must rescue Ial. I also have a feeling that maybe Zeba thought getting rid of Baraba in the most discrete way possible would be another way to prevent the others from knowing his dark origins. Kiros' cowardly actions are seen to how he'd do anything to get what he wanted and how he tried to bribe Oyobur into melting the ice. In the end, Kiros' own lust for Ial was his downfall. He got wounded severely and died while seeing his most hated rival and the woman he lasted after embrace. Pretty much a very powerful story. 

1. Episode 38 - Takeru's childhood

It does sound crazy but I tend to have an extreme favoritism for this episode. I don't remember seeing this episode as a child but only as an adult. What I liked about this episode was that I'm reminded not to let my bad childhood define who I am in the present. Little bratty Takeru was different from the Takeru who led the Maskmen into battle. It was funny to see how Takeru tried to cover fire with paper but it only created the awkward opposite reaction. Everyone had a glimpse of how crazy the younger Takeru was. The episode reminded me of how I actually wanted to give up and run away. I seldom feel like I wish I could go back to the past and tell myself not to run away and maybe change my present that way. Overall, I still feel this episode became my motivator when I entered my early adult years not to let a bad past haunt me.