[Sh Ranger]

I just finished Maskman, the exciting martial arts Sentai of the 80s! Each main character is strong and skilled in their own right and this gives us a lot of intense fight scenes, both morphed and unmorphed. The theme of fighting as an art and identity is always present, unlike the Caucasian lab assistant girl who disappears after Episode 2. The theme song by Kageyama is catchy and totally matches the spirit of fighting. Takeru's and Kiros' rivalry was entertaining for sure. Regarding the flaws, I think the romance subplot does move a little too slow and the focus is mostly in favor of Takeru, although when the others get focus, it's usually pretty good. Overall, it's a cool and unique take on the genre for its time and I'd totally recommend it!

Showa Sentai Ranking:

1) Flashman
2) Bioman
3) Liveman
4) Maskman
5) Goranger
6) Goggle V
7) Denjiman
8) Sun Vulcan
9) JAKQ

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoldenXtreme

As Sh Ranger the cast is very "human", which just isn't really what I was hoping for from a team of angels. They do get some focus episodes as you said too, but they didn't resonate with me much, perhaps due to the breezily simple style that defines the show.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mesnick

Regarding Bladeran, I think the point is that he's not supposed to be much of a threat until the very end. He follows his own plan and doesn't even consider confronting them until the final arc. But Bladeran isn't a master puppeteer, controlling everything, as evidenced by his amnesia and transformation into a cyborg. So this isn't a plot where everything goes according to the villain's secret plan until the very end. Rather, it's one where the villain follows his own path until the confrontation becomes inevitable at the end.

I think the Matrintis arc is important for Brajira's development for how Matrintis is an evil of human origin, which contrasts how the Goseigers had only seen the good of humanity until then. If the Goseigers are angels with human qualities, then Brajira is the angel who sees humans at their worst and decides that he, as an angel, is justified in destroying them to protect the planet. So I think the Goseigers rejecting that dichotomy, in that climactic moment where Alata refuses his friends' decision to sacrifice their lives to make him as strong as Brajira, shows that humanity is one of the most angelic traits they could have.