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11-07-2023, 10:09 PM | #1 |
Some guy. I'm alright.
Join Date: Sep 2019
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Well, here we are. I wanted to check out six new Tokusatsu franchises before the year's' end, and here it is.
I mean, technically I've seen more than that by now, but whatever. But before getting all sentimental about the project as a whole, we have one more show to cover, and for this final thread of the year, I decided on a show I only discovered the existence of thanks to these boards: Tokusatsu GaGaGa. And uh, I have zero idea what this show is even about! I just know it's a thing that people who've seen it seem to enjoy! It's also a set of seven 40+ minute episodes, so while I'll try to cover it all within the span of one week, I make no promises. With that, let's get into it. (By the way I'm using Dodgy Subs for this watch; sorry if those are sub-optimal!)
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11-07-2023, 10:09 PM | #2 |
Some guy. I'm alright.
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Posts: 4,424
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Episode #1: Tokusatsu Girl As if the title weren't enough of an indication, this is clearly aimed at a specific audience. But yet, it's the sort of thing that could apply to many, and as such it's easy to empathize with everything that Nakamura is going through. Because really, having a very niche, "abnormal" interest and the fear of being judged for it, is something that I'm sure alot of people in general, not just tokusatsu fans can relate to. And already in episode one, Tokusatsu GaGaGa pretty much hits the audience with all of it at once. Keeping it a secret so you can survive your daily life, longing for friends with whom you can share said interest without judgment, and of course, parents who lambast their children for their hobbies instead of supporting them. Sure, it's alot easier to handle nowadays with the advent of the internet; A quick Google search will bring up many a fan forum for social media group, but growing up either before or at the dawn of the digital age meant finding a world that could understand that side of you was next to impossible. Especially as you continued to grow older and your interest was seen as "stupid kid's' stuff" or what have you. Even with that in mind, this show could go to alot of different places with its theme and message, and I'll admit, I'm excited at that prospect. How deep into the trenches of fandom will it go? Will it acknowledge the ups and downs to devoting your mindset to this sort of material? So many things it could do! But I'm getting ahead of myself a bit. For those wanting a more clear understanding of what exactly Tokusatsu GaGaGa is, it's a slice-of-life show about a closeted toku geek named Kano Nakamura. She's obsessed with toku, to the the point of modelling alot of her life mottos after the shows she watches. She has a steady office job wherein she does her best to keep her fangirl side a secret, lest she be seen as an outcast by those around her. But she's quick witted, and is ready to take on alot of life's' challenges head on. No doubt she's a likable viewpoint character that I'm sure many of us can relate to, but funnily enough my favorite character so far is actually Onoda, her co-worker who very obviously has a crush on her. His actor just brings such an adorably dorky personality to the role that it makes him instantly likable to me. And the misunderstandings between him and Nakamura gave me some genuine laughs too. Unfortunately for him, Nakamura is totally oblivious to his affection. Even not catching on to him almost directly asking her out on a date. Really interested to see how he'd react to his crush's' toku interest if it's outed. But yeah, the first episode very much is an introduction, and it's a fun time along the way. It certainly got me excited to see the rest of the show, as well as liking its characters well enough. Hopefully the rest of the show can keep up the great energy and atmosphere that episode 1 had to offer.
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11-08-2023, 07:15 PM | #3 |
The Immortal King Tasty
Join Date: Jan 2012
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ooooohhhh now you've got me excited! I think I considered mentioning this show back when you were asking for suggestions, but decided not to since it's not actually a tokusatsu series in any usual sense of the term. Really happy to see it made the cut anyway! Because while it isn't a show that's really in the same genre as something like Ultraman or Kamen Rider, Tokusatsu GaGaGa is very much a show that... well, I've probably put it like this before, but...
...If you're a person who has for any reason spent long enough on this website to read these words, you owe it to yourself to give Tokusatsu GaGaGa at least an episode or two at some point. I can't know if it will entertain you or not, but I can guarantee you will find it relatable. And the certainty with which I can say that was the very pleasant surprise that got me hooked as soon as I first checked out the premiere on a whim back in 2019 when it was new. I expected a show that was a lot more broad in the way it portrays a geeky lifestyle, which really caught me off guard when the writing kept managing to hit so close to home in such very specific ways. And that's a thing throughout the rest of the show, of course, so just for right now, I'll say that the thing that got me the most in that first episode was actually, if memory serves, the dialogue immediately before the quote DreamSword has as a signature image. As someone who stumbled into learning Japanese in large part through memorizing the lyrics to catchy toku and robot anime songs despite having no particular interest in any typical popular domestic music... I mean, some of those lines in that karaoke part of the episode felt like they were directed even more at me than they were at Kano. So that stuff got me vibing with this show pretty hard right there, and the way that whole sequence climaxes in such a hilariously triumphant way -- with Kano masterfully acting her way through the ordeal (deliberately pretending not to know anything after the first verse of a theme song is a perfect example of one of those gags that's way more specific than I expected going in) -- well, that just made me instantly committed to seeing every last episode of this series as soon as they aired. I actually watched the whole thing again some time after it ended, even, just to confirm how much I loved it. Heck, I'm half considering watching it again right now, just so I don't have to go on memory for this whole thread. Even though I'm pretty confident in how clear my memories are! This is genuinely a show that has majorly stuck with me, even though I barely ever get chances to talk about it with anyone (ironically enough). If we are lumping Tokusatsu GaGaGa under that broad umbrella of "toku shows", it's probably lowkey one of my all-time favorites, even. Very excited to see you work your way through the rest of it, DreamSword!
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11-08-2023, 08:09 PM | #4 |
Some guy. I'm alright.
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Michigan
Posts: 4,424
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Episode #2: The Toraiger Woman I felt this one was a little forced? I mean, I still liked the episode overall, sure, but some of the key moments felt like happened solely for plot's' sake. Probably the biggest example being Nakamura dropping her capsule towards the start of the episode, and she sweeps it under a seat in a panic. When she could've, and realistically would've, just like, picked it up and chucked it in her locker. But whatever. Sure, that sort of thing was a detriment, but I still liked the episode overall, as I said before. The first half dealing with the mother was frustrating, but purposefully so. And the second half was alot of fun for both the tokusatsu elements as well as the character interactions. Like, the second half of the episode features a shopping mall stage show, and I won't lie I actually kinda got into it, haha. The budding friendship between Nakamura, the titular Toraiger woman, and the Yakuza shop owner was very sweet to see play out too, while also maintaining alot of the subject matter that the first episode talked about. Mainly in the different ways people wear the masks they present in public, how hobbies can transcend generations and genders, and how, well, game recognizes game. Oh, and also misunderstandings piling atop misunderstands as if this was written by Inoue, but outside of some comedic bits with Onoda I didn't really care much for that aspect. But atleast it was less frustrating than the stuff with the mom I guess. I also wanna give a shout out to just how authentic this show actually is with its elements in portraying both toku as well as the fandom aspect. Like, yeah, the shows within this show are very much made up, but they feel actually real, with a ton of fake merch to go along with them and everything. It's easy to tell that whoever's the head of this show either has alot of personal experience, or did their research very well. Tokusatsu GaGaGa really reminds me alot of Samurai Flamenco in that regard. Anyway, yeah. Not perfect, but still a fun episode overall.
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11-08-2023, 08:16 PM | #5 |
Some guy. I'm alright.
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Michigan
Posts: 4,424
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Quote:
Yeah, never be afraid to recommend anything! I covered Samurai Flamenco and The Reflection afterall! Quote:
but I can guarantee you will find it relatable.
I came to terms with how I handle my fandom, but I absolutely do not blame anyone who deals with it differently. EmerJason even approves of such things! Quote:
So that stuff got me vibing with this show pretty hard right there, and the way that whole sequence climaxes in such a hilariously triumphant way -- with Kano masterfully acting her way through the ordeal (deliberately pretending not to know anything after the first verse of a theme song is a perfect example of one of those gags that's way more specific than I expected going in) -- well, that just made me instantly committed to seeing every last episode of this series as soon as they aired.
Quote:
I actually watched the whole thing again some time after it ended, even, just to confirm how much I loved it. Heck, I'm half considering watching it again right now, just so I don't have to go on memory for this whole thread. Even though I'm pretty confident in how clear my memories are! This is genuinely a show that has majorly stuck with me, even though I barely ever get chances to talk about it with anyone (ironically enough). If we are lumping Tokusatsu GaGaGa under that broad umbrella of "toku shows", it's probably lowkey one of my all-time favorites, even. Very excited to see you work your way through the rest of it, DreamSword!
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11-09-2023, 10:47 AM | #6 |
Some guy. I'm alright.
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Michigan
Posts: 4,424
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Episode #3: Extra Hero This episode was kinda scary to me. Not in the sort of way in that a horror movie scares you or something of that nature, mind you, but more in the way of how close to home it hit. At first, the premise of the episode seems straight-forward enough: How those with keen interests attempt to find more like them. But, failing that, instead might opt to expand their fandom via making new fans. However, things take a bit of a turn when Kitashiro, the anti-social co-worker at the office, gets involved. She's keen on Nakamura's' secret, and what exactly she thinks of the entire situation leads a big part of the drama of the episode. To an outside viewer, it's obvious Kitashiro hides a secret as well. But that's not what takes the episode's' content into scary territory. Well, not entirely anyway. What really got to me about this whole situation was that, to put it bluntly, I pretty much was Kitashiro at one point in my life. The secrecy, the attitude, the jealousy, all of it. It was a level of depth that I honestly wasn't expecting, as it's not something I've often seen in media in general. The moment that Nakamura began to see things from Kitashiro's' perspective, I felt like I instantly knew everything about Kitashiro. Someone with a niche interest who grew up seeing how unfair their treatment was compared to so many others. In the eyes of Kitashiro, Nakamura has an interest that Kitashiro would be shamed for, but yet Nakamura is popular. Nakamura is well liked by her peers. Nakamura is allowed to say and do whatever she pleases. It's the sort of depressing trap that many of us who grow up as outcasts fall into. At one point people around you start dismissing the things you're passionate about as "dumb kid's' stuff" yet the exception seems to be that if you're popular to begin with, you're allowed to like and say whatever you want. But if you're unpopular, not only are you not allowed to have "stupid" interests or hobbies, but no one actually cares to indulge or even get to know you either. And it's hard to not build resentment at that. So what do you do? The easy, survivalist way is to close yourself off from others as much as possible. Don't look at anyone. Don't talk to anyone. Only exist in the eyes of others as much as is needed for your own day to day necessities. It's soul crushing, and you begin to feel that even those who do genuinely try to reach out to you are only doing so out of pity or mockery, which is exactly how I think Kitashiro felt at the episode's' climax when Nakamura tries to desperately create a connection between the two. While it's not any sort of moral ideal, I absolutely do not blame Kitashiro for acting the way she does. Don't get me wrong, there's other stuff throughout the episode that make for a nice time too, like the meta gags, the character development for Damian, and Yoshida showing a bit of her darker side with the commander bit. Heck, I felt it was very important to show just how inspiring TV heroes can actually be. But the highlight to me absolutely was Kitashiro, and I think the writers knew that too, given how the episode title does refer to her(it makes sense in context) and how her character development dominates the third act of the episode. The result being that episode 3 is my favorite so far, and I am very eager to see where things go from here.
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Last edited by DreamSword; 11-12-2023 at 01:09 PM.. |
11-09-2023, 11:17 AM | #7 |
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So there’s a couple of special appearances here:
The man at the sushi stall is Michael Tomioka, who the general Toku crowd may recognise as Carlos from the Ultraman X movie and Simon from the Grease V-CIN. But in a more general sense, we get our first glimpse of in-universe boy group Bee Boys, who are “portrayed” by modified photographs of real world group Boys Two Men. Among them is Yutaka Kobayashi, of Kamen Rider Gaim fame. |
11-09-2023, 07:22 PM | #8 |
The Immortal King Tasty
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Every diner you've ever been to.
Posts: 3,833
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I think I've decided I am going to take this excuse to rewatch the show, so hopefully I can get caught up soon and maybe offer some more in-depth thoughts about the episodes so far, but regardless of how that turns out, it makes me really happy to see you already hitting a point in the show like this for yourself.
I didn't want to oversell it too much in my first post, but especially as it goes along and introduces more characters and thus more perspectives, Tokusatsu GaGaGa is able to portray a ton of different experiences in ways that feel *authentic* to a level that can be... well, "scary" is maybe a word for it! It's a huge part of why I insist everyone on a forum like this will definitely get something out of watching it. Sooner or later, any nerd watching this show is going to see some specific character or situation that seems almost plagiarized from their own life, and at least in my own case, it created a sense of personal connection that, much like you're saying here, you don't always get from other media.
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11-09-2023, 07:33 PM | #9 |
Some guy. I'm alright.
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Michigan
Posts: 4,424
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Quote:
Quote:
But in a more general sense, we get our first glimpse of in-universe boy group Bee Boys, who are ?portrayed? by modified photographs of real world group Boys Two Men. Among them is Yutaka Kobayashi, of Kamen Rider Gaim fame.
Quote:
I think I've decided I am going to take this excuse to rewatch the show, so hopefully I can get caught up soon and maybe offer some more in-depth thoughts about the episodes so far, but regardless of how that turns out, it makes me really happy to see you already hitting a point in the show like this for yourself.
Quote:
I didn't want to oversell it too much in my first post, but especially as it goes along and introduces more characters and thus more perspectives, Tokusatsu GaGaGa is able to portray a ton of different experiences in ways that feel *authentic* to a level that can be... well, "scary" is maybe a word for it! It's a huge part of why I insist everyone on a forum like this will definitely get something out of watching it. Sooner or later, any nerd watching this show is going to see some specific character or situation that seems almost plagiarized from their own life, and at least in my own case, it created a sense of personal connection that, much like you're saying here, you don't always get from other media.
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11-10-2023, 11:03 AM | #10 |
Some guy. I'm alright.
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Michigan
Posts: 4,424
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Episode #4: A Geek's' Feelings I'm not entirely sure if this was the intention of the episode's' structure or not but... I found this episode to be a deeper look into the old proverb of putting yourself in another's' shoes, and showcasing both the good and bad that comes with it. Alot of the character drama of this episode comes from people assuming the thoughts and feelings of others via using themselves as a measuring stick. And it's again something I haven't seen in a TV show before. Poor Kitashiro is the one on the receiving end of all of this too. Nakamura assumes that Kitashiro is trying to connect in the same ways that she is, and Kitashiro's' friend Miyabi ends up compromising Kitashiro's' work life via assuming their shared hobby was processed by both in the exact same way. This sort of confusing social dynamic extends into the social dynamics of the workplace too. Just because you feel a connection with someone, that doesn't in turn mean that the feeling is mutual(a lesson I learned the hard way). Likewise, just because someone is civil with you and works with you, that doesn't automatically make them your friend. It can be tough to maintain a level of neutrality to these things, especially if you grow up an outcast or are in an environment where you don't have anything in common with anyone. And for those of us lacking social skills or who have strong feelings, where exactly the line between acquaintance and friend lies can be rather blurry and confusing. But you know one thing that can sometimes help in creating a bridge? Shared interests. Because another big thing in this episode isn't just the importance of fandom, like the whole show has been, but overlapping fandoms specifically. Tokusatsu fans can easily find overlap with anime fans and idol fans due to many a similarity between the three, and it's what ultimately brings the group of five together at the episode's' climax. They're all nerds with a similar passion to things that "normal" people wouldn't care for, but that shared energy and excitement is something they can all relate to, and allows them to be themselves. Sure, there is alot of character drama here, but there's still the healthy amount of meta gags and happy emotional payoff that helps to keep the episode engaging and fun in other ways. The end, where they recreate scenes for shows that don't actually exist was just alot of fun to see play out, and felt genuinely earned. Unlike some other shows I've seen where it's usually just done for the sake of shallow pandering. Like, this legit could've been the final episode and I wouldn't have minded at all. But hey, we're only in the middle, so I have no idea where exactly this show could go next. Oh, and we also learn that Damian's' real name is Tamiya. Who knew?
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