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07-08-2015, 11:34 PM | #6221 |
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The only thing I can really say is that I agree, some mech battles feel forced. I don't like the "generic" giant monster battles, even though the monster has a cool design
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07-09-2015, 08:12 AM | #6222 |
Super Sentai Eien ni
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Germany
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Welp, at least Ninninger has the option to drop mech battles if they don't want to include them.
Remember how they had to do a mech battle in every single episode because the monsters growing big after defeat was part of the world building? Oh god, that was so annoying... it certaily ruined some very nice after fight-moments. |
07-12-2015, 11:28 PM | #6223 |
Stronger Than You
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: nyet
Posts: 25,326
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Well, downloaded all of Dairanger after the announcement that it'll get a retail release here.
I think I'll check it out some time this week and see if it holds my interest better than the last time I tried to watch it.
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07-13-2015, 03:11 PM | #6224 |
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I've now completed DAIRANGER. Another one bites the dust!
Funny coincidence that I finish it up just as its US DVD release is announced. I'll definitely spend my money on the set to show my support of... Another freaking fantastic 90s Sentai season! Dairanger is one of the most consistently "good" sentai series I've seen, with reliable pacing, a twisty plot, and well-developed side characters. It doesn't quite reach the same sublime highs as Jetman or Kakuranger, my reigning top-two series, but on the flip side, it never descends to those series' lows. Still, I'm always going to prefer series with high highs, even if they contain low lows. To me, the peaks justify the valleys. While I do love Dairanger, its consistent B+ quality doesn't appeal to me as much as the series that have moments of A+ material, even if we have to suffer a few C- patches to get there. Therefore, I don't think I can rank it higher than Jetman or Kakuranger -- or even Gokaiger, by current #3. It's strange to me that a series as enjoyable as Dairanger only ranks at #4 on my list of favorites -- but I suppose that that's just a testament to how good this show can be when it's firing on all cylinders. The only downside of Dairanger that I can think of -- and I can see this being a bigger problem for a lot of people than it was for me -- is the limited character development of our main five. In a show with a less propulsive overarching story, I'd find that more problematic than I do here. But because almost every episode progresses one of the main plots, it's easier for me to forgive the heroes' unwavering adherence to strict archetypes. Also helping matters are some very well-developed supporting characters like Kukaju, Jin, Akomaru, Gara, The Three Gorma Stooges, and Doushi Kaku. I wish more attention was given to developing the leads, but that's not to say there weren't any fully fleshed-out characters in the mix. --- Alright, now that Dairanger is in my rear view, it's time to look to the future. The future of 199X, to be exact. That's right, I'm tackling the notoriously troubled OHRANGER next. OHRANGER will be the first series I've watched with an outright negative consensus from fandom. I've seen the first 7 episodes, and I've gotta say... They're pretty darn special! Ohranger's opening arc is... well, the word that springs to mind first is "hardcore." The show applies Sugimura's mad genius to a more traditional, 70s/80s-esque military-ops Sentai team, and so far the results are surprisingly dark. Seriously -- these episodes are just brutal, and that brutality is highlighted by stellar action direction and some of the franchise's best editing. The heroes come out the gate as ultra competent badasses to face the super ruthless Baranoia Empire. These villains are scumbags who are out for blood, and their goal is not world destruction, but rather the psychological and physical enslavement of all of mankind. The Baranoia -- even their mooks -- are terrifying. I mean -- in just 7 episodes, I've already seen a mind-controlled father torture his young son, a brainwashed young boy hold his brother at gun point (in what has to be the franchise's most disturbing instance of Cronenberg-ian body-horror), a big bad kill two of his own subordinates in an especially soul-crushing manner (he really hates love, y'all), and a near-Jiraiya-level-tragic backstory for the heroes' commander. I know that things quickly change after the Sarin gas attacks -- which occurred during the writing of episodes 8 and 9 -- and that the show's tone shifts radically after that point. Even so, I can't wait to see how this troubled production plays out. If nothing else, I doubt it will be boring. Last edited by Kamen Rider Lucha; 07-13-2015 at 03:17 PM.. |
07-13-2015, 11:31 PM | #6225 |
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I'm the opposite. I thought Dai had some of the best character development for the rangers. Everyone had their own subplots that developed who they were. The reason Daigo had the most development though is because his sub arc started in episode 9 while everyone else's really kicked off in the late teens and early 20s. Even Kaku (my 2nd favorite) failed at developing Saito and Seizo. Another thing I love about Dai is how little filler there is and I believe it has the lowest number of actual Monsters of the Week in it.
Oh's first 8 episodes are great, but then it starts to throw in a lot of forced comedy afterwards that just does not fit. The show still has a lot of great moments, but the ranger cast is quite generic and it gets really boring. However, episode 32 is one of the best episodes in the series. |
07-14-2015, 02:53 PM | #6226 |
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Quote:
I'm the opposite. I thought Dai had some of the best character development for the rangers. Everyone had their own subplots that developed who they were. The reason Daigo had the most development though is because his sub arc started in episode 9 while everyone else's really kicked off in the late teens and early 20s. Even Kaku (my 2nd favorite) failed at developing Saito and Seizo.
I actually find this interesting because their steadiness as characters inspires the people around them to grow and change. As a direct result of their interaction with our steadfastly moral and consistent heroes, Kujaku, Jin, Akomaru, Gara, Master Kaku, and The Stooges all change and develop considerably over the course of the series. Looking at the four Sugimura shows, I find this "unchanging hero" element to be a recurring pattern. None of his heroes change all that much, but their impact on the supporting characters is sizable (In Zyu, it's the Children of the Week and Burai who change, in Kaku it's the CoWs and the Yokai, and in Dai it's the recurring supporting cast). This is sort of like the character development found in a lot of different super hero stories. Batman, Superman, Doctor Who, Captain America, Thor... these guys don't change a lot in their stories, but rather, they act as catalysts for growth in their companions and the other people who enter their lives. And that isn't a criticism, it's just an observation of Sugimura's style. I think it's a really effective approach to the material. Quote:
Quote:
Oh's first 8 episodes are great, but then it starts to throw in a lot of forced comedy afterwards that just does not fit. The show still has a lot of great moments, but the ranger cast is quite generic and it gets really boring. However, episode 32 is one of the best episodes in the series.
Last edited by Kamen Rider Lucha; 07-14-2015 at 02:57 PM.. |
07-14-2015, 05:23 PM | #6227 |
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An argument could be made that the 5 main Dairangers are well-characterized up front, and I'd even agree with that. However, I find their character arcs a little lacking -- and the arc is what I'm referring to when I say "development." As in, they're pretty much the same at the beginning of the series as they are at the end.
What are some of your favorite episodes though? Mine are the drunken tofu one, the one with Father Gauss, the Jin premier episodes, and the one with the Oni's Golden Leg. |
07-14-2015, 06:10 PM | #6228 |
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See, even that I have to disagree with. They had to learn to work together as a team because no one really cared about being a ranger in the beginning. Hell, they spent more time arguing with each other in the Key monster episodes than working together. Plus, they still weren't fully a team until after they dealt with Ryo's dad and High Priest Saw.
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07-14-2015, 06:25 PM | #6229 |
Stronger Than You
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I enjoy a Sentai where the team wants to work together, but it's different to Jetman.
Mainly being that, aside from maybe Radiguet, it's what makes it special.
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07-14-2015, 08:48 PM | #6230 |
Tree Princess
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