Takemura isn't that big of a surprise considering he was already having second thoughts during the OVAs and has been in semi-retirement - his last role in anything was in a YST collab with the Langrisser mobile game in 2019. So him not appearing was kind of a given, getting replaced was a pleasant surprise.

As for Nakamura, it was a toss-up between replacement and Suddenly Mute since Seiji is both in and out of universe a whump magnet.

I see. That said, I think freakin Shuya Goenji and Hisashi Mitsui were good choices for Touma and Seiji, respectively. :rock:

Oh yeah they picked some good'uns to replace them, although I've seen some complaints about them not sounding like they "should" and it's like... mate, it's 35 years later and a VA change, what were you expecting? Even Nishimura, Sasaki, and Kusao sound much different now than they did in 88-91.

Gai has come a long way...singing 80's hits to lead a demon invasion of Earth, singing 80's hits while eating, to now teaming up with the OG Emissary of Fire Ryo to defeat his father !

Oh snap! Ryo summoned his armor! And it still looks amazing on him !

The remaining 10 Warriors hold our boys back while Ryo settles the score with Ramaga. Turns out all those years spent in Ramaga's body means Ryo can read him like a book and handle him easily! Too bad Ramaga's not done abusing the 10 Warriors because he grabs Saizo's body to puppet and give him a power boost. Will Ramaga's terrible treatment of his men never cease !?

But then White Blaze shows up with the cavalry...THE ORIGINAL SAMURAI TROOPERS. Seiji! Shin! Xiu! Toma! And while they're not 100% ready to fight Ramaga, they can do one better...summon the Dawn Armor so Ryo and White Blaze can finish this! Gai even throws the Sword of Domination so Ryo can unleash a Fatal Slash and beat Ramaga !

It would be satisfying to see Ramaga buried under his own castle, to see the 10 Warriors abandon him, but that would be too simple. He drains all his puppets to become strong enough for one last battle. A battle the next generation of Samurai Troopers have to fight .

The Divine Realm even interferes and gives the boys a power boost so they can armor up and unleash ALL their Supreme Arts to clean Ramaga's clock! Finally now he knows what it feels like to get dominated !

But then Gai gets run through and Ramaga finally possesses his body...which Gai was counting on, because he pulls a Ryo and retakes control, just long enough to have Kaito finish them both off. Even if it means he has to die, he'll do it if it means stopping Ramaga and atoning for all the innocent lives he killed. He truly gained empathy .

If his team is going to see him off, they're going to see him off by singing lyrics to his favorite song he didn't even know existed. And in Gai's "death" he turns to stone and the energy emanating from it restores all the transformed humans! Gai did it, he saved humanity !

But despite what happened, Kaito is convinced Gai is still alive. Good thing too because Sagume in the Divine Realm is acting kind of sus...and she's got Ryusei with her !?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGs_n8ZvwY0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dri1fgouQIg

Cannot wait for these albums to drop.

For those who didn't know or forgot, Hiiro Ishibashi aka the voice of Gai was the voice of Miguel in the Japanese dub of Coco.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Do11cjGNKnU

I now view that red jacket of his as a sign that he was destined to play Gai. :lolol