Your Gokaiger set sounds better than mine. They're mostly the fansubs, but the videos are definitely SD and some episodes have seriously borked aspect ratios. Still, I'm glad to have them.

Sadly, all of the fansubs of Gekiranger are really piss poor TV rips. I don't get why no one has scrubbed this show using DVD rips.

This is exactly what I was referring to.

I still don't get how it bombed when it was the best Sentai series since Carranger. They actually developed their villains and tried to do something new with the Sentai formula.

Oh hell yeah!!! Kakuranger is the second best Sentai series ever!!!

Well, you can easily find TV-Nihon's stuff on their tracker but they seem to fall out the equation these days for people. I don't find them to be too bad personally.

Well to be fair, everybody sees each show through a different lens and have their own opinions, not everything in a show will be necessarily liked nor disliked by a consensus.

That's exactly one of the problems Gekiranger faced in Japan. Villain characters are usually not very popular in Japan (that's why they hardly get any merchandise too). And honestly, considering Rio and Mele got way more spotlight that Ran and Retsu, two of the heroes kinda fell flat already. Ken also suffered from being introduced so late in the show. Great villains don't help when your heroes kinda get the short end of the stick in their favor. Especially with the kids.

The heroes didn't really get the short end of the stick. While Ken didn't get a character arc, he had a big personality that quickly endeared himself to the audience, and considering Japan loves generic, bombastic heroes, I don't think Retsu, Ran, and Ken's lack of personal arcs is any particular reason.

It really was just that the villains were important, and kids didn't want that, which kind of sucks, because Gekiranger was brilliant.

Eh, it really depends. I've heard so many people say that especially Ran and Retsu were forgettable. Which makes me sad, because I like those two, but they didn't have many moments that would make me go like: Damn, I wish I had a toy of those characters!, if you know what I mean.

Still ironic that Toqger did relatively well despite having a rather strong villain focus as well. But then again, at least Gritta was not very villainy and Zed had points were he was inbetween.

I loved all the Gekirangers. I would totally grab figures of those two :lol

While I do get what you're saying, I'm trying to approach it from the mindset of a 10 year old who wants to watch his weekend action shows. We learned a lot about them, and they got their moments to shine, so I'm just making an assumption that I'm pretty sure that kids weren't personally bothered that they weren't getting a ton of focus.
But the villain scenes were changed. Instead of it being the typical moments of them plotting their next action and summoning their next monster, it became exposition. Rio and Mele's dialogue were important to keeping up with what was going on. Only Maku really hit that area of familiar Sentai big bad, and he didn't last too long.

Still, I never felt Retsu and Ran were forgettable. Despite their lesser relevance to the plot, they still had a much bigger presence than, say, Ako from Jetman or DekaBlue, whose name I forgot :lol

Concerning ToQger, perhaps kids in Japan are finally learning to enjoy the villains~

I don't think the other two Gekirangers are per say forgettable. Their actors were good at projecting life in them, but I felt the material they were given didn't do them enough justice considering how everything was basically revolved around Jan, I feel like their moments were overshadowed or had more effect on Jan than Ran or Retsu themselves, and I didn't think they really had a good idea on what to do with Ran and her characterization felt inconsistent.

But since Geki's apparently the greatest thing ever on this board I know no one's gonna agree with me :lol

I felt Ran had the more consistent characterization, really. Retsu was kind of all over the place, going from a perfectionist to merely a stick in the mud to an asshole from time to time. :lol

Also,
"No one's gonna agree with me"
Gekiranger's characterization problem concerning the Gekirangers themselves is like, the biggest counterargument to the series' quality used. It comes up, like, every 3 months :lol

I'm not using it to say the show is low quality or anything, because I don't think that's enough to massively drag it down. But I do think the show would have been even better if they did more with the other heroes.

Anyway, the general consensus is: Too much Rio and Mele for Japanese audiences. Which is actually something that I did talk to a Japanese friend about and she sorta confirmed it- as far as a young adult confirm something from when they were in elementary school xD I think she was 9 or 10 when the show aired.

Honestly, the whole thing about Japanese audiences not liking villains bewilders me. What child does not want great villains to battle their heroes? Heroes are boring, the villains are where the fun lies. I am so glad I grew up with the likes of Megatron, Mumm-Ra, Lord Zedd, Demona, Lotor, Joker, Darkseid, Hobgoblin, Skeletor, etc when I was young because they were great. Villains are awesome and you need good villains otherwise the shows come out boring.

Hell, most of the best Sentai shows are top notch because they have great villains. Jin, Junior, Basco, Zeonette, Rio, Mele, Shadam, Budoh, Zylpheeza, Salamendes, Gien, Abarekiller, Rijewel, Bandora, Maria, and Radiguet. Juuzo and Enter were also the best things to happen to their respective series too. Not to mention Shadow Moon is one of the things that makes Black one of the best Kamen Rider series ever.

At this point i've watched almost everything sentai that's subbed, with the exceptions of Battle fever, All of Gorenger (I've watched about 30 episodes) Liveman (i have it and just havent finished it) and Kakuranger (i've seen about 2 episodes)

I'm really interested in finding subs of more of the metal hero stuff, without having to go to sketchy websites and giving my computer a virus or compu-aids. Especially the B-fighter stuff.

Well, Weeaboo Shogun has Winspector subbed, and I know there's a group subbing Space Sheriff Gavan.
For B-Fighter, I don't know. Sorry.

Gavan is done and supposedly Mega Beast Empire is going to eventually, someday, maybe, do B-Fighter. Not too familiar with that group in all honesty though.

I've just watched the episodes of Liveman where Green and Black are added to the team. Hopefully the show can stop being repetitive now, but then, we have two more rangers while the initial three have yet to really be developed.

Hey! Maybe you could check out Gavan or Special Mega Beast Investigator Juspion over at Mega Beast Empire! They're not finished yet, but they're also doing Janperson, which is a pretty weird show.

Have you seen JAQK?

Deka 33: Oh my gosh, I love how SWAT mode looks. I'm glad everyone (except poor Tetsu) got a powered up form this time, unlike in Aba. I'm hoping at this point that they start going more into the antagonist though, seeing as I'm pretty far in and we haven't gotten much at all on that front. Definitely the duo of SWAT episodes were some of the strongest so far. I'd like to see more done on other planets more often.

I finished up Gingaman today. It was... aight.

There's not really much to say that Matrix didn't cover in his recap.

I mean, technically there are a lot of good, enjoyable parts, but literally everything I liked, I've seen done better in other Sentai. Not only that -- I've seen it done better in other Sentai written by Yasuko Kobayashi. Part of it comes down to not really connecting with any of the characters. The only leads I had any particular fondness for were Bull Black, Saya, and Shellinda. The rest I found pretty dull, which made their focus episodes absolute slogs.

At the end of it, I see how Gingaman is an important show. It ushers in a lot of the tropes we see in every show after it, and gives one of the franchise's most important voices her first spin in the driver's seat. It was probably super fresh when it came out, but more often than not, it isn't a fun show to watch in 2016. In that way, I liken it to Zyuranger, another important Sentai that introduced a lot of new tropes that would go on to be implemented better later (notably by the same writer), but is kind of an inconsistent mess on its own.

In my personal ranking, I'd place it as just better than Ninninger. For reference, that list goes: Jetman (10/10) > Kakuranger (9/10) > Gokaiger (9/10) > Dairanger (8/10) > Shinkenger (8/10) > Kyoryuger (8/10) > Ohranger (7/10) > ToQger (7/10) > Go-Busters (7/10) > Goseiger (7/10) > Zyuranger (6/10) > Carranger (6/10) > Gingaman (6/10) > Ninninger (5/10) > Magiranger (4/10) > Megaranger (3/10) > Maskman (3/10)

--

In more positive news, I've finally started watching Gekiranger in earnest. I'm only three episodes deep, but there's something about the energy of the show that is super engaging. I like the set-up, I like the action, I like the characters (so far), and Rio is sure to be a badass.

I'd been saving Gekiranger because it's the last universally-acclaimed Sentai, that's been fully translated, that I haven't seen. But after soldiering through a string of shows I didn't love (Carranger (it's complicated), Megaranger, Gingaman, Ninninger), I felt like I needed to do something enjoyable for myself.

The only bummer about Gekiranger is that I know the outcome of at least two of the series' main stories. Hopefully I can enjoy the ride despite all that, and hopefully there are some twists and turns along the way that I don't see coming.

So far, I'm really, really into it.

Wait, you consider Goseiger better than Carranger? Isn't that like, blasphemy of the highest order?

I kid, I kid. I haven't seen Goseiger yet (and knowing me I'll probably like it), but I'm honestly surprised to see it so high up on anybody's list. Although I suppose, especially in light of Ninninger taking a lot of the heat off, its reputation of being the "worst Sentai ever" has waned quite a bit.

EDIT: Oh wait, I was writing that before you edited it. It's complicated? I guess I retract the question then...

Yeah. Gingaman is kind of average and below. Really rather bland.
It is nice to know you're starting Gekiranger! That show really gets me hyped up! I kinda want to watch it again :lol

Goseiger is a bit awkward, but I enjoyed it for what it was. It was no Kakuranger, it was certainly no Jetman, and it definitely was no Gekiranger, but it's not the trash heap most people say it is.

It's just too hectic for it's own good, but you can still find some things to enjoy out of it.
I probably rank it higher than Dekaranger or Kyoryuger, to be honest.

I actually disagree with the comment about the Kobayashi stuff being done better in other series. I think all of her stuff in everything after Timeranger was mediocre at best. Shinkenger isn't terrible, but it's only really a good show if you haven't seen much of anything else. I also thought ToQGer was down right dreadful.

Well, keep in mind, Goseiger is still like #10 on my list. It's pretty far from being a favorite. But I think I do think it's underrated, and I do like it overall more than I like Carranger (though I've never thought to compare the two shows at all until you brought it up... :lol)

Don't get me wrong, Goseiger can be a mess at times, and I get why people declare Carranger a masterpiece (certain episodes of it are among my favorite in all of Sentai -- and I'm a sucker for anything to do with VRV Master and Signalman). I just think Goseiger offers more than Carranger in a lot of ways. Because it's not always undercutting any dramatic moment with satire or parody, it's easier to get invested in Goseiger's drama (whereas with Carranger, you almost get into the drama in spite of the parody aspects working really hard against you taking it seriously). It has a more intricate plot, and it has villains with interesting motives that aren't constantly being reduced to comic relief (Buredorun is a stellar bad guy). There's fantastic action throughout, and there are a lot of great designs. I think Alata is a very compelling and unique Red -- he perfectly embodies the show's overall sense of earnestness that I find very charming. I do understand why it rubs a lot of American fans the wrong way, though. I kind of see it a lot like Kamen Rider Ghost -- this kind of delicate show that doesn't satisfy a lot of fans who are looking for more bold/aggressive series.

I do think the last 10-ish episodes are legit outstanding and make up for a lot of the more toothless episodes that come before. It's a really great finale arc.

Bland is right. Other than the episode where Bull Black goes crazy, then sacrifices himself, not much of it made an impact. There's some good writing and well-done action at time, but overall, having seen so many modern shows that improve upon the Gingaman format, it's kind of a let down.

Which sounds way harsher than I mean it to. I still liked Gingaman, for the most part. There's not a Sentai I've seen that I think is 100% bad, so ranking it where I did may seem more damning than I intend.

I've given up on trying to like Goseiger. I will start that show over and over and ony make it to episode 5 before quitting. I just don't like the ranger cast one bit. Right now, the only chance Goseiger has of me actually watching it from start to finish is if Shout! releases it.

Deka 37: A concise summary of every Hoji episode would seem to be "Hoji's life sucks." Always getting body swapped, having to kill your best friend, and now taking down your lover's brother. But in all seriousness that was surprisingly good. That might have flipped Hoji from my least favorite to... maybe not my favorite but certainly a better position. I would have liked to have seen this episode have a bit more build up or be more drawn out considering how much drama they packed into this strange, standalone episode. The next episode looks like its back to typical Deka, which is too bad. It looks like it's about Ban having to go fast to prevent a bomb from going off? Hasn't an episode with that exact premise already happened? Man this show...

Why would you keep rewatching the first five episodes? Why not watch, like, the next five episodes...?

I just ask because the first five episodes of any series are generally the weakest, especially in terms of the cast being comfortable with their characters...

(Though I'm not sure you'd be that into Goseiger either way.)

Trying to catch up on Zyuohger before the new Sentai starts which I am actually making my new years resolution to actually start and keep up with a new Sentai as it comes out from start to finish XD

I don't think it'd change much, to be honest. The characters remain as static as 4/6 of the Gokaigers, the villains don't really improve much until the revelation about Buredoran, and the new headders coming so early and so quickly kind of leaves you fatigued.
The Yuumajuu tribe takes up too much time and stagnates the show and while Gosei Knight is pretty good, his introduction of literally falling out the sky kind of leaves you with whiplash :lol

I don't really hate Goseiger as much as most people here, but there are a lot of moments where I was watching it, eyes half lidded, and just waiting for the episodes to end :lol

Maybe if you catch up on Zyuoh, you can discuss it with us!
Here's to hoping you join us for Kyuranger~

Yeah, I'm with you. It's pretty slow and sleep-inducing for the majority of its run, but dang, those last 10-ish episodes elevate the show a ton in my esteem.

No doubt. Once the Brajira ball starts rolling, it gets crazy good pretty fast. But the complete bore that were the Yuumajuu and the relatively uninteresting and underdeveloped Matrintis really bring things down. I was hoping after the generic Sentai villains, the Warstar arc, ended, things would pick up, but boy was I wrong :lol

I'm with you regarding the Warstar and Yuumajuu, but I liked how the Matrintis arc played out. Though I do agree that it's hard to invest in them at first because of how boring and generic the first two villain groups were. :lol

The Matrintis had potential, but they really kind of fell flat. Only Metal Alice was even given a personality, the big boss (Whose name I forgot) wasn't too memorable, and Buredo-RUN was basically a mindless drone for the majority of their arc, so we didn't even get his normal scheming.

Warstar is basically everything that's wrong with Sentai villains, and the Yuumajuu were basically a walking environmentalism message :lol

Becuase I watched the first 5 episodes when the show first aired, then didn Kyoryuger's run, no luck. Started it again after hating ToQGer, thinking that maybe that would get me to enjoy it. Nope. As such, I keep rewatching the first episodes because there is so much time between the episodes that I don't remember anything that actually happened. Even when I watched a bit of MegaForce I couldn't remember jack**** about the Goseiger version.

I definitely will be!

Finally got back around to watching Carranger (26-28), and let me tell you, it didn't take so long due to a lack of interest. I actually think I'm running out of ways to say "this show is awesome". :lol

Basically all the stuff I've mentioned in my other posts still stands and this was another great batch of episodes. Green Racer's road trip in 26 was a ton of fun and 27 and 28 were a two-parter(!) all about Signalman's inner emotional turmoil, and if that doesn't sound awesome to you I don't wanna know what does.

Soooo I really wanted to see Zyuoh TheWorld go ape s**t on Naria when he finally freed himself/was freed. And I really do love that ranger so unique and awesome at least design wise.

More Carranger (29-32)!

It's still amazing.


...


...Okay, I'll go into more detail. I really enjoyed the whole introduction of VRV Robo. It's a great example of what I've been saying about Carranger not sacrificing drama in the name of comedy. What I mean by that isn't so much that it's going to bring you tears or anything so much as that it keeps a sense of tension. When the Carrangers are in trouble, it feels like it. Like, it's actually pretty crazy seeing mooks climb all over the giant robot, smash into the cockpit, force the team out of it, and then take it for their own use. It's sort of hard to describe it adequately. Obviously it's not edge of your seat, intense, high stakes melodrama, but, especially given how often Carranger is referred to as a parody, I expected more of a straight up farce than I've been getting.

Speaking of parody, episode 32... did not quite live up to the hype. I still really liked it though! It was awesome seeing Kyousuke try and be Kyoryu Red (and do a pretty dang good job of it, all things considered), but being sort of an epilogue to the episodes right before it I don't think it stands out on its own the way some of the other episodes have.

Finish watching some Sentai Movies.

Gogov movie with that other member that look like a metal hero of some sort? It was an ok movie but I think the villains in the series are better. Did not expect much from a movie like this.

Gekiranger in Hong Kong did not care much for this movie it felt kind of flat. The villains are pretty forgettable with the challenge thing. Rio acting in the movie was the best part of it all.

Finally got to Gingaman Vs Megaranger.
It was basically what you'd expect from a versus movie. Though the part where they basically revived every Gingaman monster was pretty cool. I'll give it that.

Mega Silver was strangely absent, though. Like, there wasn't even a throwaway line for why he wasn't around, nor did they have the character in suit and basically voiceless. He was just...Gone. Sorry, Yuusaku. Guess you were actually doing your job for once~

I watched episodes 31-35 of Liveman tonight. The two episodes that built up the relationship between Yusuke and Kempu were cool, but the other three episodes ranged from the worst episode of the series (the pregnancy one) to mediocre. I really don't get why Bias wanted to kill the girl from the future because nothing was ever explained. Hell, he should have been happy that she went back to her timeline.

LIES!!!! :lol

Red Racer went all badass and was super hyper as if he had just had some Red Bull. :lol

After Bioman and GoGo V, currently starting Timeranger, and will follow the timeline until Gokaiger.

Timeranger's not fully subbed though.