It's a fun lead up to the final battle in which we get this cool coast side battle near the ocean.

Everyone's bringing their A-Game and we basically get a full gathering of both groups.

It's also cool to see how far our Rookie has come, managing to force Yabai Kamen to get super serious. The fact that Yabai Kamen ends up losing his voice modulator for the rest of the episode after his first defeat is so good at selling just how much shit gets real. He immediately turns the situation around and effortlessly defeats Rookie.

The dude may be a goofy manager most of the time for his evil villain company, but he can walk the walk when push comes to shove.

Also Ohgaman is back! Though him apparently knowing time travel is probably the least shocking thing this franchise does with him admittedly! Trust me on this!

I also just love the roll call, I decided to rewatch parts of the episodes again for this thread and I ended up basically watching all of Episode 10, 11 and 12 as a result lol. So just seeing all these guys get their own unique roll calls out of the way (I love KitaQman's starting with him texting his brother), and suddenly everyone is in a quarry is great.

Though of course the one scene that will always live rent free in my mind is Ohgaman suddenly thinking for like a good several seconds... before going "Ah... Dogengers" and the patented Sentai explosion going off in the background much to everyone's shock as we just end there.

Dogengers is just fun, and it manages to pull a nice emotional core too. Rookie Memories Mode is a fun concept for a form.

I'm mostly rambling but again, love Dogengers!

You're right! I should get on that!

Honestly the biggest twist in the show is that there's an actual person under KitaQman's' suit.

This episode otherwise leaves me with very little to talk about.

Don't get me wrong, as the finale, it definitely does its job quite well, and I really couldn't imagine the show ending in much of a different way across the board. It's very straight forward and to the point on bringing things to a close.

But in that same regard, it means there's really nothing I can add to it. It's action packed, full of nicely executed meta humor, and while the epilogue with Jiro and Yuki isn't exactly ideal in terms of my personal tastes, it works well enough for what it is.

So... yeah, I really don't have much to say on this one other than its left me feeling overall satisfied. That being said though, we're not quite done with this thread yet, oh no. Because just like GARO before it, Dogengers has a bonus episode, and you'd better believe that I'll be covering it. Interestingly it's about twice the length of a normal episode too. Stay tuned.

There's a lot of fun to be had in the finale. Everyone gets their moment, we get some cool finishers as seen in the gif.

My favorite is probably Ohgaman completely taken aback by how eager and raring to go Rookie is. Also them doing a Double Rider Kick together was fun.

One fun little behind the scenes detail is we get a Rider cameo at the end, that being Yuuto from Den-O! This is a bit of a special one since Rookie's Suit Actor is Yoshifumi Oshikawa who was the main suit actor for Deneb for a while, and the two hadn't really seen each other since 2015 since he had stopped doing main suit acting for Toei around that time. It's a fun little reunion.

But yep! We do still have a special bonus episode for Season 1! One which I did not know of until Gagaga Scrubs ended up releasing batches and I saw the description of Season 2's batch.

I knew that guy looked familiar!

I ultimately come out of this one not really liking it all that much.

Feel free to call me a broken record, or anti-romance, or whatever, but I think it really does come down to how I-DOLL is suddenly in love with Jiro.

The crux of it being that, well, ontop of it not making any sense(how did she fall in love if she had no consciousness?),the narrative focus of this bonus episode is kind of all over the place.

Some very interesting concepts are brought up, like when the two halves of I-DOLL are talking about the idea of Self-Sacrifice vs Self-Preservation in the light of helping others, or how Great Ace talks about the debate between Fighting For Others and Fighting With Others.

But all of these ideas sort of go nowhere at best and at worst double back on themselves. Most egregiously the bit about Jiro's' proclamation that I-DOLL isn't just an object to be used, and I-DOLL herself deciding to live on... only for the two to once again turn back into dolls so that Rookie can continue to have his Memories Mode. It all just kinda left a bad taste in my mouth.

That's not to say it was all bad though. Great Ace himself is a pretty solid parody of Showa Era Kamen Riders, and what little time was spent with the rest of the Dogengers Heroes were definite highlights, even if I felt like they were just kinda unfairly bullying poor Yabai Kamen. Like, seriously, don't keep your uber/lyft driver waiting, or at the very least offer them a generous tip. Some good gags came as a result, but it's also still some unneeded cruelty.

I guess if I had to follow up on a comparison I made earlier in the thread, if the majority of Dogengers is SSSS.Gridman, then this episode is SSSS.Dynazenon. Not awful, but not my cup of tea.

Final thoughts post coming tomorrow!

Ohgaman is a powerful entity, I'll say that much.

That being said uh... yeah I'll be honest, I agree with you on the points about I-DOLL. There's a weird romantic tone presented which is basically used to push her towards just going back to being a power-up. Which is a shame because like... idk, having both versions of I-DOLL kinda just roam around, do their own thing, go on their own journey and maybe show up occasionally to help out is a really cool idea that could be fleshed out tbh.

Great Ace is a hoot though, and I really love his suit. There's something about a golden padded muscle suit that just looks surprisingly nice in motion.

Yeah, it's not even just them either. Like, why did Great Ace have to go too? Dude doesn't even get to contribute in another way like how they claim for the I-DOLL arms. It's just a giant waste of good characters.

En-chan and I did a Tokucast on the first episode! Of which you can listen to HERE!

With that out of the way, onto my...

FINAL THOUGHTS ON DOGENGERS SEASON 1

I had no idea what I was getting myself into with this show.

Like, I know, that's sort of the whole point of this series I've decided to do throughout the year, I get that, but like...

This was a show that, while I knew it existed, and I knew the baseline premise of "local heroes are cool" I absolutely was not expecting the way in which it executes that idea.

Because sure, it absolutely does highlight the coolness and lovable personas of every hero involved, but it never once devolves into feeling like it's a paid shill, or pretentious, or like it has to do anything our of pure obligation. Sure, maybe behind the scenes that was the case, but the show itself never feels like that.

There's alot of genuine heart throughout the entirety of the show's' run, both in terms of showcasing these lesser known heroes as well as treating long time toku fans with a new world that they might've not ever been familiar with. I know I sure wasn't. And all in a style that, while self-aware, comes across as them being proud of what they're making, not ashamed.

It's not a single-minded showcase sort of show either. The overall theme that Dogengers decided to go with in its story, about how things not said and actions not taken, and how they can affect relationships with others every bit as much as direct actions can, was a very unique angle that I don't recall many stories actually bringing up, let alone exploring to the extent that this one does. And this goes for both platonic and romantic relationships.

Jiro's' story, while certainly more mundane than the backstories of many other toku heroes(which is ironic for a show so chaotic alot of times), is one that I'm sure most of us can relate to: Having a past event where we wish we'd said that one important sentence. Or taken that one extra step to truly let our feelings be known. It's a desire for closure that people all too often let pass by them, whether it in hopes that things won't end or being scared to rock the boat even further than it already has.

Sure, the overarching plot of Y'all Rangers is very bare bones, and the budget is pretty low, but the show more than makes up for it in nearly every other aspect. From its fun action, to its great comedy, to its wonderful pacing that doesn't waste a single second, and most importantly its fantastic character development for nearly everyone in the cast, this is a toku I fell in love with right at the start, and that love never really wavered. Yeah, it's not perfect, but it was clear that the show knew what it wanted to do from the outset and it absolutely went for it.

If I had to sum up my thoughts on the show in one sentence, well, give me a minute to think...

...

Ah, I got it.

Thursday the 15th, we return...

:thumb: I am waiting.

DS: Look at our boys! Dying for their craft!

En-chan: Truly a staple of the Tokusatsu genre!

DS: Hello everyone! I'm DreamSword!

En-chan: And I'm Enchilada645

DS: And this this is... DS and En-chan's' STAMP NAVIIII--I MEAN--WATCH DOGENGERS NICE BUDDY!!!

Yeah, so, I decided I wanted to do something a bit different this time around, and given that En-chan was the one who got me into Dogengers in the first place, I figured I should bring him on board for this watch/review of the second season.

En-chan: Considering what goes on in this season, it is very fitting that we're tackling it like this.

DS: I'll take your word for it. And man, speaking of what goes on, I was pleasantly surprised to see that this first episode is almost as bonkers as the premiere of the first season.

En-chan: Yeah, you definitely don't get caught as off guard because well, you should be kind of used to it.

But it definitely catches you off guard nonetheless!

DS: Yeah, for real. I was not expecting it to start off with the entire team putting together an apology video, haha

En-chan: Honestly, I entirely forgot it started off with a Marvel Studios logo bit.

But yes, you see, being local heroes is serious business.

DS: Especially when you don't eat your green peppers and you oversleep. Who would ever do such things? Not me!

That was tied to one aspect I really dug though: The little ways in which Ohgaman got fleshed out. Him having flaws such as oversleeping and being afraid of heights is both funny and really adorable to see after how invincible he was in the first season.

En-chan: Yeah, Ohgaman is a powerful and scary man... except when it comes to sleeping properly and also heights/roller coasters. It's nice to see that our big CEO guy is just as human as everyone else on the team though.

DS: For sure. And man, the episode as a whole is just fun, ya know? Like, a big part of the episode itself is literally just a stage show. Like, a real life one. Wires and small pyrotechnics and everything. And I won't lie, I was actually really getting into it, haha.

En-chan: Oh for sure.

Having seen a lot of stage shows of various productions in the Tokusatsu world, this one reall helped capture that feeling. The sparks exploding in time at different parts of the stage, characters exiting the stage to transform or to 'explode and die'. It really nailed all the little details.

DS: It also helps to highlight when things get for real at the episode's' climax too, what with the sudden splash of VFX with the arrival of "COOL NEW HERO" who fittingly enough is the mascot for a VFX company.

And man, his theme song is rather funny, given the W thread going on at the time of this writing, haha.

En-chan: Very true, but he's not just an ordinary letter like W, he is the Great Z!

DS: Which like, was he cribbing Mazinger Z? Is that just a me a feeling?

Either way, dude makes a heck of an entrance. Like blowing up KitaQman's' car. Which from what I understand was a stretch goal on Kickstarter, or something?

En-chan: I believe so, maybe? I know the sponsor bumper banners at the end for sure mentioned a lot of talking to studio execs about getting permission to do that. Which you know, despite how late or lazy he is, that is an expensive looking car that gets to be blown up via pyrotechnics.

DS: That's another thing too; how the sponsorships are integrated into this franchise. Like, I love the go-to visual gag of Yabai Kamen being stamped with their logos, but it's actually a nice visual touch that Great-Z is too. Shows that he's not as clean as he first appears.

En-chan: Oh for sure.

DS: Speaking of The Secret Society of Darkness, man, it is so surreal watching this now after having seen Jisariz, haha. Here's to hoping they cross over again in season 2 of that show.

Another random tidbit I wanna note: Yuki's' actress. I am like 90% sure she was a character in Tokusatsu GaGaGa too. ANDROZANI, TELL ME.

En-chan: ha ha, if anyone has that kind of knowledge then it's probably Androzani

But oh yeah for sure, seeing Yabai Kamen and the two wolf siblings (I forgot their names...) after having watched Jisariz (I still haven't seen Metropolis) was definitely some whiplash.

DS: But yeah, that's about all the big highlights I had in mind. Was there anything specific you wanted to point out or talk about?

En-chan: I will say that I do enjoy the big wrinkle starting from episode 1 being the new hero shows up and decides "Yabai Kamen's mine now". Definitely will make for an interesting season.

DS: Honestly I'd do the same. Who wouldn't want Yabai Kamen as their arch-nemesis, really?

En-chan: So true, dude's honestly the best.

DS: But yeah, overall this first episode does make for a great hook on shaking the team up in unexpected ways, ontop of bringing all of that high energy that I loved from the first season. No complaints from me!

En-chan: Oh for sure, definitely a solid start!

DS: And I think that'll bring us to a close. Hope you all enjoy this new format. I'll be playing around with it as we go, so we'll see how it all turns out in the end. But, until next time!

En-chan: See ya!


So what do you all think of this idea/format? Feel free to make any comments on improvements, ideas, and whatnot if you have any!

Cool change in tone. The discussion format really brings new colors to the episode review. Still, for me personally (perhaps solely because of the language border) it was sometimes difficult for me to grasp the idea. I would advise diluting the correspondence with footage from the episode or making the tirades more detailed. More letters than SMS. But this is just my opinion, so let someone else speak up so as not to accidentally ruin the whole idea.

I see where you're coming from, and it's definitely something I'll note for when we discuss episode 2. Thanks for the input!

DS: My reaction to a majority of this episode.

En-chan: I can only imagine given while we've kind of retained the status quo, we've also revised it thanks to Great Z

DS: Yeah this episode is very much a setup episode for what I imagine is the rest of the season. Great-Z has essentially taken everything that the Dogengers used to have. Their fame, their timeslot, their apartment, and even their villain! So the group decide to split into pairs and venture out to find ways to figure out just what the heck to even do now, since it's not like they can just beat the guy up.

And while it's all presented in a rather lighthearted tone, I did find myself surprised how seriously the whole thing is treated, and even how meta things kinda got at one point.

En-chan: There's a reason I said us teaming up like this was fitting for this series in particular.

There's definitely a pretty high level of gravitas at play that helps set everything up. Also considering Great-Z is a walking commercial, I totally get what you mean by it being meta.

DS: Yeah, and it doesn't even end there with him either, with how he talks about CGI effects vs Practical ones, albeit briefly. That is a debate that still goes on to this day, especially in the Toku world.

And because of that like, I can't help but feel like it's entirely intentional that his civilian identity, Riku, is very obviously dubbed over, haha.

En-chan: I didn't notice it in my first viewing somehow but yeah, the dude is very obviously doing ADR and that caught me off guard. lol

DS: I did love the bit too where he has the overly long finishing move. Why do I feel like I could see a show doing that unironically in the future?

En-chan: If there's one scene I've seen circulating in regards to Nice Buddy (even before I saw it), it was absolutely that overly long finishing move so while long, it's definitely iconic.

DS: "Iconic" is pretty appropriate here, actually. Because we also got some background in regards to Great-Z, mainly in that he's part of the same franchise that Great Ace from the bonus episode of Dogengers. I felt that was a nice way to keep him tied into the main cast, as well as establish why people in universe would be invested in him outside of just pretty special effects.

En-chan: I remember you talking fairly highly about Great Ace during your Bonus Episode review. So I was very much waiting for you to get to this show where we get the big connecting tissue here.

That said, A to Z huh? That's a lot of heroes, even if they did take a break for a while before Z.

DS: What? You didn't watch Great Base, Great Case, or Great Dane? Fraud confirmed.

En-chan: Dang, I've been outed!

DS: But Great-Z aside, uh, I was not expecting the title of "Nice Buddy" to actually mean what it ends up meaning in this show. In that this now the Dogengers Buddy Cop Show.

En-chan: Very much so, time to tackle this duo style.

I'm totally glad they solved this fairly and not by Ohgaman being Ohgaman and just picking everyone in advance.

DS: Haha, yes. Totally fair ladder lottery. Resulting in Team Pharmacy(Rookie+Ohgaman), Team Good Bois(Yamashiron+Fukuokalibur), and Team... uh, Red, I guess(KitaQman+El Brave).

En-chan: Team Red indeed.

Well I can't fault him too much tbh, he did basically set them up with the one dream everyone has. Living at IKEA.

DS: Yeah, how the heck does that even work? Did Ohgaman like... buy, the furniture store? In its entirety?

En-chan: Do not doubt the power of Ohgaman.

DS: But the most important thing in this episode.


"Imagine Dogengers with Guns" is now real.

En-chan: It's what every Toku Hero needs, as demonstrated very clearly by Kuuga.

DS: So, yeah, I really do gotta wonder where exactly we're going now, especially since if the next episode preview is any indication, Rookie and Ohgaman will be confronting Great-Z first. And I woulda figured they'd be the last group to face him.

En-chan: You'd think, but I suppose that just means they've got some fun surprises in store for us.

Let's just hope Yabai Kamen makes it out alright, dude was suffering a lot this episode.

DS: Bro has gotten no respect at all so far. I feel legit bad for the dude.

En-chan: We can only hope as this series continues he can get his groove back. And also a less heavy prop to swing around.

DS: Guess we'll find more out come next time. Anything specific you wanna talk about before we close out?

En-chan: I think I hit all the points I wanted to, so I'm good.

DS: Well alright then. Next time, watch me shoot En-chan live on stage!

En-chan: Wait, what?!

Cool review.

DS: So uh, mind if I start this off with an anecdote?

En-chan: Sure

DS: Back when I was a kid in the early 2000s, "Game" anime was a huge thing at the time. Yu-Gi-Oh, Beyblade, Bakugan, etc. During that time, my friends and I would often joke about how we wanted there to be a Rock-Paper-Scissors anime, with over the top special effects, sonic booms blowing people across rooms whenever they lost, and a whole bunch of other ridiculous stuff.

And then Dogengers just came and made that reality.

Like, I talked a couple times during the first season about how the show made me feel like a kid again when watching it, and now here, in season 2, they continue to carry that feeling and I gotta say, it's just great to see and feel.

En-chan: See, this is why Ohgaman is a powerful but also incredible man. Dude reminds you of your childhood and shows off a technique taught to only one child in every generation of his family.

DS: Which, given what we learn of his backstory in this episode, implies he had these powers before he became a superhero, somehow. And I just love that.

But yeah, there is so much going on in this episode it's hard to know where to even start. Because what starts off as what seems to be an episode about Ohgaman and Rookie bonding quickly turns into a big insight into Great-Z, the SSoD, and Ohgaman's' backstory. It's wild.

En-chan: There's definitely a lot going on in this episode despite its fairly simple premise.

Honestly one thing I'm glad for is them putting Ohgaman's focus as the first one of these. Helps that they're pushing him as a regular cast member now too which was definitely something I was hoping for out of this sequel. In the first series he was this pretty powerful figure that rarely showed up and had some neat quirks to him, but now we get to see he has a lot more layers to who he is.

DS: Yeah, getting to see his more human aspects really has been a treat. And the way the characters have been paired up as they are makes alot of sense, as we never got to see Jiro bond with Ohgaman in the first season like he did every other character. Which even Ohgaman himself points out.

And I really gotta wonder how much his story pulls from reality here, because I get that this is a low budget indie production, so like, did the whole "Founding of Ohga Pharmacy" thing mirror how Dogengers itself came to be? I honestly wouldn't doubt it.

En-chan: Who knows, but it is fun to think about given the very small scope of this franchise and how many of these guys are actually out and about as we're speaking.

DS: Speaking of Ohga products though, the Buddy-Buddy Blaster. I love how much fun they have with this thing throughout the episode. Like how unwieldy it is for Rookie due to being the size of his torso, haha.

En-chan: It wouldn't be a Toku weapon if it wasn't a bit bigger than usual. lol

That said it is a fun weapon to give most of the cast given their fighting styles, so one can only imagine what other shenanigans we'll end up getting as a result. That said I do like that, at least for our two Ohga-sponsored heroes, they get some cool charged attacks.

DS: Megaman would be proud.

Ohgaman isn't the only highlight here though. We also learn that Great-Z's' show is actually live-streamed in real time, and we also learn what exactly Great-Z's' idea of justice is, which, while I could see many complaining makes him contradictory or hypocritical, I personally think the way it's presented makes him a very interesting character to think about.

En-chan: Right, Great-Z is definitely an interesting antagonist to introduce into the series.


Dude's not a villain, just a hero with his own kind of ideals that just can't understand the Dogengers' own. So it definitely makes the conflict and clash between the two parties a lot more complicated than a simple good vs evil showdown.

DS: Plus, them fighting over who gets to be the real rivals of the SSoD is just a fun premise in general. And it also leads to a moment that I for sure was not expecting: Some extra spotlight for Maid Butler and his unlocking of his own super mode.

En-chan: Yep!


Definitely an interesting but very cool choice to give the villains some updates of their own. We don't really see much of it in this episode beyond its appearance, but it's cool to see that giving characters power-up forms in this series isn't only limited to the heroes.

DS: And without the help of the Golden Seal from season 1 either. It really is an awesome shot to end the episode on too, given MB manages to be the only one to outright resist Great-Z's' teleportation drones. I got legit hyped!

En-chan: That's the power of being loyal to your boss for you!

DS: Is there anything else you wanted to note about the episode? Cause I can't really think of much else to say besides "It's just a fun ride from start to finish."

En-chan: I think we just about covered all the bases here, it's a simple premise that really just spirals into a lot of fun and interesting details about our cast once it really gets going.

DS: Welp, I guess that brings us to a close then. Stayed tuned next time forrrrmegetting kidnappedbya teleporterdrone apparently aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

DS: En-chan waiting for me watch all of Dogengers.

En-chan: Don't worry though, you're making good pace.

DS: This episode, while I liked it, it felt a bit imbalanced in its focus. Or atleast the title of it had me thinking things would flow a bit differently than it did. Cause like, while it is the episode where KitaQman and El Brave team up, they're like, the last thing that the episode overall is concerned with.

En-chan: Yeah this was an odd one to come back to. Because I had honestly thought the main confrontation with Great-Z with them was the focus for this one, though it seems like that'll be saved for later?

There's a lot more moving parts to this episode that are basically setup than anything else.

DS: For sure. I was definitely surprised to see that this was like 70% a Great-Z episode. Granted, the bits of development we got with him are nice though. Especially with the wonderful meta commentary that comes with it ontop of the reveal that he's a foil to Jiro. Really dug that.

En-chan: Hey despite opposing our heroes he is a hero too, meaning he's got to have some more to him than meets the eye which is always nice to see.

DS: Absolutely, and maybe I'm reading too much into it, but it seems to me like the show is raising the compare and contrast between more traditional heroes like, say, Superman, who tend to more deal with black and white morality vs more modern ones like Kamen Rider, who tend to be more gray. It's clear that while he's doing his best to shake it off, Ohgaman's' speech about how his motivations are hardly grand standing really did hit Riku in a place he wasn't expecting.

En-chan: There's definitely a more solid line to his morals than there are with the Dogengers even if they are being questioned.

But that makes a very good comparison to at least one of the Dogengers in this episode at least, Fukuokalibur. In which despite some of the team trying to blow off Maid Butler who genuinely is asking for their help, Fukuokalibur is there to be like "Yeah you can stay with us".

DS: It's a good thing too because like, KitaQman was definitely not helping the situation any. As you'd expect from your average twitter junkie.

En-chan: He did have a really good mustache though, and I have to respect that.


DS: What he did not have however, was a working gun.

Which leads to a pretty fun(ny) confrontation between KitaQman, El Brave, and the Wolf Bros. Which is full of great bits that are not only funny, but make total sense in context. Like, no duh El Brave can't hit anything! He's a wrestler, not a gunman!

En-chan: Exactly. Which is why the idea of "give everyone a gun" is such a fun mix-up for this show. Because if Ohgaman said that these are their new secret weapons, of course they're going to try and use them. And we see what happens when you end up giving these dudes guns to begin with very well in this episode.

DS: Speaking of secrets, I know it was a thing last season, but Unmasked KitaQman will never not be cursed to me.


And then he had to go and spread said curse by taking off one of El Brave's' masks. I don't care what they say, that second mask is nowhere near as good!

En-chan: So true, I much prefer his armored mask.

DS: Also, is it bad that I felt more for the Wolf Boys in this fight? Like, I too would be really upset if someone stole my pizza.

En-chan: It might be because I've seen Jisariz recently, and they were portrayed as pretty alright guys in that.

So that probably helped add to the fact that, yes, I would also be very upset if my pizza was stolen.

DS: The building relationship that the SSoD is having with everyone in the cast might actually be the biggest highlight for me in Nice Buddy so far. It's lead to alot of great interactions that I love, and it's leading to Yabai Kamen being one of my favorite toku villains like, ever. Dude has so many dimensions to him that he's always a blast whenever he's on screen.

En-chan: Even as a damsel in distress the dude is very charming, so I'm very glad you're continuing to adore him!

DS: That romance scene at the start between him and Riku was gold. So good.

But yeah, those are all of my highlights. Was there anything else you wanted to mention?

En-chan: Actually, one thing I do want to bring attention to. I like how the only one actually fully onboard with Great-Z is Shaberryman. The rest are kind of just going with the flow or actively resisting like Yabai Kamen.

Meanwhile this dude just decided to put all his eggs in the Great-Z basket.

DS: Makes sense. He is a cameraman afterall. Gotta get those ratings. He even personally thanks the sponsors during the Pizza Cooc commercial!

En-chan: Speaking of Pizza Cooc, though, I could absolutely go for some pizza right now.

DS: I agree. Let's go get pizza.

A pizza deez nuts.

En-chan:

En-chan: I wonder if it infringes on the Ohga Company's rights what with the modification done here. Granted given Ohgaman just pays out of pocket for his hero stuff, I don't think that'll be an issue.

DS: I mean, Yamashiron does also commit slander during this episode, technically, and he is from a different prefecture than the other Dogengers, so maybe he's got diplomatic immunity or something.

So like, question for you, En-chan. How does this show manage to never bottom out on how crazy it can get?

En-chan: It just can't I suppose.

Which is funny when it comes to dealing with relatively low-tiered characters in regards to power levels. Granted, their vibrant and loud personalities make up for that gap so that probably helps out a lot.

DS: It's something I really have to compliment this franchise on, honestly. It's the toku equivalent of a roller coaster ride. It's not just some constant stream of crazy, although there are episodes where it certainly does that too, but knows how to balance said craziness to keep it at its most impactful. And I feel like this episode was a perfect example of that.

Because like, the majority of the episode, despite its kooky beats, is fairly standard... AND THEN THAT FINAL SHOT HITS AND I FRIGGEN LOST IT.


En-chan: Yeah you get some great character moments, some nicely done comedy.

And then BAM, there are two Great-Zs?!

DS: But uh, we're kinda getting ahead of ourselves here. So, this episode is both the climax of the El Brave and KitaQman team up, as well as the episode devoted to Yamashiron and Fukuokalibur's' team up. And on paper that sounds like it'd be tough to juggle, but I think they actually handled it pretty well here.

En-chan: It helps that we already got through a lot of the Kita-El Team stuff in the last episode.

DS: Yeah, and that the scene itself is great, ontop of lending more towards how the momentum of the episode builds towards that final twist.

Like, when the Wolf Boys teleported in, I was at first thinking "Oh, Great-Z finally let them out of the pod." And then once Kita and Brave beam in I was like "Wait a sec." And then, surprise! Both episodes were basically happening simultaneously! It's a really clever idea!

En-chan: Yeah, it really helps things flow a lot better than us having one full episode where KitaQman and El Brave take on Great-Z and then another separate encounter where Yamashiron and Fukuokalibur take on Great-Z on another day.

Speaking of those pods though, Great-Z needs to take better care of those things. That's like the second one that got blown up.

DS: And on the same shoulder too. Those things can't be cheap.


Speaking of Great-Z though, I did love the attention to detail when it came to his stage show. With Great-Z's' suit being a rather simplified version of his normal wear for practicality's' sake. Just like stage shows tend to do in real life.

En-chan: Yeah. I also love how they managed to capture the smaller outdoor stage aspect too. I've seen a few of those floating around on Youtube of either Rider or Sentai, and they definitely nailed the low-budget but fun vibe of them down.

DS: With all the rep stage shows have been getting, I really wanna go to one in person someday.

But Great-Z isn't the only highlight though. We also get El Brave's' backstory, as well as Fukuokalibur's' motivations for heroism. And Yamashiron delivers probably my favorite comedic moment in the season so far too.


Not to mention, the fight at the end between Team Good Boys and the Wolf Boys had some genuinely great choreography. Who knew Fukuoukalibur was so skilled with firearms!?

En-chan: Dude really used the whole hog when it came to his skillset. Mixing in some shooting with his usual swordplay, and even going for a few kicks?

Pretty impressive, though I suppose that makes sense given he's a dual wielder normally.

DS: I do gotta wonder what's going on in the minds of the crowd though. I know if it were me, it'd be along the lines of "I dunno what's going on but man this is hype."

En-chan: Honestly same. It's definitely a "Wow two cakes" kind of situation.

DS: Was there any other big highlights for you on this ride?

En-chan: None off the top of my head.

DS: Then if you'll excuse me, I must now don my disguise and disappear into the masses. Until next time, farewell~

En-chan: See ya?

Yes, the twist at the end turns everything upside down.

It really does! And it's got me theorizing about Great-Z's' true nature...

DS: EVERYBODY CALM DOWN!

AND BY EVERYONE I MEAN ME SPECIFICALLY!

En-chan: So I take it you enjoyed the episode?

DS: No, hated it.

En-chan: Dang.

DS: Of course I liked it! This episode just kept escalating! And right when I thought we were about to end on a more downbeat and somber note, BAM, right in the kisser.

En-chan: You know you'd think you would be prepared for these sudden hits.

After all, you have watched Dogengers.

DS: It's a very different kind of beating, really. Season 1 was basically like taking a bunch of rapid-fire jabs to the senses.

Meanwhile Nice Buddy lulls you into a false sense of security before karate chopping you directly in the brain.

En-chan: True, we have ended on quite a few surprising developments already.

DS: And this is only the halfway point! The whole episode is framed like it's the climax, but no, we still have a good number of episodes left!

En-chan: Very fitting for our mid-season episode then!

DS: So uh, to talk about exactly what happens in this episode. We start off with Great-Z digging into everyone as he usually does. With poor Yamashiron getting the worst of it.

En-chan: You gotta feel for the dude. He gets hit the hardest out of all of them, especially when reflecting on his actions from last time. So much so he's in no shape to even help the others despite them getting a game plan together at the end.

DS: It's a step in his arc that makes alot of sense too, given the first season, wherein his arc was all about how lonely he was without Blueron and Orangeron by his side. And now Great-Z has come along and flipped that entire perspective of his on its face. Talk about a low blow.


Really loved Ohgaman during this part though. The plan KitaQman Metal comes up with is entirely sound, but upon seeing that his friend is in no shape to go through with it, Ohgaman's' just like "Nope. His well being comes first." Gotta respect that.

En-chan: You really do.

Speaking of KitaQman Metal though, despite what Great-Z pulls out, he really stole the show for me with his sudden appearance alongside Shuraomaru.

DS: Yeah, didn't know Metal was as strong as A FRIKKEN MEGAZORD.

En-chan: Dude's gotta make up for his lazy brother. Guess that also means being powerful as all hell.

DS: But yeah, turns out Great-Z has a giant robot. And I loved the gag about it being a giant DX toy.


He also has Pizza Destructo Discs.


En-chan: The idea to debut it via a toy ad was very clever.

Also yeah, I'm always a fan of Destructo Discs, and pizza flavor? Sounds like a delicious demise.

DS: And on that note, man, me calling Great-Z a fake ended up being way more applicable than I ever thought it would be, good lord.


The twist that Riku is actually the Stage Show Great-Z does line up with alot of things. His voice being ADR'd, that the "real" Great-Z seems to suffer from Foxdie when he doesn't, and said Z referring to the Stage-Z as his boss at one point. I honestly theorized that the Great-Z we got to know up to now was a robot or something, but that doesn't seem to be the case now.

En-chan: It did feel like that yeah.

I mean given how cutting edge Great-Z is, a robotic superhero to help cut down on potential injuries for actors would make sense.

DS: I never would've thought of Dogengers as a solid mystery show, but here we are.

Needless to say I am spent after that. Were there any other moments or details you wanted to point out?

En-chan: You touched on it briefly, and this feeds into an earlier compliment of mine.

But I just really love KitaQman Metal in this episode. Mostly because he has a really solid plan, and is a good coordinator. Especially when we find out what exactly his job was going to be in the original plan during the sponsor roll. Dude was on his A-Game.

DS: I was for sure shocked when he showed up. I had nearly thought that the show had forgotten about him until now.

En-chan: Well no better time to shine than the mid-season I'd say.

DS: Well, in order to prepare for whatever comes after, I'm off to steal Jiro's' fit.


En-chan: Good luck!

Yes, this was a very interesting, funny and cool episode.

DS: En-chan, the vet, guiding us all through the craziness that is Dogengers.

En-chan: Exactly, just keep moving forward!

DS: With the way this shows keeps escalating, I really do gotta say, if you're a fan of this show, you should also watch Samurai Flamenco and vise-versa. They share alot of the same energy.

En-chan: Maybe one of these days. That show has been on the interest log for a while.

Though considering my backlog and how bad I'm keeping up with certain things... we'll see. ha ha.

DS: Anyway, yeah, this episode, like, the majority of it is a rather quiet and down-to-earth vibe(well, by Dogengers standards), about motivations and actions, mirrored via Yamashiron and Great-Z. And then the last minute of the episode hits and I legit fell down on my couch.

En-chan: Yeah. Who knew the IKEA that the Dogengers were staying in was also a Gundam-like mecha?


DS: It's literally the Nightingale from Char's Counterattack!

With how low scale and budget season 1 was, the last thing I was ever expecting was a straight up Megazord battle.

En-chan: Yeah they've definitely increased their CG Budget for this show. Between what Great-Z shows off and now the past couple of episodes with giant robots. It's nice to see them come this far.

DS: And to showcase that budget, we even get another shot of the blown up KitaQ Machine, which gave me a really good laugh when it got towed during the dramatic walk, by the way.

En-chan: Gotta get all that mileage out of that insane pyrotechnic stunt they pulled.

DS: It's funny, when you look at the episode as a whole, there's not alot that goes on in terms of events, but the character stuff is as strong as ever and is more than enough to carry it. The giant robot reveal was just extra chocolate syrup ontop of the sundae, ya know?

En-chan: Oh for sure.

We get some great moments between Fukuokalibur and Yamashiron since they are buddies. Not to mention there's some nice stuff from Riku and his interactions with Yabai Kamen and of course the mystery of Great-Z himself continues to deepen.

DS: Yeah, this season's' overall theme of heroism is arguably at its strongest here, I feel. We've got Yabai Kamen pointing out that Great-Z is leaning more towards villain than hero, which is then showcased by Great-Z being really brutal during the film shoot. Then there's Yamashiron, who thanks to Fukuokalibur's' kindness is reminded exactly as to why the three people he's made up from became heroes in the first place. It's all really cool to see play out.

En-chan: Yeah, even the crowd was showing concern once Great-Z started to grow angrier to the point where he had to basically lie to try and save face.

I also do like how Fukuokalibur's kindness of cooking a meal for Yamashiron is treated too. It's absolutely not perfect, which Yamashiron points out. But there's enough kindness and sincerity behind it for him to get that big push he needs to come back after last episode.

DS: Yamashiron even ate his bell peppers finally! Character development!

En-chan: Dude took it like a champ and scarfed it all down! Really proud of him!

DS: Food as a primary focus for plot or characterization has always been interesting to me in shows. We've been seeing it more and more lately too. And it makes sense. Food does bring alot of people together, especially during celebrations such as holidays. So I was glad to see how well it was presented and talked about here in Nice Buddy, whereas lesser shows would just use it as a baseline fat joke or something, like some certain Netflix productions I've seen.

So I guess this means that Inoue's' kink for people eating together was ahead of its time in terms of media.

En-chan: I suppose so.

DS: Great-Z's' flashbacks were really interesting to see, too. Especially since the kid who is presumably Great-Z looks like a little Riku(probably thanks to the black and white filter). So like, there's gotta be some extra layer to the twist that we haven't seen yet. And I'm excited for it.

En-chan: Oh for sure, and now that we're a little over halfway through the season you can bet there'll be more to come soon enough.

DS: Shall we venture forth and find out how this explosive battle ends?

En-chan: Of course!

DS: Onward! Oh crap--MISSILE INCOMING!

The IKEA robot was just a mind blower!

Anyone who tries to claim they saw it coming is a liar!

DS: Look, I don't have a caption for this one. It's just a mood, alright?

En-chan: Oh that is absolutely a mood, cake is always so good.

DS: So this episode, well, I liked it, but I dunno if the twist they intended to have at the end had the desired effect on me, because I was way more surprised by one really quick shot that we got at like the midway point.

That said, man, the title of this episode? Absolutely perfect use of double meaning.

En-chan: Oh for sure.

Speaking on the twist, it was definitely something that felt like it was coming given the clues so it definitely wasn't too shocking. Though it is nice to have clarification on who Riku and Great-Z are to each other.

DS: Part of me still wishes that Great-Z was a robot.

Speaking of which, man, that giant robo battle that took up half the episode, huh?

En-chan: They spent a lot of time modeling both robots so it makes sense they want to show them off as much as possible.

DS: They absolutely based Sekikaguo off of a handful of Zeon mechs from Gundam, too. And unashamedly so. They even worked in a pretty fun reference to the show too.


And for anyone who needs the proof of concept, well...


This is an actual thing.

En-chan: It's honestly a fun reference.

Especially since it's such a swerve of a mecha to give our protagonists of all things when it comes to looks.

DS: And function. Why Ohgaman had it respond to Yamashiron cooking and doing chores, I have no idea, but hey, it worked out.

The fight itself is kinda basic, but fun. I can for sure see how it'd eat up most of the season's' budget. And Great-Z's' as it turns out.

En-chan: And of course as per this season's theme, it was a collaborative effort.

In which we see Fukuokalibur deal with the third of Great-Z's camera drones. It's probably the biggest loss for Great-Z yet since the robot actually needs at least 4 drones to function compared to the other abilities he's shown off.

DS: And his film crew doesn't have the money to replace it, either. I was surprised at just how intense that final scene with them all talking about what direction to take their show in was in terms of atmosphere. It's definitely a nice change of pace in terms of the directing, and it's of course here we get that twist I mentioned earlier: That Riku is actually Great-Z's' son. And while that in itself isn't a bad twist and scene works pretty well, especially with that shot of Riku gripping his dad's' medication earlier on, it's uh, it's a little undermined by my penchant for reading shirts and seeing that Riku's' shirt is just utter gibberish.


En-chan: It wouldn't be a Toku Show if a character didn't have a shirt with random English on it.

But yeah, there's definitely a heavier tone to that end scene as well, which is reinforced further when we find out that despite how things seemed... our heroes actually achieved their goal.

They got Yabai Kamen back!

DS: Even threw a party for the guy. How far everyone has come! The bit about Maid Butler hitting Rookie accidentally was amusing too.

Also, El Brave somehow gets drunk off of protein shakes.

En-chan: Well they do say people can get drunk off the atmosphere and that was a pretty lively and jovial party too.

DS: That all being said, the part that took me by surprise was actually a really quick shot we get when the other Dogengers who aren't in the robot are evacuating the civilians. Wherein it's revealed that Riku is actually a part of Great-Z's' film crew. Meaning he was trying to make his dad a superhero the whole time ontop of being his double. I really like that angle.

En-chan: Yeah, it's definitely a fun angle and it makes you wonder if he's popped up in prior scenes like that as a little hidden detail.

I also do like how KitaQMan Metal's plan ended up mostly being put into place here too via the evac this episode. It's incredible to see it work out accidentally like that.

DS: It's probably the most straight-forward episode we've had of the show since arguably the first one. And despite that they still manage to have a hook for the rest of the show despite just showing what in many other shows would be the final battle. And all while none of it feeling like a drag. I really do gotta give props for that.

And with that, I am spent, and eager to see where Riku's' arc is going.

En-chan: Oh for sure.

Now that we've hit the full reveal, we can get into some good character work as we're likely to finally explore Riku and his dad's situation in a deeper manner now.

DS: Well, hopefully we'll get some more of that in the next one. Until then, I'm told that compared to Dynazenon, Dogengers is--oh, oh god En-chan's' got me in a headlock! HELP! HEEEELLlllll....

DS: If golf were a bit more like this I think I'd tune in a bit more often.

En-chan: True, unfortunately golf is the bane of the mainline Toku Fandom, that and marathons.

So it's amusing that we get an in-universe "golf episode" for this show.

DS: Yeah, I can see why though. As advertised. This is just golf. That's it. Absolutely nothing else.

En-chan: So true. Totally no revelations about the new characters this season. No way.

Just good old fashioned golf... as good and old fashioned as you can get with Dogengers...

DS: Alright, we kid. This episode was interesting to me in that, like golf it was actually rather slow and methodical about things. And it also brought an answer to a question/concern I'd had in the back of my mind for a majority of the show so far. That being that, despite being the main character of the first season, Jiro has been little more than a supporting character throughout Nice Buddy. Which might make one wonder, why is he even still here?

En-chan: That is a good question/concern to have.

He very much fulfilled his arc in the original season so he's basically on the same league as the others in terms of how they're presented? Well despite still being a bit new to how crazy things can get.

DS: Yeah, even in the episode where he and Ohgaman teamed up, that episode had alot more to do with Ohgaman than Rookie. But ya know, I'd say it was worth the wait, because we got some excellent payoff here with how Jiro and Riku are foils, and how Jiro's' backstory ties into Riku's' own sense of justice outside of the one Great-Z has. That scene where they bond over the Great series was adorable!

En-chan: It was so cute seeing Jiro just snowball into fanboy mode with Riku following soon after. Just the way they talk about their favorites of the Great Series and start doing attack callouts was fun to watch. Truly a love of Tokusatsu Heroes can help bridge gaps and form bonds between others.

DS: That was another thing that surprised me about this episode too: It was basically all talking. It's the sort of thing I've seen other shows fumble, too(hi Blassreiter), wherein the lack of action makes the episode feels slow or boring. But here, no, they did it how you should. Making the conversations ones that are actually interesting and/or fun to listen in on. Riku and his dad, Riku and Jiro... it's all just nice to have insight on.

En-chan: The conversations hold a purpose, and still keep some good energy to them too despite the expository nature of some of them.

Plus we still get some fun comedic moments too sprinkled throughout which is Dogengers' strong point.

DS: So what did you think of Riku's' backstory? Did you agree with him that it was lame?

En-chan: It's not the most exciting. But it is admirable to see him try and change himself after stagnating for a good while.

DS: Yeah, it's pretty basic all things considered. I do hope we get a little bit of expansion on it, but if not, I guess maybe they were trying to do a bit of a subversion on how exactly superheroics tied into his upbringing in that it was mostly a hobby rather than anything incredibly substantial? This isn't exactly Soul of the Dragon, is what I'm saying.

En-chan: Right.

Though Great-Z as a hero himself is technically divided into/complimented by the two people who make him up, Riku and his Dad. So that might be why Riku's is rather basic all things considered.

DS: True. Seeing some of the stuff he did as part of the film crew was a nice touch too. Though it does makes one wonder how Yabai Kamen didn't recognize him when he got handed that giant blade.


Then again, with that shot of YK with those piercing red eyes, maybe he did. He's definitely scheming something at the very least, and I can't wait to see what it is!

En-chan: Yabai Kamen's basically been taken out of his damsel in distress role due to the rescue last time.

He's just chilling, and potentially waiting for some opportunity. Which is probably the most dangerous position he could be in at this point.

DS: Given how incredible of a showing he had in season 1, I can only hope he gets to show off his wonderfully villainous side once more. I feel it'd be a bit of a waste otherwise.

Was there anything else about the episode that stood out to you?

En-chan: Not so much in the episode but I did want to drop a bit of trivia.

Riku's actor, if you all aren't aware by now, is Katsuhiro Suzuki, best known as Go-Buster's Red Buster but also as Kamen Rider Quiz from Zi-O. The latter of which I find a bit amusing given his character this time also has father issues.

DS: Huh, I did not recognize him at all.

En-chan: It was probably the blond hair.

DS: Listen, just because you fooled me by putting on a wig one time...

DS: Before we get into the meat of the episode, I just wanna point out how much I love that every Blaster has its own individual touch to it.

En-chan: They got jealous that Yamashiron modified his gun so they followed suit.

I also love the gag of KitaQMan's gun being functional all along, it's just the safety was on.

DS: And yet his has the label of "Not Safe" slapped on it, haha.

Anyway, yeah, we've hit endgame with Nice Buddy, and the tone takes a rather dramatic turn to match. I was super engrossed into this one. The atmosphere and directing were all incredibly on point!

En-chan: Helps that the episode is mostly shot at night to help give weight to the situation.

DS: There's also the twist that, man, I dunno if it even is a twist so much as something I should've figured as soon as we learned who Great-Z actually was? Basically, it's made very clear here that the flashbacks we got a few episodes ago of the bullied child weren't Riku's', but rather his dad's'. And it makes alot of his behavior and motivations make alot of sense.

En-chan: Yeah, it's a less a twist but there wasn't too much emphasis put onto it until now.

Still, Great-Z's antagonism towards the Dogengers very much comes from the childhood trauma of being bullied by his classmates. Because of that and only viewing the Dogengers at a surface level at first, meant that he assumed our heroes were trying to trample on the dream he made a reality despite the disapproval of those around him.

DS: It's something that is right in the wheelhouse of the director, too. While I was informed that she was a co-director for Super Sentai in years prior, something I found out recently was that she was also heavily involved in Tokusatsu GaGaGa before getting to be the lead director for Dogengers. And Great-Z's' resentment and bitterness really mirrored the backstory of a character from GaGaGa, and both are portrayed wonderfully.

And likewise with GaGaGa, that sort of thing -- inventing your own heroes, having trouble finding those with similar interests, it's all portrayed rather realistically and is something I'm sure many of us who're in this medium can relate to. It's what makes the ending of this one, with the Dogengers extending a hand of understanding and helping to heal Great-Z's' inner child, all the more powerful. The scene where they all geek out over their old designs is great, and shows that, yeah, the people who make this stuff have to have some sort of passion for it, otherwise they wouldn't last.

En-chan: It's such a heartwarming ending to the episode.

Great-Z has that understandable fear given this is clearly a recurring episode in his mind, you can really tell how pained and fearful he is of a repeat with the people he's come to fight against. So when the Dogengers start complimenting and getting all friendly with his inner child, and he starts to realize that they all had the same start, the way he relaxes and comes to accept this as the episode fades to a relaxing white, it's absolutely touching.

The ending of this episode is honestly why I consider this one of my favorite Tokusatsu episodes of all time. It's an emotionally warm climax to everything we've been following and has a wonderful message of telling people that you should still believe in and love heroes, you can still create your own heroes, it may feel rough at points, but keep pushing and you'll find something more despite it all.

DS: The episode all around has alot of layers to it for sure. Heck, it's not like it's all Great-Z either. His entire situation of being a diabetic and not taking care of himself, well, that directly ties into the mission statement of Ohgaman and by extension, Ohga Pharmacy. Their entire mission is to get everyone to properly take their medicine(and sleep!), and having this episode showcase some of the dire consequences that can come about when you don't take proper care of yourself was a bold move for a kid's' show.

And of course, it also helps in keeping with Riku mirroring Jiro, since Riku himself admits he should've pushed harder for his dad to take better care of himself. And what does nearly every episode of Dogengers end with? Telling kids to help their family stay healthy. It's some really cool theming all around and I dug it alot.

En-chan: Oh absolutely.

I was honestly surprised to see them do something this in depth regarding the messages in regard to medicine since we've never hit it this hard or heavy before now. Them tying it into the over-arching narrative in multiple ways worked very effectively.

DS: That's about all I got for the major stuff this episode, so I wanna rapid fire some other bits I got a kick out of:

-Great-Z, if we're going by his old drawing, is based off of Getter Robo, and ya know, great choice for inspiration I must say.

-Maid Butler coming in clutch, Tuxedo Mask style, was a great scene.

-Did... did Shiromaru friggen DIE!?

En-chan: To respond in kind.

-Oh absolutely!

-Maid Butler made an absolutely fabulous entrance, that shot against the moon is such a good frame.

-Who's to say? He did say he smelled the stench of death though.

DS: Was there any more you wanted to note? This was just a great episode all around and I dunno what else to say other than "Yeah, A+ all around."

En-chan: Just that there's a clever choice of book end here.

Great-Z's finisher in episode 2 is definitely a highlight in regards to the comedy of how long it takes. So to see it here in episode 10, where the long process to initiate it becomes excruciating to watch as the man is at his absolute limit? Incredible tone shift to see.

DS: Oh yeah, the toy adverts being played for drama was a great twist too. Really funny on the debuts of the giant robot and all. But in the context of this episode, wherein he's seriously questioning his own sense of heroics? Heartbreaking.

En-chan: Absolutely.

DS: So with that, no outro joke this time. Instead I will simply parrot a certain someone and say "WATCH DOGENGERS!"

En-chan: Yes!

Great episode)

DS: So uh, Jisariz canonically takes place after Nice Buddy, huh?

En-chan: Either that or High School since that did also air before Jisariz.

DS: Ah.

Yeah, that transformation took me a bit by surprise. Not just in context of the episode itself, but also because I saw Jisariz before this and I just figured Yabai's' suit there was original to Jisariz. Turns out it was not.

Anyway, this episode was pretty straight-forward all things considered. Basically just the prelude to the final battle, with some solid comedic beats and a couple character bits for Riku sewn in. I liked it.

En-chan: Very much our setup before the big final battle.

Which is rather relaxed all things considered, but I can't help but admire that. The main conflict of the show has basically been resolved, so now it's time to get back to what these guys do best.

DS: It's been interesting really, seeing how the relationship between the Dogengers and the SSoD has evolved. Heroics here are treated as equal parts, well, heroism, and equal parts business. Which makes sense, given the whole Local Heroes deal and all. It's just fascinating how this show plays this trope for straight-forward fun rather than any sort of deconstruction or critique like, say, Tiger & Bunny. There are heroes, there are villains, and like it or not they both need eachother and sponsors in order to survive.

En-chan: It's a very down to earth interpretation which is fitting.

DS: Which is even funnier given all of wacky hijinks that go on in this franchise. Heck, even in this very episode. That Scooby-Doo style chase towards the end of the episode had me rolling!

En-chan: There's something hilarious about hiding by laying down on steps actually working in a real life environment.


Also everyone patiently waiting on the escalators like normal people and not climbing up and down to move faster.

DS: It was also really hype to see that it wasn't just Maid Butler and Yabai Kamen who got upgrades, but everyone. Shuraomaru even turns out to be alive! And a vampire! But my absolute favorite is the bunny, whose suit actor just gets swapped out for one with more muscle. I couldn't help but smile at that.


En-chan: It's simple yet effective, which works well for those two.

But yeah, it was nice to see the SSoD all get their own new looks.

DS: But we can't get too distracted by how awesome they are. How'd you like the stuff going on with Riku in this episode?

En-chan: I rather enjoyed him finally stepping in to take action alongside his discussion with his father.

It's nice to see it's not an immediate change either, but he's definitely getting started on his own path to being a hero.

DS: I felt the same. Him taking on the mantle is a nice moment, and I also did like how even he wasn't exactly sure what the "proper" things to say or do were, but he knows what he wants and he's determined to take charge of it. Which even Yabai Kamen respects despite clowning on him.

Riku's' also down to his last drone, which makes me wonder how exactly it'll be utilized in the upcoming fight. Though it really does throw off the look of his suit some.

En-chan: Yeah, it's definitely going to be interesting to see Riku fighting as Great-Z since his father's been doing all the fighting up to this point, and those drones have been doing a lot of heavy lifting.

DS: But yeah that's about all I got. Like I said, I found this one to be rather simple and to the point. Which isn't a bad thing, mind you. I still enjoyed it a bunch.

En-chan: Of course.

Got to have a bit of some winding down after last episode's big emotional climax.

DS: Was there anything else you wanted to note? How comfy Jiro's' pajamas look, perhaps?


En-chan: Just that the biggest twist when I first watched this is that Riku's dad was Seiji Takaiwa. Definitely wasn't expecting him to show up here.


DS: Oh right, yeah. I mean, I 1000% remember every single name in Toku, but for the uh, less informed folks at home, why not tell them who that is? You know, for their sake. Not mine.

En-chan: Of course, I'd be glad to.

Though if you've watched most Kamen Riders you'll know him for sure as he is Mr. Kamen Rider. He was the main suit actor for most of the Primary Heisei Riders (sans Kuuga and Hibiki I believe) with his last suit acting role in Rider being that of Horobi from Kamen Rider Zero-One.

DS: I was wondering when we were gonna get our obligatory Rider cameo this season. Glad it was him.

En-chan: It's also very fitting and symbolic to see him give the Great-Z suit to Riku, sort of a passing on the suit to the next generation as this did air after Zero-One ended.

DS: Very true. And I gotta say, the stunt folks in toku have continued to do a wonderful job.

Well, with that, tune in next time for the final battle. Will Riku become a true hero? Will Jiro ever be the main character again? Will En-chan ever finish Futari wa Pretty Cure? Find out on the next episode of DOGENGERS NICE BUDDY!!!

En-chan: The answer to that third question is maybe one daayyy!

DS: You have no idea how many times this fight had me going "Bruh." Just like the first season's' final battle.

En-chan: Well of course.

It's Dogengers after all, expecting a straightforward final battle would be silly.

DS: There was alot of fun stuff going on in this one. And not just in terms of comedy either. It's the sort of thing though where like, I wouldn't really even know how to go about talking about it without doing a play-by-play, ya know?

En-chan: Yeah, it'd get a bit repetitive given every character gets their own little moments and gags. Whether its by themselves or as a team with their buddy.

DS: Speaking of the buddy system, I did really love how Riku's' buddy ended up being his dad. So cool how they utilized Great-Z's' final drone!

En-chan: Yep, Great-Z ends up upgrading into the much sleeker Great-2.

I found it cute how they utilized A to Z to form a 2 during the process.

DS: Makes me wonder what successors will be like in-universe. Will the next guy be Great-3 and so on?

Regardless, Great-2 is not only a cool moment in and of itself, but I did like how his suit was a sort of inbetween of both the regular Great-Z suit and the stage show one. Very nice.

En-chan: It really shows the bond between father and son in full force.

I also like how his finisher turned from Kamen Rider-like in which he's fidgeting with gadgets, and instead more like an Ultraman finisher where he does similar motions instead.

DS: And in the end, he gets to be partners with that one hero who cameo'd in like episode 4 or whatever. I have no idea who that is, but that was a nice little callback.


En-chan: Luckily I am on the case for that, since I do find it a bit of a shame we didn't really get a name drop even if he was a cameo.

His name's Koujin Ex.

DS: Not the name I was expecting, but okay!

What were some other stand out highlights for you during the skirmish?

En-chan: On the cool side, that gun duel between Rookie and Yabai Kamen was some sick stuff.

On the more comedic end, the last ditch Ohga Rock-Paper-Scissors Ohgaman had to pull out after he realized his weapon was still destroyed.

DS: Haha, yeah, that was great. For me on both of those points, I love me a good Sentai roll call. El Brave accidentally elbowing KitaQman in the gut got me good, hahaha!

En-chan: On that note, I find it amusing how KitaQMan has branded smoke grenades.

DS: A very Hercule move of him. Speaking of, I did also like how it was all the villains who got new forms this time, with the heroes sticking to their guns. The only exception being Great-2. Made for a nice inverse of the final battle of the first season.

En-chan: For sure.

Helped make things a bit more unique this time around, plus helped the heroes lean into the team aspect a lot more when it came to their fights instead of relying on fancy new forms.

DS: And on the note of subversions, I did like the callback they did to the wonderful Dogengers Logo Explosion from the first season. Ohgaman has certainly become quite the troll in Nice Buddy.

En-chan: Oh absolutely.

He does spend out of pocket after all, so he's gotta have a bit of fun from time to time.

DS: Last thing I can think to note is that Yabai Kamen never disappoints. My man not only had that cool shoot out with Rookie, but he managed to lift that giant blade one-handed this time around! Was surprised to see that the new suit didn't fade after the fight was over, either.

En-chan: Yep.

I'm assuming on a more meta level, the more permanent upgrades we end up seeing are also irl updates and they're just getting special treatment to show off how cool they are to the kids watching at home.

DS: I can see that. Which reminds me, with how integral Pizza Cooc is to Riku in general, I wonder if Great-Z/2 is co-owned by Hanagata SFX and Pizza Cooc, or something. Like, Great-2's' catchphrase during the roll call is very much a food service line.

En-chan: I'd say probably yeah.

DS: Well either way, the story of Great-Z was a fun one to experience, and while I wouldn't call the ending perfect, given that the show just kinda... stops, I did overall enjoy the episode as a whole. Was there anything else you wanted to note about it?

En-chan: I think the funniest bit to come out of this is that...

The Dogengers literally know none of what actually happened with Great-Z. Like they just still assume Riku's been Great-Z the entire time. So it ends up making their scene at the end with his dad very nice to witness since they have no idea he was the actual guy they were beefing with for the entire season.

DS: Huh, yeah that's a good point actually. Makes KitaQman demanding an apology about his car even better, really.

(EDITOR'S' NOTE: This is up for debate, since it depends on whether the viewer interprets the Dogengers believing their entire bout with Great-Z during the night to actually be a dream or not. Something fun to think about!)

Well with that, stayed tuned for our final thoughts tomorrow. And if you're good, I might include a special surprise!

En-chan: Ooh, I love surprises!

Yes, the final battle was awesome. And Yabai Kamen managed to return to the status of the main villain of the show, despite the beginning.

For sure! He still wasn't quite the threat level that he was in season 1, but I enjoyed his comeback all the same.

Well, he still has two seasons to surpass himself)

DS: So here we are, at the end of Nice Buddy.

En-chan: Indeed.

DS: For this part, we both felt it'd be best to type up our own separate final thoughts, and then present them in their purest form. With maybe some small talk inbetween and after. So expect a giant wall of text!

Would you like to go first, En-chan?

En-chan: Sure, this is my first time doing something like this, plus this is a rewatch so this might be a bit odd when compared to others on this site who do this sort of thing more regularly.

DS: No worries, I'm sure you'll do fine. And if not, I still have the KitaQman brand smoke bombs.

En-chan: Perfect

ZeroEnchiladas' Final Thoughts:

It's honestly incredible to think that Dogengers ended up getting a second season (and even more after this) since it seemed like one of those rare one-off cases at the time. And even going into the second season originally, I wasn't sure what to expect. The increase in budget was definitely a surprise and while not a huge leap, it's still big enough to show. Yet despite that, the show still stuck to its guns and retained what made me like the first season to begin with.

There's a natural sincerity to how Dogengers tackles the subjects it deals with. That's not to mention the love for the Henshin Hero genre that allows them to tackle a wide array of subjects and moods with ease. It keeps it up in Nice Buddy as while we get some great comedic bits with how our suited characters act from time to time, that doesn't stop it from bringing some heartfelt and frankly emotional moments placed all throughout the season.

Of course though there are some differences between the Seasons. Due to the introduction of Riku and his dad as the main focus, the main Dogengers from S1 while getting focus episodes and still being the protagonists, don't exactly go through full arcs this time. More reminders of who they are and adding additional quirks to them. However, this of course allows us to also get more character bits and interactions with characters that we didn't see consistently last season. Ohgaman, Maid Butler, and KitaQMan Metal to name a few prominent faces, all benefit from the additional screen time and adding of depth to their characters. It's something I do appreciate since it just helps add more to this crazy but down to earth world as a result.

A couple of years back I was pleasantly surprised to see that Nice Buddy ended up being a story about what heroes are, what they mean to us, and to never let go of those feelings. And I still feel like that holds up on this (re)watch-a-long I ended up going on.

DS: Yeah, I agree! I didn't include it in my final thoughts since I felt it'd be redundant after everything I said during my watch of season 1, but the utter heart and sincerity this show continues to have really is something that western superhero media should, ya know, find again.

Well, I guess it's my turn then!

DreamSword's' Final Thoughts:

The more I think about it, the more I find that Dogengers Nice Buddy is kind of a weird beat to tackle.

Because it has alot to juggle, and while I think it does it decently enough, it also sort of makes me wish this season were twice as long, so as to give certain aspects of its characters and story a bit more time to shine.

What I think it ultimately comes down to is that the show really wanted you to be all in on the story of Great-Z, both of them. And while I won't say they're exactly wrong for making them the main characters, it does mean that alot of the other players in this story take a bit of a backseat.

Sure, the other Dogengers get their times to shine, but it's nowhere near as much or as strong as it was in the first season, and it's all mostly in service of Great-Z's' story. The one getting the real short end of the stick being Jiro, who's reduced to a supporting member after being the lead of the first season. Sure, what they do with that angle is clever, but it doesn't change that any sort of hook the show might've had with him early on doesn't really go anywhere.

And speaking of reduction of character, much as I love him, I did find it such a shame that Yabai Kamen, and by extension, the Secret Society of Darkness as a whole were nowhere near the threat level that they were in season 1. Sure, the Golden Seal isn't around anymore, but even so, Yabai Kamen's' ultimate scheme is very last minute and really doesn't amount to too much; Really only existing to give us a final fight. And even then, none of the new forms the SSoD get show any sort of serious threat in the end.

The tone of the season overall is also alot denser and wackier than the first. And I get it, that's the aspect that made the show capture alot of its audience. But season 1, for as silly and rapid-pace as it was, still had alot more balance between comedy, action, and drama that really engrossed me to it. Not to say that NB has none of those aspects at all, but the scale was certainly leaned alot more towards the silly than the serious this time around. Though, I suppose you could argue that that's what helped make the strong dramatic moments such as episode 10 stand out all the better.

And on that note, for all the complaining I just did, I still really liked this.

Do I still like the first season better? Yes, but Nice Buddy had alot of good stuff going for it that I can't really be mad at it. The tone is zanier, sure, but almost every joke lands. Great-Z takes up 80% of the screen time, but his story is one I found myself really invested in. And again, the bigger comedic focus helped to make its big dramatic swings stand out all the more when they happened. Plus, I really did dig the discussion about how no one is perfect, and that even if someone isn't the squeaky clean picture of heroism many of us have as kids, that doesn't mean that they still can't do good things. That's a lesson alot of adults still need to learn, frankly.

In the end, while I didn't like it as much as the first season, the second season of Dogengers is still alot of fun and very much worth watching, and I still highly recommend it, just as I did the first. 4/6

En-chan: Oh your concerns on the characters is very understandable.

I feel like there was this weird compromise going on. Where they wanted to show off a new hero, but also wanted to keep the main cast around as main characters instead of pushing them to a more supporting role.

DS: Yeah I can see that, especially with how much the whole Buddy aspect was pushed. And it's not like it was a total waste. We got some good stuff out of it, like with Team Good Boys, afterall!

En-chan: Exactly.

Plus like I mentioned, we did get a few other characters getting fleshed out. Ohgaman getting more time to be on screen certainly was a treat to see.

Though I will agree that the SSoD definitely weren't on this A-Game this time. While I love Episode 10 to bits, it definitely felt like we wrapped up Great-Z's story pretty quickly in the following episode and the final battle was more a formality.

DS: Seeing some more human aspects to Ohgaman was definitely a big highlight after how absent he was in season 1. Loved his trolling, loved his fear of heights, he's just an all around fun dude.

And so with that, we're at the end, and so, I just wanna say thanks to anyone who's been reading, and a big thanks to En-chan here for joining me and just being a really cool dude. And no, I'm not just complimenting him because he's currently holding me hostage as his arch-nemesis in regards to Dynazenon! Whatever would give you that idea!

En-chan: Ha ha, exactly, I'm not that petty.

DS: But before we go, I did promise to have a surprise at end.

So, En-chan.

I must inform you, that despite all appearances, we are not Nice Buddies.

No.

No.

Rather.

We are...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sf8cM7f6P2I

RICE BUDDIES

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

En-chan: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

DS: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Soon enough this shall return. And with a new guest in tow.

Cool. We are waiting.

High, high school girls. Kagayake wo