If the criteria is badassery, definitely forest ranger. People may joke about them because of certain portrayals in fiction but it sure ain't no easy job according to what I looked up. It's a jack-of-all-trades kinda profession too from law enforcement to firefighting, animal protection, etc.

~Fish's Zenkai Tour!~

Episode 23 – Kyuukyuu Sentai GoGoFive

https://i.imgur.com/iGi6TAs.png

...Why the heck have I not watched this whole show yet? Or, no, wait, before I ask that, I need to ask something else first. Can I tell you a story real quick?

A meteorite strikes the ground in the middle of a bustling city. It carries with it a towering demonic creature of stone and magma who begins destroying everything in sight. Citizens flee in terror as buildings come crumbling down. In response to this chaos come five courageous heroes. To the awe of nearby onlookers, their aquatic base rises from the water, and from it deploy a series of highly advanced train cars which begin speeding to the scene of the disaster. The gargantuan size of these vehicles almost seems to highlight how larger-than-life the operators themselves are, with everyday vehicles and roadways becoming dwarfed by the fantastic machines. Arriving to find several people trapped within an elevator inside a burning building, the heroes utilize yet more vehicles to mount a rescue. The unbelievable nature of these incredible tools is somehow given credibility by the surprisingly ordinary mechanisms they employ to perform such amazing feats. Hydraulic pistons and wire ropes raise enormous metal frames into position to combine with one another for the purpose of extinguishing the flames. Stabilizers extend to brace ladders that reach massive distances to provide the heroes their entrance into the devastated structure. Braving many obstacles in the process, the heroes succeed in their daring mission to get the imperiled civilians to safety, and turn their attention to the creature responsible for the destruction. Powerful guns keep it at bay as they unite their machines into a titan of their own, allowing them to triumph over the monster in a thrilling battle that, at last, results in the hard-earned salvation of the city.

As you can tell, I don't really have skilled enough prose to do it justice, but I still felt the need to describe the plot of GoGoFive's premiere in that pompous manner, as though you've never seen a hero tokusatsu show before, since it ought to help set the tone for what I'm talking about next. See, that's the plot of the first episode of Kyuukyuu Sentai GoGoFive... but it's also the plot of the second episode of its American adaptation, Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue. I like to start these posts off by talking about what each show means to me personally, and for GoGoFive, it's going to have to start there. Because as I watched that first episode again (I'll explain the "again" in a bit), I came to the conclusion there's something I can't dance around and still get across my feelings here, so... mind if I tell you another story?

Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue is the first tokusatsu show I remember being a fan of. More than that, it might be one of the first things I remember period. I consciously avoid being even that specific about my age on this forum, but you're all getting a rare glimpse into the very foundations of my toku backstory right now, all so you know how sincere I am when I say the following – 20 years ago, that whole sequence I described was the coolest thing I had ever seen in my entire life, and 20 years later, it's still the coolest thing I have ever seen in my entire life.

Granted, there are lots of coolest things I've seen now (I became really bad at picking favorites!), but this is something I want to stress. I'm not telling you that I hypothetically think the action in GoGoFive's premiere would impress children of the time; I am literally one of those kids who was impressed by it. And it totally holds up! Do you know how lucky I feel, seeing all these amazing special effects, then reading how they spent an unusually large amount of time and money putting the first episode together? It's almost certainly the most impressive raw tokusatsu work I've seen in this tour yet, with a high level of intricate detail that really sells the perfect mix between "realism" and fantasy the show is going for. This is an episode that can make a walking pair of giant robot trousers with no torso seem legitimately impressive and cool.

If you've ever wondered where I get all this passion for the genre, you needn't look much further than this show's American counterpart. It is indescribably formative to me as a person, and while it might sound like I'm talking about the wrong series an awful lot in this post, what I'm attempting to get at here, in this mess of excitement, is that most of the things that made Lightspeed Rescue so formative, it owes directly to GoGoFive. Which means I owe a lot to GoGoFive, and always have, even well before I knew it.

It isn't just about giant robots, either. What I'm grateful about these shows doing for me, above all else, is defining the notion of heroism the way they did. Note that GoGoFive's premiere doesn't involve the heroes fighting anything until they bust out the giant robot at the very end. Quite literally, rescuing people comes first, and everything else comes after. A hero is not someone who merely defeats foes; a hero is someone who *saves lives*. After all, as the team's catchphrase so succinctly puts it, people's lives are the Earth's future. It's maybe precisely because of how impactful this was on me (even without the catchphrase) that I don't have the words to describe how laudable a concept I find this. To this day, I place an enormous value on superhero stories being about more than just violence, and if you're familiar with a lot of the opinions I've expressed on a lot of different shows over the years, then this whole origin story likely puts a lot of that into perspective.

So... why the heck have I not watched this whole show yet? I did try to, really early after getting into Kamen Rider and Sentai in 2011. It might've even become the first Sentai I saw in full, but, as I remember it, either the entire show wasn't subbed yet, or at least I was unable to find those subs. So I gave it a few episodes, all of which I adored, and then decided to put the rest off until the day came where I could actually watch the rest. And uh, heh... I'm just still putting it off for some reason? I could use the abundance of other great toku shows I've discovered in the intervening time as an excuse, but man, just seeing the first fifteen seconds of the theme song is enough to make me feel a little guilty about leaving this Mission Incomplete for so long. Like, even now, I still fondly recall "ken yo, hikari wo yobe!" as being maybe the single coolest thing ever said before a finishing move, but getting to hear those sweet words again apparently isn't enough of a push. Someday, GoGoFive, someday.

Speaking of things I feel guilty about, my apologies if this one was a little hard to parse for anyone? To sum it up, GoGoFive has amazing concepts and themes I know I'm going to love one day, the first episode is great, and did I seriously not find any room to mention that it's also the second Sentai focused on a group of siblings as the protagonists? (Alongside "five" being right in the title, avoiding disrupting this tight character dynamic was apparently the thinking behind not adding the now usual extra member to the team partway in, which famously created the opportunity for Lightspeed Rescue to add one totally unique to that show.) Okay, so now I can say I was at least a little informative about the show itself, but yeah, this one was 100% self-indulgence on my part. If you're still wondering what GoGoFive even is after all this, by all means, do what I haven't and go watch it for yourself. I barely scratched the surface of what I know makes it awesome, and you could discover so many awesome things I don't know.

Wow, your post reminded me a whole lot about the friend of mine who grew up loving Lightspeed Rescue specifically, and got me to reevaluate it years later on a rewatch. Great stuff.

Aside from the epic opening theme I only got 3 words.

MILK. TORNADO. DROP. :lolol

Jokes aside, the recent efforts of the other cast members reaching out to Kenji Shibata who played Daimon/Go Yellow is really great to see. For those not in the know, Shibata suffered a brain tumor post-GogoV and it sadly affected his career. He has since gone to have multiple surgeries and choose a different career path. Thankfully his fictional siblings have in recent times actively been there for him with one of their recent efforts being a post mortem-ish panel at a Japanese film festival last year hosted by Junretsu's Sakai aka Gao Black.
Post-GogoV Ryuichiro Nishioka who played Matoi/Go Red went on to guest role in Hurricanger, Masashi Taniguchi who played Nagare/Go Blue and Atsushi Harada who played Sho/Go Green went on to be Kamen Riders in Saber, Amazons, and 555 respectively. Taniguchi was Bahato/Kamen Rider Falchion and Jin/Kamen Rider Amazon Alpha, Harada was Mihara/Kamen Rider Delta. Kayoko Shibata who played Matsuri/Go Pink also can be seen in a guest role in Shinkenger and Gokaiger, as well as in the Japanese film Ju-On as a supporting role.

It's been a while but I'm currently up to episode 48 of LuPat. We're officially at the endgame now.

I, once again, apologize for the double post.

I'm finally finished with Lupinranger vs. Patranger. Now, it's onward to Kishiryu Sentai Ryusoulger.

~Fish's Zenkai Tour!~

Case File.24 – Mirai Sentai Timeranger

https://i.imgur.com/MmH5XIl.png

Awwww yeah! Time for, uh, Timeranger! Right, that one! I promise not to spend the *entire* post on an ambiguously on-topic nostalgic rant this week, but if Lightspeed Rescue played an indescribably huge role in making me love tokusatsu, then Power Rangers Time Force might've honestly done the same for storytelling in general. I was enthralled by that series simply on a dramatic level. The complexity of the themes and the humanity of the characters was frankly unreal considered within the context of its target audience, and to this day, I still love it to bits. I consider myself blessed to have grown up with it, and ever since getting into the wider world of toku through shows like Kamen Rider Ryuki and OOO, it's been something of a point of pride for me that Time Force is in part notable because of how much of that great drama stems from it faithfully adapting a Sentai series written by Yasuko Kobayashi. No wonder she's my favorite, right? Ironically enough for a pair of shows with fate as a central theme, this may have all been inevitable!

But that's my story, and apparently for a lot of little kids in Japan at the turn of the millennium, Timeranger didn't hold much appeal. Merchandise sales for the show greatly underperformed, which could be attributed to a number of different factors. Kamen Rider Kuuga proving to be a smash hit the same year definitely wouldn't have helped, and it's easy to imagine Timeranger's unusually complicated style turning off younger viewers, something perhaps exemplified by an anecdote about how the theme song was given subtitles for the lyrics partway into the show's run after complaints about them being hard to understand due to the heavy use of English. That being said, I'm not sure if it can be that simple when, as mentioned, Kuuga was a runaway success, despite being every bit as unusual. Kuuga tells you what time everything is taking place; Timeranger tells you what date. Kuuga never has anyone say "Kamen Rider"; Timeranger never has anyone say "Mirai Sentai". There are some surprising similarities there! Who knows, maybe having the theme song also be unusual really made all the difference, but it's kind of a shame to think anyone would reject a theme song as epic as Timeranger's.

For as similar as it might to be to Kuuga, though, I've always seen Timeranger as sort of a Jetman for a new generation? Not only are there superficial similarities like the transformation schemes of their primary giant robots, the overall mission statement for both shows is undeniably close, with both making an effort to focus on heavier, more "real" drama than usual. The setup of the heroes is different, and yet it's because they made it the exact opposite that I get the feeling they had to be doing it on purpose. Jetman was about four random ordinary people and a Red specifically chosen and trained for the job, while Timeranger is about four people chosen and trained for the job and a Red who is just some ordinary guy. And just like with Jetman's premise, I find Timeranger's idea of four people from the year 3000 meeting one man from the modern day to be an instantly strong concept to get some drama going, so let's talk about that first episode already.

I thought Timeranger had a really good premiere. I don't find it as striking as some others, especially considering Timeranger on the whole was actively trying to stand out, but it still establishes everything in a very competent manner. Like, for how much I'm talking up the complexity of this show, the premise couldn't be more straightforward, and that's entirely by design, since they are still keeping the target audience in mind. The plot from the outset is as simple as follows – the future is totally cool and awesome, but some very bad people go back in time to do bad things, and now the heroes have to go and arrest them before they mess stuff up. It's kept super approachable. (The whole law enforcement angle also led to this being a Sentai that did their job without killing a single monster, something I naturally approve of.)

The Kobayashi factor is what starts to truly elevate the episode, though, as I feel like you get a great grip on four out of five of the team members right away. I mean, Ayase is hard to get a read on, sure (which probably just means he's the usual "cool Blue"), but like: Domon is the frivolous one; Sion is smart and sweet; Yuuri is someone you probably shouldn't mess with; and Tatsuya? Well he's just barely hanging in there, isn't he? Really, Tatsuya brings the entire group dynamic to life as soon as he shows up, lending a grounded energy to all this serious sci-fi nonsense he's dragged into. One of my favorite moments in the whole episode is just a simple bit of suit acting from Time Red where, after the battle ends, he immediately plops himself right down on the ground, as if to unwind from all the excitement. It's such a human thing to do, and also not something you'd expect from most Sentai heroes, which is why it's an amazing thing to end the premiere on. (Having it both start and close on birds flying by was also a great touch.)

All in all, it's a strong start for yet another show I probably should've watched by now! Once again, a lack of subs back when I was first getting into Super Sentai is probably to blame here, but, once again, that excuse can only carry me so far. I feel such an inherent connection to Timeranger it's sort of insane this project was the first I've watched even a single episode of it. Perhaps it's also ironic that I've yet to find the time to watch Timeranger? Definitely a tomorrow worth changing... some day!

Oh hell yeah, Timeranger!! I just watched this one... like... a month ago? Oh, wow; checking my chatlogs it's just over a month, how time flies... regardless, LOVED it! After marathoning the heck out of Rider and Ultra these past couple years I've started making a conscious effort to watch more Sentai, of which Timeranger has been a wonderful start with how lovely and grounded the team are despite the sci-fi setting. There's something just so deeply captivating about their dynamic, and so fascinating about how the last 10 episodes handles it in a way that... well. I'm a Shinkenger fan so let's just say the very similar beats didn't need a lot of effort to win me over! So many other little things too like the importance placed on life (Yuri trying to kill a Sentai Monster being treated unequivocally as an awful, terrible, immoral thing that would ruin her completely? Uh, yes?? More of this please!); the charming paycheck-to-paycheck apartment and odd job set-up; the sheer vibes and tone running through each episode capped by the music...

Not my absolute favourite, but 100% a great show I was so happy to watch! Solid story, fun Sentai shenanigans, enough of a unique spin to make it distinct; oh yeah, and my favourite Blue as well! Lots to love here :D

Wow, you actually got most of what Time Force was saying back then? I really am slow! Haha.

There's like no way I could've, but I don't know, I definitely remember being really into it. To this day, I tend to really connect to stories about fighting fate and the dangers of prejudice, so it must've left an impact on me even back then.

(I also really liked the dinosaur. The dinosaur was cool.)

Time Fire was the best thing to have happened.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vS6oQATsmI0

Also Tatsuya's father is played by Fujita Okamoto who was previously in Turboranger as the mentor and tech support extraordinaire Dr. Dazai. And Shinji Kasahara who played Naoto/Time Fire went on to do mo-cap as well, his recent work being Dan/Ultraseven in the NETFLIX ULTRAMAN anime. Of course, Masaru Nagai went onto be an established name in Japanese showbiz after this nabbing lead roles and came back to the franchise as Master Ryusoul Black in Ryusoulger.

I’ll mention here that Ayase isn’t as cool as he seems. He is one character that takes a few episodes to get a fix on.

I do really love both Timeranger and Time Force, Time Force does personally stand out to me just that bit more because Power Rangers is not normally that epic, but both shows do keep me coming back and as much as I like Ransik, it is a bit of a bummer that Time Force turned Don Dornero into just your typical fat and stupid sidekick lol

On the low toy sales thing by the way... I really think it is mostly down to Kuuga. Timeranger is often spoken of as an all-time low, and it is, but looking at the years preceding it the sales were only about 3-5 million higher than it done anyway; so I imagine that a Brand New Mega Hit just completely wrecked its chances, and perhaps kids just weren't sold on the toys? Which is a shame, because speaking as someone who often doesn't care for Sentai Mechs; whenever you get to it, TimeRobo is FUCKING awesome!!

So... yeah, I really think it can be put down to Kuuga here. Like heck, looking at Kuuga's sales; it's got higher revenue than all but 6 Sentai series ever and performed better than half of Heisei 1 Rider... so yeah! Just the big new cool thing on the block really!

(I just realized I got very confused and called main character Tatsuya Asami "Tatsumi" twice in my post about Timeranger, and have promptly corrected that. Guess I was so excited about finally getting one of these out early again I totally slacked on proofreading. Oops!)

https://i.imgur.com/bVcHxsI.jpeg

Oh man. Man. Liveman!! What a great first episode!

There's unfortunately not a good grasp on what our main heroes are like yet (I imagine partly because we're still in Sentai's 25-minute timeslot era), and the storytelling is slightly cluttered at the start, but this is such a meaty episode where you immediately get the drama and conflict, and it's a very strong start overall! I'm already loving the very lovely mesh of an animal-themed sentai being about scientists (in a way that, much as I love the show; already trumps Science Sentai Dynaman's use of it thematically) and I imagine that'll feel all the more relevant going forward.

I'll admit it's actually a little hard to say much about this episode when... well... Fish's little project has kind of covered all bases on what makes this episode so awesome! I could absolutely tell you how great it is that they just couldn't wait to throw out their Land Lion tech, or that the suits are fantastic, or that animals are such a perfect fit for Toku and it's wild that Liveman was the first Sentai to really embrace that... but also, maybe I should just tell you to look at Fish's post saying the same thing, uh...

...

Oh, god; that was about 12 weeks ago now, wasn't it??

Well one other thing I will say, and maybe it's partly because they're so close to airing - and hence the way they're filmed and how they sound is very similar too - but the emphasis on life; the the whole thing of someone close to the central hero(es) selling their soul to evil... this feels very Kamen Rider Black to me, in the best of ways! And given it seems almost as beloved and well-remembered, I've got some high hopes going into this one

I'll let you off because it honestly just sounds like a cute nickname Yuri or Shion would give him at some point :p

Shion maybe but Yuri with how serious she is most of the time? I don't know.

Friendly reminder, Joh/Yellow Lion is played by a young Kazuhiko Nishimura aka Takeru's dad Ryu from Kamen Rider Ghost. And Yusuke/Red Falcon is played by a young Daisuke Shima who Captain Hiura in Ultraman Cosmos. Glad we have another new person enjoying this show. :rock:

I do really love both Kamen Rider BLACK and Liveman so I think it's good to compare them lol

Toei really does just have seven actors, doesn't it? :p

Very fun coincidence to start this while I'm still watching Ghost, then!

While it is his major role during the early days of his career, Nishimura can also be seen in Maskman, the sentai show right before this as one of the tech support guys kinda like Tohru in Go-Busters. Also Kemp/Kenji was formerly Leh Wanda in Flashman and also Jin in Dairanger. Rui/Mazenda went onto be Gara in Dairanger and Keris in Ohranger. Oh and I said it before but the professor? That is Daisuke Ban aka Mr. Jiro/Kikaider and Makoto/Battle Kossack II himself. And I think some time later Megumi Mori who plays Megumi/Blue Dolphin(first female blue ranger ever) was in some rom com drama with Tetsuo Kurata last I checked.

I love Super Sentai so much

https://i.imgur.com/tVAiI7o.jpeg

Why are you so obsessed with this stuff? It's all you ever post about. There's no need for such a puritanical attitude

Well after a break last week, we?re back with another instalment of?

Androzani?s Tsukai Detour

And this week, we?re doing?

Mirai Sentai Timeranger vs GoGoV

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8_Q-7lX...jpg&name=small

"People from the year 3000 meet a man from the present day to forge a new age.?

From the 30th century, Don Dolnero and freeze-compressed villains flee to the present in the Londerz Prison. To arrest them, people from the future and a youth from the present day become the Timerangers.

Timeranger
Tatsuya Asami/TimeRed: a 22 year old martial artist who was ?drafted? into the team to unlock the Chrono Changers because of a mix of all 5 needing to be activated at the same time to unlock them and him being the ancestor of the TPD?s Captain Ryuya. He later chose to stay with the other Timeranger members so he could escape from his upper class lifestyle, by setting up Tomorrow Research to help people in need.
Yuri/TimePink: an officer of the Inter-City Police from the 30th century. When she was 11 years old, her parents and younger sister were murdered by the criminal Hitman Mad Blast on the orders of Don Dolnero. Since then, she?s been after Dolnero to avenge their deaths, even posing as a Temporal Protection Department member to head him off an pursue him to the present.
Ayase/TimeBlue: a former racer turned policeman. He suffers from an incurable heart condition known as Osiris Syndrome, which will kill him in 1-2 years, a fact only Tatsuya knows.
Domon/TimeYellow: a former pro fighter who was banned for womanising instead of fighting in matches and forced to become an Inter-City Police officer. He is the one who misses the 30th century the most out of the 4 , which causes him to take out his anger on Tatsuya due to his resemblance to the TPD Captain.
Sion/TimeGreen: The last survivor of the destroyed planet Hummard, who grew up in a laboratory. As such, he fills the role of technical expert for Tomorrow Research (and his status as an orphan has made Domon protective of him). Due to his physiology, he only needs to sleep for one week a year.

Allies:
Navigator Robo Tock: a robotic assistant from the TPD, who is still connected to both the prisoner manifest of Londarz Prison and the Emergency System that launches the TimeJets. He has knowledge of events that occurred in the year 2000, but the appearance of things that he has no data on has given him doubts in his own usefulness.
Naoto Takizawa/TimeFire: Tatsuya?s rival, who has a grudge against him for having a better life (Tatsuya got into college through his dad?s money, Naoto had to work hard for a scholarship). As such, he became captain of Wataru Asami?s City Guardians (a precursor to the Inter-City Police) and later got his hand on the prototype transformation item V-Commander and the associated robot V-Rex, enabling him to become TimeFire, a position he holds onto because the V-Commander has a voice lock which the Asami Group can?t remove.

Londarz Family: A group of alien prisoners who were freeze-compressed and stored in Londarz Prison to serve their sentence. But due to stolen TPD technology, Don Dolnero and his associates took a portion of the prison, complete with prisoners, back to the 20th Century to start a new crime family where the Inter-City Police can?t stop them.

Don Dolnero: a mafioso godfather who is only in it for the money, though he also comes with a firm love for the family. Original leader of the mafia group, the Dolnero Family (ドルネロズファミリ Dorunero Famirī). He was to be put under imprisonment for 1,000 years, as Prisoner #35273, until his gang (Lila and Gien) took over the prison and managed to go back in time to pull off numerous crimes. Resembles an overweight middle-aged mafioso in human form. With Assaulter Borg's help, he took over a company to make even more money, setting up a "protection business". He cares for his associates, especially Gyen, whose mental stability often concerns him.
Lila: Dolnero?s moll who is loyal to him for his money and power. A rather obnoxious girl who happens to be a mistress of disguise and good with a pistol. Being a material girl, she frequently steals clothing and jewelry that suit her fancy.
Gyen: Dolnero?s evil robotic scientist, a total loose cannon and sadist. He is responsible for constructing the Junk Droid Zenits that are sent against the Timerangers. He has access to the Hell?s Gate Prisoners and cares for nothing except his own maniacal pleasures, sometimes going against Dolnero?s orders. He also constructs several massive robots powered by stolen Lambda-2000 (raw, unstable time-travel material) that he converts to the more stable Zeta-3. He also attempted to take control of the V-Rex once, as well.

What do I think of Timeranger? It has a bit of a slow start, but once Naoto joins the cast, it gets really good. Which is saying something, because there?s some evidence that he wasn?t originally part of the plan for the series.

And as for this movie? The script comes courtesy of Ryota Iwasaki, better known as the head writer for Sailor Stars and Glitter Force Doki Doki, while the director is Hiroshi Butsuda, who is best known for providing special effects for the live-action Sailor Moon (he?s done special effects work and direction for other Sentai and Rider shows, but Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon?s are notable enough for reasons that are clear to anyone who?s watched it). With all that said, on with the review.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8_Qyt1X...jpg&name=small

(That would place this between Case File 35: Tomorrow Isn?t Coming 10/22/2000 and Case File 36: Honest, as It Is 10/29/2000)

As emergency workers work to quell a fire, with the Tatsumi siblings being among them, Shou realises that this is no accidental blaze. Sure enough, it is the work of Londarz?s latest release, Mad Boxer Bolivar.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8_QyuBW...jpg&name=small

As Bolivar pushes the Tatsumi siblings back, Timeranger shows up onboard the Time Jet, with Matoi chiding them for being late. Meanwhile, a mysterious hooded figure watches from the crowd (I wonder who it could be?).

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8_Qyt9W...jpg&name=small

As Timeranger tries to arrest Bolivar, he decides to brag about his crimes.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8_Qyt-X...jpg&name=small

As the fight commences, so do the titles (To be honest, I?m not a fan of Timeranger?s OP. The English lyrics don?t make sense, the Japanese lyrics translated don?t make sense and the two put together don?t make sense. Plus the vocals aren?t that good).

https://youtube.com/watch?v=cymdIrOG...UhoFEQqEo9Qhtw

Go over time and space
(Beyond the future, ride on the future, live on my dream, live on my soul)
If the clock ticked away incessantly for an eternity
I wonder how many seconds would be counted up?
(Future) Fate! (My dream) With these hands I?ll catch you
(Ride on) In this savage city, a new wind awakens.

It?s just now. Timeranger, brightening hope (brightening hope)
On this naked land, you are like the light overflowing.
1000 years, live on the future.
Cross over time, ride on the future
Live in the present, people of the future.

Live on my dream, live on my soul,
Open the way to tomorrow
Wake Up!

During the fight, as Timeranger manages to gain the advantage and prepare the Voltech Bazooka, Bolivar survives, gaining a demonic fist.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8_Q-6TX...jpg&name=small

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8_Q-7uX...jpg&name=small

With his new power up, Bolivar blows Timeranger into the wall without making contact, which causes Matoi to decide Timeranger are hopeless, almost resulting in a fight with Domon (and there?s the ?vs? part of this movie). As Matoi claims they lack spirit , the firefighters depart for another incident.

At Londarz Prison, Dolnero wonders how Bolivar managed to do any of that. While Bolivar puts it down to him being an invincible champion, the hooded figure from before shows up to dissuade him of that notion, revealing his identity (I called it) and attributing his survival to dark magic.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8_Q-6TX...jpg&name=small

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8_Q-7rX...jpg&name=small

Lila has never heard of Psyma, but Gyen has (makes sense). Pierre then explains his story since he was blown away in GoGoV?s finale.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8_RJdZX...jpg&name=small

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8_RJfNX...jpg&name=small

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8_RJfQW...jpg&name=small

Dolnero is intrigued enough by the offer to take on Pierre, despite Lila?s disdain for him being a fly man (you racist mother). At Tomorrow Research, as Sion tries to find the problem with the freeze-compression system, Tatsuya ponders Matoi?s words. Speaking of whom, the Tatsumi siblings enter at that point to ask for help in finding Dr. Mondo.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8_RJfTX...jpg&name=small

And in a rarity for VS movies (and indeed, Toei Tokusatsu crossovers in general) Tatsuya actually knows who these guys are.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8_RTfSX...jpg&name=small

(Now this is a refreshing change. Sadly, it doesn?t carry through to many later VS movies or Rider movie wars/generations)

As the Inter-City officers are confused (how bad are records in the future?), Daimon and Nagare reveal that they can?t exactly prove their identities or do an in-costume group photo right now.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8_RTifX...jpg&name=small

Matoi makes it clear he wants them back so they can deal with the Londarz themselves.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8_RTidX...jpg&name=small

(Awkward)

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8_RTifX...jpg&name=small

Yuri?s request for clarification reveals that GoGoV don?t think Timeranger is up for the job of capturing Londarz, which causes Domon and Ayase to throw some thinly veiled insults at 20th century humans. But Tock intervenes with an emergency alert that the Londarz are rampaging. Timeranger takes this opportunity to get out of there and head for town, where there are 5 Londarz.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8_RebdW...jpg&name=small

At first, Timeranger mistakes the 5 for their former enemies Mad Banker Dogool, Sniper Reihou, Mercenary Org (not from a crossover with Gaoranger or Wild Force, despite what the name implies), Blackmailer Gemark and Hell?s Gate Prisoner Blaster Madou. But no, it?s the former?s younger twin brother Real, the second?s older sister Rupiah (voiced by Yuka Komatsu years before she achieved fame as Setsuna in Fresh Pretty Cure), the third?s uncle Baht, the fourth?s second cousin Denari and the latter?s neighbour Shilling (I can buy relatives looking identical, but neighbours? Clearly Madou?s father slept around the neighbourhood). As the 5 vow to avenge their families (which just adds weight to my theory), Timeranger strips off (they?re not naked, if that?s what you?re thinking. They have under suits) and transform.

?Chrono Changer!?

Watching from the side, the Tatsumi Siblings are shocked.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8_RwtVX...jpg&name=small

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8_RwtYW...jpg&name=small

At Dolnero?s behest, Pierre bestows the power of darkness upon the 5 Londarz (I really need a better name, so I?ll just call them the Hanzai Sentai Londarger).

Pierre: O powers of dark magic, grant them invincible power! Amias, Amias, Amidark!

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8_R7KNW...jpg&name=small

As the Londarger prove immune to Timeranger?s weapons now, Nagare realised something?s off, at which point Bolivar clarifies they made a deal with Pierre, who reveals himself.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8_R7LjX...jpg&name=small

Luckily, Dr. Mondo shows up to restore their V Braces, having given them a tune up to deal with a small burst of Minus Energy he detected three months ago (Pierre).

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8_R7LqX...jpg&name=small

As Timeranger falls, the Tatsumi Siblings join the fight.

?Chakusou!?

Matoi: People?s lives are the Earth?s future!

Nagare: Burning rescue spirits!

Shou: Kyukyu Sentai?

Daimon, then Matsuri, than all of them:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8_SHezW...jpg&name=small

As GoGoV deals with the Londarger easily with their weapons and attacks, Timeranger tries to rejoin the fight and Pierre gives Bolivar a boost to get rid of them all.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8_SHfBX...jpg&name=small

Pierre: Amias, Amias, Amimax!

With his new power, Bolivar punches a hole in time itself, sucking everyone in the fight into the past. (Broken as f*ck) Bolivar then follows the, before the portal closes.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8_SRT8W...jpg&name=small

As Mondo and Tock can do naught but despair, the villains can do the opposite.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8_SRVKX...jpg&name=small

In feudal era Japan (thus begins the tradition of shoehorning Toei?s Kyoto set in there somewhere, which continues through Shinkenger), Daimon and Shou are chased by an angry mob.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8_SRVRW...jpg&name=small

They are eventually pulled into a hiding spot by Domon and Sion, who are in disguise.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8_SRVMX...jpg&name=small

Elsewhere in history, Yuri and Matsuri end up in the Old West (nowhere in particular, just the Old West), wherein they fight Indians.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8_SbOiX...jpg&name=small

But before you call this racist, Yuri punches an Indian, causing him to reveal all of them are Zenits. (How?d they get back in time?)

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8_SbPIW...jpg&name=small

But as the ladies are captured, they are just as quickly rescued by Ayase and Nagare, both in cowboy outfits.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8_SbPJX...jpg&name=small

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8_SbPLX...jpg&name=small

And as for our two reds? Tatsuya finds himself in the one other era Toei can recreate on the cheap: Prehistoric Earth (You can even make out Terrorsaur and Airazor battling over Energon)

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8_ShguX...jpg&name=small

As Tatsuya discovers his Chrono Changer no longer works, it turns out Matoi has been kidnapped by Proto-humans, who have decided he is their new god, a position he neither wants nor enjoys.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8_ShhPW...jpg&name=small

After getting in some laughs at Matoi's expense, Tatsuya finds himself hit by lightning, which turns out to be Bolivar and Real. And neither Red hero can transform. In the present, the Londarz are on the rampage and no-one can stop them. Except for one man. And who is that man, you ask?

https://youtube.com/watch?v=vS6oQATsmI0

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8_ShhVW...jpg&name=small

Naoto: Forget about TimeFire, did you?

As Naoto beats down the Zenits in the present offscreen, the green and yellow duos defeat the Zenits in their era, with Domon and Daimon bonding over their shared fighting prowess, while Shou and Sion prove exceptional bladed fighters.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8_SsB7X...jpg&name=small

But then Shilling and Baht appear. In the west, Yuri and Matsuri have gotten into character.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8_SsCdX...jpg&name=small

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8_SsCWX...jpg&name=small

As the 4 wannabe cow folk defeat the Zenits, Rupiah and Denari show up to shoot at them. And Nagare and Matsuri decide to fight on as a family even without ammo, which makes Yuri jealous since she doesn?t have a family, to which Ayase, in a rare display of emotion, says that she has the other Tomorrow Research employees. And on Prehistoric Earth, Tatsuya and Matoi are losing to their opponents, but refuse to give up, with Tatsuya espousing the value of changing the future, while Matoi espouses the idea of spirit. Either way, the proto-humans decide to help by dumping rocks on Bolivar and Real. Back in the present, Tock presents Mondo and Naoto with a solution after seeing the V-Commander.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8_SsCaW...jpg&name=small

Naoto, looking for a solution he can take, takes this option.

Naoto: Come, V-Rex.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=fl5yoYqZFdk

As Pierre retreats in fear, Mondo calculates the coordinates of the breach, while Tock connects with V-Rex.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8_S24mW...jpg&name=small

The steps of the plan are carried out:

Step 1: Fire the Rex Laser at the coordinates.

Step 2: Transform to V-Rex Robo to push the Chronos Unit to full force.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8_S25uX...jpg&name=small

With space-time connected, everyone else becomes able to transform again, with Matoi and Tatsuya having come to an agreement at last. As the enemies throughout time are defeated (with the Green-Yellow team improvising a ?Friendship Attack?, wherein Sion is thrown at the enemy), everyone returns to the present, to the concern of the Londarz.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8_S25uX...jpg&name=small

Tatsuya: People?s lives are the Earth?s future!

Matoi: Burning Rescue Spirits!

GoGoV: Kyukyu Sentai?

Matoi: GoGo?

All: V!

Timeranger: Timeranger!

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8_S25uX...jpg&name=small

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8_S25pX...jpg&name=small

Naoto then decides to join the fun.

Naoto: TIMEFIRE!!!!!

As Naoto deals with the Zenits with his DV Defender, with the GoGoV doing likewise with the Life Bird: Calamity Breaker, Timeranger defeat and recapture Londarger with the Voltech Bazooka: Press Refreezer.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8_TAcvX...jpg&name=small

Now concerned, the Londarz leaders leave, with Dolnero telling Pierre to deal with it. So the sorcerer gets into position with Bolivar, chanting his spell.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8_TAeeX...jpg&name=small

??Amias, Amias, Amidark!?

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8_TAegW...jpg&name=small

The side effect of this combination destroys Bolivar?s compression seal, allowing PierreBoli to function as one of GoGoV?s ?Kaiju form? monsters.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8_TAebX...jpg&name=small

Tatsuya: Tock!

Tock: Roger! Emergency system invocation!

The Time Jets are sent from the future via Providus, combining into 3D Formation Time Robo Alpha, with Time Shadow joining them.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=Tz4E8_jezIQ

https://youtube.com/watch?v=loqSpHbb--o

https://youtube.com/watch?v=FUVmDRqf5qs

https://youtube.com/watch?v=8imWuCVSAmU

But in the ensuing fight, neither robot proves a match for PierreBoli, even when combined as Shadow Alpha and using the Pro Divider: Blizzard Slash, with Daimon wishing they had access to Victory Robo so they could help.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8_TJ8XX...jpg&name=small

But then Mondo notices that the break is still open, telling Matoi to call for MaxLiner, a cry that reaches all the way back to 1999.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8_TJ9KX...jpg&name=small

And then MaxLiner comes out of TimeRobo?s chest (not like that), as Victory Robo?s theme kicks in, with Tock giving them three minutes before the fissure closes.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8_TJ9FW...jpg&name=small

https://youtube.com/watch?v=fwEY05uvd1M

The GoGoV enter the 99 Machines, combining them into Victory Robo.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8_TJ9JX...jpg&name=small

But when they prove barely able to do anything, Mondo suggests combining their powers as one.

Tatsuya: Jikuuken!

Matoi: Braver Sword! Sword, invoke the light!

Victory Robo then transfers its flames on the Braver Sword to the Jikuuken.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8_TSFoX...jpg&name=small

But since the fissure will close before the attack can hit, Naoto summons V-Rex, combining it with Time Robo Alpha to form Riding Time Robo, so it can attack in time with the Pressure Prominence (combining Time Robo?s Pressure Blizzard with Victory Robo’s Victory Prominence)

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8_TSHBX...jpg&name=small

The attack destroys Pierre and recaptures Bolivar.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8_TZbFX...jpg&name=small

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8_TZjlW...jpg&name=small

With the battle over, MaxLiner returns to 1999 as the fissure closes.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8_TZjzX...jpg&name=small

Nagare then reveals that he?s figured out that Timeranger are from the future (though Matoi thinks Tatsuya is also from the future, despite him being the son of a prominent millionaire who publicly disowned his inheritance at a party), Daimon tries asking Domon what his future?s gonna be like (I?ll warn you, it?s not pretty).

Cue the credits song, the English version of the theme (Like I said a while back, they were a trend during this period. Thankfully, it stops with Timeranger, though I wonder why they didn?t just use the regular ED)

https://youtube.com/watch?v=RXKfyN1e...9kyVHAkyX_nx23

The movie ends with the cast getting together for a photo.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8_TZjrW...jpg&name=small

Final thoughts: After a rough few first instalments under Taketera and a hint of improvement under Hikasa, this is where the VS movies get the kick in the pants they need to be really great. The plot does the villains for both Sentai much better than Taketera?s efforts, with Pierre?s return being a good way to get us to care about him than if he?d been some generic ?He?s the last surviving member who we never saw before honest? character. And they managed to keep what they learned from the last one?s robot battle and use it to make that plot point feel less lie, an excuse to clutter the movie.

The one downside to all this is how forgettable some of the action is. I literally forgot Time Shadow was in this until I rewatched it to write this review.

The challenge: If you had access to a time machine, what era in history would you visit?

Tune in next time for my biggest review yet, Hyakujuu Sentai Gaoranger vs Super Sentai.

Go 100 years into the future, buy an almanac, come back to modern times, the rest is history. :lolol

I know it's a bit sad, but my first thought would probably be to go back to 1998 just to watch the old really good TV that's hard to find and maybe I would tape better stuff because I never seem to have much that good on VHS! :lolol

I just finished it, after dropping off for a good while. It honestly isn't near as bad as you would think it would be given its status. There are times I feel like they were trying things and experimenting to see what would work, especially since otaku culture was under fire around that time. You look at Ep. 43 and it almost seems like they were trying to save themselves by appealing to parental critiques by crafting a plot which reads not only like an indictment on excessive TV watching, but tokusatsu in general cause the kid is watching older Sentai like Battle Fever J and Denziman! The following episode, Ep. 44, had a similar setup to a now-standard Sentai finale...despite the fact that there were still four episodes to go! There are some fairly unique visuals in the series and it has a way of making you like it even if everything you read about it says otherwise.

It has more to do with kids at the time, circa 1990, being tired of the same old. I love the setup of Fiveman, five siblings, teachers, etc. but when you check out the aspects of the show that are merchandisable, not a whole lot of innovation at hand compared to the previous year and just similar stuff. Even their robot lineup is pretty much the same stuff. And also Winspector, which was airing the same year, killed the competition with limited resources both on the TV side and merch side last I checked. And people's interests were towards other shows that year too probably.

Aside from Max Magma, anyway. That thing is the BEST

I dunno, Turbo Builder did it better I think. Max Magma feels like a souped-up Bull Vulcan that can be its own robot. I mean the base mode is just the legs pretty much. :lolol

I'm actually currently watching Fiveman and quite enjoying it like I thought I would, I mean yeah most people won't see it as like one of the all time greats but on initial impressions Turboranger doesn't seem that great either. Plus them actually being teachers for once as opposed to teenagers at school feels just a bit less cheesy to me than a lot of media like that and it was technically a 90s sentai that was shown in France!

It's funny that you mention that, because I've heard Max Magma toys sold particularly poorly, even by Fiveman's standards. Apparently being so blatantly similar to a toy from the previous year and barely turning into a robot in the show wasn't a winning combination for Bandai!

I know of that indeed! And yet I will walk a lonely road of being the fan of the objective best Sentai robo ever

Okay but I don't see what's so lonely about being a fan of Galaxy Mega pretty sure lots of people like that one

This honestly does remind me that I need to get back to watching Fiveman at some point since I am officially halfway through the series since early July with Remi being pretty much solidified as my favorite ranger of this series.

As of now, I'm currently up to episode 18 of Ryusoulger.

Apologies once again for the double post.

Just finished episode 24 of Ryusoulger and with that, I am now officially at the show's halfway point.

On the subject of Fiveman, why does Gaku's jacket look like it says "Barcelona 1992" despite the fact that the series aired prior to '92?

Pre-Olympics merch sold that year maybe? Barcelona did have the Olympics in 1992 so that must be why.

~Fish's Zenkai Tour!~

Quest 25 – Hyakujuu Sentai Gaoranger

https://i.imgur.com/3HgpHtu.png

Gaoranger was a huge deal back in the day, by all accounts. The very approachable concepts and storytelling won it scores of fans both inside and out of its target demographic, many of whom are still deeply fond of it all these years later. The renewed emphasis on directly promoting the merchandise led to a massive herd of Power Animals being released by Bandai, redefining and expanding Sentai's approach to combining robots to include smaller individual releases that act to supplement the larger sets. This new formula helped ensure Gaoranger's immense financial success (it's right up there with Ohranger), while also leaving behind a legacy of designs that are once again, strong fan-favorites to this day. On top of selling like crazy and providing a clear focus to the plots, the depiction of these Power Animals on-screen emphasizes the evolution of Sentai's digital effects, with CG conveying a lively sense of motion that would've been difficult to replicate with suits and props. Gaoranger is maybe the ultimate proof that animal-themed toku heroes simply ARE a good idea? It seems like you couldn't have asked for a better way to celebrate Super Sentai's 25th anniversary!

And yet, despite all this, Gaoranger is also the next show after Fiveman I know as the Worst Sentai Ever for some reason? Like, Japan clearly loves it just fine, but as an English-speaking Sentai fan, I'm not sure I've ever seen anyone say it's anything better than "not as lame as I thought it'd be"? I don't know if this is just a result of the particular circles I'm hanging around or what, but it's always had a bit of a stigma attached to it from what I can tell. (Although the robots are still well-loved.) Maybe it's rooted in some belief that it's a notable downgrade from the more sophisticated Timeranger. Maybe that belief is well-founded, or maybe it isn't. I can't exactly say, because while I was rather fond of Gaoranger's loyal-if-stilted Power Rangers adaptation at the time, I haven't actually watched Gaoranger at all until now.

I gotta say though: animal-themed toku heroes are *such* a good idea! I wouldn't say Gaoranger had some particularly amazing, top-tier debut or anything, but it's a really solid episode that's fully loaded up with things that remind me why I never, ever get tired of seeing this motif.

The nighttime debut of most of the team in action provides thrills right away as everyone gets to demonstrate their unique powers, and when all this chaos happening on the city rooftops results in an elephant down on the ground getting spooked, it makes for a rather effective way to introduce the guy who will become Gao Red, who uses his natural affinity for animals as a veterinarian to peacefully deescalate the situation, stopping some trigger-happy cops from doing it the not-so peaceful way. Like, dang! How many other Sentai protagonists are out there preventing acts of police brutality in their first scene? I love this dude already! And I'm not the only one, evidently, because this act of kindness gets him recruited to fill that last slot on the Gaorangers. Although only after the big red lion on the floating sky island says he's cool, of course. I've said it before, but I'm a sucker for living mecha in Sentai, and a huge part of that is how charming I find the whole dynamic it creates. By making them more than just simple machines, it creates an emotional connection to the characters, and through that, the audience can also have a much greater attachment to them than merely how cool they look. Sure, the Gaorangers are five people at the start, but already, the team is so much bigger than that.

All the other plot beats are similarly to my tastes here. For one thing, the newly-minted Red gets to demonstrate some worth as a leader by uniting the team after receiving some timely advice from Gao Lion that only his unique ability to communicate with animals allows, which is cool. (And by "uniting the team", I mean they combine their weapons into a huge sword to explode a monster, of course.) Prior to that, though, and way more importantly, I deeply appreciate the way the episode frames his decision to commit to the cause with so much weight. He's kinda treating this whole crazy day he's having like it's a dream at first, understandably confused by everything that's going on, which is nicely human, and it's only when he actually sees firsthand the fear and suffering of people and animals alike at the hands of the villains that he realizes this is something he needs to do, which is nicely heroic. Another thing I've said before is that I value superhero stories that emphasize the protagonists as protectors, rather than fighters, and Gaoranger nails that out of the gate. There's such a specific, kinda humble scale to that scene I adored. It's not some grand notion of preventing planetary conquest or anything; it's one man feeling empathy for all the living creatures around him, and making that concern his strength.

Plus, I mean, when they all start fighting, it's awesome. Yet another thing I've said I liked before is toku heroes with very active, animalistic body language, and the Gaorangers push that to a whole new level. In Gingaman, the team ran with their torsos low to the ground to look more like beasts. In Gaoranger, they're literally down on all fours at points. Their gloves just have straight up claws on the ends sometimes. It's so cool, in the kind of insane way you could only get from tokusatsu. Gaoranger hits me right in a such a sweet spot (it kind of created that sweet spot for me, after all), and it made the entire climax such a blast to watch.

Top it all off with a bunch of giant robot animals firing laser beams out of their mouths at a giant monster, and it's just like... people say this show is underwhelming? I'm having some trouble believing that myself, with how completely rad this first episode was. I don't even think I appreciated just how good it was until I was going to describe some of the things that happened, and realized what I was typing. Laser beam mouths, people! Is it really any wonder the toys were flying off shelves this year?