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TokuNation
(https://www.tokunation.com/forums/index.php)
- Tokusatsu Show Discussion
(https://www.tokunation.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=20)
- - What are you watching (Sentai edition)
(https://www.tokunation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=119)
If I were to rank the Sentai I've seen, it'll likely be:
1. Gekiranger 2. Kakuranger 3. Dairanger 4. Zyuohger 5. Dekaranger 6. Hurricanger 7. Jetman 8. Megaranger 9. Gokaiger 10. Shinkenger 11. Abaranger 12. Gingaman 13. Goseiger 14. Kyoryuger 15. LuPat I've started, but never got around to finishing, Liveman, Magiranger, Boukenger, Ryusoulger, Kiramager, Zyuranger, Gaoranger, Sun Vulcan, Go-Buster, Ninninger, Carranger, and Timeranger. While I have some general thoughts and feelings on those, both positive and negative, I felt it would be unfair to actually rank them without having finished them. |
That’s understandable. I have started but haven’t gotten around to finishing Fiveman, Bioman, Maskman, Turboranger, Battle Fever J and Flashman yet myself which is why they’re not among my rankings and I will update accordingly once I do and I am planning to start watching Kiramager tomorrow. I only rank Sentai seasons I watched in their entirety. Seasons of Kamen Rider, Ultraman and Power Rangers rankings will eventually be the same way. Nice ranking list, BTW.
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Of the ones I've finished my favourites are Gokaiger, Toqger, Dynaman, Timeranger, Shinkenger, Lupat and Kiramager. In no particular order (I don't really order things these days)
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I'm used to doing this these days because I'm also quite into Eurovision and it's underrated counterpart the ABU TV Song Festival so I've been making these lists for a while now!
1.Liveman 2.Boukenger 3.Gokaiger 4.Kyuranger 5.Flashman 6.Timeranger 6.5.Akibaranger 7.Maskman 8.Toqger 9.Shinkenger 10.Gekiranger 11.Megaranger 12.Kirameiger 13.Dekaranger 14.Gaoranger 15.Carranger 16.Fiveman 17.Ninninger 18.Zyuohger 19.LupinRanger VS PatRanger 19.5.Super Sentai Strongest Battle 20.Gingaman 21.Denjiman 22.Battle Fever J 23.Abaranger 24.Hurricanger 25.Ryusoulger 26.Go-Busters 27.Ohranger 28.Magiranger 29.GoGo5 30.TIE—— —Go-Onger —Goseiger —Kyoryuger Currently watching:Goranger and obviously Zenkaiger Also yet to complete:JAKQ,Sun Vulcan-Changeman,Turboranger,Jetman-Kakuranger It can of course all change, Boukenger was my top for the longest time and Gokaiger was briefly my favourite around the time it was on! It seemed fairer to have the bottom positions be a bit wide open too being as there are a few I don't enjoy quite so much! |
Hey guys, I also enjoy ranking stuff so here are my Sentai rankings categorized for convenience!
Showa (incomplete): 1) Flashman 2) Bioman 3) Liveman 4) Goggle V 5) Denjiman 6) Sun Vulcan Pre-Millennium Heisei (pending Gingaman): 1) Jetman 2) Kakuranger 3) Turboranger 4) GoGo V 5) Megaranger 6) Fiveman 7) Ohranger 8) Zyuranger 9) CarRanger 10) Dairanger 00s Heisei (complete): 1) Go-Onger 2) Gekiranger 3) Boukenger 4) Dekaranger 5) Abaranger 6) Gaoranger 7) Timeranger 8) Hurricanger 9) Shinkenger 10) Magiranger 10s Heisei (complete enough): 1) Zyuohger 2) Goseiger 3) Ryusoulger 4) LupinPatren 5) Gobusters 6) Kyoryuger Brave 7) Kyuranger 8) Ninninjer 9) Gokaiger 10) Strongest Battle 11) Kyoryuger Reiwa (ongoing): 1) Zenkaiger 2) Kiramager |
My top 5 sentai are:
Jetman ToQger Dekaranger Kiramager Zenkaiger The newer stuff is really hitting for me |
Finished watching Kiramager: Episode Zero movie and I can already see the series is off to a very promising start. Don’t know why the story from this movie couldn’t be within the main show proper though.
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https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FI7skdxV...pg&name=medium S-Tier Jetman Dairanger Kakuranger Gokaiger Shinkenger A-Tier Ohranger Timeranger Kyuranger Goseiger Kyoryuger Gekiranger Go-Busters Ryusoulger ToQger Kiramager B-Tier Lupinranger vs Patranger Zyuohger Carranger Gingaman C-Tier Ninninger Maskman Megaranger D-Tier Dynaman Magiranger I'm currently working my way through Zenkaiger (through ep 32), Boukenger (through ep, like, 12 or 13), and Flashman (just started). I've also seen a bunch of random episodes of Zyuranger, GoGo-V, and Gaoranger, but not enough to have any kind of solid opinion. I predict that Zenkaiger and Boukenger will fall into the A-Tier somewhere. I have no idea where Flashman will end up, but based on my previous experiences with Hirohisa Soda-led series, I don't think it will be very high. |
I have 6 and the 2 part finale on Bouken.
Episode 42 (Due to start) The Questers have knocked out the Rangers' Mega Zords and the single Zords are being repaired. Silver Ranger is trapped in a dimension with his mom. |
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With 46 Ranger series it's impossible. I haven't seen 1975 to Jet Man and Don Bros
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It's not impossible, just a large time sink. Also hurts that some series haven't been translated (Or, for some shows, have been translated with borderline incomprehensible subs)
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While ranking of almost every Sentai series is understandably not very easy, it is not entirely impossible.
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This is also just a snapshot of my preferences at this moment in time. The list is fluid and changes depending on the day and my mood. |
I still like using tier lists as well to organise my feelings (I've just always been that way, the way my brain works) but I've stopped ordering them within tiers -- so my favourites are Gokaiger and Toqger, and on the tier just below them are Dynaman, Timeranger, Shinkenger, Lupat and Kiramager... but I don't wanna bother with deciding where in each tier those ones fall, y'know? It's enough for me to just say this is about as much as I like them!
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Just for funsies, I’m now doing the rankings of the sixth rangers of Super Sentai among the Sentai seasons I’ve seen so far mainly due to it being easier compared to ranking the rangers from each main color (Red, Blue, Yellow etc.) as well as extra rangers. I’m not counting Kiramei Silver and Twokaizer on here for now if only because I’ve only started watching Kiramager and I haven’t seen a single episode of Zenkaiger and I honestly don’t think it’s truly fair to judge at this point and time and when or if I finish these shows, I will update accordingly. Now, on to the show:
1. Gokai Silver 2. Gosei Knight 3. Mega Silver 4. Time Fire 5. Beet Buster & Stag Buster 6. Deka Break 7. Star Ninger 8. Kyoryu Gold 9. Go-On Gold & Go-On Silver 10. Zyuoh The World 11. Shurikenger 12. ToQ #6 13. Dragon Ranger 14. Magi Shine 15. Shinken Gold 16. Phoenix Soldier 17. Patren/Lupin X 18. Draco Commander 19. Bouken Silver 20. Abare Killer 21. Gao Silver 22. Kiba Ranger 23. King Ranger 24. Ryusoul Gold |
Sixth Rangers are a competitive category, but I'll do my best!
Heisei: 1) Zyuoh The World 2) Go-On Wings 3) Bouken Silver 4) Deka Break 5) Starninjer 6) Abare Killer 7) Brave Kyoryu Gold 8) Gosei Knight 9) Gao Silver 10) Phoenix Soldier 11) Mega Silver 12) Geki Chopper 13) Dragon Ranger 14) Time Fire 15) Kyoryu Gold 16) King Ranger 17) Green Hippo 18) Gokai Silver 19) Lupin/Patren X 20) Shurikenger 21) ToQ-6 22) Ryusoul Gold 23) Magi Shine 24) Kiba Ranger 25) Shinken Gold Reiwa: 1) Kirama Silver 2) Twokaizer |
I'm also the kind of person who just groups them into tiers, but doesn't sort within the tiers themselves. Apologies to any Jetman fans in advance...
S Tier: Timeranger A Tier: Kakuranger Carranger B Tier: Ohranger (this one lands squarely in "so bad, it's good") Megaranger Gingaman C Tier: Zyuranger Dairanger GoGoFive Abaranger Dekaranger F Tier: Jetman |
That is... quite an eclectic group of Sentai you've watched! Not too interested in going past the 90s?
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After I finish Bouken (Episode 42) I'll resume from Galaxy Man and Kyo (Dino Charge). I should be able to get caught up to Ryu this year.
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Here's another ranking list. This time it's among red rangers of Super Sentai. Much to my surprise, it doesn't take as much time as I thought it would be. Like with the sixth rangers of Kiramager and Zenkaiger, I won't be counting Kiramei Red and Zenkai Juran on the list at least for now. Same goes with the rangers of certain colors from the two respective shows and eventually the ranking lists will be updated accordingly when I finished those seasons in their entirety. Same may come about when the upcoming DonBrothers series gets finished.
1. Ryuu Ranger 2. Gokai Red 3. Red Falcon 4. Red Hawk 5. Magi Red 6. Geki Red 7. Mega Red 8. Zyuoh Eagle 9. Time Red 10. Patren #1 11. Go Red 12. Ninja Red 13. Aba Red 14. Red Racer 15. Tyranno Ranger 16. Dyna Red 17. Bouken Red 18. Red Buster 19. Oh Red 20. Gosei Red 21. ToQ #1 22. Lupin Red 23. Hurricane Red 24. Deka Red 25. Ginga Red 26. Kyoryu Red 27. Go-On Red 28. Shinken Red 29. Leo Red 30. Gao Red 31. Aka Ninger 32. Ryusoul Red |
Quick Q - For someone who's seen 0 Zenkaiger, how understandable is the new crossover film with Saber? I'd like to check it out (feels like ages since I've seen any Toku at all), and I'll probably be able to muddle through in any case, but if it's centered around one of the main cast of that, I might struggle to get much out of it, if that makes sense?
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I don't really feel like ranking individual rangers, but I will just say. At the bottom of the 6th ranger list is Lupin/Pat X. I seriously just could not stand him.
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Allow me to demonstrate my critical skills with?
Androzani?s Tsukai Detour: Super Sentai Movie Party Edition https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXRyZbX...jpg&name=small And this week, we?re doing? Part 1: Kishiryu Sentai Ryusoulger vs Lupinranger vs Patranger https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXSDsZX...jpg&name=small ?65 million years ago, the immensely powerful Warfare Tribe Druidon reigned over Earth. The tribe abandoned the planet when a gigantic meteor approached, vowing that they would return as the rulers of the world again as they headed into space. The Ryusoul Tribe who battled against the Druidon stayed on Earth, along with their dinosaur companions, the Kishiryu. The Ryusoul Tribe withstood the ice age brought on by the gigantic meteor. They placed their Kishiryu companions into the Ryusouls and sealed them in temples throughout the world. Time has moved on and the Druidon have returned after fighting in harsh environments across space, totally increasing their powers. The Ryusoul Tribe that kept the Earth safe in the past has selected new knights: the Ryusoulgers. They have been revived by their mission as the battle against the Druidon begins.? Ryusoulgers: Koh/RyusoulRed: the Red Ranger and leader of the Ryusoulgers. He is 209 years old. Koh, along with Asuna and Melt, all lived in the hidden village of the Ryusoul Tribe since they were born. He and his friends trained day and night in and out to take on the mantle of the noble warriors known as the Ryusoulgers by training with their respective Masters (in Koh's case, Master Red). However, the Druidons arrived on Earth and began their attack, taking the lives of the Masters, with Koh having been protected by his from a fatal blow by the Druidon General, Tankjoh. After his death and promising to protect the Earth, Koh transforms into Ryusoul Red and battles against the Druidons. Koh is naive and more child-like than the other Ryusoulgers but is also very loyal to his team. In addition, following a knight's code of conduct, he always tries to choose the option with the least amount of innocent bloodshed, as opposed to Towa & Bamba during their first confrontation. A kind, friendly & outgoing young man, he always encourages his team to open up to each other. His valor pushes himself to fight the good fight, even when the odds are stacked against his team. As the Brave Knight, his fighting style combines power with ferocity and focuses on overwhelming offense. His childlikeness also makes him extremely honest and straightforward and is what enables him to correctly answer DimeVolcano's quiz. Melt/RyusoulBlue: the Blue Ranger of the Ryusoulgers. He is 209 years old. Melt has been Koh?s friend since they were both children, with the latter accrediting the former with calming his violent streak. Melt suffers from a curse, wherein Ryusoul tribesmen born with blue hair (such as himself) have constant bad luck (for instance, having Tyramigo constantly get his name wrong). Yet, he was chosen as the successor to Master Blue after his fellow student Mayu dropped out for personal reasons. Melt is characterized by his calm, composed, and studious nature and his intellect and wisdom. He is amazed by new information, such as Ui's father's renditions of prehistoric animals. However, he can be too objective and thus become insensitive to the feelings of others, shown when he considered Triken not as a partner but as a "weapon". Even then, he is still a friendly person at heart. Asuna/RyusoulPink: the Pink Ranger of the Ryusoulgers. She is 209 years old. She is known to have been friends with Melto and Koh since their childhood. She arrived at the village where the two boys lived, having become an outcast in her own village for her inhuman strength, back when Koh was still an aggressive and ruthless fighter. She was chosen as Master Pink?s successor due to having a handle on this strength and compassion for others, traits that her fellow student Isuka lacked, despite being a better fighter. Asuna is a kind, compassionate girl with a jolly & bubbly personality. She exhibits much more decisiveness & courage when it comes to decision making, and dislikes being teased by Koh for having monstrous strength. She is also friendly & outgoing, attempting to make conversations with the stoic Bamba when searching for the Kishiryu together, only to be ignored by him. She also appears to be the closest to Ui, the only other girl in the Tatsui household. Typical for someone perfering strength tactics, she often ignores small details and prefers brute strength. She is also a heavy eater, anything about food getting her attention. As the only female Ryusoulger, any threat offending women has her to deal with. Towa/RyusoulGreen: the Green Ranger of the Ryusoulgers and Bamba's younger brother. He is the youngest of the Ryusoulgers, but his exact age is unknown. While living in the village, Towa was giving the Green Ryusoul by his brother's mentor, Master Black. When the village was being attacked by Master Black(long story), Bamba put Towa to sleep to prevent him from getting involved and learning of his mentor's betrayal. Sometime after that, Towa and Bamba left the village to travel and discover new RyuSouls. Towa is a completely confident and competitive knight. Like his brother, Towa initially looked down upon the new trio of Ryusoulgers and considered them to be weak and unreliable. Even though he is not as cold as Bamba, he is rather boastful. He originally had the mindset of "the ends justify the means" and was ready to murder an innocent girl in order to prevent the Minusaur from growing. However, he soon changes his tune following the other three Ryusoulgers growing on him. He soon realized that his way of thinking was wrong, and truly understands how Koh & the other Ryusoulgers work, due to his closeness to Sanae Hiiragi, a young woman who looks after abandoned dogs. His fighting style focuses on remarkable speed & agility, and his combat prowess is on par with Koh's. Bamba/RyusoulBlack: the Black Ranger of the Ryusoulgers, and Towa's elder brother. He is the oldest of the Ryusoulgers, at least 300 years, but his exact age is unknown. Banba trained under Master Black as a child, befriending his fellow student Nada (who was passed over because he wasn?t a good fighter) and his Master?s friend Mioko Karino. But after his Master betrayed them and attacked the village to take their Ryusouls in the name of ?protecting Eras?, Bamba and Towa went on the run, living among the human world and stopping Minusaurs that appear (and on the side, Bamba had some relationships with women). Bamba was a stoic, cold, and no nonsense type of person, opting the most convenient or easiest ways out of trouble. He and his brother were rather elitist, as they initially consider the core Ryusoulgers "weak" due to their methods clashing. In combat with Minusaurs, his first option is to kill the host rather than take out the Minusaur, considering it the easiest way to remove the threat and that one life in exchange for hundreds of others is a worthy exchange. Underneath that cool & cold exterior lies a heart that values family above else. He does not wish any grievous harm upon Towa and would consider even killing his little brother's friend to ease him of his pain. This vulnerability makes Towa the only person to change his mind directly on an impasse, showcasing each other's faith in one another. Over time Bamba loses his straightforward view on Minusaur hosts due to his acceptance of Koh, Melt, and Asuna's views as he fights with them (and access to the Kishiryu making it easier to fight giant Minusaurs). He eventually trusts in them as well, and will lash out in anger and revenge on those who harm them, as shown when Nada backstabbed Koh and the Beelzebub Minosaur almost grew inside Asuna. He also developed a liking for smiling children on Christmas, and became increasingly enraged by Wiserue's scheme against the holiday. Canalo/RyusoulGold: the Sixth Ranger of the Ryusoulgers. Canalo is a prince of the Ryugu Tribe, whose ancestors refused to participate in the fight with their fellow Ryusoul kinsman against the Druidon 65 million years ago and have since secluded themselves to the bottom of the sea. However, due to their long exile, the tribe has experienced ever-dwindling numbers in their population in the present day. This, along with he fact his own people deposed him for money laundering, motivates Canalo to venture into the surface world in search of a wife as a means to preserve his lineage. Contrary to his handsome features and position in high society, Canalo is rather unpopular in most social circles due to his extreme frugality and perfectionist nature. He is also known for his slightly snobbish disposition and unfriendly manners. However, these traits do not undervalue his devotion to his younger sister, whose rescue by Koh convinces him to ally with the others. He wasn't allowed to joined with the Ryusoulger team due to a tragic event in the past, as MosaRex harbors a strong distaste for the surface dwellers and those from the Sea Ryusoul Tribe who interact with them. Despite MosaRex's hatred towards land Ryusoulgers, Canalo doesn't hate them and lost his confidence to talk to them as he viewed them as they didn't look bad. However, he succesfully convinced MosaRex to help the land Ryusoulgers when they are in trouble fighting with Gachireus. Due to some of his limits in social skills, Oto finds some of the land Ryusoulgers more approachable, something that gets him jealous at times, especially when she favors Melt over him. He is easily smitten by women, but his luck usually ends in failure. Despite being pressed with his bride search, he is dedicated to his role as a Ryusoulger. Allies: Oto: Canalo?s sister, who is 123 years old. Like her brother, she has ventured to the surface to find a husband to make descendants with, though unlike Canalo, she has found her ideal man in Melt, who reciprocates even though Canalo doesn?t approve of the relationship due to Oto being a child and Melt being a grown man. Much like Koh, she can be naive, but due to her younger age, she is much more mischievous, daring and rebellious. She is also smart and manipulative enough to play nice in front of Canalo in order to trick him into thinking she's returning to the sea. However she is indeed very attached to her older brother, though his limits meant she found the land Ryusoulgers more approachable. She is also fussy at times, especially when deception is revealed. It is shown that she has a hidden crush on Melto, and often favors him over everyone else, including her own brother. Kishiryu: Tyramigo: Koh?s partner Kishiryu, the champion of attacks, based on a Tyrannosaurus Rex. He was sealed away under the Ryusoul Temple, in the form of KishiryuOh Three Knights, but was unsealed to deal with an attacking Complete Body Minusaur. He can communicate with humans, as well as speak for himself with*repetitions of "Tyra!", although he has shown capacity to speak somewhat & learn words by watching television.His eyes turn off when he is unconscious. Compared to the verbal speech of later Kishiryu, Tyramigo has limited intellect, and a smaller vocabulary as a result. In recent times, his vocabulary evolves, partly due to interacting with humans. Originally needing the*ChiisaSoul to fit through small openings, Tyramigo developed the ability to shrink at will. Tyramigo has impressive strength due to his mechanical nature, and can serve as a mount for Max Ryusoul Red. He can transform into Ryusoul Gattai KishiryuOh. https://youtube.com/watch?v=HRmW130r5Pk DimeVolcano: A Kishiryu based on a Dimetrodon, the Crimson Fire. DimeVolcano grants the abilities of the MeraMera Armor, which allows the user to use flame-based attacks. In combat, he wields the Knight Fan (ナイトファン Naito Fan) flame-style sail on his back, the Knight MeraMera Sword (ナイトメラメラソード Naito MeraMera Sōdo) flame-style tail blade, and can breathe fire from its mouth. Much like Tyramigo, DimeVolcano is capable of human speech, but has a higher intellect, and speaks in full sentences on a regular basis. Due to his high power, the Ryusoul Tribe sealed him away, until he was reawakened by Nada as an experiment, and he will go on a raging rampage if his quiz is answered incorrectly. Despite this, he is frightened of people fearing him, and its only friend was Haruto Watanabe, a boy recovering from an eye operation, who wasn't afraid of DimeVolcano after seeing him for the first time. Like all sentient beings, DimeVolcano is susceptible to romance. He can combine with Tyramigo to become KishiryuOh DimeVolcano. https://youtube.com/watch?v=gvsVarTf_3U MosaRex: Canalo?s partner, the Fang of the Deep Sea and the brother of DimeVolcano, based on a Mosasaurus. Long ago, Mosa Rex, along with the other Kishiryu, fought along with the Ryusoul Tribe to keep the world safe and at peace. However, when the tribes discovered that MosaRex, Pterardon, and Tyramigo can combine with devastating results, MosaRex grew concerned and fearful for what his power can do. While many members of the tribe wished to use the newly form Ryusoul Gattai King KishiRyuOh to control the world for peace, others refused and thought this was an evil action. A war soon broke out, with MosaRex siding with his sympathizers. At the end of the war, he and his allies decided they wanted nothing to do with the other tribes and left for the sea. MosaRex would forever remember how power hungry the Land tribe have gotten, while still fearing the destruction nature of his power. He can combine with two AmmoKnuckles to become KishiryuOh Neptune, with his brother DimeVolcano to become SpinoThunder and KishiryuOh DimeVolcano to become Gigant KishiryuOh. https://youtube.com/watch?v=NGbdalZPSdQ Pachygaroo and Chibigaroo: A father-and-son pair of Kishiryu, the Incomparable Fists, based on the Pacycephalosaurus. The two grant the the abilities of the Doshin Armor, which allows the user to wield earth-based abilities and be armed with a pair of gauntlets that increases the wielder's punching power. Pachygaroo is incapable of human speech, with his son serving as a translator. The two can combine with Tyramigo to form KishiryuOh Pachygaroo. https://youtube.com/watch?v=MjN_yD80qOg Pi-Tan/Pterardon: One of the three strongest Kishiryu, the Sub-Zero Wings, based on a pteranodon. Pterardon grants the abilities of the HieHie Armor, which allows the user to use ice-based attacks and fly at super speed. In combat, he has ice-based abilities, can fire a sub-zero ice beam from his beak, achieve space flight, fire energy beams from his arms, and wields the Pterardon Head (プテラードンヘッド Puterādon Heddo), the Knight Edge (ナイトエッジ Naito Eiji) wings and the HieHie Claw (ヒエヒエクロー Hiehie Kurō) on his short tail. After breaking his seal, Pterardon can convert from his Pit Mode to its Kishiryu form at will. After flying into space to avoid being sealed by Seto 65 million years ago, Pterardon ran into Pricious, who trapped him in his pit mode, robbing him of his true abilities and sending the sky Kishiryu falling back down to Earth in the ocean. On MosaRex's order in the present, Oto retrieved Pterardon and brought him to the Ryusoulgers, naming him Pi-Tan. When freed of his pit mode, Pterardon can transform into YokuRyuOh, combine with Tyramigo to become Pteramigo, combine with KishiryuOh Pachygaroo to become KishiryuOh Jet and combine with both KishiryuOh and KishiryuOh Neptune to become King KishiryuOh, the combination of Land, Sea and Sky, that destroyed the Earth millennia ago. https://youtube.com/watch?v=I2zEx3aUja8 Warfare Tribe Druidon: A group of creatures that rose up to conquer the Earth following the Ryusoul Tribe?s civil war, who were driven into space by the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs. Now they have returned to conquer the planet. Kleon: An alien who joined the Druidon in their travels across space. They have the ability to artificially inseminate Minusaurs from humans with negative emotions (normally, Minusaurs appear naturally, and very rarely). Kleon seems to be very lazy, bratty, obnoxious, carefree, sadistic, and usually lies around while his superiors does the actual fighting. Despite having no apparent combat abilities, they do not seem to consider the Ryusoulgers a threat, as they regard their presence with annoyance rather than disdain, such as*when they interrupted*a Minusaur battle by blocking the way with a troop of Drunn*Soldiers instead of attacking the Ryusoulgers head on. They are also egotistical and cowardly, showing disgust at Tankjoh's loss*and betted on being able to beat him easily in a fight, only to pass it off as getting ahead of themselves once they realized Tankjoh heard it all. They were also capable of badmouthing Wiserue before the higher-ranked Druidon angrily confronted them. After being forced into the service of Gachireus, they soon found themselves better off with Wiserue and Tankjoh, and became especially attached to the latter, switching to Wiserue upon Gachireus?s apparent death. They are also slightly na?ve, something Wiserue found out the hard way. Despite this, they have a genuine heart at times, especially when it comes to satisfaction. What do I think of Ryusoulger? I liked it more than I did LupinPat, that for sure. It had a lot of standout elements and a well handled comedy/drama mix. The weekly plots and villains were a lot more memorable as well, which gives this show more in its favour. And if you think the majority of the show is dull, then I?d say the final twist makes the whole thing worth it. Now as for the credits for this part of the event, our writing is being handled by Arakawa and Komura, our producer is Shinya Maruyama (whose previous Tokusatsu credits include Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon) and our director is Watanabe. So with all of that said, on with the review. We open with Kleon coming across and abandoned cave, which he finds to be perfect. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXRyZhW...jpg&name=small As they call it an ideal place to hide from their bosses (but which bosses? I?ve written the part of the ?Continuity and Placement section on this film?s wiki page asking exactly that?), it turns out that there?s someone in the cave, locked in a cage. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXRyZqW...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXRyZ3W...jpg&name=small (The ?woman? he?s talking about is Gauche le Medou, LupinPat?s ?grow the monster?/mad scientist villain. Since he never receives an answer in the film, I?ll tell you that she?s dead, as of episode 48 of LupinPat). As the prisoner exposits that he?s a Gangler looking for the Lupin Collection, Kleon thinks that he can use him. We then cut to Koh trying to give a reluctant Tyramigo a bath. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXR2qMX...jpg&name=small As they argue, Noel appears, looking at a page of Kogure?s Lupin Collection book (the item is entitled ?Grow Old with Me? and is recycled from the treasure chest the Gokaigers stored their Ranger Keys in). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXR2qyX...jpg&name=small Koh then gets distracted talking to Noel, who sates that he is looking for the Ryusoul Tribe (how did he know he?d find one here?). But their conversation is interrupted when Tyramigo gets kidnapped by a Minusaur, which means it?s time for me to list off some stats. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXR2rPW...jpg&name=small Griffon Minusaur Minosaur Attribute: Bird Beast Place of Distribution: Location of Treasure Experience Point: 904 (Honestly, this doesn?t really look like a griffon or a bird. It looks more like a slasher film reject) Koh transforms and tries to fight back against the Minusaur, but gets beaten down, even when the others arrive. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXR2sAW...jpg&name=small Then the Gangler, Ganima Noshigalda (his surname is a pun on ?nostalgia?, but I don?t know about the first name) appears to seal Tyramigo in one of his safes, in lieu of a Lupin Collection. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXR9hZX...jpg&name=small Confused by his comment, Bamba uses a MieSoul to see inside Ganima?s safes. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXR9h8W...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXR9iNW...jpg&name=small ?Pii-tan?? https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXR9idX...jpg&name=small Ganima then uses DimeVolcano?s fire powers to knock everyone back. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXR_urW...jpg&name=small As Ganima laughs over his superiority and Noel notes that he?s a Status Quintuple Gangler (ie. he has 5 safes that need to be opened simultaneously), Kleon notes that Ganima isn?t being drained by his Minusaur (for clarity, Minusaurs gore by using the negative emotions that birthed them to drain life-force from their progenitors. When the host is bed-ridden, the Minusaur grows to giant size, when the host dies, the Minusaur achieves a Complete Body), and gets an idea. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXR_vNX...jpg&name=small So, they walk up to Ganima and place a Gangler emblem over their Druidon emblem (don?t ask where they got it). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXR_vfX...jpg&name=small Ganima then knocks Koh, Towa and Bamba far away with Pachygaroo and Chibigaroos? power, leaving Melt and Asuna with Noel. Towa and Bamba end up in the middle of a busy city. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXSBwWW...jpg&name=small The two then come face to face with Keiichiro and Sakuya, who arrest the brothers for carrying swords in a city centre (you might want to investigate the Shiba place then. The kids living there do that as well). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXSBwlW...jpg&name=small Meanwhile, Koh ends up at an abandoned house, where Kairi just so happens to be hanging out. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXSBw1X...jpg&name=small Back at the Tatsui house, Noel shows Melt and Asuna one of his adoptive fsther?s treasures that isn?t a Lupin Collection. One they know too well. An Origin Ryusoul, which Melt explains isn?t linked to a Kishiryu and thus has no power of its own. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXSDrGW...jpg&name=small Noel then explains who his adoptive father was, to try and jog their memories. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXSDsDW...jpg&name=small While neither Asuna nor Melt have heard of him, the latter has an idea of where the Lupin Collection he traded for the Origin Ryusouls is. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXSHvZW...jpg&name=small As Asuna tries and fails to raise Canalo on the comms, we cut to Tsukasa (PinkCop!Tsukasa, not MagentaDestroyer!Tsukasa), trying to win a rare keychain. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXSHwDW...jpg&name=small After getting nothing but Fuwapan keychains, Canalo comes up to her and just gives her the Jagaton. He won it earlier for Oto, who didn?t want it. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXSHwYW...jpg&name=small As she thanks him, the ?serial Romeo? part of Canalo?s brain kicks in. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXSLyFW...jpg&name=small As the two agree to simply do lunch, Koh wakes up to find Kairi has taken himself and taken his Ryusoulken (tramps, am I right?). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXSLzPW...jpg&name=small Kairi introduces himself as Kai and then decides to yang onto the Ryusoulken. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXt2ecX...jpg&name=small Meanwhile, at the GSPO interrogation room. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXt2eqX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXt2ekW...jpg&name=small But as their refusal to answer questions gets them no sympathy, Kairi decides to give Koh his sword back, after Kogure verifies that it?s an unremarkable sword (to be fair, every Lupin Collection in the show and it?s media is a repaint or remodelled from a prop from an old Sentai. Most notably, the gun that grows the monsters is GoGoV?s Build Discharger, painted gold). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXt2ekX...jpg&name=small And back at the Tatsui house, Noel explains why he?s helping the Ryusoulgers recover the Kishiryu from Ganima. Namely that a Gangler boss killed Arsene in front of him for sh*ts and giggles. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXt_6CX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXuADqX...jpg&name=small And so, he demonstrates the power of the Dial Fighters using Cyclone (video included for visual reference) and a nearby safe. https://youtube.com/watch?v=gzEoiT3w_Gs https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXuADoW...jpg&name=small Back with Koh, he explains to ?Kai? why he?s doing this. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXuH01X...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXuH01X...jpg&name=small Kairi, seeing the similarities (it?s the exact same thing that happened between him and his brother), gives his new friend some advice he learned from experience. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXuH02W...jpg&name=small They then get attacked by the Minusaur, who is hunting for Lupin Collections, but escape using a KakureSoul. Kairi then gets a call from Noel, telling him they need to deal with a Status Quintuple that?s using something other than a Lupin Collection to cause mayhem. (Should?ve called him before Koh woke up) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXuSGBW...jpg&name=small The same call is made to Umika, who is buying her friend Shiori?s manga Good Three, about a group of phantom theives fightig to reclaim what they?ve lost. (Purely original, of course). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXuSHAX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXubWJW...jpg&name=small She then happens to run into Oto, who is buying the same manga while lugging a heavy sack with her (and it turns out the latter is an Otoku, er otaku). Meanwhile, because the VS universe is a small world by necessity, Canalo and Tsukasa run into a blue Kaito, in the form of Touma. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXubZxX...jpg&name=small And Canalo mistakes his mutual familiarity with Tsukasa for sexual tension (well it is possible, but Touma doesn?t interact much with the Patrangers outside of two episodes, a fact that Komura later came to regret). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXubapW...jpg&name=small Back with Oto and Umika, who unbeknownst to the other, are going to the same place, the former rummages through the latter?s books to find a biography of Arsene Lupin. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXuky5X...jpg&name=small When asked if she likes him, Umika gives an answer. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXuk1RX...jpg&name=small It?s at that point Kleon shows up, looking to take Umika?s Lupin Collections (her VS Changer and Dial Fighter). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXuk2fW...jpg&name=small As the two withdraw, Canalo makes an announcementin the middle of Tsukasa trying to find out what Touma?s been up to since he was outed as a phantom thief to the world (apparently, he?s been ignoring his fianc?e). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXuuSAX...jpg&name=small Touma then reacts with his usual level of emotion. (He smiles less than Bamba. And that?s saying something) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXuuTuW...jpg&name=small As Canalo begins his wedding plans, the Minusaur attacks them, with Canalo transforming and running into action. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXyKN-X...jpg&name=small https://youtube.com/watch?v=mpOJjFqw1s8 Tsukasa also transforms and joins the fight. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXyKNWW...jpg&name=small Canalo: Tsukasa, that suit?? Tsukasa: I could ask you the same thing. But we have to defeat him first. Meanwhile, in the middle of interrogation, Jim (represented by stock footage from the show), calls Keiichiro and Tsukasa with a report from Tsukasa. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXyUnBX...jpg&name=small Then another message comes for Sakuya from the guard on duty in the other interrogation room, which Towa gets annoyed at. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXyUslX...jpg&name=small As the pair of Bamba and Keiichiro arrive on the scene as the Minusaur flees, Bamba explains the situation to Canalo, which gets Keiichiro and Tsukasa to agree to a team up. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXyUo1X...jpg&name=small Meanwhile, Ganima enters the scene, suing MosaRex?s water powers to create explosions (er, look. Just go with me on this one, okay?). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXyUqyX...jpg&name=small From the sidelines, while the main three Ryusoulgers fight Ganima, Noel and Kairi discuss the Minusaur?s objectives. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXydxjW...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXydy3X...jpg&name=small Back with Oto and Umika, Touma shows up to give them a hand, as Kleon calls in the Drunns (Ryusoulger?s Mooks) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXyd0JX...jpg&name=small Back with the battle, as the Patrangers and the other Ryusoulgers join the fray, Koh decides to escalate and use Max Ryusoul Red. Koh: Max Change! https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXyoB6W...jpg&name=small https://youtube.com/watch?v=tbJCIwAbz3o But before Koh can destroy Ganima, Noel takes the shot for the Gangler, explaining his reasons. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXyoEaX...jpg&name=small But the cover has given Ganima a chance to freeze everyone with Pii-tan?s powers, giving him an advantage. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXyoHXW...jpg&name=small Meanwhile, Touma and Umika effortlessly defeat the Drunns without transforming, before introducing themselves to Oto before leaving. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXyx4GX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXyx56X...jpg&name=small As the three Lupinrangers reunite, Ganima uses Tyramigo?s power, which turns all of his safes golden. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXyx7SW...jpg&name=small Noel then explains what?s so special about a gold safe. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXy7ZRX...jpg&name=small Why is that a problem? https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXy7ZSW...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXy7ZXW...jpg&name=small As Ganima departs, confident in his victory, everyone reconvenes at the Tatsui house, where Noel leaves to work on a new machine that could help, while Bamba suggests they just kill Ganima, with the Kishiryu as collateral (that?s your answer to everything), an idea that Canalo supports, as does Melt (albeit reluctantly, since there is literally no other option at this point). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXzDw3W...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXzDySX...jpg&name=small The police are recalled to their office, while Koh and Kairi have a short pep talk, followed by Oto going to a temple to cry for MosaRex. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXzOQ1X...jpg&name=small As Canalo tries to reassure Oto, Noel receives the Lupin Collection Oto was sent to retrieve. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXzOW4W...jpg&name=small As Asuna gives Noel a pep talk of his own and assures him that they can protect the planet. This strengthens Noel?s resolve and makes him come up with an idea that involves Kairi and the Origin Ryusouls. The next day, the Ryusoulgers face Ganima once more and come very close to unleashing their full power against him. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXzWaTX...jpg&name=small But he eventually gets the upper hand because Koh can?t go through with killing the Kishiryu, and knocks them out of their suits. But then, the VS Sentai appear to turn the tides. Ryusoulgers: Ryusoul Change! Ryusoul Changer: Que Bom! Wassei! Wassei! Sou, sou, sou! Wassei! Wassei, Sore sore sore sore! Mosa Changer: Que Bom: Dongara Haha! Nossa Mossa! Essa Hoisa! Mossa-sa-sa! Lupinrangers and Noel: Kaito Change! VS Changer (Lupin): Red! 0-1-0/Blue! 2-6-0/Yellow! 1-1-3! Masqueraise! Kaito Change! X Changer: X-nise! Kaito X-Change! Patranger: Keisatsu Change! VS Changer (Patren): Ichigou!/Nigou!/Sangou! Patrize! Keisatsu Change! (Everyone initiates transformation) Ryusoul Changer: Ryu So Cool! (laughter) Mosa Changer: Ryu So Cool! (Woah!) VS Changer: Lupinranger!/Patranger! X Changer: Lupin X! https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXzWdXX...jpg&name=small Koh: The Brave Knight, RyusoulRed! Melt: The Wise Knight, RyusoulBlue! Asuna: The Vigorous Knight, RyusoulPink! Towa: The Gale Knight, RyusoulGreen! Bamba: The Regal Knight, RyusoulBlack! Canalo: The Glorious Knight, RyusoulGold! All: These proud souls will be used for justice! Kishiryu Sentai Ryusoulger! Kairi: Lupin Red! Touma: Lupin Blue! Umika: Lupin Yellow! All: Kaito Sentai Lupinranger! Noel: The solitary, shining Phantom thief, Lupin X! Keiichiro: PatrenIchigou! Sakuya: PatrenNigou! Tsukasa: PatrenSangou! All: Keisatsu Sentai Patranger! Koh: Behold a knight?s chivalry! Kairi: Here?s an advance notice: we?ll be taking your treasure! Keiichiro: By the authority of the Special Police, we?ll deal with you immediately! https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXzWfIW...jpg&name=small Ganima sends in an army of Pordermen and Drunns, beginning the battle in earnest. To start with, Noel pitches an idea to Canalo. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXzWgxX...jpg&name=small So Canalo takes Noel?s X Rod Sword, while the latter take?s the former?s Mosa Blade and BiriBiriSoul (the yellow one from the Mosa Changer video above). https://youtube.com/watch?v=IEMfJ9MF9BE https://youtube.com/watch?v=MUcPvsYKfYc https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXzgwMW...jpg&name=small The old switcheroo continues with Touma using Melt?s Ryusoulken and NobiSoul (which lets you expand any part of your body), while Melt gets the Magic Boost. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXzgwJX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXzgwJX...jpg&name=small And we then cut to the girls, with Tsukasa having borrowed Asuna?s Ryusoulken and MukiMukiSoul, while Asuna borrows the Crane Boost (turning what is otherwise a clunky finisher into a veritable wrecking ball using her super strength). https://youtube.com/watch?v=Aqe1SUbLSWw https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXzgwNX...jpg&name=small And Umika and Kairi have given us a slightly less special, but still pretty notable weapon change. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXzpk8X...jpg&name=small As Bamba and Towa do battle, Sakuya tries doing the same as Umika with Noel?s power up item, Siren Striker. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXzpk_X...jpg&name=small But he only manages to knock himself out of it without doing any damage (and now you know why Tsukasa didn?t get it here), so he uses it on Towa. https://youtube.com/watch?v=vgHBsxmxM7Y But Towa struggles, since his speciality is speed while this thing was meant to be used with strong users. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXzpk9X...jpg&name=small But Bamba is on hand with a FuwaSoul to lighten the load. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXzpk6X...jpg&name=small And finally, we cut to the Reds, where Koh has taken the Scissors Boost while Keiichiro gets his Ryusoulken and TsuyoSoul. Kairi simply uses his own Lupin Magnum https://youtube.com/watch?v=erZ8-68S2Kw https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXzzatX...jpg&name=small And then, to hold off Ganima for a while, Kairi joins the fun and gives Kei-chan Splash to borrow. (Splash being the one Keiichiro let Kairi keep back in episode 29 of LupinPat) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXzzawX...jpg&name=small Everyone but the main three Ryusoulgers and Noel face the main villains, with the Minusaur being distracted by playing keep away with Victory Striker, while Keiichiro uses his loaned VS vehicle to counter Ganima?s fire attack. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXzza2X...jpg&name=small Then Noel hands Koh, Melt and Asuna a LupinrangerSoul each. (While there are sounds for it in all three swords, his thing has not seen release in real life) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXzza6X...jpg&name=small The three then use hem to transform into copies of the Lupinrangers, as their theme song kicks in. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXz5A5X...jpg&name=small https://youtube.com/watch?v=YKlzunWFGl8 Swear on your flashing sword, That you will follow the battle road. You won?t abandon this world you want to protect. You are resolved, so follow that path. These emblems of righteousness are proof you are heroes. Now, make your souls one. You never run away no matter what happens. Dynamic! Make the Earth resound with your steely power. Swear on your flashing sword, you will follow the battle road. The more people strive for a dream, the stronger it gets. Resolutely overcome your limits with a BANG and GO! Serve justice! Cut down evil! Kishiryu Sentai Ryusoulger. And since they?re now Lupinrangers, they have all that it entails. Including, Dial Fighters, bringing the total count up to 11. Meaning they can open Ganima?s safes, releasing the Kishiryu. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXz5CEX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXz5DZX...jpg&name=small Noel then explains how he did. Last night, he used his X Changer?s lasers to infuse he power of the three main Dial Fighters into the three Origin Ryusouls Arsene picked up. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIXz5EzX...jpg&name=small Kleon then realises that things are getting hairy and decides he?s much safer facing the wrath of his Druidon bosses than his Gangler boss. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIX0CXsX...jpg&name=small Finally, the gathered heroes destroy Ganima with the Ichigeki Soul Strike, which has the effect of destroying the Minusaur, since it can?t feed off anything. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIX0CXzX...jpg&name=small https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIX0CX1X...jpg&name=small Lupinrangers: An eternal adieu. Patrangers: Mission complete! Ryusoulgers: That was a knight?s chivalry. (Not quoted, Canalo?s ?Love is over?) As the credits begin rolling (there?s no song this time), Koh and Tyramigo make up. It turns out that Tyramigo was afraid of soap getting in his eyes. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIX0CX2W...jpg&name=small Kairi formally introduces himself after Koh thanks him. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIX0K8NW...jpg&name=small Keiichiro decides to let the Ryusoulgers go. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIX0K-oW...jpg&name=small Canalo tries actually proposing to Tsukasa (having fallen in love with her all over again after seeing her fight), but she lets him down hard. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIX0LCGX...jpg&name=small So he decides to move onto Umika, to which Sakuya cock-blocks him. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIX0UPOX...jpg&name=small But then Umika cock-blocks Sakuya (that means Canalo might have a chance after all). https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIX0UPPW...jpg&name=small After Touma offers to cook French cuisine for a hungry Asuna, Melt tries returning his LupinrangerSoul, but Noel lets him keep it. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FIX0VqJW...jpg&name=small And that?s where it ends. At least for this part? https://youtube.com/watch?v=qgRJm0ciZL4 Final thoughts: a very good piece that manages to work through both show?s strengths, particularly in interactions between the characters, both funny and serious. It also manages to make the ?villain team up? aspect entirely logical and avoided introducing a victim to be saved. This is definitely one of the better VS movies. |
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Showa: 1) Vul Eagle (Hiba) 2) Red Falcon 3) Red One 4) Red Flash 5) Goggle Red 6) Vul Eagle (Oowashi) 7) Denji Red Pre-Millennium Heisei: 1) Red Turbo 2) Ninja Red 3) Tyranno Ranger 4) Red Racer 5) Mega Red 6) Go Red 7) Five Red 8) Red Hawk 9) Ryuu Ranger 10) Oh Red 00s Heisei: 1) Geki Red 2) Go-On Red 3) Deka Red 4) Time Red 5) Aba Red 6) Hurricane Red 7) Bouken Red 8) Magi Red 9) Gao Red 10) Shinken Red (Takeru) 10s Heisei: 1) Ryusoul Red 2) Patren 1 3) Gosei Red 4) Lupin Red 5) Brave Kyoryu Red 6) Shinken Red (Kaoru) 7) Redbuster 8) Gokai Red 9) Akaninjer 10) Kyoryu Red 11) Zyuoh Eagle 12) Leo Red Reiwa: 1) Zenkai Juran 2) Kirama Red |
A little over a third into Magiranger (I think I'm right before the sixth introduction?) and I've been absolutely loving it. There's some flaws to be sure but on the whole it's a charming story about a family that supports each other, and an interesting and engaging family at that. Spice in an interesting enough ongoing plotline and it's been keeping me hooked for a bit now -- just a great show all in all at the moment
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^ To be fair, I also didn’t include the reds from some of the Showa era seasons plus Turboranger and Fiveman since I’m still in the process of watching them and it just wouldn’t be fair to rank them before finishing their respective seasons. Like with Kiramager and Zenkaiger, the ranking list will be updated accordingly when I finished them in their entirety. Also, as much as I would’ve loved to include Kaoru from Shinkenger, I truly do since I liked her a lot better than Takeru, she is considered as an extra ranger, unfortunately. If it weren’t for that and if she is the main red of the series right from the very start, she would’ve been among my top ten favorite red rangers of the franchise if not top five easily.
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~Fish's Zenkai Tour!~
#42 – Kaitou Sentai Lupinranger VS Keisatsu Sentai Patranger https://i.imgur.com/vNxe1MM.png https://i.imgur.com/5X9zbzJ.png Twice the teams, twice the fun, twice the times I've already watched the whole show, and twice the times I've now told you that this may or may not be the second-most cruel one of these I'm making myself write. I guess that's LuPat in a nutshell, but you just know there's no way I'm going to be satisfied with such a broad summary. The problem is, I'm not even sure where to start digging into the details. I mean, you've gotta understand, I utterly adore this series. Taking this back as far as I can possibly go, it's one of those Sentai I was excited for from its first announcements. As much fun as I had with Kyuranger, it was sort of a bummer that I wasn't getting another post-anniversary three-person Sentai show with an unusual approach to drama, lots of fresh ideas, and a tight focus on developing nuanced characters, since that had worked so well for me in the past. But then I wait another year, and I get that, but it's times two. It was awesome. I was so ready for this. The hot-blooded heroic drama of a cop show was about to combine with the enchantingly suave style of a story about gentleman thieves, and both of those were going to be meeting all the usual colorful outfits and giant robots and everything. It was love at first sight, essentially, and a premiere episode as strong as Lupinranger VS Patranger had was sure to cement that as quick as possible. When I say "as quick as possible", I mean almost exactly one minute in, by the way, which is when they make their entrance. The thieves everyone's been talking about, crashing through a casino window in a sequence of shots that is put together with a level of beauty and care I'm not sure you'll find in any other Sentai. I didn't know his name at the time, but after some equally impressive work on Kamen Rider following this series, Teruaki Sugihara would become a director everyone's been talking about (assuming they're people who talk about directors, anyway), and LuPat was the very first show he got to craft from the ground up. The eye for stylish flair Sugihara lends to these shows is nothing short of incredible. I firmly believe he exceeds every other director working for Toei in that specific area. He knows the all-important difference between realism and believability in film, and never hesitates to create shots that have the kind of exaggerated emphasis you'd normally find more often in animation, somehow making them work flawlessly in live-action. That glass smashing bit, right? I mean, I don't want to go on forever about like 20 seconds of the entire episode (except I do), but there's a great effect in there where for the purpose of fitting in a close-up of the trio's faces, you see them perfectly reflected in one of the shattered shards, as it flies precisely into the center of the camera, and that one little touch makes for an ideal example of so many things I love about Sugihara's direction. The actual shot you're seeing in the reflection is, of course, a completely separate thing composited onto a CG piece of glass, and when you think about what you're looking at literally, it doesn't even make sense. But because of the mood of the scene, the sheer awe with which these thieves are presented, between the fancy outfits, the glorious jazzy musical motif, and the actual practical effect of those windows getting smashed in eye-catching slow motion, it feels correct. It feels needed. It fits. And that's the story with everything about the visuals here. I could gush about all the little details in every bit all day long, but I'll try and settle for just another paragraph. I mean, the Lupinrangers' entrance is far from the only beautifully shot thing involving them here. Before they even transform, they're throwing down with a monster of the week and his mooks, and as they do, all the glitz and glamour of the casino they're in gets replaced by carnage and mayhem that is somehow even more glamorous. Bottles are exploding from stray gunshots, and so many bills are sent flying into the air that the room is continually raining money for way longer than can possibly be logical. But again, logic can't convey the tone this well, so who needs it? Amidst all this madness, the Lupinrangers are visibly calm and collected, effortlessly dancing their way through their foes to steal back a certain treasure out a safe located on one of their foes. ...They still haven't even transformed. I'm not even talking about things past three minutes into the episode yet. I really am gonna be here all day long. I seriously can't stress enough how next level the cinematography and action direction is here. The heroes manage to convey loads of personality as they flip about, the way the motions of every character flow together is given a ton of thought, and it's all shot in ways that are downright innovative for Super Sentai, including the use of a 360 degree camera at points during the climax, because I guess this show needed to be even more visually stunning. And this isn't to say Sugihara's touch only enhances the action! While I'm obviously quite taken by the exhilarating rush of the fights, the thing linking both that and the more drama-focused moments together is the cleanliness of the execution. Everything always looks great, AND communicates things about the story, in ways you probably won't even consciously be thinking about, because you're just that drawn in. LuPat, it just kinda breathes nice, you know? Even in episodes not directed by Sugihara, the standard he set here results is an entire series that's exceptionally pleasing to the eye. About that drama though. This was Junko Koumura's second go as main writer, following Zyuohger, and my praise for her writing on this series is going to be every bit as effusive as Sugihara's just was. Much like with him, it feels to me as though as the talent she had already shown up to this point just suddenly erupted into something truly special. Of course, I'm still keeping to that premiere for the moment. The script is – again, like the direction – so precise in its execution that I couldn't find a thing to complain about if I tried. Not that I *would* try, with my obvious bias, but still, I mean what I'm saying. This is a debut that flawlessly establishes a unique tone for a Sentai series, and lays down a super sturdy framework for a year's worth of storytelling, all in that tiny bit less than 24 minutes. You might think that with two separate teams to get a grasp on, that'd be trickier than usual, but if it is, Koumura sure as heck didn't make it look that way. Right away, you're being fed important information about the formula for the series. All that fun in the casino, it's giving you the basics on the monsters of the week without even really feeling like it. You see that they've got human disguises, treasures that give them powers they're using to do evil stuff, and the crucial, very unique wrinkle in the fights that the Lupinrangers need to retrieve those treasures out of safes built into their bodies before they can blow them up. An actual proper expository lecture about those treasures in the form of a conversation between Kairi and the mysterious benefactor of the team, Kogure, fills in further details about these treasures being part of the Lupin Collection, and how the group's entire mission is to get them back after they were stolen, with the trio being promised ~something~ in return for their efforts, but it's the way the script successfully mixes showing with telling that elevates it. The words in that conversation are super important, yeah, but everything about the conversation is also giving you stuff to read into. There's a bit of an uneasy atmosphere between the two of them, a lack of trust that makes for a notably different flavor from the typical Sentai. It's kind of a question at first how much Kogure even values the Lupinrangers as anything more than a means to an end, and that little bit of intrigue goes a long way towards pulling the viewer in. The trio themselves aren't quite the usual fare, either, and the premiere makes space to establish that quite well. As usual, the team's Red is a walking symbol of this, with Kairi essentially being teenage cockiness personified. The excessive self-confidence is maybe par for the course, but the way he expresses it... I mean, a kid with a mouth as smart as his isn't exactly going to be the magnet pulling his friends along, you know? He's the kind of person you put up with, a lot of the time, but like a teenager, he's hiding a lot under that bravado. Lupin Blue, Tooma, is who I had pegged as the least interesting character for a long time, but that was just me falling right into his trap. He's actually a twist on the usual cool Blue I don't think I've seen anywhere else, and the subtleties of his personality make him surprisingly fascinating once you catch on. In a lot of ways, he's secretly even more ill-tempered than Kairi, but he's also a master of self-control who keeps a lid on all his fierce emotions. It doesn't come off like he's simply worried about looking lame, or something childish like that, so much as he knows the disadvantages of letting people read him like an open book. I'm not sure if I'm using quite the right words here, but it's sort of strategic. And again, it took me way more than one episode to realize all this, but looking back, his talented cooking suggests a character who acts with immense precision, and even this early on, his actor slips a lot of intensity into some of his lines that, combined with the occasional snarky remark, clue you in to those layers hiding just underneath. Lupin Yellow, Umika, then, is easily the most openly vulnerable of the group, and probably the most well-adjusted human being, all things considered. She's quite bubbly, and also properly displays things like stress and frustration, which makes her utterly indispensable to balancing out the Lupinrangers' group dynamic. Beats like her not immediately understanding that Kairi is suddenly clearing the bistro they all work at of customers because their other business just picked up, or getting creeped out by a spider while crawling through an air vent, I love that stuff. I really like Umika. Tooma and Kairi are great, but they take to being secret thieves so well that sometimes you really just need someone a little more normal. But again, the Lupinrangers are notable for how normal they aren't, and the climax to the premiere sells that fantastically. After yet more thrilling action, Tooma and Umika are at the mercy of the monster when he demonstrates one of the really fun things about the Ganglers – the powers they get from the Lupin Collection pieces are in addition to more standard innate abilities – which puts Kairi in a real tough spot. So what is his solution? He remembers the promise the three of them made to make their collective wish come true no matter who falls in the process, and promptly brings the ceiling down on the monster while his comrades are right there. Which is pretty hardcore, right? Still not what you typically expect from these shows. And while that's pretty cool for the novelty alone, it's the depth cleverly hidden in this one action that makes this such an amazing peak for the episode. The thing is, for all the talk about the Lupinrangers having a rule against helping each other, and Kairi's seemingly rash decision to put his friends in more danger, what you're meant to be taking away from this scene is also the exact opposite? Kairi knows the weight of the oath the three of them share, and because of that, the basis of that decision is his faith that Tooma and Umika are determined enough to see this through that a little bit of stone coming down on their heads won't stop them. He absolutely cares about their lives, and sure enough, he's entirely correct that they'll use the distraction he provided to escape unscathed. Really, this is another scene I could go on about forever if I don't stop myself. This is such a great, tense way to establish the unique sort of desperation that drives the Lupinrangers, and of course, there are tons of considered details like how the fancy masks they all wear when on the job come off to coincide with this look into some of the deeper emotions of the team. One more reason I immediately fell in love with this series. So where the heck are the Patrangers in this show that's supposed to be about two teams, you might be asking. Well, one of the other smart tricks up this episode's sleeve is that, while it rightly prioritizes establishing the dark hero gimmick of the Lupinrangers (which needs way more explaining precisely because it's so against the grain for Sentai), you're also getting a pretty complete origin story for their more clean-cut opposite numbers. See, to the members of the Global Police team dedicated to dealing with the threat of interdimensional gangster monsters, the vigilante actions of the Lupinrangers aren't exactly helpful, which makes it all the more frustrating for Keiichirou Asaka that they're proving immensely popular with the public for being the only people with the power to fight on equal footing with the Ganglers. The Patrangers are set up as real underdogs, which makes them instantly endearing. Keiichirou may be getting way too worked up about this, but you can't help but root for the guy's desire to have proper, reliable, accountable professionals handling things. And just as Keiichirou's trademark passionate sense of justice comes across well, so too can you easily get a grasp on Tsukasa's much more calm and collected demeanor as the one woman who can talk Keiichirou out of his righteous temper tantrums, or Sakuya's role as the new guy who takes it so easy he's totally okay with letting the mystery criminals do their work for them, because work can be hard. I'd also be remiss not to mention my man Hilltop, the boss of the trio who's big on keeping the atmosphere at the office friendly and casual, as long as everyone is getting their job done. He seriously just kinda seems like a great guy to work under? The first thing he does in the whole show is bring his crew sweets! That's how you know he's sweet! Anyway, at the end of the episode, everything comes together with the Patrangers, having received their gear, arriving at the scene of the Lupinrangers' ongoing battle, and transforming for the first time to end on the cliffhanger of the title finally being realized, as the two teams get ready to square off. Pretty perfect moment to end on, all things considered. Instead of rushing into the main conflict, the show takes its time setting things up, while being sure to give just that littlest taste of what's to come for the next fifty episodes – that promise of how much more interesting things haven't even gotten yet. And man, things really do just keep getting interesting from this point on. Has there ever been one of these where I went on this long about just the first episode? Because if I try and touch on even a fraction of all the general points I also wanted to hit, I'm going to be here for a while yet. More like twice the teams, twice the length, huh? I mean, dude, Keiichirou. I've been telling myself for months and months he'd be getting his own paragraph when I got around to this show, and I'm not backing down on that. I would not hesitate to name this man as the greatest TV cop of all time. The surface level of his character is fun because he's always getting comically upset about those blasted phantom thieves, but there are so many more layers to why he acts the way he does, and the more you learn about him, the more you realize he's a stunningly ideal role model in so many respects. Ordinarily, a hotheaded super-cop character like him, they mostly just hate crime *that* much, probably because they don't want people dying or whatever, but Keiichirou's ideals are so much deeper than that. It's not enough to just protect people. Keiichirou considers the emotional well-being of the public every bit as important as their physical safety, and the crux of his distaste for the Lupins is how he feels people deserve so much better than self-interested thieves to look out for them. You can tell he truly values building that sense of mutual trust between law enforcement and the public, and it's honestly touching how much he just tries to be there for people, despite his naturally awkward personality. This is especially pronounced in his relationship with Kairi throughout the series, the angsty teenager he tries to look out for as best he can, blissfully unaware Kairi is also Lupin Red. Which naturally makes for a lot of great dramatic irony, and great spotlight episodes, and... ...You know, I really need to wrap this thing up, but I just can't do it. There's a really great episode later on (#37), that I really think demonstrates how genius Koumura's writing on this series is. It centers around a monster who has the power to shoot a beam that makes people go home. Like, they just fly up into the air and land at their house. It's exactly the kind of wacky modern Sentai monster power that's honestly way more fun and creative and interesting than just a guy who wants to kill people, and it makes for some equally fun, creative, and interesting plotting, with Keiichirou coming up with the idea to exploit the rules by moving into a tent he carries on his back into battle... which works. And that's probably enough substance for a Sentai episode, but the actual meat of the story is that the beam does nothing to Kairi, and the implications of that make for some extremely human, very real drama, getting great moments out of not only Keiichirou, who tries to help without knowing what's going on, but also Tooma, who knows what's going on but can't bring himself to try and help because of the distance inherent in their relationship. There's such genuine depth here, and this isn't even the only episode like this! Lupinranger VS Patranger is such a shining example of how the wackiness of tokusatsu can actively enhance the legitimate storytelling, and that balance, above all else, is why I never get tired of this show. You'll have to take my word how many other reasons there are, I guess. There was another whole section I wanted to do about how immensely appealing I find the striking minimalist design approach, with the Patrangers and Lupins having almost identical suits, and how communicative the contrasting details are, like the whole silver/gold thing, or the whole black and white thing, for that matter... and on that note there's the family names for each team having a connection to either night or day... and then their given names spell out Kai-To-U and Kei-Sa-Tsu... there are countless details and concepts in LuPat like this. I've gotta stop myself. I've gotta. It's real hard to stop, though. Which is probably why I started rewatching the whole series basically the moment after it ended. Lupinranger VS Patranger was a notable failure in terms of merch sales, but its impeccably strong writing didn't go unappreciated, landing it the first ever Galaxy Award for Super Sentai, which I can't pretend to know much about, but I gather it's quite the badge of honor. The award came with the comment (that I'm translating loosely) that LuPat "thoughtfully portrayed the relationship between two Sentai with different goals and senses of justice, depicting human drama with substance that exceeds the boundaries of a tokusatsu series", which, uh, yeah, that. I can tell from the context clue of how they felt the need to qualify that it's not just some tokusatsu show that the people who gave it the award probably weren't even huge nerds, so it should mean that much more that it won them over. Lupinranger VS Patranger, it's just awesome, in the most traditional sense of the word. I am in awe of it. Of its breathtaking visual style; of its remarkably engaging and fleshed out cast; of the sheer confidence with which it executes on what it sets out to do. So I'll say, one last time, I've gotta stop myself, and I'll also reiterate – once I start, it is *not* easy to stop myself from showering LuPat with praise. |
I don't think I ever immediately rewatched a show after finishing it, personally.
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I don't think I ever wanted to forget a show immediately after watching it.
Then I watched LuPat |
I absolutely remember this premiere episode being very exciting and dazzling; I still remember that first scene of the Lupins just flashily crashing the Ganglers' party. This was also the first Sentai that I was watching live from episode 1 (my catchup point was one of the last episodes of Kyuranger), and combined with of course the very unique premise this is one I have a lot of fun memories of
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I adore this show and its what got me back in Super Sentai after I had thought I lost interest in a long while. Kairi and Keichiro are of course the big standouts among the characters but I really do like everyone in the cast and the interplay between all of them. For me personally, it really speaks to the strength of the show's characters, style and spectacle that it's my favourite even when I have so many issues with it in later stretches (anywhere from disappointing arc conclusions, to the writing often undermining its very own premise, and the most egregious on-screen examples of toy marketing meddling where it shouldn't.) Then again, I'm only burned by all that latter stuff as much as I am because I care so much about the show in the first place. Tuning into this show alongside Build was often the highlight of my week ^_^ (I didn't do much else in the way of hobbies back then ^_^; ) |
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(It's real weird how we can all watch the same shows and have such different opinions on them, huh?) |
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Oh, and since LuPat is as recent as it is, I can go ahead and share here the very first sentence I ever wrote in reaction to an episode of it, straight from the premiere's discussion thread:
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More concise than anything I can say about this show will ever be, at least! I'd be careful about tempting me into talking about the second episode. I might start going on and on all about how LuPat's focus on CG in the mecha action is maybe the only time I've ever thought they made that look good, or the utterly fantastic moments Keiichirou gets in there, or... I'm *not* doing that, is the point! What do you think this is, a Fish Sandwich Rewatches Lupinranger VS Patranger thread? ...Which is totally one of the many ideas I half-considered before deciding to do the whole Zenkai Tour thing, for the record. Quote:
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