I'm just curious...do some people here recall the OG Samurai Troopers from back in the 80s?

This one came up during the year I was born (1988), but I saw the dubbed version in the 90s and then some years later, I borrowed a few DVDs which had both the dub as well as the original Japanese version.

I was introduced to it with the 90s English dub and eventually got to see the original Japanese dub. Blew my mind away when I was invested in learning about Japanese VAs and learned Takeshi Kusao was Trunks from DBZ and Ryo as well as Nozomu Sasaki who voiced Tetsuo in Akira was Shin.

Comrade,

I'm the biggest Samurai Troopers fangirl you know.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szDfBBh4RtM

Looks like the new show is going to be putting a stronger emphasis on comedy. I'm okay with this; a major problem I had with the OG is the lack of levity and chance for everyone to develop outside of fighting, mostly relegated to the (recorded post-series) audio dramas.

Man, the art for this is really bugging me. Something about the thick black outlines around the characters gives me mobile game vibes.

Yeah, I'm okay with this new generation of the team having some banter/dynamic different from the OG team as well.

Yeah, it looks like they're using cel shading when they have their Yoroi Gears on, but classic 2d hand drawing when not. Doesn't bother me personally, but understandable.

Well the originals just all fell in immediately so it's nice to see some actual friction in the new team.

It's a very peculiar mix but it doesn't look bad at all to my eyes.

Yeah, it's not super noticeable like Transformers Energon/Super Link. :lolol
That said, cel shading seems like a tricky technique to master.

And I just noticed in one of the scenes where Kaito and Musashi's faces appear in speech bubbles, an unidentified character with oni horns on his headband wearing supposedly brown Yoroi Gear is with them. I wonder what that's all about. Maybe we'll get extra troopers as part of the supporting cast? Kind of like Jabu and his crew in Saint Seiya.

So a bunch of model sheets and notes got leaked a while back...

(Highlight for spoilers)

If you notice the pink-haired girl's jacket, you'll notice it's the YST logo... sort of. Basically in the 37 years that've passed, a government organization called "DST" was established for the purpose of countering otherworld threats, which means there's plenty of redshirts to fill out the ranks in addition to the Troopers themselves.

Whaaaatttt

Yeah there is A Lot going on that hasn't been officially shown yet ;)

Big big news today. First off, new trailer, this time with an emphasis on showing off the new villains, and an air date (AT LAST) of January 6, 2026:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loJ05nefclc

An announcement of Choudan Kadou Yami Masho Anubis:

https://i.postimg.cc/d14p0SMz/o1440192015679745711.jpghttps://i.postimg.cc/wMrrXyjk/o1440144015679742786.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/zD24ZMFQ/o1440144015679749182.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/ZK1g0dgv/o1440144015679742807.jpg

And at last, apparently a special preview screening of episodes 1-3 of YSST on 12/23.
https://x.com/samuraitroo_pr/status/1995780477807198299

Just a little over a month left... I'm so excited :D

The preview also will have Hiiro Ishibashi who plays Gai and Ayumu Murase aka Don Murasame aka Shoyo Hinata who plays Musashi make an appearance. And from the look of things the four Mashos will be succeeded by ten warriors based off of the Sanada Ten Braves. So far, we have Sasuke, Saizou, Kamanosuke, Seikai-nyuudo, and Isa-nyuudo revealed.

We also have Ramaga instead of Arago. It's interesting how much everything is almost like a funhouse mirror of the originals; recognizable, but distorted and exaggerated ever so slightly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eP-bP5dET_k

Just a couple more weeks. The things I heard from the preview event earlier this week are... promising.

Opening clip has been revealed!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHUPdA8H6qk

Okay, the person in marketing for Sunrise who planned to release this for New Year's Day and their boss who greenlit the idea both deserve a raise on their next performance evaluation. This one's a banger. :rock:

Other than that... highly likely Ryusei (the mentor guy wearing the Senkou Yoroi Gear aka the green one that succeeds Kourin/Halo) is gonna get Battle Cossack'd or unable to don his Yoroi Gear because of shenanigans and Shion takes over, right?

Now if only they actually put some money into marketing and figuring out who the f**k has the NA streaming rights. :mad:

That's the running theory in no small part due to the fact that Kouya as worn by him features the mon on the shoulders, but they're absent on Shion's version.

There was a similar situation in Gundam 00, come to think of it, to those related to the color green. :lolol

A little over 36 hours until air and still nothing from Crunchy as to whether or not they have the rights...

It's now live -if completely unannounced - on Crunchyroll.
https://www.crunchyroll.com/series/G...murai-troopers

So it's now airing subbed on Crunchy and I have seen it and

Yeah. Yeah this one's got The Juice.

Okay yeah today was... THAT was a lot all at once and I'm pretty sure I can call where this is going from here, but damn that was a lot of new developments I hadn't expected, but as the saying goes...

https://content.imageresizer.com/ima...hat-meme-9.jpg

Good to actually have a demonstration of how wide the gap is between a full-geared Samurai Trooper and a "normal" human is, though.

So, Kaito is the Banjyo of Yoroi Shinden and Gai is the Gentoku + Sento-hybrid.

We've also got shades of Sentou in Mirei, I'm pretty sure Yamato is going to pull Banjou duty, and then there's one more that we have yet to see...

Also given what we know of Kaito from promotional materials, he's also got a bit of Kazumi going on.

Addicted to this song. For those wondering what One or Eight is supposed to mean, it's a literal translation of "Ichi ka Bachi ka (一か八か)" which is a saying in Japan that is close to the English expression "All or Nothing" or "Do or Die." It's a saying that originates from the dice gambling scene during old-timey Japan, supposedly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aw45Q_mr0_M

I'm not much for modern J-pop or anything like that but the show's song choices so far are absolutely blowing me away.

Oldies J-pop songs that were featured so far.

Episode 1 - Namida no Request by The Checkers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7MHXbsT3J4

Episode 2 - TOKIO by Kenji Sawada
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUfTDQru5yI

Seriously, at this rate I wouldn't be surprised if they inserted songs by Koji Kikkawa (yes, our very own Kamen Rider Skull was a charismatic singer first back in his heydays), Yutaka Ozaki, or BOOWY in future episodes. Looking back, I'm surprised episode 2 didn't use this song, considering the plot for it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLbWXxj8T5I

So we're now in uncharted territory; the first three episodes were previewed during an event late last month, so anything beyond today is effectively unknown. I can say for certain we're still missing a few scenes from the trailers (namely the ones featuring Shion) but what happens from here... That's entirely up in the air.

Y'know by now the "Fourth Episode Twist" is a tried and true rule that one just expects, but

MAN did they Do It Again this week.

Meanwhile, I'm having a blast looking up some of these oldies classics they're singing. :lolol

Man. Even when you know it's coming... you're never really prepared.

Just... Goddamn. I called it all and I'm STILL in pieces.

All I'm gonna say is Muto be cookin'. Holy cow.

Ryu has always just been trying his best...to live up to Ryo's memory and faith in him...to help mentor Gai into being Ryo's legacy...heck, he even introduced Gai to "Samurai Heart!"

The Samurai Troopers have finally encountered Emperor Ramaga! Only they can't hit him because there's a powerful barrier getting in their way. Not to mention ALL The remaining 10 Warriors. But Ramaga can definitely effect them...by possessing everyone to attack his son.

But Ryu comes in with the save! Whenever this team needs him, he's always there! Because Ryo entrusted him with carrying on the team without him and he's never forgotten it. Just like Yagyu, the memory of Ryo runs deep into Ryu and everything he does.

Sorry Yamato, you finally unleash your Secret Art and it was just to provide time for the rest of the team to come up with a plan...to take on the 10 Warriors and throw off the barrier so Gai and Shion can take the fight to Ramaga.

Oh, so Shion wasn't dumb enough to bring the real Sword of Domination right where the demons could get it. Of course now they don't have a sword they can use to defeat him with.

It was Ramaga all along! Infecting Ryusei so he could transform him into a monstrosity powered by all of the deep negative emotions Ryu feels! And one who can totally wreck the team!

But Ryu was the one who believed that Gai was human, who saved him from being a demon, who helped console him when he finally felt regret for his sins, who taught him humans aren't half-bad, who believed he COULD be the true successor to the Emissary of Fire and lead the team...just like he believed and mentored all of them. So if it takes all of them pitching in to save him, with Gai wielding the Sword of Domination, complete with Samurai Heart playing in the background...then they'll do it!

Except this wasn't a heroic save...whatever was effecting Ryu was a bad match-up for the Sword of Domination. So instead they just killed him. But not before Ryu passes the mantle of Emissary of Fire to Gai, expresses how much he believes in the team, and leaves them in Shion's hands. RYUSEI NOOOOOOOO.

Gai is now the true Emissary of Fire, and as such he will wield Righteousness in fighting his father and uses the Sword of Domination in full flaming glory to defeat Ramaga...and reveal Ramaga is NONE OTHER THAN RYO SANADA, THE ORIGINAL EMISSARY OF FIRE!!!!

Speaking of episode 5, already looking forward to the Haohtei armor. I take it that the next big adventure will involve them looking for a mirror so they can use it.

What the hell happened, Jun?

There are a lot of theories going around right now... but all I can say for certain is "CPTSD is no joke".

I'm a bit iffy on this development mostly because I've seen it play out way too mean a few too many times.

Seriously, I was utterly shocked to see him in such a state of distress. While I am open to the possibility of the root cause being something else, for now, I can only assume it's a culmination of the OG Samurai Troopers not returning five years ago, Yojyas back in full swing in the present, and finally seeing Ryo being used as a vessel for the new big baddie.

Side note, Jun is voiced by Mr. Zenitsu himself, Hiro Shimono.
Also, here are the Japanese release schedules of the model kits for the five troopers this year:
Gai is scheduled for March
Kaito is scheduled for July
Musashi is scheduled for August
Yamato is scheduled for September
Shion is scheduled for October

While they haven't said it, I wouldn't be surprised if Ryusei gets Premium Bandai'd in the future. Basically it would be the Shion kit but with Ryusei head+faces and either retooled or Emissary of Fire decals for the shoulder armor pieces.

I don't think he knows about Ryo just yet, though. There were some stuff in the leaks that offer a pretty good reason as to why, but even with what we have right now in-show, there's a good chance that it's all of that plus him washing out as a Trooper candidate that could've led him to this.

To say nothing of what's likely happened to his parents in the intervening years.

I would say that they could easily include Ryusei parts with Shion but Bandai's never made something that could work as two things without selling the other thing separate later down the line.

Yeah, that is likely too now that you mention it.

Yep, which is why I think Ryusei getting the possible PB treatment seems inevitable.

Oh snap, a flashback to the original show! Getting to see everybody in their original styles, including Nasti! We even get to see Ryo training Shion/Ryusei, and Nasti back when she still had long hair! Did she cut it when she lost her boys?

Admittedly the OG team DID still have it, they were able to hold their own against the 10 Warriors, but then Ramaga saw Ryo's potential as a host and possessed him...but what happened to the rest of the team!?

It's rough for Nasti seeing Ryo like this, especially since it seems like there's nothing left of him. Even Musashi and Yamato have to see their Hero like this. And Ryo doesn't even have much time left as Ramaga's body, which is why Ramaga is so focused on finding a new host. And Gai isn't ready to be one...yet. Also, uh...Happy Birthday Gai?

Ramaga just makes a floating fortress for his army above the city, the one from the OP, and gives our heroes seven days to prepare before the final battle. And the 10 Warriors say "goodbye" by making the Troopers realize they were just going easy on them and showing they're still nowhere near strong enough to beat the 10 Warriors. Are they going to be okay?

Mirei and Nasti are both not taking losing the guys in their life (Ryu and Ryo respectively), but they have to do what they can to make sure the Troopers they have now are ready to face the next challenge! And that means they need Shion!

You know it's bad when 3/4 of the team are willing to quit rather than fight a battle they're inevitably going to die in. Musashi is really losing it.

I can't believe they actually put Mirei in a soldier uniform and threw her into a combat situation. This is not how you treat the Heroine! Though count on the Heroine to be able to talk to Shion...he doesn't need to 100% replace Ryu, he needs to do what only HE can do for the team. With some assistance beyond the grave from Ryu.

Gai is throwing his feelings about Ryu's death into fighting training dummies...but then he takes his last "lesson" which was having all the humans he killed come at him and kill him. Dang Ryu, that's a little much! But it's effective in making Gai realize that he's discovered empathy, and an understanding of the sins he committed, through his experience losing Ryusei.

Shion doesn't make a good impression on the team, what with keeping Nasti/Mirei "hostage," and immediately insulting/challenging them all...but if it makes them willing to fight him, all the better. And because of Ryusei's files on them, he knows their strengths, weaknesses, and why Ryu believed in them all as he fights them. If it means fighting them like Ryu would, all the better.

And then it comes down to Gai, who is no longer fighting to save himself but to protect others from his father, and it's with that drive that he's able to hold his own against Shion and actually beat him! And rally the rest of the team to not give up! Now Shion is part of the team and as such they can treat him as the "newbie" they can all lord over!

Their best bet to defeat Ramaga is the Armor of the Supreme Emperor, but to obtain that they'll need Jun from the OG series' help...too bad he's become a hikikomori voiced by Hiro Shimono who was on the train base this whole time, so not sure how much help he'll be there.