Yeah, Raita is one of my favorites too. He and Ako are vastly underrated.

I won't lie, I couldn't stop myself from thinking about the "...Vroom Mini-Picker!" gag in particular from that episode, among everything else about that scene. I consider it a massive testament to Jetman's quality that Zenkaiger didn't completely ruin the dramatic impact of the epilogue for me.

...Or maybe it's a testament to Zenkaiger's quality that it got that close to ruining it? Either way, I guess!

Look, I know if I were writing Jetman fan-fic, it'd be nothing but Radiguet jumping into scenes holding a sword while going "RAAAAAAAAARGH!!!", so I'm not going to judge anyone else for their choice of subject matter. :p

Inoue definitely seems like a pretty spontaneous sort of writer, so I'd believe it!

The two of them are legitimately crucial to balancing out the show's dynamic.

They aren't involved in drama as flashy as what Ryuu, Kaori, and Gai are wrapped up in, so it probably seems to some people like even the writers themselves care less, but I don't think that's the case at all. I really appreciated that Inoue did that whole plot in the Jet Garuda debut where Ako makes fun of how obsessed with romance her teammates are before getting involved in her one and only instance of relationship drama, and I think it's notable that the finale directly includes a reappearance from Raita's childhood crush in the epilogue, even though she's from an episode Inoue didn't write. References from him to episodes by guest writers are practically non-existent in Jetman, so I like to think of this as a sign that even Inoue realized how amazing that particular episode was.

Power Rangers

Beast Morphers
Series I (Episode 16)

Dino Fury
Series II (Episode 01)

Watching both on Netflix VIA download on my I Pad and may resume after Dino Fury Part 2 (21 - 40) is uploaded to Netflix.

Will rejoin Netflix then.

.......I've finished Ressha Sentai ToQger, all 47 episodes.

God, I got completely steamrolled. I'm having trouble actually articulating how I felt about those last episodes or even a general review because I'm so overwhelmed by emotion right now. But I'm going to do my best to do so anyway! Full speed ahead!

-I'm a big fan of Yasuko Kobayashi's Rider works, they have much what goes on in ToQger(strong themes, super endearing characters, emotional beats that hit every damn time, etc) but the final arcs for them are underwhelming at best or even straight up baffling at times. I was fully prepared to ignore some awkward tie-ups to loose ends as long as the show hit the right emotional beats for me like I did for her Rider work, but I'm genuinely surprised how everything neatly comes together in ToQger's final arc? The secret behind the Zett/Right dynamic, Subarugahama's location, things like that- they're all solid payoffs to what the show has been building up!

-Look I know I talked about Akira in my last big post about ToQger and but like. Akira!!!! is so good!!!! in these last few 10 or so episodes!!!! People like to slap "father figure" on any older man in a cast of youths, and I definitely wouldn't call Akira that at all, but like. He definitely feels like an older sibling to the rest of the ToQgers by the final episodes, yknow? His "betrayal" arc, him tightly gripping the kid ToQgers as Right rides away because that's all he can do at that moment, making Right promise they'll fight together, proudly declaring that the Rainbow Line is his place to live-I love the kids to pieces, but Akira is probably my favorite ToQger by a big gap.

-Man, Zett and Right in these last few episodes, huh? It's really sad, how they both scuumb to darkness, thinking there's no other option than this fate laid out before them. There's this shot after he seemingly kills Gritta, and he sits upon his throne, and.....I know it's just a suit guys, but he looks so damn tired. There's this real sense of tragedy to Zett properly playing the part of the final boss, which is why I wasn't fazed at all at Gritta scooping him up and riding away. Maybe someday, he'll be able to obtain a sparkle of his own, in that far-off darkness...

Dark 1gou is really pretty, with the black suit with irscident flecks all over it.(Kinda wish Rainbow 1gou did something similar with a white suit, the effects they went for it are kinda painful to look at) Right's actor has always been pretty good at portraying the "kid in adult's body" stuff, but there's this one really good scene. Right's under a blanket, remembering the ToQgers he sent away, and he has this look. It's only for a second, but it looks so much more like the face of a deeply upset child's face than an sad adult's. It's so heartbreaking, in like the best way? That's all I can say abt everything concerning this particular plotpoint, him pushing away the rest of the group to fight Zett by himself: it's sad and heartbreaking and makes me tear up! And its resolution wants to makes me tear up even more!!!


Anyway. Final thoughts about this show. I adore this show, so much. I think this show is like, a testament to why I even like Tokukatsu: Yeah, it's exciting to watch people in flashy suits twirl around and punch monsters, but these stories are being told are so fun, so sincere, so kind, you can't help but get emotional! (As a side note: thinking of staring LuPat or Kyuranger, but I can't really decide. If anyone wants to throw in an opinion as to watch one over the other, be my guest.)

^ Glad you really like this series. Easily one of the most underrated seasons of Super Sentai.

Yeah, there's absolutely a lot to commend about ToQger. Glad to see it stuck the landing for you.

LuPat places a huge emphasis on the characterization of the heroes, and tells a lot of great stories driven by the cast's surprisingly grounded personalities moreso than any big Plot stuff.

Kyuranger goes for a really bombastic tone with its huge colorful cast, has a surprising amount of momentum to its overarching plots, and always puts its optimistic attitude and themes at the forefront.

In other words, I think both those shows have qualities similar to ToQger's own, so there might not be a wrong choice here. In my opinion, anyway, both LuPat and Kyuranger are really interesting shows that each put a fresh spin on Sentai in their own way. They're also deliberately contrasting each other, since one is a big space adventure while the other keeps things down to earth in more ways than one, so I guess maybe go with whichever one of those flavors sounds better to you at the moment?

~Fish's Zenkai Tour!~

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

With Zenkaiger having reached its end, Donbrothers is about to begin its own run as the one and only 46th Super Sentai series. But hey, since some of the anniversary aspects of the former are continuing directly into the latter, that's as good an excuse as any for me to wrap up one last bit of unfinished business by finally compiling my Zenkai Tour in one place.

It's like the thread I never made a thread for, so I figure a nice single post is the least I can offer it. After all, I wrote these over the course of an entire year, so digging back through the thread to find all of them without this is maybe more work than it ought to be. Assuming I'm not flattering myself again by thinking this post will actually be of use to anyone but myself, anyway. But to explain what this project is once more, I decided when Zenkaiger started airing that I was going to watch the first episode of every single Sentai up to that point, one premiere for every one episode of Zenkaiger, week after week, and then write a little something about it. Sometimes a lot of something about it. It was an excuse to travel through the whole history of the franchise, and my own feelings and memories with it, and I'm still immensely happy I made the effort to do that. So for the sake of preserving that journey in a cleanly manner, I've collected the links to all 45 of those posts right here, for the convenience of anybody who might want to take that ride with me.

Episode 1 – Himitsu Sentai Goranger
Episode 2 – JAKQ Dengekitai
Episode 3 – Battle Fever J
Episode 4 – Denshi Sentai Denziman
Episode 5 – Taiyou Sentai Sun Vulcan
Episode 6 – Dai Sentai Goggle-V
Episode 7 – Kagaku Sentai Dynaman
Episode 8 – Choudenshi Bioman
Episode 9 – Dengeki Sentai Changeman
Episode 10 – Choushinsei Flashman
Episode 11 – Hikari Sentai Maskman
Episode 12 – Choujuu Sentai Liveman
Episode 13 – Kousoku Sentai Turboranger
Episode 14 – Chikyuu Sentai Fiveman
Episode 15 – Choujin Sentai Jetman
Episode 16 – Kyouryuu Sentai Zyuranger
Episode 17 – Gosei Sentai Dairanger
Episode 18 – Ninja Sentai Kakuranger
Episode 19 – Chouriki Sentai Ohranger
Episode 20 – Gekisou Sentai Carranger
Episode 21 – Denji Sentai Megaranger
Chapter Twenty-Two – Seijuu Sentai Gingaman
Episode 23 – Kyuukyuu Sentai GoGoFive
Case File.24 – Mirai Sentai Timeranger
Quest 25 – Hyakujuu Sentai Gaoranger
Scroll Twenty-Six – Ninpuu Sentai Hurricaneger
Episode 27 – Bakuryuu Sentai Abaranger
Episode. 28 – Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger
Stage. 29 – Mahou Sentai Magiranger
Task. 30 – GoGo Sentai Boukenger
Lesson 31 – Juuken Sentai Gekiranger
GP-32 – Engine Sentai Go-Onger
Act Thirty-Three – Samurai Sentai Shinkenger
epic 34 – Tensou Sentai Goseiger
Episode 35 – Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger
Mission36 – Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters
Brave 37 – Juuden Sentai Kyoryuger
Station 38 – Ressha Sentai ToQger
Shinobi 39 – Shuriken Sentai Ninninger
Episode 40 – Doubutsu Sentai Zyuohger
Space.41 – Uchuu Sentai Kyuranger
#42 – Kaitou Sentai Lupinranger VS Keisatsu Sentai Patranger
Episode 43 – Kishiryuu Sentai Ryusoulger
エピソード 44 – Mashin Sentai Kiramager
Kai 45! – Kikai Sentai Zenkaiger

I had zero context for like 99% of these posts, but it was always fun to read them nonetheless. Glad you went through with it.

Thanks for the advice! Kyuranger seems exciting, but i'll watch and episode or two of LuPat to see if it catches my eye as well!

I don't know Sentai at all (the formula in my brain is basically Trains + Dancing x Sometimes Gears = Teens With Attitude), but a guided tour by Fish Sandwich through 45 years of Sentai? INSANE. You literally couldn't ask for a more passionate and knowledgeable fan to encapsulate and evangelize an entire franchise of tokusatsu.

Fish posts are always fun reading, but Fish projects? Those are required reading.

Thanks, as always, for making this stuff available to the community!