Tokusatsu Year in Review 2022: Decker the Halls; Donbrothers we now our Geats Apparel
 

So here I am, stuck inside during a massive blizzard, just waiting for the weather to get even worse than it currently is. Seems like an opportune time to go ahead and get this posted a little early.

If you've been around the site as long as I have then a) that's pretty cool and b) you know the drill. If you don't know the drill, this is a thread that I regurgitate every December to reflect back on the past year and tokusatsu-y stuff that we particularly enjoyed. I thought it was a pretty good year, overall. Not the best, not the worst. It's nice to see the Big Three starting to move away from everything being an anniversary celebration, but I know we've still got at least Shin Kamen Rider and some form of Gaia tribute on deck for '23.

As always, for releases of this year I'm counting any series that aired any episodes during 2022, including:

Zenkaiger
Donbrothers
Kamen Rider Revice
Kamen Rider Geats
Kamen Rider Black Sun
Ultraman Decker
Does Power Rangers still exist? I don't know. Probably.

Does Fuuto PI count as a tokusatsu? I'll let you make that call for yourself; follow your heart.

And again, for movies I'm counting anything that came out this year as well as anything that came out last year but wasn't available as a dvd/fansub until this year. I've also expanded this category to include one-off specials and online miniseries, since both have become increasingly common in the last few years.

Favorite New Show of 2022

Favorite New-to-You Show of 2022

Favorite Movie, Miniseries, or Special of 2022

Favorite Rewatch of 2022

Favorite Male Lead Character

Favorite Female Lead Character

Favorite Male Supporting Character

Favorite Female Supporting Character

Favorite Villain

Favorite Returning Past Character

Favorite Actor

Favorite Actress

Favorite Writer

Favorite Director

Favorite Suit Design

Favorite Weapon/Vehicle/Mecha

Favorite Fight Scene

Favorite Dramatic Scene

Favorite Comedic Scene

Biggest "WTF did I just watch?" Moment

Favorite Song

Favorite Piece of Merchandise

Biggest Surprise of 2022

And finally, because some things in 2022 were whatever the hell Daiji's character arc was supposed to be:

Biggest Disappointment of 2022:

The Onari Memorial Award for Single Worst Thing in Tokusatsu, 2022 Edition:

Favorite New Show of 2022
https://media.tenor.com/ENIq3Xmv3IMA...onbrothers.gif

Donbrothers captured my heart with everything it got. From the characters, to story, action and music the show had everything I love in toku in spades. Inoue did it again saving Sentai twice in a row.

Favorite New-to-You Show of 2022
https://media.tenor.com/Mk_OtQBR8dYA...raman-beam.gif

The original Ultraman isn't exactly new for me but this year I finally completed watching the entire show just in time for Shin Ultraman. And 56 years later Eiji Tsuburaya imagination that captured people attention still burns bright. I implore everyone to give the show a shot it cult classic for a reason.

Favorite Movie, Miniseries, or Special of 2022
https://media.tenor.com/gRNW2wLKtMYA...n-ultraman.gif

I will forever be grateful to be able to watch Shin Ultraman in theaters. Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi manages to bring forth a film that's equal part modern and nostalgic in what I can only describe as a compliment to the original Ultraman.

Favorite Rewatch of 2022

Didn't really rewatch anything.

Favorite Male Lead Character
https://media.tenor.com/pOwHqrhKPrIA...r-ultraman.gif
I knew the moment I saw Kanata Asumi pick up a gun in the trailer for Ultraman Decker I was going to like this guy. And I was right a blaance between sincerity & enthusiasm Asumi Kanata is a simple man in more complex world and is that brought forth by his actor through body movement and facial expression.

Plus despite having a catchphrase he isn't shouting it every episode which makes hin feel more normal. And he's mecha fan I trust him .

Favorite Female Lead Character
https://media.tenor.com/Vijfpeji59YA...ers-haruka.gif
Kitou Haruka was the first character we where introdcued on the latest edition of Inoue wild ride known as Donbrothers. And I wouldn't have it any other way. Her maniac energy that her actress is able to exhude both draws the audience as well as bounce off the character surronding her. Every moment with her is deligbt and the focus episode she gets are some of the show's highlights.

Favorite Male Supporting Character

https://i.imgur.com/DwEGPpj_d.webp?m...idelity=medium
John and Ben are cool comic relief characters and the fact are both active on twitter makes me bias ok.

Favorite Female Supporting Character
https://media.tenor.com/smfRmpcBFy4A...ider-geats.gif

Sara Sakura is one of the most involved relative for a toku character I've ever seen. And her personality bounces so well with Keiwa as both an anchor and a foil. The twist reveal because of her parents was one of the best moments in Geats so far and I can't wait to see where the show takes her.

Favorite Villain
https://media.tenor.com/qkdW2qc3TZoA...der-demons.gif
Olteca was a breath of fresh air. As he was an awful person with a terrible past but that wasn't used as an excuse to justify his actions in the long run. With smarmy personality and strength to back it up he was fomidable foe for the heroes eithout being to overpowered to defeat that it was unreasonable. I was worried when they brought him back that he was going to get a tacked on redemption arc. But thank goodness Revice dropped the ball on this one and did absoultely nothing with the character.

Favorite Returning Past Character
https://thumbs.gfycat.com/AbleAdvanc...restricted.gif
Nexus was one of the big players and the Ultra Galaxy Fight series was always going to involve them some how no doubt but when and how? Welp The Destined Crossroads finally gave us that answer and I couldn't be happier with the way they went about it everything from the effects, to body language conveys Nexus mysterious nature and strength without a single word of dialogue faithful to the character. And was one of the biggest highlights in a sea of cameos.

Favorite Actor

Hideyoshi Kan plays Ukiyo Ace with charm and energy and you can feel how much he's enjoying his time as the cunning fox.

Favorite Actress
Same thing I said for Haruka I could for her actress Kohaku Shida.

Favorite Writer
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FXbvY3cU...jpg&name=large

Favorite Director
https://i.ibb.co/P5Xswh4/5auscyenlwi91.jpg
Takanori Tsujimoto kills it with every Ultraman episode he's directed and the man deserves all the praise leaps and bounds I will post my favaorite shot from Decker that he did.
https://i.ibb.co/QrPKPVY/Decker-Strong-Kick.gif

Favorite Suit Design
Mother Spheresaurus Not going to post a pic about it. But it very cool one of the best design period.

Favorite Weapon/Vehicle/Mecha
https://thumbs.gfycat.com/AbandonedDopeyCardinal.webp
Don Onitaijin an articulated mecha does wonders for the design dosen't it? One of the most streamlined mechs for a Sentai we've had in a long time.

Favorite Fight Scene
https://wiki.tvnihon.com/w/images/a/ac/Don2708.jpg
Duel

'nuff said

Favorite Dramatic Scene
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vcKBVhdlfCk
Dear Gaga is beautiful

Favorite Comedic Scene
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nWHmx9D85dY

If Fuuto PI dosen't count then Episode 12 of Revice where Hiromi distracts Daiji with his backstory and henshins fastar than him.

Biggest "WTF did I just watch?" Moment
https://imgur.io/rARjaVv?r
Donbrothers 38 'nuff said
(I can't share a gif or a pic you have to see it to believe it)

Favorite Song
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cpWnHL...ture=emb_title
'nuff said

Favorite Piece of Merchandise
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SXoONNtx8zs

Ultra Replica Orb Ring the thing is loaded with sounds and what you get outta of the box is already satisfactory and that not including the extra card sets coming out. If I can only have one Ultra toy this would be it.

Biggest Surprise of 2022
https://ogre.natalie.mu/media/news/e...00&imdensity=1

Kamen Rider Outsiders looks pretty wild with the selection of Riders where getting back.

Biggest Disappointment of 2022:
https://media.tenor.com/yTqdW8U_lhEA...aiji-punch.gif
Daiji Igarashi was the character I was most excited for going into Revice. His connection to his family, a captain of Fenix, his inner struggles with his demon Kagero, Kagero allying with the Deadmans. Yet every turn of the way this character was utterly wasted. Not enough focus in the first half for either Daiji or Kagero instead Ikki, Sakura and Hiromi took most of it. As a result a lack luster "finale" for the two at episode 26. The writer then turned tailed and began painfully retconing the entire story to reintroduce Kaegro in most the dragged out confusing story in all of Revice.

The Onari Memorial Award for Single Worst Thing in Tokusatsu, 2022 Edition:


Still no Z & Trigger OST c'mon what taking so long?

Favorite New Show of 2022:

Dogengers High School, as someone who got into Dogengers this year because of subs being more readily available than prior, it was fun to see this third installment in the Local Hero genre. The show was always evolving, but this one definitely feels like the closest to a standard Tokusatsu production compared to the other two.

You've got guests of the week, an active recurring side cast of non-suited people, very nice stunts and just fun episodic plots with all the wackiness you've come to expect. Overall a standout show and also one that shows the danger of Ohgaman growing in power... dude used his pharmacy money to buy a school... that's terrifying.

Favorite New-to-You Show of 2022:

Dogengers & Dogengers Nice Buddy, so yeah, more readily available subs allowed me to finally check these shows out. Very budget, but also filled with a lot of heart, which is exactly what I come to enjoy from these sorts of shows.

The first show just showed the fun and power of local heroes while the second one surprisingly pulled my heart as it told me the story of what heroes mean to people.

Dogengers is a genuinely great franchise and I really hope that more people check it out.

Favorite Movie, Miniseries, or Special of 2022:

Super Hero Senki, I love it when Toku gets meta. It's why I loved Heisei Generations Forever. So Super Hero Senki going a similar route and bringing back a robust amount of its guest cast while also using Saber's storytelling theme to enhance it all? Beautiful. The endgame that starts in the real world is genuinely one of the most chilling things I've ever experienced (It feels very JRPG-like) and what it spirals into just makes me have a big smile on my face.

Favorite Male Lead Character:

Kanata Asumi (Ultraman Decker) from Ultraman Decker. The dude just has a good energy to him, and just a genuinely nice personality that bounces off the other characters in the show. I haven't exactly gotten far into Decker (still at Decker Dynamics debut in terms of stopping point) but he's definitely a standout for me in terms of Male Leads this year.

Favorite Female Lead Character:

Mako Yamada (MAKO) from Dogengers High School. She's just a normal girl... who wants to not be normal anymore. Well becoming a local hero thanks to an ancient samurai sheath will probably do the trick... probably. Idk why but there's something endearing to me about her wanting to become more than just stereotypical 'normal', wanting to break out of her shell, etc. Which is why she's a standout to me in terms of all the female heroines this year.

Favorite Male Supporting Character:

Ignis (Dark Trigger) from Ultraman Trigger. Oh Ignis, you were not a main character but you definitely had a lot of gusto. Your backstory and how that shaped you, alongside how you ended up at the end of it all... I really enjoyed it.

Really wasn't expecting the treasure hunter turned Dark Ultra but not really to be my favorite out of the whole cast, but he ended up making it happen.

Favorite Female Supporting Character:

Rin from Genm's/Outsiders. You know I feel like it's very hard to top Izu in terms of like, secretary Humagears, but ever since her appearance in the first Genm's Special she's been a standout to me in terms of Humagears. Her just being with Gai is like... it just feels right? They just somehow manage to click together as a pair just like Aruto and Izu did and I like it.

Favorite Villain:

It's time for a bit of a funny and unexpected option...

Akaishi from Revice. Why?

http://media.tenor.com/yfTywgmkCw8AA...der-revice.gif

This man is probably the most unintentionally hilarious character in the entire show and that is all in part to his actor who really goes above and beyond what he really should have been doing. And yet... I love it? I'm not sure why but the man is just... fun to watch even if he was the most obvious big bad dude since his first appearance.

Favorite Returning Past Character:

Takeshi Hongo (Kamen Rider Ichigo) in Super Hero Senki. He doesn't do much, but him showing up as the original voice of Ichigo to play him in a faithfully recreated suit of his OG design was a treat to see. Of course, his big moment is when he dismisses his transformation and starts speaking to Shotaro about how large Kamen Rider and Sentai have grown. You can feel the emotion in his voice and expressions and while his appearance can be counted as a cameo at most, it's still an important one that really tugs at the heartstrings.

Favorite Writer:

Toshiki Inoue, hit or miss, you can't deny that him coming back full time for Donbrothers has resulted in some unique insanity when it comes to Toku. Not much to say other than... Inoue Forever!!!

Favorite Director:

Kazuya Kamihoriuchi, I've been a fan of him ever since Build 21, and it hasn't stopped. Dude manages to produce some of the best directed Toku Episodes I've ever seen. His work on Revice, Geats and Trio of Deep Sin this year was some top notch stuff.

Favorite Suit Design:

Kamen Rider Glare. This suit is quite possibly the cleanest suit I've ever seen. The fact that five parts of it are made out of helmets is also pretty incredible in that it has a bulk and heft to it but it doesn't feel overcrowded because of it.

Favorite Weapon/Vehicle/Mecha:

Don Onitaijin, because of course it had to be Don Onitaijin. While I've liked Sentai Mecha in the past, Don Onitaijin is just well done, not only as a suit but also as a toy in terms of what it brings to the table compared to past mecha.

Favorite Fight Scene:

Destream vs. Vail, it takes a lot for me to think of a definitive fight. But when your fight makes me replay it more than 5 times without subs? Then you know you've got a winner. It hits a bunch of cool action moments, has nice emotional impact, and has a really clean finisher on both sides.

Favorite Dramatic Scene:

The Endings of both Donbrothers 27 and 32, despite both episodes playing out in a similar fashion, there's still such a great amount of tension to each scene with each character in a different mindset in each. The usage of Tsuki Nomizo Shiru is also handled well, showcasing a different mood for each fight even if they're mirrors of each other.

Favorite Comedic Scene:

I'll give Geats some more love. In Episode 3 we see Neon cornered by her bodyguards who are on orders to bring her home, Ace who is the Star of the Stars of the Stars is also with her. She makes a run for it once the DGP is calling for a new round, of course her bodyguards have to chase her... but first need to get autographs from Ace who just plops his hat on one of them and then straightens the other's tie with that smarmy smile of his. Cute little scene that honestly made me laugh more than I expected.

Biggest "WTF did I just watch?" Moment:

Donbrothers 23's Ending

Favorite Song:

Bittersweet, I was not expecting Saber Trio of Deep Sin to have such a wonderful bop as a ballad, there's this real melancholy to the song that I can't describe and it's just so wonderfully well put together. Including the music video.

Don't Boo Donbrothers is an absolute close second though for how it basically cemented Donbrothers as having the best Episode Preview setup of all time.

Favorite Piece of Merchandise:

The Desire Driver, I have not bought it yet, but it is probably one of the most innovative Driver's I've seen. I was iffy on it but after Ginpen's core is set to release, well... I have got to have it now.

Biggest Surprise of 2022:

Kamen Rider Outsiders' reveal and existence and in turn, what just dropped tonight as I post this... Ouja Survive is real and happening. No I am not joking.

Biggest Disappointment of 2022:

The Cosmic Fury suit reveal. I feel like people are too forgiving because those suits are absolutely some of the weakest PR Exclusive designs I've seen.

The Onari Memorial Award for Single Worst Thing in Tokusatsu, 2022 Edition:

Black Sun's release schedule ensuring I likely won't watch it anytime soon (my brain is weird) because they released it all at once. Why would you release something of that length and pacing all at once? Terrible and baffling decision, almost as bad as Stone Ocean's release schedule on Netflix if I'm being honest.

I genuinely don't know whose more disappointing how Otelca came back to life to do nothing the rest of the show(and you can draw straight line down in the quality of Revice when Olteca "Dies" or Daiji's arc in Revice which they literally ADMITTED they didn't know what to do with him/were making things up as they went Giff was also a major disappointment too but he was always the weakest part of Revice before he became the main focus

I was thinking about doing this, then I realized time has no meaning and I have zero idea when I watched a lot of shows. Did I rewatch Ryuki this year? I genuinely have no idea. All that I know is I've been having fun.

Alrighty, let's go.

Favorite New Show of 2022
Donbrothers. After Zenkaiger fizzled out on it's final quarter, Donbrothers was the explosive breath of fresh air that I needed. It's cast is quirky and plays off each other well, even if they still aren't all aware of each others' identities. The plot is interesting and the villains have a great dynamic with the heroes.

Favorite New-to-You Show of 2022
Not a show, but Hurricanger 10 Years After. Hurricanger is such a great series that I'm not surprised it was popular enough to net both a 10 and 20 year reunion special. The movie wasn't too spectacular, but it was decent, and has me interested in the next one.

Favorite Movie, Miniseries, or Special of 2022
Beyond Generations was nicely done. I liked the parts that were actually about the father and son. Shame Revice and Saber's cast needed to hog so much of the screen time.

Favorite Rewatch of 2022
I did not rewatch any series this year.

Favorite Male Lead Character
Gotta be Kijino Tsuyoshi, easy. His beginning as a loveable goof and the heart of the team due to his effort despite his unimpressiveness, to his wild and devious turn? I love it, and his story arc with Inuzuka and Miho is easily the best part of Donbrothers.

Favorite Female Lead Character
Kito Haruka. Obvious choice, but she's so fun and loveable. The absolutely insane energy she brings at times also helps.

Favorite Male Supporting Character
HIROMI. This guy carried Revice so hard. Once he "Died", the show took a massive drop in quality. That may be subjective and just my point of view, but still, the sheer fact that the show became so much less interesting once he was gone, and then suddenly became more fun once he returned was telling that he was the unsung hero of the show.

Favorite Female Supporting Character
Miho. From her being a loving wife to her reveal as a Juuto, Miho (And Natsumi) and where things will go for their plot has me hooked.

Favorite Villain
Sonoi is the easy call here. His odd relationship with Tarou that goes from rivals to uneasy friends is great. I also just love when villains get to interact with the heroes beyond fighting.

Favorite Returning Past Character
Eiji.
RIP

Favorite Actor
Kane Kosugi, Ninja Black, making his debut as a Rider! Absolutely love it!

Favorite Suit Design
Kamen Rider Vail is just chef's kiss. It's so well designed and cool. Honestly, Genta just won the suit lottery, because between that and Destream, he just had the best suits in Revice.

Favorite Weapon/Vehicle/Mecha
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/...AC_SY1000_.jpg

Favorite Fight Scene
Keiwa vs the final boss Jyamato. His big moment in the spotlight, and I loved it. And he pulled it off when no one else thought he could do it.
Unfortunately, they bullshit it so he couldn't actually win, and he was soon eliminated. Still, it was a cool scene.

Favorite Dramatic Scene
Michinaga's death. Poor guy can't ever seem to catch a break. He really needs something nice.

Favorite Comedic Scene
The red light-green light battle in Donbrothers. Very funny. Especially with the Anoni frozen in midair

Biggest "WTF did I just watch?" Moment
Aoi apparently having her own Henshin sequence.

Favorite Song
Tsuki Nomizo Shiru

Favorite Piece of Merchandise
DON ONITAIJIN

Biggest Surprise of 2022
A black Kamen Rider.
Now we just need to see him actually in suit.

Biggest Disappointment of 2022:
Sakura's story in Revice. It started promising, but then everything felt shoehorned and forced in, and she quickly became incredibly annoying.

The Onari Memorial Award for Single Worst Thing in Tokusatsu, 2022 Edition:
Revice getting 50 episodes.

Well, I skipped out on last year due to lack of really distinct opinions. But what can I say, sometimes it’s that sort of a year.

Favorite New Show of 2022

Well I’m going to go with Donbrothers. Geats is too new and I’m not onboard with Decker.

Favorite New-to-You Show of 2022

Well I’ve been on a Metal Heroes kick, but nothing can top Exceedraft’s battle with Satan.

Favorite Movie, Miniseries, or Special of 2022

Girls Remix or Birth of Chimera. It’s a toss up.

Favorite Rewatch of 2022

I gave a few shows a rewatch for my fanfiction, and I think Ninninger is the one I got the most out of.

Favorite Male Lead Character

I’m gonna say Momoi Taro, purely because he shows that sometimes, you can get whatever tone you want out of a hero who’s a major douche

Favorite Female Lead Character

I’ll go with Neon, because of how she ended up being a far richer character than first impressions suggested

Favorite Male Supporting Character

I empathise way too much with Saruhara not to put him here.

Favorite Female Supporting Character

This was a tough one, but in the end, despite how cliche it was, I’m going to go for Aguilera.

Favorite Villain

With little actual choice of good candidates in this matter, the default winner is Olteca.

Favorite Returning Past Character

I’ve mentioned Girls Remix, but it would be remiss of me not to mention Tsukuyomi, purely for confirming that the actress hasn’t entirely vanished from the face of the Earth.

Favorite Actor

Shigeyuki Totsuegi, for how readily he shifts between Genta, Genta pretending to be Junpei, and Vail.

Favorite Actress

Kohaku Shida pretty much makes Haruka so entertaining to watch, so she’s my choice here

Favorite Writer

To quote from dreamcasteregirl, INOUE!

Favorite Director

Koichi Sakamoto.

Favorite Suit Design

Trigger Truth. Shows a lot can come from a few black stripes

Favorite Weapon/Vehicle/Mecha

I haven’t mentioned Decker’s things on here, so I’ll give the props to Terraphaser. I love the aesthetic and gimmick of the toy.

Favorite Fight Scene

Dark horse entry, with Evil vs Live. After how much crap Kagerou put Daiji through, it was really satisfying to see him get some karma. (Even if it unfortunately didn’t stick. If you can’t tell, I don’t like Kagerou)

Favorite Dramatic Scene

I’d say the tenth episode of Decker, with the evil doctor lady making some very good points about how humanity isn’t doing much to curtail the Spheres.

Favorite Comedic Scene

I’m going to say Vice asking when the Monster Vistamps are going to be sold in stores (I’m still waiting on that answer)

Biggest "WTF did I just watch?" Moment

Epsidoe 4 of Ultraman Decker. And not in a good way. It had a fairly decent dramatic plot, but then it suddenly shifts into wacky comic antics.

Favorite Song

I’d have to say Riot in Bloom.

Favorite Piece of Merchandise

The Ultra Dual Sword. I love that it has compatibility with two separate gimmick items.

Biggest Surprise of 2022

The American trio’s English VA announcement for UGF: The Destined Crossroad.

Biggest Disappointment of 2022

Ultraman Decker. After I liked Trigger more than the average guy, this show faltered through uninteresting characters, an underused premise, some bizarre takes on legacy elements (Gregorl and Pandon really could’ve been new monsters, and not much about the plots of their episodes would need to be changed) and Agams. F*cking Agams.

My third time!

Favorite New Show of 2022: Power Rangers Dino Fury Season 2
An epic continuation of the first season, filled with new twists, lore and intergalactic adventures that make Dino Fury overall one of the best PR shows I've seen in a very long time.

Favorite New-to-You Show of 2022: Kamen Rider Blade
Little is known about the writer Imai Shoji, but he created one of the most bizarre yet emotionally touching entries in Kamen Rider. Also, Tachibana is just a delight to watch, that crazy man.

Favorite Miniseries or Special of 2022: Revice The Mystery
Intriguing murder mystery with returning Riders, comedy and a love triangle. Honestly my favorite Revice content in general.

Favorite Rewatch of 2022: Tokumei Sentai Gobusters
I once claimed that Timeranger was the best thing Kobayashi ever made, but maybe it's Gobusters? While the exposition is painfully slow at the start, the drama gradually builds momentum and keeps it until the end, with the relationship between the heroes and their Buddyroids at the center.

Favorite Movie of 2022: Beyond Generations
A sweet story about the love between a father and son that crosses 100 years.

Favorite Male Lead Character: Saruhara Shinichi
He's seldom the center of attention like the other Donbrothers, but I think if he wasn't around, the team would fall apart pretty quickly. You can always count on Saruhara for wisdom and support.

Favorite Female Lead Character: Amelia Jones
One of the most charismatic, strong-willed and developed heroines in PR. Kimberly is still iconic and all, but Dino Fury really committed to giving Amelia a strong start and finish.

Favorite Male Supporting Character: Sonoi
He's a cool guy with a deep sense of honor and unique fashion sense. I have a lot of investment in his awesome chivarlous rivalry and relationship with Tarou.

Favorite Female Supporting Character: Solon
Not a lot of options this year, but she's always been a wise, humorous and friendly cyborg dinosaur who helped the Rangers with a lot of their personal problems. Similar to Mick from Ninja Steel, but a cyborg dinosaur.

Favorite Villain: Vail
Despite Revice villains in general making the Time Jackers look good, this guy was actually an intriguing exception.

Favorite Returning Past Character: Sonoda Mari
Genms The Presidents was too ridiculous for me, but Outsiders looks intriguing at least, as a potential epilogue to various loose ends littered throughout the franchise. It was definitely good to see Mari, the real Mari, after so many years since the end of Faiz.

Favorite Actor: Hyuuga Wataru
The show gave him a lot of stupid content to work with, but I cannot deny that Hyuuga put a lot of passion in to his performances as both Igarashi Daiji and his lovable devil Kagerou.

Favorite Actress: Hunter Deno (again)
Same reason as last year.

Favorite Writer: Inoue Toshiki
Such a surprise seeing him return after so long.

Favorite Suit Design: Don Murasame
Purple. Ninja. Shark. Too bad he's barely a character though.

Favorite Weapon: Ryukonogeki
Best sound effects. Love how it screams everything.

Favorite Vehicle: Boostriker
I like how it changes motif based on the user. Although, say if Ginpen used it, we'd see a tetrapedal penguin and that would be weird.

Favorite Mecha: Ptera Freeze Megazord
Yokuryu Oh was my favorite mecha from Ryusoulger after all.

Favorite Fight Scene:
Geats soloing the entire final boss round in Episode 15.

Favorite Dramatic Scene:
Tarou's and Sonoi's duel in Donbrothers Episode 27

Favorite Comedic Scene:
Much like its predecessor, Donbrothers has a lot that could qualify for this. Although the scene where Kijibrother teleports in with the CGI bowl of salt on his head was quite memorable.

Biggest "WTF did I just watch?" Moment: Kamen Rider Revice Episode 33
If you were in that thread, then you know what I'm talking about.

Favorite Song: VOLCANO

Favorite Piece of Merchandise: Bandai's DX Don Onitaijin
Giving Hasbro some strong competition in the articulation department!

Biggest Surprise of 2022: Abaranger 20th anniversary movie announcement
Totally looking forward to that, hoping it breaks the streak of lame anniversary movies.

Biggest Disappointment of 2022: The tragic news about JDF's death
The brand will never be the same without him. I hope Cosmic Fury will present a legendary 30th anniversary that will honor him and make him proud of the legacy he left behind.

I was planning to rewatch Ryuki this year, but couldn't find the time. Next year for sure!

So as a bit of insight into how my brain works, I tend to start populating this list as I go through the year, gradually adding or removing moments as they stand out to me so I can fill in my own responses. I'm not sure what that says about me.

Favorite New Show of 2022

Absolutely Donbrothers. Full disclosure, I'm about ten episodes behind on it. Work unexpectedly shifted into serious overdrive in October and I'm just coming out of it now. I lost a lot of my normal tokusatsu time, so I ended up falling behind on all of the weekly shows (still only seen two episodes of Black Sun because if I'm having a hard time squeezing in 23-minute episodes you know that 40-minute ones aren't making the cut). I did a better job of keeping up with Geats and Decker, but I'm just now starting to make it through my backlog with Donbrothers. Doesn't change the fact that I always walk away from an episode of this show with a smile on my face because I consistently have a great time with it.

Favorite New-to-You Show of 2022

Ultraman R/B. I skipped this show back when it first aired because I wasn't feeling it after the first few episodes. Finally came back to it this year and had a great time. I really grew to love the whole Minato family and Saki is easily one of my favorite antagonists that the franchise has ever given us.

Favorite Movie, Miniseries, or Special of 2022

Honestly haven't seen many full films this year. In fact, I think it was just the R/B movie to wrap up that late watch. I know that I haven't seen the OOO reunion or the Saber movie, even though I've had both sitting on my computer for months. So miniseries it is, then, and I'm going to go with Girls Remix. I'll touch on this below, but a huge part of why I still cared about Revice was Sakura and Hana's partnership, so this special was very much made for me. Having Akiko back coincided perfectly with renewed nostalgia for W, too, and whoever had the idea to put Poppy and Izu in a room together was a genius.

Favorite Rewatch of 2022

Prompted by Hiroyuki Watanabe's death, I decided that it would be fun to revisit the Saejima branch of Garo this year. I'm still not done with the first series, but I got far enough past halfway for it to count.

Favorite Male Lead Character

This is a tough one for me because Taro is unlikeable by design, Kanata doesn't work for me, Ace is arguably not the lead character in his own show, and the back half of Revice didn't do Ikki any favors. I guess I'm going to go by the idea that every Sentai character is a lead and go with Inuzuka because he works really well as a more mellow and occasionally goofy take on the Inoue bad boy.

Favorite Female Lead Character

I feel like I had a lot more to work with in this category. Sakura remained my favorite of the Igarashi siblings throughout the entire year and Neon is easily the most interesting of Geats's main characters for me so far. This honor can't go to anyone other than Haruka, though. She is a fantastic character who steals pretty much every scene she's in. Absolutely love her.

Favorite Male Supporting Character

There are plenty of good choices here, too. Definitely not Tamaki, though, because even if I liked him it feels out of place for Revice's ultimate butt monkey to win something. I think I'm going to go with... pause to look up character's actual name... Kaito Goshikida, aka Zenkaizer Black, aka "Master" from Donbrothers. I still have no idea what his deal is, but I always enjoy the fact that most of his purpose on the show is to just subtly dick with the heroes.

Favorite Female Supporting Character

Aguilera/Hana, no hesitation. For reasons that I'm starting to better understand, I almost always find female characters more engaging and empathetic than males. Hana's journey from suggestive statue-marrying cultist to reformed hero and supportive girlfriend was one of the aspects of Revice that always worked for me.

Favorite Villain

There's part of me that wants to say Akaishi from Revice because he was really effective and often scary as a villain, but at the same time I just did not like the guy and the fact is that most of his success stems largely from Daiji being a moron. So, once again running into the danger that I haven't watched past episode 31 yet and am definitely missing some things, I'm going to say Sonoi. Excellent counterpart to Taro and it's really fun to watch their friendly rivalry.

Favorite Returning Past Character

I do love that this has become a consistently recurring category. I'm going to break tradition by not saying the Gokaigers again, even though it would be a valid answer. Instead, as alluded to above, it's going to be a toss-up between Izu and Poppy, probably my two favorite characters from their respective series (Ex-Aid is a bit of a closer call, but Kuroto's star dims more for e me every time he gets brought back).

Favorite Actor

Kouhei Higuchi, who plays Taro on Donbrothers. The show asks for a lot from him between the very deadpan normal scenes and the more manic episodes and I think he does a good job of both.

Favorite Actress

Yui Asakura, Revice's Hana. Again, really love the character, but in particular I'm impressed with some of the moments when she did most of her acting with just body language. Very believable performance.

Favorite Writer

A sentence I never expected to type: Toshiki Inoue wrote the most consistently excellent episodes this year.

Favorite Director

This may be recency bias since I just watched one of his episodes of Decker last night, but Takanori Tsujimoto did some of my favorite episodes this year. I always love an Ultraman director who brings some unique new elements to the series.

Favorite Suit Design

Kamen Rider Geats, specifically the full Boost and Magnum pairing. Great colors, great helmet, really nice armor design, and it all looks good in action, too. Honorable mention to Decker's Dynamic form, which is one of the best looking final Ultraman forms we've gotten in ages.

Favorite Weapon/Vehicle/Mecha

Don Onitaijin. Very nicely designed and executed combined mecha.

Favorite Fight Scene

I lost a pet this year. It was something that I knew was coming, but that didn't change how much it sucked having to make that final call and then go through the whole experience. I'm not sure how much that influenced this, but the Ikki takes Vice for one last play in the park fight from the last episode of Revice hit me like a ton of bricks.

Favorite Dramatic Scene

Like I said above, female characters resonate more with me and the same also holds true for WLW stories. I knew that Revice was definitely implying some things with Sakura and Aguilera up to this point, but I was not prepared for how hard they went into developing that relationship. I never expected anything as overt as the "I loved you." "Don't use the past tense!" confrontation and it basically put in place the main thing I watched Revice for from that point on.

Favorite Comedic Scene

Donbrothers is frequently hilarious and I could probably make a top ten list for the year out of this series alone. There's one particular joke that has really stuck with me, though, and it's honestly one of the smaller ones. There was an episode where Jiro went home to visit his friends (who, naturally, all think he's a weird loser). He tells them about his adventures with the Donbrothers, though, and it reminds them of their own forgotten childhood ambitions, which ends with a punchline that is fairly understated but drew probably the biggest laugh out of me of the year: "I wanted to be invisible.

Biggest "WTF did I just watch?" Moment

Donbrothers. All of it. Start to finish.

Favorite Song

I like both the Donbrothers and Decker opening themes, but I'm going to go with the rocking but relatively obscure Riot in Bloom from Girls Remix. I like Hana/Yui Asakura; have I mentioned that?

Favorite Piece of Merchandise

Still not a merch guy.

Biggest Surprise of 2022

Again, still behind on Donbrothers and this is something I fill expect has gotten/will get worse before the end of the series, but I was absolutely not expecting it when Kiji Brother actively let a dude get murdered for threatening his wife. That was a jaw on the floor moment.

Biggest Disappointment of 2022:

I feel like I'm probably safe saying Black Sun, even with only seeing two episodes. I had very high hopes for this show, but between this and Amazons it seems like the concept of what an "adult" Kamen Rider series looks like is a pretty narrow concept and one that I do not care for.

The Onari Memorial Award for Single Worst Thing in 2022 Tokusatsu:

There are definitely some story decisions and individual moments that I really did not care for this year, but I'm going to go real world on this one. Jason David Frank's death. I know that the guy could be controversial, but he was such a huge part of what brought me into this hobby in the first place and is 100% responsible for bringing me back into it with PR Dino Thunder. I wouldn't be here now if it wasn't for Tommy. I also wouldn't have had a ponytail when I was in my late teens/20s and I looked damn good with long hair.

Well, here goes...

Favorite New Show of 2022: DonBrothers. I think it's no surprise, though I was tempted to throw Geats or Decker on here, but I also want to maybe finish Decker before making final judgement, so expect me to return at some point if that does happen.

But DonBrothers has just been so good! Sentai has been winning me over these past few seasons.

Favorite New-to-You Show of 2022: Tokusatsu GaGaGa. This was one I postponed for too long, and it was absolutely amazing. Really enjoyed it.

Favorite Movie, Miniseries, or Special of 2022: I didn't watch any, nor did I start The Destined Crossroads (though I'm planning to)... But... I DID watch Shin Ultraman! And I loved it. If it somehow miraculously plays near me, I'll definitely watch it again.

Also, honorable mention to the Godzilla vs Gigan special from the Godzilla-Con along with Godzilla vs Giganrex.

Favorite Rewatch of 2022: Interestingly enough, I DID rewatch something this year! And that was the original Ultraman. This show truly does make me happy and despite its age, it's still a wonderful watch.

Favorite Male Lead Character: I don't think I can give this to anyone other than Asumi Kanata. Decker shows improvement from Trigger, which is good enough for me. It ain't perfect, but I just enjoy him and his chemistry with Hanejiro. Plus, I think we're all still remembering him with the gun in the first episode moment.

Favorite Female Lead Character: Yeah, no competition here, it's Kito Haruka/OniSister. It's an odd start to a wonderful Sentai season, and quite enjoyable, and for me, very relatable as an aspiring Mangaka.

Favorite Male Supporting Character: Hanejiro. Enough said. But shout out to the Chadguards, John and Ben, who I absolutely enjoy seeing whenever they appear.

Favorite Female Supporting Character: Vice-Captain Kaizaki. That one episode was just too well done, that as much as I'd almost rather say Miho, I think Kaizaki has one over her, since we're still unsure about that twist we're waiting to happen.

Favorite Villain: As much as I'd like to count Olteca, who was an absolutely great villain, he didn't do anything for 2022, soooo... Vail. Ultimately, I think Vail, who was underutilized for his part, was probably Revice's next best Villain. I'd count Sonoi, but I consider him more of a rival, though that doesn't mean I don't absolutely love his character.

Favorite Returning Past Character: I can't believe I'm saying this... But it's Manaka Kengo. I strangely felt happy seeing him again, and I think, while still Trigger Quality for his part, it was nice to see how they made this crossover work as opposed to "somehow this guy just showed up and there's someone after him" that is typically common in crossovers, so Decker and Trigger being in the same universe felt nice.

Favorite Actor: Kohei Higuchi/Momoi Tarou. That man brought something to Don Momotaro that just makes him great to watch for what would have been an otherwise boring character. Now sure, it's mostly thanks to the writing, but I just enjoy seeing him onscreen and his boisterous laugh.

Favorite Actress: Yui Asakura. Surprisingly, I look back on Revice, and realize how well she transitioned Aguilera from villain to redeemer. Maybe it's because her schtick about wanting to be Gif's wife only lasted for a short while, unlike Sakura's Muteki, I still find myself being impressed by her performance despite some feelings I have for Revice.

Favorite Writer: People are either going to love me or absolutely hate me, but Toshiki Inoue. He brought something to DonBrothers that broke the Sentai formula in an entertaining way, so for that, he wins this one.

Favorite Director: I'll be honest, I don't pay too much attention to directors and staff (nothing against them or anything) because I don't have the best memory nor the time to actively go look for them, which makes me a failure as a Tokusatsu Fan.

But there's one I can nominate. And that's Shinji Higuchi. I've heard people say he's not a good director at all but seeing Shin Ultraman made me appreciate what he can accomplish, even if it would be mostly owed to Hideaki Anno.

Of course, I could also say Decker's director, but I also have to say Masayoshi Takasue has done a good job with Decker, but again, I'd like to finish Decker before making final judgements, especially since Decker has only a few episodes left.

Favorite Suit Design: Spheresaurus. I don't think there's more I can say. I could say Hakaizer and HakaijuOh, but I did that last year, so...

Favorite Weapon/Vehicle/Mecha: The Desire Driver, Don Onitaijin, or Boost Bike from Geats are the ones that stand out the most to me.

Favorite Fight Scene: Ultraman Decker vs Terraphaser from Episode 22 had some incredible shots, that I just have to say it's a win for me, as much as I loved Destream vs Vail.

Favorite Dramatic Scene: Oh, so I can put it here? Well then... Destream vs Vail! Definitely more dramatic than it is a fight, especially with that song playing in the background.

(Edit:) I somehow forgot about the legendary duel between Tarou and Sonoi, but honestly? I can't decide whether to put it as a fight or a dramatic scene, but it's definitely good! Both versions, so take either of what I say.

Favorite Comedic Scene: Hanejiro's Kanata impression. Comedy gold.

Biggest "WTF did I just watch?" Moment: DonBrothers episode 39.

Favorite Song: M87

Biggest Surprise of 2022: Gamera is finally coming back!!!

Biggest Disappointment of 2022: Daiji Igarashi? Yeah sure. But... Revice has issues I can't list completely, so, yeah, let's stick with Daiji's "arc."

The Onari Memorial Award for Single Worst Thing in Tokusatsu, 2022 Edition: Live and Evil's new V-Cinema forms. Not only are the colors just wonky, but the suits just feel like downgrades.

I feel so bad about this, but every time I see a publicity shot from this I have a "Who the fuck is that? Oh, right, Tsukoyomi was in this," moment.

I feel like Kengo is going to join Takeru/Kamen Rider Ghost on the list of characters I like more when they aren't on their own show.

You know, a decent alternative name for this thread could've been Black and Decker :lol

Favorite New Show of 2022
DonBrothers. I would go with Geats but it's still in it's early phase. Watching this felt like a breath of fresh air to other recent Sentai, with compelling characters, good storylines, kick ass mechas, what's not to love.

Favorite Movie, Miniseries, or Special of 2022: Kamen Rider Vail. Mostly on how much a dark character learns to love and care, like a Beauty and a Beast story.

Favorite Male Lead Character: This was a very tough choice, but I'm gonna have to go with Taro. Mostly on how relatable I find him, plus he's a red whose badass, but has a lot of flaws. I find him relatable because of his need to tell things as is, which I do all the time.

Favorite Female Lead Character: Haruka/Oni Sister. TBH, at first I didn't like her, she was whiny and just thought of herself. But after a certain episode and how she is committed to the team afterwards, she's been pretty stand-up, just on the fact she fully goes along to the craziness that happens in the show.

Favourite Villain: Olteca. Mostly on the fact he is an inhumane piece of crap, how what he does is just to fuel his superiority on others, on how things like life and loyalty mean nothing to him, and will rub it in the faces of anyone beneath him. Plus the fact in the preceding stories, he doesn't get a half asses redemption arc.

Favorite Writer: Toshiki Inoue. This is mostly to do with Donbrothers, but when he delivers, he delivers, when it comes to compelling character arcs.

Favorite Director: Koichi Sakamoto, when it came to a recent Geats episode (see below)

Favorite Suit Design: Kamen Rider Geats. Not everyday when the main rider is a marksman.

Favorite Weapon/Vehicle/Mecha: Don Onitaijin. Not only is it a kick ass form, but just the fact on how it's built up as the real mecha of the season.

Favorite Fight Scene: Kamen Rider Geats episode 15, nuff said.

Favorite Dramatic Scene: Tsubasa and Kijino's confrontation about Miho/Natsumi, which lead to Kijino calling the cops on Tsubasa.

Favorite Comedic Scene: Revice Hyper Battle, all of it.

Biggest "WTF did I just watch?" Moment: Tsubasa eating dog food.

Favorite Song: Donbrothers main theme and ending theme, if both count.

Favorite Piece of Merchandise: Desire Driver, just on the playability of it.

Biggest Surprise of 2022: Ryuki being in the Geats winter movie.

Biggest Disappointment of 2022: Kamen Rider Black Sun. When I first saw the announcement last year, I was thinking "Hell yeah, an Amazons version of Black, and look, it has an upstanding crew, what could go wrong".
Yeah, when I saw it, I didn't think it was an analogy to modern times. Also the fact the main rider seems to jaded and the fact he doesn't have that much victories as Black Sun, plus on top of the fact it didn't feel like a Kamen Rider show, unlike Amazons witch at times it did.

I picked up Five Man , Aba and Deka from Shout
Factory.

As for favorite series - well as all of them had been
good since Hurri it's tough to pick a top fave.

Saban Era I

Fave series would be Car Ranger and
Mega Ranger for the tie. Kaku a close
second due to the Ninja theme.

I know it's already the new year, but I wanted a shot at a few of these:

Favorite New Show of 2022: DonBrothers. I love the route Geats is going right now and all the questions I have, but not only did DonBro get the same thing out of me, I also love how non-Sentai it feels. The focus on more character interaction and drama while the usual monster of the week and giant mecha fights essentially take a backseat to everything is extremely fresh and made me fall in love with the cast more than I expected as a result. It's an angle not a lot of toku fans probably like, but I extremely respect it.

Favorite Movie, Miniseries, or Special of 2022: Kamen Rider Black Sun. I didn't expect to adore it as much as I did. Are the metaphors a bit heavy-handed? Yes. But the fact that it doesn't shy away from telling the audience "This is how heinous the world and its people can be" and "Even heroes aren't completely free from making selfish or dubious decisions" impressed me. It's not like something like The Boys where all your main characters are certain levels of scumbag. It instead shows that, yes, some of these people are good people and want to do the right thing, but the circumstances literally keep them from doing so. It's heavy, it's uncomfortable, it's skin-crawling, it's depressing, but it can also be hopeful in some areas. One of the best pieces of KR media out there.

Favorite Male Lead Character: Vice. I love Vice so much. His character growth throughout Revice has been a marvel to witness, going from what everyone expected to be basically Kamen Rider Deadpool to a character that always tried to put on a smile and crack some jokes but deep down was one of the most caring and hurting individuals in the show. Dealing with how his contract with Ikki is slowly eating away at his relationship with his family. Dealing with his status as a demon and the risk that can bring if he lost control of himself. Being willing to sacrifice his existence just to ensure Ikki could return to a life he deserved. Vice is a character I hope we keep seeing come back ala Momotaros

Favorite Female Lead Character: Haruka Kito. Oni Sister is hilarious. Her status as a plagiarist mangaka and how that went from something she wanted to disprove to just who she was now, her constant straight-manning of every scenario she finds herself in, her dense personality and selfish attitude, Haruka's just a ton of fun as a main character and ties the DonBrothers together in a unique way.

Favorite Villain: The Nouto. If you can even consider them villains at this point, but it feels like Sentai took a page out of the book of some past Rider series and gave us a trio of villains that go through just as much character growth and development as the main cast that they now feel like rivals more than anything. I feel they're gonna go down as some of the best Sentai antagonists since probably...what...Enter and Escape? The Deboss Army? Zett and the Shadow Line? Wiseru? The Yodonheim Empire? They're definitely up there.

Favorite Suit Design: Kamen Rider Black Sun. And this is due to my bias towards stuff like Shin Kamen Rider: Prologue. I love the organic designs of Black Sun and Shadow Moon as well as the designs of the kaijin. Animalistic, predatory, scary in a lot of cases, but so lovingly-crafted and detailed and brought to life with such great practicality that they look like living things.

Favorite Weapon/Vehicle/Mecha: Terraphaser. The sleek design. The development connections to King Joe Storage Custom. The Decker-esque ability to use cards for attacks. The creepy evil laugh it makes when it comes online. I just love it.

Favorite Fight Scene: Terraphaser vs Decker at the end of Decker episode 22. Such a raw, knock-down, drag-out battle. I already loved the dynamic between Agams and Kanata and how their ideals and drives clash, but this fight solidified how much I loved it. Neither side backing down even when their attacks are causing the Earth to raise around them in a growing crater. So good.

Biggest Surprise of 2022: The Kamen Rider Veil mini-series. I didn't expect such a serious, emotional and violent series to spawn from something like Revice but I'm glad it did. Watching it before Veil really became a threat only elevated the events of the main series and also made me feel for Ikki's parents, as well as made the final clash between Veil and Genta feel so much more impactful as a result.

This made me realize that the only new Toku I've seen this year is the first episode of Geats. Whoops :lol I will say, however, that Zenkaiger and Black Sun are the two I'm most excited to dive into.

Also, don't do Onari dirty like that.

For better or worse, I guess I can never actually join the fray here, as I don't commit into all-encompassing following toku.

*Sakurai
Above being Sara's actual sibling, not Keiwa :p

Not that Ikki got enough focus too in the latter half. He's a disappointment too in some extent, for mine at least.

There's an upcoming George vs Orteca movie, but dunno what'd they do with it.... I kinda hope the most important thing is that he doesn't get rushed redemption like Gai did.

I thought it was just Tycoon being carried by the mandatory Ninja Buckle as he's shown failing when using Boost Buckle before, but no actually his fighting really improved since then as shown in his return in the current DGP of teaming up with the other 2 leads. But the fact is yeah, just destroying the tower to free the civilians isn't the win condition as cool as it is. And if he stayed in the game later, he'd fare exactly the same as Na-Go and Buffa.

Well she's already established as rich before the show started though, as a celebrity from an influental family :lol

How about Orteca as the exception too? Or that he doesn't "qualify" here due to leaving the show before 2022.

A̶n̶d̶ ̶I̶ ̶h̶o̶p̶e̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶'̶d̶ ̶t̶a̶k̶e̶ ̶a̶ ̶t̶i̶m̶e̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶r̶e̶a̶d̶ ̶a̶k̶i̶n̶o̶a̶m̶e̶'̶s̶ ̶a̶n̶a̶l̶y̶s̶i̶s̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶i̶t̶.̶

I guess a show like Revice would be rife of them, like there's Ikki, Daiji (full with Kagerou), Sakura (at least how the show presents her as), Yukimi, Hiromi, Tamaki post-redemption.

Favorite New Show of 2022: Ultraman Decker
Coming off Trigger which I still managed to enjoy though it has a lot of problems, I was cautiously optimistic for how Decker was going to turn out. Thankfully, my optimism paid off as I am loving Decker. Unless the finale really tumbles hard, Decker is probably going to end up in my top echelon of New Generation shows. What I love most about Decker, beyond some of its unique aspects and traits, is that it's a really well executed "back-to basics" show. I feel it hits a lot of the core tenets of Showa/Early Heisei era Ultra and it feels nice to have a show that really hits the fundamentals of Ultra. In fact despite the show's sequel nature, I think Decker would be a really good introduction to Ultra. I feel one of the biggest hurdle to watching Ultra is that they require a different mindset and expectations compared to say Rider or Sentai, it's one of the reasons it took me a while to really get into Ultra. Decker I feel hits a lot of the common ideas and themes present within Ultra and so it serves as a good intro to how the franchise operates.

2nd behind Decker would Donbrothers. Donbrothers is an absolute wildride but I've also fallen really far behind on the show, so I need to catch up on it. I think more than anything, it along with Zenkaiger and Kiramager form a really interesting set of shows. All 3 shows feel like responses to Sentais faltering popularity and all 3 shows do it in completely different ways. Kiramager stuck to tradition, delivering and executing an almost perfected version of Sentai's common ideas and tropes. Zenkaiger pushed tradition, putting the Sentai formula in new territory and being almost avant garde in what it could get away with. Donbrothers broke tradition, breaking every rule you think Sentai was supposed to follow and thus has been really unpredictable and exciting to watch.

First off, thank you Switchblade for keeping this tradition going! I really love it.

Favorite New Show of 2022

It has to be Donbrothers. It's the first Sentai show that really rocked my socks off. It's so good.

That being said, aside from one example, we'll get to that one later, all of the ongoing shows are very strong this year IMO. I liked the end of Revice and so far Geats is really good too.

But Donbrothers is my number one, it's so much fun. I adore the characters, setting and much needed departure from tiring Sentai tropes. Donbrothers mixed up the formula real good!

Favorite New-to-You Show of 2022

I watched the first Ultraman show for the first time in 2022 and adored it. It's absolutely no wonder this show set the starting point for this incredible franchise. Besides great effects, cinematic work and fun monster designs, I enjoyed the characters a lot. The SSSP grew on me fast, and I enjoyed their dynamic very much. I really liked how they were allowed to have relatable flaws.

I'm watching Ultraseven now, a show many people find superior, but so far it doesn't grab me as much as Ultraman did, and a huge part of that is that the Ultra Guard can't compare to the SSSP IMO. Seven does many things better than Ultraman, but I can't feel the attachment to the Ultra Guard yet, at least not on the same level as the SSSP.

Favorite Movie, Miniseries, or Special of 2022

"Godzilla vs. Gigan"!

I didn't watch a lot of movies last year, but this anniversary short was awesome. So cool to see some classic suit-action Godzilla again and Gigan is such an iconic foe so it was great to see him again too. The effect work was awesome, and the suit actors portrayed a lot of character through their suits which was amazing to see.

Favorite Rewatch of 2022

I only rewatched a few single episodes of random shows, nothing worth talking about.

Favorite Male Lead Character

Momoi Taro for me. Really like his character both in his human form and as Don Momotaro.

Favorite Female Lead Character

Does Haruka count? Probably, right? She's awesome. Love the characterization, especially the "I choose violence"-part :lol

Favorite Male Supporting Character

Hm? maybe Kaito in his "Donbrothers"-flavor? Some super fun scenes with this character. And I have no idea who he really is, and at this point I don't care anymore, in a good way though.

Favorite Female Supporting Character

I really like the childhood friend of Don Dragoku, I think Rumi was her name? Again, some awesome scenes involving her, even though I don't like Jirou that much.

Favorite Villain

The Cerebrans count, right? If so, Sonoi for me. Great dynamic with Taro. Some historians might say they were great friends!

Favorite Returning Past Character

Double mention, but - Kaito? I don't know, at this point my brain is really failing me and I have no idea what I even watched last year anymore :lol

Favorite Actor

Shinnosuke Takahashi. Don't judge me, I think he's ridiculously handsome. Plus, the acts out the antics of his character so well.

Favorite Actress

Kohaku Shida. A lot of what makes Haruka fantastic is her amazing acting, she's so much fun to watch.

Favorite Writer

I yet again fail to know any names, but the people who wrote Black Sun. For obvious reasons, that show was amazing.

Favorite Director

Hideaki Anno. It's not that I can watch anything he makes (for now?) but yeah, him.

Favorite Suit Design

Kamen Rider Geats has amazing suit design, I don't even know which one to pick. I guess Buffa, really cool suit.

Favorite Weapon/Vehicle/Mecha

Don Onitaijin is the best. Love this guy.

Favorite Fight Scene

Kamen Rider Geats has freakin' insane fight choreography. I think the one that wowed me the most is when Geats uses the Zombie buckle to protect Na-Go. Not only is the choreography is flawless, the camera work is also insane. Like, the character jumps through a window and the camera follows, just like that. Damn. It's a breathtaking scene to behold.

Favorite Dramatic Scene

Black Sun has too many, and most are too graphic to describe anyway. So - all of it.

Favorite Comedic Scene

Donbrothers made me laugh plenty of times, but I'm an idiot who forgets so I can't name any specific ones.

Biggest "WTF did I just watch?" Moment

The opening of Black Sun's final episode. In a hella good way though. Made me say "No way!" out loud. Epic stuff.

Favorite Song

"Trust Last" is awesome. Sucks that Rider songs are released months after the premiere for whatever reason, but I listen to the TV-size on loop instead.

Favorite Piece of Merchandise

Lots of awesome Figuarts, but I think the DX Don Onitaijin takes it for me. Such an amazing, fun toy. That's what a combinable robot toy should be like.

Biggest Surprise of 2022

Black Sun being as awesome as it is I guess? It kinda vanished from my radar before its release.

Biggest Disappointment of 2022:

Ultraman Decker. For continuing Trigger's legacy of actively making me bored of Ultraman. These shows suck. Really hope they get their groove back in the near future.

The Onari Memorial Award for Single Worst Thing in Tokusatsu, 2022 Edition:

Nothing I think. Can't say anything comes to mind right now. Good year.

Best Team Up Episodes

Beast Morphers - US
Grid Connection

Operation Overdrive - US
Once A Ranger Parts 1 And 2

Wild Force - US
Forever Red

Toei Ranger team ups are tough to call.

Best villain plot

Geki / Jungle Fury

He was certainly intriguing and portrayed by a talented actor, but the way the show fails to give him closure even after bringing him back was disappointing to me.

Favorite New Show of 2022
The OP said Zenkaiger counts so I shall count it, I ended up binging it to try and get out of my break/burnout with it being the first Sentai I managed to watch fully since LuPat as I dropped Ryusoulger and Kiramager for no reason. I've had a very rough year so Zenkaiger's fun loving insanity might be the thing I think most fondly about for the year.

...

Man that's sad lmao
Favorite New-to-You Show of 2022
I'm cheating a bit here with Dekaranger as I watched it at the tail end of 2021. Everyone calling it a top tier Sentai was right.
Favorite Rewatch of 2022
Ryuki. I hadn't seen it since what, 2011? I very much fell in love with it all over again as I'd like to believe I've matured enough to understand more than 'wow cool people in suits'
Favorite Female Lead Character
Haruka. She is a fucking delight to watch in everything she does and her being the POV character for early Donbros was a very different yet refreshing way to handle Sentai imo
Favorite Villain
Sonoi. Fun character and I like the idea of an evil rival Sentai with the leader of the trio being incredibly fucking gay with the red.
Favorite Director
Hideaki Anno even if I'm cheating as I only saw Shin Godzilla from him last year
Favorite Suit Design
Buffa Zombie. I got in to Evil Dead a bit before he was shown off and oh boy did I fall in love with both.
Favorite Weapon/Vehicle/Mecha
Gonna have to repeat what everyone else said and say Don Onitaijin.
Favorite Fight Scene
Don Dragoku and Don Momotaro fighting a Hitotsuki in a scrap yard, I can't tell you why but there was something magical to me about Jiro smashing windows with his lance.
Favorite Dramatic Scene
I guess Taro vs Sonoi, specifically the fight that lasts for mere seconds being done as a duel and the drama surrounding that.
Favorite Comedic Scene
Zenkaiger episode 18. All of it, but ESPECIALLY the Jetman ending parody.
Biggest "WTF did I just watch?" Moment
Donbrothers. Just... Donbrothers.
Favorite Song
Trust Last has been in my head to the point even now I'm listening to it often
Biggest Surprise of 2022
Black Sun. Still need to finish it as I got caught up in a lot but I love the way it adapts Ishinomori's style in a way Kamen Rider hasn't done for quite a while
Biggest Disappointment of 2022
Shin Ultraman's release. I like many others on this forum looked forward to the movie quite a bit and I stalked my 'local' (read: half an hour cycling away) movie theatre and the cinema only to find out that the only screening it seems to have in my entire country was in Amsterdam after the fact. What the fuck.
The Onari Memorial Award for Single Worst Thing in Tokusatsu, 2022 Edition
Black Sun's release because I'm extremely bitter about taking forever to set up an Amazon Prime account only to get so fed up with trying to recover my lost account that I stopped trying. I also needed to use a VPN for it as for some reason it wasn't available in the Netherlands. I WANT to support this franchise despite Toei being incompetent fucking idiots with damn near everything when it comes to bringing this to 'the west' despite Europe apparantly not existing. At least I can watch the Sentao DVDs without any hassle and rip the blurays for other stuff but this just really pissed me the fuck off. Thank god Discotech's handling of Black seems to be better, surely this is a sign of improvement for the franchise!

*Zero One comic*

GOD DAMN I HATE TOEI

It seems that this has already been discussed, but the main reason why Toei does not move as actively to the West as Tsuburaya is not a lack of desire or skill, but the divided rights to their shows. To fully enter the Toei international market, you also need to promote Asahi TV there (and I doubt that any country will decide to add a whole Japanese channel to its TV network), or pay them a rather large compensation sum. However, I think we can expect to get legal access to old shows or some special content in the near future.

I really should get around to watching Black and Black Sun...

Take note, go into Black Sun with low expectations, since it has polarizing moments.