DreamSword Watches Unfamiliar Toku: Part 6 - Tokusatsu GaGaGa
 

Well, here we are. I wanted to check out six new Tokusatsu franchises before the year's' end, and here it is.

I mean, technically I've seen more than that by now, but whatever.

But before getting all sentimental about the project as a whole, we have one more show to cover, and for this final thread of the year, I decided on a show I only discovered the existence of thanks to these boards: Tokusatsu GaGaGa.

And uh, I have zero idea what this show is even about! I just know it's a thing that people who've seen it seem to enjoy! It's also a set of seven 40+ minute episodes, so while I'll try to cover it all within the span of one week, I make no promises. With that, let's get into it.

(By the way I'm using Dodgy Subs for this watch; sorry if those are sub-optimal!)

As if the title weren't enough of an indication, this is clearly aimed at a specific audience.

But yet, it's the sort of thing that could apply to many, and as such it's easy to empathize with everything that Nakamura is going through.

Because really, having a very niche, "abnormal" interest and the fear of being judged for it, is something that I'm sure alot of people in general, not just tokusatsu fans can relate to.

And already in episode one, Tokusatsu GaGaGa pretty much hits the audience with all of it at once. Keeping it a secret so you can survive your daily life, longing for friends with whom you can share said interest without judgment, and of course, parents who lambast their children for their hobbies instead of supporting them.

Sure, it's alot easier to handle nowadays with the advent of the internet; A quick Google search will bring up many a fan forum for social media group, but growing up either before or at the dawn of the digital age meant finding a world that could understand that side of you was next to impossible. Especially as you continued to grow older and your interest was seen as "stupid kid's' stuff" or what have you.

Even with that in mind, this show could go to alot of different places with its theme and message, and I'll admit, I'm excited at that prospect. How deep into the trenches of fandom will it go? Will it acknowledge the ups and downs to devoting your mindset to this sort of material? So many things it could do!

But I'm getting ahead of myself a bit. For those wanting a more clear understanding of what exactly Tokusatsu GaGaGa is, it's a slice-of-life show about a closeted toku geek named Kano Nakamura. She's obsessed with toku, to the the point of modelling alot of her life mottos after the shows she watches. She has a steady office job wherein she does her best to keep her fangirl side a secret, lest she be seen as an outcast by those around her. But she's quick witted, and is ready to take on alot of life's' challenges head on.

No doubt she's a likable viewpoint character that I'm sure many of us can relate to, but funnily enough my favorite character so far is actually Onoda, her co-worker who very obviously has a crush on her. His actor just brings such an adorably dorky personality to the role that it makes him instantly likable to me. And the misunderstandings between him and Nakamura gave me some genuine laughs too. Unfortunately for him, Nakamura is totally oblivious to his affection. Even not catching on to him almost directly asking her out on a date. Really interested to see how he'd react to his crush's' toku interest if it's outed.

But yeah, the first episode very much is an introduction, and it's a fun time along the way. It certainly got me excited to see the rest of the show, as well as liking its characters well enough. Hopefully the rest of the show can keep up the great energy and atmosphere that episode 1 had to offer.

ooooohhhh now you've got me excited! I think I considered mentioning this show back when you were asking for suggestions, but decided not to since it's not actually a tokusatsu series in any usual sense of the term. Really happy to see it made the cut anyway! Because while it isn't a show that's really in the same genre as something like Ultraman or Kamen Rider, Tokusatsu GaGaGa is very much a show that... well, I've probably put it like this before, but...

...If you're a person who has for any reason spent long enough on this website to read these words, you owe it to yourself to give Tokusatsu GaGaGa at least an episode or two at some point. I can't know if it will entertain you or not, but I can guarantee you will find it relatable.

And the certainty with which I can say that was the very pleasant surprise that got me hooked as soon as I first checked out the premiere on a whim back in 2019 when it was new. I expected a show that was a lot more broad in the way it portrays a geeky lifestyle, which really caught me off guard when the writing kept managing to hit so close to home in such very specific ways.

And that's a thing throughout the rest of the show, of course, so just for right now, I'll say that the thing that got me the most in that first episode was actually, if memory serves, the dialogue immediately before the quote DreamSword has as a signature image. As someone who stumbled into learning Japanese in large part through memorizing the lyrics to catchy toku and robot anime songs despite having no particular interest in any typical popular domestic music... I mean, some of those lines in that karaoke part of the episode felt like they were directed even more at me than they were at Kano. So that stuff got me vibing with this show pretty hard right there, and the way that whole sequence climaxes in such a hilariously triumphant way -- with Kano masterfully acting her way through the ordeal (deliberately pretending not to know anything after the first verse of a theme song is a perfect example of one of those gags that's way more specific than I expected going in) -- well, that just made me instantly committed to seeing every last episode of this series as soon as they aired.

I actually watched the whole thing again some time after it ended, even, just to confirm how much I loved it. Heck, I'm half considering watching it again right now, just so I don't have to go on memory for this whole thread. Even though I'm pretty confident in how clear my memories are! This is genuinely a show that has majorly stuck with me, even though I barely ever get chances to talk about it with anyone (ironically enough). If we are lumping Tokusatsu GaGaGa under that broad umbrella of "toku shows", it's probably lowkey one of my all-time favorites, even. Very excited to see you work your way through the rest of it, DreamSword!

I felt this one was a little forced?

I mean, I still liked the episode overall, sure, but some of the key moments felt like happened solely for plot's' sake.

Probably the biggest example being Nakamura dropping her capsule towards the start of the episode, and she sweeps it under a seat in a panic. When she could've, and realistically would've, just like, picked it up and chucked it in her locker.

But whatever. Sure, that sort of thing was a detriment, but I still liked the episode overall, as I said before. The first half dealing with the mother was frustrating, but purposefully so. And the second half was alot of fun for both the tokusatsu elements as well as the character interactions.

Like, the second half of the episode features a shopping mall stage show, and I won't lie I actually kinda got into it, haha. The budding friendship between Nakamura, the titular Toraiger woman, and the Yakuza shop owner was very sweet to see play out too, while also maintaining alot of the subject matter that the first episode talked about.

Mainly in the different ways people wear the masks they present in public, how hobbies can transcend generations and genders, and how, well, game recognizes game. Oh, and also misunderstandings piling atop misunderstands as if this was written by Inoue, but outside of some comedic bits with Onoda I didn't really care much for that aspect. But atleast it was less frustrating than the stuff with the mom I guess.

I also wanna give a shout out to just how authentic this show actually is with its elements in portraying both toku as well as the fandom aspect. Like, yeah, the shows within this show are very much made up, but they feel actually real, with a ton of fake merch to go along with them and everything. It's easy to tell that whoever's the head of this show either has alot of personal experience, or did their research very well. Tokusatsu GaGaGa really reminds me alot of Samurai Flamenco in that regard.

Anyway, yeah. Not perfect, but still a fun episode overall.

Oh hey!

Yeah, never be afraid to recommend anything! I covered Samurai Flamenco and The Reflection afterall!

Absolutely. Alot of the stuff Nakamura talked about in both episodes 1 and 2 were things that I myself have very much experienced growing up. And heck, I still kinda do, what with the elitist mindset that still circles around when it comes to Power Rangers and whatnot.

I came to terms with how I handle my fandom, but I absolutely do not blame anyone who deals with it differently. EmerJason even approves of such things!

That was such a good bit! Fake it til lyou make it to the max! Haha.

By all means, please do run it through a third time! I always look forward to your insights on these sorts of things. Hope I don't disappoint!

This episode was kinda scary to me.

Not in the sort of way in that a horror movie scares you or something of that nature, mind you, but more in the way of how close to home it hit.

At first, the premise of the episode seems straight-forward enough: How those with keen interests attempt to find more like them. But, failing that, instead might opt to expand their fandom via making new fans.

However, things take a bit of a turn when Kitashiro, the anti-social co-worker at the office, gets involved. She's keen on Nakamura's' secret, and what exactly she thinks of the entire situation leads a big part of the drama of the episode. To an outside viewer, it's obvious Kitashiro hides a secret as well.

But that's not what takes the episode's' content into scary territory. Well, not entirely anyway. What really got to me about this whole situation was that, to put it bluntly, I pretty much was Kitashiro at one point in my life. The secrecy, the attitude, the jealousy, all of it. It was a level of depth that I honestly wasn't expecting, as it's not something I've often seen in media in general.

The moment that Nakamura began to see things from Kitashiro's' perspective, I felt like I instantly knew everything about Kitashiro. Someone with a niche interest who grew up seeing how unfair their treatment was compared to so many others. In the eyes of Kitashiro, Nakamura has an interest that Kitashiro would be shamed for, but yet Nakamura is popular. Nakamura is well liked by her peers. Nakamura is allowed to say and do whatever she pleases.

It's the sort of depressing trap that many of us who grow up as outcasts fall into. At one point people around you start dismissing the things you're passionate about as "dumb kid's' stuff" yet the exception seems to be that if you're popular to begin with, you're allowed to like and say whatever you want. But if you're unpopular, not only are you not allowed to have "stupid" interests or hobbies, but no one actually cares to indulge or even get to know you either. And it's hard to not build resentment at that.

So what do you do? The easy, survivalist way is to close yourself off from others as much as possible. Don't look at anyone. Don't talk to anyone. Only exist in the eyes of others as much as is needed for your own day to day necessities. It's soul crushing, and you begin to feel that even those who do genuinely try to reach out to you are only doing so out of pity or mockery, which is exactly how I think Kitashiro felt at the episode's' climax when Nakamura tries to desperately create a connection between the two. While it's not any sort of moral ideal, I absolutely do not blame Kitashiro for acting the way she does.

Don't get me wrong, there's other stuff throughout the episode that make for a nice time too, like the meta gags, the character development for Damian, and Yoshida showing a bit of her darker side with the commander bit. Heck, I felt it was very important to show just how inspiring TV heroes can actually be. But the highlight to me absolutely was Kitashiro, and I think the writers knew that too, given how the episode title does refer to her(it makes sense in context) and how her character development dominates the third act of the episode. The result being that episode 3 is my favorite so far, and I am very eager to see where things go from here.

So there’s a couple of special appearances here:

The man at the sushi stall is Michael Tomioka, who the general Toku crowd may recognise as Carlos from the Ultraman X movie and Simon from the Grease V-CIN.

But in a more general sense, we get our first glimpse of in-universe boy group Bee Boys, who are “portrayed” by modified photographs of real world group Boys Two Men. Among them is Yutaka Kobayashi, of Kamen Rider Gaim fame.

I think I've decided I am going to take this excuse to rewatch the show, so hopefully I can get caught up soon and maybe offer some more in-depth thoughts about the episodes so far, but regardless of how that turns out, it makes me really happy to see you already hitting a point in the show like this for yourself.

I didn't want to oversell it too much in my first post, but especially as it goes along and introduces more characters and thus more perspectives, Tokusatsu GaGaGa is able to portray a ton of different experiences in ways that feel *authentic* to a level that can be... well, "scary" is maybe a word for it! It's a huge part of why I insist everyone on a forum like this will definitely get something out of watching it. Sooner or later, any nerd watching this show is going to see some specific character or situation that seems almost plagiarized from their own life, and at least in my own case, it created a sense of personal connection that, much like you're saying here, you don't always get from other media.

Yeah, the dude in the checkerboard hoodie! I knew I recognized him from somewhere, but I just couldn't place it. Not gonna lie, he dresses like how I probably will when I get super old, haha.

Makes sense they'd use an actual band for that. It's cool just how thorough this show is with its made up media!

Glad to hear you're coming along for the ride! Surprised my rambling had such an effect, haha. Looking forward to your look back on all of these episodes!

One thing that I kinda neglected to mention in my write-ups(and shame on me for not doing so!) is just how natural alot of the conversations in this show feel. Episode 3 alone had alot of talk about various TV shows and specific episodes and whatnot that felt alot of the sort of small talk that happens between people in real life. It was to the point that I screencapped a few things I shared them with the Toku group chat that I'm a part of and went "Hey look guys, it's us!" haha.

I'm not entirely sure if this was the intention of the episode's' structure or not but...

I found this episode to be a deeper look into the old proverb of putting yourself in another's' shoes, and showcasing both the good and bad that comes with it.

Alot of the character drama of this episode comes from people assuming the thoughts and feelings of others via using themselves as a measuring stick. And it's again something I haven't seen in a TV show before.

Poor Kitashiro is the one on the receiving end of all of this too. Nakamura assumes that Kitashiro is trying to connect in the same ways that she is, and Kitashiro's' friend Miyabi ends up compromising Kitashiro's' work life via assuming their shared hobby was processed by both in the exact same way.

This sort of confusing social dynamic extends into the social dynamics of the workplace too. Just because you feel a connection with someone, that doesn't in turn mean that the feeling is mutual(a lesson I learned the hard way). Likewise, just because someone is civil with you and works with you, that doesn't automatically make them your friend.

It can be tough to maintain a level of neutrality to these things, especially if you grow up an outcast or are in an environment where you don't have anything in common with anyone. And for those of us lacking social skills or who have strong feelings, where exactly the line between acquaintance and friend lies can be rather blurry and confusing. But you know one thing that can sometimes help in creating a bridge? Shared interests.

Because another big thing in this episode isn't just the importance of fandom, like the whole show has been, but overlapping fandoms specifically. Tokusatsu fans can easily find overlap with anime fans and idol fans due to many a similarity between the three, and it's what ultimately brings the group of five together at the episode's' climax. They're all nerds with a similar passion to things that "normal" people wouldn't care for, but that shared energy and excitement is something they can all relate to, and allows them to be themselves.

Sure, there is alot of character drama here, but there's still the healthy amount of meta gags and happy emotional payoff that helps to keep the episode engaging and fun in other ways. The end, where they recreate scenes for shows that don't actually exist was just alot of fun to see play out, and felt genuinely earned. Unlike some other shows I've seen where it's usually just done for the sake of shallow pandering. Like, this legit could've been the final episode and I wouldn't have minded at all. But hey, we're only in the middle, so I have no idea where exactly this show could go next.

Oh, and we also learn that Damian's' real name is Tamiya. Who knew?

I didn't think my spot for favorite episode would get replaced so fast, but here we are.

It's probably the most simple and straight-forward episode of Tokusatsu GaGaGa so far, but pure beauty is found all throughout it.

Sure, there's a few different aspects and layers to the episode as a whole, but overall, the aspect that got the most focus and shined the brightest all throughout was one wonderful thing: Friendship.

The growing friendship between the four girls, and alot of what that exactly entails dominates both the plot and character interactions here. From Miyabi learning lessons about adulthood from her peers, to Nakamura finding shoulders to lean on about her issues with her mom, to them all just hanging out.

It works as well as it does in part thanks to the chemistry between the cast being incredibly strong. Heck, while he only appears briefly, even Tamiya gets in on things with the funny scene of him developing a crush on Yoshida over their shared love of Toraiger. I wish that Mr. Yakuza had gotten to be in the episode a bit more, but alas.

What absolutely steals the show though is the episodes' climax, where Nakamura reaches out to a girl who's having the same troubles with her mother that Nakamura did growing up. The enforcing of gender roles and expectations is something that nearly everyone; man, woman, or otherwise has had to contend with, and such things are very oppressive. And while it's highly doubtful that a child could ever get a parent to change their minds, having someone in their corner might be just what they need to keep that hopeful spark in them alive.

That all being said, the very end of the episode is not at all subtle in telling its audience that this entire episode was the breather, feel-good episode before things take a more serious turn. Nakamura's' mother isn't gone, afterall, and it was only a matter of time before things came to a head between the two. I'll admit, I'm a bit nervous in seeing how it'll play out, but hopefully the strong writing that the show has had up to now will continue to shine through.

This episode was torture, but in the good way!

Look, as far as I'm concerned, the majority of this episode does not matter. Why? Because those final couple of minutes are so incredibly satisfying that it could've been the entire episode and I would've come out of it cheering.

I was really worried throughout it too, because I felt like this show was gonna take the out that so many others have in trying to make the awful parent sympathetic.

But nope! Nakamura's' mother finally gets what's coming to her in a moment that is now one of my favorite moments in any TV show ever. There was no "oh but she god divorced" or "oh but she's a single mom" or "oh but her behavior is human therefor it's okay." Just pure, raw, comeuppance. I love it.

If you just want my impression of this episode of Tokusatsu GaGaGa in and of itself and nothing else, there you go. You can stop reading now. But the overall subject matter that it brings up, I feel like talking a bit about how I relate to it as well as directly comparing it to something else that it reminded me of: Episode 31 of Kamen Rider Hibiki.

For those not in the know, episode 31 of Hibiki is my most hated episode of any Tokusatsu show that I've ever seen. For those who haven't seen it, the episode is about the main character, Asumu, and how his father walked out on the family. Asumu never actually meets with him, and the episode ends with the father being neglectful being framed as an overall good thing and that Asumu's' dad is a good man for doing so.

Needless to say, this struck a serious nerve with me, having been a child whose parents were both very neglectful, including the father walking out on the family and disowning his own son. Because here's the thing. The episode did not at take into account children like me, instead opting for trying to convince the audience that the father is a good man via the accounts of coworkers and strangers, as if people's' public and private appearances are exactly the same. If you didn't know: They very much are not!

So when it came time for episode 6 of GaGaGa, wherein Nakamura's' mom is someone who's incredibly manipulative in the same way that the writing of Hibiki 31 tried to be. It, frankly, does not matter what happened to the mother in the past or if she's doing something out of love or whatever. She's still pushing her own life onto her children, on top of breaking into her daughter's' apartment and destroying property. There was a very thick line that Nakamura's' mother crossed a long time ago. And thankfully, instead of leaning on "oh she just wants what's best for her kids" what do we get instead?

A pure, full force slap to the face that legitimately had me jump out of my seat and cheer.

Because here's something I learned the hard way with my own family: You can't reason with manipulative people like that, and you shouldn't even try. The best course of action is to stand up for yourself, fight back, and keep them as out of your life as much as you possibly can. Family obligations or not, keeping toxic people in your life does you no good, and you are by no means required to put up with it(a lesson also taught by a Pretty Cure show I recently finished!).

Yeah, sure, there's other stuff to the episode like how the lives of Nakamura's' friends continue to evolve, but man, talk about the most satisfying hit I've seen on TV in a long time. Great stuff.

That slap was cathartic for every child who grew up under overbearing parents who never allowed their children to have a childhood and still control them even after growing up into adulthood.

Yer damn right it was!

The show went for the most optimistic of outcomes in regards to everything.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not exactly surprised by that, especially since most Tokusatsu in general, tend to, but it was still a little bit of a letdown.

Granted, it could totally just be me and my own souring due to my personal experiences and beliefs, but I really did not like how the show threw the mother a bone at the end. I feel that she did not at all deserve it.

That aside, while not every character arc or plot hook is resolved, the show does atleast stayed focused and wrapping up its most important thing: That being the story of its lead character, Kano Nakamura. And all while surrounding it with the message of love being something special and wonderful.

To my delight though, it didn't do the cliche of romantic love either, but rather showcased the various different kinds of love that can be found all around us. From love of hobbies, love of stories, and most importantly to me, platonic love. I've gone on time and time again about just how important friendship is not just to me, but to life in general, so I'll spare you all this time.

Overall, while I don't find this ending to be absolutely perfect, it still brings alot of what I loved about Tokusatsu GaGaGa overall, and as such I can't bring myself to be at all mad at it. Life goes on, and so too do the lives of the characters in this show aimed at a very specific audience.

So in another bit of casting trivia, the shopkeeper is Hiroshi Miyauchi, better known as Kamen Rider V3, Himitsu Sentai Gorenger’s Aorenger, JAKQ Dengekitai’s Big One, Kaiketsu Zubat and supporting roles in the Rescue Heroes trilogy and Choriki Sentai Ohranger.

Also known as the cowboy cop from Toei Spider-Man! The best character!

Tokusatsu GaGaGa is a very unique beast.

It sounds like a cliche coming from someone with a small amount of media intake, but I can honestly say that I've never seen a show quite like this one before.

Sure, I've seen Tokusatsu. Sure, I've seen slice of life shows. Heck, I've even seen postmodern shows discussing the impact superheroes and their stories have on various people.

But never have I seen a show that is not only a slice of life about those who grew up with passion for keen interests that would get them mocked by most "normal" people, but one that did so in both a sympathetic and rather realistic light. And from so many different angles and perspectives at that.

Note the "keen interests" there. Yes, the title has the word Tokusatsu in it and all, and the main character is a woman obsessed with it as a medium, but the writing is smart enough to note all of the overlap that comes with such a territory. From those into boy bands, to men into typical "girly" media such as Pretty Cure, to, heck, fans of anime and foreign music in general.

This show is a love letter to nerds everywhere. Whether they grew up an outcast, had a supportive family, or those who found themselves enthralled in geeky hobbies later on in life. Tokusatsu GaGaGa does a great job at showcasing both the inherent good and bad that comes with these aspects of life, not just one or the other like most other examinations of a specific nerd culture have done(or even worse, mocked them horribly).

Is that to say that the show is perfect? No, there are a few things here and there that I'd've preferred to see done a little different, and certain background characters I would've liked to have seen more of, but the writing did such a great job at most its small cast and the world they inhabit feel so alive that I really can't find myself being at all upset over it. And no, I don't just say that because I found alot of the situations relatable. Yeah, that helps, but all that means is that it would've hurt even more if I felt it were written poorly.

Despite the great writing though, I would not say this show is for everyone though. Not even for the entirety of the culture that it seems focused in on. But for those that find something to latch onto, it's a wonderful ride, and showcases why exactly many of us not only love the mediums we do, but why we seek out others who do. Yeah, nerdy interests are slowly becoming more and more accepted as time goes on, but that in no way discounts the experiences that people have had and will likely continue to have. All we can do is keep moving forward, holding onto the stories that impact us.

In the end, Tokusatsu GaGaGa, while I could see people contesting its status as a tokusatsu specifically despite the title, is a show that I'm so glad that I added to the list, and I think probably made for the best show to close the year out with. It helped to reinforce why shows such as Power Rangers have remained strong with me throughout my entire life, as well as made me appreciate the friends I've made and friendships I've reinforced through my niche interests. Even if I found Cosmic Fury to be a disappoint, and even if Hasbro is determined to kill the franchise off, my love for the franchise, and toku as a medium, will remain strong, and I have GaGaGa to thank for reminding me of that.

In the end, I give Tokusatsu GaGaGa a 5/6. It's a wonderful time, and I can't recommend it enough.

And with that, I've reached the end of this year long project of checking out various different tokusatsu franchises outside of the Big Three.

I'm so glad that I decided to go forward with this project. From Gandine, to Dogengers, to Tekkouki Mizkazuki and beyond. Every new story I experienced this year has offered its own unique voice that I grew to love.

I feel like the timing couldn't've been better either. Not just for me, but the greater toku sphere too. Something I've noticed becoming more and more common in the circles I reside in is burnout. Whether it be Kamen Rider, Super Sentai, or Ultraman, many a fan is growing tired of the one show they consume.

Variety is the spice of life, as they say. Not happy with the various moral quandaries that Riders have been giving you? Why not give something more fun and simple like Dogengers a try? Think Sentai has gotten too kiddy and want something with some more edge? How about giving GARO a shot? Tokusatsu has grown so far and wide now that it's easier than ever to find something to your liking.

With that said, what's next for me then?

Well first and foremost, I'll be taking a break until the new year at the very least. But once that hits, well, I don't plan on just abandoning the idea of visiting unfamiliar toku -- There are sequels I need to watch, afterall! Though with that in mind, I do want to return to my roots of Toku Anime as well. I plan to juggle the two, since that seems like it'll be fun. No planned order or anything, just whatever I'm in the mood for at the time will likely be covered. So yeah, even I don't know what I'll cover next, haha!

But regardless, if you've been following along with any entry in this project for any amount of time, thank you, and I hope I helped you discover a new show that piqued your interests just as much as they did mine.

Until we meet again, friends!

This series made me get interested in work-coms dealing about adult nerds dealing with their hobbies outside working hours or shed light on how the working environment can be too stale when you can't find other people within your circle. It's the kind of stories you want to see more of when you are within this age. You grow out of high school/college club shows when not too long ago you were part of that demographic but as you get older you look for the next relatable story.

I was unaware that that was even a genre. Interesting...

I don't think I quite managed "soon", but regardless, I'm really glad you gave me this excuse to go back through Tokusatsu GaGaGa! I kinda wish I had more to kick in when it comes to specific thoughts on episodes, but I sorta missed the boat already and if I try to do it all at once, it's like... man, where do I even start? Or no, scratch that, it's more like when is that going to end?

I'm still not really back in a groove where I can just pump out a novel's worth of thoughts on stuff again, but rest assured that if I was, there's scarcely a moment that goes by in this show I wouldn't have something to say about. A lot of times that might just be about how funny it is, but when it's not, it'll probably be about how much this series resonated with me thanks to its deep understanding of how much a series or whatever else can resonate with me or anybody else.

If I was going to limit myself to one specific thing to talk about here, I suppose I might choose the way the final episode beautifully contrasts Kano watching Emerjason's finale across three different points in time, and how it's treated like a reunion with an old friend and how Kano's own connection with the show mirrors the drama in it and all that, because that's an extremely well done climactic scene for the finale. So yeah, I might choose that, but there's just as much reason to pick any of the other moments in this show that effortlessly nail all sorts of subtle nuances to bring forth a larger more obvious point in an extremely graceful fashion, because Tokusatsu GaGaGa is full of that sort of thing. Like, man, just in the episode before that, where you get Mr Yakuza's deep childhood connection to Love Cute? And just from those couple of lines of dialogue from some episode he's watching you can get that it was offering a timid kid a relatable vision of courage that helped him push forward in a way whatever macho hero a young boy was "supposed" to look up to couldn't have? It's too good, man. This show is too good.

So that's two specific things I guess, and I'll leave it at that for now, and just reiterate how happy I am both to see you enjoying this show, DreamSword, and how happy I am I finally went back through it for the first time in a good couple years.

Aww, and here I was looking forward to the novel... :p

Well, I'm glad you got to re-experience a show you deeply love once more! And I'm glad you found endearment in my ramblings about it.

On that topic though, rewatching a beloved show after some time away from it... man, that's a magical feeling I can't quite explain. I don't remember if I've ever said this before, but I actually have it as somewhat a tradition of mine that I rewatch my all time favorite shows every few years, just as a reminder of why I loved them so much in the first place.

It's a certain kind of magic that happens every time I do, too, and hey, maybe I can try and turn such an experience into a thread for these boards sometime next year. Just an idea I'm kicking around~