Insight into Goseiger
 

Hello!

I just started watching Goseiger and I was wondering if someone could help me understand a few things about it. I'm only three episodes in.

First off, it feels really old to me. Not sure if it's the camerawork, the type of film, or what...it seems like the quality is worse than Shinkenger and Go-Onger, even though it was after both of those series. Was this on purpose? Some sort of throwback/mirroring/motif?

Next, the fight scenes and sound editing also feel "throwbacky" to me. Again, a motif? I haven't watched many older Sentai, so maybe it's some trope I haven't experienced yet.

Finally, the way too busy enemies. Wow, they're ugly.

I've been avoiding Goseiger for a while now but I decided to finally take that plunge. I know I'll finish it and all, but it seems so different to me and I'm trying to wrap my head around exactly what it is. Most Sentai feel like that at first but then you get that "well worn" familiar feeling soon after. I haven't felt that way yet, sort of the same way I feel about Go Busters.

So please, fill me in....no spoilers please, though! Thank you in advance!!

I think a lot of Goseiger's problems (from the technical side) come down to timing.

This series was made right before the big 35th anniversary. It seems like most of Toei's effort (and experienced crew) went towards preparing the next season while Goseiger had to make do with some less-impressive offerings.

I felt Goseiger looked better than Go-Onger in film quality, myself. It might just be the TV rips themselves.

The monsters are intentional design choices.

It may feel "throwback" to you because of the Action Director. In Sentai, the Action Director is in charge of directing all the in-suit martial arts fight scenes, including directing the camera and overseeing the fight choreography. When it comes to the "style" of a Sentai's action, this person usually has the heaviest influence on what you see. (Though there are exceptions, like when Koichi Sakamoto is in the Series Director's chair -- he has a heavier hand than most Series Directors when it comes to the look of the action.)

I believe Goseiger's Action Director was Hirofumi Ishigaki, who worked in the action unit in some capacity on every Sentai from Hurricanger through Gokaiger. His style is definitely indicative of "classic Sentai" to me. Ishigaki is heavily influenced by the Shaw Bros. and other classic martial arts directors, hence the retro feel.

After Gokaiger, there was a change over. All of the sentai series from Go-Busters through Zyuohger have seen (or will see) Hirofumi Nakazawa in the Action Director's chair. Nakazawa has a much different style -- his action scenes are more modern and Hollywood-influenced, with less emphasis on classic martial arts filmmaking tropes.

I, personally, feel like Nakazawa's cinematography is bland, static, and overly glossy, while Ishigaki's is gritty, dynamic, and impactful (which I prefer). On the other hand, I think Nakazawa executes more innovative stunt choreography, and I could see people overlooking his uninspired cinematography for that reason.

You'll get there with Goseiger. There's always that moment in a Sentai where it "clicks" and becomes very familiar. Sometimes that moment happens sooner, sometimes later. It took quite a while for Ninninger to "click" for me, which leads me to...

I suspect the exact same thing is happening with Ninninger. It feels a lot like Goseiger did when it was being aired, and the fan reaction has been pretty similar. I definitely think Ninninger has received less attention in the shadow of Zyuohger's 40 Anniversary.

Hopefully that means Zyuohger will be really good.

Kamen Rider Lucha the second stunt choreographer's Hirofumi Fuzukawa btw, just pointing out.

I think the problem with Goseiger that it came in between two of the more recently overhyped Sentai(well 6 years ago). Shinkenger was extremely popular back then(but as an American kid watching it back then, I found it kinda boring) and Gokaiger as well.

But I actually think Goseiger was really good from the five episodes I saw. I actually think that it was more interesting than Shinkenger, but I'll have to watch the whole series to make a better opinion.

That's a fun, new fact! That is probably why Fukuzawa wasn't the Gosei Red suit actor, huh?

Not exactly. He played GoseiBlue instead due to the height match ups to the actors being different. Yudai Chiba was like 5"8 so they had another suit actor play him instead. His technical last role was GokaiRed, and he started as Action Director in Go-Busters.

Ah, gotcha. I didn't realize he played Gosei Blue. I did know that about Gokai Red and Go-Busters.