[Matrixbeast]

Dairanger is a very interesting show that bored me on my first watch. I guess because it just literally throws you into it, I didn't think it'd interest me. I am, though, glad I watched it in full this time around.

This is probably the earliest Sentai that I've enjoyed, and for good reason. The characters are all fleshed out and they feel like people. I never outright disliked any of them, which is always good (Though Kou's introduction did leave a sour taste in my mouth). The characters worked off each other well, having a good balance of attitudes and attributes so that they clashed but felt like they could still be legitimate friends. There is some weakness to them in that they are a little bland in terms of their overall character, but because they weren't made over the top, I'm letting it slide. Ryou wasn't too special as a Red, being a determined leader who'll always be the first to stand, he was still a good Red. My only real problem is that his character type is a bit too common as far as Red rangers go. Daigo is quite a standout character, being someone who loved the world and everything that lived on it, plants and animals included. He gains a long spanning story arc through his love, Kujaku. I'm glad it didn't dip into melodrama too often (Though there were some occasions...) and it was handled well, Kujaku slowly moving from outright revenge to atonement for a friend. Rin was a bit of a different beast, appearing somewhat bland, but her actions often played key roles in the plot, especially with Kou. She was enjoyable, but the episode that really made me see her strength was when she fell in love with a Gouma. To see how far she'd go for him was exciting, and it really got to me.
As with all Sentai, though, there are always some who don't get the time they need. Shouji was a nice character, a strong and devoted character whose strength is what made him shine. He believed in others and, as shown with the 3 idiots, is willing to give others the benefit of the doubt. While his episodes were great, he just didn't get enough. Kazu though...Poor Kazu. He was nice, playing a key role in finding DaiMugen, but he didn't do much otherwise. While we do know some about him, such as his work at a salon as well as his putting on a "Cool" front, he just didn't get any time to shine beyond a few token episodes. Kou was an interesting 6th character, and that's not just his being a child. Being used to modern Sentai that make the 6th an unstoppable badass, I was afraid that Kibaranger would eat up the spotlight (Not helped that, with Kou being a "Cool kid who does what he wants and isn't afraid to break the rules" style of kid character a la Bart (Though Simpsons wasn't in Japan, but you get the idea), that he'd be shoved to the forefront), but I was proven wrong. Kibaranger was modest in his appearances, often times going up to 6 episode runs of not appearing at all. It helped keep him interesting while also keeping the team dynamic of the main 5. While I do wish he was shown as more of a team ranger, it was a nice refresher from the current day norm. While Kou's acting chops did need some work, he was a decent enough character. His initial appearances did make me completely hate the kid, his story afterwards was what warmed me up to him. His tragic history with his mother and his relation to Gouma kept me glued to my seat to learn what happens next.

The side characters were another story, though. Some of them good, some of them very meh. The big one is Kou's mother. She is a major character who appears very sporadically, but the plot for a good chunk of episodes revolve around finding her. Despite this and her connection to both a hero and the villains, she never even gets a name. That's terrible. She's a rather weak character, despite the story payoff being done well. The next is their mentor, Doushi Kaku. I really enjoyed him, as I'm a fan of the calm and cool mentors. While the idea of an ally character/mentor being connected to the enemies is nothing new, I still enjoyed how they pulled it off with Kaku, him being willing to return and try to take command to save everyone. As a character, though, there isn't much to say. He's wise, he's calm, he's cool. I like him, but he isn't something I haven't seen before. Next is Kujaku, the character with one of the longer story arcs. I really enjoyed her, being a warrior out for revenge due to one slip up to slowly regaining her humanity and sympathy, but also slowly dying due to her body being unable to adapt to current times. She was enjoyable and her sacrifice was quite touching. There were some moments of weakness, particularly during her earlier appearances, but ultimately, I'd say she's a good character. Jin is basically a villain turned anti-hero. However, since his significance takes place post death, I'll place him here. He's kind of despicable, but he's more of a factor toward's Ryou's growth rather than a character himself. To see the lengths he'd go to achieve martial arts perfection was rough, but for him to return and start to see the good in humanity was a little confusing. I did like his return and how much of an impact he left on Ryou, though. The last is Kameo, who I don't know if I liked. I initially didn't care for him, but then Yellow Owl took the role and I loved it. He's kind of a child in a man's body, but he's willing to go with the Dairangers because he finds out he's DaiMugen. He doesn't change much beyond being willing to aid his friends, mainly Kazu, even if he's terrified. I like him, but I can't say for certainty whether or not it's because I loved Raita from Jetman.

Now, the villains. I'm gonna be honest, they weren't that strong. Zaidos went from a stoic generic to a chuckling idiot. He really didn't interest me at all. Gara was fairly nice. Her rivalry with Kujaku being what kept her interesting. Her history with her as well as her hatred for her today made her fairly fun to watch, but the reasoning for her hatred (A scar that she can literally make disappear at a moment's notice) was kind of weak. The scar should've been a permanent part of her design. I did like what drove their friendship apart was Kujaku's trying to heal her, though. Akomaru wasn't anything special, really, but his hatred for his father, Shadam, was an interesting twist. He tried to keep it inside him, acting as if he didn't care for his father, but as things started to spiral out of control, he soon showed how he really felt, abandoned by his mother and father and raised in such a hate filled environment, it's hard to blame him. He truly got to shine during his final scene, though, where he finally got to meet his mother and feel her love one final time. Finally, Gouma the 15th. He was there, too.
Now then, there's Shadam. He moved from lackluster brute to interesting villain fairly quickly with the introduction of his son. I was always curious about what he had up his sleeve and what he was going to do next. He felt like Radiguet from Jetman in that it was always hard to get a beat on his next move. However, unlike Radiguet, he didn't devolve into insanity, making him far more interesting. While his twists kept me on my toes, his heartless nature is his biggest failing. In the end, he was just a heartless monster who only cared for power. He wasn't anything new or creative.

The story at hand is problematic to talk about, since it was just "Dairangers vs. Gouma" with multiple sub stories throughout. As a whole, the stories they told were done well, as I can't think of any I outright disliked. Some could've been told better (Notably Kou's story), but it was still good for what it was.

As for designs, it's very hit or miss. I really love the Dairanger's suits. The white is dulled and their colors aren't overtly bright, so it's not an eyesore. The helmets are designed well and it's just great to look at. I can understand problems with white being in the forefront, but I enjoy it.
Additionally, I love RyuuSeiOh. The dragon mode looks great and the puppetry used to achieve it is excellent. It's warrior mode is just as nice, being sleek and slim for a very fast look. It fits with the martial arts motif. DaiRenOh also looks good. The heavy armored Chinese guard look does stand out a little too much, but it does look good as a whole. WonTiger kind of skirts the line of about average. It's not too amazing, but it does enough right for me to enjoy both it's modes, though the tiger mode is the weakest. However, the rest of the mechs are just bad. I hate how they designed the other KiDen beasts. I know why they're designed the way they are, but they just look awful. All incredibly static, all unable to do much beyond wiggle their heads. It's an eyesore for a series that started off so well with RyuuSeiOh. WonTiger's combined form (Which I can't remember) also isn't that good. I do enjoy some aspects of it, but I just don't think it works as well as DaiRenOh. DaiMugen, though...A box that you stand up. It's so disappointing, especially for such a large being. I've always wanted it to be able to do so much more...
The Gouma also look bad. Yes, there are standout examples here and there, but for the most part, the majority of the monsters look ugly, and not in the "Intentionally ugly" style of things.

As a whole, I enjoyed Dairanger. It's one of the better "Older" Sentai I've seen, not being massively overhyped like Jetman or just "Decent" like Megaranger. There are many aspects I had issue with, but no series other than Gekiranger is perfect, so it's alright. I'm unsure how I'd rank it, but I do enjoy it for what it did. The stories it told were good and the action was always nice. There were risks taken (There was also the VS thing that they tried for a few episodes before dropping, which was kind of curious), and they usually paid off, thankfully.

For Sentai, my ratings would be
1. Gekiranger
2. Kakuranger
3. Dairanger/Gokaiger
4. Dairanger/Gokaiger
5. Goseiger