[DreamSword]

Ninja Storm

Pre-Show Preamble

Ah yes Ninja Storm, another season that, based on what I've looked up, wasn't too popular at first, but grew more fans as the years went by. Anyone else getting a feeling that if it's not a popular season, any given season of Power Rangers isn't allowed to be considered good until like 5 years later minimum?

And as you could probably guess by it being so high on the list, I absolutely love Ninja Storm! And no, I'm not covering "I Love Lothor!"

Friend: Even though it's fundamentally the best one of the season.

You hush.

Anyway! Ninja Storm was the first entry in the Disney Era and MAN did they start off great in my eyes! The tone, the style, the starting team only being three Rangers instead of the usual five... almost everything felt fresh and new! Especially that first bit, as this would be the first season to focus alot more on its comedic aspects. Old posts I dug up suggest that there were alot of people who didn't like it because the season didn't take itself too seriously.

...Which is really funny, because nowadays(especially during the twitch marathon), alot of people now praise it for the exact same thing.

Personally, I think it works out great, because this show is legitimately funny! And it's thanks to that that whenever the season does go for something more dramatic, it offers an excellent contrast, making me care about these likeable characters all the more.

And these characters certainly are a blast! I don't think there's a single character in Ninja Storm that I don't like. My favorite though is Dustin, who quickly became my favorite Yellow Ranger in the entire franchise(very closely followed by Chip in Mystic Force).

Now before I start, I just wanna say this write-up is gonna be really weird for me, because the episode I deemed my favorite is also the one that I deemed the funniest, so I dunno exactly how well I'll be able to portray that, considering humor is very subjective in general. But, I'll try, and I hope you all can atleast get a smile out of my highlights. With that, today's episode is...

Episode 15: Pork Chopped

It's a classic set-up we've seen a bunch of times before. Tori agrees to watch Shane at his skate demo, only for her to accept a date invite from Blake to go see a movie scheduled for the exact same time. Rather than like, simply call Blake and tell him she already had prior plans she forgot about, she instead uses her Ninja Speed to try and be in both places at once.

Hijinks ensue.

Lothor meanwhile uses the current split in the team to try and mount a surprise attack with his latest alien: General Trayf, a pig who has dimensional powers.

What really sells the scenario though, atleast to me, is that the comedy of the episode doesn't actually come from the cliched setup itself. Instead, like alot of the comedy this season, most of it comes from the genuine personality of all the characters involved. The cast really did a great job making all of their characters really likeable this season; Even the villains! I cannot stress this enough.

"Hello? Like, attack?"

While Marah is keeping Shane and Dustin busy, Trayf traps the Thunder Brothers in a dimensional bag of popcorn(no I am not making that up), so that way they stay out of most of the action this episode. The magic in the bag is so strong that it even blocks them from Morphing! But you know what the worst part of it is? It's not even not real butter that's gonna end up destroying them.

"IT'S ARTIFICIAL FLAVORING!"

(That's actually my favorite line in the whole season, by the way.)

When the Wind Rangers manage to track down Trayf, the big pig challenges them to follow him into his dimension of horrors, where he reigns supreme. With no other option, the Ranger jump in to find...

"Not another rock quarry!"

The fight is full of personality too, featuring highlights like Trayf shooting off dozens of exploding pig snouts and Shane surfing on a trashcan lid to attack mid-flight. Even Lothor loves this stuff, watching the fight from the movie theater. Private screenings, man.

I always dug how the Storm Striker was modular, meaning that any of the three Rangers could lead off and have a different finishing attack as a result. It's an idea I'd love to see used again. And if Sentai has done it since, feel free to lemme know. Rangers sure hasn't. The Megazord is cool too; I always liked how the artillery Zords popped out of its chest.

Oh right, Blake and Hunter. They manage to escape the popcorn bag by using their bio-electricity to pop all of the unpopped kernels at the bottom of the bag, thus propelling them back out into the world. The fight they get afterward is fun too, as they use the butter they're covered in to clown on a group of Kelzaks. Kind of a reverse scenario to the Jungle Fury episode I covered.

In the end, Tori learns her lesson about managing her time better, and declines Blake's' invitation to try their date over again. Blake mentions he's "not good with dates either" and respects Tori's' decision.

Still, he does now have a leftover ticket, so who to take to the movie?

Overall, this episode never fails to put a smile on my face. It oozes personality, has a bunch of great lampshades and comedic beats, and the action is creative and fun to watch. It really does capture the essence of Ninja Storm for me, and I couldn't ask for any better than that.

After-Show Bonus

Jason Chan was about 30 when he applied for the role of Cam, the Green Ranger. He actually only ended up getting the part because his agent lied to some of the higher-ups at Disney, claiming he was in his early 20s. Considering how amazingly the guy has aged, I'd've believed it too! Nowadays he directs his own independent films, and if you're curious, I'd recommend checking them out! They're definitely interesting if nothing else.