[GoldenXtreme]

Alriiiiight, I rewatched Dekaranger! Much like Abaranger this was an interesting show to revisit after seeing more Sentai so I could appreciate the unique things it did more. I still don't exactly love it though.

The Good

• I think the biggest thing I found I liked more this time was just how good this show was about avoiding the typical Sentai formula of "normal-sized fight -> big fight". Episodes would shake up the order of skip one of them a lot.
• The episodic plots were often very solid and had a nice variety of wholesomeness and tragedy. Hoji almost always has a pretty bad time, which is kinda funny.
• The cast is fun! Everyone gets enough focus and even a hothead like Ban gets episodes that show his strong side.
• SWAT mode is still my favorite hero suit in a Sentai. Armor on the sleek undersuit is such a good look.
• The finale is so cool, love any tokusatsu with a desperate final struggle while unable to transform.

The Bad

• I don't mind Dekaranger being episodic, but I kind of wish it had more of an attempt at overarching character arcs at least. The cast doesn't really feel like they grow much as people, most of their internal conflicts being constrained to one or two episodes and then never relevant again.
• Similarly, I feel like the relationships between the Dekarangers feel weak. You don't get much of a feel for their dynamic as a team, and the pairs that do get some focus like Ban/Hoji and Jasmine/Umeko aren't exactly uniquely written. I can't get over the episode right near the end that's all like "Oh yeah, Hoji and Jasmine used to be a team", a fact that is completely irrelevant to every other episode of the show.
• The way the show treats aliens is just WEIRD. I get that the whole "law abiding aliens disguise themselves as humans" thing was just an excuse to not have random background characters in suits all the time, but the rule itself really begs some questions about what's happening with Earth and the show itself breaks the rule plenty of times. Espers are another aspect of the show that begged more explanation.

The Misc

• I used the Shout subs, which to my understanding are stolen fansubs. I assume some of the weird phrasing was due to thesaurus abuse. Tsk, tsk, bad choice Shout.
• Even if the show does enough to convince me Ban has his good points, I can't help but feel like him joining the Fire Squad in the end is kind of against the general emphasis on the Dekaranger only working as well as they do because they are a complimentary team? It struck me as a weird narrative choice.
• I think it is very funny that Doggie gets shirtless scenes that are framed in a distinctly fanservice-y way. This guy must have been the source of so many furry awakenings.

I like the show, but I feel like it just doesn't quite have the weight or uniqueness it needs to be truly good? Which is too bad, because I definitely feel like it had all the right components to pull that off. Solidly enjoyable experience though, glad I rewatched it.