[Sh Ranger]

Scramble, 4 2 3 1 Let's Go!

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

TOKUMEI SENTAI GO-BUSTERS MISSION 1 - ?SPECIAL-OPS SENTAI, ASSEMBLE!?

I thought this was a fairly solid first episode of a toku show, if not a perfect one. It moves a little quickly, condensing what feels like incredibly important dramatic arcs into a single scene, as well as just powering through the introductions of literally a dozen characters. It?s overstuffed, is my feeling as a Kamen Rider fan.

It's Mission 1, but sometimes it feels like Mission 2, right? Nakamura is introduced as the new member, so Gorisaki and Usada can deliver exposition to the viewer through her, without sounding unnecessary. There's so much information dropped here that I would've preferred to get it in smaller doses. When the Megazord signal appears, Nakamura does her job so easily that it doesn't feel like she's a new member at all. Some dialogue is pretty humorous though, like Yoko and Usada mocking Hiromu as a "siscon". Yoko's habit of pouting really sells it!

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Because the characters are a bit of mixed bag for me in this one, sadly?

Blue and Yellow ? Ryuji and Yoko ? came off the best, and it?s down almost entirely to their easy camaraderie and unflappable competence. They?re just here to work, and it sort of made this thing click as far as a Spy Kids-esque toku story. They don?t mug or joke, leaving that instead to the Buddyroids; the Go-Busters just excel at their missions, and that?s sort of all you want to know to start with. They?re good at what they do, and they work well together. It?s not a lot to hang your hat on ? there?s literally nothing that springs to mind as far as a cool catchphrase or idiosyncratic beat, beyond Yoko eating some candy ? but it makes the concept and world feel like the spotlight, and I wonder if that?s a major difference for Sentai? How the premise needs to feel bigger than the characters?

It certainly showed in Hiromu?s arc, at least for me. We?re told via other characters that he lets himself be coddled too much by his sister, who appears to have raised him, and then the first non-flashback scene we see with her he?s saying that he has to protect other families by becoming a Go-Buster and she's going to have to be okay with that. The scene works okay-ish (Hiromu kind of never finds a note for his performance beyond Earnest And Sort Of Awkward, which feels less like a character choice and more like a young actor who is overmatched by the demands of the scene) but it feels like a major motivation for a guy we barely know just got checked off before the beginning of the third act of the first episode. I?m sure we?ll see more of this relationship, but it already feels like this episode squandered a few weeks worth of subplots in about two minutes.

Hiromu's been distant for 13 years due to not wanting his sis to worry, so it makes sense that Ryuji and Yoko would have a closer bond at the start with Yoko having the "Ryu-chan" nickname, while feeling that Hiromu doesn't take the job seriously. More on Yoko later, but I think we can totally see that Hiromu is also serious and willing to take responsibility, to the point that he probably overcompensates for his tardiness in formally joining the team. He's in a position where Gobusters needs him to save the world and his sis needs him to not risk his life, so it's pretty difficult for him.

You mentioned that Gobusters' lesser number of members is one of the factors that appealed to you, but I'd argue that the number is similar, except that the rest of the characters are support. A lot of Sentai have convenient ways of summoning their gear and piloting mecha, but Gobusters don't just put their faith in each other, they also have a bond (Kizuna, like in the ED theme) with their Buddyroids and the 3 computer guys. Everybody has an important job to do and I think it's a surprisingly tactical approach to a Sentai show, similar to GoGo V.

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Originally Posted by Switchblade

It can be very silly, but it's a kind of silly that I enjoy, as opposed to Kyoryuger, which I dropped around ten episodes in because I found it insufferable. If this resembles any of Kobayashi's Rider work, I'd say the closest analogue is probably Den-O, and not just because of a similar use of mascot characters.

Kyoryuger Episode 10 was around the time of Kyoryu Gold's awesome debut, which renewed my interest since he started as a pretty serious character. But yeah, this show was pretty insufferable. Well, at least I was able to finish it, unlike ToQGer.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Oh man, I didn't even notice! It's at least fitting that my least favorite Mirai Rider is my current least favorite Buster, though.

And thanks for the trivia!

I recall you didn't like Mondo's hat. What's your opinion on Hiromu's fashion sense, by comparison?

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Originally Posted by Androzani84

So yeah, Go-Busters. One of the Sentai I saved for the last 10 I watch as part of playing catch-up (started in 2018 with Lupinranger vs Patranger, and then started watching the past 41 seasons as they took my fancy, or as the subs became readily available).

Where do you even find all that time though? Over 41 seasons in 6 years is pretty ridiculous. I started in 2008 and I'm still catching up.

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Originally Posted by Androzani84

It probably has something to do with Ryuki being fresh on my mind, and probably something to do with how I didn?t like the show?s aesthetic (it just looks boring. Even Gokaiger?s had character).

I generally like it, but I don't like the overly monochrome base or the lack of white accents on the suits. The collars should've been white, at least. A Sentai just doesn't pop without white.

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Originally Posted by Sunred

My recollection of the hype at the time was that it tried a number of different things uncommon at the time for Super Sentai after the anniversary show that was Gokaiger.
For starters, diorama scenes weren't shot inside a studio but were actually filmed outside, making use of natural lighting. Then there was the whole not using reusable henshin footage as much and going Kamen Rider with it for the majority of the show. The costume department dropped the tights for the year, going with a techwear-ish faux leather combat suit you would expect from a non-sentai show.Overall, the tone, was comparatively grounded than its predecessors, or that seemed to be the intent I think. And let's not forget the little nod to MMPR.
But yeah, the way it was presented was quite different and I guess that was what clicked for those who wanted something experimental for a lack of better words after an anniversary show that went all-out at the time.

I wouldn't know about the hype, since I wasn't on any forums back then, but this totally makes sense to me. Like Androzani, I was also exasperated from Gokaiger's shallow nostalgia. Following that, Gobusters had a strong sense of identity, clear premise and intriguing characters. And yet, it shook up the formula in a way that felt fresh and unpredictable. I'll admit that I didn't get it immediately, but it grew on me and now I'd probably call it the best show Kobayashi has written.

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Originally Posted by Sunred

Personally, the faux sibling relationship these three had was fun to watch as well looking back.

Exactly! The unbreakable bond between the Gobusters and the Buddyroids are the heart of this show and I wouldn't care about it half as much without that. While you describe it as a sibling relationship, I personally think the Buddyroids are more like parents, especially to Hiromu and Yoko.