[Sh Ranger]

Sparkling Rewatch of Machine Sentai Kiramager Episode 23-45, VS Ryusoulger & Bebop Dream

Even if Kiramager isn't particularly weird and crazy compared to most other Reiwa Sentai, which I'd argue is actually part of Kiramager's charm, I think the final arc is the second best after King-Ohger. It's fully acknowledged here that Garza's Kiramentality is stronger than Oradin's and would've been a perfect match for Juru's, if not for the fact that Emperor Yodon brainwashed him in childhood to hate Oradin. This is the plot twist that people often criticize about the show, claiming that it sacrifices Garza's autonomy. And honestly, I can't argue against that, especially compared to Gekiranger by the same producer, where Rio was merely emotionally manipulated by the final boss. Nevertheless, I appreciate how it adds another layer of depth to Juru's and Garza's rivalry and makes Yodon even more despicable for corrupting Garza's sparkling heart and using his sparkling mind for evil.

The 2-part final battle against Yodon is clever for how it sequentially uses each of the 4 Granterstones, the most powerful stones in the universe, all to defeat him once and for all in an improvized plan led by Juru's Hirameking and Tame's tactical direction. The show has often emphasized frequent practical effects for the Machines, so it's appropriate that most of the battle is on giant scale, while also being a clear reminder of Yodon's crazy strength and resilience. The Granterstones were also shown to have been used simultaneously in the epilogue to revive Crystalia, which had been established early in the second half of the show as Takamichi's new goal for gathering them since having saved Mabusheena. I think this is a fitting conclusion that allows Garza to rest in peace knowing that his worst crime was absolved. Of course, I must also mention that sweet Juru flip in the helmetless roll call. Komiya made it look easy!

Regarding the individual character focus episodes, the one people probably remember most is 27, the Gekiranger tribute with Natsume and Miki returning to have Sena test drive their new SCRTC product. Sena has been sponsored by them since the start, so this crossover makes a lot of sense and she really sparkles here. Honestly, I'd say all Sena focus episodes are sparkling ones, which is basically my segway to finally talk about my favorite character in the show. Episode 37 is about the importance of her ability to think ahead in case the optimal result isn't viable, which attentive fans will remember, since her track athlete career started after she moved away from the path of karuta queen. Perhaps this ability, initially dismissed as negativity but noticed by Sayo as essential to Sena's success, is why she can sparkle in so many different ways. While not as specialized as Juru's vivid imagination-fueled Kiramentality, Sena has a wide range of aptitudes besides just running fast and despite her airheaded impression, she has a lot of hidden wisdom that appears when she's in the zone. I can totally see what Mach loves about her.

Kiramager VS Ryusoulger is still my favorite Reiwa VS movie so far, which isn't exactly hard as it's followed by a streak of 4 major misses. Of course, it's also a pretty great movie in its own right. It has a good amount of focus on each of the character pairs, the Yodon Studio is an entertaining framing device for the conflict, there's a tribute to Ui reasurring the audience that she's living happily and both Sentai's mecha show up for the finale, which seems rare these days. Other than Wiserue, what more could I want?

Bebop Dream is okay, I guess. The narrative seems to be taken from the original concept of the summer movie (the one that was supposed to release in Summer), with Numajo's little sis Minjo as the villain. The premise is solid enough and I honestly remember being hopeful about it when it was announced alongside All Sentai Rally and Memory of Soulmates. I feel like I've already seen the big climax of this story though, with the show's anxiety-inducing Numajo arc. Minjo is less threatening alive than Numajo was dead. On a lesser note, I'm tired of the repetitive vice joke at Shiguru's expense, which reappears here and once more in Zenkaiger VS Kiramager VS Sempaiger. Well, I'm glad that Zabyuun got to have his big movie focus after all and the action was good at least. There are worse summer movies you could watch than this one.

Overall, my sparkling rewatch has resolved any doubts about my judgment that Kiramager was worthy of the promotion in my Reiwa Sentai Ranking! There's a moral in VS Ryusoulger about Juru's ability to receive Hirameking, which explains that doing what you love is easier when you do it with the motivation of that love, rather than doing it for the sake of productivity. My experience with Kiramager is like that, with the clear state of mind making it much easier to examine and enjoy. You could say that the first watch was Calamental and the rewatch brought out the true Kiramentality.

Between the 3 Sentai I've been considering rewatching next, I realized that Abaranger is another Arakawa season so I think I should leave that for another time and Zyuohger would be good to save for next year on the 10th anniversary, so I decided....

I'm going to give Shinkenger another shot and see how my opinion of it might have changed in the last 16 years.

Quote:

Originally Posted by GuardianAngel87

I am now up to the final four episodes of my Gekiranger rewatch and depending on how things turn out in my eventual rewatch of Dairanger, Gekiranger may or may not officially displace the latter series as one of my Top 5 favorite Sentai series overall.

I will wait hopefully for Gekiranger's promotion!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunred

Ken's white and orange tracksuit still looks dope.

The outfits in this show are distinct in general, whether it's the functional and fashionable SCRTC uniforms or the detailed drips of Rio and Mele.