[Locke]

Gokaiger 11.

Considering how much Japan loves Shinkenger, I'm surprised by how little justice this really does for that show. Then again, the more I think on it, the more the tributes in this show have kinda sucked. I mean not Super Megaforce levels of suck, but when I try and think of the merits of the actual tributes outside of the actual merits of the episodes they're featured in...well I can't really think of any. They're basically cameos for cameos sake and the show kinda rides on the hope that nostalgia will distract you from the fact that the cameo is just sorta...there and isn't actually really doing anything. For in show reasons at a push, but it never seems any less superfluous even with that reasoning in mind. I dunno, maybe this is proof that a good body of sentai knowledge really is necessary for maximum enjoyment of Gokaiger.

It was kinda lucky that this was the most tacked on tribute of them all in a way though, as it allowed the episode to focus on much more interesting things. Most noticeably, some truly epic battles. As the Gokaigers shifted into Gingaman the battle really became high gear, that was some epic stuff.

Still a little confused though as to what this shows obsession with Joe is though, no character in this is underdeveloped, but it's just odd that he gets so much focus compared to anyone else. Plus I do still find it distracting that in the story Joe is our swordsman, like it makes a pretty big deal of it, yet in the fight scenes his swordsman nature is extremely downplayed, and usually it's Luka who is played up as the swordsman of the group. Not only does Joe usually pass her his sword, we've never once seen Joe combine the swords, or use that whip move like she has multiple times. Yet once the fighting is done, there is never mention of sword fighting from her lips but they can't shut up about Joe the swordsman.

I dunno, it just seems such a weird creative decision to me. I never quite understand how fight scenes made specifically for a single story, and set of characters, can still have an incredible disconnect from them. I can understand stuff not gelling one hundred percent in Power Rangers as they're adapting their new characters to footage made for something else, but what is the excuse in sentai?

Also dammit, we finally get an MMPR change and the Gokaiger's get absolutely creamed. They weren't losing this bad, even when they changed into Goggle V and fought with ribbons Those Dynaman suits aren't all that great looking either.