[Kamizabuger]

I'm new here. I can't imagine I'm the only tokufan who comes up with his own sentai regularly. I've recently come up with the following, and present to you all just on the off change is turns out to be interesting to anyone:

I call it Zyukan Sentai Gokôger (循環戦隊ゴコウジャー), or "Circulation Squadron Gokōger/Wuxing'ger." This team's theme borrows heavily from ToQger, but rather than merely trading weapons and colors (the point of which I've never figured out), but exchanging elemental powers. They each possess their own weapon, so if, say, the fire-sword guy (red) trades with the lighting-gun guy (white), they become lightning-sword guy (white) and fire-gun guy (red) respectively. I lifted these elemental powers from the Chinese concept of "Wu Xing," the Five Phases:

1. 火 - Ho: Fire. Self-explanatory; might include magma.
2. 土 - Do: Earth. Quakes, dust, stones, and sand.
3. 金 - Kin: Metal. Electricity and lightning.
4. 水 - Sui: Water. Floods, ice, and bubbles.
5. 木 - Moku: Lit., "tree," used to mean "Wood." Somehow this doesn't count under "Earth;" poison, leaves, vines, etc. Might even inexplicably include wind.

That's how they're colored in the traditional scheme; their names are based on the Japanese approximations of their Chinese names.

The next part of the gimmick is that each ranger has his/her own weapon, which assumes the powers of the element that ranger is using:

1. GokōShooter (コゴウシューター). Wields the "Lung-ch'ung"/"Dragon Pistol" (龍銃「ロンチョン」). Pilots “Lung-shen”/”Dragon God” (龍神「ロンシェン」). Leader of the sentai and its only female. Tomboyish, rebellious, and always up for a good fight. Half-Hiberno-American, half-Chinese; happens to be in Japan visiting family, who are descended from recent Chinese expatriates. Tends to be vocally critical of the Chinese Communist regime, but seems to have more Marxist-Leninist sympathies than she lets on. Perhaps over the course of the series, she'll learn to rein herself in somewhat, without denying who she is. Mystery: her father may have something to do with the sudden appearance of monsters in Japan…
   
2. GokōMacer (コゴウメーサー). Wields the "Shih-ch'ui"/"Lion Hammer" (獅錘 「シーチュエ」). Pilots “Shih-shen”/”Lion God” (獅神「シーシェン」). The "second-in"command," the distant cousin of GokōShooter. Worrisome, almost motherly, and possessed of some odd hobbies, particularly his predilection for Western cartoons. Half-Chinese, Half-Japanese. Has no strong political feelings, but tends to be rather conservative socially, especially when it comes to his cousin, for whom he feels responsible to protect. Perhaps over the course of the series, he'll learn to give his cousin space and to take care of his own needs rather than worrying about everyone else. Mystery: he sometimes refers to a "little brother" under his breath or wistfully, as if reaffirming a promise, but his parents assure the others that GokōMacer is the younger of only two brothers. Who is "little brother?"
   
3. GokōSlicer (コゴウスライサー). Wields the "Ma-chien"/"Horse Sword" (馬剣「マジェン」). Pilots “Ma-shen”/”Horse God” (馬神「マシェン」). The "brains" of the group. Sardonic, aloof, sometimes even cruel. Values efficiency, correctness, and victory over the enemy at any cost. Pure Japanese, of "Yamato" heritage and vocally very proud of it. Tends to favor prestige and ambition over friendship. Perhaps over the course of the series, he'll learn to embrace failure as part of growing as a person, and to share compassion and mercy. Mystery: he seems to be pretty familiar with onmyōdō magic and unwilling to delve much into the heritage of which he seems so proud.
   
4. GokōBuster (コゴウバースター). Wields the "Ch'i-pang"/"Chimera Rod" (麒棒「チバン」). Pilots “Ch’i-shen”/”Chimera God” (麒神「チシェン」). The "brawn" of the outfit. Practical, gentle, and laid back. A longshoreman by trade, values work ethic. Tends to avoid conflict and to try to keep the peace at all costs. Perhaps over the course of the series, he'll learn to face challenges head-on and to be more forthright with others and honest with himself. Mystery: he doesn't remember any part of his life before he turned 18 and began work at the docks...
   
5. GokōKiller (コゴウキラー). Wields the "Feng-ch'ian"/"Phoenix Spear" (鳳槍「フェンチャン」). Pilots “Feng-shen”/”Phoenix God” (鳳神「フェンシェン」). The "kid" of the group. Unpredictable, volatile, twitchy, and a little unhinged. Claims to be an oni and to have caused various ancient disasters in Japan, and that his recent "awakening" caused a recent earthquake and tsunami. He claims, too, that yōkai are constantly helping him. Perhaps over the course of the series, we'll get to figure out just what the heck is up with this kid. Mystery: ... What the heck is up with this kid?!

Their mechs combine to form “Ch’ung-ch’ao-shen”/”Heavy Super-God” (重超神「チョンチョウシェン」). And, to recap, they can trade those elemental powers I mentioned earlier. So GokōShooter will always wield a gun; when she’s red, that gun is shooting fire bullets; when she’s black, it’s a freeze-ray; when she’s white, it’s some kind of photon-gun; etc. And so for the others as well.

Those are my heroes. You'll notice the core concept and theme are, together, more or less a hodgepodge of other sentai, Dairanger and ToQger in particular.

My villains, on the other hand, might be a little more unique as far as sentai go: they're called the Fomorians (フォモラ人). These are beings of ancient Irish mythology. Before the Gaels arrived in Ireland, the island had been occupied by a shadowy, grotesque race of beings called the Fomorians. But then the Tuatha de Danaan, who would become the ancient Irish pantheon, arrived on the island and forced the Fomorians away. Where the Tuatha represented reason and living in harmony with nature, the Fomorians represented the untamed and hostile ancient world, unsuitable for human life. A very aquatic race, their abyssal headquarters can also generate nightmares and madness, tapping into the human psyche where the dark, primal urges and psychoses are hidden. They have reemerged from the ocean due to some mysterious cause somehow linked with the tsunami, and they begin to prompt madness in the Japanese population to prepare the country for their invasion. It is unclear why they have chosen Japan over Ireland, but they seem to be attracted to the island-character of the country. Perhaps this is a vacation?

And I wouldn’t feel like I’ve made a true sentai without at least one additional, mid-season ranger. I call him GokōMixer (コゴウミクシャー). His supply of elemental power is much more limited than that of the main team, so, to preserve his supply, he mixes them, as a painter mixes primary colors, thus creating ten new elements: orange, purple, pink, maroon, green, pale yellow, dark yellow, baby blue, navy blue, grey. I wouldn’t even begin to know what these elements would be. I’m thinking of calling this supply, which I picture to be some kind of liquid contained in the transformation item, something like “goki.”

This is about where I've petered out. I couldn't even be bothered to name the transformation item.