[Tokumonkey]

I'm not sure production design speaks to all the most serious things wrong with Ninninger's scripting. (Although we can just blame Takaharu on the casting director and leave it at that.) I don't doubt it's a factor, but it's not the entire thing.

I'm certain you're right that there's a significant amount of push and pull surrounding the toy line, actor availability around cameos, etc. However, one of the reasons Ninninger is so poorly-regarded is that there was almost nothing interesting going on with its villains. Villains allow a section of the story to be told that skirts the toys and speaks to the serialized elements of the show. Ninninger mostly wasted these opportunities. Only Kyuemon had much of anything interesting going on, but that story wasn't given anything like enough meat until the final few episodes (plus a movie.)

By comparison, Zyuohger's villains were unbelievably flat until someone on the writing team dreamed up Bangray, and suddenly, the show was churning out some of its most interesting episodes.

So far, Zi-O's Timejackers are failing to intrigue me. I get that we're in the early, mustache-twirling section of the show, but we're seeing essentially the same scenes reiterated over and over, and it's giving me unpleasant Wizard flashbacks.