[Androzani84]

With my schedule having become a lot more unforgiving (that?s what going back to university will do for you), at its new date on Tuesday, here?s the newest instalment of?

Androzani?s Tsukai Detour

His week, we?re covering?

Juken Sentai Gekiranger vs Boukenger

?A martial art which grants the power of beasts through sensing one's own feral spirit: Juken.
Juken is split into two opposing styles.
One, a Juken of Justice: Geki Juken Beast Arts!
The other, a Juken of Evil: Rin Juken Akugata!
Martial artists destined to fight.
Every day they aim for the top.
They learn. They change."

?Master Sha-Fu teaches the Juken of justice, Beast Arts. Training with him are talented warriors who fight the practitioners of the evil Juken, Rinjuken Akugata.?

Gekirangers:
Jan Kandou/GekiRed: A human who was raised in the woods by tigers. He has a natural affinity for the Gekiju Tiger-fist, giving him a resistance to most forms of pain, though since he is still a beginner, his main focus is on power. He does not know very many common words so he sometimes describes things with words such as "niki-niki", "zowa-zowa", "waki-waki", his own personal "Jan-ish" language.
Ran Uzaki/GekiYellow: A practioneer of Gekiju Cheetah-fist, using a combination of speed and accuracy in her attacks. She focuses on heart when fighting. She?s also the leader of the Gekirangers, but this barely comes up.
Retsu Fukami/GekiBlue: An employee of SCRTC (I don?t know what the acronym stands for, but I do know said acronym would not sound like ?scratch?, despite the author?s intentions) and a Gekiju Jaguar-Fist practitioner. When he was a child, his older brother Gou told him to be a model instead of a martial artist. And then he died, at which point Retsu decided to become a martial artist and avenge him. He focuses on technique when fighting.
Gou Fukami/GekiViolet: Retsu?s older brother, who it turns out was not dead, but turned into a werewolf for 15 years, which kept him from ageing or dying. He has a fierce rivalry with Rin Juken's leader Rio, who was responsible for his condition. Though he is of the Geki Juken, Gou lacks a passion for justice and fights only for himself. This resulted in Gou mastering a personal and dangerous form of Geki that he developed himself, called Shigeki as well as the reinvention of the Wolf-Fist into his personal Fukami-Way, a form of the actual Wolf-Fist that uses Muay Thai fighting moves. However, Sha-Fu believed that Gou actually does have a passion for justice deep down, and gave him the Juken Henshin Brace GongChanger which he commissioned specially for Gou to use. After much soul searching and cajoling by the others, he agrees to become GekiViolet and eventually overcome the beast within him, thanks to Rinju Fly-Fist Bae. However, Gou still desires to defeat Rio and prove himself as his rival, holding some animosity towards Jan Kandou whom Rio sees as a rival.
Ken Hissatsu/GekiChopper: A lazy prodigy who somehow mastered the style used by Juken's founder Brusa Ee, Gekiju Rhinoceros-fist. Ken was originally to aid Ran Uzaki and Retsu Fukami, but he left to travel abroad since his GekiChangers were busted. Furthermore, he sold the SoJuTo that Sha-Fu gave him for traveling money. Despite this, he is capable of using the incredibly-hard-to-master Geki Kensan technique.

Allies:
Miki Misaki: Scrtc's main executive in charge of weapons development, who creates the Gekirangers' gear. She is a master of Gekiju Leopard-fist, who was part of a previous trio of students, not unlike the current one, with Gou and Rio (no prizes for guessing how that ended up). Before she joined Geki Juken Beast-Arts, Miki was an infamous sukeban in her youth and the former leader of the Kanto Sukeban Alliance, a reputation that still holds to the present day.
Master Sha-Fu: A student of Brusa Ee who is a grandmaster of the Gekiju Felis-fist. He is the mentor of the Gekirangers and leader of the Kensei, mastering all three of its aspects and able to channel Kageki. And the conflict in the series is his fault, but more on that later.

Rin Juken Akugata: A branch of Juken that split off when their founder Maku was suggested for the role of Brusa Ee's successor by Sha-Fu. This martial arts school focuses on the principles of natural selection: that only those strong enough can survive the harsh and inhuman training while fully mastering the Akugata's fighting styles. Unlike the Geki used by Geki Juken, which is fuelled by one's sense of Justice, Rin Juken's Rinki draws its power from the darkness in one's heart.

Black Lion Rio: Rin Juken's current leader and a master of Rinjū Lion-fist. Formerly a member of Geki Juken Beast Arts, he decided they were holding him back, murdered his mentor Dan and defected to Rin Juken. He has a rivalry with Ian, due to seeing the latter as his opportunity to overcome Dan, the one opponent he could never defeat. In the present, he set about reviving Rin Juken's founders, the Kenma to increase his strength, only for them to eventually turn on him after he only gained a fraction of Maku's power. He is now considering learning the ways of Gen Juken from a stranger known as Long?
Chameleon-Fist Mistress Mele: A practioneer of Rin Juken who lived and died during the Geki-Rin War hundreds of years ago. She was brought back in the present as a Rinshi Beast by Rio in order to serve him, due to her having the same need for strength as he does, infusing her with enough of his Rinki to be completely human-like. Since then, Mele fell deeply in love with Rio, though the feeling's not mutual, hence she fights only to prove her love to him even if it kills her.
Fly-fist Bae: A former student of Geki Juken, who was turned into a fly and absorbed by Mele during the Geki-Rin Rebellion. In the present, due to a curse preventing him from leaving Mele for prolonged periods, he mostly comments on the battles between Juken Giants and enlarged Rinshi Beasts.

Dark Shadow: A Negative Syndicate that collects Precious to sell them to high bidders.

Maboroshi no Gekkou (Moonlight of Illusions): A ninja warrior who merged his body with that of a Demon Bird, trapping him in the form of an owl, but granting him eternal life. He mostly stays on the sidelines, using his Kami Ninpo to create Tsukumogamis and to enlarge them.
Kaze no Shizuka (Silence of Wind): A human ninja working for Dark Shadow, who is mostly in charge of interacting with others due to her immaturity and ineptitude for combat. Following the ousting of Yami no Yaiba, she is now Dark Shadow?s second-in-command.

What do I think of Gekiranger? Well frankly, it?s the first Sentai I watched in full that I disliked.

The show has no idea how to properly pace itself. It thrusts us into an arc that most shows do after 12-14 episodes after THREE EPISODES, giving us no idea how the stakes are supposed to be much higher than before (Oh right, the Rinrinshi have sashes now), and after that settles into a rut of ?new villain appears, Rangers spend two episodes getting a new power, new power stays on top for two episodes, rinse and repeat?. And when the show does slow down and give us some filler episodes, it?s in the middle of a major climactic arc. Ie. WHEN THEY SHOULDN?T BE DOING FILLER AT ALL.

And then there?s the characters. Of the 5 heroes, only Jan and Gou get any character development or major focus. And Jan is essentially a Mary Sue, given how he?s able to master supposedly complex techniques with no training. And I don?t know about you, but if I knew a guy who sounded like Jan, I would not be friends with him. And of the side characters, the 7 Kensei are relevant for like 2 episodes each, after which they might as well have killed them off, because they contribute nothing but unnecessary comic relief that clashes with the rest of the show.

I don?t have a much higher opinion of the villains either. Rio is essentially a creator?s pet, since we?re told countless times he?s redeemable, with no proof offered. We?re told his disposition is the result of a tragic backstory, but when he loses his memory in one episode, he acts EXACTLY THE SAME AS USUAL. Long isn?t much better as an antagonist, since the show contrives ways for him to be responsible for every bad thing in the show and absolve all the other villains of their wrongdoings so they can be easily forgiven. It doesn?t help that his actor is utterly unthreatening, with a voice that seems more suited for a camp-gay gag villain than an ultimate mastermind. And his delivery is strangely wooden, which detracts from any menace the dialogue was trying to convey.

But enough negativity. This is the last series (and subsequently, the last of these movies) to be produced by Hideaki Tsukada until Kiramager (he did produce Kamen Riders W and Fourze). And it?s the last one in a series of Arakawa-penned storylines (which is just as well, since I wasn?t keen on his Gekiranger output, since it contained much of the problems I?ve listed above and below), while the director is Noboru Takemoto (who?s Twitter account does for Dekaranger what Nobuhiro Suzumura?s does for Kuuga). With all that said, on with the review.

We open in space, with DaiVoyager heading towards an undiscovered planet (As it set out to do in Boukenger's finale), touching down.



As Sakura scans for Precious, getting a huge reading, the ground beneath her cracks, sucking her in.





Back on Earth, Kaze no Shizuka breaks into Scrtc, with a red ball, confused as to the assignment (we never find out who hired her to steal this, but an obvious candidate will soon present itself)



But unfortunately for her, stopping while the alarm is still ringing OUTSIDE THE BUILDING, NO LESS, is a bad idea, as the Gekirangers show up quickly.



And then the Boukengers on Earth show up, looking to secure the red ball, which is classified as a Precious (we never find out it?s hazard level, though), and get into a battle with the Gekirangers over it (And since Yuichi Hachisuka is in the GekiYellow suit, and to avoid paying him twice as much, the role of BoukenYellow will be played by his twin brother, Shoichi).



Cue the theme song (I know a lot of people love this, but personally, I?ve only seen it as ok. But I did make my own translation of the lyrics)

That's right, GEKI! GEKI! Extremely!
Gan-gan Let's go
Let?s blaze a trail, for the sake of changing
Gekiranger!

Throughout this Earth, sounds a rhythm, inviting forth an awakening.
Master the Gekiwaza, to challenge the evil
Oh beasts of justice.

Harness and unleash the bestial power
Mind and skill, and body together!

That's right, GEKI! GEKI! Extremely!
Gan-gan Let's go
Reach for the sky to claim your dreams
How about GEKI! GEKI! Impact!
Bang-Bang Feel it
Who now than others is the strongest of all.
Juken Sentai Gekiranger
Gekiranger!

It also comes with a special credits sequence, which sadly gets dropped after the next VS movie. And it's own modification to the opening narration.

?Protecting peace in the world? Fighting for the people, Super Sentai. Super Sentai has two shining teams. First, their blazing Geki is proof of Justice, Juken Sentai Gekiranger. Second, Endless Bouken Spirits, GoGo Sentai Boukenger. Warriors who never should have met, now unexpectedly meet and change.? (So does this mean the VS world theory is canon? Also that part about them changing is a pack of lies, since no-one gets any lasting development from these things)



After the two trios fight into the morning (seriously, it?s framed as if neither of them took any breaks. I can get the Gekirangers being able to fight for that long, but Boukenger?), Shizuka decides now is the time to retreat with the red ball. Unfortunately, she forgot about Eiji.



As Shizuka leaves disappointed, the fight gets derailed by the appearance of Akashi, who was last seen heading into space in DaiVoyager, now wearing a leather jacket (and sunglasses, but he took those off prior to this picture)



Akashi doesn?t answer the question, instead taking the red ball for himself and leaving (and that's why he's so cool). Realising that Boukenger know something, Mimi has the Gekirangers escort them to Scrtc. Once there, Masumi (who now has a crazy haircut to go with his crazy teeth), explains Boukenger?s mission statement.







Eiji then reveals what the deal is with the red ball. It?s a powerful Precious that?s not that powerful on its own.



Master Sha-Fu then shows up to elaborate and unlike everyone in Gekiranger proper, Boukenger are weirded out by a sapient, talking cat (he's either that or a really hairy foreigner)? well, almost all of them.



He then explains the story of the one man who defeated Juken?s founder, Brusa Ee (a notion that confuses Retsu), the master of Uchuu Kenpo (Space Kung-Fu. It?s as ridiculous as it sounds, so I?ll stick with the untranslated version)













(I have no idea why the ultimate warrior of a Chinese fighting style is a Peruvian god. Or why the opponent that two teams of demon fighters join together to overcome is an outright alien)

As Retsu points out that someone else must have the blue ball, we cut to the RinJuDen, where DaiVoyager, in robot mode, touches down.



Mele tries to call for help repelling the intruder, but due to it being cold and flu season, the only one she can get is the Hippopotamus-fist user, Baka (who?s name tells you all you need to know about him)



Somehow, Baka performs Ringi: Jashin Koutei Henge to face the giant on even terms, only for it to turn out his one attack he remembers is tickling which is about as effective as you?d expect against a giant robot. As this is happening, Sakura sneaks into the throne room and tries to take the blue ball (I guess Maku was taking souvenirs when he left to form his own sect), only to be stopped by Rio (F*cking Rio)



Akashi and Sakura then make RinJuken an offer: Help us acquire the ultimate power of Pacha Kamaq and you?ll get your share of it (and it seems that Sakura has an unusual Ki about her). Rio, being power-hungry, agrees readily. At Beast-Arts, Prof. Makino arrives from SGS (turns out, he and Miki know each other from the Dino Curry house), having analysed footage Souta sent back of the red ball.



His analysis gives them some insight into Pacha Kamaq.







He then tells them where to go.





The seven heroes then set off, with the Boukengers getting confused over Jan?s ?language? and Miki sending in Gou and Ken to help the party in South America (the first seven come in via GoGoDrill, the latter two via GekiWolf. Don?t ask how). After Eiji, Gou and Ken get caught up battling Baka (who manages to overpower all three of them somehow, partially due to pain resistance of some kind). While climbing the mountain, the Gekirangers tire easily (since they?ve only been trained to go forward, not up), while the Boukengers climb it easily. After a talk about the thrill of adventure (you know, Boukenger?s secondary theme, behind everyone having their own Precious to search for), while Jan decides that Akashi can?t be all bad. When everyone makes it to the temple, it?s too late. Akashi and Sakura have placed the two balls in the alter, opening a portal.



As this happens, Pacha Kamaq emerges from within Sakura, leading Rio and Mele into the portal.



And then Baka runs in after them while everyone?s confused as to what?s happening.



Akashi then explains that the planet they landed on, Isla, was where Pacha Kamaq was sealed away, and their landing awakened him, allowing him to possess Sakura. (Erm, oops)



As they realise that Pacha Kamaq?s arrival on Earth increased the Hazard Level of the Precious, Pacha Kamaq, now sporting a pair of additional arms on his shoulders and with the three Rin Juken Akugata under his control (I wonder how long it took him to do that to Rio and Mele. Baka likely took no time at all).





As the 4 fly to Berlin (Why, I have no idea. Especially since Pacha Kamaq and his followers have never been there before), the heroes drop down in Ultimate DaiBouken (See, that makes more sense than the drill), with the Gekirangers vowing to prove he?s misusing his strength, while Akashi and Sakura vow to take him down as revenge for manipulating them.

Akashi: Ready?

Gekirangers: Tagire, Kemono no Chikara! (Roar, power of the beast)

Gou: Hibike! Kemono no Sakebi (Echo, howl of the beast)

Ken: Togisumase! Kemono no Yaiba! (Sharpen, blade of the beast!)

All: Beast On!

Boukengers: Boukenger, Start Up!

Eiji: GoGoChanger, Start Up!



Akashi: The Fiery Adventurer, BoukenRed!

Masumi: The Fast Adventurer, BoukenBlack!

Souta: The High Up Adventurer, BoukenBlue!

Natsuki: The Strong Adventurer, BoukenYellow!

Sakura: The Deep Adventurer, BoukenPink!

Eiji: The Dazzling Adventurer, BoukenSilver!

Akashi: Endless Bouken Spirits?

All: GoGo Sentai Boukenger!

Jan: This body flows with infinite energy! Unbreakable Body, GekiRed!

Ran: With daily purification, polishing the heart! Honest Heart, GekiYellow!

Retsu: Techniques colour this grand flower! Fantastic Technique, GekiBlue!

Gou: Excitement, my style, to the limit of my will! Iron Will, GekiViolet!

Ken: Polishing the talent, I cut open my future! Amazing Ability, GekiChopper!

All: Our blazing Geki is proof of justice, Juken Sentai Gekiranger!

Jan: We?re all together!

Akashi: Eleven members!

All:



Pacha Kamaq isn?t impressed, sending his minions in to do battle. Akashi and Jan face the big man himself, Rio beats the stuffing out of Masumi and the Fukami Bros, Mele gives the women a hard time and Baka does his thing with what?s left over. And then Pacha Kamaq reveals that those arms aren?t just for show.



However, a heroic second wind then blows, symbolised by each of the Gekirangers turning into their Kageki forms (Gou and Ken don?t have them, since neither mastered Kageki) and overpowering and blowing up their opponents. (Unfortunately, they survive)





And then Souta, Ken and Eiji combine their techniques to finally overpower Baka.



With their feelings now as one, Jan and Akashi assume their respective super modes to face Pacha Kamaq on equal terms, managing to hit him with the Red Zone Tiger Geki.



Managing to overpower Uchuu Kenpo with this power, all 11 then gather around to do a group finisher to defeat Pacha Kamaq and Baka (who already used up his ?one growth per monster? earlier).



All: GoGo GekiGeki Shoot!

But Pacha Kamaq survives, using Uchuu Kenpo?s ultimate power to grow giant and fly to the moon, where he prepares his ultimate attack.



But the heroes show up in GekiBatFire, GekiTohjaWolf riding DaiVoyager and Ultimate DaiBouken.

And then to make the fight more epic, Rio and Mele show up in RinLion and RinChameleon, calling a temporary truce.



They then combine with GekiTohjaWolf (since the others won?t allow such a smooth combination by design), forming GekiRinTohjaWolf (They keep treating this like a new thing, but this is the third time it's appeared in anything chronologically)



Using the new power of a sword (something they could?ve used Zubaan to do, but whatever), GekiRinTohjaWolf destroys Pacha Kamaq?s additional arms.



And it?s now that they use Zubaan? combining his Dai Seiken Giri with GekiRinTohjaWolf?s GekiRin RouRou Zan and GekiFire?s Gekiwaza: GanGan Knuckle Otoshi.



As Pacha Kamaq dies before he can implore his long lost son to avenge his death, the three robots stand triumphant.



As the two Sentai say goodbye, Boukenger decide to tease Akashi over the fact he?s no longer the chief by calling him ?Satoru?, while Ken decides to try his luck with Natsuki (who is way outside of his age range). Luckily, Zubaan makes himself known at that point.



We then show the credits, depicting what everyone did next (even Shizuka), set to the one Sentai ED Ichiro Mizuki has performed in his long career (for comparison he?s done 4 Rider OPs, 5 Rider EDs, 1 Metal Heroes OP, 3 Metal Heroes EDs and two Ultra OPs).

When a person reaches for a goal
He will see a path towards it

It's a bold journey
Bang! Bang! There may be clashes along the way
More! More! But I want to learn more and more
And become even stronger

Just feel it, Don't think 'bout it
It's your own unique path!
Go for it, Don't give it up
Reach until the end... Gekiranger!

Final thoughts: It?s a fairly decent, if average plot. The film has some good action set pieces, but not much else.