[DreamSword]

Episode 1: Welcome to Kaioh

This made me feel like a kid again.

I actually didn't pay attention to the runtime of the episode when I first hit play, and I am so glad I didn't because this was an awesome rollercoaster ride!

Each episode of Dogengers is 19 minutes, and the reason that that's important is because every single second of those 19 minutes isn't wasted, and the pacing is quick to match.

No joke, this seriously felt like a classic Power Rangers episode to me, and as "The Only Power Rangers Fan™" I mean that as a huge compliment. It's the sort of breakneck pacing that goes by so quick that you as a viewer don't have time to question anything and are sent flying face-first into this colorful world of wacky hijinks and explosions.

But within that sugar rush of high energy lies a hidden gem that could be easy to miss: Some rather humanizing moments which set up the arc of who I'm assuming is our main character, Jiro. Alot of stuff surrounding him(like everything else) is played for laughs, but it was all pulled off in a way that instantly endeared me to him, such as when he tries to confront Yaiba Kamen but can't find the inner strength to actually move and take action.

Stuff like that is just one reason why I love the Power Rangers franchise, and if Dogengers here can continue to match that energy? I am in for one heck of a great ride. It's not often that I'm totally enamored with a show from episode 1, but man, Dogengers really did knock it out of the ballpark here.

For real, even if all you wanna focus on is the comedy, which there's definitely alot of in this episode, the first three minutes of the show are actually comedic genius: Opening up with a dramatic cold open from the perspective of the villains to immediately smash cutting to insane, high energy hijinks that acknowledges the blatant exposition that the characters are doing, but not in such a way to as become pretentious or to try and excuse itself for anything. It's the sort of thing that tends to either make or break meta humor for me, and here it worked!

So... yeah, incredible first impression, and I highly recommend that everyone watch the first episode if nothing else. It's a quick sit that feels even quicker, but in the absolute best of ways.