[fourthworld]

I started watching Ninninger weeks ago and something felt off about the first episode. It's hard to explain exactly, but it felt rushed and more focused on the special effects than the story. I honestly didn't want to watch more of the series after that. So it made me wonder...

What does a great first episode of a Sentai require?
What is your favorite first episode of a Sentai even if the rest of the series doesn't hold up?
What brings you back for more?

[Kamen Rider Vega]

I can only really say my favorite first episode was kaizoku sentai gokaigers. It spent a good amount of time on explaining what happened prior to the series then it beautifully transitioned into the main characters coming to earth. They then made scenes where it was like the gokaigers aren't a super sentai they're just space pirates and then the badassery kicked in and wapow best sentai ever.

[MrHerofan]

To me, it's hard to pick really, having either not remember parts of the shows, or episodes, and sadly for this thread that includes first episodes. I can't really pick, because, more or less I remember the pay off of the episode has. Plus I haven't watched a sentai series that isn't the currently airing one for almost two years.

[Suzu]

Gingaman! I only watched the first episode recently and I was hooked immediately. Other good episodes... Hm, Toqger was pretty cool, Gokaiger, Go-Busters, Gekiranger... I think Go-Onger wasn't too bad either.
They all had very good pacing and interesting storytelling that made a great introduction to the show.

[Matrixbeast]

A great first episode requires the ability to make the viewer interested in the characters. It's difficult, especially when you have to introduce 5 of them without just being an exposition dump, but it's possible. If the series can't make me interested in our main cast (Regardless of whether I like them), then they failed right at the starting line.

My favorite first episode is, to no one's surprise, Gekiranger, since it did a great job at showcasing both our heroes, villains, and the supporting cast. It was immediate fun without shoving exposition down my throat.

For a good first episode that was followed by a less than stellar show, it'll have to be either Gokaiger, really. While the premiere was great, the remainder of the series was a roller coaster, constantly rising and falling from amazing to terrible.

[EpsilonX]

I think the first episode should set up the world that the characters exist in and maybe have a minor obstacle to overcome. Second episode should build upon what we saw in the first episode, but also start introducing the pace of the show. Introduce a single robot here.

Honestly, I feel like a lot of newer sentai moves too fast. I love how the older ones took their time introducing the robots and enemies and everything. I felt like Zyuranger had a perfectly paced beginning. First episode introduced the team, second one showed them working well and using the first robot. Then there was a two-part episode of them acquiring new weapons, and then a two-part episode of them acquiring DaiZyuJin. From there, the universe was established and we could go from there. However, sometimes this isn't done in a very interesting way, giving the show a slow start.

[Suzu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by EpsilonX

Honestly, I feel like a lot of newer sentai moves too fast. I love how the older ones took their time introducing the robots and enemies and everything. I felt like Zyuranger had a perfectly paced beginning. First episode introduced the team, second one showed them working well and using the first robot. Then there was a two-part episode of them acquiring new weapons, and then a two-part episode of them acquiring DaiZyuJin. From there, the universe was established and we could go from there. However, sometimes this isn't done in a very interesting way, giving the show a slow start.

This hasn't much to do with how old the show is but with what the author wants to do with it. Magiranger also starts much slower than many shows from that time and it actually had a very similar pacing to Zyuranger.

[koinzell]

shinkinger first episode is good
Ninninger tried to catch that moment but failed since the main hero is your typical cardboard cut-out from a load of Shannon animes

as much as i hate this show but
gekiranger also comes to mind

Gokaiger also has an epic first episode

Go-Busters had the epic next gen type of feel to it in the first episode


the first episode should introduce the characters
and the bad guys and the world&story and they'r better makes it good and creative

and to me dekaranger had the best 5 interesting characters and world theme

[Matrixbeast]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Suzu

This hasn't much to do with how old the show is but with what the author wants to do with it. Magiranger also starts much slower than many shows from that time and it actually had a very similar pacing to Zyuranger.

There are also older Sentai that moved at a cheetah's pace, like Liveman, that threw characters at your face, threw ANOTHER set of characters at your face, threw the villains at you, and then threw the heroes at you after the villains wrecked a city in the span of a single episode.
Like Suzu said, it's more to do with what the writer wanted, not just the age of the series.

That being said, there are more "Older" Sentai that had better beginnings than newer ones (The pacing of the series as a whole is something entirely different, though. Liveman's hyper speed start is met with an incredibly slow slog of episodes afterwards).

[Startaiger]

Based on my memories :
I remember being very impressed by Abaranger 1rst episode at the time. Watching it again some years after, it was still a great episode, just not as impressive as the 1rst time due to CGFX now being 12 years old.
Shinkenger & Magiranger 1rst ep. were very good too.

Edit: And Jetman!! How could I forgot Jetman?!? Jetman's 1rst is amazing, great set up for the story with very good action scenes & drama. Makes you want to watch next ep. right after.
Also, Timeranger had a very good start.