[Fish Sandwich]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

TOKUMEI SENTAI GO-BUSTERS MISSION 15 - “THE GOLDEN BUSTER AND THE SILVER BUDDY”

...

What a romp these two are.

One of the things I most remember about the experience of watching Go-Busters originally was that it took me quite a bit of time to truly come around to liking Jin and J. I don't think I ever outright disliked them, mind you, but in 14 episodes, I had become so attached to the existing dynamics of the main cast that anybody coming in to shake that up just struck me as unnecessary at best. The sheer glee with which this one emphasizes how different things are with these guys around didn't help me at the time... but then, that's kind of exactly why it's such a strong episode, now isn't it?

I mean, the whole point of this anecdote is simply that this episode gave me pause to actively consider how invested I was in the series, not that it was making some misstep by choosing to characterize its additional heroes the way it did, because like, it *so* was not, and that only became clearer and clearer to me the longer they were around.

[Kamen Rider Die]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fish Sandwich

The sheer glee with which this one emphasizes how different things are with these guys around didn't help me at the time... but then, that's kind of exactly why it's such a strong episode, now isn't it?

I can't tell you how much I love that this episode's moral is that making something ruthlessly efficient and reliable is maybe not necessarily better than taking a chance and making something original. This is a show that knows it could easily do Mission 13 and 14 for another eight months, but wouldn't you rather get out on this limb with them instead and see if it's more fun?

What a ludicrously confident production team. No wonder they created Jin!

[Sunred]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

I cannot imagine having a Beet Buster figure without a Stag Buster figure standing slightly in front of him. Just feels wrong!

It's a very Hell Brothers (Kickhopper and Punchhopper) or Revi and Vice kind of deal. You can't just have one of the two.

[Kamen Rider Die]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunred

It's a very Hell Brothers (Kickhopper and Punchhopper) or Revi and Vice kind of deal. You can't just have one of the two.

Yeah, like, this isn't a Yuuto/Deneb thing, where Deneb's only ever an additional suit for Zeronos -- J is the second half of the duo. I guess that's why Bandai never made either one in Figuarts?

[Sh Ranger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

TOKUMEI SENTAI GO-BUSTERS MISSION 15 - ?THE GOLDEN BUSTER AND THE SILVER BUDDY?

It?s hard to talk about this episode in ways that aren?t just enjoying the comedic energy of every single Jin/J scene ? J doesn?t know he isn?t the lead character! Jin swaggers like we didn?t all just see him childishly snap at J for talking over him! ? but I will try. (One of my favorite gags in the episode is actually just about Jin, not even featuring him. As the team is trying to discern whether it?s the real Jin or a plot by Enter, Hiromu confidently declares it to be a fake Jin because he?s too goofy, to which Ryuji instantly goes No, That Part?s Correct.) There?s a lesson in here about perfection being boring, which is a subtle way of priming us for a Buster duo that is resolutely not the kind that?s going to slot into the hierarchy of our series to date, while also saying that it?s more fun when something has room to surprise you. Like Jin and J heisting the Enetron for themselves at the end of the episode! (I assume they?re actually using it to steal the Megazord that Messiah?s building, but we?ll likely find out for sure next time.)

The core 3 act like serious professional agents, even Yoko to a lesser extent, so the loud goofy duo of Jin and J dominate the stage with their physical comedy. A neat detail about their suits is how the torso design is mirrored. Asymmetry = Imperfection, so we can see how Jin puts his philosophy in to everything he designs and that despite his narcissism, he's willing to express his flaws in a visual way what can also be considered aesthetically appealing. Whereas J is humorously oblivious to his flaws and thinks of himself as the best thing ever. Yep, this is totally another winning human-Buddyroid partnership. You referred to Nick as "Accel Momotaros" before, but the latter part is actually much more fitting for J.

Fun Fact: This is the first episode of the show that I watched. I was suffering from some kind of Sentai fatigue since Gokaiger ended and the debut of Beetbuster and Stagbuster made me curious to see what Gobusters was about. So I have pretty fond memories of this 2-parter and I love that the Director's Cut gave me a new way to enjoy it the second time.

Fun Fact Part 2: I didn't even realize these guys were officially Sixths until the Twokai Unit from the Twokaizer VS Gokaiger special confirmed it. I mean, the team ratio is pretty weird, right? Jin and J are 2/5 of the whole team!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

BOOST UP FOR Vacuumroid!

I loved this guy. He?s my favorite Metaroid to date, and he continues a very fun thread that started with Tubaroid last time: he?s just trying to do his job, you guys. Villains who view a run-in with the heroes as something more akin to having to take a phone call in the middle of typing a report? I think that?s the best. It?s the funniest way to approach a rote conflict, to mix it up occasionally with some bored clock-puncher of an evil robot. He?s just here to suck up Enetron, not fight a group of supersoldiers, so just let him wrap this up and he?ll be going. Best Metaroid! Elevated an already terrific episode into the stratosphere!

I remember the first thing Soujikiloid did was politely ask the resident to move from the area he's cleaning.

Quote:

Originally Posted by AkibaSilver

(Helps that their Power Rangers equivalents, Nate and Steel, are equally lovely but in a different way. You always win with these suits!)

Personally, I prefer most of the Gobusters characters to their BM counterparts, except I prefer Shaw to Kurorin.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fish Sandwich

One of the things I most remember about the experience of watching Go-Busters originally was that it took me quite a bit of time to truly come around to liking Jin and J. I don't think I ever outright disliked them, mind you, but in 14 episodes, I had become so attached to the existing dynamics of the main cast that anybody coming in to shake that up just struck me as unnecessary at best. The sheer glee with which this one emphasizes how different things are with these guys around didn't help me at the time... but then, that's kind of exactly why it's such a strong episode, now isn't it?

I think this Sixth Ranger Anxiety is something people can relate to, regardless of the season. The sudden appearance of a new main character brings chaos (literally Bun Violet's catchphrase) to the narrative and there's no certainty whether the new status quo will be better or worse than the old one. My first Sentai was Go-Onger and I remember being surprised how hostile the Wings were, but eventually they started to respect the Go-Ongers and now I love the style they brought to the show. In Gobusters' case, at least their name makes sense now.

[Kamen Rider Die]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

You referred to Nick as "Accel Momotaros" before, but the latter part is actually much more fitting for J.

Dude, no way! J is clearly Kintaros!

[Switchblade]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Dude, no way! J is clearly Kintaros!

I'd say he's probably closest to Sieg minus the "retainers" bit.

Either way, he's the series MPV in my opinion and I'm so happy that you're up to his debut.

[Kamen Rider Die]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Switchblade

Either way, he's the series MPV in my opinion and I'm so happy that you're up to his debut.

I really enjoyed the first part, but I can tell I've barely scratched the surface of this dynamic and ridiculous partnership. On to Mission 16!

[Kamen Rider Die]

TOKUMEI SENTAI GO-BUSTERS MISSION 16 - “THE MAN FROM HYPERSPACE”



Jin’s got a point, which is a fun way to tell his story. He’s theatrically abrasive and prone to bouts of grandiose nonsense, which rightfully rankles the dedicated and hard-working Go-Busters. But he’s also a guy who got kidnapped to hyperspace for 13 years due to someone else’s sacrifice, and his only prayer of extracting himself from that prison for good is a group of weird kids (and one weird adult) that treat him like he just morphed into Exposition Buster. It’s not great! It’s not a super great scenario for Jin!

But he’s a hero, because he’s still going to play the terrible hand the universe dealt him. (Imagine extricating yourself from hyperspace and having to pin your hopes to Hiromu. Dude does not make a great first impression! Or a rousing second impression! Third through six impressions are nothing to write home about, either!) He’s very much Not Here To Make Friends as an archetype, but he recognizes that only all five Busters together can put an end to the Vagras, so that’s what he’ll do.

Beyond the continuing delightful insanity of J and Jin (just… the whole J interrogation scene!!!) (!!!!!!!!!!), the heart of this episode is the ambivalence of the main Busters to finding out what Jin knows about the fate of their parents. While they’re hoping for good news, they’re terrified to possibly learn that there’s nothing left to rescue. After an episode of dodging the question, we get an answer in the end, and that answer is… maybe? Jin wasn’t with the main group, and he never saw anyone in the past 13 years… but maybe they’re still alive? It’s an answer that’d feel like a cop-out on nearly any other show, but for some reason it just worked for me here. It’s them all believing in the best outcome, and continuing to work as though it’s confirmed. It’s choosing optimism over pessimism, as an organizing principle for large-scale heroics. The Go-Busters keep working, as long as there’s a chance. Hard to be unhappy with a solution as charming as that, you know?

BOOST UP FOR J!



THIS GUY! Everything about him in this episode is like a cartoon character, but in the best way possible. Jin apparently just leaves him to wander the city hungry? J doesn’t know anything outside of facts about himself, because he’s a proud egotist? He pops out of a metal cabinet like he teleported there? He’s a consistently hilarious presence that somehow renders Jin’s flamboyant aggravation into something passing for normal human behavior; J’s single-minded idiocy makes Jin’s outrageous demeanor feel grounded by comparison. It’s a stellar episode for the Super Buddyroid!

[Sunred]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

THAT'S MY DUDE.

If they ever decide to English dub this I want Dan Castellaneta to voice J in a very robotic Homer Simpson voice.
I don't care how expensive he is to hire.