[Androzani84]

So it’s ya boy Shimoyama, at it again not focusing on any one of the Busters. (Though Hiromu gets the bulk of the screen time, for the 3rd episode in a row) Instead, we’re focusing on the daughter of our new character, legendary singer and actor Ichiro Mizuki, providing his usual mannerisms and flamboyance as a mad scientist who somehow eclipses Jin in the ego department.

But he did build a robot that in addition to replacing the “plug in head” gimmick of the other Buster Machines in favour of adding some foreshadowing to Kyoryuger’s mecha toyline, also takes the basic combination joints Ace had and improves upon them. The legs are slimmer, so they don’t stick out, the plugs for combined mode arms are on the lower arms rather than the shoulders and the hands can actually be tucked away rather than sticking out.

And in the last scene, Hiromu is (just barely) seen holding a briefcase as Hazuki gives his final message. Lest you think his ghost returned, I’ll explain it was projected by the briefcase, the Lioh Attache. It’s basically the control panel for Lioh removed and stored as a briefcase. But there may be other functions to it than that.

And for a personal highlight, Enter gets his first actual battle (as opposed to shooting CGI cables or piloting Epsilon), and he manages to hold his own against two of the 5, only retreating after one powered up member mildly injures him (contrast with the Messianic Metaloids, which are constantly outmatched the minute Powered Custom gets pulled out). As one person pointed out, the implication here is that if he put his mind to it, he could probably wipe out all the Go-Busters at once.

[Sunred]

Prof. Hazuki was portrayed by the late great Ichiro Mizuki, the GOAT of anime theme songs, founding member of anime theme song super group JAM Project, and the voice for the Powered Custom stuff in this show as well as Tategami Lioh stuff. Before he passed away in 2022, he sang anime and tokusatsu songs since the 70s, even earning the nickname "Aniki" or big brother in mainstream Japanese media.
He's no stranger to tokusatsu as well, having sang many themes and insert songs and even acted in some, his most notable appearances other than this show being the Metal Hero show known as Jikuu Senshi Spielban (which he sang the theme song for) as the titular hero's father, Ben, and Voicelugger Gold in the voice actor-centric tokusatsu show Voicelugger from the 90s.

Jikuu Senshi Spielban

Voicelugger

[Kamen Rider Die]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fish Sandwich

All that being said, *as* a standard Sentai plot, it's got all sorts of fundamental qualities built into it, and being a Go-Busters episode, it's not like it's without its redeeming qualities. I just spent all those words dunking on it, but it's also hard to care too much about the potential nuanced differences in the writing style when all the characters still feel like the characters I love, and I get to see that red robot I adore riding a sick giant lion robot that turns into a tricycle.

Yeah, all of the Hazuki Family stuff not working feels like such a bummer because I'm just going to go ahead and say Hiromu Has To Tame A Lion BuddyZord is maybe the most Hiromu plot I can imagine. I don't know if it's a good Go-Busters plot, but it's a great Hiromu plot.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Androzani84

So it?s ya boy Shimoyama, at it again not focusing on any one of the Busters. (Though Hiromu gets the bulk of the screen time, for the 3rd episode in a row)

I feel like there's an attempt to do a Jin/Ryuji story in this episode, but I can't say it was especially poignant or compelling. It's mostly just the two of them using their engineering skills to help the investigation, but Professor Hazuki is such a baffling presence in the narrative that it never quite connects with the modern day characters.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunred

Prof. Hazuki was portrayed by the late great Ichiro Mizuki, the GOAT of anime theme songs, founding member of anime theme song super group JAM Project, and the voice for the Powered Custom stuff in this show as well as Tategami Lioh stuff.

I assume he also did the song that plays over Li-Oh's climactic battle against Epsilon? It sure didn't sound like the normal Go-Busters music!

[Sh Ranger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

TOKUMEI SENTAI GO-BUSTERS MISSION 35 - ?LET MANE LI-OH ROAR!?

On one level, this is a super straightforward episode about showing off a new toy that manages to craft a thematic framework that serves its characters well. Hiromu has to prove himself to Li-Oh in order to win his help, and the Go-Busters have to prove themselves to Mika in order to earn her forgiveness and respect. The actors make it all work, and the action throughout is solid. (I didn?t love all the CG Zord stuff, but that?s a Me problem, not a show problem.) It leverages established character relationships both dramatic ? Jin and Ryuji ? and hilarious ? Yellow Buster and Stag Buster ? to notch a good episode of superhero action with a little bit of heart to it.

Haha, this was the episode where I started to wonder when the Sixth Ranger was going to show up, not knowing that they were already there. They typically debut in Q2, but rarely in Q1 or Q3 as well. Tategami Lioh certainly looks the part anyway. The way they become a bike for Gobuster Ace is a good way to emphasize the Buddy part of this Buddyzord, as they're doing the same thing that Nick does for Redbuster, except at giant size. I love it when a mecha gets a cool mount, which is why I enjoy Dekabike Robo and Bison King.

For the Hazuki part, there was some added emotional weight to rewatching this, now that his actor Mizuki is also deceased. He was a talented man.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Androzani84

But he did build a robot that in addition to replacing the ?plug in head? gimmick of the other Buster Machines in favour of adding some foreshadowing to Kyoryuger?s mecha toyline, also takes the basic combination joints Ace had and improves upon them. The legs are slimmer, so they don?t stick out, the plugs for combined mode arms are on the lower arms rather than the shoulders and the hands can actually be tucked away rather than sticking out.

The legs are a major improvement for sure. Shame that Hasbro never made their own version, as I would've liked to see their take on it. Besides, lions clearly sell, considering how often they appear alongside tyrannosauruses in Sentai. Imagine how many kids must've wanted to own this, only to find out that the DX merchandise doesn't exist.

[Kamen Rider Die]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

The way they become a bike for Gobuster Ace is a good way to emphasize the Buddy part of this Buddyzord, as they're doing the same thing that Nick does for Redbuster, except at giant size. I love it when a mecha gets a cool mount, which is why I enjoy Dekabike Robo and Bison King.

I think I liked the lion-riding more than the bike-riding? Riding a giant robot lion into battle just feels more mythic than a big blue motorcycle.

[Androzani84]

In response to the insert song question, yes. Mizuki did song it. Though it’s funny you say it doesn’t sound like a Go-Busters song, since it has the usual lyricist and the main composer. (I’m sharing the wiki link because I can’t find any good videos online. https://powerrangers.fandom.com/wiki...zan!_Champion!!

[Sh Ranger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

I think I liked the lion-riding more than the bike-riding? Riding a giant robot lion into battle just feels more mythic than a big blue motorcycle.

True, but I think the bike form is a good way to represent how Lioh has been tamed as a Buddyzord. A lion is independent and wild, but a bike exists to be driven by a partner.

[Kamen Rider Die]

TOKUMEI SENTAI GO-BUSTERS MISSION 36 - “SHOOM! GO-BUSTER LI-OH!”



Ha ha, even the name of the episode where the Buddyroids resent how much of the spotlight is on Li-Oh ends up completely putting the spotlight on Li-Oh!

A relentlessly funny episode about how to accept new people, and also an episode that unfortunately demonizes the concept of unionizing. (Like, the whole point of going on a strike is that it should hurt the people you’re striking against, so they realize how they’ve been mistreating you as a worker! That’s when you don’t cave!) But since the Buddyroids are more family members than employees, and the Busters aren’t even management anyway, I’m okay overlooking some disappointing views on labor relations.

Because we aren’t in an episode about the demands of workers, we’re in an episode about welcoming a new friend, and how tricky that can feel for kids. Li-Oh is Cool and Awesome and New and Currently On Sale, and it’s making the Buddyroids feel overlooked and disregarded. While it’s the Busters fault, it’s easy for the Buddyroids to hold it against Li-Oh as well, even though he’s just sitting in a garage for most of the episode. Li-Oh is replacing them minute by minute, and they resent him for being so cool. (Even Nakamura and Morishita have less to offer because of Li-Oh! This episode is really insane for how Li-Oh is basically a pair of shorts and two jumpsuits away from just replacing all three Busters!)

But then we find out from Nick that Li-Oh isn’t trying to replace them, he’s just trying to fit in and make friends. Li-Oh’s been in a cave for god knows how long, and the guy who made him is dead. The Buddyroids have had the Busters in their lives since they were created, but Li-Oh doesn’t really have anyone as a partner. So, they decide to be those partners for Li-Oh. It’s sweet, the conclusion of that story. It’s two aggrieved Buddyroids (plus the chaotic J and mortified Nick) putting aside their own misgivings and reaching out to a new friend. It’s very, very sweet.



IT’S TIME FOR Buddyroids!

And the rest of the episode is hilarious, which helps! While the eventual resolution is warm and welcoming, the path to get there was killing me. The Buddyroids unionize!!! Their demands are, sadly, basic recognition and maybe the occasional trip to a theme park! (The Busters, and Yoko in particular, treat the Buddyroids' demands as ridiculous and insulting, meaning they clearly forgot about the Mission 13/14 two-parter already.) As much as the episode eventually had to include both a series of battles and a heartfelt moral, I was completely okay with the rapidly escalating friction between the Buddyroids and Busters. They made Nick the secretary!!!

[Androzani84]

My takeaway from the strike subplot: Why the heck did Nick think J would be reliable? Guy has most of the letters of “trouble” in his full name (Kuwagata Jueki Kabuto is just missing t, r and l).

So anyway, the rest of the episode is Lioh’s briefcase form showing off how much it can make everyone’s lives easier. It can detect the Messiah Cards activating and when Metaloids are created, and the toy has sounds for detecting the weak points of the main three (including the utterly hilarious “Sakurada Hiromu Chicken Reaction: CATCH!). It also doubles up as a tradition for Sentai dating back to 198w overall, 1987 as an overall thing: the ultimate weapon, a new role play toy introduced partway through a season (can be introduced anywhere starting from the late teens to the last 5 episodes of the show) to be the strongest weapon in the Rangers’ Arsenal. The term is one I’m using in lieu of anything better, since I don’t think there is a catch all term. The closest Bandai came to acknowledging them as a thing was having Donbrothers’ ultimate weapon, the GolDonblaster, contain standby sounds from the previous 11 examples (Gokaiger’s Gokai Galleon Buster, Lioh, Minityra from Kyoryuger, the Revolving Cannon from ToQger, the Ichibanshoubutou from Ninninger, Zyuohger’s Whale Change Gun, the Saiko Kyutama from Kyuranger, LupinPat’s Lupin Magnum and Siren Striker, Ryusoulger’s Max Ryusoul Changer, Kiramager’s Kiraful Go Arrow and Zenkaiger’s Zenryoku Zenkai Cannon).

And in the inverse of this power up talk, in an episode which shows off the necessity for Powered Custom slightly better than its debut by having Dozeroid wallop the base form Busters, Escape proves the inverse of Enter’s sudden level in badass by losing in one hit to Powered Ryuuji. Someone clearly forgot to level grind.

[Kamen Rider Die]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Androzani84

My takeaway from the strike subplot: Why the heck did Nick think J would be reliable?

To be fair, the thing Nick was counting on was that J would be so difficult to deal with that Usada would give up and go back to Yoko. I think that's a good gamble!