[Sh Ranger]

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

TOKUMEI SENTAI GO-BUSTERS MISSION 6 - ?COMBINE! GO-BUSTER OH!?

I mean, there?s Go-Buster Oh! That?s cool! I don?t love the design ? it?s just boxes on boxes, in ways that seem less effective in combat ? but the episode at least gives us the triumphant formation of the combined Buster Machine, followed by the requisite Not Facing The Explosion detonation climax shot. It feels appropriately grand, the culmination of the team acting in unison.

Even though Gobuster Oh is only a 3-part Gattai, it already looks more like a clusterfudge (the unofficial term for any Gattai that looks kind of messy) than most Q2 Gattais. The DX merchandise looks even worse, like, Gobuster Ace's legs are too big to fit properly in to the GT-02 legs, so the silhouette looks off. Remember how I mentioned about Gobusters' poor sales in the Double thread? Well, the overly complicated mecha was a problem, as many kids apparently struggled to perform the Gattai, having to figure out what to do with all those dismantled parts. It doesn't feel intuitive at all. The placement of certain parts doesn't make much sense either, like, why is GT-02's head upside down? Is it actually a bat now? This is a pretty stupid design.

Fortunately, when the show was adapted to PR, it was Hasbro's first time after purchasing the merchandise rights from Bandai and man, Hasbro made the proportions a lot more accurate. I heard that Hasbro's previous CEO was a big PR fan, so this is an example of the respect he gave to the franchise, but sadly the new CEO seems to be incompetent. Beast Morphers itself was still being produced by Saban Brands and personally, I thought it was kind of lame, especially compared to a show as awesome as Gobusters, but nevertheless, I have to praise the former management of Hasbro for the improvement in merchandise quality that continued in to Dino Fury.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

IT?S TIME FOR Snacks!

Huh, it's not September yet.

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Originally Posted by Androzani84

Also, this is the first time we see two types of enemy Megazords together. So I have to ask which is your favourite look? Alpha (the one with the antenna and the wide neck), Beta (the one that just has a large head with one eye) or Gamma (the one with the head crest)?

Hmm, out of the 3 types we've seen so far, I guess I'll have to go with Gamma, as I recall one of my favorite Vaglass Megazord designs was a Gamma (I'll be sure to point it out when it appears).

What about you?

[Kamen Rider Die]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunred

A damn shame this wasn't a thing circa 2012. What the hell, Bandai. Call Calbee and make it happen. Make it Premium Bandai if you have to.

Maybe for the 15th anniversary!

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Originally Posted by Androzani84

Also, this is the first time we see two types of enemy Megazords together. So I have to ask which is your favourite look? Alpha (the one with the antenna and the wide neck), Beta (the one that just has a large head with one eye) or Gamma (the one with the head crest)?

Beta, I think? It looks a little more like a giant robot from another dimension, rather than just an upscaled monster-of-the-week. I like that the proportions are different than the Megaroids.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

Even though Gobuster Oh is only a 3-part Gattai, it already looks more like a clusterfudge (the unofficial term for any Gattai that looks kind of messy) than most Q2 Gattais. The DX merchandise looks even worse, like, Gobuster Ace's legs are too big to fit properly in to the GT-02 legs, so the silhouette looks off. Remember how I mentioned about Gobusters' poor sales in the Double thread? Well, the overly complicated mecha was a problem, as many kids apparently struggled to perform the Gattai, having to figure out what to do with all those dismantled parts. It doesn't feel intuitive at all. The placement of certain parts doesn't make much sense either, like, why is GT-02's head upside down? Is it actually a bat now? This is a pretty stupid design.

I honestly have a tough time time appreciating Zords normally, and something as awkward and cludged together as this guy... not helping matters for me!

[Androzani84]

To answer my own question, I like the Gamma model, but the Alpha is a close second. Not really crazy on Beta, due to the lack of a defined head.

[Switchblade]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

Even though Gobuster Oh is only a 3-part Gattai, it already looks more like a clusterfudge (the unofficial term for any Gattai that looks kind of messy) than most Q2 Gattais. The DX merchandise looks even worse, like, Gobuster Ace's legs are too big to fit properly in to the GT-02 legs, so the silhouette looks off. Remember how I mentioned about Gobusters' poor sales in the Double thread? Well, the overly complicated mecha was a problem, as many kids apparently struggled to perform the Gattai, having to figure out what to do with all those dismantled parts. It doesn't feel intuitive at all. The placement of certain parts doesn't make much sense either, like, why is GT-02's head upside down? Is it actually a bat now? This is a pretty stupid design.

I?be never really cared for Gobuster Oh, either. Ace is incredibly solid on its own but adding the other two just covers it with a ton of cludge that makes it look like a huge mess. It also runs into the same problem that always makes helicopters my least favorite vehicle for Transformers: the blades always have to go somewhere and it?s very hard to do that in a way that isn?t intrusive.

[Sh Ranger]

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

Maybe for the 15th anniversary!

If Toei remember this show exists. The 10th anniversary got nothing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

I honestly have a tough time time appreciating Zords normally, and something as awkward and cludged together as this guy... not helping matters for me!

The only nice thing I can say about it is that it's not a generic limb-swapper.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Androzani84

To answer my own question, I like the Gamma model, but the Alpha is a close second. Not really crazy on Beta, due to the lack of a defined head.

That's how I'd rank them as well. Alpha left a decent impression with Burner Zord.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Switchblade

I?be never really cared for Gobuster Oh, either. Ace is incredibly solid on its own but adding the other two just covers it with a ton of cludge that makes it look like a huge mess. It also runs into the same problem that always makes helicopters my least favorite vehicle for Transformers: the blades always have to go somewhere and it?s very hard to do that in a way that isn?t intrusive.

I think each Zord having their own Henkei gimmick is a pretty cool idea, albeit one that Gobuster Oh has to suffer for.

Speaking of helicopters, I've got one planned for my OG Sentai and I simply opted to turn the blades in to.... Blades. Nitoryu style.

[Sunred]

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Originally Posted by Switchblade

Ace is incredibly solid on its own

While I don't mind both, this. Ace is just well-designed.

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Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

I honestly have a tough time time appreciating Zords normally, and something as awkward and cludged together as this guy... not helping matters for me!

Perhaps it's all the more reason you should give other shows a chance as well, including Showa stuff. I'm aware you've seen random tidbits and I agree that Go-Buster Oh can be a cluttery mess but not all of them are like that. For instance.

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Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

If Toei remember this show exists. The 10th anniversary got nothing.

It was 2022 so COVID was probably still something to consider. They did have a mini reunion at a film festival around that time iirc. The GogoV and some of the Gaoranger cast got together for it as well, and I believe Sakai who was Gao Black was the one who came up with the panels during the film festival as well as act as the host.

[Fish Sandwich]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

TOKUMEI SENTAI GO-BUSTERS MISSION 6 - "COMBINE! GO-BUSTER OH!"

...There's not a single point in this story where Yoko and/or Ryuji need to raise their game or learn an important lesson about teamwork. They were both doing their jobs well the whole time! This isn’t some Den-O Climax Form or Zi-O Trinity Form thing, where multiple characters need to figure out their stuff before they can tap into the combined power of their connection – it’s literally just the entire cast waiting for Hiromu to stop doing too much and screwing up. That’s it. That’s the lesson.

I'm really not sure why it needs to be anything more than that? If there's a good way to add depth or specificity or whatever to this plot, I certainly don't think it's by adding in lessons for Ryuuji and Yoko to learn about teamwork.

The way I see it, this episode as is is already extremely good about making its take on the combined robot debut as unique to this show as possible. You've got the competence of its villains making an unusual amount of trouble for so early on, because of that, you've got the organizational nature of the setting placed at the absolute forefront, and in the middle of all that chaos, you've got the Buster who's been doing things by himself for 13 years learning to understand that it's not only okay, but necessary to lean on his team in the episode that debuts the best possible physical representation of that lesson.

The pattern Go-Buster Oh uses, where the main component is already a fully-fledged giant robot on its own, is actually quite rare for Sentai, and I think this episode leveraged that for drama pretty spectacularly. A huge part of Hiromu's character is his borderline cocky level of self-confidence, and no part of the show has enabled that until now quite like having him always being the dude in the machine literally called Ace that gets to go and blow up the giant monster every week with its huge sword. The mecha action is very much his comfort zone, to the point it's like 90% of what Red Buster did in the premiere, even. Five episodes is plenty of time for both him and the viewer to get comfy with that routine, so I really think the show had every reason imaginable to contextualize Go-Buster Oh's debut in the way it did. One of the opponents Go-Buster Oh gets to stomp over is literally the exact Gamma type that gave Ace the fight of its life two episodes ago, just in case the episode wasn't being smart enough about all of this already.

Obviously it sounds nice in theory for there to be some more going on with the other heroes to flesh out the story, but I honestly think in this specific case, it'd just end up pulling the focus away from the unique elements of the show to give you a story that, even if it were "better", would just end up being way less Go-Busters and way more stock. Like, be careful what you wish for, I guess?

I don't know. I like this show a bunch so obviously I'm inclined to take its side on pretty much anything. Back in the day, I actually used to be right there with everyone thinking Go-Buster Oh is a bit messy (mostly because I worship Ace), but now, I mean, I'm tempted to do a whole second rant just to try and set the record straight after all the straight slander I'm reading in here.

[Kamen Rider Die]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunred

Perhaps it's all the more reason you should give other shows a chance as well, including Showa stuff. I'm aware you've seen random tidbits and I agree that Go-Buster Oh can be a cluttery mess but not all of them are like that. For instance.

Please stop making extra work for me!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fish Sandwich

I'm really not sure why it needs to be anything more than that? If there's a good way to add depth or specificity or whatever to this plot, I certainly don't think it's by adding in lessons for Ryuuji and Yoko to learn about teamwork.

I guess -- and I hope you can appreciate this criticism -- my disappointment lies in how regularly this show finds interesting ways to include all three Busters into whatever topic the show wants to discuss, and the fact this one is The Hiromu Show (as far as character growth goes) is sort of a bummer for me. It's only the 6th episode, but I guess I'm just used to a higher standard of quality in storytelling. There's nothing wrong with doing a single character spotlight in principle, but the way this show loops everyone in on a theme (like in Mission 5) proves that they know how to do more.

[Switchblade]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Die

I guess -- and I hope you can appreciate this criticism -- my disappointment lies in how regularly this show finds interesting ways to include all three Busters into whatever topic the show wants to discuss, and the fact this one is The Hiromu Show (as far as character growth goes) is sort of a bummer for me.

Oh man, would you hate Kyoryuger.

[Kamen Rider Die]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Switchblade

Oh man, would you hate Kyoryuger.

I definitely remember not having a good time when those characters randomly showed up in a spring crossover movie, so: maybe!