What are you watching? Other Toku Series Edition

CyberDragon · 06-21-2023, 07:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GuardianAngel87

As of last night, I finally finished watching Sharivan and I am currently starting on Shaider which is the third and final series of the Space Sheriff trilogy and also happens to be one of the the three shows that was used as source material for VR Troopers along with two Metal Heroes shows that came after being Spielban and Metalder respectively.

Hey, I'm also working my way through Metal Hero! I just started watching Sharivan and want to make it at least as far as Spielban.

GoldenXtreme · 08-16-2023, 07:12 PM

I finished watching the original Garo TV series. This was actually a show I tried to watch years ago, but I got derailed partway through and didn't finish it. I have a feeling the opinions I am about to share are going to be unpopular, but here goes!

The Good

I did a little research and this show had almost double the budget of most of its contemporaries! Though the CGI use can be heavy at times, it really does deliver on some absolutely spectacular fights with all kinds of crazy wire action and creative choreography. Later on I think the show gets a better balance of CGI vs practical effect work too.
Great suits! The hero's look like they are wearing proper armor and the Horrors usually look properly grotesque and organic.
I do feel like their is a certain charm to the show, its so serious about what it is doing that you can't help but root for it.
I liked the Magic Bullet episode, that one was lit.

The Bad

In spite of the horror genre and occasional very horny part of the show, I don't really think Garo took advantage of being aimed at adults. It isn't really thematically more sophisticated than contemporary Rider shows, and in fact often comes across as MORE immature than them due to it's "edgy teen" sort of writing, where it flirts with dark concepts but doesn't really have the skill to analyze them.
On the topic of Rider... this show felt a bit lacking in identity because it was just too dang similar to a Rider show, and not even a particularly good one.
Let me be blunt. I think the writing in this show is laughable. The character arcs are generic and get resolved with no fanfare, the scary elements are usually so goofy as to be hilarious, the cast is unlikable, the romance has no chemistry, things get brought up out of nowhere, etc. It's so uninspired and amateurish, to the point I was regularly laughing out loud.

The Other

I think this show has the exact same vibe as an M rated PS2 action game. It probably aged about as well as one too!
Kaoru has no sense. This woman would follow Jason Voorhees into a knife factory.
I genuinely think that this show is on the same level of legendary meme tokusatsu as the first half of Kamen Rider Blade. I will die on this hill.

I hope the later entries are a lot better? I really like a lot of the ingredients this show is cooking with, but it didn't make good use of them!

Mesnick · 08-17-2023, 12:57 AM

Watched all translated episodes of "Voltes V: Legacy". Well, that's very good. Given that the show is considered the first Filipino sci-fi series, the start is very strong. While the narrative structure is very reminiscent of the Power Rangers, they manage to avoid repetitiveness and every Beast Fighter seems like a serious threat. And even though love relationships are given almost more timing than the plot, this helps to better reveal the characters.
Voltes V, like his transformation, is made in great detail and with high quality. Beast Fighters aren't as good, but it's all the more satisfying to see them blow up.And I even like the slow fights of robots more than the high-budget Transformers, where everything merges into a metal mess and it is not clear who hit whom and with what.
What is really bad is the fights of the actors. They are divided into bad and very bad. At the same time, it is clear that something very cool is laid in the idea, like repeatedly taking away a knife, but the cast simply cannot do it. They really should have brought in professional stunt doubles.
Overall I am very pleased with the show and will continue to watch it. Also very grateful to the one who laid out his trailers before the release. I recommend it to anyone who wants to watch an atypical but recognizable tokusatsu.

Mesnick · 08-28-2023, 10:31 AM

Cho Ninja Tai Inazuma2006 year. It's amazing how this little direct-to-video show that serves as entertainment for Sentai's cast caught my eye after the end of Geats. Judge for yourself.
According to the story, in the year 2075, on the 100th anniversary of the tokusatsu franchise, it was decided to travel back in time and film the show in the Edo era. A producer and an assistant find three stupid, but kind and charismatic guys and, with the help of future technologies, convince those that God has given them strength. But it turns out that the legend the show is based on is real. At least the monsters from it...
And if this is not enough for similarity with Geats, then the fox temple is also present in the plot. At the same time, Inazima immediately took a course in a different direction.
The show has a lot of parodies of tokusatsu and jigaigeki (Japanese historical dramas), but they are written with love and respect. The trinity of the main characters is twice deceived, but still does not lose optimism and desire to stop evil. Given the year of release, I would venture to suggest that this was a response to the gloomy tokusatsu 2000s. With references to series from Metal Heroes to Kagestar, they unobtrusively, but without ambiguity, stated that simple, optimistic stories have the right to life.
Of the minuses, I note that after real gaining strength, almost all comedy is lost. Yes, some attacks are frankly parodic, but in general, there is still more attention given to references, rather than humor. It seems to me that it was worth leaving the heroes at least the inability to pose in sync.
All in all, a nice little show, unpretentious but with a big heart. I recommend it to those who have not seen it yet and I sit down for the second season.

Sh Ranger · 08-28-2023, 11:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mesnick

Cho Ninja Tai Inazuma2006 year. It's amazing how this little direct-to-video show that serves as entertainment for Sentai's cast caught my eye after the end of Geats. Judge for yourself.
According to the story, in the year 2075, on the 100th anniversary of the tokusatsu franchise, it was decided to travel back in time and film the show in the Edo era. A producer and an assistant find three stupid, but kind and charismatic guys and, with the help of future technologies, convince those that God has given them strength. But it turns out that the legend the show is based on is real. At least the monsters from it...
And if this is not enough for similarity with Geats, then the fox temple is also present in the plot. At the same time, Inazima immediately took a course in a different direction.
The show has a lot of parodies of tokusatsu and jigaigeki (Japanese historical dramas), but they are written with love and respect. The trinity of the main characters is twice deceived, but still does not lose optimism and desire to stop evil. Given the year of release, I would venture to suggest that this was a response to the gloomy tokusatsu 2000s. With references to series from Metal Heroes to Kagestar, they unobtrusively, but without ambiguity, stated that simple, optimistic stories have the right to life.
Of the minuses, I note that after real gaining strength, almost all comedy is lost. Yes, some attacks are frankly parodic, but in general, there is still more attention given to references, rather than humor. It seems to me that it was worth leaving the heroes at least the inability to pose in sync.
All in all, a nice little show, unpretentious but with a big heart. I recommend it to those who have not seen it yet and I sit down for the second season.

I remember watching this, probably in the early 10s. It has a lot of actors from Dekaranger and Magiranger. I recall the sequel adds Bouken Red as well. While I mostly watched for the ninjas, I think it's a good entry point to get Tokusatsu fans interested in Jidaigeki and maybe vice versa. The two genres mix together in an awesome and enjoyable way and when we inevitably get a fourth ninja Sentai, I'd like Toei to try something like this, with some additional inspiration from Kakuranger and Sekai Ninja Sen.

Mesnick · 08-28-2023, 11:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sh Ranger

The two genres mix together in an awesome and enjoyable way and when we inevitably get a fourth ninja Sentai, I'd like Toei to try something like this, with some additional inspiration from Kakuranger and Sekai Ninja Sen.

I think the experience of King-Ohger can serve as a good help to this idea.

Sh Ranger · 08-28-2023, 12:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mesnick

I think the experience of King-Ohger can serve as a good help to this idea.

Exactly! If they're willing to use CGI settings for a whole show, then the Jidaigeki setting should be no problem. Especially considering they already did this once in 1972 with Henshin Ninja Arashi, so they really just need to take that concept and make it work for Sentai and the modern audience.

GuardianAngel87 · 08-30-2023, 10:53 AM

After months of putting it off, I finally watched some more episodes of Space Sheriff Shaider and I am now at the start of the show's own endgame arc. I am hoping to get this series finished sometime today.

GuardianAngel87 · 09-05-2023, 05:45 PM

I have finally finished Space Sheriff Shaider, and the entire Space Sheriff trilogy as a whole, not too long ago. It also means I have watched all three shows (Metalder, Spielban, and Shaider) that were used as source material for VR Troopers. In terms of Metal Heroes, I will probably start watching Juspion next.

Mesnick · 09-06-2023, 12:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GuardianAngel87

In terms of Metal Heroes, I will probably start watching Juspion next.

A good choice. The show is ridiculous, but funny and with likable characters.

08-16-2023, 07:12 PM	#1082
GoldenXtreme Henshin Heaven Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: Inside a Hyper Battle Video, help. Posts: 1,179	I finished watching the original Garo TV series. This was actually a show I tried to watch years ago, but I got derailed partway through and didn't finish it. I have a feeling the opinions I am about to share are going to be unpopular, but here goes! The Good I did a little research and this show had almost double the budget of most of its contemporaries! Though the CGI use can be heavy at times, it really does deliver on some absolutely spectacular fights with all kinds of crazy wire action and creative choreography. Later on I think the show gets a better balance of CGI vs practical effect work too. Great suits! The hero's look like they are wearing proper armor and the Horrors usually look properly grotesque and organic. I do feel like their is a certain charm to the show, its so serious about what it is doing that you can't help but root for it. I liked the Magic Bullet episode, that one was lit. The Bad In spite of the horror genre and occasional very horny part of the show, I don't really think Garo took advantage of being aimed at adults. It isn't really thematically more sophisticated than contemporary Rider shows, and in fact often comes across as MORE immature than them due to it's "edgy teen" sort of writing, where it flirts with dark concepts but doesn't really have the skill to analyze them. On the topic of Rider... this show felt a bit lacking in identity because it was just too dang similar to a Rider show, and not even a particularly good one. Let me be blunt. I think the writing in this show is laughable. The character arcs are generic and get resolved with no fanfare, the scary elements are usually so goofy as to be hilarious, the cast is unlikable, the romance has no chemistry, things get brought up out of nowhere, etc. It's so uninspired and amateurish, to the point I was regularly laughing out loud. The Other I think this show has the exact same vibe as an M rated PS2 action game. It probably aged about as well as one too! Kaoru has no sense. This woman would follow Jason Voorhees into a knife factory. I genuinely think that this show is on the same level of legendary meme tokusatsu as the first half of Kamen Rider Blade. I will die on this hill. I hope the later entries are a lot better? I really like a lot of the ingredients this show is cooking with, but it didn't make good use of them! __________________ Tier Lists: Kamen Rider \| Sentai

08-28-2023, 11:25 AM	#1085
Sh Ranger Standing By Join Date: Feb 2020 Location: USA Posts: 1,929	Quote: Originally Posted by Mesnick Cho Ninja Tai Inazuma2006 year. It's amazing how this little direct-to-video show that serves as entertainment for Sentai's cast caught my eye after the end of Geats. Judge for yourself. According to the story, in the year 2075, on the 100th anniversary of the tokusatsu franchise, it was decided to travel back in time and film the show in the Edo era. A producer and an assistant find three stupid, but kind and charismatic guys and, with the help of future technologies, convince those that God has given them strength. But it turns out that the legend the show is based on is real. At least the monsters from it... And if this is not enough for similarity with Geats, then the fox temple is also present in the plot. At the same time, Inazima immediately took a course in a different direction. The show has a lot of parodies of tokusatsu and jigaigeki (Japanese historical dramas), but they are written with love and respect. The trinity of the main characters is twice deceived, but still does not lose optimism and desire to stop evil. Given the year of release, I would venture to suggest that this was a response to the gloomy tokusatsu 2000s. With references to series from Metal Heroes to Kagestar, they unobtrusively, but without ambiguity, stated that simple, optimistic stories have the right to life. Of the minuses, I note that after real gaining strength, almost all comedy is lost. Yes, some attacks are frankly parodic, but in general, there is still more attention given to references, rather than humor. It seems to me that it was worth leaving the heroes at least the inability to pose in sync. All in all, a nice little show, unpretentious but with a big heart. I recommend it to those who have not seen it yet and I sit down for the second season. I remember watching this, probably in the early 10s. It has a lot of actors from Dekaranger and Magiranger. I recall the sequel adds Bouken Red as well. While I mostly watched for the ninjas, I think it's a good entry point to get Tokusatsu fans interested in Jidaigeki and maybe vice versa. The two genres mix together in an awesome and enjoyable way and when we inevitably get a fourth ninja Sentai, I'd like Toei to try something like this, with some additional inspiration from Kakuranger and Sekai Ninja Sen. __________________ 心と刃

08-28-2023, 12:12 PM	#1087
Sh Ranger Standing By Join Date: Feb 2020 Location: USA Posts: 1,929	Quote: Originally Posted by Mesnick I think the experience of King-Ohger can serve as a good help to this idea. Exactly! If they're willing to use CGI settings for a whole show, then the Jidaigeki setting should be no problem. Especially considering they already did this once in 1972 with Henshin Ninja Arashi, so they really just need to take that concept and make it work for Sentai and the modern audience. __________________ 心と刃

09-05-2023, 05:45 PM	#1089
GuardianAngel87 Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Posts: 820	I have finally finished Space Sheriff Shaider, and the entire Space Sheriff trilogy as a whole, not too long ago. It also means I have watched all three shows (Metalder, Spielban, and Shaider) that were used as source material for VR Troopers. In terms of Metal Heroes, I will probably start watching Juspion next. Last edited by GuardianAngel87; 09-05-2023 at 05:55 PM..